How a First-Gen College Graduate Became a County Manager

:00 - Hello and welcome to the Degrees of Success podcast. 0:15 I'm your host, Frida Richards. And today we have the honor of having the incredible Dr. Scott Andrews with us Meet Dr. Scott Andrews 0:23 as our guest, just to learn some incredible things about him. He is the founder of the Violet Movement, 0:29 a former assistant city manager of Bakersfield, a native of Tampa, Florida with deep roots in Atlanta. 0:36 He's earned his bachelor's in business management from University of Phoenix and has also earned his doctorate in education. 0:44 His accolades include 20 years of experience in the public sector of administration. He is a LinkedIn top voice for mentoring, serves as a mentor 0:53 for Bakersfield Angels. He's the board member of the Boys and Girls Club, and he is a first generation college graduate. 1:01 Oh my goodness. I'm out of breath. Incredible. Dr. Andrews, thank you so much for joining us. - Thank you so much, Brita. Please just call me Scott. 1:07 I really appreciate it and I'm excited for talk with you today. - Absolutely, I'm well. We're so excited to talk to you 1:13 and get to learn more about you as well. First things first, I'd love to know a little bit about where you grew up and what that was like. Growing Up in Tampa, Florida 1:19 What was life for you as you, as you grew up? - Yeah, absolutely. I grew up in Tampa, Florida 1:24 and really enjoyed it. It's a great place to grow up beaches nearby and other hurricanes. 1:30 It's pretty much an ideal spot, but the same place that I snuck into as a little kid 1:35 and went to the rec center to play basketball is actually what my first job was in local government. 1:41 So that was pretty ironic. Got my foot in the door there through a personal training. And my first government job was fitness 1:48 coordinator, ironically. So kind of sounds great today, this whole doctor thing. But started humbly through personal training, 1:55 got me into local government. Absolutely loved Tampa, Florida, and my parents still live there 2:01 and grandparents played a large role in raising me, and they, they live in that area as well. 2:06 - That's awesome. Well, tell me this. So it sounds like your, your grandparents had a lot to do with raising you along with your parents of course, 2:13 but who would you say throughout your, your childhood, who did you look up to? Who was your mentors? 2:18 - I was blessed to have a lot of mentors, but I would, and it's no disrespect to my parents, 2:23 but my grandmother, violet, violet Healy was absolutely just, Mentors and Early Influences 2:29 they're the American dream story. You know, they came over from Ireland with $27 in their pocket and moved to Canada. 2:35 So I'm, I'm actually a dual citizen. I got citizenship through Canada as well, because that's where my mother was born. 2:40 So they, they came here and then my mother was naturalized about a decade later, and it's just one of those cool stories 2:48 that you always hear about and falls in my life. So I absolutely love telling that story. - That's excellent. So speaking of stories, tell me a story 2:58 that you have not told before, something that you can tell our, our watchers, 3:05 our viewers, and tell that gives us a little bit more detail about exactly who Dr. Andrews is. 3:10 - Sure, sure. Well, this, this whole doctorate thing is, is kind of a newfound hierarchy 3:18 that I never really saw. My four year degree took me well over a decade, 3:23 and I powered through school at that same rec center job that I mentioned to you and went the student loan route 3:30 because I wasn't able to pay for it on my own. So that was the, the nice way that I could get structure 3:36 to my routine and get that degree knocked out. But there was a lot of times where I, you know, 3:42 I couldn't afford much and I, I lived in my car, I lived in people's floors. 3:49 I did whatever it took to just keep going because I knew it was important to put myself through school 3:54 to invest in myself and invest in my future. - What, what, where did that drive come from? - That's a great question. I'm not exactly sure. 4:01 My, my parents just one of them graduated high school and they didn't quite get to graduate college, 4:08 but I, I think I wanted to, to do better. And being a father now, it, it means a little bit more than it used to 4:15 and just trying to set the example for the next generation and, and to be the billboard for all I stand for. 4:22 - If you were to walk us through your educational journey, and clearly you've had an immense journey 4:29 with education starting here at University of Phoenix, tell me, walk me through that. 4:34 Give me, gimme a little bit more of what that looked like for you. - Sure. It was, I love the travel. 