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What’s Next for Shooting It Straight!?
Episode 16 • 5th January 2026 • Shooting It Straight! • Randy Black and Elizabeth Clayton
00:00:00 01:34:39

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Episode 16 is an emotional and heartfelt turning point for Shooting It Straight!—the first full episode recorded after the passing of Coach Jim Clayton. Randy opens the episode by honoring his friend, mentor, and co-host, reflecting on the wisdom, humor, and heart that shaped every moment of the show. This episode marks a new chapter as Jim’s daughter, Elizabeth Clayton, joins as the new co-host. Together, Randy and Elizabeth revisit stories about Jim, share memories from his final weeks, and highlight the legacy he built through decades of coaching, mentoring, and inspiring others. They reflect on his handwritten notes, his “Jimmy-isms,” his relentless desire to help people become better, and the impact he had on everyone around him.

The episode also looks ahead. Randy and Elizabeth openly discuss the future of the podcast—how it will evolve, how they will honor Jim’s foundational vision, and how they plan to carry his mission forward: sharing encouragement, motivation, and practical wisdom to help others grow. With Elizabeth’s perspective and Randy’s continued commitment, Shooting It Straight! begins its next season with purpose, gratitude, and the same drive Jim lived out every day: show up, do the work, and make someone better.

Support the Show

Shooting It Straight has always been about honest, down-to-earth conversations that challenge, encourage, and inspire. With Elizabeth joining me in this new season of the show, we’re excited to keep growing and reaching more people—and we’d love your help in making that happen.

We’ve set up a few ways you can support the show each month, starting at just a couple of dollars. Whether you’re a Listener, a Friend of the Show, a Partner, a Champion, or one of our Legacy supporters, every level comes with its own set of perks—from bonus episodes and shoutouts to exclusive hangouts with Elizabeth and me.

And right now, for a limited time, new supporters will get 50% off for an entire year—no matter which level you choose. It’s our way of saying thanks for helping us relaunch and continue what Jim and I started.

You can learn more and sign up today at shootingitstraightpodcast.com/support.



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Transcripts

Speaker:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, believe in yourself or nobody else will.

Speaker:

Coach Jim Clayton: Set the bar high, achieve greatness, and stay motivated through the process.

Speaker:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know what that spells

Speaker:

Coach Jim Clayton: Bam, son!

Speaker:

Coach Jim Clayton: This is Shoot It Straight, the podcast where life blessings don't come sugar-coated and excuses get bitched.

Randy Black:

I'm Randy Black, podcast guy, professional question asker, and apparently the only one here who doesn't yell bam.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well we're working on that Randy.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'm Jim Clayton, coach, mentor, motivator, and the guy who still thinks a whistle may be the best motivational tool known to man.

Randy Black:

Each week we're taking what Jim's learned from the course.

Randy Black:

The drills, the discipline, the drive, and translating it into real-world success.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: That's right.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: This ain't just about basketball.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's about showing up when life presses full court.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's about pushing through when the clock's ticking down.

Randy Black:

Well, you might just want to ride the bench.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: We're here to help you believe bigger, achieve louder, and motivate strong.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So buckle up and whatever you do, keep shooting it straight.

Randy Black:

Bam, son

Randy Black:

Welcome back to Shooting It Straight.

Randy Black:

I'm Randy Black, and today's episode is a special one, but I'm going to be straight with you.

Randy Black:

It's also a hard one.

Randy Black:

Being here behind this mic without Jim Clayton, my friend, my co-host, my brother in in so many ways feels different.

Randy Black:

There's a weight to it.

Randy Black:

There's an empty space that he filled.

Randy Black:

That's empty right now.

Randy Black:

And stepping into an episode like this without him is something that I've dreaded, but I'm I know that I need to do.

Randy Black:

But if there's one thing that he taught me, so you don't run from hard things.

Randy Black:

You face them with honesty, with courage, and with heart

Randy Black:

And that's what we're going to do today.

Randy Black:

We're going to honor him.

Randy Black:

We're going to remember the wisdom and the humor that he poured into this show.

Randy Black:

And we're going to talk openly about what comes next for shooting it straight.

Randy Black:

Because this is not the end.

Randy Black:

This is a continuation of something that Jim started with purpose

Randy Black:

And today begins the next chapter.

Randy Black:

One that I know he would be so proud of.

Randy Black:

And today we begin that next chapter of shooting it straight with someone who meant the world to him.

Randy Black:

Jim's daughter Elizabeth Clayton is joining us as the new co-host of Shooting It Straight.

Randy Black:

Many of you have heard her name before or heard Jim talk about her in the stories.

Randy Black:

Uh, if you knew him personally over the years and here on the show.

Randy Black:

But what you may not know is just how deeply she influenced him and even this show.

Randy Black:

So there's a clip that I want to play.

Randy Black:

Something that that Jim said about.

Randy Black:

uh about the his notebooks where he's written things down, those handwritten thoughts, those ideas, those things he carried with him, literally for decades.

Randy Black:

So let's listen to what he had to say.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Our system, you know, my always thing is uh I write everything down.

Randy Black:

Uh-huh.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: If you if you don't if you if you don't know it, you can't write it down.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Try to write it down.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It helps me remember.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Now sometimes I can't read my notes.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: But, you know, somebody said, well, you should just record it

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well I probably should.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: But I still what?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I got stocks and stocks and stocks and pages and pages pages pages.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Notes everywhere.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: When I'm gone, somebody goes through those notes.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's hard to tell them what they'll find

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Hard telling.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, I looked at something the other day I wrote ten years ago, I go, Oh man, I remember writing that.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: But I let ten years go by and I've never used it again.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Mrs Mrs.

Randy Black:

Clayton and the kids are gonna have fun going through this stuff.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Oh my gosh.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well I'll tell you I'll tell you we'll go through it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well be my dollar.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Now she'll go through piece by piece and she never throws nothing away.

Randy Black:

Mm-hmm.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: She'll collect.

Randy Black:

to to do certain things.

Randy Black:

Oh to get your get your thoughts and your ideas out there for people.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Oh yeah, she has definitely and she calls, checks on me every day, you know what I mean?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: All that stuff.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: She lives in Louisville.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And, you know, it's just

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, like for her it's just a different mindset 'cause she don't see me every day.

Randy Black:

Mm-hmm.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well she calls me every day.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Or I call her every.

Randy Black:

So

Randy Black:

He said that he knows you will be the one, Elizabeth, to start going through that stuff.

Randy Black:

So my question is, have you started going through that stuff?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Oh yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um I started you you cry all you want.

Randy Black:

I'm here I'm here crying too

Randy Black:

So it's it's fine.

Randy Black:

You you let it you let those tears flow.

Randy Black:

But you know, it's I I I can just imagine, because I I I you know, I brought you a stack of papers.

Randy Black:

from Sports City U from where we recorded.

Randy Black:

And I know how messy that was.

Randy Black:

I can't imagine what that looks like at at your mom's house.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, it really wasn't as crazy as I thought it would be.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um of course when he was in the hospital

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, of course I was there a lot, but there was a few times I went home and um, you know, something that really brought me comfort was just reading through some of the things that my dad had

Elizabeth Clayton:

written down and uh I really didn't start diving into it till well the day after he passed.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um remember I met you up at Sports City.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Uh because we were looking for that banner and

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, ignore Lola in the background.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She is talking to Cece, which is only fitting my dad would get a kick out of that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um anyway uh I went out I think I don't know if it was before or after you

Elizabeth Clayton:

before you got there, after you uh I don't know, in between and I went out to that table that my dad always worked on in the gym.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he would have it in the middle of the gym or to the side and he would sit there and, you know, work on stuff and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had all kinds of stuff laying there, of course, and his open bag of gummy bears and liquors were still there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He liked 'em, you know, he liked to make get 'em uh he he liked 'em hard.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm like, ha ha ug

Elizabeth Clayton:

uh all my life he would he would let the licorice get stale or the gummy bears.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm like, that's not good for your teeth, Dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But anyway, um, I found it was so funny, I found a bunch of notes of his, but what really struck me was um

Elizabeth Clayton:

I found a paper that had my handwriting on it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I thought, what in the world is this?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, of course, you know, I've been in Louisville for 15 years.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And prior to that, um, of course, I was at Marshall and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, after high school, I started working for my dad and we had the the gym in Huntington and the gym in Hurricane at one point.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So we had two.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So there were times that I would r I would get out of Marshall and I would go to the Huntington Sports City and I would run that in the evening and then my dad would be in hurricane, you know, running the other or whatever the case was.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I had must have sat down with him

Elizabeth Clayton:

One day, and he told me we had level one, two, three classes, depending on the age groups.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so I sat down with him and he detailed everything that I needed to do

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it was all in my handwriting.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, apparently he kept that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I thought, what in the world did he keep that for?

Elizabeth Clayton:

I have no idea.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But then I thought

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, m maybe he all these years he's just missed me in the gym.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I don't know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um it really struck me that he had that there on that table.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And of course the next day we went up to do that um

Elizabeth Clayton:

I did that speech and my brother taught too for um that uh Tex Williams um museum.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and so

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I talked about that in my speech as well.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But anyway, going upstairs, seeing the table with all the podcast stuff.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I went up there that day, all of his notes, the stuff you brought me, I was blown away.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And then um of course that week following

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, before his visitation and funeral, um, I really started diving deep into his desk that he had in um upstairs in his bedroom, and he had stacks and stacks of stuff.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I found all kinds of things and then

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had a few notebooks sitting by the kitchen table, and that's really where I found a lot of his newer stuff that he had written.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I've still got my mom and our poured we poured through stuff over the weekend and I've got in the back of my car

Elizabeth Clayton:

stacks of folders of things that he's written and um you know things that he kept and so I've got to go through all that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I didn't even get a chance to yet

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um but yeah it's it's I mean it's it's exactly what he said.

Randy Black:

You're the one going through it.

Randy Black:

Um and he always he always talked about that, you know, people tell him, yeah, you need to write a book.

Randy Black:

Well technically he probably wrote several

Randy Black:

If if we can get down to it when we see all the stuff that he's done.

Randy Black:

So I'm sure that I'm sure that uh it was um it wasn't it was it was

Randy Black:

maybe even therapeutic to say to to be able to start going through that and looking at those things.

Randy Black:

Um but I I know that in the you know, as we record this it's it's it's a day after two months that he had passed away and we've we've talked

Randy Black:

uh several times.

Randy Black:

Um and I know that you didn't realize something he said in that clip.

Randy Black:

And that you were

Randy Black:

And something I actually said, because he had said it to me privately, but I brought it up, was that you actually were what spurred him on.

Randy Black:

You were that inspiration to get him going to do the podcast.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um well you know from the minute you guys started the the first episode, I would tune in weekly um to listen to you guys once you once you get it recorded, then you started doing the live

Elizabeth Clayton:

recordings and I would s always try to tune into that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um but that third episode, I remember being in my apartment and listening to you all talk and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, from that point on when he set when you all were having the conversation and you said to him, you know, now wasn't it your daughter

Elizabeth Clayton:

that inspired you or you know however you worded it and from that point on I had a whole different perspective when I listened to those podcasts every week.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It was like a whole new meaning for me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and I never

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mentioned it to my dad though.

