00;00;03;22 – 00;00;32;19
Speaker 1
one. Hello, and welcome to the Mobile Matters podcast, powered by the Mobile Chamber, where we dive deeper into the story shaping Mobile’s thriving business community. I’m your host and the president and CEO of the Mobile Chamber, Bradley Byrne. On today’s episode, we’re celebrating the winners of the 2025 Eagle Awards. For nearly three decades, the Mobile Chamber has recognized minority owned businesses that have demonstrated excellence, innovation and impact in our community.

00;00;32;22 – 00;00;54;11
Speaker 1
These entrepreneurs not only build successful companies, but they also strengthen the local economy and inspire future generations. We begin with Albert Edwards, CEO and president of Corporate Environmental Risk Management, a firm provide an environmental, civil engineering and program management services to major clients across the southeast. Albert. Welcome to the podcast.

00;00;54;13 – 00;00;57;03
Speaker 2
Yeah. Thank you. Bradley, thank you so much for having me.

00;00;57;05 – 00;01;11;19
Speaker 1
Well, we’re just delighted to have you here, but also delighted to have you join the ranks of our Eagle Award winners so far. Listeners may not be familiar with your company, so why don’t you just tell them a little bit about the company, what it does. Yeah. And where you do it?

00;01;11;21 – 00;01;44;16
Speaker 2
Yeah. Thank you so much. And again, thank you to you and the mobile chamber for all that you do and for this recognition. So, so we’re, we call ourselves a vertically integrated engineering and program management business. So we primarily practice civil and environmental engineering and project management. And our customers are primarily infrastructure and commercial customers. So infrastructure that includes, you know, roads and bridges and airports, but then also serves, Port Authority’s.

00;01;44;19 – 00;01;54;11
Speaker 2
And so we’re headquartered in Atlanta, and we have branch offices around the southeast with, with the having branch office here in mobile, which is my home.

00;01;54;14 – 00;02;00;27
Speaker 1
Well, we’re glad to have a hometown guy doing well. That’s really good to hear. So had the company get started.

00;02;01;00 – 00;02;21;13
Speaker 2
You think? Thank you for that question. And if you will indulge me, I really think the company started when I was in high school, to be quite honest. And perhaps in my mind, I grew up in Prichard. I’m a manatee blunt grad, 1983 and, and, you know, the, like, call my parents home early on in my life.

00;02;21;16 – 00;02;44;25
Speaker 2
I’m the youngest of four boys, so, so my mother, my mother passed 12, and then I was nine when my father passed, and and I worked for a, a city councilman by the name of John Sanderson in Prichard, who was also the industrial co-operative training teacher, which I think in some communities now they call the program KTA, but I work for him.

00;02;44;27 – 00;03;08;09
Speaker 2
And, the Corps of Engineers was being sued, for, for some of their hiring practices during that period. And so he suggested that they hire kids from, from blight. And so my first day, at the core US Army Corps of Engineers, I met who would become my partner, Marcus Reese. And so, and I just moved around the corner from Marcus and I.

00;03;08;09 – 00;03;28;04
Speaker 2
I’m pretty sure I ate more at his mother’s home over the next. His mother and father saw him over the next 30 years than he did. So. So just a tremendous kinship. And that’s where it started. And so subsequently, I went to Mississippi Valley. I was a football major, minor in industrial engineering and, and matriculated there.

00;03;28;04 – 00;03;51;08
Speaker 2
I didn’t get a chance to play professionally as I, as I had hoped for, but had done well academically. Came back home and was hired by BCM engineers. So much of the engineering infrastructure in this community of folks from BCM and also Voelker and Thompson and I worked in corporate for several years and was and was, doing well.

00;03;51;08 – 00;04;12;20
Speaker 2
And, and, and really wanted to invest in a, in a sickle cell, sickle cell Denner award. My nephew who’s here was born with sickle cell. The young lady I was dating at the time, her son had sickle cell and and the company my employer offered to buy two tickets. And the table was $1,000. So two tickets were $200.