4:41 So even in my early days, I would have like the hand me down couch and hand me down furniture at home 4:46 because I don't really care so much about material things, but I would be in China going through the Yxi River 4:52 and relying on some spotty wifi to knock out my, my coursework or whatever it took, no matter what I wanted 4:59 to live my life in a way that I'd be proud of and my, my son would be proud of one day, but also in a way 5:05 that didn't stop me from doing whatever I had to do. So having a, a sporadic work schedule, 5:13 even being younger, that's why I really appreciated University of Phoenix and that was the first time I was ever successful 5:19 because while I was disciplined in the gym and disciplined in other ways, it didn't translate in school perspective 5:25 until about 10 years after I started. - Really? - Yeah. - So disciplined in the gym, but not necessarily in school. 5:33 - Yeah, it, it's a shame, but the parties and the college life got me early on and then like, like many 5:39 of the students maybe even listening here, you, you start making a little bit of money and it looks great, but it isn't until your friends start graduating 5:47 and making real career money that it hits you hard. And that's really what hit me is when some 5:53 of my good friends started getting their degrees and getting those career jobs and I, I wasn't making that type of money yet, 6:00 so I knew I had to really focus and do something where I could separate myself from well, 6:06 really what my parents had done in the past. - Absolutely. Well, it sounds like you've had many careers along 6:12 with your vast education. You've also had a, a really great journey just within your careers 6:18 and different industries. So tell me what that looks like. You've, you've gone from, from fitness and I'm sure many others. 6:25 - Yeah. - Tell me about those individual industries that you've been in and how you're using those experiences 6:31 in your current leadership role. - So I've been in local government now 21 years, and I don't know how that happened, 6:37 but I mentioned my first 11 years was in the Tampa area where I grew up at the city of Temple Terrace 6:43 and I climbed the ladder there. I started as a fitness coordinator and then became the recreation supervisor 6:49 and started getting city managers that would look out for me. 6:54 They saw, hey, this guy's pursuing his advanced degrees. And I remember at one point I was, 7:00 had half a doctorate done, and yet I'm still over facility, so when my custodians don't show up, 7:05 I'm the one mopping the floor. So some of those things that really resonate with me, I'm not a chip on your shoulder guy, 7:11 but I definitely use it as fuel. So, you know, I got called doctor custodian and different things when staff didn't show up 7:17 and you know, you gotta do what you gotta do. So those little things I, I filed away and used to as fuel. 7:24 So that started climbing there, but it wasn't until I got away from where I grew up 7:29 and I moved to the Atlanta area. I was there about 11 years in, I'm sorry, about 10 years in the Atlanta area. From Fitness to Local Government Leadership 7:35 My first job outside of recreation was economic development director in the city of Sugar Hill, Georgia. 7:40 And we helped to build that city from scratch. I was the city manager's first hire and built a, just a awesome downtown, 7:48 a sub suburban downtown, and had singers on stage that people would hear 7:54 of Travis trick cool in the gang. They would use my office as their green room. It was a whole lot of fun. We got to build a city out there. 8:03 And then I continued my progression and knocked out my doctorate while I was in the city 8:08 of Sugar Hill, and then proceeded the other side of Atlanta to the city of Smyrna where the Atlanta Braves are actually three 8:14 miles from City Hall. So there I was, the assistant city manager, served there for a couple years and I said, you know what, 8:21 I can be a city manager. I'm, I'm gonna go again to the other side of Atlanta and City of Covington is where all these films 8:27 and movies take place. It's actually the Hollywood of South is what they're known for. And putting in a couple years there and as a small city, 8:35 but I was finally the city manager. I really enjoyed my time there and grew and that brought me to Bakersfield where I've now been two 8:43 and a half years. And that was, I went to a, a big city, I'm sorry, a small city city manager 8:48 to a number two in a much larger city. So Bakersfield is the 48th largest city in the United States. 