Welcome to “Making a Difference!” Step into the inspiring world of business owners who are making a tangible difference in their communities. Join us as we spotlight passionate entrepreneurs who go beyond profit, dedicating their time, resources, and innovative ideas to create positive social impact. Today, our host, Greg Chapman, spoke with Antonio Hughes and Zach Mitchell.
Antonio Hughes
CEO / Founder at Dominion Consulting Agency
Website Address: TheDominionTeam.com/DiscoverU
Zach Mitchell
North Florida Region Manager at Southeastern Surveying and Mapping Corporation
Website Address: SoutheasternSurveying.com
Transcript:
Greg:
Hello. Welcome to Making a Difference. I’m your host, Greg Chapman. Today we have two special guest with us. Unique to each other. But to me, they come from two wildly separate parts of my life. And so I’m excited to introduce you to, old longtime friend Zach Mitchell. And old, but not as old longtime friend Antonio Hughes.
Guys, thanks for joining us today.
Zach:
Thanks, man. Absolutely.
Antonio:
Thanks for having me.
Greg:
So cool. So it goes without saying, Antonio is surrounded by a lot of shoulders today. And, my shoulders at the have to work this one out. But what’s going to be all good. And so, as we talk before we start filming, the next few minutes, just want to talk about coaches.
And so just from your own experience, share with us how a coach has impacted your life. Antonio. Want to start us off?
Antonio:
For sure. I mean, I can go back to Coach Heidelberg back in sixth grade. I’m trying out for the basketball team. Not that particular year. Let me be honest. I didn’t make it. But this was a guy who now, like, he held the future or the future that I thought I had in my hands.
And as a result, he had so much influence in my life there. So fast forward, I didn’t even end up making it. I didn’t end up making the team. But what I did come across was that every Wednesday morning he was opening up the gym and he would get a whole bunch of guys and girls together. We’d all play basketball or there’d be volleyball going on, and he would bring another coach in, and they started doing this thing called FCA, and I was like, I don’t I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Like, sure, tell me a little bit more about that. Well, come to find out every morning we get there, there’s some donuts, there’s some orange juice. We’re playing sports. And at the end they would bring in these messages that would actually tie into. I was like, how do you know what’s going on in my life right now?
How did you know what’s happening? And fast forward, that started a real relationship with with Jesus for me, with like you think about the whole the old adage of how much influence a coach has, it’s so, so, so true. So that’d be my time on that.
Greg:
Yeah. Zach, how about it? We share some coaches.
Zach:
Yes, yes, we have.
Yeah, a long time ago. But no, you know, growing up and playing sports, being around sports all the time, I’ve seen numerous coaches, whatever I want, it sticks out to me the most. Was my off the line coach in college. He was an old school, Southern Mississippi Southern drawl, fire and brimstone type preacher or whatever.
I mean, he’d get in your tail, whatever, but he’d love you the next day, you know, love you thing. And he, you know, he taught us so much growing up that you didn’t think about in college at the time. You know, you’re just like. I mean, what do you get out this meeting? But now, looking back on it, like I teach my kids that stuff, you know, like I use some of his slogans with them all the time.
I do, I do stuff like that. And they, I mean, like anything from being, you know, if you’re 15 minutes early, you’re 15 minutes late. Like, he goes like, so I’m, I’m huge on punctuality now. Like, all that stuff is, is just, you know, on top of the way he loves the Lord and the way he, you know, showed with his works as long with his face, you know, that kind of stuff, you know, stuck with me throughout, you know, the rest of my life, you know, the last 20 years or so.
Yeah. Yeah. So it’s pretty cool. My kids still here. Don’t fly with you owls if you can’t soar with the eagles. Right. So also, don’t stay up late if you can’t get up early and get done what you need to get done. Along throughout SGA, we really focus in on a phrase is called coach said.
Just the fact that even in my own life with my kids, I can try to get my kids to do things. But as soon as coach said, dude, you know, take the beach, take the trash out at home, you know, my kids taking the check. What are you doing? So I’m taking trash out. Are you sick? You know, as a coach said, I need to be more helpful around the house.
And so that’s just an example for me. But just in your own personal life, you know, talking about some of those things where you still implement those things and slow things or things today. What are some things that coaches said to you that you actually practice out now, 20 years later? Almost.
Yeah. You guys that so one of the, one of his old sayings was don’t mistake being tired for working hard. So you think about it, you know, just because you’re tired doesn’t mean you actually accomplish something you could be tired from for a myriad of reasons.
And so that one always stuck with me. So you know, my kids nowadays are so exhausted. I mean, we’ve only been outside five minutes, so. Yeah, let’s get something going. You know, that’s a good one. And then the punctuality thing, that thing still sticks with me about about being early and on time, and all that, you know, have a tough time with my wife and kids.
