Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/Pioneering Change & Breaking Barriers

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of A Black Executive Perspective Podcast, host Tony Tidbit sits down with David Christel, Managing Editor of CODE M Magazine. They discuss the magazine's mission to uplift and transform the lives of Black men and the broader community. David shares his journey of overcoming significant hardships, including childhood abuse, polio, and sexual assault. He also talks about finding strength, his career transitions, and his commitment to social justice and personal growth. The conversation delves into fostering understanding, empathy, and connection across diverse communities. The episode concludes with insights on how CODE M aims to expand its influence and continue making a positive impact.

▶︎ In This Episode

1. 00:00: Introduction to the Black Executive Perspective
2. 00:47: Introducing CODE M Magazine
3. 01:41: Guest Introduction: David Crystal
4. 03:22: David's Early Life and Challenges
5. 04:55: Overcoming Adversity: Polio and Abuse
6. 17:47: Finding Strength and Purpose
7. 25:36: Joining CODE M Magazine
8. 28:39: Personal Struggles and Motivation
9. 30:55: Mission of CODE M Magazine
10. 31:18: Topics Covered by CODE M
11. 33:06: Challenges and Feedback
12. 35:55: Writing and Personal Growth
13. 47:34: Future of CODE M
14. 53:17: Call to Action: L.E.S.S.

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David Christel: 00:00:00

As we're all aware, there is so much occurring within

2

: 00:00:04

the black community, uh, not all

of it positive and how we're, how

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: 00:00:10

blacks are viewed in this country.

4

: 00:00:12

And the fact that we're, we're going

back to practically Jim Crow, uh,

5

: 00:00:17

stuff, it just is mind boggling to me.

6

: 00:00:20

And I don't want.

7

: 00:00:22

I want to do my part to change that.

8

: 00:00:26

Tony Tidbit: We'll discuss race

and how it plays a factor, and

9

: 00:00:29

how we didn't even talk about this

topic, because we were afraid.

10

: 00:00:34

BEP Narrator: A black

executive perspective.

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: 00:00:37

Tony Tidbit: Welcome to a black executive

perspective podcast, a safe space where

12

: 00:00:41

we discuss all matters related to race,

especially race in corporate America.

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: 00:00:45

I'm your host, Tony tidbit.

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: 00:00:47

So as we always do in the beginning

of our episodes, don't forget to check

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: 00:00:51

out our partners, CODE M Magazine,

whose mission is saving the black

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: 00:00:55

family by first saving the black man.

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: 00:00:58

Check them out at CODE M Magazine.

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: 00:01:05

Speaking of Code M, Code M Magazine

stands as a pivotal resource for

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: 00:01:10

black men enriching their lives and

those of their families, friends,

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: 00:01:14

coworkers, and the communities.

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: 00:01:17

Avoiding standard men's magazine topics,

They instead focus on vital but often

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: 00:01:23

overlook issues such as intimacy,

emotions, relationships, identity,

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: 00:01:29

and broader societal challenges.

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: 00:01:31

CODE M's articles are crafted

to enlighten, challenge, and

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: 00:01:36

uplift, promoting personal

growth and deeper understanding.

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: 00:01:41

In today's episode, we are joined

by David Crystal, Managing Editor at

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: 00:01:46

CODE M, who will share insights on

the magazine's origins and its impact,

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: 00:01:52

as well as the community's reception

to CODE M's mission of empowering the

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: 00:01:58

Black family by empowering Black men.

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: 00:02:02

Let me tell you a little bit about David.

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: 00:02:04

David, a former dancer based in

New York, he transitioned from the

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: 00:02:08

dance, his dance career in 1986 to

become a specialist in computer based

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: 00:02:14

training, developing projects for

leading corporations and the military.

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: 00:02:19

Simultaneously, he served as a counselor

for persons with AIDS, focusing on

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: 00:02:24

end of the life and wellness issues.

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: 00:02:27

In the early 1990s, David was

appointed Director of the Creative

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: 00:02:31

Department for Tony Robbins.

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: 00:02:34

Since 1995, he has been a prolific

ghostwriter and editor of books.

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: 00:02:40

David is the author of

Married Men Coming Out.

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: 00:02:44

The ultimate guide to becoming the

man you were born to be, and is set to

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: 00:02:49

publish two additional books this year.

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: 00:02:53

David Christel, welcome to a Black

Executive Perspective Podcast, my brother.

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: 00:02:58

David Christel: Thank you, Tony.

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: 00:02:59

It's nice to be here.

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: 00:03:01

Tony Tidbit: Well, buddy, we're really

excited that you're here and it's great

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: 00:03:04

to have, you know, the person, the brains

behind the magic at CODE M Magazine.

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: 00:03:10

So we definitely want to listen

and hear more about the recipes and

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: 00:03:14

stuff that you put together to make

the magazine so compelling and more

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: 00:03:18

importantly, helping to transform

lives, uh, within the black community.

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: 00:03:22

But before we go there, my friend,

why don't you tell us a little bit

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: 00:03:26

about where you currently residing in.

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: 00:03:28

a little bit about your family.

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: 00:03:30

David Christel: Well, um, my partner,

Richard and I live in Reno, Nevada.

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: 00:03:36

And the reason we're living here is that

we were in Los Angeles and Richard's

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: 00:03:40

company decided to move to Reno because

it's in the process of being sold and

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: 00:03:45

there's a better tax scenario here.

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: 00:03:47

But,

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: 00:03:48

um, Richard and I have

been together for 14 years.

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: 00:03:51

We have known each other

those 17 years old.

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: 00:03:54

So that's 54 years.

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: 00:03:56

Wow.

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: 00:03:57

Uh, 53 years.

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: 00:04:00

Okay.

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: 00:04:00

Now, you know, math is

not my best subject.

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: 00:04:03

Tony Tidbit: Well, I mean,

12 months is not a big deal.

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: 00:04:06

But, but buddy, you look great, though.

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: 00:04:07

I'll be honest with you.

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: 00:04:08

That, you know, that's a great blessing.

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: 00:04:10

You've, you've, uh,

matured well, I should say.

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: 00:04:14

David Christel: Cool.

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: 00:04:14

Thank you very much.

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: 00:04:15

Um, as a dancer, I was very, uh, Focused

on my health and being able to really

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: 00:04:22

use my body as optimally as possible.

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: 00:04:25

So I never smoked.

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: 00:04:26

I never did drugs amazingly, you know,

growing up in the sixties and seventies.

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: 00:04:30

And, um, I wasn't much of a drinker.

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: 00:04:34

Um, and I stayed out of the sun and so,

um, I've just really taken care of myself.

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: 00:04:40

I have a great diet.

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: 00:04:42

Richard is a terrific cook, so he

really takes care of us and, you

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: 00:04:47

know, we just do all the things that

keep us in shape, like going to the

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: 00:04:50

gym at least three times a week, so.

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: 00:04:53

Tony Tidbit: That is awesome, my friend.

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: 00:04:55

So why did you want to come on

a Black Executive Perspective

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: 00:04:58

to talk about this topic?

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: 00:04:59

David Christel: Well, um, there.

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: 00:05:03

There's a lot going on in the world,

but specifically about our own

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: 00:05:07

country, we seem to be backsliding.