8:54 Have a population here of almost half a million residents and 2000 staff. So really grew quite a bit here. 9:01 And as I mentioned to you when we're warming up, I just accepted a job about a month ago, 9:06 so I'll be moving next week and heading to Las Cruces to be the county manager 9:12 of Dona Ana County. So really excited about that and I'm eager to jump into my next role. 9:18 And one role always leads to the next, there's parts of your job that you, you think that may not factor in 9:25 until you get that interview question and you realize, well, this, this city is really keyed in on mentoring 9:30 or this one's focused on economic development and it all ties in together and really it all started 9:35 with the foundation in my education. - Absolutely. I what I'm hearing from you is there's definitely humble 9:41 beginnings and then always a consistent drive if when your custodian, when your Jans didn't show up, you're still, 9:47 you're getting the doctorate and sweeping the floor at the same time. Yeah. That definitely instills some, like some great drive 9:54 and and passion in you, right? - Absolutely, absolutely. You have - To. 9:59 Oh my goodness. Right. And then I tell me, I also hear humility coming from you 10:05 as well, and as a leader, how, how would you say that that affects your, your form of leadership? 10:12 - No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And that's a cliche quote, but it's absolutely true. 10:18 And I found that the higher you go in the ladder, you don't, you know, first thing I said to you is, 10:24 please don't call me doctor unless you're on LinkedIn or in the classroom that it's the opposite and the same thing. 10:30 You know, a lot of people don't even wear ties anymore. You want to dress for your occasion, your day and never look too stuffy. 10:36 You know, it's, it's one thing to wear the suit coat obviously for an interview, but when you go out in the community, you want 10:41 to look like everyone else. You want to come off as just another person in the community. 10:47 You don't wanna be your label. You don't wanna be your job title. You're a person that cares about helping someone else, 10:52 and that's how you resolve issues and that's how you make a difference. - I, I could see how that's been something that's driven you 10:59 through your, your career and is obviously continuing to bolt you into different positions, including New Mexico. 11:05 Yeah. So congratulations. Thank you on that. You we're so excited to follow you through your career. And as you move on to New Mexico, 11:12 we live, we're here in Arizona. It's hot in Arizona. I imagine it's not as hot in New Mexico, but yeah, I think that's 11:18 - Awesome. Going from one desert to the next. I can't wait. - You are, you are, you are. Launching the Violet Movement 11:24 Well let me ask, you have an incredible foundation 11:29 called the Violet Movement and I'd love to hear more about that. Can you, can you tell us a little bit about 11:35 - It? Yeah, absolutely. So January of last year, my daughter Violet, we had a perfect pregnancy picture. 11:42 Perfect. And went in for delivery. And we had one of these literally one in 50,000 scenarios. 11:48 And my daughter bled out in front of me. I almost lost my wife. My wife did bounce back, 11:54 but my, my daughter didn't pull through. So a few days later she passed and, you know, 11:59 and I think I told you she, my grandmother is one of my mentors. So we named her after my grandmother and her middle name was my, my wife's mother's name. 12:06 So Violet friends Los Andrews. And the violet movement was a way for us to pay homage, 12:11 not just to our daughter, but to help those that are going through, in fact, my, my book Violets are Blue will be coming out next week. 12:19 And it's just that to help those that are getting, getting through grief loss, depression 12:25 and finding their way back to their new normal, and even if it just helps by people, that was a way for us 12:31 to tell the story of our daughter, but also in a way that we could help others going through this journey. And even just in the last year 12:37 and a half, I've had two friends that went through something different and losses loss and, 12:43 and whether that's Sid's types scenario or miscarriage or just something even more tragic loss is 12:50 loss and so many people go through it. And especially men, I found I have a harder time talking about things. 12:57 So I, I wanted to try to create a area where people could have these conversations and to normalize conversations about mental health as well. 13:05 - It's so important to normalize mental health and to see it from a leader. 13:11 And then clearly a leader who's on LinkedIn as a mentor as well. And the way that your story was written on 13:20 the Violet movement website was so moving, I was in tears. 13:25 And I love how you used that experience to pour into others and focusing on, you know, scholarships 13:34 and, and, and children focusing on kindness. That, that is a great, great passion. 