From Tough Upbringing to Career Influencer: Interview with Act Now Education Founder and Naval Officer Jai Salters

Jai Salters: 0:33

It was a rough situation growing up. And I understood that, you know, at an early age, I kind of had to overcome some of this to move forward.

KP: 0:44

Today we have a very special guest, we have Mr. Jai Salters. He is a founder of Act Now Education, a business consultant for the greater Baltimore Urban League, a US Naval officer for over 18 years. He actually holds a graduate degree. Has multiple national certifications. He's a spirit of Bob Hope awardee. He's also a subject matter expert on education, consultation, team building, business development, business coaching, and public speaking. Jai, I really appreciate you joining us today.

Jai Salters: 1:15

No, I appreciate being here. Thank you for the opportunity.

KP: 1:18

Jai, you have a very impressive resume, very impressive background. You've come from a long, long way of success and you're still moving. I'd like to hear about where it all started for you. Take us back to the very beginning.

Jai Salters: 1:30

So childhood time frame, right. That's, I think that's what where it starts for me. I grew up in a Osteria environment I would say. You know, when I was young, my mom, essentially I didn't live with my mom. I grew up in a foster care situation with my sister. I would say that experience has been, what has been, like the catalyst for me in who I become. And it's always been like the foundation. I don't have any, like really smart, cool sayings. But uh, I do like listening to different podcasts and different, reading different books. In one podcast, I forget the name, but essentially, he was talking about you know, that three things that you have control over and what you don't have control over that define who you are, right. So you know, your childhood and your situation, when your family, you don't really have control over that situation. But that's what shapes you. And then if you look at your community, right. The community is the next piece to that. You don't really have control over who's in your community, I mean, you could switch around, but essentially, really, we have no control over that either. And that's kind of what influences you. Lastly, is the decisions that you make, right. So the decisions that you make are what define you. And if you look at the other two, your family situation, how you were born. No control over that, but it shapes you. No control over the community that you're surrounded by, but it influences you. Overall, you know, leads to the decisions that you make, are what define you. And you know, that's, you know, that's what kind of led me to this point that I'm at now. Good, better and different. The choices that I've made throughout my life have led me to here and I'm thankful for where I'm at. That's kind of like...I would say what I've lived my life by unknowingly. So as a child, growing up in foster care system, very abusive situation. The caretaker that took care of myself, and then there was another child who had Down Syndrome, we both were Foster. We had the same foster parents and same house. This lady she was just like, she's pretty relentless. He would just, I don't know if she was mad at the world and not but essentially, she took a lot of her anger out on myself. And his name is Louis. She'd take a lot of anger out on Louis. And a lot of times when Loius would do stuff, because he just didn't know. And at the time, like I said, I was five, I just knew something was different. But I didn't want him to get, you know,...I knew what was going to come. So I try to shield him as best as I can, at early age, so when he would do something, I will try to cover down for it, knowing the repercussions would come directly towards me. So I mean, it's, I want to say that's where it started for me, in my decision in trying to do for others and look out for others. So that does help define me. I mean, it's, it was a rough situation growing up. And I understood that, you know, at an early age, I kind of had to overcome some of this to move forward. And I've used that as, in different points in my life, to kind of move forward in things that I'm doing. Whether I feel like I can execute it or not. I try my best, put my best foot forward and lean in. And yeah, that's where it starts for me. I think that's where it's, it's the center, the core of who I am.

KP: 5:09

How did that abusive childhood translate into your teenage years and start to mold who you are today?

Jai Salters: 5:14

I mean, everyone has a past right. And everyone has a story that kind of, I would say for me, it gave me a chip on my shoulder. Honestly, it was just more so, trying to overcome something but feeling very devalued in life at an early age. You know, and then going into teen hood. And at the time, like I said, there was, there was some some clear differences between me and my sister situation. My sister was, she was, she lived in a different household, same family. And they were abusive, same thing, sexually abusive, verbally abusive, physically abusive. And same thing for me. The woman that took care of me, her daughters, she would take me to their house, and the same thing. We experienced the same type of similarities. But for me, I understood that, you know, getting out of that situation was the only way that, you know, I could keep my head on straight. Because the situation is just something that kid couldn't understand. I just knew, but I had to get out of that. For my sister, she was older, she's four years older than me. She wasn't able to do that, right. So early on, that resilience helped me understand that, you know, if I do what I need to do, I don't act up, I don't, you know, talk back, I try to keep everything on the straight and narrow as best as I possibly can, there's a better chance of me getting out of that situation going back to my mom. And that's exactly what happened to me. On my, like I said, my sister, on the other hand, didn't get that opportunity because of what she's been through. And she ended up staying in the system. Throughout my life, you know, that was my only....me and my sister was close, even though we were separate households we were very close. So it, it always had an effect on me, as I got older. Like I said, the situation that this brought up, made me feel some way about life. And, you know, again, the hand I was dealt, and not being able to, you know, see anything outside of just, just what was there. It was, it was like I said, a pretty bleak situation. But like, as I went through school, you know, no importance of education. Didn't even understand what was so significant about being, you know...the education system didn't really seem like in my favor to help me out or where I can get a lot out of it. And you know, I didn't come from that type of family line where a lot of my, like, my mom got her degree. My mom didn't do any schooling. She was in a situation where she had to take care of her nine brothers and sisters at an early age. So her eight brothers and sisters at early age, so she didn't get to finish school. So the importance of education just wasn't there for me early on. And I mean, I felt like a lot of the situations that I was trying to overcome, through time had to do with that childhood. And when I started to understand, you know, there's more to life than, you know, just letting things happen to you. And I've always been, like I said, I'm always, I've always gone after whatever I can. So I tried to do my best with what I'd known. And as I slowly started to understand what opportunities were out there. It started changing things for me. And that's kinda...I don't even know if I answer your question correctly. But that's kind of how I got to, you know, as a teen, figuring out that I want to take a different path than most. I didn't want to be a statistic.

