Yes, You Can Make a Difference: This Remarkable Story Will Inspire You to Do Something Big

(00:29:58):

This is where my father was. And I just remember feeling just so hurt, so lost, so empty. And I remember saying, if I could get out of this, I don't ever want to experience this again. I'm 17 years old, I'm a month before being 18, and I was supposed to be enjoying my last year of being in school at this time. And so I soaked and I got tied up with a gun and following the wrong people. And so when I got to court that Monday, I was given a second chance, and a lot of it was because of my aunt, and I think them pleading with the court to give me another chance because I had never been in no prior trouble. And obviously I just got caught up in a situation. But I remember promising the judge that if she could give me another chance that I would go to college, that she would never have to worry about finding me in the system again.

 

(00:30:53):

And I kept my word. And I look back today, and that's something that I always said that I never wanted to do, was to be a part to have to go into that small room ever again and spend any time. And so I think it was just a collective of just hating where I was in that hated the way I felt, but also being scared to know that I could end up spending more time there if I didn't figure out how to get out of this situation or if it would continue. And so that just led me to wanting to just change everything. So yeah, I think that was the turning point for me. That time that I spent in juvenile, it was just really eyeopening and I didn't really enjoy it. I hated every bit of it, and I think I just was so focused on wanting to be much better than I was. And I think it goes back again to just the values that my aunt and uncle really instilled in me growing up, despite my challenges I went through knowing that I could really create a life better for myself regardless of where I had came from.

 

Mel Robbins (00:32:08):

Well, I think it's so poignant what you said about the fact that you were reflecting on this is where I was born and this is not where I'm going to end up. And my father's story is not going to be my story. And it certainly isn't because you went from that courtroom back to high school, you graduated, you never looked back, you then went to Arkansas Baptist College, and what did you study there?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:32:39):

Human services.

 

Mel Robbins (00:32:40):

And for people that don't know what that means, what is human services?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:32:45):

Yeah. So it's mostly, I think in a better broader terms is supporting the quality of life and wellbeing of people, whether that's through economics, civil, social practices of uplifting people. So the work that I do obviously is supporting people to getting access to mental health services is I think a clear example of what I went to Arkansas Baptist College for. But it could also be as well as for supporting young people that may be at risk of going into the criminal justice system. So those are just obviously just pure examples.

Lorenzo Lewis (00:33:47):

It was an illuminating experience. Again, I think it was one of those was can't believe we made it. Can't believe I made it. So it was, again, the people that I grew up around, the folks that I had went to school with, and most of the people just growing up in the urban community in the south, it was just one or more things. It was either I'm going to go be an athlete and go to college, or I'm going to get lost to the streets and get on some kind of drugs and never make it, or I may not make it at all and I may be dead. And so it was just only a few options. And obviously I wasn't an athlete, and I think the other two options just wasn't favorable. So I did everything I could to know going to college, and I really worked hard to ensure that I could get my way out of that. And so I'm glad that I saw the favorable road to work towards graduating and getting to this point. So,

 

Mel Robbins (00:34:53):

Well, thank God you did, because your organization is now helping over 3 million people a year in terms of mental health advocacy. And so let's talk about the fact that right after college, you went and worked with the Department of Human Services. And I'm outlining your story, Lorenzo, because again, you are an example of somebody who made a decision, who reconnected with his values, who leaned into the struggle, who allowed himself to be vulnerable, and you turned your whole life around, and now you're taking all of this and you've turned it into this incredible, incredible organization. The Confess Project where you're helping millions of people and your story and life is an example to all love us, that if there is some change you want to make in your life, it is possible to do it. And if you are willing to serve others, you will be blown away by the difference that you can make.

