Creating a Personal Brand That Empowers Others With Herb “Flight Time” Lang, Harlem Globetrotter

Herbert Lang came from humble beginnings in Brinkley, Arkansas graduating from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1998. While there, he led the Trans-America Athletic Conference in scoring and won the National Association of Basketball Coaches Slam Dunk Contest. The Globetrotters invited him to their training camp in 1999, and he spent 18 years as a player and coach with the team.

He traveled to nearly 100 countries and interacted with various influential dignitaries during that time. He also participated in numerous TV shows and contests, including three seasons of The Amazing Race and Are you Smarter Than A 5th Grader? He wrote about his unique journey in a recently-published memoir, "Projects, Popes and Presidents."

Herb is also a TEDx SPEAKER.  https://youtu.be/ZeivzoCpygM He speaks about concepts from his books (Projects, Popes, and Presidents) as anon-air correspondent and inspirational speaker. He also facilitates sports clinics for young people.

His mantra is summed up in the hashtag #kindnessisfree, which Herb often uses online and in correspondence.

Episode Description

Kindness is free. Herb “flight time” Lang joins the show to tell his story of being a Harlem Globetrotter, traveling the world, and using his brand to empower other people to live a meaningful life of kindness.

Talking Points:

{04:10} Personal Branding for Herb “Flight Time” lang

{05:22} Visiting 100 countries

{07:00} Writing the book “Projects, Popes, and Presidents”

{09:00} #Kindnessisfree

{11:30} Empowering others

{16:00} Being a contestant on The Amazing Race

{24:00} Transitioning from being an athlete to a regular citizen

{30:15} When things go wrong

Resources/Links:

Connect with Herb on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/datrotter4/?hl=en

Connect with Herb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themotivationalspeaker/

Visit the podcast’s website: https://www.talentempowerment.com/

‍Connect with Tom Finn @therealtomfinn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealtomfinn/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/therealtomfinn

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealtomfinn

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealtomfinn

Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealtomfinn/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealtomfinn

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/therealtomfinn

‍

Welcome to the Talent Empowerment Podcast, where we share stories of great humans empowering others so you can lift your organizations, your teams, and your community. I am your host, and on today's podcast episode, we have a Harlem Globetrotter who spent 18 years with the organization, visiting nearly 100 countries.

My name is Tom Finn. His name is Herb Flight Time Lang. Herb, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much, Tom, for having me on the show. I appreciate you taking the time to allow me to share with your audience.

Well, we cannot wait to have you on the show, and I am very lucky to spend time with you.

But if you don't know Herb, let me just introduce you to him for a second. He came from humble beginnings in Brinkley, AR, and he graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana.

Now, when he was there, he was with the Transamerica Athletic Conference scoring champ and won the National Association of Basketball Coaches Slam Dunk Contest. So naturally, the Globetrotters—yes, the Harlem Globetrotters—invited him to training camp, and he ultimately spent 18 years as a player and coach with the team.

But that's not the end of this story. He also participated in numerous TV shows and contests. Three seasons of The Amazing Race, and are you smarter than a 1/5 grader?

So, if you're questioning, "Oh, has he done anything else?" Well, the answer is yes. He recently published a memoir, projects, popes, and presidents. I recommend you go pick it up.

And today he is working with a Hollywood production company to develop one of his movies. many television concepts as well as improving his skills as an actor and producer and, most importantly to him, being a good human and father to three.

His mantra is summed up very simply in a hashtag. #Kindnessisfree. All right, Herb, you've done a lot of things. How have you built your brand over the past 20 years?

Oh, man, Tom, all of those great things you said about me. I'm thinking, "Man, did I do all of those things?" It sounds like a lot, but, you know, at the same time, there's still so much more that we get to do.

That's a great question. How did you know when it came to brand building? 20 years ago? I'd say I was in my fourth year with Harlem 20 years ago. Low charter rates at the time you mentioned allowed me to play for 18 years before retiring in 2017.

But, as I discovered early on in the process, that is exactly what it is all about. It's about branding, and that's what the Globetrotters were about. It was a brand that was built at the time I joined over 75 years ago; it was an iconic brand that introduced basketball to the world, and I didn't have the opportunity to travel early in my career. Even early on, within those first four to five years, I realized that you know yourself as a brand, and you realize that when you're out entertaining people from different countries and different walks of life—people who don't necessarily understand you—you know yourself as a brand. They don’t speak the same language as you. When you turn around after the game and you're doing an autograph session, you realize you have a large crowd of kids. or even adults who liked you, and you look around and you recognize yourself, and you compare, and you realize, yeah, maybe I do have something going with what I'm doing.