KP: 8:43

Yeah. And, you know, the reason I asked is because I come from a very similar situation as well. And for me, I was the youngest out of all my siblings. For me, it was more of a back seat, I was able to see things ahead of me because I was younger, and, and look and observe people that were older than me, and where they were in life. And I, you know, I don't know if you feel the same way. But I kind of saw it as a crossroad or not necessarily a crossroad, but a road that forks and you have choices, you know, who you associate with? What what decisions you make, who you surround yourself with, and things of that nature. I mean, was it difficult growing up, where you grew up, to kind of disassociate yourself from the folks who were doing the things that were probably not going to lead you in the right direction? So we're talking about like drugs, crime. Did you just have something inherently inside you that told you that maybe you can make better decisions and not follow other people? Because it sounds like at an early age, you had just the inherent natural leadership trait about you.

Jai Salters: 9:53

I would love to say that it was that, but I think it was just more so, in terms of, of just, just trying to survive the situation. I mean, in the 80s in New York City. I mean, that that was, you know, the whole war on drugs, there's a lot of you know, just a lot of bad things happening around that time. And obviously, that is just some of the things that I've been through. I knew that, you know, I do want, I did want more for myself. I didn't know how to go about that. But I tried my best to find opportunities to kind of help me get out of that. Because it's just, you know, situations in life that you know, you just look at things and like, you know, "Do I want to be like the next person?" Like if a friend of mine got killed or something, "Do I want that to be for my life?" And if not, then "What am I going to do to make it different?" And then understanding that, you know,...like I understood at an early age that no one was going to be able to provide for me the way that I would like to right, so I had to do what I can to kind of make that path myself. A simple example would be like, maybe when I was like six or seven. The ice cream man would always come around. Right, so everyone wants ice cream. I never had any money to buy ice cream. But it took maybe the first time me feeling like, you know, "That's something that I want to be able to do." And I couldn't do it. And that second time, that ice cream truck came around and like, "I'm going to go do something that I can help make that opportunity or possibility for me." So I started, like bagging at the local grocery store. So just so I can buy my own ice cream, because I knew that it wasn't an option, unless I did something and took action to do it. So I would say from those points early in my life, are what helped me define like, if there's something out there that I want, I gotta get it.

KP: 11:49

I can identify with you 100%. And I remember. It's funny how you remember the ice cream, man. Because when you grew up in a less than fortunate situation, you remember the small things that teach you some of the biggest lessons. And the reason I say that is because I identify with you. When I was, I remember sitting in in that one room that me and my mom shared in the women's shelter, and how humbling that was. I was hiding, like I was too embarrassed to leave. And it was, I would sit there and just read books. You talking about the ice cream man and how you felt at that time, I think teaches a lot of people the lesson of hunger, of going out and getting it. And I think it's really important, you know that, I talk about this specific thing right now because these things that you're mentioning...these are the logs that are inside your soul that are on fire, that it wakes you up every day, and it keeps you moving. And it makes you hungry to continue succeeding. And not only just succeeding, but helping other people out. And so you have a very impressive resume of reaching out to people and helping other people level up. There are many people that are trapped in similar situations that you just mentioned. And you said you got out of it. What opportunities did you take? Or what experiences led you in the right direction? How did you break free of the abusive childhood and the foster care system?

