Transformative Leadership: Lessons from Chip Webster
The dialogue unfolds around the profound imperative of civic engagement, exemplified by our guest, Chip Webster, whose illustrious career intertwines leadership, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to community enhancement. In our discourse, we delve into the essence of his latest endeavor, Unity and Service, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to rekindling trust and fostering civic responsibility through the transformative power of volunteerism.
Chip elucidates how simple acts of service can serve as conduits for bridging societal divides, ultimately fortifying the very fabric of democracy. His insights, meticulously detailed in his book, *Unity and A Pathway to Responsible Citizenship*, challenge us to reconsider our roles as citizens, urging us to embrace responsibility through active participation and heartfelt service. Join us as we explore these vital themes, punctuated by Chip’s personal anecdotes and actionable strategies that inspire us to engage more meaningfully within our communities.
In this engaging exchange, Chip Webster articulates the essence of leadership as not just a position of authority but a commitment to nurturing a shared vision and guiding a team towards collective success. He underscores the significance of aligning one's values with their organizational mission, illustrating how such alignment can invigorate a workplace culture and drive innovative outcomes. Chip recounts personal anecdotes that reveal the transformative power of service—how moments of stepping outside one's comfort zone can yield profound insights and foster a sense of belonging. The discussion extends into the realms of personal responsibility within a democratic society, reinforcing the idea that voting, volunteering, and engaging in community service are not merely duties but privileges that enable individuals to contribute to the greater good. Through Chip's reflections, listeners are encouraged to cultivate their 'citizen muscle'—the capacity to actively participate and effect change within their communities, thereby enriching the democratic experience for all.
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Transcript
Welcome back to Becoming Bridge Builders, the podcast where we elevate voices, dedicated to healing divides, strengthening communities and leading with purpose.
Speaker A:I am your host, Reverend Dr. Keith Haney.
Speaker A:Today's guest is someone whose life work sits at the crossroads of leadership, mentorship and civic responsibility.
Speaker A:Chip Webster is a seasoned entrepreneur, longtime CEO, mentor and former president of Vistage Florida.
Speaker A:For over 25 years, he's guided leaders through growth, transition and relentless challenges of running a business.
Speaker A:Today he serves as chairman of the board of Tampa Bay Watch, championing environmental stewardship and community engagement.
Speaker A:But Chip's latest chapter may be his most transformative.
Speaker A:He is the founder of Unity and Service, Inc. A nonprofit devoted to rebuilding trust, strengthening communities, and renewing civic responsibility through hands on volunteerism.
Speaker A:His new book, Unity and A Pathway to Responsible Citizenship, explores how service, simple, practical service can bridge divides and strengthen democracy from the ground up.
Speaker A:He continues to mentor young entrepreneurs and inspire everyday citizens to step into a role where we too overlook responsibility, engage members of a shared society.
Speaker A:Chip, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker B:Good to be here.
Speaker A:Good to have you on.
Speaker A:I'm looking forward to.
Speaker A:This will be a great conversation.
Speaker A:You'll add to my long list of phenomenal guests.
Speaker A:So I'm looking forward to you adding to that long laundry list of really great people.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Well, it's an honor.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker A:So I'm going to ask you my favorite question, Chip, what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Speaker B:Well, I'm going to answer it with two.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:One is look at, understand your values, what your North Star is and follow it.
Speaker B:And then so be true to yourself.
Speaker B:And then the second is listen for the still small voice.
Speaker B:There's someone once said, don't trust your gut.
Speaker B:Obey it.
Speaker B:You know, just the answer is there.
Speaker B:Sometimes you just have to be quiet and listen to it.
Speaker B:Listen for it.
Speaker A:Yeah, I love that, that, that's still small voice we use a lot.
Speaker A:And being true to yourself.
Speaker A:I use that idea that being your true north when I'm working with organizations and they say we want to radically change ourselves.
Speaker A:And I was like, well, maybe the best thing you can do to do that without breaking the organization is to go five degrees off of your true north and be more missional.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You'll see probably transformative action to take place.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:No, I mean, so many people are just kind of wandering around and they, they don't have, they don't have their values.