 

(00:36:05):

And so you're a couple years into your career, you're working at the Department of Health and Human Services, and you start to notice that your colleagues who were working with youth and who were working with people that needed help kept saying, I wish I could reach them. I wish I could get through to these kids. I wish I could help. I wish I could do this. And they kept saying, I'm just not getting through. The therapists, the trained professionals, the psychologists that were in the system at the Department of Human Services, this is what inspired you to do something about it. So can you talk to us about the actual inspiration that you had that made you go, aha. The therapists and psychologists don't get it, but I do, and this is what I'm going to do?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:37:03):

It was countless conversations that I had working with different patients that was coming in and out of the hospital At the time, I mostly worked in a hospital setting for the most part. So they was there from seven to 14 day stay. But every day I interacted with folks from all different walks of life, whether they was someone that was coming out of the justice system to a teacher, to an attorney, depending on wherever they may have been in life, they was going through some kind of emotional challenge that they was there getting treatment.

 

Mel Robbins (00:37:37):

So were you working in an inpatient ward for a hospital that was providing mental health services for somebody who was having a breakdown?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:37:46):

Yes. So

 

Mel Robbins (00:37:46):

In other words, Lorenzo, you were a human being with angel wings on your back that was caring for people in a really low place. And so he's like, okay, he's sitting there, just imagine this, everybody, he's sitting there with his angel wings on his back and his college degree tucked under his arm, and he's here to serve, and he is got people of all walks of life coming into this hospital system in Arkansas. And you started to notice something. What did you notice?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:38:15):

That everybody was really human first and foremost, that people, no matter where they had accomplished and where they was planning on heading, that we all could face challenges. But I also think one of the things that really stood out is that everyone had a unique story and situation that set them apart, but even as you began to get across ethnicity, people of color, it even became more interesting to how they were really being supported in this system that I worked in.

 

Mel Robbins (00:38:51):

Meaning they were not being supported?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:38:53):

Correct. Not being supported. Not a lot of it was a lot of the patients would be what I would call return folks. They would come back and forth. A lot of 'em would be like, oh, this just pointless. And it didn't seem like there was a lot of purpose. And the one reason that I really resonated because I had been to a similar place, so I knew and I could tell the sentiments and the emotions that they shared because I had been there as a kid

Lorenzo Lewis (00:39:33):

I think one of the key things that I resonated with today was not really feeling honored and I believe not really not feeling really included. I think that was more most of, and I'm not feeling included, because there was people that didn't look like you.

 

Mel Robbins (00:39:55):

And this gets to the point of it is hard to get through to somebody who's struggling when you have no fricking clue what their lived experiences because you are a different race or a different socioeconomic class, and it's easier to get through to somebody when you have a lived experience that you can authentically connect with. And so what you're highlighting here in your experience, Lorenzo, is you were seeing the impact that it has on the black patient population when only 4% of trained and licensed mental health professionals are black. That if you don't see yourself represented by the very people that are trying to help you, how on earth could the people that are trying to help you get better understand what the fuck you're going through? And so that's what you started to see day in and day out. That's what you felt?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:40:55):

Yeah. And I believe a lot of times when we don't trust people that most of the time, if it's people that we can't, we feel like they don't resonate with our life experiences that may not look like who we are or come from where we are, that can create a barrier to access to mental health services in general. But I think it's even a step further when sometimes the compassion and the just humanity is not present in regards of how we connect with people about how they feel. And so I think that that in itself can create also, I think just historically, there's many challenges in communities of color and how we don't trust white medical providers or we may not trust people with that's an authority. And so these things can really create a ladder of distrust for people getting services and getting the help that they need, because some of it is tied to hurt and anguish that's been kind of boiling over years to come. So I

 

Mel Robbins (00:42:09):

Want to bring this saying that I learned from my really good friend, ed, I just love this because I think that this is what your life demonstrates. Ed told me, Mel, you are best equipped to help the person you used to be,

 

(00:42:31):

Which means we are all equipped to help someone. And what you saw in your mid twenties, and this is why I admire you so much, you saw in your mid twenties a problem. You saw people that you used to be struggling and not enough people in the leadership and the therapy positions actually in an ability to serve them at a deep level because they did not look like these folks. They did not relate to the experiences they were struggling with. They did not understand that racism creates complex PTSD. They didn't get any of it. So you decided to do something about it. For you, listening to Lorenzo and I today, I so wanted you to hear Lorenzo's story because we all sit around and think like, well, I don't have a degree. I need somebody's permission. I'm not qualified to do that. And what Lorenzo is doing by training barbers and beauticians to be mental health advocates and support from the chair up into communities reaching millions and millions of people every year is he is basically proving that excuse is complete bullshit.