Jai Salters: 13:04

Like I said, for me early on, understanding that...I remember the social worker telling me, understanding that, you know, "If you do these certain things, you'll be able to go back to your mom." Because she was going through a rehabilitation at that time. And they want to make sure that it was a safe environment for me to be back in that situation. So I did exactly what I was told. So I made sure I checked those boxes, so I can get back to my mom. And that's what ended up happening. But you know, at that time, I was a very broken damaged kid, right. So it's, it was understanding what I am and, and how I can improve it. Everyone was born the same, with two arms, two hands, or for the most part, right. Everyone's born the same abled body. I didn't want to live my life, blaming others for my misfortunes. And not to say like at early age I thought "You know let me turn us around." But that's what it ended up being right. It ended up being what forced me, to push me to say, "I'm gonna do my best,." But I didn't really get that until actually, once I completed high school. Like I said, because like, you know education wasn't important to me. It wasn't something that, you know, resonated with me. I didn't feel like I was going to get anywhere with that. Didn't know, you know, so I didn't know what I don't know. So at that point, I was just trying to figure that out. I remember signing up for school, right. Because, you know, everyone's saying, like, "Look, in order to be successful, you have to go to college right after high school." So I remember going to school. And just because I didn't know anything, I didn't sign up for any, like financial aid or anything. And then I remember it was a community college. And I'm signing up for school. And at the time, a friend of mine was kind of telling me, this is what I need to do. This is, this is what would help me. And so I went along with it. And then I remember like signing the documents and looking at how much the fee was, and it was like $18,000 to go to school. And I was like "What is that! That is the most money I've ever seen in my entire life, that I owe somebody." So at that point, I was like, "I'm not doing this." Because I know that my mom can't afford this and nor can I find something, a job that you know will sustain me at that time. So I was looking at my options after that. I was like, "What can I do to kind of helped me get this education that everyone says it's so important." And my, my first choice was the military. Yeah, and I haven't looked back since.

KP: 15:30

So what would you say was your next big break that propelled you into the next chapter of your life away from all of where you came from?

Jai Salters: 15:38

Like I said, once, once I was, I say, once I was in the military, it was really that right. So like that, those experiences, the chip on my shoulder that I walked around with, I was fortunate enough to have key people in my life that guided me. Whether I wanted it or not, and didn't know it or not, whether I needed it or not. It was essential for my growth and development. And it helped me start to pave the path of this journey that I'm on now. But I would say it's those individuals that took some time out of their day to see this young sailor and say, "Hey, you know, I see what you're doing, you could do better, you can improve this way, I've been through this, you can do this to help you overcome." So a lot of that, you know. And they didn't know my past, they just knew, I mean, just about me, but essentially, they took the time to help mold me. And that's what ended up being what pushed me into the direction of making things happening and being a positive change for others, because of the what they installed in me. I didn't, like I said, at that time, didn't feel like I had any value, anything to add or any benefits to bring anybody you know. My past, you know, you kind of carry that with you, you feel like that's, that baggage, anyone that sees you, they see that. So it was is really hard for you to kind of deal with that. And then you know, it takes you some time to reconcile with, with those things that you've had happen to you. And for me forgiving those individuals that I was around in situations I was in, you know, hurt people hurt people, that's really what it is. But also, you know, mentors and individuals that take the time to guide you can just change that perspective of what you see. And that's what ended up happening for me. Like I said, I didn't really have a major father figure in my life, but uh, it was a lot of individuals that stepped up, you know. And I watched them, I watched their actions, or watch how they, you know, did things and I've learned from there. And that kind of like it put me on my path.

KP: 17:34

Okay, so after high school, you enlisted in the military. You enlisted in the Navy. Why did you, why did you choose Navy?

Jai Salters: 17:43

I didn't choose Navy, at first. I chose the Army. Actually, not a lot of people know this...

KP: 17:47

Go army.