00;04;12;20 – 00;04;37;14
Speaker 2
And and I going back to business school and recognize that, and they were good folks. But people entities make social investments along the lines of their strategic interest. And so, so I was lucky enough to have saved some money. And, Marcus, who I met that first day, he was in Atlanta as well. And, we spent a year working on a business plan.

00;04;37;14 – 00;04;42;22
Speaker 2
And that was in 1980, 1995. So exactly 30 years ago.

00;04;42;24 – 00;04;56;22
Speaker 1
Wow. Yeah. Come a long way in 30 years. You’re one of the leading environmental and engineering companies across the southeast. So you come up with this plan 30 years ago. So how did it unfold from that point forward?

00;04;56;24 – 00;05;30;19
Speaker 2
Yeah. The what thank you for that question. So we we really entered the market as an environmental program management firm. And so our work was primarily on the private side. We were working for institutional real estate interest. We had national contracts and really stumbled into some of the public work. And, and we had an opportunity to conduct the environmental impact statement for Hartsfield-Jackson, which, as you know, is the world’s most traveled airports and now and, and and that was, a two year, $5 million study.

00;05;30;19 – 00;05;54;08
Speaker 2
And so subsequently, that kind of introduced us to the world of infrastructure outside of the private sector work we had traditionally done. And, and so with, you know, with some, some discipline and a whole lot of learning and prayer, you know, we’ve been able to continue to grow our market share in those spaces. So, so the company has has had a steady growth.

00;05;54;10 – 00;05;59;06
Speaker 2
And so we’re, we’re, you know, about about 130 employees.

00;05;59;08 – 00;06;05;08
Speaker 1
I just want to ask, so you’ve got an office and an office down here in mobile. Where else do you have offices?

00;06;05;15 – 00;06;08;22
Speaker 2
We are in Tampa and we are in Orlando. Wow.

00;06;08;22 – 00;06;10;20
Speaker 1
So that busy Florida market?

00;06;10;22 – 00;06;29;09
Speaker 2
Yeah, busy north central Florida. We, you know, we have, work that we’re standing up in Nashville now, but, but, but I’m a little biased toward mobile. I, I sleep really well here, and, and I, and I get good food from my auntie’s and others here. So, so that’s where we are.

00;06;29;14 – 00;06;38;06
Speaker 1
Well, we’re glad to have you back. Whenever we can get you. And if we need to find out where your auntie is, and we can make sure she’s still cooking for you, we’ll make sure we do that.

00;06;38;06 – 00;06;39;17
Speaker 2
Amen. Amen.

00;06;39;24 – 00;06;43;10
Speaker 1
So, what do you think has been the key to your company’s success?

00;06;43;13 – 00;07;02;25
Speaker 2
Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for that question. The, and, you know, in addition to the 30 year milestone, I’ve had some personal milestones and, and so you spend a little more time thinking about that, and I, and so first of all, it, it it’s nothing more than the Lord’s grace. So the grace of the Lord.

00;07;02;25 – 00;07;25;27
Speaker 2
So I know that, I couldn’t of some of the things that we get to do, the blessing of being able to create job opportunities is something that, I couldn’t have imagined. And I know it has to be the grace of the Lord. And that in that, that the village, that the villages that we’ve been a part of starting here, have been, have been really pivotal.

00;07;26;00 – 00;07;46;16
Speaker 2
So remember a young man, you know, who was being raised by his siblings and, at the Corps of Engineers, I had it as an adult, and I realized that I was parroted by those people that I work with. I work in the mornings before I went to school, before football and track and everything else. So in life is continued to produce those.

00;07;46;16 – 00;08;21;26
Speaker 2
Those villagers are those people who are intercessors. If you will, who’ve offered guidance, correction on occasion. And, that coupled with some discipline, some business discipline around focusing on markets, trying to exceed the expectations of our partners, you know, contribute a little more than our share is something that we’ve learned. And then, of course, giving back to the community, which, most of which is through small business advocacy, workforce development, partnerships and education collaboration.