13:39 Tell me why, tell me how you led there from, from viol violence's movement 13:44 and the passion and the purpose. - I think all of us are just the creation of, and culmination of a lot of our mentors 13:50 and people that were there for us. You know, you take bits and pieces of people you idolize or look up to and make it your own. 13:56 And I'm just that, I'm, I'm a culmination of hard work and amazing mentors and that that's all really, 14:02 and you align yourself to what works for you. So with the Violet movement, we wanted just that 14:08 certain professions really tie in, obviously local government for me, my wife's a critical care nurse and it's kind of ironic in all of this, 14:14 but, so we wanted to try to help people in those different professions as well and help them take that next step. 14:20 'cause it's one thing to have the will, not everyone is willing to take student loans out or to make that next step. 14:26 So, you know, five, $10,000 here and there. That could be the difference in someone finishing their 14:31 degree, finishing even their trade, if it's a trade school, just furthering your education in a way they can separate 14:37 themselves from, from their past. - And what a great push that is, right? If someone's feeling like that, 14:42 the only reason they can't accomplish their dream is due to a financial debt that they're not able to achieve. 14:47 For you to be able to support them with that is simply incredible. And in the name of your beautiful daughter, violet, 14:53 - Thank you. Thank you. - Of course. So I did also hear you say that you have a son. 14:59 - Yeah, my, my son Miles, hopefully you won't hear him crying in the other room. We had, we did have a miscarriage after Violet 15:06 and we had almost given up, to be honest with you. So between the losses 15:12 we just left in God's hands. I hate to say that and sounds a bit cliche, but it's the truth we'd given up if, 15:18 if it was meant to be what happened. And Son Miles was born on March 19th this year, 15:23 so he is just over six months now and he, he is a handful and I, I just appreciate all the little things 15:31 and if there's humility here and that's the new dad in me talking because it really puts everything in life from perspective 15:38 and why you do everything. It really is just a feedback into the family and it's just been the best experience so far. 15:46 And even if I'm only sleeping four hours a night, I couldn't, I wouldn't have it any other way. - Oh my good. I I completely understand that. 15:53 And as a mom of two little boys, welcome to Boy World. They've got all the wiggles. Yeah, yeah. 16:00 Wait till he can run. That'll be the best part. - Yeah. I can't - Wait. 16:05 Thank goodness you're in fitness, so you'll be, yeah, you'll be able to catch up with them. Let me ask, how important do you think education 16:13 is right now? And if you were to speak to like our younger generation, a lot may be choosing to avoid higher education 16:22 and what, what would you say to them in that regard? - Ironically, I had a, I still have it somewhere, a quote 16:28 that I used in one of my first classes at University of Phoenix. And I, I read it now very differently than I wrote then. 16:35 And it was something along the lines of, it's not the degree you capture, but the degree of obstacles you overcome. 16:42 And that was written by a, a 20 something year old that was still figuring everything out. 16:47 As I look back on that, some of that is true, it, you know, in terms of character and who you are, but realistically now, if you want the interview, 16:57 you have to have the degree. It's really that simple. And, and if you want to raise the ceiling for 17:03 what you're capable of for what your family can do, the, the degree sets the tone. It is the foundation for everything. 17:09 It's, it's not who you are. It doesn't define who you are, but absolutely gives you more doors, more opportunities 17:16 and more possibilities for what you can be. And the sky is really the limit. 17:21 Once you have those, once you have the base education, it's really just how far and how ambitious are you and I, 17:28 and I think I'm really proof of that in a lot of ways. And it sounds funny to say, but I it's absolutely true. 17:33 Education should be the foundation of what your dreams and goals are. - I couldn't agree more. So here at University of Phoenix, 17:41 we have a really strong community between the students and the faculty. How did that show up for you? 17:48 - People really care. I think that's the difference. I I'm a team guy, I'm a big sports guy. So when we started doing our team assignments, there's The Importance of Education 17:55 that accountability factor. So you're not just letting yourself down if you fail. The, the team element you, 18:01 it's one thing if you know I can take a C here, they're no big deal. But when it's everyone else and you know, certain classmates, 18:08 they've never even gotten a B, you gotta step your game up, you gotta go. So that team effort is really what set me up for success. 