They like to just be dragging their feet, you know, dragging their feet. And I like getting to where places are, you know, if you’re. It’s not, it’s. No, I don’t need to, you know, just because you’re late or something doesn’t constitute me having to, you know, rush my time. I was ready to go. I was ready to go.
So stuff like that, you know, is the coach said for me is stuff like that, you know, the punctuality and all that. I really enjoyed that. Yeah.
Antonio:
Well, it was so cool, like being able to pick up all these principles from these guys and gals who just committed themselves to being able to coach the next generation.
I think about like the number of times that my parents growing up were like, well, man, if you were half as motivated to do what we asked as you were to do it, this coach is asking like, coach could literally say, hey, we’re getting on the bus at 7 a.m. or 6 a.m. or whatever the case may be on a Saturday morning.
I don’t have to know where the bus is going. I’m getting on the bus, right? Like that’s it. And a lot of that, I think, comes down to just the way that God is designed, human nature, these coaches, I think one of the reasons they have so much influence is they’re providing some of the information or the guidance that we need to hit the goals that we have.
And I think people are so motivated by their own goals, so much more so than by somebody telling them to do something. But if they know that following what this person is saying is going to actually help achieve that, okay, cool. Like the coach said it, I’m in. I’m in.
Greg:
Zach, like you’re about like my kids, like I have coached my kids forever.
And really, it started off selfishly because we wanted to kind of control the schedule for the soccer schedule. That’s where we either coach and control those coaches, or you’re at the mercy of someone who has a single kid and they want to practice five nights a week, or soccer. Zach, what’s it like? For those of us out there, whose parents coach and what’s that like? And how’s that? Just that part of your relationship with your dad. What’s that like as a kid who grew up being coached by Stafford?
Zach:
Yeah. So. So, you know, it’s it. I kind of see the same in myself now coaching my son, you know, in football as well. It is my dad. It seemed like it was harder on me than he was on the other team.
So you would think of that. But now I look at myself, and I feel like I’m that same way with my son. I feel like a part of it because I know what he’s capable of compared to the other kids. And not seeing the other kids are not capable is just.
I’m around my son, 24 seven, pretty much other than when I’m at work and, you know, I know when he’s hit his limit or I know when he still got left and stuff left in the tank.
So I would say, you know, growing up with, with my dad coaching and, you know, I had family members coaching and my brother, who was a couple years old to me, might as well be my dad, you know? Yeah, but he believed me. You know, he believed me. Yeah. Yeah, it was there.
Yeah. But, you know, he, you know, just being around that all the time, you know, it’s like you can’t necessarily get away from it, but you don’t take that if they’re talking to you a certain way or they’re getting on him or something.
We never brought that home, you know, that was always left on the field. And so that was a big portion of what I try to explain to my son, just because I get on to you out here on the football field when we get home, you know, you’re still my son.
I still love you like, you know, it’s not necessarily necessary to give me grace, but, you know, when we get home, it’s like all that stuff is left on the practice field.
Same same way when I’m at work, anything bad happens at work. I’m leaving that out of the office. I’m not bringing that stuff home because, you know, they didn’t do anything to deserve, you know, the fallout from football, a bad football practice or a bad day at work or, you know, anything.
So that’s where I, you know, lean towards that.
Greg:
Yeah. I think it goes without saying that coaches make a difference. And so Antonio, just with your background in FCA and what you’ve seen, why is it important for those. And let’s close out to your answer.
Why is it important for those FCA or is out there and those local church people who may partner with FCA, sometime in the near future, hopefully for them to understand the need for vibrant ministry to coaches.
Antonio:
So good. I mean, one, if we are just talking bare bones about it, you’re never happier than when you’re serving like you’re just never going to be happier than when you’re when somebody else’s needs are more important than your own because you’re not aware of your own.
So that’s like numero uno. I love that part of the design. I didn’t come up with it.
Second part. And if we think about where. Where people are showing up consistently, it for most folks, whether we’re talking about elementary school, middle school, high school, in most cases, the students, or local churches or kind of getting dropped off somewhere.
So are they committed or are they just there because they have to?
What we need to then look at is where are people showing up at will? And most of the time it’s on some playing surface, a court, a field or something.
And if the person in charge there is willing to partner with an organization like FCA, just intellectually it makes sense.
And then on top of that, if you’re feeling some kind of draw to be there, I mean, why not?
So that’s what I would say.
Greg:
Yeah. Billy Graham once said that a coach will impact more lives in one year than a normal person will in their entire lifetime. So I think you all agree with that statement.
So Zach and Antonio, thank you so much for joining us today. Driving from Orlando. This. You’re crazy. But go buy your lunch now for the rest of you out there who regularly tune in to Making a difference, we’re glad you keep doing so.
And that’s all we have for you today.
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