Elizabeth Clayton:

We never had a conversation about that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I I wanted to say something to him like, oh my gosh, dad, that really meant a lot.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um I didn't know I was sure

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, but I vividly remember actually, you know those b um months prior, well, within that probably that that year before you all started, um, you know those bracelets he had made?

Elizabeth Clayton:

The Bam bracelets?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Okay, he had 'em everywhere.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So um I think we had talked we had talked about that actually.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, Dad, why don't you make a bracelet um that you can give out like when you go get your chemo treatments or you can give out to people and you can tell them your story

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, or whatever the case is.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so he had these bracelets made and they they got kind of messed up a little bit, but they still looked good.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Randy Black:

He uh it it won't fit my wrist, but I have one.

Randy Black:

Uh it's set it's setting on my nightstand.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, um it's uh

Elizabeth Clayton:

Uh you know, I was so excited when he actually did that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, of course he gave them out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

People love them.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But for months, you know, when you when you're on social media and you see something like a video that somebody records

Elizabeth Clayton:

There was this gentleman, Frank So and so.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was a judge.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had his own reality TV show.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um very inspirational guy.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know who I'm talking Yes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I'd see his videos and his cancer journey, and that's what sparked the conversation with my dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like, hey dad, you're always on social media posting about basketball and you know motivational stuff for life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, why don't you share what you're going through in your cancer journey?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Because I said, you of all people, you have no idea how many people you could help.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And they don't know you're going through that unless they've talked to you recently or or you know, know somebody who knows you that told them about your what you're dealing with.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, I remember there was we were on FaceTime one one particular day.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I would always talk to him when I was at my office um in the morning, a lot of times, mid morning and

Elizabeth Clayton:

I remember he was sitting in his recliner in his room and um he was looking at me and you could tell it's something um it like struck him

Elizabeth Clayton:

his heart string somewhere along the way and he you could tell he wasn't crying, but he was what I was saying to him was really resonating and he was getting emotional thinking about it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And his wheels were turning.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so he never really told me

Elizabeth Clayton:

any ideas, I was just telling him to make a video and post it on social media um or something along those lines.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, when I remember when he told me he was doing the podcast, I'm like, wow, that's amazing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You are totally born for to do that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I didn't know you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

At the time I had no idea what this was going to sound like.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I didn't know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He just said you were the guru of all this.

Randy Black:

He was set on telling everybody I was the guy

Elizabeth Clayton:

You are and you were to him, let me tell you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, because I wouldn't know how to even do any of this without you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I never 11 we well

Elizabeth Clayton:

From the beginning of July when y'all started this and I started listening and just every week I would enjoy it so much.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I had no idea that however many weeks later, here we are tonight, um, you know, um doing this.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, you know, that third episode, what my what you and my dad talked about, you know, um, it really struck me, and I I I just that

Elizabeth Clayton:

My dad was not the type of pr you know, I don't think my dad ever bought me a card or ever wrote me a message, um

Randy Black:

He wasn't the openly sentimental person.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes, but deep down.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes.

Randy Black:

I mean you told me you found cards and stuff for that you had given him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That was on his desk.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That was on his desk and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I'm I am I keep well he he he said in that that clip he said my daughter keeps everything I want to preface I am not a hoarder by any means I just keep

Elizabeth Clayton:

I am all into my I am very deep into my family history and you know keeping things that have meaning and um I've always loved cards.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But anyway, um, you know, I was thinking to myself recently, I said, man, my dad never actually wrote me

Elizabeth Clayton:

like anything like that I know of down on paper or a card or, you know, a message that can read, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

That clip in that podcast was that meant so much to me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

uh it it ins it did something inside of me and I'm I really wish I would have said something to my dad about it, but I just thought we had more time.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I planned on it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, here we are.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I know my dad is with us right now and he's listening and and knows what's going on and um

Randy Black:

Yeah, and it's like you just like you said, he wasn't

Randy Black:

He wasn't that openly sentimental kind of person, but you know, I tell everybody the story of the last night I recorded with him

Randy Black:

And that, you know, we always finished up and he'd let Alfie run up and go to the bathroom and he'd get Alfie put him in the car and when as soon as Alfie'd be in the car, he'd shut the door

Randy Black:

He'd turn back around to me and it'd be the, hey Jim, love you, brother.

Randy Black:

And he's like, I love you too.

Randy Black:

And he'd do fist bump or handshake or you know, I talked about the the when I talked at the funeral, I talked to that cheesy guy hug that every man in the world does, where you're shaking hands and you pat him on the back.

Randy Black:

And he didn't that night.

Randy Black:

He grabbed me and he hugged me.

Randy Black:

And he told me, he goes, Randy, I love you.

Randy Black:

I really do.

Randy Black:

And that wasn't like that was that was not normal.

Randy Black:

That was not Jim Clayton normally.

Randy Black:

And you know, I look at it now, and you and I've talked about it, I look at it now and I'm wondering

Randy Black:

Did he maybe realize something was happening?

Randy Black:

Did he think maybe something was gonna happen?

Randy Black:

I don't know.

Randy Black:

You know, and you told me that when he left on Saturday after that, when he left from

Randy Black:

uh coming and going to the concert and he stayed that night.

Randy Black:

When he left that day, he kinda just kept waving.

Randy Black:

To to make sure he's make sure you knew he was saying bye.

Randy Black:

Um well, yeah.

Randy Black:

So, you know, it's

Randy Black:

It's one of those things where we're we're looking at it now with a different perspective because we didn't think we'd lose him.

Randy Black:

Um and we'll we'll talk about we'll talk about that here in a second.

Randy Black:

But

Randy Black:

You know, the I want I just want to, you know, fur you know, openly say here in this forum where we're recording and people are going to hear it that

Randy Black:

I didn't think this was gonna continue.

Randy Black:

I thought we were I thought I was done.

Randy Black:

I thought, you know, Jim's gone.

Randy Black:

You know, I don't I don't think anybody's gonna step up.

Randy Black:

I don't think anybody wants to take that that seat

Randy Black:

Because there was there was only one Jim Clayton.

Randy Black:

And once you and I met, uh, because we had not met, we had never met in person until after he passed away.

Randy Black:

Um, and we had only talked on the phone that one night after we had recorded, that last night we recorded.

Randy Black:

And it was like we immediately had that friendship because we were going through this together.

Randy Black:

I mean, I was

Randy Black:

I can I can say that well, I can't say that that your dad would have said that I was his best friend

Randy Black:

for those last six months where we worked and go on this and did all this work.

Randy Black:

But I can say he was mine.

Randy Black:

Because I talked to him.

Randy Black:

Other than my wife, I talked to your dad more than anybody else in the world.

Randy Black:

Every day I talked to your dad.

Randy Black:

And

Randy Black:

It's been the hardest thing because I'm like, man, this was this was starting to get there.

Randy Black:

We were in a groove.

Randy Black:

We were rolling.

Randy Black:

We were rocking.

Randy Black:

And then it was all gone.

Randy Black:

And

Randy Black:

Once you and I we met, we started talking about things as we worked our way through and up to, you know, doing the the visitation and then services.

Randy Black:

And you were, you were, every, every time we talked, you were more of, I think I want to do this.

Randy Black:

I think I want to do this.

Randy Black:

I think he'd want me to do this.

Randy Black:

And then you'd be you we'd be sitting there like we were s I think we were standing at New Baptist at the night the before the visitation and you were standing there and you're we're watching the slideshow that I put together for you guys and you kinda looked at me and went

Randy Black:

Dad, you want me to do this?

Randy Black:

And I just kind of went, well, okay, we'll we'll see what happens.

Randy Black:

And you've been you've been on fire wanting to go, wanting to do this.

Randy Black:

You know, I I took the time to

Randy Black:

to meet your mom at Sports City and box up all the equipment and I went to an event in Indiana and on the way home swung through Louisville, got you all set up and

Randy Black:

We're here.

Randy Black:

We're doing it.

Randy Black:

And the the thing for me is that I'm so happy at your excitement for wanting to do it.

Randy Black:

Because there's some people who would be like, okay, I'm gonna do it because it was my dad.

Randy Black:

I'm gonna do it because of this.

Randy Black:

That's not why you're doing it.

Randy Black:

It's part of it

Randy Black:

But you're excited about it because you saw what he saw for the future.

Randy Black:

You saw what his goal was.

Randy Black:

And you want to keep that going and you want to keep building his legacy.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And that's amazing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, you hit the nail on the head right there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um yeah, well, all I can say is um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You were quite uh yeah, honestly, of all the people through the process.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I like I said we had met in person

Elizabeth Clayton:

But that that first that last night of y'all recording when I when you said, oh, before you ended, they somebody's listening from Louisville.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um I was like, wow, they can tell where people are listening from.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's so cool.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, and they said, Probably my daughter.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It's probably your daughter.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: And he goes, Yep, it probably is.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, I had just I had come home that night and I had probably only tuned in for the last thirty minutes, um, been able to, 'cause I was on Facebook and I said, Oh, they're c recording live.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm gonna click on it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So um of course I went back and listened to the whole thing later, but um anyway, uh talking to you that night, I'll never forget

Elizabeth Clayton:

Went I mean, you all literally hit end.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And the funny part about it was when you all did not end the podcast, you could still hear my dad talking.

Elizabeth Clayton:

The stream kept going and it was so funny.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, the minute you ended it, I

Elizabeth Clayton:

FaceTime my dad and I remember seeing him answer the phone and I uh in my mind I just see this smile on his face and he

Elizabeth Clayton:

He looked so happy and y'all were talking and you know he first thing he said was, no, what are your habits?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: You remember that?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And you know, we went through all of that and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, it just that's such a special memory in in in my mind and this getting to talk to you.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

So while you're talking about let's let's 'cause I've got some clips of that.

Randy Black:

So let's let's uh you know, this is the last episode and he's talking about going to the concert, so let's take a listen to that.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yeah, I'm watching a lot of videos of old

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: old uh groups.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'm going tomorrow to Lexington with my daughter to see a concert.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'm going to see a group called Little River Band.

Randy Black:

Oh yes.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And a group called Three Dog Night.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yep.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: One is the loneliest number.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: There you go.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Okay, so I remember all those guys looking at what's that.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Now how come I'm not up there doing that?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: One, I can't sing.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Two, I definitely can't what?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I can't play any instruments.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: But how'd those guys get to that way?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Same way.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Same exact thing.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well I can shoot a jump shot and teach that.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: They worked, they can do no They worked on that guitar, that keyboard, or whatever.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, whatever.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And then he had this to add to it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: See, I'll go watch that concert and I'll be thinking about this.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'll be thinking about what we talked about tonight.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Nice.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: That's where my brain goes.

Randy Black:

Yep.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And I'll be sharing it with my daughter.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: She has no idea.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: She might be listening.

Randy Black:

I mean that's that's a perfect example of Jim Clayton.