Perhaps something even bigger than Harlem Globetrotters in Harlem. the Globetrotters gave to me the opportunity, “the flight time” so to speak, to understand what Brandon all is about, here I am. You know, it's still there after 20 years. Kindness is free. It's about “flight time” Lang, a former Harlem Globetrotter. It's about bringing those teammates and the people that I work with together over the course of those 18 years. They're traveling the world together and giving them opportunities. You know, even if it's putting together Facebook groups or, you know, just anything that you can do to bring people together and make them realize how important they are. Because those who accompanied me on my trip are also associated with the flight time brand. Because I've taken a little of what they've done and incorporated it into myself.

Yeah, well said, and how do you come up with a name like flight time? What made you choose that name? Do you have to come up with it? I mean, in the spirit of branding, it's a fabulous one, but how does that start?

Well, as you mentioned, the name was inspired by the college Slam Dunk Contest at the Final Four in San Antonio in 1998. And I was a pretty good leaper for being 6’2, and we weren't doing the Globetrotters at that time. Back in 1999, a year after winning the Dunk Contest, I believe the home's owner was Mandy Jackson. And he felt like every time I jumped out, I should be getting frequent flyer miles. So there came the nickname "flight time."

Now that you've learned over the course of 18 years. It doesn't quite reach the same heights, but you have to be clever with time. So let me start by saying that some of those people had a flight time that was always on time at the airport for flights

I love That.

As the legs got a little heavier as we all got older, flight time became more about being on time and punctual. Well, the Swiss would appreciate that because they are incredibly punctual as a culture.

So, since you've gone to 100 countries, I'm sure you've visited Switzerland and other places. Others take care of you. Do you have a favorite place that stands out in your mind as being unique and special?

I've been to just over 85 countries, so I guess you could say that's close to 100. I'm referring to Traveling and performing for military troops on aircraft carriers to travel Italy was one of my favorites because at the moment, traveling to meet the Pope and others. And I mean to be in the Vatican and even get an education there. That is its own separate country. I want to have an experience like that coming from a small town like Brinkley, Arkansas, it's something I never imagined in my life.

You know what we were taught to us in school, but who could fathom the idea that we knew while we were taking French at Brinkley High School that we would travel to France one day?

So, I mean, just a blessing. I was able to travel to so many places. I mean some of my favorites. If I was to name a few off the top of my head, I mean Australia and the Latino population in South America. They just want to have a good time and being in places like Mexico and even some third-world countries allow them to see how people embrace you and your ability to entertain them, and they realize that these are people who have some of the fewest capabilities in terms of the things that we have in our lives are the most thankful they show the most gratitude and are just looking for an opportunity to be happy.

So just having these experiences of traveling the world and seeing it in a different light—there are so many that it's hard for me to name one, but there are just a couple of them for you.

That's fantastic you did mention the Pope, and in your book, you refer to it as “Projects, Popes, and Presidents”. So, have you had any interactions with presidents in the past?

Well, yeah, in my book, I talk about when I was in 8th grade, I think it was, and at the same time. At the time, Governor Bill Clinton was actually from Arkansas, and he was running for governor of Arkansas, and I had a chance to shake his hand as he came through on the campaign through our hometown. He spoke at our high school

and then you go back to 2014 and 2015. I'm almost 40 years old, and I'm having the opportunity to go to the White House. I went to the annual Easter Egg Roll to meet then-President Obama and was, you know, just really excited about the fact that I met him. And the fact that he's a sports fan—specifically, a basketball fan

A funny story. I went there the first time I had the chance to meet him. And I thought I had an opportunity to get some great photos. It was an honor to meet him at that event, but one of the things that stood out was our public relations representative. Brett Meister, a good friend of mine, is still out. He didn't get a good photo of me shaking the president's hand. He had a photo of me standing in the background, so, you know, we had a little bit of a discussion about that. And then, the very next year, Brett got me back at the White House again for the annual Easter Egg Roll, and I had a chance to get some photos with the president. A few photos of me standing over Mr. Obama doing push-ups just as an honor. You know what it takes to be able to do things like that, and that's what you know.

The Globetrotters have been able to do so over time and will continue to do so. Even today, you can tell they're willing to walk through doors that the average or typical person cannot. And you know, once you're able to put that name brand behind your name, you're able to do some of the same things.