00;08;21;26 – 00;08;41;07
Speaker 2
So if you, you know, if you were to look at our DNA as a company and some of our philanthropic work, we have the foundation, the CRM, legacy Foundation. And if you look at that, I hope that that that is what you see is a fingerprint of giving back, really trying to replicate the model that that brought us here.

00;08;41;09 – 00;08;46;04
Speaker 1
Wow. Yeah. You make community involvement a really big part of science identity.

00;08;46;06 – 00;08;47;06
Speaker 2
Yeah.

00;08;47;08 – 00;08;49;27
Speaker 1
Well, one of the ways to get back.

00;08;49;29 – 00;09;15;16
Speaker 2
Yeah. No. Thank you. Well, I mean, the most fundamental way is, is really trying again to replicate how I arrived here. I’m sitting at the mobile chamber, this morning. We have a shadowing program and the shadowing program. Initially, we were just let 1 or 2 students just come by. My my late partner, Marcus Marcus passed in 2017.

00;09;15;18 – 00;09;42;16
Speaker 2
November 21st. He recommended that we give it structure and so. And we did. And so going from having a 1 or 2 kids on occasion come by, we, we rescaled the program where we could, we could take 25 or so kids at a time and and really introduce them to, to, to the industry and also, you know, expose, you know, showcase some of the projects that were taking place.

00;09;42;18 – 00;10;02;29
Speaker 2
And so that has been an ongoing, ongoing activity at our company. And, and now roughly maybe a little more than 10% of all our staff are people who started in our shadowing program, some of which we got our hands on when they were in middle school and they were athletes. So we have a so we have a championship basketball team too.

00;10;02;29 – 00;10;30;00
Speaker 2
So I should mention that which has created some problems with some of our customers because the young people don’t really let customers win. So, so so the shadowing program is really served as the foundation then of course, you know, I’ve chaired a number of organizations and have been a board member and just simply a member. And as you know, service could come across as purely giving, but but one receives a lot.

00;10;30;01 – 00;10;41;19
Speaker 2
You learn a lot in those in the process of serving others, you have to try and put your, your mind and your ideas around where that person sits and how to help them get to where they’re trying to go.

00;10;41;21 – 00;11;05;20
Speaker 1
Well that’s great. You know, I don’t know about your young people, but we see in some of the programs around here that these young people probably wouldn’t have been exposed at all to what they were experiencing. I don’t know if you see that with your young people, but just the mere opportunity that they get to watch people do their work, you know, inspires them to do better at school, to have their own personal ambitions, to do things.

00;11;05;23 – 00;11;08;04
Speaker 1
And it’s so important for young people to see that.

00;11;08;06 – 00;11;34;09
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well, I mean, for me, I mean, it was I mean, my time at, at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and I mean, I, I mean, in addition to being mentored and encouraged, but I was I was guided on which courses to take, when I went to college, my negotiations of, my negotiation for my first salary would become, was was facilitated by some of the folks from the Corps.

00;11;34;11 – 00;11;59;23
Speaker 2
But probably more importantly, as a young person, it really that experience really enhanced my academic experience. Right? So being around engineers, I mean, math became a bit more tangible for me. It, it facilitated more positive decision making. Once you I think once once you figure out what you want to do, you can pretty much figure out what you can’t do in order to do what you want to do.

00;11;59;24 – 00;12;09;24
Speaker 1
Yeah, that’s so true. So what advice would you give to other businesses that are trying to grow and scale while maintaining their values? Community focus.

00;12;09;27 – 00;12;35;10
Speaker 2
Yeah. No. Thank you. Thank you for that question. And one one of the, one of the blessings of being a small business and one that has grown, I’ve had, you know, I’ve been able to attend some really good training and courses and so, so I would say one, you know, continue to grow yourself professionally, you know, invest whatever that means, continue to grow your skill set to make sure that you’re you’re working with, sharp tools.

