[0:00] Welcome to the ONS podcast with your [0:03] host Lana Jacobson. [0:05] >> Afternoon St. Paul is the ONS podcast [0:07] brought to you by our partners at Face [0:09] toface Academy. For those who are tuning [0:11] in for the first time, ONS stands for [0:13] Office of Neighborhood Safety and we are [0:15] a division of the city attorney's [0:17] office. We work with our public safety [0:19] partners, SPFD and SPD on alternative [0:23] public safety measures. This podcast was [0:25] created for departments like ours and [0:27] community organizations to connect you [0:29] to alternative public safety measures, [0:31] programs, and your local growth and [0:33] healing opportunities. Today we have [0:36] guest Andre Reid. Ladies and gentlemen, [0:38] Andre is the CEO and co-founder of A [0:43] King Kings Formula. A King's Formula is [0:45] a boxing and personal development [0:47] program focused on building discipline, [0:49] confidence, and life skills in youth [0:51] through the art of boxing and [0:52] mentorship. With years of experience as [0:55] both a competitive boxer and coach, [0:58] Andre has worked to create a safe and [1:00] structured space where young people can [1:03] channel their energy into something [1:04] positive while learning valuable lessons [1:06] about perseverance, respect, and [1:09] selfworth. Andre, welcome. [1:11] >> Thank you so much. Thank you for having [1:12] me. [1:13] >> Take 30 seconds and tell us about [1:15] yourself. [1:16] >> About myself? [1:17] >> About yourself? Like where you from? [1:19] What kind of neighborhood did you grow [1:20] up in? [1:21] >> I'm originally from Chicago, Illinois. [1:22] Uh moved to St. Paul on the east side [1:24] specifically right in this area. Lived [1:26] in a Roosevelt town homes off of [1:27] Maryland all my life pretty much. Um I [1:30] moved to Dallas, Texas for college. Got [1:32] my bachelor's in business there. [1:35] >> I'm going to go into some icebreaker [1:37] questions and then we're going to go [1:38] more we're going to talk more about your [1:39] organization and your business and how [1:41] you're helping youth. So Andre, does the [1:45] family look forward to Taco Tuesday or [1:47] Friday night pizza? [1:49] >> Oh man, it depends. Me and my wife taco [1:52] Tuesday. the kids pizza, [1:55] >> right? You guys do the margaritas and [1:57] stuff, too. [1:58] >> It It depends. My wife likes the [2:00] margaritas, though. [2:00] >> Yeah. It depends on who's sleeping, [2:02] who's still awake, right? [2:03] >> Exactly. [2:03] >> Okay, next question. We love the [2:07] nostalgia, Walt Disney World, or I've [2:10] got a bunch of Daredevils and Marvel [2:12] freaks in my house. We're going [2:13] Universal Studios. [2:15] >> Disney World. I never really watched [2:17] Marvel and my kids are No, I don't know. [2:20] I would say that I know like and I don't [2:22] even know what area is like where does [2:24] Batman lay. I'm not sure. I don't know [2:26] nothing about it. I Transformers. I mean [2:28] >> he's DC. He's DC. [2:30] >> I don't know. [2:31] >> My kids love Mickey Mouse. [2:33] >> So I'm with the Mickey Mouse crew. [2:35] >> Okay. The nostalgia. Okay. Let's pack up [2:38] the car. We're going to the families for [2:40] a holiday dinner. Or everybody start [2:43] cleaning. We're hosting this year. And [2:45] praise God I don't have to go nowhere. [2:47] >> Both. But I'm going to go with at home. [2:49] I love cooking out. I love doing the [2:51] barbecue. I love having everybody over [2:52] my house. So, everybody come over here. [2:54] >> Me, too. I feel like at this point in [2:57] life, I just want to be at home. And if [2:59] you want to join me, you know where to [3:01] find me. Cuz it's like getting in a car [3:03] and driving from house to house. That's [3:05] played out. Okay. So, you started off [3:08] telling us about a king's formula, but [3:10] first, let's back up. Why did you choose [3:12] the name? [3:13] >> So, I chose the name. It's a long story. [3:15] I'm make it short. While I was in [3:17] college, I thought I had a son at that [3:18] time and so I was trying to make myself [3:20] change and I was like, I want to build a [3:22] brand and I don't know what to name it. [3:25] And I felt like I had so many jack of [3:27] all trades and I don't know what this. [3:28] So I was like, all right. For me, I felt [3:30] like my formula of success is just so [3:33] many different things. And I don't want [3:35] to make it so like little and make [3:37] everybody like, hey, if you want to be [3:38] successful, you have to be a boxer. So [3:40] it's like, no, like your own king or [3:42] queen's formula is what makes you [3:43] successful. So it's it can be very [3:45] broad, you I know some people who do [3:47] boxing and they don't box