18:16 It, it's, once you have that, there's no going back. So I, I think I did get one C in there, maybe, maybe. 18:24 But overall, honestly, you get the degree, it's gonna set the foundation 18:29 for everything that's coming next. And the team element is really what helped me succeed. 18:34 The flexible schedules, the weekends, all the things that were obstacles for me before that I took out the student loan and I got it done 18:43 and I wish I would've done it sooner. - I, I agree. You know, one of one 18:48 of my favorite quotes is when what I was told is, you know, you don't get your GPA, your GPA doesn't show up on your degree. 18:54 - Right? Right. - So absolutely. If if you get a c don't fuss about it. Just keep on moving your GPA is not on that degree. 19:01 - That's so true. And I remember even 10 years ago, there was almost a stigma around brick 19:06 and mortar versus non brick and mortar. And I can tell you now that that doesn't exist anymore. Whether it was covid, whether it was everything in society, 19:15 people just wanna see that degree. They want to see that level of accomplishment and that commitment. So I would highly encourage everyone to, to jump in. 19:23 And if you've been thinking about it, there's only three more months left in this year. So those New Year's resolutions gotta get to work today. 19:30 - Yes, absolutely. Keep driving towards those goals. We are not at the, we're not at the finish line just yet. Right. 19:36 - Absolutely. - So with your current position, if other people were looking to be a city manager, what, 19:44 what would you tell them to continue to look forward to or to drive to or to study? 19:50 - The gold standard is typically public administration degree. So whether that's, but that's, 19:57 that also pigeonholes you into just government. So early on I got my just general degree in business 20:03 management, so that set the stage. But as you get more specialized, the MPA is probably the route you wanna look at 20:08 or an organizational leadership degree. But really it's get involved in the conferences, go apply 20:15 for every scholarship you can, you can think of, I remember I won a scholarship, I think it was 2011 to go 20:23 to Milwaukee and it was for people that had never been to conference and their city didn't budget for it. 20:29 And I got off the plane not knowing anyone within four states. And those same people that looked out for me 20:34 that day are the same people that are still my job references 15 years later. So it's, it's just absolutely amazing. 20:40 I would tell everyone to go for it. Get plugged into your professional associations. Don't pay 200 bucks for a membership Advice for Aspiring Leaders 20:47 for something you're not going to do anything with. So use it, get involved. Look for mentors. 20:53 I, I mean, seriously, just ask people. It is, it's the most selfless and selfish thing at the same time. 20:59 And I, and it sounds funny, but when people ask me they want to do a coffee and just to talk about their career, 21:05 there's nothing cooler than being that person to help pay it forward. Because think about all the things that you 21:11 and I benefited from Frida, from our mentors and we owe it to them to pay it forward. So again, I would seek out mentors, 21:18 I would get involved in the professional associations and even going, this is my, my soapbox here 21:25 and I don't have many of 'em, but you know, a big election day coming up here in about a month or so, people get all excited about who they're gonna vote 21:33 for or, or against, that sort of thing. But we make the biggest differences at the local level of government. 21:39 That's why I do what I do. We pass a multi hundred million dollar budgets in people's backyard and their community with maybe five, 21:46 six people sitting in a room. Which is crazy because people get so worked up on national elections. 21:52 But the biggest difference is here. So get involved in your community, reach out to your local elected leaders, your professional staff. 21:59 There's tons of opportunities. So I think that is a, a great way to get involved and to open yourself up to different possibilities. 22:07 - That is excellent. I agree. It is so important to get involved in your, your, 22:12 your local town, whether it be the school board or city council. 