Speaker B:And when, when we're out of alignment with our values and I, I experienced this is how I, I, you know, after 80 years of life, came to the conclusion, you know, a couple jobs I had that I just wasn't in alignment.
Speaker B:And it took a lot of energy to just go to work every day and keep moving forward.
Speaker B:And I tend to be results oriented, so I'm always driving.
Speaker B:But once I realized that I was out of alignment, then I had to act.
Speaker B:And it's like taking the rock off your back.
Speaker A:What was the event in your life that helped you realize you were out of alignment?
Speaker B:You know, it was values.
Speaker B:I had a CEO who didn't live his.
Speaker B:Didn't walk the talk.
Speaker B:He talked great values, but his behavior was not in alignment.
Speaker B:And I was an officer of the company and realized that I couldn't stay there and live in that environment.
Speaker B:So I resigned without a job, had just gotten married, and my wife wasn't working.
Speaker B:But you just have to do the right thing.
Speaker B:And what I found to be so interesting, Keith, is that that opened the door several years later to my calling.
Speaker B:I had to go through a couple other jobs to get there, but it was a result of that, leaving that company at that point in time and circling back six years later to what I realized my calling was, which was to make a difference in people's lives.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:You know, you've spent more than two decades at Vintage Florida mentoring CEOs.
Speaker A:How did that experience shape what good leadership truly means to you?
Speaker B:What a great question.
Speaker B:I think, you know, working with terrific CEOs and then leading.
Speaker B:I had 42 facilitators that were working for me and the staff.
Speaker B:I think the most important thing that a leader does is bring around himself or herself a group of people that are dedicated to the mission.
Speaker B:You can't do it by yourself.
Speaker B:So I think great leaders can define where we're going.
Speaker B:They're willing to listen to the team if there needs to be adjustments.
Speaker B:They have to get their ego out of the way.
Speaker B:But put the mission and the vision above ego.
Speaker B:And, you know, it's all about, you know, adding value.
Speaker B:How are we adding value to the market?
Speaker B:How are we adding value to the country?
Speaker B:How are we adding value to the universe?
Speaker B:You know, it's not just about making money.
Speaker B:If it's just about making money, you're not going to last very long.
Speaker B:You're not going to attract very good people.
Speaker A:So true.
Speaker A:So many times leaders get caught up in the idea of it's my job to grow the company, but how do you.
Speaker A:How do you balance between growing the company versus growing people?
Speaker B:Well, one of my favorite CEOs was a guy named Dennis Fontaine, who built discount auto parts.
Speaker B:We did a reverse triangle merger with Advanced Auto Parts, and that's what took Advanced Auto Parts public.
Speaker B:And I had come out of the Sears tradition, and I always thought, you know, the strategy and that was what was most important.
Speaker B:And he said, you know, Chip, first you build the team, then the team builds the business.
Speaker B:It's so true.
Speaker B:You're only as good as your worst person.
Speaker B:So, you know, your job is.
Speaker B:I know it's a cliche to get the right people on the bus and in the right seats and all facing forward.
Speaker B:And so, yeah, it's about building the team, and then the team builds the business.
Speaker A:So that sounds simple.
Speaker A:I'm curious for you, what are the things you do to make sure you build the right team?
Speaker A:Because it's easy to put a team together, or I should say a group of people together.
Speaker A:It's hard to put a team together.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, they always.
Speaker B:At the old team together, everyone accomplishes more.
Speaker B:I was, you know, Vistage Florida was a bunch of independent contractors.
Speaker B:So when you call somebody an independent contractor, there's a reason they're independent contractors, and you can't micromanage them.
Speaker B:We did have a staff, but finding people who were in alignment, it's a big picture.
Speaker B:You know, people were going to do it differently.
Speaker B:They were going to do it their way.
Speaker B:As long as they were effective and their members were getting value.
Speaker B:I was happy with that.
Speaker B:You know, do the members keep coming back?
Speaker B:Do they keep getting value?
Speaker B:Do they give good reports?
Speaker B:You know, are they.