00;12;35;12 – 00;13;04;21
Speaker 2
And then I think there has to be discipline. Is so easy, to, to, you know, to get out there to, to register your company to get business cards or but but having a good sound business plan with, with some real vigor around your marketing, your marketing plan is really it’s just really important, not just for the selling of your services, but how you’re going to deliver those services and products so, so rooted in those, rooted in those fundamentals.

00;13;04;26 – 00;13;32;16
Speaker 2
And again, having that that spirit of community. And I think those things and, and one other thing I guess I should mention is, is whatever, whatever space you’re in, make sure you understand the specific industry best practices. For your industry. I was at a service station one night when we were, building fifth runway at Hartsfield, and I was standing there getting gas, and and on the other side was an older gentleman.

00;13;32;19 – 00;13;47;23
Speaker 2
A Caucasian gentleman. We got to talking about the rain and, and he asked me, so what do you do? And I told him he’s. Oh, I used to be president of Parsons. Parsons at the time was one of the top five largest firms. But I met him again. The grace of the Lord.

00;13;47;25 – 00;13;48;07
Speaker 1
I feel.

00;13;48;07 – 00;14;12;27
Speaker 2
Like. So, So I meet at a service station in my neighborhood between between my home and office, the former president of Parsons. And so. And I ended up following him off to some courses to get some industry best practices. So I think knowing your industry and what the champions in your industry are doing are, are key. And we’ve had many great examples here in the mobile community.

00;14;12;29 – 00;14;17;26
Speaker 1
Albert, thank you for joining us. Thank you for what you’re doing in this community and across the South. And

00;14;17;26 – 00;14;26;25
Speaker 1
congratulations on winning the Eagle Award. Very special. And we’re real proud that it’s going to one of, somebody was homegrown here. Do

00;14;26;27 – 00;14;41;08
Speaker 2
We’re going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we’ll sit down with another inspiring Eagle Award winner, Allen Rice. With Rice and Ray’s Funeral Home, a business known for its compassionate care and strong community ties.

00;14;41;11 – 00;15;01;24
Speaker 1
Meetings and events bring hundreds of millions of dollars to our local economy. Visit people wants to partner with chamber members to keep that momentum going. Know of a meeting or conference that could be a good fit for mobile? Contact David Clark at DClark@Mobile.org. Share your lead. Just the meeting name and you’re entered into a raffle.

00;15;02;00 – 00;15;15;17
Speaker 1
Every qualified lead will win. Some include prizes such as cruises, luxury hotel stays and restaurant gift cards. Let’s grow Mobile together.

00;15;15;20 – 00;15;34;28
Speaker 2
Welcome back to the Mobile Matters podcast. Joining us now is Alan D rice, owner and president of Rice and Ray’s Funeral Home, a family business that’s redefining what it means to serve families with dignity, comfort and grace. Alan, thank you for being here. And congratulations on winning the Eagle Award.

00;15;35;01 – 00;15;47;24
Speaker 3
Thank you so much for for inviting me. And I thank you all for having me here to receive this prestigious award. I’m looking forward to, blazing the trail even more. I’m excited about.

00;15;47;27 – 00;15;52;15
Speaker 4
Just showing people what we are about. And, in the community.

00;15;52;17 – 00;16;02;00
Speaker 2
Well, you have a very powerful story. It’s driven by a desire to help others during life’s most difficult moments. What do you wish more people understood about your industry?

00;16;02;03 – 00;16;08;15
Speaker 3
Well, I just want them to know that we are a very caring industry.

00;16;08;18 – 00;16;13;02
Speaker 4
And it’s not about the cash. The money.

00;16;13;04 – 00;16;16;10
Speaker 3
For the most part. But it’s it’s about just being.

00;16;16;10 – 00;16;18;08
Speaker 4
There in the time of your loss.

00;16;18;10 – 00;16;29;02
Speaker 3
To, to educate you, to empower you with information with different changes of the law and etc.. So we just want to be there for them, to help them, to get.

00;16;29;02 – 00;16;32;18
Speaker 4
Through, the grieving process.