22:17 Yeah, I've definitely had experiences like that as well. And it, it's, there're huge decisions being made in your own 22:23 backyard to your point. I completely agree. So you said that you were writing a book 22:29 or is it going to be done? The violet, your blue - Violet. Yeah, thank you Violet. Your blue is done a couple months ago really. 22:36 And just, just waiting for the, the right moment. And I was trying to do it right in between jobs here. I I've had a few weeks off before I head to New Mexico 22:44 and so I knocked out that book and it's, it's just as I mentioned to, to help others get 22:49 through that awful phase. And for people that have lost a child, 22:55 it's almost like this horrible but amazing club. It's this handshake, wink, wink nod sort of thing. 23:00 And it's like a real recognize and real sort of proof and, and I, I'm kind of being funny to add a little levity 23:07 to a tough topic, but those are the people that man, they have been through so much and those folks can relate so much 23:14 and people don't wanna take that first step to open up and be vulnerable. And I think by being vulnerable, it that's a superpower. 23:21 Vulnerability is not a weakness. So hopefully that book will help someone get through a difficult time in their life 23:28 and it helps us to tell a little bit of our story, but more than anything to help help others in the future. 23:34 - It's so important to be able to, one, talk about mental health, but grief is something 23:39 that is such a challenge to speak through. And in America we're, we're kind of like that hustle culture. 23:44 - Yeah, yeah. - Right. Trying to, we could handle all things we could ignore. Oh, don't need to fill these things and just keep pushing. 23:51 But yet grief can, it could hang on you. Yeah. And definitely affect the way in which you move throughout the world. And so to have a leader such as yourself 23:59 write about such a personal story and how you are pushing through it, 24:04 but then also acknowledging the ups and downs through it is so powerful. And I know that's going to definitely help others 24:12 that have experienced something similar. - Yeah. That's the goal. And we don't like to talk about grief 'cause it's ugly. 24:17 Right. We're not our best selves. And and truthfully, my, my whole last year at work, 24:22 I wasn't my best self. And that's hard to do as someone that cares deeply and is a go-getter. 24:28 So letting people know it's okay to not be okay. I, and I think it's a really that simple and, 24:35 and kind of opening, letting people open up about what they're going through. 'cause everyone's hiding something behind this mask. 24:41 We all put our best smile on every day and get up and go to work, but we all have something going on in our lives. Vulnerability as a Leadership Superpower 24:46 So I think being empathetic and being able to relate to people, that's really what's helped me set myself apart, 24:53 I think from a leadership perspective is 'cause my staff, whether they agree with me most of the time or not, they always understand 24:59 where I'm coming from and they know that I care. - Knowing that you care has to be everything for your staff 25:04 and most likely why they're so loyal to you. - Yeah, I, I hope so. Think so. Yes, 25:10 - Of course. So in your, your list of accomplishments, we have you being a mentor for the Boys and Girls Club. 25:17 - Yeah. - Tell me more about that. What does that look like? - Yeah, so I, I was a member of, I, I think it still exists. 25:24 I was on Boys and Girls Club in Tampa, Florida as a kid. And that was my first exposure to a lot of things, 25:30 getting on to go on field trips and leaving my city. And despite all my travels now, I, 25:35 I hadn't even left my home state of Florida as a kid. So it was a good opportunity to see more of the world, 25:41 to get exposure to, again, being a team guy, to, to get to play different sports 25:47 and things that you may not be able to afford to do. Recreational sports are so expensive these days, so Boys 25:52 and Girls club, but good opportunity, good structure and foundation to get years later, the ability 25:58 to be on a board and to help those clubs grow and to provide services for the youth in the community. 26:03 That's just a kind of a dream come true. - Absolutely. So you say that you're a sports guy. 26:08 - Yeah. - What sport is it? - Basketball. I'm a much better coach than a player, but I'm, I'm a diehard Orlando Magic fan, 26:16 being from Central Florida and Shaq and Penny back in the day, I, to this day since 1989, 26:21 I've never missed a game. So I'm a I'm I'm super loyal fan. - Oh my goodness. Yeah. Okay. So a big Shaq and Penny. 26:28 So that means you have to know that Shaquille O'Neal is actually also a University of Phoenix nine. I know. Pretty 26:34 - Cool. Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't wanna follow Isn't that that episode though? Geez. 26:40 - Well, he doesn't wanna follow yours. You are incredible, Dr. Andrews. Oh my goodness. All right. 