Speaker B:Are they growing?
Speaker B:Are they being more successful?
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's the key.
Speaker A:I'm a big sports fan.
Speaker A:I think about teams.
Speaker A:One of my favorite teams of all time are the 84 Bears.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker A:But nobody remembers the 80, 85, 86 fairs, which just all fell apart for one year.
Speaker A:They were the greatest collection of talent that I had ever seen on one team.
Speaker A:But it all fell apart really quickly.
Speaker A:And you talk about the importance of having the right people on the team.
Speaker A:How do you make sure that you keep the cohesiveness when you have maybe a lot of rock stars on a team all pushing in the same direction?
Speaker B:Well, I think what happens with a lot of those teams we've observed is the egos get in the way.
Speaker B:And at some level, in running a business organization, nonprofit, doesn't matter.
Speaker B:Somebody's ego can get so big that they become cultural terrorists, and it's all about them.
Speaker B:I was talking to somebody about the Harlem Grove Trotters.
Speaker B:And one of the.
Speaker B:I won't say who he played on the Washington Generals, which we know is you gotta have a sense of humor to play on that team.
Speaker B:He's a good ball player.
Speaker A:You're basically gonna be beaten every week, every day.
Speaker B:Yeah, right, right.
Speaker B:And one of the players on the Trotters just his ego got so big and, and it really was destroying the culture of the whole organization.
Speaker B:And we've seen that in other sports.
Speaker B:I've seen it in business where somebody comes in and they think they have all the answers and, you know, five years later they're out of business.
Speaker B:I can remember interviewing, I would interview all my members to be part of these vistage groups.
Speaker B:When I first started and I was talking to, it was the second generation significant sized company, had over 100 employees.
Speaker B:And all he could do is talk about what, you know, me, me, me, me, me, what I do.
Speaker B:And I asked him, I said, well, you know, you have 100 plus employees.
Speaker B:What do they do?
Speaker B:Well, I just tell them what to do.
Speaker B:Well, I did not invite him into the group.
Speaker B:And three or four years later, he was out of business because he really didn't understand that the role of the leader is to get people to get results that help build, that take care of the customer.
Speaker B:At the end of the day, if you're not adding value as an organization, you're taking up space.
Speaker B:And when it's all about me and the car I drive and my last vacation and I'm the only one that's smart enough around here to make things happen, that's usually a good clue to short the company.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:One of the things I work with, I work a lot with churches, which we have a huge volunteer base and that kind of drives all that we do.
Speaker A:And you have a new nonprofit now, Unity and Service Inc. And it focuses on rebuilding trust through volunteerism.
Speaker A:What made you believe that service, not debate, not policy, was the missing link in our civic life?
Speaker B:Well, you could see the culture of our nation being, you know, fighting each other, talking about what's wrong, not being connected.
Speaker B:I don't.
Speaker B: In: Speaker B: In: Speaker B:If you and I were running a church or a business and had those kind of results, we'd be fired or bankrupt or both.
Speaker B:So, you know, I just realized that we needed to connect.
Speaker B:And my experience with nonprofits and several right now I'm active with Tampa Baywatch, which is an organization that's been around for 30 plus years.
Speaker B:Only been on the board about six or seven years.
Speaker B:And what's been so interesting to me is it's a very diverse politically and we all are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Speaker B:So we focus on cleaning the bay, restoring the bay, educating people about the bay.
Speaker B:It has nothing to do with who we voted for for president or for governor.
Speaker B:And that breaks down barriers and gives me the opportunity to kind of listen and hear and see what other people are thinking.
Speaker B:This is a democracy, requires a pluralistic society.
Speaker B:What we're missing is the ability to negotiate and come to a reasonable conclusion that we can both support.
Speaker B:The nice thing about the nonprofit is that we're small enough.
Speaker B:You know, we've got some issues for the board coming up.
Speaker B:We're going to discuss back and forth and we'll come up with a good plan.
Speaker B:It won't be exactly what any one of us wants, but it'll be something that will move the organization forward and that we all can support.
Speaker A:So my question is, and it's really kind of a two part question because I love what you just said.