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: 00:05:10

And there are a lot of reasons

as to why that's happening.

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: 00:05:13

And I never thought in my lifetime that

I'd see us going in this direction again.

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: 00:05:19

And I've always grown up with

the idea that we are either the

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: 00:05:25

solution or we're the problem.

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: 00:05:28

And so I want to be part of the solution.

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: 00:05:31

When I met Bilal, a Um, I knew that

black men, and by extension black people,

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: 00:05:43

Women and families and communities

need to have their voice heard.

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: 00:05:50

They need to be understood more clearly.

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: 00:05:53

And as we're all aware, there is so much

occurring within the black community.

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: 00:06:00

Uh, not all of it positive and how we're,

how Blacks are viewed in this country.

98

: 00:06:06

And the fact that we're, we're going

back to practically Jim Crow, uh,

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: 00:06:12

stuff, it just is mind boggling to me.

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: 00:06:15

And I don't want to, I want

to do my part to change that.

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: 00:06:21

And change people's perceptions.

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: 00:06:24

Part of what is occurring with CODE M is

that not only are black readers in our

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: 00:06:32

audience, um, grasping what we're about.

104

: 00:06:37

A lot of people of other colors and

white people are really finding.

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: 00:06:44

Well, we have to offer of interest to them

because it's expanding the conversation.

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: 00:06:50

It's providing insight.

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: 00:06:52

And we, we want people to truly

understand what's going on in the

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: 00:06:56

minds of specifically black men.

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: 00:07:00

So we stop operating according

to misguided perceptions and the

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: 00:07:06

perceptions that other people are

purposely leading us to that don't

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: 00:07:11

in positively inform our communities.

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: 00:07:16

Tony Tidbit: Got it, my brother.

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: 00:07:18

So, I mean, look, I love it.

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: 00:07:19

You've already started, you know, diving

into what we're going to talk about.

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: 00:07:23

So, are you ready to talk about it, David?

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: 00:07:26

Yeah.

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: 00:07:27

Okay, buddy.

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: 00:07:28

Let's talk about it.

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: 00:07:29

So, let's back up a little bit because I,

I, I, we're definitely going to go into

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: 00:07:34

and, and provide a deeper perspective.

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: 00:07:37

Um, on CODE M and, and you spoke a

little bit in terms of why you guys

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: 00:07:41

are, why you start, why you, what you're

looking to accomplish with the magazine.

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: 00:07:46

But I want, we want to learn a little

bit more about you first, okay?

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: 00:07:49

So you've had a, you've, you've

been very blessed through a

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: 00:07:54

lot of tragic in your life.

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: 00:07:57

Can you speak to that a little bit?

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: 00:08:00

David Christel: Um, sure.

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: 00:08:01

Um, I, I have two older brothers, but I

didn't find this out until I was, Turning

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: 00:08:09

60 years old, um, I was immediately

given up for adoption as a baby.

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: 00:08:14

The reason, uh, is that we three boys

were taken away from our birth parents

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: 00:08:19

by the state of Colorado because

our birth parents were so violent.

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: 00:08:25

Both my older brothers have brain damage

because of that being around them and

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: 00:08:31

neither of them can read or write.

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: 00:08:34

So, um, I Spent the first four years

of my life living in six foster

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: 00:08:39

homes and four adoption agencies.

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: 00:08:42

I was being sexually

abused during at age three.

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: 00:08:46

Then I got adopted at age

four by a violent family.

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: 00:08:51

And so somehow I was going to work

through this whole thing about how

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: 00:08:55

not to be as a, as a human being.

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: 00:08:58

Around age three, I contracted polio, so

I was in leg braces and, um, on crutches.

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: 00:09:06

And when I got adopted, that my adopted

family was living on a farm initially.

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: 00:09:11

So one of the things I had to do

in crutches and on, and my braces

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: 00:09:17

is milk the cows in the morning.

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: 00:09:20

So what I would do is I

had a little red flyer.

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: 00:09:23

Um, wagon and I would tie a rope

around the handle, tie the handle,

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: 00:09:28

tie the rope around my waist.

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: 00:09:30

And once I milked the cow, I would

put the milk pail into my little

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: 00:09:36

red flyer and then drag that over to

where we had to deposit all that milk.

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: 00:09:43

No matter what kind of weather it was, um,

and it could get quite cold in Colorado.

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: 00:09:48

And that's what I grew up with.

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: 00:09:50

And when I was about, Six years old.

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: 00:09:54

I read an article about Wilma

Rudolph, the Olympic track champion.

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: 00:10:01

And when I read that she had had

polio and now she was a three

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: 00:10:05

time gold medalist in track.

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: 00:10:08

She became my first hero.

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: 00:10:10

And I knew I wanted to excel like

she had and get out of my crutches.

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: 00:10:16

And, um, my braces.

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: 00:10:19

So I, but, uh, in 1962, our

family moved to Grand Junction, or

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: 00:10:24

moved to Fort Collins, Colorado.

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: 00:10:26

I was out of my braces and no

longer used crutches, but I was one.

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: 00:10:33

Skinny little waifu of a kid, and our

doctor said, you know, we got to do

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: 00:10:39

something to fatten David up, and he had,

his first suggestion was that I needed

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: 00:10:44

to have warm milkshakes, which I was all

for, and the other one was to get involved

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: 00:10:51

in some kind of physical activity.

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: 00:10:53

Well, you can imagine, I,

couldn't run very well.

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: 00:10:57

Um, my left leg was still very twisted and

I just happened to see in the newspaper,

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: 00:11:04

um, an ad for a summer gymnastics camp.

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: 00:11:08

I begged my parents to please let me go.

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: 00:11:11

Play, pay the 15 and let me do that camp.

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: 00:11:15

When I walked in there,

it was like a movie.

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: 00:11:17

The place stopped and just stared

at this skinny little kid and the

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: 00:11:22

coach came over and asked me if I was

in the right place and I said, yes.

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: 00:11:26

And he's looking at my legs.

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: 00:11:28

Going, um, this, you know, I don't think

you're going to do very well here, and

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: 00:11:34

I said, I've, I've, I've got to do this.

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: 00:11:38

By the end of that summer, I could do

front rolls and back rolls, and my left

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: 00:11:43

leg was starting to straighten out.

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: 00:11:47

And then, um, when I was 12 years old, I

got raped and beaten to a pulp by two men.

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: 00:11:57

And for the next seven years, two

to three times a week, those two

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: 00:12:03

men and a whole group of other men

would do whatever they wanted to me.

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: 00:12:08

And needless to say, I developed

a phenomenal distrust of adults.

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: 00:12:17

And, um, I went to the Monsignor of our

church to tell him what had happened

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: 00:12:21

when I was raped at 12, because I

knew he knew the two perpetrators.

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: 00:12:27

And in less than five minutes,

he told me it was my fault.

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: 00:12:33

Be sure to go to confession.

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: 00:12:35

Otherwise, I was going to hell.

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: 00:12:38

Tony Tidbit: Can you stop right

there for a second, David?

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: 00:12:39

I don't mean to interrupt you, but

just so I just want to make sure

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: 00:12:42

we're all following along here.

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: 00:12:44

Um, you were sexually abused

when you were 12 years old.

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: 00:12:48

Um, and, and these individuals, I, I don't

know, were they working at the church?