Randy Black:

He's always like he's he's he's always thinking.

Randy Black:

So what we just talked about, all this stuff that we talked about about habits and tools and

Randy Black:

how that the habits are more important than the tools.

Randy Black:

He's always thinking about it.

Randy Black:

He's always learning.

Randy Black:

He's always taking in the information.

Randy Black:

He's synthesizing it.

Randy Black:

He's doing everything with it.

Randy Black:

And then he's always sharing because he's like, I'm gonna go, but I'm gonna talk to her about this.

Randy Black:

I'm gonna tell her all about this.

Randy Black:

That was just, I mean, that was him.

Randy Black:

That was the perfect example.

Randy Black:

That was Jim Clayton.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it really it's so cool that you know, I hate it that that was the last recording for you guys, but um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, that was it's that that night's just a the special memory and then he like I said, him coming the next day and uh you know, I wasn't sure if that would ever work out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um I

Elizabeth Clayton:

for whenever I wanted my dad to come I could always get him to go to a concert with me if I planned it out in advance, but I never knew

Elizabeth Clayton:

how his treatments were gonna fall weekly.

Elizabeth Clayton:

If it was an off week for his treatment and it was a you know, Fridays were always good for him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So it happened to be an off week

Elizabeth Clayton:

And even the week before I said, Dad, are you coming?

Elizabeth Clayton:

I didn't buy the tickets till it the day before, just because I was watching the prices too.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, so anyway, um the fact that he

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, he actually came down.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um it I would it was just so exciting for me and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he uh uh like I said, he uh just didn't get out as much as he used to.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it wasn't that he didn't want to, he just was afraid something would happen if he got too far away from home

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so that particular night, I mean, i everything just was perfect.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I'll never forget I bought that that particular uh Little River Band came on first, which I thought it would have been opposite.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Three Dog Night

Elizabeth Clayton:

came on second and I thought it would be the opposite.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, um Little River Band came on and they started at seven thirty and went till about what?

Elizabeth Clayton:

845 ish.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so at the end they had these 50th anniversary guitars.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um they had the full size ones.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so we have little mini replicas that we um had made

Elizabeth Clayton:

And one of them was for the song Night Owl and the other one was for the song Take It Easy on Me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so um of course I when the concert ended, they said, Come up to the merchandise booth, you know, yada yada.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so of course I wanted to buy a t shirt

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I went up there and I remember getting in line and this woman was standing there with me and we started talking and I said, Oh my gosh, I want to get my dad something, but I don't wanna, you know, didn't really know what to get him and not a t-shirt.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He definitely didn't need that, that's for sure.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, but uh that guitar just kept playing in my mind.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, anyway, we got she goes, you need to get your dad that guitar

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so of course Night Owl is my favorite song and they had him in these really cool boxes and so I remember I got my T shirt, got the guitar, and I went down and

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was talking to everybody all around where we sat.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Everybody was just so nice.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And they were all in his generation too.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I was probably the youngest one there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um anyway, I gave him that guitar

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he was like, wow, I said, oh, you can set that somewhere and remember this night and you know, it just it's just a good memory.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so it wasn't then, but after the concert um was over, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

We went to the bathroom and I stood out and, you know, at one point and I remember he hand, you know, or something, I handed him back the guitar and he made a comment.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He goes, Well, you're just gonna get this back one day

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, well, not for a long time.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, that was like the first thing that happened that night that kind of struck me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It really just set with me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I'm thinking

Elizabeth Clayton:

Something when he said that, it just you know, s something that stuck with me and I just couldn't forget those words because I was always afraid in my mind something was gonna happen to my dad, you know, with him being sick and all that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway

Elizabeth Clayton:

the next day, like what you just prefaced about, you know, that morning we got up, I fixed him breakfast and we sat and talked.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I remember he FaceTimed my two nieces.

Elizabeth Clayton:

We talked to them.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And no, he was always the type of person he had to get on the road and get back home.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had something else to do.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He he not that he didn't want to spend more time with me, but he was always on to the next thing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So when he got we went out to the car, something told me, you need I'd never been in this particular car that he had gotten, um, because it was a newer car for him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I said, something told me go sit in the car with him

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so I did and sat there for a few minutes and um I remember he I said, Okay, well, call me when you get home, you know, whatever and then

Elizabeth Clayton:

I remember when he backed out and he turned and looked at me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He looked so much like my grandmother, his mother, when he turned and waved at me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it's like something told me, like, do not forget that moment.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it just really the whole day, it was a dreary day like today.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I was just like with the guitar thing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It just never it didn't leave me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, it's just you have these moments in life where y it's it's like is somebody trying to tell me something?

Randy Black:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I felt like like what you're talking about when he's he that night that he hugged you and said he loved you, like that was different

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, you know, so um I'm just so glad that I was able to spend that time with him and um you know then of course.

Randy Black:

That was Saturday and he went to the hospital Wednesday.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So Wednesday, five days later, yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and uh, you know, it just it's shocking to say the least, but um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, it's what do you do?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, it's your time, it's your time.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, but um

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

Let me let's let's let's let's lay off for that for a minute.

Randy Black:

You know, we'll we'll cry some more here in a minute.

Randy Black:

Um

Randy Black:

'Cause I wanna I wanna talk about here in a minute about what happened, what actually happened.

Randy Black:

But let's let's keep things on a no on a higher note for just a minute.

Randy Black:

And I wanna I wanna kinda share some

Randy Black:

some Jim Clayton stories, some Jim Clayton stuff.

Randy Black:

Like because he was he was absolutely one of a kind.

Randy Black:

There will never be another Jim Clayton.

Randy Black:

I don't care what anybody says.

Randy Black:

I don't care what anybody thinks, he was like when God created him, he broke the mold, and that was it.

Randy Black:

It was it

Randy Black:

Um, and everybody who knows it, truly knew him, knows that.

Randy Black:

You know, he had this this wisdom about him, this sense of humor.

Randy Black:

Um, his approach to everything was just so

Randy Black:

So no nonsense.

Randy Black:

He didn't put up with it.

Randy Black:

He wanted to make things, this is the way it's gotta be.

Randy Black:

We gotta do it this way.

Randy Black:

And here's why it's gonna work.

Randy Black:

And that shaped

Randy Black:

every single thing that he and I did together in in in starting this and working on it.

Randy Black:

And he used to say all kinds of little things.

Randy Black:

He had those I called them Jimmyisms.

Randy Black:

The little the little things he would say that

Randy Black:

Just you you just had to stop and think for a second.

Randy Black:

Did he did he really say that?

Randy Black:

And what in the world does that mean?

Randy Black:

And I pulled a couple clips, like just some of the things that he said that I just it just love and they stick with me.

Randy Black:

And I say 'em myself now

Randy Black:

Because that's that's how impactful they were.

Randy Black:

So here here's the first one, because we were talking about um we were talking about an episode about, you know, finding ways to to get to the same conclusion.

Randy Black:

And not actually having the same path.

Randy Black:

And this is what he said about it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: All roads lead somewhere.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Some people just got better roadmaps or GPS.

Randy Black:

I mean, it's it's such a a simple statement, but so profound

Randy Black:

They all go somewhere.

Randy Black:

They're all gonna get you somewhere, but some people just get there better than other people do.

Randy Black:

I mean it's just you think about that, it's like, well yeah, that was that was Jim Clayton.

Randy Black:

That's that's what he thought.

Randy Black:

You know, and we talked about

Randy Black:

um this whole process.

Randy Black:

And this was in the first episode.

Randy Black:

We talked about the show and what we were going to do and how we were going to handle it.

Randy Black:

And, you know, a lot of people, because, you know, I said in the very beginning, this show was his vehicle.

Randy Black:

This was his way to take all these things from all this time and coaching and teaching and everything he's done and and sharing those ideas.

Randy Black:

He wanted to get them out.

Randy Black:

And I said, this is this is Jimmy's vehicle.

Randy Black:

This is his way.

Randy Black:

This is his show.

Randy Black:

And he didn't feel that way

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And here's what he said.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, everybody talks about this and that.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Everybody talks about me, me, me, me, me.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: This is not about me, me, me, me, me.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's about we we we we.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yeah.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's not a me show, it's a we show

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And uh there's power in numbers when everybody's got the right agenda, they all on the right path, they got the right mindset.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: It's amazing what can be a company.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Amazing

Randy Black:

He from day one, when I sat down and we talked about this and started making plans for this, he said, at some point, I think we're going to make some money.

Randy Black:

I said, Jimmy, most people don't make money on podcasting.

Randy Black:

He goes, well, we're going to do it.

Randy Black:

I said, okay.

Randy Black:

Well, if if uh if we get there, we get there.

Randy Black:

He goes, and we're going to split it.

Randy Black:

You're going to get half of it.

Randy Black:

And I said, Jimmy, I don't want half of it.

Randy Black:

This is your show.

Randy Black:

He goes, nope.

Randy Black:

You're helping me.

Randy Black:

I'm gonna take care of you.

Randy Black:

That's your dad.

Randy Black:

That's Jim Clayton.

Randy Black:

That's who he was.

Randy Black:

And the the the one the one thing he said that I say the most

Randy Black:

Um, out of everything he's ever said to me is this one here.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And so today's a gift, that's why they call it the present.

Randy Black:

Today's a gift, that's why they call it the present.

Randy Black:

Mm-hmm.

Randy Black:

That's that's so profound.

Randy Black:

It's so simple and so profound.

Randy Black:

And he had so many things he said like that.

Randy Black:

You've got his phone.

Randy Black:

You've got all those videos and things that he had that he would post on social media that you're now starting to post.

Randy Black:

on his accounts.

Randy Black:

And it's just amazing the the stuff that he would say.

Randy Black:

And there's there was always, no matter what he said, no matter what was happening around him, there was always a lesson that he would find a way to get tucked in there.

Randy Black:

To make sure you knew that you still need to be learning.

Randy Black:

And that was that was your dad.

Randy Black:

And I, you know, that's that's the reason why I had so much fun with him doing this show.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um well you know, it's funny with that last clip.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know the the beginning part of that quote, right?

Elizabeth Clayton:

You're missing about half of it.

Randy Black:

What's that?

Elizabeth Clayton:

I don't the well um

Elizabeth Clayton:

He would always say, and of course I've said it most of my life, yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, today is a gift.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's why they call it the present.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

See, he never pulled the full one out on me.

Randy Black:

But um well I know like I I I can go back and I can look at I look at what I said at at the funeral and I and I I paraphrased him.

Randy Black:

And I said, um, he would say, you can't look back at yesterday because it's the past, and you can't look at tomorrow because tomorrow isn't a day.

Randy Black:

You have to live for today because it's a gift.

Randy Black:

That's why they call it the present.

Randy Black:

And at 12.

Randy Black:

01, the day is going to reset.

Randy Black:

So don't let yesterday be better than today.

Randy Black:

That's just powerful.

Randy Black:

And that's you know that's the kind of stuff that I'm like, man.

Randy Black:

I miss that.

Randy Black:

I miss those little messages he'd send me through.