 

(00:43:54):

I am not a licensed therapist. And yet this is probably one of the biggest podcasts that talks about mental health issues on the planet. You are best equipped to help the person you used to be. And so you're sitting there, how the heck did you get, I mean, how did you go, okay, I got it. I got to do something. I got it barbershops. How did you go? I'm going to train barbers and beauticians all across the country to learn how to spot mental health challenges going to learn. I'm going to train them to be advocates. What the hell gave you this idea, Lorenzo?

(00:45:11):

And just brought a lot of community leaders out. It was great. It was led from that. I think I did a couple of other town hall events and I was like, okay, this is interesting. And I really was able to go out and get support. But one of the things that led me to something that obviously now that we do quite a bit as we fundraise to continue this work is going out telling my story and what interest, why is this important? And I was able to gar a lot of support, even just from family and friends. And that really struck a chord to say that I think I'm onto something. And as I began to do that, some of those events when we started getting more specific about, well, we want to reach men, a lot of men wouldn't come out. We would host 'em at local libraries and we would use some kind of multipurpose event room and no men will show up.

 

Mel Robbins (00:46:08):

All the women who want their men to get mental health will show up. Yes. Now talk to everybody about why men are not showing up because this is where there's the accessibility piece, which is the access to licensed and trained people. That is what you're trying to solve by training people that are barbers and beauticians, first to be mental health advocates. But then there's this vulnerability piece where admitting that you've got some sort of mental health challenge or admitting that you might need help or even thinking about it makes you weak. And so talk a little bit about how big of a challenge this is because this is really the heart of your mission. You are really trying to reach men and boys first and foremost in the black community with the Confess project.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:47:08):

Yep. Yep. Well, one of the huge challenges honestly, is manhood. We think about manhood and what it symbolizes to men can be a challenge. I think it's just the ideology of manhood to each man can look different.

 

(00:47:28):

But I would say across lines it's complex and it's very similar complexities across lines across all men. And then when you get down to talking about black men, when you consider race and socioeconomic class, and I think you even get into a grander challenge around how men view themselves and how they outwardly can be vulnerable. And so because being strong and most of the time growing up with mothers and no fathers in the home and those in itself can be some characteristics that can make it very challenging. I think even go beyond that is you start to think about, well, what does media display?

 

(00:48:10):

What happens? What does hip hop artists display? How does the songs and the people that we follow that's so grateful for people like Charlemagne to God and different folks who have came out to make mental health a champion opportunity? Because that just didn't really exist when I was coming up as much as a young black man. It just didn't. And I'm glad to see that. That's obviously, I'm looking to encourage more men to thinking about how this is important because of the work that we do. But that's a big part of it. I believe one of the hugest challenges is the cultural connection behind mental health. And then that goes to the accessibility of mental health services. So in real terms, culturally, our community has not been conditioned to understand that mental health is equally as important as is your physical health or your financial health, even your wellbeing.

 

(00:49:15):

We've disconnected in most ways that our mental health is separate from anything else when it's actually a huge part of who we are every day. And so I believe that's one of the hugest disconnect. And I believe that's a cultural challenge because our leaders, our medical system is not the only ones who's truly responsible. This, I believe this is something that goes across our public and civic leaders churches and more people should be encouraging that mental health is truly a part of who we are every day. And I think that probably would be probably greatest feedback for that part. I think at the core of this, what I do know at the core of vulnerability is really being totally transparent, but also recognizing to be transparent about you're still evolving in your journey of vulnerability as well. And I think it helps to show that to your child or young people or whoever you're actually interfacing because we're all still a work in progress when it comes to being fully transparent.