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: 00:12:53

Were they part of the church or

they're just part of the community?

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: 00:12:56

David Christel: They were part of my

church and they were also in a production

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: 00:13:02

of the music band that I was in.

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: 00:13:04

Tony Tidbit: Got it.

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: 00:13:05

So, so they're a part of the church.

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: 00:13:07

You tell the, the, the, the priest.

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: 00:13:11

What's going on?

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: 00:13:12

And then he condemns you at 12

years old in terms of the horrific

200

: 00:13:19

things that you were dealing with.

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: 00:13:21

Um, and then he said that you were

going to go to hell and didn't, if

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: 00:13:26

I'm, and I didn't mean to cut you

off, but did those individuals get

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: 00:13:29

ever, were they ever held accountable?

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: 00:13:33

David Christel: Um, years later,

one of them died from AIDS.

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: 00:13:39

And the other one, amazingly,

ended up in the state pen, uh, in

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: 00:13:44

Colorado for child molestation.

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: 00:13:47

Tony Tidbit: Well,

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: 00:13:47

yeah, I, so yeah, later in life, you

know, but what I'm saying at the church,

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: 00:13:52

why were they ever held accountable?

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: 00:13:55

So most likely they ended up doing

something similar to other boys as well.

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: 00:14:00

Would you, would you agree with that?

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: 00:14:03

Okay.

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: 00:14:03

David Christel: Yeah.

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: 00:14:04

So as far as I know, they, um, the

Monsignor of my church never told anybody.

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: 00:14:10

He never talked to my parents,

uh, never helped out in any way.

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: 00:14:15

And, um, I was devastated when

he told me it was my fault.

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: 00:14:22

And, uh, so I just turned my

back on the church at that time.

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: 00:14:26

So I'm done.

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: 00:14:27

I continued to sing in the, in the

church choir and I, the nuns and

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: 00:14:32

I were really good friends, but

I was done with Monsignor and I

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: 00:14:36

was done with the Catholic church.

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: 00:14:38

I, I couldn't see why I would

stick around for support and

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: 00:14:43

look for support from them.

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: 00:14:45

Tony Tidbit: So.

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: 00:14:46

You know, you contracted

polio, couldn't walk straight,

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: 00:14:56

got, went to a gym, asked your parents

to allow you to read, read about Wilma

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: 00:15:01

Rudolph, who also for our audience, who

may not know Wilma, Wilma Rudolph also had

228

: 00:15:07

polio and she ended up overcoming it and

ended up becoming winning the Olympics in

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: 00:15:11

track and field, I think it was in 1960,

So there is a lot of information about her

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: 00:15:14

that you can find on our website at www.

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: 00:15:15

fema.

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: 00:15:15

gov.

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: 00:15:16

Be well.

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: 00:15:16

Uh, I think it was 1960

Rome Olympics, right?

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: 00:15:20

Yes.

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: 00:15:21

Yes.

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: 00:15:21

David Christel: And she was,

she was called La Tornada.

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: 00:15:25

Tony Tidbit: And what is La Tornado?

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: 00:15:26

The Tornado.

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: 00:15:27

Okay.

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: 00:15:27

So she ended up, and I believe

it was a hundred, a hundred meter

242

: 00:15:31

dash or something that nature.

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: 00:15:32

I could be wrong.

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: 00:15:33

David Christel: She won three events.

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: 00:15:34

So she was the first woman to win

three consecutive gold medals.

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: 00:15:38

Tony Tidbit: Exactly.

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: 00:15:39

And she had polio.

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: 00:15:41

Okay.

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: 00:15:41

And you looked at her,

looked at her as a hero.

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: 00:15:46

Right.

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: 00:15:46

Because she had the same type

of disease and overcame it.

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: 00:15:50

So then you kind of felt that you

could be overcome this disease as well.

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: 00:15:55

Is that correct?

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: 00:15:55

Yes.

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: 00:15:56

Right.

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: 00:15:57

And then gotten to gymnastics and, and,

and all of a sudden you're flipping and

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: 00:16:03

jumping and your leg straightens out.

258

: 00:16:05

So you, you were able to conquer

that because one of the things also,

259

: 00:16:09

And I spoke about it in your bio.

260

: 00:16:11

You became a dancer.

261

: 00:16:12

Okay.

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: 00:16:13

David Christel: Well, before, before

that, I had, when I graduated high

263

: 00:16:17

school, I lettered in gymnastics,

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: 00:16:20

Tony Tidbit: think

about that for a second.

265

: 00:16:21

Okay.

266

: 00:16:22

So, but hold on.

267

: 00:16:22

I don't want to diminish, uh, uh,

miss, uh, or, um, you know, um,

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: 00:16:28

um, minimize what you also had

to deal with, with sexual abuse.

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: 00:16:33

And then you go tell somebody

and then they, they condemn you.

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: 00:16:38

And so that's a lot to

deal with as a child.

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: 00:16:42

Okay.

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: 00:16:43

From a medical, uh, uh, disease

and then also physical abuse.

273

: 00:16:50

Um, so my friend, and then you're able,

as we, as we spoke about your bio, you

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: 00:16:56

ended up, um, writing books, you ended up.

275

: 00:17:00

In the military, you ended

up working with Tony Robbins.

276

: 00:17:03

You ended up, and now you've been

managing editor of CODE M Magazine.

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: 00:17:09

And there's a ton of other stuff that you

have accomplished in your life, my friend.

278

: 00:17:13

So for our audience is listening.

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: 00:17:16

To number one, thank you

for being so vulnerable.

280

: 00:17:20

Okay.

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: 00:17:21

Cause most people, this, these are

tough, tough things that you dealt with.

282

: 00:17:25

And most people would probably want to

keep them to themselves and rightfully.

283

: 00:17:28

So, so tell us a little bit,

if you don't mind, how did

284

: 00:17:33

you come up with the mindset?

285

: 00:17:36

to overcome those things and maybe

you still struggle with them, but

286

: 00:17:39

talk a little bit about, you know,

what, how did you, uh, muster up the

287

: 00:17:44

strength to continue to move forward?

288

: 00:17:47

David Christel: Well, it's

been a lifelong process.

289

: 00:17:51

Um, I have done plenty of therapy,

both individual and group therapy

290

: 00:17:59

for adults molested as children.

291

: 00:18:01

And I, I had developed a tremendous

amount of hate for the gay community.

292

: 00:18:11

And for, um, against my adoptive parents,

cause we had a terrible relationship.

293

: 00:18:19

Um, I was stabbed.

294

: 00:18:22

I was repeatedly suffocated as a child,

um, beaten to a pulp all the time.

295

: 00:18:30

and berated as being less than

everybody else on a constant basis.

296

: 00:18:36

Every day I was told how stupid I was.

297

: 00:18:39

And so I became a very fearful child, but

conversely, I had this will to survive.

298

: 00:18:50

So my ego stepped in and I

became, well, I am a Leo.

299

: 00:18:57

So I became the worst

aspects of Leo and, uh, just.

300

: 00:19:03

Oversized, um, personality.

301

: 00:19:07

I stayed out of the house as much as

I could because I couldn't stand it

302

: 00:19:12

there and got involved in theater.

303

: 00:19:16

And I ended up, uh, teaching ice

skating at the, uh, ice skating rink

304

: 00:19:21

on Colorado State University campus.