Speaker A:When people who disagree work side by side, it can really transform something.
Speaker A:Tell me what happens when you see people who disagree work on a shared project together.
Speaker B:So you're saying that people disagree about the project?
Speaker A:No, when they disagree, have different points of view, but they're working on some project together.
Speaker A:How does that change the interaction?
Speaker B:Well, I think we've come in our society, maybe you've observed this in your role is we've begun to dehumanize people we don't agree with.
Speaker B:And by working together with people who have a different perspective, it brings them back into the realm of human.
Speaker B:You realize that they have a valid position.
Speaker B:It's where they their the way they look at the world.
Speaker B:And together you can break down the barriers by trusting that their motives are not bad.
Speaker B:One of the things I do when I meet people that I disagree with, I always ask what's their motive?
Speaker B:If their motives are pure, you know, they're really trying to make the bay better, or they're trying to break down barriers in education or make the city better, then I trust their motive.
Speaker B:If they're trying to get something done that's going to take away from somebody else, or give them more power but not, not improve the community, then I don't trust them.
Speaker B:So, you know, the first thing is to surround yourself with people who list they may see things differently, but you trust them and you know that they have are trying to do the right thing.
Speaker A:I love that your book explores responsible citizenship as a practice rather than a political concept.
Speaker A:How do you define responsible citizenship in everyday terms?
Speaker B:The thing that I think you have to be willing to do, first of all, as a responsible citizen, is be willing to defend the country and law and order.
Speaker B:Without law and order, it's chaos.
Speaker B:And anything else I would say after that is irrelevant.
Speaker B:The second thing, in terms of responsibility citizenship, is to vote.
Speaker B:And voting not just by who Uncle Harry says who to vote for, but by doing your own research and critical thinking.
Speaker B:When you see something on the news from one outlet, look at another outlet and see if they're saying the same thing.
Speaker B:It's hilarious.
Speaker B:Sometimes I'll rotate between the major outlets and you think you're tired.
Speaker B:They're talking about a different story.
Speaker B:So you have an obligation to vote for people who put nation ahead of party, which is one of our biggest challenges right now, and people who are responsible stewards of our money and of our country.
Speaker B:And the third is to get out and volunteer.
Speaker B:Turn off the tv, turn off your computer, and go out and contribute.
Speaker B:Democracy is a do it to ourselves project.
Speaker B:My wife and I did five loops of the US When Covid came, we both retired.
Speaker B:We bought a motorhome, and we have kids in Seattle, San Diego, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and St. Petersburg.
Speaker B:And so for six months of the year, we'd travel and if you'd be in an RV park and start talking to people and, you know, you talk about your RVs and where, you know, where you got it, where you get it fixed, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker B:And then eventually many of the conversations would go to the direction of the country, and many, you know, people would be complaining.
Speaker B:I said, well, it's our fault.
Speaker B:We.
Speaker B:Where we are today as a nation is our fault.
Speaker B:And they'd look at me like I have two heads.
Speaker B:Well, it is.
Speaker B:This is a democracy.
Speaker B:We elected these people.
Speaker B:And so the responsibility of electing the right people is what's required.
Speaker B:And then volunteering and part of that, volunteering.
Speaker B:When you're out with people different than you, you get to know different perspectives and learn about candidates that, you know, maybe your echo chamber doesn't allow into the conversation.
Speaker B:So I think those are three things.
Speaker B:And then my big, hairy, audacious goal for the country is universal national service.
Speaker B:You turn 18, you serve the country for a year doing different kinds of things.
Speaker B:I know, I forget where I was.
Speaker B:In southern Iowa, we Were staying in RV park.
Speaker B:And we were walking through.
Speaker B:I think it was a state, maybe it was a national park along the river.
Speaker B:And you could see markers there memorializing that.
Speaker B:The CCC back in the 30s, built that park.
Speaker B:Well, you know, we need to get those parks refurbished.
Speaker B:We need to remove the recycling along the side of the road.
Speaker B:That needs to be taken off the road.
Speaker B:We need to rebuild some of our infrastructure.