Mel Robbins (00:51:26):

I read that for every thousand barbers and beauticians that go through your four step training process in terms of the skills that you're teaching them to be mental health advocates, you're reaching a million people.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:51:42):

Yes.

 

Mel Robbins (00:51:42):

That's incredible. You're reaching 3 million people a year by Training barbers and beauticians to be mental health advocates as they are listening to their clients who are sitting in their chair.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:52:00):

Yes.

Lorenzo Lewis (00:52:14):

Absolutely. So the four parts of the training is active listening, validation, positive communication, and stigma reduction. It is a four point formula that I like to call it that therapeutically is used in a lot of therapeutic sessions with therapists and patients, but we utilize it in an advocacy space in regards to how barbers and stylists can help their clients by using these tools as they're cutting hair. So it is a perfect example. It is a conversation that they're having with their client every week about how's life going? How's work going? But they can lean in and use these skills if their client is going through a challenge at home or at work, and they're able to listen better, they're able to communicate in a positive way. They're able to reduce stigma and uplift mental health and embrace it more to less than saying, Hey, you shouldn't worry about that, or, Hey, just pray about it. It's going to be okay. And really be able to use these skills as a promotive way, a promotion of promoting a healthy mental health and emotional journey in their mental health journey particularly. So it's really a, I always like to say it's the perfect way of doing a grooming session, making someone feel good on the outside and in the inside.

 

Mel Robbins (00:53:42):

Oh, I love that. I absolutely love that.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:53:45):

When we've worked with these barbers and provided the training and support, it is really empowered them individually, probably just as much as it has empowered their clients. And I think that's something that's very important because as we empower them to be their best self, it really helps to connect with the broader audience in the community. Really, the purpose of the actual training is that if we can reach someone, reach them, that they can reach other people, and those people can reach even more people in their household and their communities. It can really become a ripple effect. And so I feel like that in itself has been an impact.

 

Mel Robbins (00:54:24):

Let's just say, let's just put us in the chair. Somebody comes in, I plop down in the chair and you're my barber and I'm having a hard day. What do you do as the barber that is part of the confess project?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:54:42):

So it can lead as, Hey, I noticed that your day is going hard, man, I know you was here last week. What's going on? How's everything? How can I be supportive in this moment? You are actively listening to their feedback that they may have given you. You're also showing that you can communicate in a positive way, but you're also, even just by those few words, you're even starting to validate them. And so maybe their next response is, man, I'm having a hard time at work. I'm about to lose my job. I'm behind on my bills. And it could even go to, I understand that you're going through this, and I'm with you here in this moment. I'm compassionate. We also provide the barbers, I'm sorry, with resources in regards to also how they can support individuals that may need housing, that may need sign up for healthcare. So outside of the training that we offer there, also, we provide a resource directory to each barbershop to be able to help people with, whether that's getting employment or whether that's just general resources, whether that's bill pay. So outside of, because we recognize that mental health can be impacted by people's daily walk in life.

 

Mel Robbins (00:56:09):

Oh, of course. I was just thinking about that example. I'm about to lose my job. That's a situation that causes anxiety, and if you start to spiral in your head, you're not going to be able to problem solve and to get ahead of it and to be proactive, you're going to get trapped in your thoughts and you're going to feel ashamed. One of the things that I found as we were preparing for this interview is that we pulled our audience of more than 5 million people. I was really sadly not surprised that roughly one out of every five people that responded to some questions that we put up on Instagram said there was no one, not one person that they felt like they could go to. And when we asked them to name Lorenzo, the quality of the person that they could talk to, the same word kept coming up over and over and over again.

 

(00:57:13):

Nonjudgmental, nonjudgmental. And I think when you think about training your barber, your hairstylist, your beautician in these skills of active listening, of validating, of leaning in asking questions, what's going on? How can I help you? It's normal to struggle, but you can't let the worry get you down. You might want to call this number and get some help so that when you train somebody just to do those small things, you're training people to help in a nonjudgmental way. And I think one of the reasons why we confess so much to our hairdressers, I mean I know I do, she knows more about me than my therapists for crying out loud is because I just kind of feel like it's not going to go anywhere and that she's not judging me.