305

: 00:19:24

And I managed the ice skating rink there.

306

: 00:19:27

And I was in community

productions and I, I just did

307

: 00:19:30

everything I could to stay away.

308

: 00:19:32

I was in Boy Scouts.

309

: 00:19:34

Um.

310

: 00:19:35

And I just, I kept fighting,

but emotionally I was in

311

: 00:19:42

so much turmoil and pain.

312

: 00:19:45

And I, I had such a skewed

understanding of how the world worked.

313

: 00:19:49

I, and I, I did not feel that

the world was on my side.

314

: 00:19:55

Tony Tidbit: And rightfully so.

315

: 00:19:56

I can definitely, I

would, I can empathize.

316

: 00:19:59

I wouldn't think the world

would be on my side either.

317

: 00:20:01

Let this back up a second, because you

said you, you, you, you, uh, You gained

318

: 00:20:07

a lot of hate for the gay community.

319

: 00:20:09

Why was that?

320

: 00:20:10

David Christel: Well, um, uh, if

you do the math being raped two

321

: 00:20:16

to three times a week for seven

years, that's a lot of rape.

322

: 00:20:23

And I.

323

: 00:20:27

I got so emotionally, um, messed up,

skewed, um, from that and what the men did

324

: 00:20:37

to me on a repeated basis that I blamed

it all on gay men and the gay community.

325

: 00:20:46

And yet it took me until I was about

17 to realize that I'm actually gay.

326

: 00:20:54

But then there was the whole church

thing that came into place saying

327

: 00:20:58

that, you know, being a gay person,

you're obviously going to hell.

328

: 00:21:02

I thought my, my world was so bad that

I didn't want to be in it anymore.

329

: 00:21:10

So at age 17, I put a knife in my chest.

330

: 00:21:16

It glanced off my sternum, and I

have a scar right here from it.

331

: 00:21:20

Um, and I, it obviously didn't work.

332

: 00:21:25

So what I did was I took every pill in

our house, including my mother's, my

333

: 00:21:32

stepmother, my foster, God, I can't talk.

334

: 00:21:35

My adopted mother's hysterectomy,

hysterectomy medicine.

335

: 00:21:40

And I ended up two weeks in

the hospital, deathly ill.

336

: 00:21:44

My adoptive family did

not come visit me once.

337

: 00:21:50

The entire time I was there.

338

: 00:21:51

But who did show up was my partner,

Richard, whom I had met at age 17.

339

: 00:21:59

His father, he and his

father came to visit me.

340

: 00:22:02

And his Dad was phenomenal

and he led a meditation group.

341

: 00:22:11

And so I started going to that meditation

group and that was really the beginning

342

: 00:22:17

of the turnaround for me when I realized

that there was much more to life

343

: 00:22:22

than when I was experiencing in that.

344

: 00:22:25

And this took a while to really,

uh, ground to was the idea that

345

: 00:22:29

everything that happens to me in my

life actually happens for my benefit.

346

: 00:22:33

It's how I perceive it and what I make

of it, the meaning that I give it.

347

: 00:22:38

So, like I said, it took years to really,

truly understand what all that meant.

348

: 00:22:45

And then all the pain that I went

through, both physically and emotionally

349

: 00:22:50

has made me the person I am today.

350

: 00:22:54

It allowed me to also be of service

to other people who understand the

351

: 00:23:00

pain that they were going through and,

and knowing that we had something in

352

: 00:23:08

common, that I wasn't just all talk.

353

: 00:23:11

I had been through it, and so

I actually could support them

354

: 00:23:16

in their process of healing.

355

: 00:23:19

But like I said, it's

been a lifelong process.

356

: 00:23:22

Tony Tidbit: Buddy, number

one, thank you for sharing.

357

: 00:23:25

Number two, you know, I, I, I

have no words, um, to be fair.

358

: 00:23:32

Um,

359

: 00:23:35

you epitomize what strength is.

360

: 00:23:40

You epitomize in terms of taking

horrendous things that happen to you.

361

: 00:23:48

Dealing with them and, and, and

focusing and, and turning your

362

: 00:23:53

life into a positive, my brother.

363

: 00:23:56

Uh, and you, you wrote a book, okay,

if I remember correctly, um, about,

364

: 00:24:03

you know, your life, the gay community.

365

: 00:24:07

And I would imagine that helped a

lot of people who they might not have

366

: 00:24:13

dealt with the same things that you

specifically dealt with, but they probably

367

: 00:24:20

dealt whatever they were dealing with.

368

: 00:24:22

Hearing your story is probably helped

them really overcome their situations and

369

: 00:24:29

hopefully made them, um, want to live.

370

: 00:24:33

But then also made them be willing to

accept themselves as who they are and

371

: 00:24:39

still be proud of what, who they are

372

: 00:24:42

David Christel: and vice versa,

because we all help each other.

373

: 00:24:46

We're all in this together as far

as I'm concerned, and that's part of

374

: 00:24:49

my spiritual background is realizing

that we are deeply interconnected

375

: 00:24:54

and that when we enter, when we.

376

: 00:24:57

interface with each other heart to

heart, soul to soul, as I say, then

377

: 00:25:03

we are, it's not a one way street.

378

: 00:25:05

We're, we're supporting each other.

379

: 00:25:08

So I learned a huge amount from

others that I was, uh, supporting.

380

: 00:25:14

Um, Um, they helped me gain a better

perspective on my life challenges and

381

: 00:25:22

help me to reach even more deeply into

an understanding of who I am and what

382

: 00:25:28

my, what I feel my purpose in life is.

383

: 00:25:32

Tony Tidbit: So speaking

of how we're all connected.

384

: 00:25:36

How did you get involved with Code M?

385

: 00:25:39

So how did that connection happen?

386

: 00:25:41

Okay.

387

: 00:25:42

From the dancer, the Tony Robbins to

Bilal Akram and Brad, uh, Bowling,

388

: 00:25:48

you know, the, the publisher CEO and

the president of Code M magazine.

389

: 00:25:54

David Christel: Well,

390

: 00:25:54

I was in Cleveland.

391

: 00:25:56

Uh, working on a book, ghostwriting

a book for a client of mine.

392

: 00:26:01

And I had written an article

for Alexander Boone's magazine.

393

: 00:26:06

It's a women's magazine.

394

: 00:26:08

And, uh, one of the people on

her staff said there is this

395

: 00:26:14

new magazine starting out.

396

: 00:26:16

I think they'd be interested in, you

know, publishing one of your articles.

397

: 00:26:22

So I contacted Bilal.

398

: 00:26:24

And we decided to get together for lunch.

399

: 00:26:27

We hit it off.

400

: 00:26:31

Um, I was captivated by his idea for this

magazine that would speak to black men.

401

: 00:26:39

And we, we were on the same wavelength.

402

: 00:26:43

And we didn't want something like another,

Um, GQ or Playboy or anything like that.

403

: 00:26:50

What we wanted was to reach into the

minds and hearts of black men and help

404

: 00:26:55

transform them to give them insights,

to give them inspiration, to uplift

405

: 00:27:01

them, to see that they are more than,

than what they may see of themselves.

406

: 00:27:06

So we want to present issues

and topics that a lot of men

407

: 00:27:12

don't want to talk about.