like to be an [3:50] an athlete, but it helps them mentally, [3:52] then they go off to work a corporate job [3:54] and then they go home and be a father or [3:56] a mother. And that's their formula to [3:58] success for them, right? That's their [4:00] like king's formula. And so for me, I [4:01] just took it as as that's a king's [4:03] formula. Your formula to help you know [4:06] that you're a king or queen, whatever [4:07] your formula is, but stick to your [4:09] formula. And so that's kind of what made [4:11] me make that uh that name. I like that [4:13] because there's no cookie cutter path, [4:16] right? Everybody has a different path. [4:17] Everybody has a different way that gets [4:19] them from A to B mentally and [4:21] physically. So, I like that. Where are [4:24] you guys centrally located? [4:25] >> Right here on the east side. [4:27] >> Okay. [4:27] >> Yep. Right here. St. Paul. Right off of [4:29] Maryland. Uh the Roosevelt Town Homes [4:32] right there. [4:33] >> And tell me about how long ago it was [4:35] when you got started with this. [4:38] >> I started this 2018. [4:41] I graduated high school 2014, went to [4:44] college, dropped out, went back to [4:46] college in Texas 2016. By the time 2018, [4:49] I was kind of on the end of leaving [4:51] college and I was like, "All right, I [4:52] want to I know what I want to do. I want [4:53] to build my own brand and that's when I [4:55] first started off. I was gaining a lot [4:57] of knowledge from the boxing world in [4:59] Texas and I was actually training kids [5:01] out there. I went to a historically [5:03] black college and one of the big things [5:04] they wanted us to do as well was going [5:06] to the community." So I was in Dallas in [5:08] their community helping kids out at [5:09] first and that's where I wouldn't say I [5:12] found my passion because I worked for [5:14] the community in St. Paul as well. I [5:15] worked for a program called YJC when I [5:17] was younger. Okay. Um so just knowing [5:19] that like that's my path is working with [5:21] the kids and but just being in Dallas a [5:23] whole different city town location and [5:26] seeing that I was it was still like [5:27] shining my light. I just knew like okay [5:29] I'm doing this everywhere I go. This is [5:31] what I want to do. So yeah like 2018 [5:33] Dallas, Texas. [5:34] >> So your passion is for the youth. It's [5:36] for the youth. And I mean, honestly, [5:38] it's for the youth, but it's for anybody [5:40] that because it doesn't matter the age, [5:42] but anybody that's kind of not sure [5:44] where their light is at. Anybody that [5:47] just kind of need that extra push to be [5:49] more confident in their self because a [5:51] lot of times that's that's the problem. [5:53] We we have our own issues in life. It [5:55] makes us feel like we're little and then [5:58] you go and find a drug or you go and [6:00] find some other addiction to kind of [6:04] >> go away from your your thoughts when [6:05] it's like we just need we need we need [6:07] more people around us to push us, [6:08] motivate us. It's okay to fall but just [6:11] keep getting back up and be confident [6:12] and be be blessed and be rewarded for [6:15] the things that you are doing. And I [6:17] just always seen that in my community [6:19] whenever there was like that bad kid or [6:22] >> that kid that you can say you can see [6:23] straying away, they're just not getting [6:25] that positive push from somebody. [6:28] They're always getting yelled at. And [6:30] somebody sometimes kids want any [6:32] attention. So if all they're getting is [6:33] yelled at, then they're going to keep [6:34] being bad because you're giving them [6:35] attention. [6:36] >> So sometimes it's like just steering it [6:37] away. Push them to do better and then [6:39] give them that good confidence and that [6:40] good uh reward for doing good and let [6:42] them know what that feels like so they [6:44] can stop wanting to be bad. You know, I [6:46] fell in love with boxing, came back [6:48] here, and at first just kind of was [6:50] doing it for my own right to turn pro to [6:52] make money. Recently, my father passed [6:55] away from drugs overdose over here on [6:57] the east side in St. Paul. And just [6:59] seeing that my community, how big the [7:02] drug is into our community, and I can't [7:04] say I know the reasoning, but from my [7:06] experience, it's usually a lot of like [7:08] selfdisipline and and lost in the world [7:11] and needing therapy. And so just [7:14] combining boxing with that mentorship of [7:17] just being from the community and the [7:19] kids and the people in my community [7:20] trust me, it just helped me and help [7:23] them kind of build their yourself [7:24] mentally to be more stronger and [7:26] hopefully