00;16;32;21 – 00;16;38;26
Speaker 3
And we are here. Not in death, also in death, but prior to, you know, there’s life.

00;16;38;28 – 00;16;41;08
Speaker 4
There’s death and there’s life on the other side.

00;16;41;08 – 00;16;44;06
Speaker 3
Right? So this is we are we have in the beginning.

00;16;44;09 – 00;16;54;26
Speaker 4
On this side of life. Then when you’re in experiencing death, we’re here for you. And then through the process of death and the grieving process, we’re here to help you get through that as well.

00;16;54;29 – 00;17;07;29
Speaker 2
You know, your approach really focuses on blending professionalism with a personal touch. Yes. Making every family feel seen and cared for. How do you and your team create that sense of comfort and trust?

00;17;08;02 – 00;17;15;08
Speaker 3
It’s very easy. For example. My grandmother.

00;17;15;08 – 00;17;25;25
Speaker 4
Passed away. My grandpa first, and my grandfather had me too, before he passed away. He wanted me to.

00;17;25;28 – 00;17;57;02
Speaker 4
Come to the home. His residence, pick him up out of his bed, transport him back to the funeral home to embalm his body, to dress him for funeral services, to casket with him, to conduct a funeral service, to direct it, to sing at his funeral. My grandmother’s and my dad.

00;17;57;04 – 00;18;15;06
Speaker 4
So I tell my staff, and when all of this was going on with the me in my life. When it came to my grandfather, which I was always a little grandson on, on his heels.

00;18;15;09 – 00;18;27;25
Speaker 4
I wanted it perfect. I didn’t want any excuses, says grandpa. And there came my grandmother.

00;18;27;27 – 00;18;35;26
Speaker 3
And so my grandfather, he did that for a reason. God speaking to him. So if I could do that for him I could do it for everybody else. So then here comes.

00;18;35;26 – 00;18;54;21
Speaker 4
My grandmother and then my other grandmother. I wanted it perfect. And my dad, 2014. I wanted it perfect. So I did my grandfather, my grandparents and my dad all the same way.

00;18;54;24 – 00;19;21;16
Speaker 4
I wanted it perfect. So I say to my staff, you remember the experience that you that you had when you lost mom, when you lost dad or sister or brother or friend. Remember how you felt when you were sitting in that seat. You wanted everything perfect for mom. You wanted her dress perfect. You want to consummate is perfect.

00;19;21;20 – 00;19;40;20
Speaker 4
You wanted to have perfect. You wanted a funeral program. Perfect. You wanted everything perfect because that was the last time. That was it. The last time that you could do that for mom.

00;19;40;22 – 00;19;41;13
Speaker 3
So there was no.

00;19;41;13 – 00;19;42;21
Speaker 4
Room for error.

00;19;42;23 – 00;19;44;25
Speaker 3
There was no room for mistakes. All these families.

00;19;44;25 – 00;19;48;18
Speaker 4
That come to us still feeling the same way.

00;19;48;20 – 00;19;52;13
Speaker 2
So you treat everybody the way you would want to be treated?

00;19;52;14 – 00;20;12;06
Speaker 4
Absolutely. And each family is is different and is family is personal. So I want them. And then when I tell them that they think about it. Yes you’re right. You know, I want the same way I felt about my mom.

00;20;12;08 – 00;20;15;02
Speaker 4
That’s the same way that they are feeling about the mother.

00;20;15;03 – 00;20;15;21
Speaker 2
Yeah.

00;20;15;23 – 00;20;18;21
Speaker 4
Well, so that’s where we are. You do experience.

00;20;18;22 – 00;20;20;22
Speaker 2
You put yourself in their place.

00;20;20;24 – 00;20;25;21
Speaker 4
Oh, yes. Absolutely. And then. And I remind them.

00;20;25;24 – 00;20;30;02
Speaker 3
That the process is not over. The process is not.

00;20;30;02 – 00;20;35;16
Speaker 4
Over because we don’t know. We.

00;20;35;18 – 00;20;36;29
Speaker 4
When is God’s decision.