Randy Black:

Like he'd just send me random stuff and it would be those little things, those little sayings.

Randy Black:

And the best one was he'd be trying to promote the show to people.

Randy Black:

and send out like clips and stuff that I'd post or notes I'd post.

Randy Black:

And he'd send them to me.

Randy Black:

He'd send them to me too.

Randy Black:

And I'm like, Jimmy, I'm the one that posted this.

Randy Black:

He goes, I know, but it's still good.

Randy Black:

So that's just that's just what it the way it was and it was great and I loved it.

Randy Black:

But like earlier this evening, before we got on and recorded, you told me a um a story.

Randy Black:

Uh, or talk to me about a story your dad had shared all the way back in the very first episode of the show.

Randy Black:

And I pulled it so we can listen to it.

Randy Black:

So I want to share that story.

Randy Black:

It's about two minutes long, two and a half, two minutes and twelve seconds, maybe.

Randy Black:

But I'm going to play it and then we'll let you talk about it, okay?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Okay.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: This is how I got the idea to do it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I didn't come up with it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And I was reading a story about this this this this uh grocery store

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And they have three or four lines of people in there, you know, like you'll go to the store.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well, all of a sudden everybody's in this one line that the cashier is ever going, hey, we'll take you over here.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: We don't want to get in that line

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So they're looking like, why do they not want to get in that line?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well there's a little boy that was bagging groceries and that was when it was brown paper bags, not plastic.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And every time he bagged a grocery, he put little words of wisdom in that thing, like your fortune.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Like a fortune cookie.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And they were in there wanting to get that fortune for it to die.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'm thinking to myself, man, that is cool.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: What if I did that?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So instead of talking myself out of it like most people do, I didn't know anything about a computer.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I couldn't type, couldn't paste, couldn't do anything

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So I got one of my boys in class.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I said, Well, you gonna help me do this?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: He goes, Yeah, I'll help you.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So I gave him the first quote.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And we did 25 on the first page.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So I cut it out in little squares, put it in my pocket.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well, I ran the the cafeteria.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And so I so I just got them in there.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: They're all on their lines doing their getting ready to eat.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And I go, yeah, anybody want you want to hear the word for today?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Yeah, cuz what's the word?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'd hand them one of those little strips

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: They go, well, that's cool.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I said, why?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Use it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So the next day, they won't know the word of the day.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So that 25 went to 50, went to 75, went to 100, got up to five or 600.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And today I was passing out

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And then I started thinking, man, I could do this a whole lot.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Because that was before social media.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: So now I've kind of taken the same thing and turned it.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: A little bit now you don't have to be in the line in the cafeteria to get the word for today.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You can get it every day.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And that's this is going to help share that even to a bigger audience.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And what I found out is, which I'm sure you know,

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: A lot of people need to hear positive vibes every day.

Randy Black:

Yes.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: But when I send those things out.

Randy Black:

We'll talk I'll talk about that in a second.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Oh yeah.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I send that stuff out and they send that back and go, Coach, I needed to hear that today.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Thanks for sharing it, Coach.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I needed that today.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: And I go, if it helps one person to me, it's worth it.

Randy Black:

So what did you tell me about that?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, um, I remember listening to that episode and of course I was reminded of it today when I was sitting here looking at our notes about the show.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, I didn't know

Elizabeth Clayton:

what inspired him to start when I was in high school 'cause of what uh you know, I I don't remember exactly what year he started doing that where he would cut the quotes out and hand them out to the kids in the in the when he would um

Elizabeth Clayton:

We had four lunch periods at Huntington High and they were, you know, forty minutes apiece, whatever, but he was the person that when you came through there, if you cut the line

Elizabeth Clayton:

He gave you table duty.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Or if you did anything in that lunch period that was out of line, you got table duty.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was, you know, like the referee or the he he watched over everybody.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

I had no idea where he got the idea to hand those quotes out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so when he started talking about that, I said, oh my gosh, that is so cool.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um well of course that was that was on the first episode, right?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah

Elizabeth Clayton:

When you talked about that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So, you know, um, like I said, when I was in high school, um, I loved

Elizabeth Clayton:

the fact I my freshman, sophomore, and junior year, I would ride to school with him every day.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I was, you know, I didn't have him for class, but I'd see him throughout the day all day long.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I was always so inspired to have my dad

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, at school with me, um, not only was he my dad, but everybody just loved him and he got along with everybody.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was always, you know, making people feel good and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I was always so excited when he started hanging those out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, I would come through the lunch line and I'm like, Dad, what's the quote?

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

So um I guess what I started doing when I get home from school, I had a little plastic container with a lid, and I started putting those little strips of paper in this plastic container.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And you know, I don't I mean, I'm sure most majority of them they're in there, but I forgot

Elizabeth Clayton:

I even did that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And that was twenty plus years ago.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Okay.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, even longer than that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, anyway, when I came home, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

And when my dad after my dad got sick and was in the hospital, um, I started going through one of his cabinets looking for something, and I came across that container and I said, Oh my gosh, this used to sit

Elizabeth Clayton:

on my shelf in my bedroom, my dad must have taken it and, you know, put it in here.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And maybe, you know, that somehow when he saw that, I don't know when he saw that, but maybe that, you know, brought him in some inspiration

Elizabeth Clayton:

I have no idea.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um I took it to the hospital with me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And uh I set it on the the the the table next to his bed and of course he couldn't talk at that point.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But he could hear me and I said, Dad, look what I found

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, wow, this was, you know, you talked about it in your your first episode.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, I I didn't know the backstory of why you started doing this.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But as we sat, I sat in the hospital with him that week

Elizabeth Clayton:

Every night I'd make him listen to your all's podcast.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, you know, one of the things he always said was, Tough times don't last, tough people do.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so I'd spend the night with him and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I'd s I'd I'd I'd say, Dad, you need to listen to your own words here.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I know you can't respond back, but I said, you're hearing me loud and clear, and I've got I said, I I brought that little container with me and said it and I said, I've got this here too

Elizabeth Clayton:

I just want you to know I found it and um it'll be here when you wake up.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um you know it just uh there's something about throughout my life

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, hearing my dad talk and all of the inspirational things that he said or did, or whether it was those little quotes, um, you know, it just always stuck with me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And there's certain things he's always said that, you know, I can repeat verbatim, but um, you know, just all the things that he did leading up to this point in his life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, when you guys started the podcast and

Elizabeth Clayton:

The things that he said in those el eleven episodes, um I there you know, there's things that I never knew.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

uh you know, listening to those and the fact that you all were able to record those, those are things I'll listen to for the rest of my life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Those are the last two and a half months of my dad's life that, you know, he he uh I mean it's just it's like priceless.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I mean

Elizabeth Clayton:

It um I'm so thankful that, you know, you all were able to work together.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You were able to help each other, and you know, you had the brains to help him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Facilitate some of that.

Randy Black:

Brains is the right word.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, you had the the technical uh the technical ability.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, hearing you talk, uh, I mean, you're you sound like I'm like, wow.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Hearing you guys talk on that podcast, it it sounded like y'all been doing this for years, honestly

Randy Black:

And I was just blown away by your ability.

Randy Black:

It took me one episode.

Randy Black:

We recorded the first episode.

Randy Black:

And once I had him through that first one, I said, okay, here's what's happening.

Randy Black:

Next time, we're going live to the recording.

Randy Black:

We're just gonna hit we're gonna do queue all the music.

Randy Black:

We're gonna go through it all.

Randy Black:

We're gonna go through the segments, cue all the transitions, we're gonna do it all live.

Randy Black:

And he went, okay.

Randy Black:

And that's what we did.

Randy Black:

And yeah, that's like I told you today.

Randy Black:

That's what we're gonna do.

Randy Black:

And if we mess up, it's okay.

Randy Black:

We'll fix it and post and we'll keep working on it and we'll get there.

Randy Black:

Because I hate editing.

Randy Black:

I'm just going to say that publicly.

Randy Black:

I hate editing.

Randy Black:

It's not fun.

Randy Black:

It's boring.

Randy Black:

It's tedious.

Randy Black:

But uh, you know, it's it it it it it helped tremendously that he and I had the existing relationship

Randy Black:

that we'd worked together and we knew each other from that and we'd already even recorded together previously when he recorded with me in twenty eighteen.

Randy Black:

So

Randy Black:

It made it made that transition.

Randy Black:

It was just comfortable.

Randy Black:

You know?

Randy Black:

We were already we already were friends.

Randy Black:

So it made it it made it that easy, that much easier to just sit down and and and go at it

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, y'all sounded I mean, just you inspired me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I would send every week.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm like, who can I send this podcast to?

Elizabeth Clayton:

For somebody to listen.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so there was a point I'm like, I gotta I I just went through my phone and I just started sending it to people and they're like, What is this?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And even today st people are still like there's a podcast.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it was so funny because when we recorded the intro in the trailer last week, um you sent it to me and I guess you I I don't I sent it to Mike or and you maybe.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Okay, well we both sent it regardless, but um I got a text from his mother and um she goes, Wow, that's I said, huh?

Elizabeth Clayton:

What?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I guess he sent it to her and then last night when I went we went to go watch a football game up at Beerno's

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um he said, Oh, uh he was he was pulling his phone out and having people at Earhoes listen to it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And then he goes, Oh, I send it to my sister.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she was like, Wow, that's amazing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

And uh I just uh it uh you know I sent it to my mother and I really wanted her to hear it.

Randy Black:

I don't think she has it.

Randy Black:

I don't think I don't think she has well.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, um, you know, she didn't really understand my vision behind it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She, you know, uh

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like I said, it sometimes people just don't understand what inspires you to to wanna do.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I ha like I said, I had no plans of of

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, maybe at some point coming on your podcast with my dad and talking or doing something like that, but the fact that um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, it's been eleven weeks since, you know, I met you or talked to you for the first time.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And then of course my dad got sick, and you know, now we're sitting here and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, every day something new comes to me, like, what can I do?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like my an idea my dad had, or something he was doing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it's so funny because um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know all the the the you've seen him wear it and you've seen it through the gym, his brand, the clothing logo JMPR jumper.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, um anyway, he uh

Elizabeth Clayton:

I didn't really know the backstory to why when he created that or where it came from, but uh it stands for just more player reps is is what the what it stands for.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um before he passed away, you know, he would he had a gentleman that he he knew in Pakistan that he had been working with for years that he would create the clothing with all the logos on it and

Elizabeth Clayton:

My he would ship it all to my dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Of course my dad would pay him, but apparently he he's been messaging me back and forth and I had no idea that um

Elizabeth Clayton:

My dad had helped him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He's helped he was this first person that ever placed an order with him and helped this

Elizabeth Clayton:

this gentleman like get his business started eight, nine years ago since this kid was eighteen.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, he he's so sad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He goes, I'm so sad to see the Jay, the jumper

Elizabeth Clayton:

Clothing line, we had big aspirations to do really great things with it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He goes, Your dad was just so amazing at helping me create these things.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, so anyway

Elizabeth Clayton:

I called, I was like, what is the origin of jumper?