Jai Salters: 17:48

I chose the army. Yeah. And honestly, like anyone else, the recruiter was like, you know, "Hey, you want to join the army? You can make this amount of money, you could do these things." And I was like, yeah, and he's like, "You can get your education." I was like, okay, I know, that's something important that I guess I need to get. So let me work on that. And the recruiter was telling me to take the ASVAB, right. So he's like, Yeah, I was like, "How long is this test?" And I had something to do that day. I think I had a game or something. And he's like, "Hey, you know, the test only takes about 30 minutes." Everyone knows the ASVAB does not take no 30 minutes, it takes probably two to three hours. I don't know. I'm guessing maybe. But it doesn't take 30 minutes. So he took me to this far off place outside of New York City to take this test. I think it was upstate New York. I start going through the test, and then I look at the time it says on a test. And it's like, yeah, I think I remember seeing two hours or something. I was like, "Yep, that's not happening. He said, 30 minutes, I'm going to get this test done in 30 minutes." So the test done in 30 minutes. And I called him right away and said, "Hey, can you come get me?" And he's like, "You are not supposed to be done for a few hours." I was like, that's the reason why I'm not joining the army, because this guy here. So it was, it was a weird situation that just made me like, "Alright, yeah, if you're gonna lie to me upfront, then I'm not about it." My best friend joined the Marine Corps, and he was trying to get me to join the Marine Corps with him. So he's like, "Hey, Jai, we're going to run across the Brooklyn Bridge." And I was like "Yeah, that sounds cool. Man, let me meet you down there." And so I met him down at the Brooklyn Bridge at the Marine Corps, recruiting office. And this gunny, you know, he's, he's live. He's wired up. He's like, Look, he's hyping everybody up getting them motivated. And I was all about that, right. And then, this just let me know I'm a little bit different, I guess when it comes to things...thinking, thinking things through. He was telling the, you know, he's like "You ready to go to war, you ready to go to war?" And I'm like, I'm thinking like "I don't know if I'm ready to go to war right now. That's a good question. Let me ponder that." So he's trying to motivate people, right? And he's yelling at like, "You gotta be ready to go to war." And I'm in the back of, there was probably like six or seven of us and you know everyone's eating it up. But he's going on, and he sees, I guess he sees me trying to like, in thought. And he's like "To be in Marine Corps. You got to be ready, go to war. You ready to go to war?" I was like "I'm not sure if I'm ready to go to war." He's like "Well, you know, you got to be ready to die. You ready to die?" I was like "No, I definitely know I'm not ready to die right now." And so in the middle of his motivational speech to run across this Brooklyn Bridge, because I'm like, "We're here to cross the bridge like what does this have to do with dying and going to war? I just want to run the bridge." So totally threw off his whole motivation. Okay, like they did the run without me so I was like, you know, I'm not that's not my life. I don't want to do that. So I went downstairs to the Navy recruiter. Funny enough. And I wasn't planning on joining the Navy, I was just more so like hey, well, I talked to the other two offices and Air Force recruiter wasn't there, which is a common story for most, right. And then, so the Navy guy is like, "What's going on?" I was like "Nothing much." He's like "Got your PT gear on." I was like "Yeah, I was supposed to run across the Brooklyn Bridge with those marines." And I told him the situation. They all laughed about it. And he was like "Yeah, yeah, we wouldn't have done that either." And then he smoothed, he smoothed it in. Like, he's like "Hey, you know, we got opportunities too, in the Navy. And this is what we got, man, if you want to travel the world and see the world." And you know, at that point, I had, you know, the army recruiter lied to me. I had the Marine Corps recruiter tried to get me to do something and changed my logical thinking at the point. And then the Navy recruiter was like "Look, I don't got to tell you, I'm just gonna show you." So he had his drawer full of pictures of different places he's been around the world. And he's like "Look, I've been here. I've been here. I've been here. I've enjoyed this." And I was like, "Yeah, yeah, that yeah, that's it. That's what I need to do. I need to be able to go to places. Yeah, what do I need to do to do this?" So to my ASVAB there and never looked back.

KP: 21:39

I can't tell you how many times I've heard recruiter stories. And it's amazing how much of an impact recruiters have on, on recruits. And the last person that I interviewed was Sergeant John Peck. And he went to talk to the Navy recruiter, and he was off on another appointment somewhere else. And so the marine recruiter scooped him up and said "Step in my office." Next thing, you know, he's a marine. So it's amazing how, just that one impressionable recruiter can change the course of someone's life. It's impactful, because I mean, you know, you end up signing up for the Navy, and here you are, 18 years later. You definitely have quite a few experiences behind you that impacted you during those impressionable years. And that's quite the story. But do you think that because of your past, your childhood or where you came from, you were initially set up to fail? I mean, people, many people nowadays feel as if, because they are dealt a bad hand at the beginning, there's little hope for success.

Jai Salters: 22:31

I could definitely understand one would feel that way. But like I said, at the end of the day, your decisions are what defines you. Right. So if I, if I lived a life of my past was the end all be all....And granted, like I said, it took some right mentors for me to see otherwise. But if I didn't have that and I wasn't able to understand that, then yeah, I could definitely see. But no, I mean, you have to be the change that you want to be right. In this life we live, we don't know if we're gonna be here tomorrow, or, you know, we'll live years on end. So for me, once I got an understanding of, I'm just going to do the best that I can in any opportunity I'm given. And if I failed then I fail, but you know, I rather try something and not do well at it and earn the experience from that, then to kind of limit myself based off of who I am and my past. Like I said, I tell people this, like "I'm not the smartest guy out there, you know, but I work hard." I can almost outwork anybody, when it comes to trying to do things that align with what my goals and my visions are. I scored a 42 on my ASVAB. So that's after understanding that the test wasn't a 30 minute test, and it was the second time of me taking it. But, you know, those things kind of just, you know, humble you and let you know that, you know, there's people out there that are very capable. But I work in a field where there's a lot of people that are extremely smart, but their execution, and maybe the way they see themselves and some of their insecurities, limit them on their capacity and capabilities. I don't let that be a factor for me. I want my work to show for who I am. If I don't know it, I'm going to learn it. If it's hard for me to learn, I'll just keep at it until you know, it's either I got it, or there's still areas for improvement. But it for me, yeah, I believe my, my past has set me up in a way. And I know this sounds weird, but it has set me up in a way to where I'm more appreciative of the opportunities and the moments that we take for granted. Because I could definitely not be here. I could definitely be in a different situation. I could have been a Marine Corps. I could have, could have been a different situation, right. But you know, I'm here. And so it's important to be in the present and make things happen.