Speaker B:The CCC built dams.
Speaker B:We were in Caldwell, Idaho, which is west of Boise, and we're out walking on this reservoir.
Speaker B: then there was a marker, CCC: Speaker B:That reservoir allowed farming in that valley in Idaho.
Speaker B:Without the reservoir, they didn't have the irrigation.
Speaker B:So the people who do those projects understand that they have a sense of responsibility to the country.
Speaker B:And so it's breaking down the barriers and understanding it's our country, we're responsible for it, and that is the foundation of a democratic republic.
Speaker B:I maybe went a little bit long on.
Speaker A:No, that was good.
Speaker A:But so many people are overwhelmed, I think, and frustrated by what they see around them, and they've just disconnected from civic life.
Speaker A:If you could think of some simple, accessible ways that everyone can take to kind of reengage in what you're describing, what would that be?
Speaker B:Can I read a poem?
Speaker A:Sure.
Speaker A:I love poems.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:The poem is micro validations.
Speaker B:Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Speaker B:English proverb.
Speaker B:Microclimates, microbiomes, microaggressions.
Speaker B:We live in a microclimate.
Speaker B:Microbiomes live in us.
Speaker B:Microaggressions are part of life.
Speaker B:What we need more of are micro validations, more micro affirmations.
Speaker B:We've become trapped in our silos.
Speaker B:We've become contemptuous of those who don't agree with us.
Speaker B:They must not be human.
Speaker B:Our country, our cities, our friends have become divided.
Speaker B:We can't keep distancing ourselves from each other.
Speaker B:We must all hang together, and most assuredly, we will hang separately.
Speaker B:Benjamin Franklin Our children, our grandchildren, need us to hang together for their future.
Speaker B:A healthy democracy requires its citizens to work together to remain free.
Speaker B:We need to see our interdependence and break down the barriers that divide us.
Speaker B:We need each other.
Speaker B:Start with micro validations.
Speaker B:Open the door for someone and say hello.
Speaker B:Talk to your neighbors.
Speaker B:Look people in the eye and acknowledge they exist.
Speaker B:Reconnect with each other.
Speaker B:Affirm the humanness in everyone.
Speaker B:In my travels, I walk a lot, and I walked in all sorts of communities.
Speaker B:And it's just interesting how people become more and More detached.
Speaker B:You say hi to somebody, and they turn their head.
Speaker B:When you do engage with somebody and say hi, and they recognize that you're addressing them, they light up like a Christmas tree.
Speaker B:We've become so insulated.
Speaker B:And part of it had to do with COVID Part of it has to do with technology.
Speaker B:Part of it is when you pick up the phone to get customer service, you end up talking to a machine.
Speaker B:We need to talk to humans.
Speaker B:We need to interact as humans.
Speaker B:That's the beginning of breaking down the barrier.
Speaker B:Neighbors.
Speaker B:Now, I don't have the exact statistics, but it was shocking.
Speaker B:Allstate Insurance did a study in the beginning of this year.
Speaker B:The number of people that don't know their neighbors.
Speaker B:It's just amazing.
Speaker B:How can you not know your neighbor?
Speaker A:It's probably easy to be imagined.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, that's one thing I loved about the Midwest, is people were more open, felt more like they were in a community.
Speaker B:When I grew up in Southern California, the only major things we had were earthquakes, and they were rare.
Speaker B:I moved to Chicago my senior high school, and, you know, ice storm comes.
Speaker B:You know, you go out and help your neighbor clear their driveway.
Speaker B:You know, they run.
Speaker B:There's no electricity.
Speaker B:You make sure they have enough firewood for their fireplace.
Speaker B:That's community.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And we do need each other.
Speaker A:That's very true.
Speaker A:I know people like good examples.
Speaker A:Is there an example of a simple service project that transformed a community that stands out in your mind?
Speaker B:I think Habitat for Humanity does an incredible job.
Speaker A:Yeah, I've seen those.
Speaker B:Many towns have paint your heart out Fort Dodge or paint your heart out Des Moines, where you go and there's houses that need to be painted, and you just spend an afternoon or day painting a house, working together to clean up the area.