408

: 00:27:14

Tony Tidbit: Right.

409

: 00:27:14

Yeah.

410

: 00:27:15

No, no, finish your thought.

411

: 00:27:18

And then I have a question.

412

: 00:27:18

David Christel: Oh, so it's,

413

: 00:27:22

Bilal and I being on the same page,

we knew we wanted to work together.

414

: 00:27:27

So he asked me to come

on board and I said, yes.

415

: 00:27:31

And that was seven, eight years ago.

416

: 00:27:35

Tony Tidbit: The rest is history.

417

: 00:27:36

We should say, right.

418

: 00:27:37

Yeah.

419

: 00:27:38

But just backing up what you said, right.

420

: 00:27:40

Um, in terms of the

content, the goal of CODE M.

421

: 00:27:45

was to, you know, help Black men,

inspire Black men, and help them

422

: 00:27:51

realize and see themselves as

champions and stuff to that nature.

423

: 00:27:56

Based on what you've been through in

your life, could you relate to that?

424

: 00:28:01

Um, That mission that because

you've went through, and it's

425

: 00:28:05

not apples versus apples, right?

426

: 00:28:08

Right.

427

: 00:28:08

But at the end of the day, it's

still about trying to help someone

428

: 00:28:12

be able to see that they're

better than what they may think.

429

: 00:28:17

And at the end of the day, there's

still things that they can accomplish

430

: 00:28:21

at a high level within themselves

and within their community.

431

: 00:28:25

So was there, was, was there a part of

a connection based on some of the things

432

: 00:28:30

that you went through that made you

say, Hey, I want to be a part of this?

433

: 00:28:33

David Christel: Well, I understand

people being suppressed.

434

: 00:28:39

Um, what I went through, uh, my

adoptive family was constantly putting

435

: 00:28:45

me down and berating me, like I said.

436

: 00:28:49

And just tell me, day in

and day out, I was stupid.

437

: 00:28:53

Mm hmm.

438

: 00:28:54

And building my adoptive sister up.

439

: 00:28:57

Saying that she was amazing because she

was constantly getting straight A's.

440

: 00:29:02

And I, so I understand from that

perspective of, of a family or

441

: 00:29:09

another person or society putting

you down, saying that you are less

442

: 00:29:14

than, I can't stand that stuff.

443

: 00:29:17

So I want to do something to do my

part in helping to shift that around.

444

: 00:29:24

So you look at this face and you'd

say, yeah, you're a white boy.

445

: 00:29:29

Yeah, but nobody knows that my birth

mother is Mexican and Cherokee.

446

: 00:29:35

But that's why I wear these earrings.

447

: 00:29:38

I always have but the thing and

I didn't find this out until: 2013

448

: 00:29:44

but I I want to help people

I don't care what your color

449

: 00:29:49

is, what your background is.

450

: 00:29:51

I want you to have a voice.

451

: 00:29:53

I want you to be heard.

452

: 00:29:54

I want you to be understood and seen.

453

: 00:29:57

And the fact that society tells you

that you're not worthy or deserving.

454

: 00:30:04

Are you kidding me?

455

: 00:30:06

Please.

456

: 00:30:07

So I want to do what I can

to help turn that around.

457

: 00:30:11

Um, and so the magazine's always looking

for, uh, new, um, journalists, authors.

458

: 00:30:19

writers to add to what we've

already done in seven, eight years.

459

: 00:30:27

Um, there are voices we haven't heard.

460

: 00:30:29

I want to give them a chance.

461

: 00:30:31

I want to give them a leg up if we

can, um, and get them out there in the

462

: 00:30:38

public so that others see and hear them.

463

: 00:30:42

And, you know, we don't have it all.

464

: 00:30:43

We don't, we can't see it all.

465

: 00:30:45

We, we can't envision it all.

466

: 00:30:47

Others are part of that process.

467

: 00:30:50

So we want them to, we

want to engage with them.

468

: 00:30:53

Tony Tidbit: Got it.

469

: 00:30:54

Got it.

470

: 00:30:55

So the mission, and I spoke to it at the

beginning of our episode, the mission

471

: 00:30:59

of CODE M is to, you know, transform

the lives of men, Black men, right?

472

: 00:31:04

Yeah.

473

: 00:31:05

Um, talk a little bit as being the

managing editor, talk, tell us, share

474

: 00:31:10

with us a little bit about some of

the topics that you cover to help,

475

: 00:31:14

you know, complete that mission.

476

: 00:31:18

David Christel: Well, you know, there

are some real basics that need to be

477

: 00:31:22

approached, such, such as relationships.

478

: 00:31:26

Sexuality, business, music, the arts,

479

: 00:31:34

health, all of these

things come into play.

480

: 00:31:37

They're all a part of

our lives to some degree.

481

: 00:31:40

And either we're dealing with

those issues or we know of someone

482

: 00:31:43

who is dealing with issues.

483

: 00:31:45

Um, and we want to present it

in a way that lets you know that

484

: 00:31:52

you're one, you're not alone and

two, it's something that you can.

485

: 00:31:58

solve or resolve either within yourself

or with the help of other people.

486

: 00:32:04

So we constantly put out there, uh,

resources to let people know that if

487

: 00:32:11

you're dealing with this particular issue

or subject, here's a resource for you.

488

: 00:32:17

Of course, with the internet and

Google, it's so easy to find some of

489

: 00:32:23

these things, but it can be a jungle.

490

: 00:32:28

And just like if, If you want to,

uh, work with a therapist, how

491

: 00:32:33

do you find the right therapist?

492

: 00:32:36

Right.

493

: 00:32:37

Not every therapist is going

to be the right one for you.

494

: 00:32:41

As a gay man, if I work with a therapist

who doesn't, who is anti LGBTQ?

495

: 00:32:48

Ehhh.

496

: 00:32:49

That's not going to work for me.

497

: 00:32:52

Now, probably not, no, but you know,

I might work with that individual

498

: 00:32:57

on the side to understand where

they're coming from and to see

499

: 00:33:02

if we can open, uh, their mind.

500

: 00:33:06

Tony Tidbit: Speaking of open

minds, what's some of the feedback

501

: 00:33:08

that you're getting from, from

the audience in terms of the

502

: 00:33:11

magazine, the content, the articles?

503

: 00:33:14

David Christel: People love

what we are presenting.

504

: 00:33:16

They want us to keep it up.

505

: 00:33:19

So I think one of the most remarkable

things I've heard, um, Bilal and Brad

506

: 00:33:23

told me this was that they were at a

big convocation of some sort and some.

507

: 00:33:30

White people came up to them

or a white guy came up to him

508

: 00:33:35

and said, I love your magazine.

509

: 00:33:38

Would you do a white version for us

510

: 00:33:42

now?

511

: 00:33:43

As soon as I heard that the

irony did not escape me.

512

: 00:33:47

Tony Tidbit: What was the white person?

513

: 00:33:49

I mean, white version be cosmopolitan.

514

: 00:33:51

David Christel: Uh, I mean, Oh, my God.

515

: 00:33:55

I just laughed, almost fell out of

my chair, but this is the kind of

516

: 00:34:01

impact we're having on, uh, for our

readership is that they want more and

517

: 00:34:08

we're expanding the number of pages

that we have by, um, in putting in

518

: 00:34:13

more articles and really looking at the

issues that we are facing, like we have a

519

: 00:34:20

national election coming up in November.