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I called Mark Sisko yesterday and I said of all the people that would maybe know the answer to this, he would.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He goes, well, it goes all the way back to the nineties.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he goes, We were somewhere and, you know, um the the shoot you know the shootaways that my dad has in the gym that all the kids would work out on?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, back in the day, the shootaways, they were not

Elizabeth Clayton:

automated where they shoot the ball out to you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

They had a the net thing around the basket, you shoot the ball and then it would roll down a track back to you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, he created this

Elizabeth Clayton:

years ago that that tied in with this shootaway because that's all about getting reps and you know player reps and yada yada and so Mark kinda filled me in but

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, man, it made me realize all the things I'm like, I just never asked my dad about.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And there's so many stories out there for and is but Mark goes, his mind never stopped.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He always had a notepad and a pen, and I don't care where we were, he was always thinking of something and creating something new.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um it just really I said

Elizabeth Clayton:

Uh what really blew me away was I realized yesterday that even if I didn't get to ask my dad something or know the answer, I can call there's people I can call that probably know the answer.

Randy Black:

Oh, yeah

Elizabeth Clayton:

And we can write a book.

Elizabeth Clayton:

We can write that book.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I told Mark yesterday what you said that we can start logging all these things over time and work on writing my dad's book.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said

Elizabeth Clayton:

uh wow, we can do that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um because he wanted to do that.

Randy Black:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um but anyway.

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

So let's uh let's hit that point in the conversation where it's gonna be a little rough.

Randy Black:

And there's people who who don't know what actually happened with your dad and and passing away.

Randy Black:

And 'cause it's so many people knew about his cancer journey and a and assumed that

Randy Black:

the cancer is is what led to his passing.

Randy Black:

But that wasn't it.

Randy Black:

So kind of kind of share what what happened in that that time frame, that that last week or so

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, he was actually doing f I mean, to me he seemed to be doing well.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had just started a new line of treatment.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

Probably beginning of August, because it's interesting.

Elizabeth Clayton:

The last time I was home, um, which was like July twenty first ish, right around there, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

For some reason I didn't go home.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I was supposed to go home that Sunday night, and I ended up staying that Monday and my ma I woke up that morning.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm gonna tell you this story, then I'll go into what happened.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

My uh I thought he went to Sports City, my mom goes, no, he went to the hospital.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, yeah, I said, oh yeah, he always gets blood work the day before his treatment

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I remember um I my nieces were there and they're six and four and Vera, the six-year-old, I said, Vera, do you want to go?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Let's go surprise pop pop at the hospital.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Because of all the three years he had been going through his cancer journey, I'd never physically been able to to be there and go sit with him when he got his chemo or met with his doctor or whatever the case was.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So um I'd always FaceTime with his doctor

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um here, you know, I talked to him, ask him questions.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I was always very involved.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So we we we went over there real fast and we walked in.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was waiting to get his blood work.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he was so surprised.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It was so happy, but he was talking to everybody and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, just really everybody was so grim over there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

There's not a lot of energy and he would he had more energy than the whole room, okay?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, everybody loved him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

All the nurses, everybody that was there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I mean, he just inspired them so much.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so we we go upstairs and Vera is intrigued, you know, like what is going on here?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he's telling her everything as we go along.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well

Elizabeth Clayton:

Anyway, um we go upstairs and we we meet with different people and we met with this doctor and I had never got to meet the doctor in person.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I felt like I had, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, you know, so anyway, m I realized after the fact, I said, gosh, that was the last time I was home.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That was the last thing I did with my dad was besides him coming to Louisville, was go to the hospital with him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, we they switched that was the point where they were like, we're gonna

Elizabeth Clayton:

Switch you up.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um basically there were some things that maybe started to grow a little bit.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: He had these nodules in his lungs that they were watching and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

Because his colon cancer, when it w when it's when it's stage four, it spreads from your colon to either your um liver or your lungs and then your lymph nodes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well his was his lymph nodes and his lungs.

Elizabeth Clayton:

um initially.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So they shrunk all that down over the three year period.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so at this point they were like, okay, we're gonna switch your treatment up.

Elizabeth Clayton:

This is gonna be the fourth line of treatment and yada yada.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So he started that beginning of August

Elizabeth Clayton:

Then uh like I said he came to visit me and I remember what was really interesting that night we went um after the concert we went to Wendy's

Elizabeth Clayton:

And uh he goes, I want to get some junior bacon cheeseburgers.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So we went through there and we got some burgers and fries and we came back to my apartment and

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, you know, I have a king-size bed, so I was like, Dad, you just sleep with me and um I want you to be comfortable.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, he kept waking up, you know, like with heartburn.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, Do you want me to get you a pepsid?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Are you okay?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, I didn't think anything of it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He just said, Oh, this is normal.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had to burp, whatever.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

When my mom called me f well, that was on what Friday night, so he left Saturday and then that that Wednesday, September tenth

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, my mom called me at what, one, two o'clock in the afternoon and she was on FaceTime.

Elizabeth Clayton:

My dad was laying there in the ER, he was already back into a room and she said, Oh, my dad's been vomiting and he had really bad abdominal pain and I'm thinking if they thought he had food poisoning.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's just what I remember my mom saying to me and I thought, oh, okay, well, they got back, they did a CT scan, and it was his gallbladder.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And his gallbladder was basically dead, it was full of air.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, come to find out, he was already starting to go septic

Elizabeth Clayton:

like later that afternoon.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And if they didn't operate on him when they did, I mean he wouldn't have made it through the night.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's what the the surgeon said.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I was already nervous anyway.

Elizabeth Clayton:

When they my mom called me that afternoon and said it was the gallbladder, I was like, I had a my my pet sitter's daughter had died like

Elizabeth Clayton:

th two, three months prior from having her gallbladder taken out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: She had other preexisting health conditions.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She was on dialysis for quite a few years, but she was like three years older than me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Okay.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And

Elizabeth Clayton:

She the whole thing happened.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I remember she texted me, Lauren died.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, what?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so that that whole thing and I had gone through six months of gallbladder testing this past year because I had heartburn and that was my number one symptom.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And my doctor goes

Elizabeth Clayton:

Have you ever had your gallbladder checked?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, I had no idea that heartburn was a symptom of a gallbladder not functioning correctly.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So when I started thinking back to my dad spending the night with me and him waking up and having the the the burping and the heartburn,

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he I think he was having symptoms, but he didn't know because when you're going through cancer treatment, they give you something to mask, the heartburn, the nausea, the any kind of gastrointestinal things you're feeling, you have a pill to take.

Elizabeth Clayton:

to mask it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So if he had symptoms, he didn't know till it was pretty much he had that infection so bad that um, you know, and uh it it just he I thought

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I I really didn't think oh this is you know, he's this is gonna kill him, but I was still nervous because when you have any kind of surgery, uh when you're undergoing his immune system was so low, like

Elizabeth Clayton:

It it just there's always a risk.

Randy Black:

Yeah, the key the chemotherapy had wiped him out.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Oh, and uh you know, yeah, that's that's exactly right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it continues to keep your immune system low as you go through all of that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

But the weird thing was he had had blood work the week before this happened and I asked the when he was in intensive

Elizabeth Clayton:

care after the surgery, I had one of the nurses say, Can you pull up the blood work from the week before?

Elizabeth Clayton:

I want to see if there's any sign of infection, because they would have caught that and sent him to the emergency room if they saw anything weird.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But nope, the only thing that there was was low white blood cell count.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So um anyway, I tried to piece together as much as I could to figure out, but you know, his body just could not handle that infection.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And over the days, there were moments where

Elizabeth Clayton:

We thought, okay, it was like every other day there'd be a moment like, yeah, this is cool good.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Then all of a sudden something would happen and they'd say, well, we don't know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, at a time, I would send you a message and ask, you know, hey, how what's going on?

Randy Black:

What's the update?

Randy Black:

And I'd get an update, he'd be like, oh things are going things are looking better, this is going on, and then, you know, twelve hours later it'd be the direct opposite.

Randy Black:

And like it was and I I I can't imagine I can't imagine what it was like for you and your mom and your brother and everybody, you know, because you were there.

Randy Black:

Um, I you know, part of me, and I've I you know I've told you this, part of me regrets that I didn't come to the hospital to see him.

Randy Black:

But part of me also is is thankful that I didn't

Randy Black:

Because I didn't want my last memory of him to be in that bed and not able to to communicate and and talk with me.

Randy Black:

I I loved that my last memory was that hug

Randy Black:

And him telling me how much he loved me.

Randy Black:

Um, I can't I just I can't imagine what that was like because it was tearing me up.

Randy Black:

I'd be sitting here and get the message with an update from you or sometimes from your mom and I just start crying.

Randy Black:

And my wife's like, are you okay?

Randy Black:

I'm like, no.

Randy Black:

She's like, what's what's wrong?

Randy Black:

I said, I just I just got an update on Jimmy.

Randy Black:

And she's like, oh.

Randy Black:

I'm like, yeah.

Randy Black:

And, you know, I I spent that whole week wondering, yeah.

Randy Black:

Is he gonna make it?

Randy Black:

And it was tough.

Randy Black:

Like I I still remember, you know, I remember the the exact moment

Randy Black:

When I found out, because you messaged me on Thursday morning after he had had the surgery and told me, hey, this is what's going on.

Randy Black:

Dad's in intensive care.

Randy Black:

He's at the ho in the at the hospital.

Randy Black:

They've had to do this.

Randy Black:

And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Randy Black:

It it flew I was at work and I just had to sit down.

Randy Black:

Cause it it blew me away, because I didn't expect it.

Randy Black:

I didn't expect it because he had been doing so well.

Randy Black:

He'd been doing so well.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah, he really um and that's the thing, you know, he had the cancer down to a science um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he he was so uh every time he went to that hospital, he he would ask so many questions.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I would l talk to the doctors.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I mean he really was very he he learned so much and really

Elizabeth Clayton:

If he and if he needed to do something different, he was always about like, okay, you know, he was always open to to anything new or changing or the w take whatever it was, you know, to help him, you know, in his cancer journey.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, uh it like I said, it it broke my heart because I was so involved in that journey with him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I know I was three hours away, but I was right there with I mean, it was like I was right there with him every day.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, what I don't care what it was.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um we FaceTimed every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and uh call and check on him and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, it it uh it it really broke my heart that that's what happened to him, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

He didn't suffer much.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's all I know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, watching him in the hospital, I mean, for the first two days, like he was conscious, he was talking.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and what the part that br this I'm gonna share this story with with with you and of course everybody that listens will hear this, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um that Thursday morning, you know, I got to the hospital and I remember the first thing he said was, What time did you get here?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I'm like, Well, I got here middle of the night.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um, you know, uh

Elizabeth Clayton:

that particular evening I didn't stay at the hospital, but the I went Friday and, you know, saw him and of course Sam Spurlock, his his best friend and I, we we went back later that evening.