Speaker B:You know, I started when I started, the first thing I volunteered for with Tampa baywatch was cleaning up the shoreline along the bay and along.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Going to the mangroves and pulling things out, trying to trash.
Speaker B:I was amazed what people do, how.
Speaker B:How disrespectful they are to our country and to our environment.
Speaker B:But just a simple thing, you know, at the end of the day, you know, we all gathered together and saw how much trash we picked up.
Speaker B:And that made me feel like I'm part of something bigger than myself.
Speaker B:It was easy, didn't cost me any money, and it was a great investment in the community.
Speaker B:I call it sweat equity.
Speaker A:I love that you talk about your citizen muscle framework.
Speaker A:Tell us a little bit about what that is.
Speaker B:It's just like any other muscle that you grow it by working it.
Speaker B:And then by working together as a community, you build the culture that is supportive and it makes where you live a happier place.
Speaker A:Yeah, I think that's so true because as you, you talked about things you've described.
Speaker A:The idea of us working together in community is so powerful in Iowa.
Speaker A:We have a lot of that sense of neighbor and sense of community.
Speaker A:And if somebody's hurting, you come together as a community and you're there for them.
Speaker A:Farmers do that all the time here in Iowa.
Speaker A:If someone's gotta get something plowed or something planted, they all come together, have a big meal, and we do it together as a community.
Speaker A:Because your success and my success are all tied together.
Speaker A:I love that idea.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:We need each other.
Speaker B:That's what so many people don't understand.
Speaker B:They think that they're rugged individuals.
Speaker B:They think that milk comes from the grocery store and, you know, fuel comes from the gas station.
Speaker B:Well, that's just the end, right?
Speaker A:So I'm going to tap into your leadership guruness.
Speaker A:What is one lesson you wish every young entrepreneur understood earlier?
Speaker B:It's about creating value.
Speaker B:It's not about how much money you want to make.
Speaker B:It's not about how big you can make.
Speaker B:The company it start out with, how can I make the world better?
Speaker B:How can I make people's lives better?
Speaker B:And understanding how, how I fit into the collective capitalist system, which is adding value.
Speaker B:The reason companies exist is to add value to other people and other companies.
Speaker B:So many people, you know, get an idea that's just called a left handed monkey wrench and they get all excited about the left handed monkey wrench and they find out there's only two people in the world that use them.
Speaker B:So understanding how am I going to contribute?
Speaker B:Where do I fit in to the greater organization of business?
Speaker B:I think that helps.
Speaker A:What is one service project that changed you personally?
Speaker B:You know, my son's Eagle Scout project, I mean, I always have done things for the community different ways, coaching, adopt a school.
Speaker B:But seeing each, I have two sons, they're both Eagle Scouts, each did a separate project.
Speaker B:And going there and seeing the people from the scouts and from the neighborhood who came and volunteered to build a bridge, which is what one son did.
Speaker B: he way they were built in the: Speaker B:And just seeing the team work together and then stepping back and seeing the finished product and when I'm ever in East Hillsborough County, I try and go by the park and that bridge is still there.
Speaker B:So I guess seeing people working together to make it better, that was at a park that they built the bridge.
Speaker A:So what is your long term vision for Unity and Service, Inc.
Speaker B:Well, we're relatively new.
Speaker B:My long term vision is that we start a national conversation.
Speaker B:I'm trying to raise some money so we can have national advertising campaign letting people know about their responsibility to the country and how it is our country and what they need to add in terms of sweat equity to the success of the country and then executing on getting national service where everybody serves for a year and makes the country better.
Speaker B:That's the big hairy, audacious goal.
Speaker B:And every day I just work towards that end.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:Wasn't there a group that used to do.
Speaker A:I'm trying to think who that was now.
Speaker A:Kids would go off and spend a year overseas doing something.
Speaker B:Well, it was a Peace Corps.
Speaker A:Yeah, Peace Corps, yeah.
Speaker A:Name was escaping me.
Speaker B:Right, right.
Speaker B:Which, you know, what's sad right now is they have AmeriCorps, which is a program that's like Peace Corps in part what I'm describing.