stray away from drugs and find [7:28] more things they can build into. And so [7:30] that's kind of what I'm doing right now. [7:32] >> That's awesome. And I'm sorry for your [7:34] loss. So just a little quick smidg, I [7:38] know like my kid, he works for St. parks [7:41] and wrecks and he also works for um the [7:44] school system as well during that's his [7:47] like day job and then he goes to the [7:48] wreck after work and one of the things [7:51] that he loves about his job is working [7:54] with the kids and being a positive role [7:56] model and one of the things that he gets [7:59] that from is what me and um Anton my [8:02] silent partner we were just talking [8:04] about like growing up he didn't have [8:07] that he didn't have that mentorship ship [8:10] and he didn't have that kind of [8:12] relationship with his father. So [8:16] he just finds joy in being who he wish [8:20] he had to the youth. And so I want to go [8:23] back. Can you give us just a little bit [8:26] about your upbringing because I'm [8:27] wondering if your upbringing plays into [8:29] a part of you being so passionate about [8:31] >> Oh yeah. [8:32] >> wanting to be a mentor to youth. [8:34] >> Yeah. Um just like just like your son. [8:37] Um I grew up in a weird situation. my [8:40] mom and pops both being from Chicago, [8:41] both having their own trials and [8:43] tribulations um and them splitting. [8:45] >> I was always my dad was always in and [8:47] out of my life, but it was hard for him [8:49] because of his drug addiction. [8:50] >> Um but whenever he was, he would always [8:52] give me like that love and and that [8:55] attention. And on my mom's side, which [8:57] is the the person that I actually lived [8:58] with and grew up with, she kind of [9:00] pushed me away because I'm a spitting [9:02] image of my dad and and her own mental [9:05] disorders [9:06] >> made it hard for her to show love and [9:08] affection to me. So my whole life I've [9:10] never really gotten it, but I was [9:12] blessed because I was always [9:14] strongminded. So when I go off to [9:16] school, I will always have those people [9:17] that wanted to mentor me that always see [9:19] I was doing good. [9:20] >> I am thankful for God. I never was like [9:23] a kid that went off and be bad because [9:24] of my situation. I just went off and [9:27] kind of tucked my head down and was [9:28] doing good, but God always put somebody [9:30] around that would see my light and they [9:32] would pour into me and and just growing [9:34] up, I knew like that felt so good. And [9:37] for me to kind of slowly do that to [9:38] others, I just yeah, I fell in love with [9:40] it. [9:41] >> Thank you for being so vulnerable. Um [9:43] I'm old so I cry a lot. So if you see me [9:45] over here misting, it's because your [9:47] story is just so beautiful. Um tell our [9:50] audience about how your organization [9:52] works for the wellness of the mind, [9:54] body, and soul. [9:55] >> Yeah. So it's actually a two-piece. [9:58] First part is the boxing, but it's not [10:00] just boxing, right? It's it's all [10:02] physical. So, strength and conditioning, [10:04] working out, but it's really just [10:06] getting the kids out, teaching them [10:08] boxing, and having fun. One thing that I [10:10] feel like God has gifted me with is [10:11] knowing how to connect with kids. So, [10:13] it's not necessarily me trying to teach [10:15] them the right exact way to box all the [10:17] time. Sometimes it's just having fun, [10:19] letting them learn something new, little [10:20] at a time, [10:21] >> and then a lot of the time it's us [10:23] talking through with a lot of things. [10:25] I'm usually while training them, putting [10:28] affirmations into them, letting them [10:29] know, you know, this is just like life. [10:31] It's going to be hard. you know, you got [10:32] to push through. You know, if I got kids [10:34] doing push-ups and they they failing, [10:35] it's okay. Life is like this. You're [10:37] going to fail and it's going to be hard. [10:39] >> Breathe. Do it again. Give me the best [10:41] you got. You know, it's not about being [10:42] perfect. And so those things and to [10:44] watch it transition into them into [10:46] anything else in life, you know, and and [10:48] them wanting to come back to me and [10:50] telling me about other things they're [10:51] doing in life, like, "Hey, Andre, I did [10:52] good in school today and I did." Like, [10:54] it's like, "Okay, bet." You know? So, [10:55] now we're having different [10:56] conversations. It's not just about [10:57] boxing. You might have gloves and mits [10:59] on, but now we're really talking about [11:01] real life. [11:02] >> Um, and then I try to put every jack or [11:05] trade that I got in me. Uh, just