00;20;37;01 – 00;20;41;08
Speaker 3
To come back into the family? And there’s a sister or.

00;20;41;08 – 00;20;48;23
Speaker 4
Brother so you can be comfortable. You can never get comfortable. You understand. So I.

00;20;48;25 – 00;20;50;16
Speaker 3
So it’s very easy.

00;20;50;19 – 00;20;52;19
Speaker 4
Through the experience.

00;20;52;22 – 00;21;02;15
Speaker 2
So you are providing a service to these families, but your company also provides services to the community at large. Y’all are very community.

00;21;02;18 – 00;21;09;19
Speaker 3
Well, yes we are. I mean, I, I love doing that. And actually it came from my parents.

00;21;09;22 – 00;21;14;12
Speaker 4
My grandfather, my dad. They were always my grandfather.

00;21;14;12 – 00;21;18;19
Speaker 3
Back in the day, he wasn’t called or considered an entrepreneur.

00;21;18;22 – 00;21;30;22
Speaker 4
He was just a hardworking man. My dad, the same way. And they were very community minded and they would be in the community, helping so many kids.

00;21;30;26 – 00;21;33;06
Speaker 3
And there were a lot of families.

00;21;33;08 – 00;21;37;27
Speaker 4
Didn’t have a father figure. In the family.

00;21;37;29 – 00;22;00;14
Speaker 3
So that was my, my dad and my grandfather especially my dad. I remember times when. At the dinner table and this was selfish of me. There was always room for another seat or another seat for another child.

00;22;00;16 – 00;22;07;06
Speaker 4
And the community and I’m like why are they here. You understand.

00;22;07;08 – 00;22;09;25
Speaker 3
But I had to go and understand.

00;22;09;27 – 00;22;24;21
Speaker 4
There’s not Alan you fine. Your plate is running over but there’s on that. Yeah. So we are here to help them as well. And I had to understand that.

00;22;24;23 – 00;22;40;05
Speaker 3
It was just that I just wanted all. I was just wanted for myself being selfish because just my sister and myself. But as I, over time, I learned and understood, that to whom much is given, much is required.

00;22;40;07 – 00;22;45;29
Speaker 3
You know, and this is what my dad was doing. And then at my dad’s funeral. Oh my God.

00;22;46;02 – 00;22;47;02
Speaker 4
There was so many.

00;22;47;05 – 00;22;57;03
Speaker 3
And I used to tell my mother how many godchildren and sisters and brothers do I have my guns. Here’s your. Here’s your godmother. Here’s.

00;22;57;09 – 00;23;03;07
Speaker 4
How many do I have? You know what I’m saying? But at my dad’s funeral, they all came. Oh.

00;23;03;07 – 00;23;04;13
Speaker 2
That’s great.

00;23;04;16 – 00;23;18;11
Speaker 4
They all came. They were doctors, lawyers. Educators. Engineers. I said wow. I see that.

00;23;18;14 – 00;23;19;17
Speaker 2
Pretty tangible proof.

00;23;19;17 – 00;23;20;04
Speaker 4
Of.

00;23;20;06 – 00;23;23;05
Speaker 2
What he did. So y’all have these college tours.

00;23;23;06 – 00;23;24;04
Speaker 4
Oh, yes.

00;23;24;09 – 00;23;26;01
Speaker 2
So tell me about those.

00;23;26;03 – 00;23;39;28
Speaker 3
I love the college tours. The one thing I love about the college tours is when the kids are so excited about the tour.

00;23;40;00 – 00;23;52;08
Speaker 4
And then when they tell me, this is amazing to me. Thank you, Mister Rice, for allowing me to be a part of the tour. Thank you. This.

00;23;52;11 – 00;24;03;00
Speaker 4
This is my first time. I love the city of Moby. Oh, wow. I’m like, wow. Just to be out of the city of mobile.

00;24;03;03 – 00;24;04;14
Speaker 3
And these kids or.

00;24;04;16 – 00;24;09;07
Speaker 4
High school juniors and seniors. And you’ve never.