Speaker B:But only 1/2 of 1% of the kids participate.
Speaker B:So we're not moving the dial.
Speaker B:And you're not old enough to remember the Vietnam War.
Speaker B:But during the Vietnam War they had the draft and you know, I went to college, so I got out of the draft.
Speaker B:And rich kids would have reasons that the doctor would make so they didn't have to get in the draft.
Speaker B:And that did as much to destroy our culture as anything else.
Speaker B:It became the rich kids don't have to go and the poor kids do.
Speaker B:And that's why I think universal service.
Speaker B:If you go back to World War II, George Bush's family was very wealthy.
Speaker B:He flew an airplane.
Speaker B:John Kennedy, his family was wealthy, he ran a PT boat.
Speaker B:Many major league football players and baseball players, Ted Williams, for example, joined the military.
Speaker B:So we were all equal.
Speaker B:And I think getting back to that point where it's not just the poor kids that go and serve the country, but we all do and that will create a common experience.
Speaker B:So 10 years after you've done your year service and you're sitting in a, a restaurant eating and you start talking to your person sitting next to you, where did you serve?
Speaker B:What did you do during your year of service?
Speaker B:It's a common bond.
Speaker B:Someone once said nobody ever washed or rent a car.
Speaker B:I think a lot of people going through our lives, their lives in the United States think of renting the country.
Speaker B:And if too many people Feel that way, we'll lose the country.
Speaker A:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker A:I want to ask you my other favorite question.
Speaker A:What do you want your legacy to be?
Speaker B:You know, my personal mission statement is he made a difference.
Speaker B:My goal, starting back in the 70s, when I discovered my mission was to help people realize their potential.
Speaker B:And it's today I got a LinkedIn message from a guy I haven't seen for 20 years who was in one of my groups who said I made a significant impact on his life.
Speaker B:That's the gift.
Speaker B:Wow.
Speaker A:That is special.
Speaker B:If we all help each other, then that'll come back.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's special.
Speaker A:So on this season episode, we have a new thing now, a surprise question.
Speaker A:Pick a number between 1 and 10 for your surprise question.
Speaker B:I heard this last night.
Speaker B:I'm thinking, oh, boy.
Speaker B:Behind door number.
Speaker B:Oh, what the heck.
Speaker B:We'll go with number one.
Speaker A:Number one, what would be your best day ever?
Speaker B:Well, I'm going to do business and personal.
Speaker B:Holding one of my grandkids and spending the day with them is very special.
Speaker B:And from a community standpoint is standing back and seeing an organization like Habitat for Humanity have more people volunteering and breaking down the barriers that are dividing us.
Speaker B:Being able to observe that.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:Well, Chip, thank you so much for sharing your vision and what you're doing.
Speaker A:And I think encouraging all of us to tap into that civic responsibility and be better citizens because we can do so much more together than we would ever arguing about what we believe and don't believe.
Speaker A:So I thank you for giving us a bigger vision for what we could do.
Speaker B:Thank you.
Speaker B:Keep up the good work.
Speaker A:So, Chip, thank you for bringing your wisdom, your experience and passion for unity to this conversation.
Speaker A:Your work reminds us that citizenship is not just a right, it's a responsibility.
Speaker A:And service isn't just an act.
Speaker A:It's a bridge to our listeners.
Speaker A:If today's episode inspired you, here are three simple steps you can take.
Speaker A:Learn more about Unity and Service, Inc. And the movement Chip is building to reconnect communities through volunteerism.
Speaker A:Pick one act of service this week.
Speaker A:Something small, something real, something that brings you into connection with others.
Speaker A:And three, share this episode with someone who is craving hope, purpose and more constructive ways to engage in civic life.
Speaker A:And as always, please follow rate and subscribe to Becoming Bridge Builders so you can continue to amplify the voices building a more connected world.
Speaker A:Until next time, go and build a bridge to someone in your community.
Speaker A:That's where unity truly begins.
Speaker A:Again, Chip, thanks so much for your time on the show.
Speaker B:Thank you.