KP: 24:51

Yeah, I'm really a full believer now more than ever, that things happen for a reason. And ever since I started podcasting, I've ran into some great people who've helped me along the way. You included, definitely. You're definitely somebody that I will always remember for, you know, reaching out and helping me out. And so that's, that's huge. Can you tell us what's the most memorable or impactful experience that you've had in your 18 plus years in the Navy so far? Or maybe you have more than one?

Jai Salters: 25:26

I dont know, that's that's kind of hard. But I can say like probably my most impactful where, you know, shows me that if I really, you know, put the work and energy and effort into it, I can, I can achieve my goals. So I was working on my dolphins, dolphins is a submarine qual, you know, it typically takes for the most part most people four to six months to knock it out. And this is including any other duty that they have. So you know me doing 12-hour watches, you know, you're on for 12 hours and you're off for 12 hours. It doesn't really give you a lot of time to kind of work on your

KP: 25:57

Yeah. quals. Because you need to be on watch when you're on watch and then your off time is whatever you want to do. But you mostly like, you want to make sure you get sleep, right. So for me, I

Jai Salters: 26:08

But I didn't do it. Like, I didn't understand what was just like "Look, this thing is, is is a challenge. And I'm definitely willing to see if I can complete that challenge." And so I just put my best effort forward. And I was grinding on his boat to kind of get this qual done, talking to people. And this is all systems and gear and equipment that I have no background in like, you know, a lot of people will have engineering understanding, being able to talk about these systems to be able to save the next man next to you or the woman next to you. So it's, it was that, that kind of, and than I had some people motivate me a little bit, but it was a group of other individuals trying to work on this qual. You know, at the end of the day, not a lot of people got it. But I was surprised that, you know, I just stayed with it and got it done. And it was like, you know, if I could do this, what else can I do? And it kind of just opened up the floodgates for me with as far as like, seeing what my potential is. Because knocking out a qual in 34 days, with very little sleep, and, you know, still standing watch and doing everything else that I had to do, let me know that I'm not, you know, what I thought I was. There's more to me than that. And so that kind of just changed my trajectory. And I'm thankful for it. I mean, it was awesome assignment, awesome duty. And like I said, I think if I didn't have that to start off with, I wouldn't know what it was like to like to put so much work in and, you know, reap the benefits of my labor. So once I saw that, it was just like, Alright, if I could do this, and what else can I do? So when I started stacking stuff, you know, it's like, it's probably not as hard as what I did with the sub qual. So you know, knocked out another warfare device, knocked out another warfare device, seven warfare devices later, you know, I'm like, "Okay, what else can I do? What else opportunities are out there." And that's kind of like, I guess the way that it was, for me. It was something real simple. Not like a personal goal or anything, but it's just it was until I saw it from that perspective, and then it just, more so growing within, understanding who I am, understanding what I'm capable of and what can I overcome. And let you know, it's not easy. It was not, not trying to say like, this is easy. It was extremely difficult for me. But, it was you know, changed my life. It was essentially what, at a early just more so, I think the difficulty was in limiting myself in my own understanding of what I can achieve. And once I got that out of my head, I got the right mentors around me or had the right mentors, kind of mold me, everything else was kind just like "Look, I got this one life to live to make things happen. I want to do that." And then I realized in the midst of that, right when I'm doing all this stuff, and granted, like it was those moments were I was extremely prideful of those because you know,my effort. But at the end of the day, I still feel kind of empty about it, except for the first qual. But at the end of the day, I still feel kind of empty about it. And some of the other accomplishments that I've had, I still felt pretty empty about it. It was like, it wasn't really nothing there for, like, "Alright, what's next?" So having my mentors kind of guide me...first mentor I can remember was Master Chief Simpson. I got a bunch of good stories about him. But he saw me as a young E-5, he's like "Look, you doing a lot of great things, you know, but you could be doing better." And it is one thing to say that you know, you're, you're a stellar individual. And you know, your focused and you're driven, because, you know, I was trying to make sure that that was my path. He's like, "But there's another thing to help, to help others do the same. And be that type of servant leader." So that was kind of like the first example that I've seen of that. And you know, someone actually talking to me. And he was a master chief at the time and you remember, I just put on E-5. So I remember him telling me, you know, "Petty Officer Salters is not a lot different between me and you." And I was like, "You're a Master Chief...There is a bunch that's different. You have years of experience." But in that, it was, it just made me think about that statement ao much. So that I was like, Man, you know, if that's the case, right? And you know, the path that I'm going is this direction, what can I do for others to help them do the same? How can I help others overcome some of the same difficulties or maybe some of the same blocks that they have in their own mind? So it became like, inherent in me, I mean, I did it. stage in my career, defined me as "This is my passion, giving back to others, helping them achieve their, their goals, helping them." Because like I said, any accolades that I get, I'm grateful for it, but it never feels me like it does when I'm helping someone else take advantage of an opportunity to get their degree. Somebody says "Hey, Jai, I got my degree, because information you gave me or I got this certification." Like, so like that more so, or I was able to obtain this qual or do this,...that meant more to me and that was more fulfilling to me than anything else. So that's kind of like the direction that I took it and haven't looked back.