Elizabeth Clayton:

We had gone out to get a bite to eat

Elizabeth Clayton:

I went with he and his wife and we came back and um you know, my dad was getting agitated that evening, you could tell, and so the nurses just said, just quietly slip out

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, um, let him we'll let him rest.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, um we did and that next morning my mom woke me up and said they called about four thirty that morning and said um they had to

Elizabeth Clayton:

Incubate him, put him on the ventilator.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Intubate.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I can't ever say that right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Intubate.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um or I didn't know the right way to say it because I always the ventilator.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's what I think of.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So anyway, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, oh Lord.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I didn't really understand the significance of all that, but I knew it wasn't a good thing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um so anyway, when I went, I stayed at the hospital.

Elizabeth Clayton:

that Saturday night.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That was the first night I stayed all night.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, I can't leave my dad at the hospital overnight by himself anymore because he would just I think it

Elizabeth Clayton:

You get scared and you get nervous when you don't have somebody there with you.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And even though he was on the ventilator, I just wanted him to know I was there.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well that particular night

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had the same nurse that had been there the nights prior and the um respiratory therapist came in to check on him when he because that's who puts the ventilator in.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so they shared with me what happened the night before

Elizabeth Clayton:

And what led to all of this.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so after he she said, Oh, he slept peacefully for a few hours after you all left.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And then about three o'clock in the morning I was in the next room and all of a sudden I heard all this commotion

Elizabeth Clayton:

He ripped all his IVs out and he goes, I want to get out of here.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um anyway, she came back, she got him all hooked up again, and then five minutes later he did it again.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so she came back and she said, Are you okay?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he goes, he was having trouble breathing from fluid buildup.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so she asked him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I can't remember if he asked her or she asked him, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

Do you want to be put on the ventilator?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he said yes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well they've got to ask you who you are, what your name is, where where you worked, things about yourself before they do that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So they know that you're fully, you're you're in tune with who you are

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, the the respiratory therapist, she came in and she when she was check on them, she said, Oh my gosh, before

Elizabeth Clayton:

She put the ventilator in.

Elizabeth Clayton:

One of the last things he said, he she pa patted her hand and she he goes, You're doing such a good job, honey.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's what he said.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it just really touched me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And th they these nurses that I would ta a lot of these nurses had my dad in school.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: That was what was so crazy.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So, um, but anyway, that first night that really touched me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And the one of the last things he was encouraging her and telling her how good of a job she was doing.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And that was the last thing he said, probably

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, and it was so fitting and um that that night I have my I started playing the podcast for him

Elizabeth Clayton:

And that's what really got me through.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, you're gonna hear your own words, Dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, we're gonna get you through this.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, I need you to hear yourself loud and clear, you and Randy.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, one of the things that

Elizabeth Clayton:

got me through being in that hospital with him was listening to you guys talk and that was the most comforting thing to me to hear his voice and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I knew no matter what happened, I would always carry that with me throughout my entire life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

The motivation, the inspiration, the

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's what he's been coaching me through my entire life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And whatever the difficulty is, whatever I'm gonna come up against, I can handle it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah, and not and and not just you.

Randy Black:

He coached everybody at that.

Randy Black:

That was who he was.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

It was always about making sure that

Randy Black:

Whatever he did was helped somebody get better in some way.

Randy Black:

That's what I loved about him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Mm-hmm.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, um it was interesting, you know, I have no idea what was going on in his brain throughout that week of him not being able to talk, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

The one, the last interaction I had with him two days before he passed, they he was on the ventilator, of course.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He had gone about three days, and they they start doing these spontaneous breathing trials where his oxygen was a hundred percent throughout the whole process, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he was just so worn out with that infection that um anyway they they weaned him off the sedation that he was on and he started waking up

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he started squeezing my hand and um, you know, he was man, he was moving his shoulders back and forth, and then I was talking to him and

Elizabeth Clayton:

He would turn his head and and look at me, but he couldn't open his eyes fully.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But he heard me and I was by myself.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I think that was probably the last moment that he really had with anybody that

Elizabeth Clayton:

He knew he could hear and, you know, he he felt me there in the room along with the nurse, because the nurse was talking to him, and, you know, he really um

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah, it was really an inner I I remember that vividly and it you know, he couldn't talk to me, but he heard me

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um that was pretty much the last time that I ever had the f the interaction with him and he moved his hands and squeezed and all of that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And you know, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

I just the whole uh I it it was a traumatic thing to go through, but at the same time it was a very peaceful thing at the same time because I knew where he was going.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I just did he wasn't in any pain.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and uh like I said, it it I just couldn't believe it was happening at the same time.

Elizabeth Clayton:

It's like what in the world?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well I how did he deserve this?

Randy Black:

I'll I'll share this that I

Randy Black:

Okay, the the night after we did that last recording, I had come home and I don't know why, but I I started talking with my wife and I said, Beth.

Randy Black:

Something tells me I need to talk to Jimmy.

Randy Black:

She's like, well, what about?

Randy Black:

I said, well, I need to make sure

Randy Black:

I need to make sure I'm going to see him if something happens.

Randy Black:

Meaning if he passes, that I'll get to see him again.

Randy Black:

And

Randy Black:

I I I told her, I said, I don't know, like I know what he believes.

Randy Black:

I know what he believes in his heart.

Randy Black:

I know he believes there's a God and that there's this higher power and everything.

Randy Black:

I said, I know all that.

Randy Black:

But I don't know I don't know if he's ever accepted that and accepted that he has a savior who will

Randy Black:

save him and and let him go to heaven and and spend eternity in the with with us in the future.

Randy Black:

I don't know.

Randy Black:

And

Randy Black:

My my plan was when we got back together on the 11th, when we finished recording, was to say, hey, I need to talk to you about something.

Randy Black:

And it didn't get to happen.

Randy Black:

And I beat myself up over it for days and days, thinking I missed the chance.

Randy Black:

I missed the chance

Randy Black:

And as everything was going on and I talked to more people and we we headed toward the the visitation and the services and I learned I learned

Randy Black:

that me talking to him about that, it wasn't necessary.

Randy Black:

He he he was on the path and he knew where he was going.

Randy Black:

And I know, and I tell everybody this, I know sometime in the future, when I leave this world and I go to heaven and get to meet my savior and meet my Lord.

Randy Black:

I'm gonna find Jim Clayton and the first thing I'm gonna do is walk over and give him a hug and yell, bam, son.

Randy Black:

Because I know I know that now.

Randy Black:

It was hard.

Randy Black:

I beat myself up for days because I didn't know.

Randy Black:

Um, and I was so happy.

Randy Black:

Like when it hit me, oh

Randy Black:

He's he's there.

Randy Black:

And it it put me at so much peace.

Randy Black:

And I think that's part of what made my ability to speak at the services so much easier.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Oh yeah.

Randy Black:

Because I knew at that point.

Randy Black:

So yeah.

Randy Black:

It's um it's just it's it's been, you know, I I for me, it's been traumatic.

Randy Black:

But I know that doesn't compare to what you and your family have had to go through.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well you you've been right along with us.

Randy Black:

I know that I know you've I I can I've I've never had

Randy Black:

Like I've I've lost my I've lost all four of my grandparents and I've dealt with that and and handled it in the ways I handled it.

Randy Black:

But this one, someone who I had no blood relation with, someone who yeah, I've I met him when I was fifteen years old the first time and we got to work together and then became friends and we worked on this p show and stuff together.

Randy Black:

It hit me harder than anything else has ever hit me.

Randy Black:

And but I'm so happy that it happened.

Randy Black:

Like because I know that what he and I started

Randy Black:

What we started with this podcast, you and I are gonna keep going.

Randy Black:

We we have you there was a clear vision

Randy Black:

to share these things.

Randy Black:

And it's not even it doesn't even matter what they are.

Randy Black:

It's just to share things that can help somebody else.

Randy Black:

That's the goal.

Randy Black:

And that you want to step in and do that still.

Randy Black:

And, you know, like I said, I didn't expect it to happen.

Randy Black:

I didn't expect anybody else who wanna do it

Randy Black:

Um, I had some people reach out and say, oh, but we can, you know how we can come on and we can talk about and tell all these stories.

Randy Black:

And I'm like, okay, but that's not what he wanted to do.

Randy Black:

He didn't want to talk about him.

Randy Black:

He wanted to talk about ways to make you better.

Randy Black:

And that's, you know, that's that's our goal.

Randy Black:

That's what we're trying to do.

Randy Black:

Um, you know, the idea is, you know.

Randy Black:

What's gonna happen next with this?

Randy Black:

Well, we really don't know.

Randy Black:

We're gonna we're gonna keep going.

Randy Black:

You know, are we gonna mix up the show from what it was?

Randy Black:

Yeah, probably.

Randy Black:

We're gonna have to make it work for us in a way.

Randy Black:

that still honors what he did and still carries that on.

Randy Black:

So, you know, are we gonna have the same tone all the time that would that, you know

Randy Black:

that I had with him that our our conversational style.

Randy Black:

Probably not.

Randy Black:

You and I don't talk to each other the same way that he and I talk to each other.

Randy Black:

So there's gonna be some shifts.

Randy Black:

There's gonna be some changes.

Randy Black:

Um

Randy Black:

He and I tried to get people to come on the show.

Randy Black:

We had one guest in 11 episodes.

Randy Black:

And that was Dr.

Randy Black:

Brad Miller.

Randy Black:

Dr.

Randy Black:

Brad Miller is amazing.

Randy Black:

He's a great friend.

Randy Black:

He texts me every couple days to check on me to see how I'm doing.

Randy Black:

With everything that's been going on with with the loss of your dad, and then my my father-in-law has some issues, but I'm not going to talk about those because I've been told not to talk about 'em publicly.

Randy Black:

Um

Randy Black:

But, you know, and I got that connection because we did this with Brad on the show.

Randy Black:

But, you know, the goal is to keep talking about it.

Randy Black:

And if that means we're gonna bring in more people to talk to with us, we'll bring in more people to talk with us

Randy Black:

If we're going to change things up, like my favorite segment I've ever done in a podcast was Jimmy's Wisdom of the Week.

Randy Black:

You know, are we going to keep doing a wisdom of the week?

Randy Black:

I'm going to try.

Randy Black:

I can't always, you know, I can't I can't always guarantee they're gonna be as good as Jimmy's Jimmy isms, but we're gonna try.

Randy Black:

You know, we're not we're trying not to stray from what the core principles that we that your dad and I started this show on.

Randy Black:

The hope is though that by sticking with those principles and having your voice, your views, will help us to expand that.

Randy Black:

That's how I look at it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes, I like that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um well we definitely have unlimited wisdom of the weeks for quite a while because as every time I go through some type of note or something of his

Elizabeth Clayton:

There will always be something to go off of and um no matter what, we will always have his inspiration around us and um

Elizabeth Clayton:

It's just I said he has fifteen thousand videos in his phone.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Now a lot of these videos are um a lot of them, you know, every time he would be in the gym

Elizabeth Clayton:

nightly and he was doing the lessons on the the the shootaway guns, he would film the players and their shots and everything.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I mean he has tons of that, but he's always talking in the background.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, so I'm trying to go through and find the most important ones and f and save them.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, like I said, uh one of the things, you know, he every time I was around him

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I get so I'm not mad at him, but I mean like dad, get off your phone.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like, get off your phone, Dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm I'm here to visit you or you're here to whatever.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm uh uh you know

Elizabeth Clayton:

Can you pay attention to me for a little while?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, he of course he would, but he was always so glued to his phone because I think his mind was always thinking, like, what can I do next?