 

(00:58:03):

And that's what you've found too. In fact, the Confess Project has participated in this big study at Harvard Medical School. Can you tell everybody a little bit about that study and what you found by training and amplifying this incredible group of barbers and beauticians to be mental health advocates?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (00:58:30):

Yeah. So there was 32 barbers who participated across eight states in the Harvard Research study, and it lasted for about eight to nine months. It was very interesting. Our barbers was honestly uber excited. It was started off as not as exciting because you have a large institution company and wanting to talk with people about mental health. But I relatively say that it was an exciting opportunity. 

Mel Robbins (01:00:17):

Now, why do you think that is?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:00:20):

Comfortability? Honestly, and I believe the cultural component, and I think even environmental, again, we go back to the stigma and shame of mental health, going to see what some of our barbers say, I don't want to go see a shrink inside of it in a clinic is so,

 

Mel Robbins (01:00:41):

Yes. Well, because we've been doing it kind of, but now you're bringing in the training. And so one of the things that's so fascinating about this is that people go back to their barber or their beautician over and over, and so this relationship develops and you see somebody and you tell your barber and your beautician everything. And so I would imagine that it's the perfect opportunity to really give people support, especially at a moment in time, Lorenzo, where people feel so lonely, they feel isolated. Most people don't have the resources to hire a therapist or a mental health professional, and you are providing this kind of service and intervention right at the chair, and the people in the chair don't even realize it. I mean, this is incredible.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:01:37):

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's just we're glad that obviously barbers and stylists have been seen as cultural assets as community leaders and glad that we're now helping them to use their assets in a greater way around supporting people, supporting their mental health, supporting their wellbeing, because we know one's mental health is great, their wellbeing and who they are as a person will shine even better.

 

Mel Robbins (01:02:07):

Can you give us just a couple examples of how barbers and beauticians that have gone through this training have made a difference already in small ways and big ways?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:02:22):

So we've had barbers and stylists that has went through this program for them own selves to check themselves into a rehab, to build a stronger relationship with their children, build stronger relationship better in their marriages, but all the way more to help save someone from taking their life by suicide and dying by suicide rather. So we've seen it at the very most minimal state of relationship, better boundaries, better health, better wellbeing to saving lives. And so that's how impactful this training that they're using, this tied around active listening and how to communicate better, how to reduce one, reduce stigma around mental health, but also how to get someone to help that may be in a crisis.

 

Mel Robbins (01:03:16):

Well, it's true. If you think about even some of the little day-to-day struggles that people face, Lorenzo, we don't talk about it, but if you're sitting in the barber's chair and you're looking at yourself and this person that is behind you and they're touching you, and they're like, how's your day going? You tend to start to spill the beans. And so sometimes the difference between you just drowning in heartache over a breakup or you not knowing what to do about a kid of yours that's struggling in school, the difference can be made by one person listening and making a suggestion that makes you start to feel like you could do something, or this is a resource that you could call and you through the confess project, are training barbers and beauticians to do that for people. That's extraordinary. I want to hear more about your background. So let's go back and talk about your life story. So do you go to schools, I also wonder what's it like to walk into a room full of barbers? They all got their arms crossed. They're standing there, they're like, oh God, what's this dude doing? And you're going in to do mental health advocacy training.