KP: 31:07

I can definitely identify with what you're saying. There's

Jai Salters: 31:07

Oh, yeah, I mean, that's that's my life's purpose. two things with me, you know, over the years, that That's, that's inherent in who I am. You can be on the elevator specifically I can identify with you. And one of them is, you ride with me and it is only a few seconds before I mention know, giving back to your community giving back to your education or something. I've had multiple sailors or soldiers, I people, and then also never forgetting those who go to bat was like, "Hey, man, so are you working on your degree or?" Well for you. You know, and, and making them proud. And for me, you know, because for me, I didn't understand the I've had a lot of people, I'm sure you can say the same, who significance and importance of education. And Master Chief have really stuck their neck out and really gone the extra mile. Simpson, was like I said, was one of those individuals that, And they in my heart and mind, you know, will always be a big part of me. And it's something that I think about whenever I do you know, he guided me early on. So I remember when I first accomplish something, and so I understand what you're saying. started doing education brief, and I had another mentor, Steve So it sounds like your mentor helped guide you onto the path Franero, he's a he's a fellow O and he, you know, he is an of helping others. Is that, going forward, do you think that's going to be something that you continue plan on doing? awesome, dude, man. And he kind of helped me understand some of the things that I didn't know about education. So I took some of the knowledge that he did, he told me about, and I've kind of put this together. And was like, you know, "Maybe I can help people by putting this presentation together." And you know, talk about like, the successes that I've had. So I was able to knock out like 15 like, asside from the warfare qualifications, I was able to knock out like 15 certs. I was able to take advantage of a lot of different educational opportunities. So I was like, "Let me see if I can help others take advantage of CLEPs, DANTES certifications." So I started doing that. And I did like one presentation. And it was horrible. It was, it was horrible. Yeah, I still remember it to this day. And Master Chief Simpson was there and he was like, at the time, he's just like, uh, "You know, some really great information. You're going to do that again." And I was like, "You, Master, you didn't see what just happened? Like, that was pretty bad. Like, I'm not a public speaker." And he's like "No, you don't understand. You're gonna do this again." And I was like, clearly, like, we weren't in the same...because this was, but he was insistent on me doing again. All he says is just "no." And that was it. I was like, I guess I gotta do it again, let me do it again. And so it goes from that, you know, I did that presentation, countless amount of times. I've helped over 14,000 service members with that presentation. And that's kind of like the roots of Act Now Education, and what is grown to be. So it started there, right. It started with somebody believing in me telling me that I could do stuff and being able to mentor me in that manner. And I want to be able to do that for others. I know I'm not going to be able to reach everybody. But I don't want anyone to miss an opportunity that they may not know of, or are not aware of, because of some of their own limitations. Some of the things that hold them back. Some of the things that set them back. Everyone feels a certain way, and everyone has insecurities. But it's really how you deal with that and grow with that, that make you who you are. So for me it's my mission, my goal, to have that type of effect on those that I'm around, because you just don't know what one thing can do to help someone overcome some of these challenges. And that's sometimes that's what you just need. You just need to know that someone believes in you, and then the rest is up to them to take it on, you know, and pass it down. So that's for me, I'm not sure how many people I've helped or you know, assisted with, and not like I try to keep count or anything like that. I just know that I try. And I give back what was given to me, and I tried to give it back two-fold. So yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

KP: 35:12

So it's really interesting, because you're right, that sometimes people are limited to what they know, that's available out there. I have found that over the years that some of the biggest obstacles that people have, are themselves, believing in themselves. And so how do you get someone who doesn't believe in themselves, to understand that, that they're basically in their own way?