520

: 00:34:22

Right.

521

: 00:34:23

What are the issues

that we need to address?

522

: 00:34:26

To help people understand what's

really going on and to make an

523

: 00:34:30

informed decision as to how they want

to vote or who they want to support.

524

: 00:34:36

Um,

525

: 00:34:37

Tony Tidbit: let me ask

you, I'm sorry, buddy.

526

: 00:34:39

I just want to ask you this because

I don't want to miss this part in

527

: 00:34:42

terms of the issues, um, that you

guys write about in the magazine.

528

: 00:34:47

Okay.

529

: 00:34:48

Yeah.

530

: 00:34:49

Are there some, some, some

themes that, that, uh, uh, people

531

: 00:34:54

gravitate more to versus others?

532

: 00:34:56

Can you tell us a little bit about that?

533

: 00:34:58

David Christel: You know, I don't think

I have an answer for you on that one.

534

: 00:35:03

Okay.

535

: 00:35:04

I know that health is always important.

536

: 00:35:07

Okay.

537

: 00:35:08

Um, and there's so much to

health to look at, um, finances.

538

: 00:35:15

Uh, dating and how dating is changing,

how relationships are changing because,

539

: 00:35:22

you know, the, I, the old model of you get

married, have children and grandchildren

540

: 00:35:28

isn't necessarily working anymore.

541

: 00:35:31

Right.

542

: 00:35:31

We have individuals who are married,

but they live in separate cities.

543

: 00:35:36

That's what works best for them.

544

: 00:35:39

Right.

545

: 00:35:39

Right.

546

: 00:35:40

Living together.

547

: 00:35:40

No.

548

: 00:35:41

But they do want to be married

and they love each other.

549

: 00:35:46

Well, that's not traditional.

550

: 00:35:48

Tony Tidbit: No, it's not.

551

: 00:35:49

Well, it's, it's, it's 2024, right?

552

: 00:35:52

This is, you know, things

evolve and people change.

553

: 00:35:55

Um, you, so obviously you guys all.

554

: 00:36:00

And I want to say all, but the

majority of you participate

555

: 00:36:02

in terms of writing articles.

556

: 00:36:04

Bilal writes some articles, Brad writes

articles, you know, I, I read one of

557

: 00:36:10

your articles and it really blew me away.

558

: 00:36:12

Um, and, and the article was

called what is true freedom, right?

559

: 00:36:16

Everybody, everyone has their

own idea of what freedom is.

560

: 00:36:19

Can you, can you, number one, share,

tell us why did you, why you wrote

561

: 00:36:24

that article and, and, and talk about

some of the other articles that you

562

: 00:36:27

wrote and why do you write them?

563

: 00:36:31

David Christel: Well, you know, it

may seem kind of odd for a white

564

: 00:36:35

guy to be writing some of these,

these on these subjects, but I try

565

: 00:36:40

to keep as balanced perspective

as possible when I work on these.

566

: 00:36:46

Um, again, it's about expanding a

person's understanding of what's

567

: 00:36:50

actually going on in our world.

568

: 00:36:52

Mm-Hmm.

569

: 00:36:53

. So when I wrote about freedom, I thought

as a black person in this country.

570

: 00:37:00

You have a very different understanding of

what freedom is than this white boy here.

571

: 00:37:07

But I also went through my version

of, of struggling for freedom.

572

: 00:37:14

Correct.

573

: 00:37:15

Correct.

574

: 00:37:16

And that's not everybody's experience.

575

: 00:37:19

There are people who

have had my experiences.

576

: 00:37:22

It's horrific to hear about.

577

: 00:37:25

If we don't put that information

out there, then people are going

578

: 00:37:30

to live in their own little worlds.

579

: 00:37:32

Their own little universes

with whatever perceptions they

580

: 00:37:35

have about what's going on.

581

: 00:37:37

And unfortunately, our education system

is really suffering so that when I talk

582

: 00:37:44

to younger people and I bring up various

names, you know, well known people, and

583

: 00:37:50

they have no idea who I'm talking about.

584

: 00:37:52

They know who Ariane is.

585

: 00:37:55

Ariana Grande is.

586

: 00:37:57

Tony Tidbit: They know

the entertainers, right?

587

: 00:37:59

Yeah, they own the entertainers.

588

: 00:38:00

David Christel: Some people

don't know who Madonna is.

589

: 00:38:02

Right.

590

: 00:38:03

And, um, you know, they

don't know their history.

591

: 00:38:07

History to me is very important,

either for your particular field

592

: 00:38:11

or your interest, but just general

history, so you know what's going on

593

: 00:38:15

in the world, where we've come from,

so that we don't repeat some of the

594

: 00:38:20

horrible things that we've Done.

595

: 00:38:23

Right.

596

: 00:38:23

So we'll be going back into that

realm and, um, I find that very scary.

597

: 00:38:29

So I want to help educate people through

the articles, um, not just the ones I

598

: 00:38:34

write, but everything that we present.

599

: 00:38:37

I want to make sure that

what we present is authentic.

600

: 00:38:41

is um, lifting all boats that is

expanding your worldview, giving

601

: 00:38:48

you insights and maybe inspiring

you to do more research on your part

602

: 00:38:53

or get involved, uh, in some way.

603

: 00:38:58

I think that is awesome.

604

: 00:38:59

You know, one of the other articles that I

love was the looking glass theory, right?

605

: 00:39:05

The development of self image.

606

: 00:39:07

Talk a little bit about that.

607

: 00:39:09

Well, you know, we all

think we know who we are

608

: 00:39:15

and the, the old adage about you

can't judge a book by its cover.

609

: 00:39:22

Is, um, we're, a lot of that's happening

610

: 00:39:28

and people just by how they look, how they

dress, their color, the, the, the, what

611

: 00:39:35

they're involved in get judged and I've

been judged and I don't appreciate it and

612

: 00:39:47

especially by someone who doesn't know

me from Adam, so to speak to judge me.

613

: 00:39:54

Um, come on, wait a minute.

614

: 00:39:57

So, the looking glass theory is that,

really, you have to, you have to pause.

615

: 00:40:06

Put a pause on what's going on around you.

616

: 00:40:09

Disconnect yourself from your phone,

from the computers, from iPads, whatever.

617

: 00:40:15

Take a look in the mirror.

618

: 00:40:19

And really look deeply into your

eyes to get a sense of who you are.

619

: 00:40:28

Do some evaluation or assessment

of what your life has been about

620

: 00:40:37

and realize that there's more to it

than what you may perceive, right?

621

: 00:40:43

You know, I look at what I've gone

through in my life and for the longest

622

: 00:40:48

time, I just saw myself as a victim.

623

: 00:40:52

And I put that victim right

there in people's faces.

624

: 00:40:57

Look at me, poor me.

625

: 00:40:58

I've had a terrible life.

626

: 00:40:59

I've been, you know, a

victim, blah, blah, blah.

627

: 00:41:03

I had to get over that because

I was holding myself back.

628

: 00:41:08

And the example I use is that when

I was, um, my first year at Adelphi

629

: 00:41:13

University in their dance program, the

way things were set up back then, after

630

: 00:41:18

each semester you would have a review.