for an [11:07] example, now I'm in construction class [11:09] slashworking. [11:10] >> So, I teach the kids that sometimes we [11:12] can build little boxing shelves and [11:14] build whatever. It's just like giving [11:15] kids more options to do something else [11:18] >> and talk and community. And [11:20] >> so, yeah, that's kind of how we do it. [11:21] Um, [11:22] >> I love it. I love it. How does your [11:24] organization play a role in creating [11:26] safe spaces for youth to congregate? [11:29] Yeah, just kind of like I said in a [11:30] sense though, but having that it a lot I [11:33] have a lot of kids who at first the [11:34] parents come to me because they want [11:36] their kids to you know kids are being [11:38] bullied at school or kids don't really [11:40] have friends and so I have them come do [11:42] oneonone let them see that like I'm a [11:44] comfortable person to be around and to [11:46] be with first then slowly build them [11:48] into my group classes where there's more [11:50] five six kids [11:52] >> and then kind of having them do [11:53] icebreaker stuff having them work [11:55] together um making myself be the [11:57] vulnerable person. So before they all [11:59] mess up, I mess up on purpose in front [12:01] of them. I may fall so we can all laugh, [12:03] you know, like I'm cool being the person [12:05] they can all laugh at together because [12:07] once they start laughing together, now [12:09] they start talking together and now [12:11] they're friends and now they feel safe [12:12] to be around each other. Even they don't [12:14] know each other. They're not even from [12:15] the same world, but now [12:18] >> they're they're connected and now they [12:19] feel safe. Now they can talk. And then [12:21] you look up and they're giving each [12:23] other vulnerable moments. And so it's [12:25] just that very safe space to talk and to [12:28] have therapy with each other. [12:29] >> I love that. What are your goals for the [12:32] people in St. Paul or for your youth in [12:35] St. Paul that you're serving? [12:38] >> To find their own formula. [12:39] >> I mean, it's it's that simple. I don't [12:42] have nothing that I want them to do [12:43] other than find their light and run to [12:46] it, [12:47] >> you know, and run away from the drugs. I [12:49] mean, we're all from the east side or [12:50] living on east side. I know we all hear [12:52] and know about the the drugs that's [12:54] going on around right now and it's sad [12:56] cuz I have so many friends that have [12:58] passed away because of these drugs and [13:00] this is like I don't want to see the [13:01] next generation going through that soup. [13:03] >> Yeah. [13:04] >> So just really having them find their [13:05] light. The more you can find your light [13:07] the way you know the more you get away [13:09] from those addictions. I was so before [13:12] we before the p well once I reached out [13:15] to you and asked you to be on the [13:16] podcast you know I had to spy on you [13:18] right and so when I typed your name into [13:21] Google did you know well maybe you [13:24] probably do know but you come up as one [13:27] of the most 10 positive life coaches in [13:31] St. Paul [13:32] >> Wow I did not know that. [13:33] >> Did you know that? [13:34] >> I did not. [13:35] >> Okay. You going to have to Google [13:36] yourself if people want to get a hold of [13:38] you or want to come out. so that you can [13:40] coach them and and have their kids [13:42] participate. How can they get a hold of [13:43] you? [13:44] >> Social media. My name on there is Andre [13:46] Reed. I got two E's. So, A N D R E E R E [13:49] I D. If you look that up, it's only [13:51] about three of us. It's not too many [13:53] Andre Reeds with that name. Um on [13:55] Facebook, same name. Instagram, [13:58] anywhere, however you can get a hold of [14:00] me. 612916-6850. [14:03] My number is literally only my immediate [14:05] family and whoever else calls usually [14:07] trying to find a way to be to find their [14:09] own light. So I'm I always answer my [14:11] phone to whoever. [14:12] >> There you have it, you guys. A king's [14:14] formula. The city of St. Paul is working [14:17] hard to rehabilitate, intervene, and [14:19] provide safer neighborhoods. If you'd [14:21] like to learn more about Community First [14:23] Public Safety and the Office of [14:24] Neighborhood Safety, please visit us at [14:26] stpaul.govs. [14:30] If you want to learn how to get a hold [14:31] of Andre, you can just rewind and you [14:34] can get his phone number and visit him [14:35] on social media. Facebook is where I [14:38] found him. Well, not initially, but [14:40] Facebook is where I found him. Thank you [14:41] for coming, Andre. Yeah, thank you for [14:43] this opportunity.