26:45 Well, I, I did hear a lot about the violet movement. Is there anything else that you wanted 26:51 to say about the Violet movement or the way in which it connects with the community? 26:57 - We've just been so fortunate. There's several communities in, in Bakersfield where we are, 27:02 where we live, when all this happened that our different support groups and grief groups, loss groups, 27:08 so my wife has benefited from different mom groups and such. And I think having a group to lean on is really 27:15 what helped us get through our loss and letting people know that those options are all out there. 27:21 And to, to take that step forward, even if you just go to one of these groups and you sit there and say absolutely nothing on day one or even day three. 27:28 But I think just being there, being in the room and having the, the strength of everyone around you, we all try to be strong 27:35 and I think you insinuated that some of that is American culture. Some of that is just maybe the way we think we have 27:40 to be when we leave for work, but leaning in is we have to give others the opportunity 27:47 to be strong for us. That's how people want to pay it forward to us. So we then have to be able to lean in 27:53 and accept, accept a, you know, gifts. If someone wants to drop food off on your door or they wanna do something nice for you, walk your dog. Scott’s Book: Violets Are Blue 28:00 I, I remember being an East coast guy in major cities, I thought it was weird when people wave to you and they drive by, you're like, what, what are they doing? 28:07 And I think that's just a part of it is a warm welcome culture. And when people want to be warm and welcoming 28:13 and do things for you, you have to accept that too. And that was something that sounds small, but it, it's a big step and people want to help 28:21 and give them that opportunity and spread that kindness like confetti. - Absolutely. Absolutely. 28:27 I definitely understand that at times, people, you, you feel like you don't wanna be a burden to people, - Right? Absolutely. 28:32 - When in reality they're thinking, no, please let us help you. Yeah. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing, 28:38 to hearing more about this book and when it, when we have the opportunity to see it and, and read through it. 28:43 Obviously we are very excited about the, the violet movement and all the incredible things that you're doing there. 28:49 And even more so with the brand new job in New Mexico. Yeah. Which is simply incredible. 28:55 We are, we are so very excited for you. I do know that we've talked about a lot of the positive, amazing things that you've done, 29:01 but there has been some turmoil, I'm confident from beginning to where you are now. 29:07 Tell me about one of the times in which was fairly challenging for you in your career and how you actually overcame that. 29:13 - Yeah, I think early on, especially in your twenties, that's, that's a hard time you're trying to find yourself, especially in your early twenties when you start seeing your 29:21 friends that are graduating, as I gave that example and getting career jobs, you know, this new pressure kicks in 29:27 and then society tells you you need to sell down and, you know, find a significant other sort of thing. 29:33 So that's just a hard phase in life and it took me a little longer. Most, some of that is, I think just being a guy we take a 29:40 little longer stopping the, the going out and partying, 29:46 prioritizing all the things that really matter. We all say these things we make, here's resolutions 29:51 and everything else, but to follow through on that. So for me it was a culmination of stopping the lifestyle 29:58 that didn't work for me, and then also doing community service in the same 30:03 city that you work for. We'll leave it at that. But I, I think eating that bologna sandwich 30:08 and I, I've had a, some tough times in my life and figuring out who I was and who I wasn't. 30:14 Surrounding yourself with people that truly care about you and not just a, an element of you. 30:20 So finding your circle and if your circle isn't the people that are cheering you on the loudest, 30:26 then you're in the wrong circle. So I had to figure that out on myself. And that was, that was the hard part. 30:32 And then having people that believed in me and my work organization, as I said, I started humbly 30:37 as just a fitness guy and then invested in my education through University of Phoenix. And I kept going. 30:43 And then finally people started to recognize my efforts and I had city managers that would say, Hey, come be on this marketing committee, 30:49 or hey, join this library board. So I, I got plugged into all these different things 30:55 and then years later they all paid off very big. 