631

: 00:41:21

You would sit in front of your

teachers and they would review you.

632

: 00:41:25

And whether you've got a good review or a

bad review, you usually came out crying.

633

: 00:41:32

My review was absolutely scathing.

634

: 00:41:36

They hated me.

635

: 00:41:40

Uh, they had the worst things to

say about me as a personality and,

636

: 00:41:44

and what kind of student I was.

637

: 00:41:48

And I ran all the way

back to my apartment.

638

: 00:41:51

I didn't want anybody to see me.

639

: 00:41:53

I was so upset.

640

: 00:41:55

And what I did was, um, for Christmas

vacation, I flew back to Colorado

641

: 00:42:03

and I met with Richard and I was

what, 23 years old at the time.

642

: 00:42:09

And he said, you know what?

643

: 00:42:11

I get a very strong feeling

that you're the problem.

644

: 00:42:15

I'm like, what?

645

: 00:42:17

Tony Tidbit: So you're ready

to bite his head off, right?

646

: 00:42:18

David Christel: Yeah.

647

: 00:42:19

Right.

648

: 00:42:19

You know, how could I be the problem?

649

: 00:42:21

It's everybody else.

650

: 00:42:23

So we talked about it and I realized

that, yeah, I'm the problem.

651

: 00:42:29

It's my ego, it's my sense of

being a victim, um, and just

652

: 00:42:34

working that to the hilt.

653

: 00:42:37

And I had to make a decision.

654

: 00:42:39

Did I want to have a dance career or not?

655

: 00:42:43

So I did a lot of meditating on that.

656

: 00:42:48

Excuse me.

657

: 00:42:48

And I went back to Adelphi

University for spring semester.

658

: 00:42:53

And what I heard more often than

anything else was the evil twin went

659

: 00:42:57

away and the good twin returned.

660

: 00:43:02

And I knew that this was a major

crossroads for myself that I

661

: 00:43:06

had managed to get through and

make a new decision for my life.

662

: 00:43:13

Then I started working my butt off

to gain the trust of my teachers and

663

: 00:43:20

my fellow students, and to really

focus on being a, being a dancer.

664

: 00:43:30

And then I started applying

that to the rest of my life.

665

: 00:43:36

And wow, I have a long way to go here.

666

: 00:43:38

And so I've been working

on that ever since.

667

: 00:43:41

And I support other people in doing

the same thing, uh, really looking

668

: 00:43:45

at who they believe themselves to

be, getting over their delusions and

669

: 00:43:52

illusions and realizing they are far

more than what they think they are or

670

: 00:43:58

what other people are telling them.

671

: 00:44:00

Tony Tidbit: Right.

672

: 00:44:01

Right.

673

: 00:44:01

You know what's interesting though?

674

: 00:44:03

You said the word ego.

675

: 00:44:06

Okay.

676

: 00:44:07

And, you know, based on all the horrific

things that you've been through,

677

: 00:44:12

okay, you still created an ego, right?

678

: 00:44:16

When you were in school.

679

: 00:44:18

That you still so think about that

for a second that just goes to show

680

: 00:44:22

how we our own self no matter what

we go through, we still think highly

681

: 00:44:28

or we have some type of, you know,

mechanism that makes us feel that we're

682

: 00:44:33

better than what we typically are.

683

: 00:44:36

Okay.

684

: 00:44:36

Regardless of the circumstances.

685

: 00:44:38

And you had to figure that out.

686

: 00:44:40

And God bless, you know, your

partner with being honest with you.

687

: 00:44:45

But then also to be fair, God bless you

to be willing to listen and hear What he

688

: 00:44:55

was trying to tell you, because by you

listening to that and meditating on it,

689

: 00:45:02

marinating it, it helped change your life.

690

: 00:45:05

David Christel: I know the first

of all, thank you for that.

691

: 00:45:08

But second is that the thing about

ego is you're going to have an ego.

692

: 00:45:14

It's when you decide that

you're better than someone else.

693

: 00:45:18

Is when you're going to trip up.

694

: 00:45:20

What I did was I looked at what

other people were doing that I really

695

: 00:45:25

liked that I thought was stellar.

696

: 00:45:28

And I tried to emulate that.

697

: 00:45:32

Um, but I had to go through a period

because I became extremely competitive.

698

: 00:45:38

I was going to outdo everybody in

any audition, in any dance, whatever.

699

: 00:45:44

I was going to be the best.

700

: 00:45:46

The top dog, uh, the Leo ego was really

coming out, but being in a dance company,

701

: 00:45:55

you have to learn to work with others.

702

: 00:45:59

Yeah.

703

: 00:46:00

So I got my butt kicked again.

704

: 00:46:04

And, um, thank God.

705

: 00:46:09

For a number of things, the other dancers

putting up with me for artistic directors,

706

: 00:46:17

recognizing that I had talent and that I

was holding myself back because of my ego.

707

: 00:46:25

And as you said, I had to learn to

listen and then really take in what I

708

: 00:46:33

was hearing and reflect on that deeply.

709

: 00:46:37

Not just, Oh yeah, I get that.

710

: 00:46:38

No, I had to really reflect on it.

711

: 00:46:41

And so that is an integral part of

my life now, because I do a lot of

712

: 00:46:48

facilitation of groups and I do plenty

of public speaking, I have to listen.

713

: 00:46:56

And if I'm not listening,

then I'm not being present.

714

: 00:47:00

If I'm not being present,

I'm not being authentic.

715

: 00:47:04

And then what's the point?

716

: 00:47:07

Right.

717

: 00:47:07

And what people are looking for,

whether they are conscious of it or not,

718

: 00:47:11

they are looking for real connection.

719

: 00:47:14

Correct.

720

: 00:47:16

So, I have to be an example of that.

721

: 00:47:19

I have to walk that talk.

722

: 00:47:23

Tony Tidbit: Well, I think

that's something that we all

723

: 00:47:25

have to be an example of, right?

724

: 00:47:27

You know, that old saying, when you

point one finger to somebody else, you

725

: 00:47:30

got three fingers pointing back at you.

726

: 00:47:32

I think that's the key.

727

: 00:47:34

So tell us as we, as we start to close,

tell us about the future of CODE M.

728

: 00:47:38

Where, where are you guys

looking to take CODE M?

729

: 00:47:41

David Christel: Well, we are moving

into a national arena and, you

730

: 00:47:46

know, we start, start off local than

regional, and now we are definitely

731

: 00:47:49

moving into a national arena.

732

: 00:47:53

And that just means that there.

733

: 00:47:57

Are more readers that we would love

to hear from, we want your feedback,

734

: 00:48:04

your perspectives so that we can

meet you on the playing field of

735

: 00:48:12

code M and that because of what our

country is going through, we want to

736

: 00:48:19

bring people together and if we can

do that on a national stage, great.

737

: 00:48:25

And our message is very clear.

738

: 00:48:28

We are here to transform the lives of men.

739

: 00:48:32

To us, that means moving, the

spiral is going up, not that way.

740

: 00:48:39

It's not going down.

741

: 00:48:40

It's going up.

742

: 00:48:42

So we can only do that

if we hear from you.