 

(01:04:36):

Are people receptive? Do you have to win them over? I mean, I realize now you're really a big shot, so people know about the project and you're reaching millions of people. But was it hard in the beginning to get people to see the connection?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:04:50):

It was incredibly hard, and I think one of the reasons is because the stigma of mental health, I go back to that again. I think we got a lot of kickback early on before we started getting support by Gillette and working with corporations and being supported by people like Andis Clippers and really being able to create, I say, street credibility in the barber world and really create a cultural connection. We struggled with, I think, getting people to get on board, and it took a while, but I think the most apprehensive thing in the beginning was, we don't know who you are and we don't know how this is going to work in our establishment. And so I think it was just, honestly, just finding a few barbers that was committed at first, using that as a testimonial and then taking that on the road and just saying, Hey, they did it. Can you do it too? They did it. And so it just became repetition. And before it just became, it's a thing that just exists now in the industry. We go to Barber Expos, major events all over the country.

 

Mel Robbins (01:06:13):

You're sponsored by Gillette. You got all these corporate sponsors now helping out. This is so fricking inspiring. How long did you keep your corporate job with the Department of Health and Human Services while you did this on the side until it became your full-time thing?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:06:33):

Very minimal. Literally, I became so fused with this after I got my degree. I worked, like I said, I worked in the hospital setting for a while and I just had this significant, I needed to leave work. I think I left with a very minimal savings. I knew I would run out of money. I had a very young daughter at the time, she's

 

Mel Robbins (01:06:58):

Was your wife. Like, you're crazy.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:07:00):

You're

 

Mel Robbins (01:07:01):

Keeping that job because that's what I said to my husband when he was going to quit his job to pursue his dream. I'm like, no, you're not.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:07:10):

Yeah. So it was very, a lot of really had to struggle a lot to build this in the beginning, but I knew that I needed to do it full time and I'm so glad that I did Mel, because when I look back on it now, it's really the reason that it has flourished because I was able to do, we've been doing this now for seven years and I've been locked focused on everything we've accomplished more than I think we would've. We probably accomplished more than what it would've took us 10 years to do if I had have done it at a slower pace. But when you really think about the mental health crisis, when you think about the suicide crisis on young people, the suicide crisis on black men between the ages of 24, knowing that that's the third leading cause of death, this was nothing we could really take lightly or take slowly. And I think that's what always drove me was knowing that this is a crisis issue and we have to solve the problem.

 

Mel Robbins (01:08:06):

That's the difference between a career and a calling.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:08:09):

Yes.

 

Mel Robbins (01:08:10):

You have a calling.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:08:11):

Yes.

 

Mel Robbins (01:08:11):

And I'm glad you answered the call.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:08:14):

Yes.

 

Mel Robbins (01:08:14):

Tell me about the difference that the Confess Project made when somebody came in and said it was going to be their last haircut and they were suicidal.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:08:29):

It was a game changer, and that story was out of Johnson City, Tennessee, and the barber had been working with that client, I'm just going to assume for a period of time, and he was going through some challenges and he said he didn't want to be here any longer, but so happily in that scenario, he was able to get help because two weeks prior to that, we had been in Tennessee doing a training, had brought therapists because we like to invite therapists to those trainings, or we connect with therapists and local communities to connect them with barbershops, and he was able to get help.

 

(01:09:14):

Now, same story, different city, Philadelphia, south side of Philadelphia, very same situation. Guy walks in the barbershop and said, I don't want to live any longer. I'm going to walk out in traffic and I'm going to take my life. Had never met the Barbers. This was a story that we was told after we provided the training, like, man, I wish you guys had have been here last year when this guy did this. And it just shows that when we provide that support, what can happen. And this guy, particularly in Philadelphia, went missing. He had a psychotic episode. The barbers didn't know what to do. They was sick and worried that he had took his life so happily. He was found, but they didn't have the skills and the tools to react.