00;24;09;09 – 00;24;15;16
Speaker 3
I’ve been blessed, but it’s so unfortunate for them. But thank God.

00;24;15;16 – 00;24;18;06
Speaker 4
Through my dad and through his vision and.

00;24;18;09 – 00;24;22;00
Speaker 3
Through the Lord, how he has poured into our lives that.

00;24;22;03 – 00;24;24;11
Speaker 4
We can give back to the community.

00;24;24;14 – 00;24;39;01
Speaker 3
And so we we take the kids. We’ve gone to, Alabama State University. My my cousin, first cousin. He’s president doctor Quentin Ross. He’s of the state university. So we we took that.

00;24;39;01 – 00;24;41;16
Speaker 2
Was an Alabama State Senate book one. Oh, really?

00;24;41;18 – 00;24;42;23
Speaker 3
Yeah. We first cousins.

00;24;42;24 – 00;24;43;20
Speaker 2
Well, he’s a great guy.

00;24;43;21 – 00;25;03;19
Speaker 3
Yes he is his his mom and my dad a first cousin. Oh sisters and brothers. How about that? Yeah. Great guy. He’s awesome. So he open the doors to us anytime we want to come and take kids there. My my wife have a relative on the board there at Tuskegee University. So we’ve gone to Alabama State. We’ve gone to Tuskegee University.

00;25;03;22 – 00;25;11;23
Speaker 3
We’ve gone to Alabama A&M. We’ve gone to, University of Alabama.

00;25;11;26 – 00;25;15;16
Speaker 4
And these kids are just blown away.

00;25;15;18 – 00;25;20;03
Speaker 3
And when they got to the University of Alabama. Oh my goodness. That’s a whole nother country.

00;25;20;04 – 00;25;29;22
Speaker 2
Yeah. Well, you know, the first three that you mentioned are some of the most historic black colleges and universities in the country. Have an incredible tradition.

00;25;29;23 – 00;25;30;17
Speaker 4
Absolutely.

00;25;30;18 – 00;25;34;24
Speaker 2
And the most loyal alumni base I have ever seen in my life.

00;25;34;25 – 00;25;35;17
Speaker 3
Absolutely.

00;25;35;18 – 00;25;40;06
Speaker 2
I mean, they each one of those schools, I’ve been around their alumni base is incredible.

00;25;40;07 – 00;25;50;12
Speaker 3
Absolutely. And we’re planning to go to in the spring to, Troy University and Auburn University. Good. Yeah. So that’s our plans for the spring coming up.

00;25;50;14 – 00;26;07;19
Speaker 2
So your industry is not like most industries. You’ve got to be emotionally present and then professionally present. Day after day after day after day at this very important time in people’s lives. What helps you stay grounded and motivated?

00;26;07;22 – 00;26;10;07
Speaker 3
What helps me stay grounded.

00;26;10;10 – 00;26;13;02
Speaker 4
And motivated.

00;26;13;04 – 00;26;15;02
Speaker 3
Is my Lord and Savior, Jesus.

00;26;15;05 – 00;26;38;01
Speaker 4
Christ. That keeps me grounded and that keeps me motivated. You know why? Because when I was in my mother’s womb and God dispatched me from heaven to earth, he had a calling on my life. And he had a plan and a purpose for me.

00;26;38;03 – 00;26;47;24
Speaker 3
And to this day, I have yet to have a day that I wasn’t that excited about getting out of the bed, putting my feet on the floor.

00;26;47;26 – 00;26;49;05
Speaker 4
And coming to work.

00;26;49;08 – 00;26;59;27
Speaker 3
I have yet to have a day in all of these years. I didn’t want to come to work. In fact, I don’t take vacations. I just love the pour everything God has.

00;26;59;27 – 00;27;00;12
Speaker 4
Poured.

00;27;00;12 – 00;27;03;14
Speaker 3
Into me. It comes through me.

00;27;03;16 – 00;27;07;20
Speaker 4
And I pour it out to the families and to the community.