Jai Salters: 35:38

That's a challenge, right. And the majority of the time, when I'm talking to people that are doing transitioning or I'm talking to someone about, you know, their goals. That's really what I'm talking about. I'm not even like, I do mention resources and stuff and people know me for that. But it's mainly just more so I'm addressing that mind state. You can either, you know, there's a famous quote that I like, you can have the things that you want, or the reasons why you don't. So I didn't want to give myself a bunch of excuses, or excuses why you don't. I don't want to give myself a bunch of excuses on why I didn't have the things that I wanted, or why I was able to attain the things that I wanted. Because I knew that, that just meant I was stopping myself or preventing myself from being able to, you know, aspire to do better and try to put myself forward. Even if I know, I'm not necessarily going to be able to be successful at every endeavor I involve myself in, I still want look for the experience and learn from that. So when I talk to people, when I'm usually addressing that, we're talking about that. Because you're the only thing that the end of the day that can stop you. There's things that can yeah, be like roadblocks, you know, and limit you. Especially where I come from. And that's like, like, that's why I think like my past and my childhood, I wouldn't change. Like I said, it's not a good situation, but I wouldn't change anything about it. Because it helped me understand that if I'm able to overcome that, and I do have value...every person has value. They just may not understand that. So when I'm talking to people, that's what I'm addressing. I'm saying the value that they have added, what they can do, how they can overcome their situation. But mainly, how they can stop limiting and restrictings themselves and just get to it. You can talk about it. You can think about it. But if you just execute it, you've probably be done whatever it is that you were trying...

KP: 37:26

You got to be about it.

Jai Salters: 37:26

Yeah, you got to be about it, absolutely! So that's, that's really like I guess the, the focal point for me, and that's what I try to do. I try to do my best at helping people understand that. You can't, like I said, I know I can't help everybody. But that's, from my standpoint, I tell people my story where I come from, and what it is for me. I was like "Look, if I succeed in life, you could too." There's no excuses here. It's just more so identifying what it is and getting after it.

KP: 37:53

Yeah, what an arc, you went from not understanding much about education to becoming an advocate for helping others to not make, you know, mistakes. And now that we know a little bit about your life, and career, having been devoted to helping others. Tell us a little bit about what you've done over the years to help others realize their potential, overcome their internal obstacles and learn the importance of education.

Jai Salters: 38:18

No, absolutely. Knowledge is empowering, right. So that's, that's what kind of gave me that, that understanding. The thing that I look at, right, just look at it as a story or chapter, right. You, you are the the narrator of your story, you can write your story however you want. You may have some bad chapters in there, but you can definitely write some good ones. And at the end of the day, you're the author, if you don't like the way the narrative is going, change it. So when I'm talking to people, or, or over the years, you know, I just see what people are trying to do and what there, what individuals would like to achieve. And you know, sometimes they just don't know what they don't know. So I try to do my best to put that out there. So utilize Act Now as a platform to provide people with resources, educational information, and possibly job opportunities is the goal because I want people to understand that one, they're not in their struggle alone. You may feel like, and a lot of people do feel like this. But there are others going through the same thing that you are, it's not just inherent to yourself, your own situation. But knowing that you apply yourself and utilize these resources, because these resources can change your life. They can have an impact on you that you never thought, you or your family. I've been on the phone with a lot of veterans that, you know, feel like they're down on their luck because of this chapter, right. They don't necessarily did everything or took advantage of the time while they were in. And then when they got out, you know, they talked about, you know, the military kind of makes us feel like we're on a pedestal that you know, any employer is going to want to hire us. And that's not really the case. I mean, granted, you have to work at anything that you do. And you got to understand what your values are. But a lot of time, I feel, without understanding what you're getting into and how empowering resources and using this knowledge is to kind of help you achieve your goals or do your transition. It limits you so that's why,like that's my driving force. Like that's what we focus on and that's what we try to do as best as possible. We try to give people the opportunity to learn about stuff and take advantage of things. There's over 40,000 different organizations out there that support the military community. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to, you know, find something that works for you and be able to leverage it. I know back in the day, it wasn't like that. But with all the resources now, you have to leverage these opportunities, because it could be the difference between you doing the things that you want in life and

KP: 40:49

You've mentioned Act Now Education several times. And for you not... our listeners out there that aren't familiar with Act Now Education, would you mind just giving us a brief on what that organization involves?

Jai Salters: 41:00

Yeah, Act Now Education is like the resources for the resources for the military community. Essentially, we focus on active duty veterans, military spouses, and we try to gather useful resources and put them in one place so that you can look through and see what's available. There's a lot of different programs out there, whether it be job employment programs, upskill programs, certification programs. Whatever it is that is beneficial at no cost, we try to provide that. Because it's, it's a service, we have a group of volunteers that, my team is pretty strong. They're awesome individuals, that you know, they believe in this because they know the, the benefit of education and helping people is empowering them to do things has an impact on their careers and can have impact on those around you. If you don't know about what you don't know about it, you know, it, like I said, it could be limiting. But if you find out these resources available, when you're able to pass this information on and share it, you know, you can make some waves. So that's what we're about.