 

Mel Robbins (01:10:00):

Yeah, and I think we all know, I could imagine some people listening right now is, well, why wouldn't you just call the police? Well, I'll tell you why. First of all, in a lot of communities, there is no trust with the police. Secondly,

 

(01:10:13):

Having police officers show up when it should be mental health professionals showing up in a situation like that. And we also know that legally you can't take somebody into custody for mental health services unless they are an immediate harm to themselves in that moment. And so there is a big hole. And so knowing how to talk to somebody, knowing how to lean in and listen, knowing how to validate, and then knowing how to do what the Confess Project Barbers did in Tennessee after your training, which was to support this person in a very low moment and connect them with services that got them the support and the help that they needed. That's exactly the right approach. And you created it. What does it feel like, Lorenzo, to know that you saved that guy's life?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:11:20):

Yeah, I'm glad that we took the risk and the reason why I saved the risk, this model had, to be honest, had never really been done before. When we first started, we had no data, we had no blueprint. It was just really something that was inside of my head, my lived experiences, but it was also filled with a lot of hope. And again, like you said, a calling, and it just leaves me to be grateful that we did take the risk to actually implement something that we know the world really needed in this moment, and I think even moving forward. And so it just fulfills me to know that I'm glad that I was able to be, that we were able to really advance this forward. I think regardless of the challenges that we faced over the years of putting this together, because it has been a really rocky road, I think anytime you're dealing with community related work and really trying to get, move people across a certain cause, it takes time and it could be a lot of challenges, but I believe we've gotten to a place where we know that this is something that's appreciated and obviously that's very much needed

 

Mel Robbins (01:12:43):

And working. So what's your vision for the next 10 years?

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:12:51):

Honestly, at this point, it's to expand this model as far as we can take it. We have done this same training with first responders. We've done this training with law enforcement, educators, counselors. My demons, imagination is that we can impact all walks of life, all different kind of people all across the world. But we recognize, we've recently formed, started a virtual this really cool and new virtual training that really gives the users rather training like super users, people to use this to train other people across multiple places and really multiply ourselves more. We've really formed a, I say, a new product that's going to allow us to really scale bigger. My goal is that this can go across the world and really impact more people than what we've been able to impact here in the United States. And so that's why I was so glad about being here because of the reach that I know this podcast has and just the impact that I know what the world, when people find out about these things, it can really reach a lot of people. So

 

Mel Robbins (01:14:04):

Absolutely. Well, there's no doubt in my mind that you will get it done, Lorenzo. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Lorenzo Lewis, everybody. The Confess Project, we will be linking to everything so that you can check it out and you can introduce it to the salons and the first responders in your neighborhood, and we'll provide all the resources as well to the training that we all could be using. Because I love this thing that I read that you said that, look, when you get CPR training, it's so you can keep somebody alive when the EMTs arrive, and this confess project helps keep people alive and keep them going until the professional help arrives. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

Lorenzo Lewis (01:15:00):

Absolutely. No, thank you all. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

 

Mel Robbins (01:15:02):

My pleasure. I told you you would love him. I told you you would feel inspired. I bet you've got all kinds of ideas turning in your head now. I want you to do something about it. I want you to take a step forward. That's why I invited Lorenzo on because I know that you can make a difference, and you don't need permission. You don't need to be asked. You are in the best position to serve the person that you used to be. Remember that and go do it. And in case nobody else tells you, I want to remind you that I love you. I believe in you. I am here for you every step of the way, and I know you got what it takes to create the life that you love. Now get out there and go do it, and I'll talk to you in a few days. That was that chicken garlic situation. Big one. You're not kidding. I might need to clean this mic. Oh my God.

 

(01:16:00):

You know what? I think I need to? Am I, oh, I am in control. Am I in control here? Let me be in control. How do I do this? I go to Slack. Boom. Oh, nope. That's, Nope, that's it. Okay, we're going in a Zoom meeting that I don't want to go in right now. Okay. Oh, is it in chat? I can hit it in chat if it's there. It's there she is. Okay. And then I'm going to pop this up. Hold on one sec. Okay. Thank you. Here we go. All right. Lemme do that one more time. Oh, where do you want to go next? Oh, and one more thing, and no, this is not a blooper. This is the legal language. You know what the lawyers write and what I need to read to you. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. I'm just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician for professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it. Good. I'll see you in the next episode and YouTube, I love you. Thank you for being here. And if you love this, let me throw your right to Dr. Tama for an incredible conversation about healing and joy.