743

: 00:48:47

If you really disagree with

what we're doing or articles

744

: 00:48:51

that we're writing, Let us know.

745

: 00:48:54

We need to hear that.

746

: 00:48:55

That's part of our listening.

747

: 00:48:57

So that, again, we can work with

you to help the Black community,

748

: 00:49:04

help all communities rise.

749

: 00:49:07

Because, like I said earlier,

we're all in this together.

750

: 00:49:10

Tony Tidbit: There's no

question, my brother.

751

: 00:49:11

David Christel: We can't compartmentalize

ourselves, and we see so much

752

: 00:49:15

of that happening right now.

753

: 00:49:17

The level of divisiveness

is extraordinary.

754

: 00:49:21

And It's very sad.

755

: 00:49:24

It's very painful to see this going on.

756

: 00:49:29

You know, you read all the science

fiction that we're going to, you

757

: 00:49:32

know, things are going to get

better and we have a beautiful life.

758

: 00:49:36

Well, I don't see that happening.

759

: 00:49:40

And we have to work at it, but

we can't work at it by pointing,

760

: 00:49:45

as you say, pointing a finger to

somebody else and blaming them or

761

: 00:49:49

say, hang on to a victim mentality.

762

: 00:49:54

We've all been through hard

times in different ways.

763

: 00:49:58

So let's support each other

through it and beyond it.

764

: 00:50:04

Tony Tidbit: I love it, my friend.

765

: 00:50:05

Hey, listen, number one, thank you.

766

: 00:50:10

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

767

: 00:50:12

Um, I love you a lot, my brother.

768

: 00:50:14

And I mean that you're just

a great, great human being.

769

: 00:50:18

And you have a lot of lessons to share

with other individuals while you still,

770

: 00:50:23

as you were saying, Still deal with

the things that you have to deal with.

771

: 00:50:27

And I think that's something we're

always at a, that construction thing

772

: 00:50:31

where it says work in progress, right?

773

: 00:50:33

As long as, as long as we know that,

right, we're a work in progress.

774

: 00:50:37

How can, let me ask you this, my

friend, how can a black executive

775

: 00:50:40

perspective podcast help David

Christo and Kodum magazine?

776

: 00:50:48

David Christel: Gee, um, you

know, it's really getting the

777

: 00:50:51

word out that you, one, you exist.

778

: 00:50:55

And two, that Code N exists, that

we're in partnership and, um, you know,

779

: 00:51:02

just using all the avenues available

to become more visible to everybody.

780

: 00:51:09

Let people know that we are a

magazine and a, um, group of people,

781

: 00:51:19

a family, that's of substance.

782

: 00:51:24

We're not playing around.

783

: 00:51:26

We are touching hearts.

784

: 00:51:30

We are touching minds.

785

: 00:51:32

We are here, all of us together,

to create the world that we

786

: 00:51:38

all envision, a better world.

787

: 00:51:41

We can do that.

788

: 00:51:42

It's going to take a lot of

work, and a lot of stamina, and

789

: 00:51:46

a lot of self reflection, but

we can all do that together.

790

: 00:51:51

So, just get the word out there.

791

: 00:51:54

If you know of a great journalist, Let

us know, put us in contact with them.

792

: 00:52:00

We'll search it out and

see what happens next.

793

: 00:52:04

Tony Tidbit: I love it.

794

: 00:52:04

My brother, I love it.

795

: 00:52:06

And speaking of, you know, working

together, we really enjoy our

796

: 00:52:10

partnership with Koden magazine.

797

: 00:52:12

And.

798

: 00:52:12

Not because there's, there are pages

in a magazine, it's because of the

799

: 00:52:17

people that represent those pages

like yourself and Bilal and Brad.

800

: 00:52:23

So, really, really thank you

for coming on David Christel,

801

: 00:52:28

Managing Editor of CODE M Magazine.

802

: 00:52:31

We appreciate you sharing your story

and listening to your perspective.

803

: 00:52:35

David Christel: Well, thank

you for the opportunity and

804

: 00:52:37

thank you all for listening.

805

: 00:52:40

Tony Tidbit: You're welcome, my brother.

806

: 00:52:42

So I think it's now

time for Tony's tidbit.

807

: 00:52:46

When a magazine uplifts the black family,

it raises the consciousness of the

808

: 00:52:52

entire community, promoting a dialogue

that bridges gaps and builds bridges.

809

: 00:53:00

And you heard that.

810

: 00:53:02

Verbatim from David Christel, the man,

managing editor of CODE M Magazine.

811

: 00:53:07

So we want to thank him for coming.

812

: 00:53:10

So I hope you enjoyed today's

episode, pioneering change and

813

: 00:53:15

breaking barriers, CODE M Magazine.

814

: 00:53:17

But before we leave, you have

to, we got to go to our call to

815

: 00:53:21

action because we're looking for.

816

: 00:53:23

Everyone to incorporate

this call of action.

817

: 00:53:26

You heard from David earlier that it's

all, we're all connected together.

818

: 00:53:30

It's all about working together.

819

: 00:53:32

So as you know, our call to

action is called L.E.S.S.

820

: 00:53:36

L E S S, and less L stands for learn.

821

: 00:53:41

So you want to learn about new

people, new cultures, history,

822

: 00:53:46

stuff that you don't know.

823

: 00:53:48

And then E stands for empathize.

824

: 00:53:51

Okay.

825

: 00:53:52

Once you learn, now you should have more

empathy towards your fellow human being.

826

: 00:53:58

S stands for share.

827

: 00:54:00

Now you want to share what you've

learned to other individuals

828

: 00:54:05

so they can become enlightened.

829

: 00:54:07

And then the.

830

: 00:54:07

Other S stands for stop.

831

: 00:54:10

You want to stop discrimination

when it comes into your path.

832

: 00:54:14

So if grandma says something inappropriate

at the Thanksgiving table, you say,

833

: 00:54:18

grandma, we don't talk like that.

834

: 00:54:21

Right.

835

: 00:54:22

So we can get everyone.

836

: 00:54:23

To incorporate less L.

837

: 00:54:26

E.

838

: 00:54:27

S.

839

: 00:54:27

S.

840

: 00:54:28

in your walk of walk of life will be able

to build a fair and understanding world.

841

: 00:54:35

And more importantly, and David said

this earlier, we'll be able to see

842

: 00:54:38

the change that we all want to see.

843

: 00:54:42

So.

844

: 00:54:43

Tune in to the next episode of a

black executive perspective magazine.

845

: 00:54:47

Excuse me.

846

: 00:54:48

See, I'm already, we already partnered

with code M cause I'm saying a black

847

: 00:54:51

executive perspective magazine, but a

black executive perspective podcast,

848

: 00:54:56

wherever you get your podcast.

849

: 00:54:57

And you can follow us on all our

socials X, YouTube, Instagram,

850

: 00:55:03

LinkedIn, and tick tock at a black

exec or our fabulous lovable.

851

: 00:55:09

Yes.

852

: 00:55:10

David Christel for our man

behind the glass, double A

853

: 00:55:13

who puts all this together.

854

: 00:55:15

I'm Tony tidbit.

855

: 00:55:16

We talked about it.

856

: 00:55:18

We love you.

857

: 00:55:19

And we're out

858

: 00:55:25

BEP Narrator: a black

executive perspective.