Elizabeth Clayton:

What can I put out there?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Every day he was always posting a video or a an inspirational quote, picture, whatever he created.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, going through his phone

Elizabeth Clayton:

And having his phone in my possession, it really brought to light like he he was his mind was always spinning.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was always thinking of the next thing that he could do to help somebody.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, I really thought like, man

Elizabeth Clayton:

No what I mean I I understand why he was always on the phone.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That brought him comfort, I'm sure too, in what in what he was going through in the last three years, just knowing he could help somebody else.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um whatever they were going through and, you know, um

Randy Black:

With everything else, that's what kept him young.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Oh my gosh.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I mean, just all the people that have reached out to me, um, you know, in the the week

Elizabeth Clayton:

The last few weeks, they're all the one consistent thing they say to me is we're gonna miss his daily messages.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so that led me when I got his phone and I started looking through

Elizabeth Clayton:

I said, what can I do to keep because I realized, you know, he had built something up on his social media account.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I said, well, I can't let that go.

Elizabeth Clayton:

If I can figure out a way to continue to maybe do something in that regard.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I said, what can I do?

Elizabeth Clayton:

I have to come up with like some kind of a slogan to put on there every week.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So of course I'm like, nobody likes Mondays.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Well, I'm sure some people do, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

Most people dread Mondays 'cause it's the start of the the work week or whatever.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so I said, Well, I'll just call it Believe, Achieve, Motivate Monday.

Randy Black:

Huh

Elizabeth Clayton:

And make a post, pick a video or something funny.

Randy Black:

Believe, achieve, motivate.

Randy Black:

I think that th then don't you mean this?

Randy Black:

Bam, son.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes, um, that's exactly it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um so I've done it the last three weeks on Monday, and people really seem to um enjoy it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, I just want people to know that I don't I know my dad is in another place, but he was a l he's still alive.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he's still I want, you know, I I want people to still hear his voice and know that he's still with us.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he would love nothing more than knowing every time I'm holding his phone and I'm looking, I know he's looking over me like, oh, this makes me so happy.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I just know that he would really get a kick out of it and the fact that we're st we're doing this right now.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I I I just know that this is

Elizabeth Clayton:

if I can do anything to honor my dad, doing these things is the best thing I can do.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um and the things that he loved the most is, you know, when it comes to helping people and motivating people and inspiring people

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um, I've always had that in me in some way, shape, or form, but I never knew how to use it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so the last I mean I pr I did in different ways, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, it's been interesting.

Elizabeth Clayton:

The things that have been um stirring inside of me since his passing, I don't know if it's hi I don't know what it is, but I just feel so called to every day like something new comes to me and I'm like, how can I do this?

Elizabeth Clayton:

What can I do?

Elizabeth Clayton:

So like the podcast.

Elizabeth Clayton:

When we start talking about it um after his passing, I'm like, I don't know how this is gonna work, but we'll figure it out.

Randy Black:

Yeah, and and and what's what's funny to me is that every you know, somebody'd say, like, well, what's gonna happen to the podcast?

Randy Black:

I'm like, well

Randy Black:

Elizabeth wants to do it.

Randy Black:

And I'd get, Elizabeth?

Randy Black:

What?

Randy Black:

Like my favorite was when I said that to to Mike.

Randy Black:

Anybody listening who doesn't know Mike is Elizabeth's boyfriend.

Randy Black:

Um, nice guy.

Randy Black:

Really like him.

Randy Black:

And Mike went, how's she gonna do that?

Randy Black:

I said, uh just we're gonna take equipment down there and we're gonna set it up to it remotely.

Randy Black:

He goes, You can do that?

Randy Black:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

Well, where's she gonna set it up at?

Randy Black:

I said, I think we're going to your house.

Randy Black:

And he went, what?

Randy Black:

I went, I'm just telling you what I was told.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So but just just stuff like that.

Randy Black:

Like in when I was you know, when I was getting the equipment.

Randy Black:

Your mom was like, you know, I don't know why she wants to do this.

Randy Black:

I said, because she loved him.

Randy Black:

That was her dad, and she wants to keep this going.

Randy Black:

She wants to carry that on.

Randy Black:

I said, and if that's, you know, if if I can help do that and and help carry on, you know, Jimmy's name and his legacy, then I'm gonna do it too.

Randy Black:

So

Randy Black:

It's and I you know, I haven't talked to your brother, so I don't know what he thinks, but I'm sure that he's kinda like, uh, it's Elizabeth doing something crazy.

Randy Black:

But you know, it's it is what it is.

Randy Black:

You know, it's it's it's the way for you to honor your dad.

Randy Black:

That's all it comes down to.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, and you know what?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um what what did my dad say?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well he I don't remember, it was either in an episode or one of his he said, you know, I'd rather somebody try and fail

Elizabeth Clayton:

then do nothing and succeed.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, at the end of the day I found the thing that helps me the most with n you know, his passing

Elizabeth Clayton:

is having him all around me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, I have his what you know those big pictures that we had made uh we had him next to h at the service

Elizabeth Clayton:

There was four different ones.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I've got one in my car.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He rides in the front seat with me everywhere I go.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I've got one sitting at my table at my house.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I've got one at my office.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I've got one everywhere that I am, you know, and I look at it and he look like I'm looking right at him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And, you know, I have things of his around me and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, uh I'm just constantly, that's what helps me cope with everything that has happened.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And him physically not being here.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Now

Elizabeth Clayton:

I know some people, well most people, they have a hard time with that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That makes it harder for them to cope, is hearing their voice, looking at their picture.

Elizabeth Clayton:

At least I know that for my mother seems to have a harder time with that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I don't know about my my brother or other people, but me

Elizabeth Clayton:

I need to hear him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I need to know he's around me and he existed.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Coach Jim Clayton: You don't know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I I I refuse to let him

Elizabeth Clayton:

die.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I know he's he's physically gone, but I refuse to let his voice die.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And if I have to be that voice

Elizabeth Clayton:

I will step in.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I'm not trying to replace my dad, but I know I have him inside me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He has always he has coached me and guided me for 40 years of my life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He was there the day I was born.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And

Elizabeth Clayton:

He is I am who I am because of him.

Elizabeth Clayton:

He is, you know, uh from the time I was little, I knew that we had a special bond.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um I am him and he is me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Whatever you want to say.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, you know, it's interesting.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I have a funny story to tell you based off of what you just said.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So his my grandmother, my dad's mom, she was my best friend growing up.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um I spent every weekend at her house

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, I'd call her on Saturday morning and I'd say, Grandmother, what are we doing today?

Elizabeth Clayton:

We'd go hit up three grocery stores and go to the mall or whatever, and we'd have our little routines in the evening.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, it was so the thing that struck me

Elizabeth Clayton:

growing up and going places with her was she would walk into the grocery store and they would say, Hey Jane, how are you?

Elizabeth Clayton:

What can we get for you today?

Elizabeth Clayton:

What can we do for you?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it struck me like every time we what they all knew her name.

Elizabeth Clayton:

They all were like so helpful.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she had a personal relationship with each one of these people that worked in these stores.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she always told me, she goes, everywhere you go, you need to make a friend

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she had the same personality like my dad.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She never knew a stranger.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And it was so funny.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Years later, I remember she told this story.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She sold real estate at one point or another and later in life.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so

Elizabeth Clayton:

Which was very fitting for her.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Everywhere we would drive and hike, and she would say, I sold this house at this year and for this price and this family and blah.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She never forgot anything.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so anyway, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

She said the story.

Elizabeth Clayton:

She was somewhere and somebody said, Do you have a son?

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she goes, yes.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And she said it she goes

Elizabeth Clayton:

I knew it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

I knew it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You all are just alike and you look just alike.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And so um, you know, I spent most of my, you know, adolescent life into college with her, and of course my father too, but

Elizabeth Clayton:

My personality is them.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And he got every everything he is.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, he was very close with my with his mother.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, uh I just those those are in my life the definitely the two most important relationships I've ever had.

Elizabeth Clayton:

They taught me more than I can even

Elizabeth Clayton:

I you know, uh it it just it's unbelievable um when I start thinking about it.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And um, you know, uh I just want to make sure that

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, people know that I want to keep my dad like I said, I want to keep him alive and I want him to still be there and be a voice for people and

Elizabeth Clayton:

You know, maybe I can help him too along the way.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Sharing things about my dad and the things he taught me and the people we bring on the show and you know, your words

Elizabeth Clayton:

things that you have to say.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You just if like he my dad said, if we can just help one person, that's all that matters to me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

One person.

Elizabeth Clayton:

You just never know.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Um

Elizabeth Clayton:

what is gonna hit people.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like I remember when we went and did that um that's that thing for my that two days after my dad died, we went with Greg White up to, you know, um

Elizabeth Clayton:

Tex Williams Museum and my dad was supposed to be honored that day.

Elizabeth Clayton:

So I got up and talked and I talked about his podcast.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And after the show

Elizabeth Clayton:

After the not the show, the the ceremony, um, this woman came up to me and she goes, Now what's the name of the podcast?

Elizabeth Clayton:

She goes, I have a friend who's going just started her cancer journey.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I really want to share that podcast with her and have her listen.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And what you said was just so inspiring and really touched me.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I really want to listen to that.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I want my friend, I said

Elizabeth Clayton:

Wow.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Like I had no idea that that, you know, but you just never know who's listening or who's going to be touched by what you say or do.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And that's all that matters here in the world we live in.

Randy Black:

what doors are gonna open or close.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

Um, which, you know, yeah, like I said, my favorite segment with that I ever came up with for a podcast was Wisdom of the Week and

Randy Black:

I have one for this week.

Randy Black:

It's it's not a Jim Clayton Jimmyism, but I do have one.

Randy Black:

And it kind of goes along right with what you were saying there.

Randy Black:

So let's kind of let's move that direction.

Randy Black:

Okay.

Randy Black:

Okay.

Randy Black:

So we're gonna go into that direction.

Randy Black:

Now it's time for our wisdom of the week.

Randy Black:

This is where we share a quick statement of inspiration or motivation to provide our listeners with a final

Randy Black:

So the quote I pulled out and and used this week is that when God closes a door

Randy Black:

He doesn't lock the hallway.

Randy Black:

And that hit me kind of profoundly.

Randy Black:

You know, there's moments in our lives when when something we hope for just doesn't pan out

Randy Black:

A door closes.

Randy Black:

That could be a job falls through.

Randy Black:

It could be a change in your relationship.

Randy Black:

It could be something you're chasing after, a dream you've had.

Randy Black:

It just doesn't materialize.