KP: 42:00

Right. And Act Now Education, I'll say this much, as long as I've been around it, so far, you've been kind of the flame that everyone is kind of, you're the center of the actual Act Now Education. There's something about your personality, your character, who you are as a person, you're genuine style that I think people are gravitated to. Because you definitely do have a very robust team. And, and I'll tell you this much, you're so involved in so many different things. I don't know how you sleep, like I really don't. And you know, with this Coursera thing that we recently just started, just kicked off...absolutely amazing opportunity. Act Now is a phenomenal organization. We love to talk about success, but it's the failures, the hard times, and even the utter catastrophes that allow us to grow. So what are some of your most notable, sub-optimal moments throughout your career? And did you manage to turn those into opportunities for success?

Jai Salters: 42:58

Like, honestly, I mean, there's a lot of failures I've had, but I have never kept track. And I've never...you know, it's just not one of those things that...I just don't have a fail, a failure mentality. It's just more so "What did I learn from that? And how can I improve?" Life is all about growth. And I don't feel it's very black and white, success and failure. I just feel like as long as you do what you can to improve yourself day to day, and just be a better human being day by day. I mean, you'll get to where you need to be, you'll be around the people that you need to be. So be around. So it's just yeah, it's, for me, Like I said, I've had a lot. I couldn't tell you off the top of my head. But um, yeah.

KP: 43:45

Yeah, I can definitely agree with you on that. You know, and that's the one thing about the military, is the military pushes you off the platform, whether you're ready or not. It puts you in, the military will put you in positions of authority and put you in positions of responsibility. And whether you succeed or you fail, you're gonna have that opportunity. Whereas in the civilian world, you know, you may start working somewhere as a very low-level employee with almost no responsibility. And in the military, right off the bat almost, as soon as you're done with basic training, you're given, you know, some level of responsibility and it's, it's all about the life lessons of failure and success. And I can definitely identify with failure. And I think that when you come from the type of background that you've come from, those types of obstacles don't really get in your way because you understand you've been there before you know, you've been behind the eight ball.

Jai Salters: 44:38

We're a lot more resilient than we think we are.

KP: 44:42

Right.

Jai Salters: 44:42

So yeah, it's, it's definitely, holds true. And as long as you leaning in, you know, and then you feel you get, you build your tribe around you, you know, get people that you can connect with, like-minded... actually, they don't even have to be like-minded they could be just like-hearted. Make sure they're like-hearted. They could have difference of opinion. You can get a lot of things done.

KP: 45:03

Just in case anyone listening out there would like to link up or connect with you What are some of the best platforms for them to get in touch with you?

Jai Salters: 45:11

I would say definitely hit us up on Facebook. Hit me up on Facebook or LinkedIn. You can also, I'm a Veterati mentor and a Keys mentor. So please feel free to go to the Veterati website and you know if you want you know, just a one on one, I definitely don't mind doing that. And like I said, I'm here to give back as best as I possibly can. We can do a lot more together. So that's my focus. If you want to hit me up, reach me there. You can also reach me at jai@actnoweducation.com if you got any questions. But yeah, do give me some time. I tend to you know, stack my plate pretty high, but I get to it. I will definitely make sure that I reach out because like I said my focus is helping people. And that's what I want to do.

KP: 46:00

And you know, you also have an amazing team with the Act Now Education...

Jai Salters: 46:04

Absolutely strong team. Shout out to the whole Act Now Education team, phenomenal individuals. I couldn't pick a better group of individuals. Seriously. I don't know how but you know, when you do things right, like-hearted people come around and my team has been phenomenal this whole way through. And I'm very thankful and blessed to have such, to work with some of these individuals that I've worked with.

KP: 46:29

So what's the the website for Act Now Education?

Jai Salters: 46:32

It's www.actnoweducation.com. And then, like I said, we're all over social media. So yeah, just go to Act Now Education, we should be the first thing that pops up. Yeah please feel free to reach out, show up to one of our events. You know, connect. Let's, let's see what we can do, see how we can help you move forward with some of these resources that we have. Yeah.

KP: 46:56

No. It sounds good. Sounds really good. Yeah anyone listening out there, please check out the Act Now Education website. Opportunities are coming up every single week. And want to mention on Fridays, the military mix up room and clubhouse, join us at 530 Pacific time and that's 830 Eastern Time. Jai, I want to say thank you for your time today. I appreciate it.

Jai Salters: 47:16

Appreciate you. Appreciate the team. Yeah. Don't waste any time, Act Now!

KP: 47:23

Alright, with that being said, Thank you for your time today, everyone. Thank you for listening and we're out.