'cause my next role was economic development director. 31:01 So my experience on the library board or water conservation board or little things leading city's marketing efforts. Final Thoughts and Career Advice 31:07 So I was more than just the recreation person. So don't allow anyone to pigeonhole you, step 31:12 outside the box and diversify all your skill sets and network your butt off. 31:18 I think that's something that is horribly underutilized because maybe, hey, I'm introverted. 31:24 Well society's given us this technology so we can, we can network from a quiet corner somewhere, 31:30 or just get plugged in and tell people your goal, same loud and proud, and then hold yourself accountable as well. 31:36 - Well, speaking of getting plugged in, how can our audience follow you? You are a LinkedIn top sharer 31:44 and people wanna hear what you have to say as a, as a mentor on, on LinkedIn and many other platforms. So tell everyone where they can follow you. 31:50 - Sure. Thanks so much. So all of my platforms are at the letter C Scott Andrews. 31:55 So at c Scott Andrews, I'm pretty much post on LinkedIn several times a week 32:01 and try to do a, a, a lot of different things there. And I've benefited by some great mentors there 32:07 that helped me grow in that area. And I would love to help others if they want to grow their social media audience as well. 32:14 - Before you leave us. - All right. - I have some rapid fire questions for you. 32:19 This is go maybe my, one of my favorite parts. Okay. But before I say that, closing thoughts, the floor is yours. 32:28 Is there anything that you'd like to share? - Yeah, I think just go for it. 32:34 Whatever it is that's holding you back. If it's a, if it's an education 32:39 and you are worried about taking three, four years, well that three or four years is gonna pass no matter what happens. 32:45 So you can either get some things done and accomplish those goals, or you can sit and think about it for another year because time's gonna pass no matter what. 32:51 So apply yourself, align yourself with people that really have your best interests at heart 32:57 and just swing for the fence. Go for it. - So true. And I think that those words are gonna ring true 33:04 with so many people watching the podcast and hopefully getting them, encouraging them 33:09 to not only hit their goals before 2025, but hitting them regardless 33:14 and making sure that they finish their educational goals. So thank you for that. - Absolutely. - All right, so rapid questions. Rapid-Fire Questions with Dr. Andrews 33:20 - Okay. Are you ready? I'm ready. - All right. You've got four coming quick. So coffee or tea, what's your late night fuel? 33:26 - Coffee. - Coffee. Okay. Most challenging subject you've ever tackled. 33:32 - Oof. Chemistry, science of any sort. Yeah. 33:39 - You were not alone. Favorite motivational quote? - Ooh, I think I used it earlier. 33:46 No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. - Absolutely. If you could instantly master one 33:53 skill, what would it be? - Golly, I, my Spanish is a little bit broken and I, I need it more than ever. 33:58 So if I could be fluent in several languages, wow. That would be just a huge help to break down communication barrier. 34:04 So I don't wanna be invisible or be able to fly. I just wanna be able to speak and communicate with a lot of people. 34:10 - I love that. And in their own language. - That's right. - Very cool. All right. 34:15 The last one and maybe the most important. - Okay, - What's your go-to karaoke song? 34:21 - Ooh, this is embarrassing, but probably Vanilla Ice, so I don't know. 34:28 - The Ice, ice baby. 34:33 Yes. Oh my goodness. That is excellent. Thank you so much. Thank you Scott and 34:40 or Dr. Andrews, we so greatly appreciate your time here with us. 34:45 You've been such a pleasure to speak to. I do still have the request if Miles is awake, we can always 34:52 - Yeah, yeah. - Give him - His debut. Yep. Alright. - Oh my goodness. Oh my - Goodness. Just woke up from his nap. So this is Miles 35:00 - Perfection. Hi Miles. Hey buddy. We'll say hi. 35:06 - He's, - Oh my goodness, he's - Just over six months now. - Dr. Andrews, thank you so much for joining us. 35:14 It has been such a pleasure getting to learn more about you and getting to meet Little Miles. 35:19 Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us. We look forward to following your career and hope you have an incredible 35:25 day. Thank you for joining us. Thank - You, Frieda. Bye. Thank you. 35:31 - Thank you so much for joining the Degrees of Success podcast. I'm your host, Frida Richards, and it has been a pleasure. 35:37 We look forward to seeing you again next time.