00;27;07;23 – 00;27;13;22
Speaker 3
I just I just love what I do and I am excited about life. And people say you never taken a vacation?

00;27;13;24 – 00;27;14;23
Speaker 4
No.

00;27;14;26 – 00;27;31;18
Speaker 3
Well, it’s just the truth. Then I say, well, what about your wife? And I say, well, thank God she have seven sisters, you know, because they are really close and really tight, and they do a lot together. You know, and then at one time before she just recently retired, she it was an hour. And so she was busy, busy busy, busy.

00;27;31;20 – 00;27;42;05
Speaker 3
But anyway, I just love the, the the the passion and and the fifth grade that’s been. God. That’s a whole nother story. But God called me to this.

00;27;42;08 – 00;27;43;06
Speaker 4
In the fifth grade.

00;27;43;06 – 00;27;57;07
Speaker 2
That’s amazing. Well, I’m at my final question for is this as a 2025 Eagle Award winner. What message would you like to share with other small business owners who are building something meaningful.

00;27;57;10 – 00;27;59;28
Speaker 3
To serve God.

00;28;00;02 – 00;28;32;06
Speaker 4
First and foremost, to serve him? And how do you serve him? You serve him through serving humanity, serving people. Problem solver. Putting yourself last to whom much is given, much is required. That’s what I will leave with them and not to. If you searching for prosperity, don’t chase money.

00;28;32;08 – 00;28;45;23
Speaker 3
I’m telling you that. I’m telling you what works. Don’t. If you’re searching for prosperity, don’t chase money. Chase Jesus. Because that’s where the prosperity is. And when you chase Jesus.

00;28;45;26 – 00;28;47;24
Speaker 4
Guess what’s going to happen?

00;28;47;26 – 00;29;04;01
Speaker 3
Prosperity going to chase you. So it says, first seek the kingdom of heaven. All of his writings, everything else is going to add it. I’m a witness that it is true. My dad told me that years ago when my grandpa told me that many years ago.

00;29;04;03 – 00;29;26;07
Speaker 4
They were right. And every day God just let me know. He sent me this and that, said, don’t worry. I got you. And I tell people this. Write down all of your heart desires from 1 to 10 and put it in your closet.

00;29;26;07 – 00;29;28;04
Speaker 3
And close the door.

00;29;28;06 – 00;29;29;08
Speaker 4
If you’re in business.

00;29;29;08 – 00;29;30;08
Speaker 3
Don’t talk to the business.

00;29;30;08 – 00;29;39;05
Speaker 4
Person now. So that means deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

00;29;39;07 – 00;29;45;07
Speaker 4
And God’s going to check your heart desires. He’s going to check the boxes.

00;29;45;10 – 00;29;53;21
Speaker 3
What you want from one through ten. Now he may rearranging because he going to bless you, but he’s going to repair you before the blessing, before you receive the blessing.

00;29;53;23 – 00;29;55;29
Speaker 4
That’s how he work. So I just tell.

00;29;55;29 – 00;29;56;10
Speaker 3
People.

00;29;56;10 – 00;29;59;15
Speaker 4
To just concentrate on serving humanity.

00;29;59;18 – 00;30;00;15
Speaker 3
Give all you.

00;30;00;22 – 00;30;25;12
Speaker 4
All you have and to pour it into the community and serving people. And when you’re serving people and you lifting people up and you giving people an opportunity, God is going to triple that for you. You understand? He’s going to triple there for you, and he’s going to give you more to work with. Because now he says, I see what you’re doing.

00;30;25;15 – 00;30;28;14
Speaker 4
So let me just and.

00;30;28;16 – 00;30;37;20
Speaker 2
Alan, thank you for sharing your story and your heart with us today. Congratulations again on being recognized with this year’s Eagle Award.

00;30;37;22 – 00;30;38;28
Speaker 3
Thank you so much for having.

00;30;38;28 – 00;30;41;25
Speaker 4
Me, and God bless all of you. It’s my prayer.