Randy Black:

It doesn't happen the way that we imagined it.

Randy Black:

And it's easy for us as human beings to take that closed door and view it as a dead end.

Randy Black:

But the truth is, it's often just a redirection.

Randy Black:

When God closes a door, he doesn't walk the hallway.

Randy Black:

That means there's still room to move.

Randy Black:

There's still room to breathe.

Randy Black:

There's room for us to look around, for us to see what else might be lining up for us at his will.

Randy Black:

Closed doors feel like rejection.

Randy Black:

But there's so many times that they're not.

Randy Black:

They're actually protection.

Randy Black:

They're clarity.

Randy Black:

There are opportunities for us to shift our focus from where we thought we needed to be to where he actually has us guided to what direction we should go based on his will.

Randy Black:

When we keep walking, the door's closed, we're still moving in that hallway.

Randy Black:

Even if we're moving slow, even if we're moving with uncertainty

Randy Black:

We often discover another doors waiting just a few steps down the hallway.

Randy Black:

One that fits better in our situation.

Randy Black:

One that leads to growth or to healing

Randy Black:

Or gives us an impact that we didn't see coming.

Randy Black:

So if you're staring at a door that won't open, don't lose heart.

Randy Black:

Take a step back.

Randy Black:

Take a step forward.

Randy Black:

Just keep moving down that hallway.

Randy Black:

God's still working, and He's not done writing your story yet.

Randy Black:

It's pretty powerful.

Randy Black:

And the reason I I reason I saw this quote and chose it was re- was was was re-emphasized for me today.

Randy Black:

I met a gentleman today for the first time, Coach Perry Estep.

Randy Black:

Coach E Step knew Jim Clayton very well.

Randy Black:

Elizabeth, you know who he is too.

Randy Black:

And I met him today at Pocahie where he was subbing because he's retired now.

Randy Black:

And one of the things he said to me is, you just, and I hadn't shared this with anybody other than Elizabeth when I put this on our notes.

Randy Black:

He said, you know, sometimes God closes that door, but you just got to keep moving to the next one

Randy Black:

It hit me so hard because I knew this was on my notes.

Randy Black:

It was my reinforcement that this is what I needed to talk about.

Randy Black:

That this is what I needed to share this week in our wisdom segment.

Randy Black:

I know it's not Jimmy, it's not Jimmy Clayton saying it, but it's one of those things that I knew he would understand and he would see this in a very similar way.

Randy Black:

And it's it's it's it's very profound for our situation because a door closed for us.

Randy Black:

We lost Jim.

Randy Black:

And it hurt.

Randy Black:

But what have we done?

Randy Black:

Well, Elizabeth and I have found another path.

Randy Black:

We walked up that hallway, and another door was waiting there for us, and it allowed us to connect.

Randy Black:

And you know, before, you know, I can I I can I can say this, and I'm sure that that you'll agree, Elizabeth, before this happened, yeah, we were connected and we were friends on Facebook, but were we really friends?

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: I'd say probably not.

Randy Black:

But this has allowed us to open that door, to build that friendship, and now to bring to do this work on this podcast so that we can carry on Jim's legacy.

Randy Black:

And that's our goal.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yes, you said it well.

Randy Black:

So I think we're about that point where we're going to close up this episode, uh, this first episode with Elizabeth.

Randy Black:

It's been great.

Randy Black:

Um, I'm looking at the counter on my Rodcaster and we're up to almost an hour and a half.

Randy Black:

So it's it's just like talking to Jim 'cause sometimes you can't stop people from talking.

Randy Black:

But I want to take a moment and thank anybody who's listening and thank you for your support.

Randy Black:

We're in this transition period.

Randy Black:

We're working our way through.

Randy Black:

And Jim and I had actually talked about and had planned.

Randy Black:

a way for listeners to support us because we don't we don't want to take ads.

Randy Black:

That was not what we wanted to do.

Randy Black:

We had people who said, hey, we can get ads for you.

Randy Black:

That's not what we wanted to do.

Randy Black:

We, if we provide value, we hope that you would provide value back.

Randy Black:

So shooting it straight has always been about honest, down-to-earth conversations.

Randy Black:

That's what Jim and I had every week.

Randy Black:

And our goal is to challenge, to encourage, to inspire.

Randy Black:

And now Elizabeth's taking his seat, and we're in this new season, and we're excited because we're going to try to keep growing and try to keep reaching more people.

Randy Black:

And we would love for anybody who's listening to help us make that happen.

Randy Black:

So we have set up a few ways that you can support the show each month.

Randy Black:

It starts at just a couple of dollars.

Randy Black:

So we've got some different levels set up so you can you can join as what we call a listener or a friend of the show or a partner

Randy Black:

a champion or one of our legacy supporters.

Randy Black:

And every level has its own little perks that are associated with it.

Randy Black:

You know, it could be bonus episodes, it could be shout-outs on the show, and it could be exclusive

Randy Black:

online hangouts where you get a you know chat with Elizabeth and I one-on-one.

Randy Black:

Um and you know the goal is that it would cover the expenses that we have for doing this show.

Randy Black:

That's all that's all we're looking for.

Randy Black:

So as part of launching that and getting that support system out there, we're making a limited time offer to anybody who signs up.

Randy Black:

If you sign up right now before the 28th of February, anybody who joins as a supporter will get 50% off for the first year they want to support us.

Randy Black:

So that on that base level listener support is like $2.

Randy Black:

50 a month.

Randy Black:

But if you join now, right now

Randy Black:

$1.

Randy Black:

25.

Randy Black:

$1.

Randy Black:

25 a month to show us that we're providing you with some value.

Randy Black:

It doesn't matter what level you choose out of those ones I just rattled off.

Randy Black:

They're all specially priced at that 50% off.

Randy Black:

It's our way of saying thank you because you have supported us by listening, and we hope that we're giving you enough value that you might help us.

Randy Black:

And it's our way of also trying to control, you know, help with this relaunch so that we can continue what Jim and I started, trying to help people.

Randy Black:

If you're interested in doing that, you can learn more about it and sign up by heading over to our website, shooting itstraightpodcast.

Randy Black:

com slash support.

Randy Black:

There's also a support link right there at the top of the page if you just go to the shootingitstraight podcast dot com.

Randy Black:

The goal and the hope is that we are providing value that you then can help us to cover the expenses we do have.

Randy Black:

and and keep producing this show and making something that is quality and something that you enjoy and want to hear each and every week when we do it.

Randy Black:

Anything you want to share real quick before we close out, Liz?

Elizabeth Clayton:

Well, I'm just thankful that we're on this path and um you know I feel like

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know things that have been happening over the last few weeks since my dad's passing, uh I would have never thought I you know, I you always wonder, you know, where life's gonna take you, but um

Elizabeth Clayton:

you know, uh it's just interesting to to see all the things happening and brewing and um it's exciting at but at the same time, you know

Elizabeth Clayton:

I I miss my dad and I I but I know he's still with us and he's always going to be, you know, inspiring us and sending us signs or whatever the case is, letting us know that he's here with us.

Elizabeth Clayton:

But um I'm just super excited to

Elizabeth Clayton:

work with you and um you know build on this and uh you know really honor my dad in the process of it all because you really helped start this with him and um I'm just

Elizabeth Clayton:

super thrilled and excited that I can be a part of it and continue um the legacy of what you all started.

Elizabeth Clayton:

Yeah.

Randy Black:

And I'm I'm I'm like I said earlier, I'm I'm I'm elated that you were you were wanting to jump on.

Randy Black:

So

Randy Black:

Real quick, before we close out, the only other thing I can ask you to do is to head over to our website, shootingitstrapepodcast.

Randy Black:

com.

Randy Black:

There are

Randy Black:

All the episodes available there.

Randy Black:

There are any updates with that have been posted throughout this whole process.

Randy Black:

Um there's actually, I mean, I've even, there's a copy of Jimmy's obituary that's published to the website.

Randy Black:

So that we have it there to keep it

Randy Black:

and to honor him and and have that memorial to him.

Randy Black:

Um we also have links to all the pod uh not all, but a big number of the podcast apps.

Randy Black:

So if you want to quickly

Randy Black:

You know, go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify or YouTube Music or wherever to subscribe to the show.

Randy Black:

There's links there at shootingstraightpodcast.

Randy Black:

com slash follow.

Randy Black:

Uh, there's also a link there that will take you straight to our Facebook page.

Randy Black:

Uh we post uh

Randy Black:

uh cl links to things to episodes, uh little short blurbs, funny stuff sometimes, just just to to to have a community and a page where people can come to and they can learn and and hear about the show.

Randy Black:

But to close out the show, what I want to do is we have put together a new intro for the show.

Randy Black:

Um

Randy Black:

It still has Jim's voice.

Randy Black:

I want to make sure that that is 100% clear that his voice is always going to be on this show one way or another.

Randy Black:

And a way that we can always guarantee that is by having him right there at the beginning of the intro.

Randy Black:

You heard the intro to start the show, which had Jim and I, but I'm going to close the show out by playing our new intro that we'll have from this point forward with Elizabeth and I.

Randy Black:

And uh again, thank you for listening.

Randy Black:

Elizabeth, thank you for for jumping in and and taking taking the seat behind your dad's mic.

Randy Black:

Um and it is it is it is Jim's mic.

Randy Black:

It is 100% his microphone.

Randy Black:

It's the one he talked in every week.

Randy Black:

Um I made sure that he talked into the pink one because it's got a pink cover on it.

Randy Black:

Um

Randy Black:

He's like, that's pink.

Randy Black:

I love it.

Randy Black:

I'll do it.

Randy Black:

So um, but this is this is this is gonna be uh an adventure, and that's I wouldn't have it any other way because I get to share about

Randy Black:

My co-host, my friend, my brother, Jimmy Clayton.

Randy Black:

So thank you, folks.

Randy Black:

We'll talk to you again soon, but let's close out with that really quickly with our new intro.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know, believe in yourself or nobody else will.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Set the bar high, achieve greatness, and stay motivated through the process.

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: You know what that spells

Randy Black:

Coach Jim Clayton: Bam son!

Randy Black:

This is Shooting It Straight, the podcast where life lessons don't come sugar-coated and excuses get checked at the door.

Randy Black:

I'm Randy Black, podcast guy, educator, and resident technique.

Randy Black:

And apparently, still the only one here who

Randy Black:

doesn't yell bam son in public.

Elizabeth Clayton:

And I'm Elizabeth Clayton, stepping into some big shoes, ready to ask the tough questions, call it like it is, and maybe even challenge Randy a little along the way.

Randy Black:

Each week we're taking what life teaches us.

Randy Black:

The discipline, the drive, the lessons you can't just read in a book, and translating it into real-world success.

Elizabeth Clayton:

That's right.

Elizabeth Clayton:

This is about showing up when life gets messy, pushing through when the pressure's on, and figuring out how to get better, no matter what.

Elizabeth Clayton:

looking for fluff this probably isn't your show we're here to help you believe bigger achieve louder and motivate stronger so buckle up and whatever you do keep shooting it straight bam son

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