And that's exactly what I'm doing right now, you know, attempting to make a difference in the world through the use of those tools and gifts that God is giving me the tools and knowledge that the world had hurriedly provided me with enabled me to give back to a world that had given me so much.

Yeah, so let's press down on that a little bit. "Kindness" is a free hashtag. Help us all understand what that means to you.

Well, kindness is free. Being kind doesn't cost us anything. And as I reflect on my life, a lot of the major accomplishments that have happened for me Tom has acted simply out of kindness, you know, and this is something I discuss in my book.

Those are some of the things that I shared with the audiences that I speak with. It wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for the kindness and the fact that people took a chance and believed in me. I wouldn't be here, from getting a basketball scholarship. That was my high school basketball coach, who mentored me from grade 7 to grade 12. My son, his son, and I happened to be best friends and the same age, but just having him mentor me and letting me know the things that I needed to do to prepare for, you know, a better life.

Being able to attend college educated me on the value of education. as a freshman and let me know that those grades would dictate if I would, you know, be able to go to college if I were not. I'm a good athlete, but even getting that scholarship was word of mouth at Centenary College, where you mentioned they had never seen me play basketball. It was thanks to the words of a former teammate two years my senior at my high school had gotten a scholarship there.

He told them about a young kid from Brinkley who was a great athlete and had taken care of things in the classroom but wasn't being recruited. And he pretty much told him that I was a diamond in the rough, and you know, just people like that taking a chance on me at her young age made me realize the power of kindness. And when you get these opportunities, you have to take advantage of them. You know, I could go on and on and tell you more.

Going back to the Globetrotters, it was a former teammate of mine—well, not a former teammate of mine. former soccer player at my college. Who was one of my best friends? went to a Globetrotters game. I had it. Globetrotters were as far off my radar as you can imagine, Tom, but my friend went to a Globetrotter game. He came back home that night; we were roommates at the time. He took it in. You know that game where I could go out there and do exactly what they do, even if it was just dunking with my leaping ability, it's just about, you know, being able to go back and give and realizing the feeling that you get when somebody is nice to you and the results that can happen. You know, as a result of being kind and just giving back

Yeah, and is there something you're doing specifically in the market that is helping former basketball players or people in your community? What are you doing to help others? And, as we say on this show, lift others and empower them.

Well, yeah, we do basketball clinics.

My hometown's kindness is the free basketball club. I believe we had one and then another a few weeks ago at a church here in Ruskin, FL. It's a free basketball clinic, and I'm just letting the kids know that you know when you come to my basketball clinic.

Let's just say that sit-down classroom sessions are about more than just basketball. It's talking about life; it's interaction. It's games and even going into the schools and speaking; when I go and speak to a school or even a business, it's an event. You know I'm a Harlem Globetrotter, so we're going to be interactive. We're going to be bringing up some of those memories that you had when you were young with some of these young kids. We're creating new memories. You know, in the same way. Uh, we remember when we were globetrotters.

You know, a lot of people talked about it. When I was younger, I remember seeing global charters or hearing from a lot of people that a globetrotter, you know, came to their school. So, as you know, part of what I do right now is being a motivational speaker. I get to go to different schools and different freshman orientations in high school and at different colleges.

These are the things I learned growing up by running around with my grandparents and parents, but I also learned them by being able to do a lot of community outreach. Do the Globetrotters, as you know, have TV fundraisers going on shows like "Are you smart in the 5th grade?" and being able to answer enough questions to raise $25,000 for charity?

When I consider my career as a Globe charter and my education, I realize that my degree is in health and physical education, and thus I am. You know that's what I graduated in, but when I talk about the life that I've been able to live and my experiences, I've been able to have those 18 years of entertainment.

You know, that's where my Ph.D. is. I have a doctorate in entertainment, so I can entertain people. I can get in front of a crowd and entertain myself for an hour or thirty minutes. And these are the things that people try to compare my career to a globe too—perhaps the NBA. I don't know many NBA players who could go out and play by themselves in front of, say, 1,000 or five kids. You know, we get to entertain 500 kids for 30 to 45 minutes, which is more than basketball players get to do.

Yeah, well, thank you for your work as a Harlem Globetrotter. As a kid growing up in London, I lived there until I was eight. I saw the Harlem Globetrotters come to town because my dad's American and he always had an affinity for basketball and sports in general, and so I got a chance to see your predecessors when I was a little guy in England, so you know you've touched a lot of people around the world, me included, and I'm very grateful for the work that you and your peers have done around the world.

The charity money that you've raised and the good work that you've done in local communities are what it is. a real lift. And it takes special people to pull that off. So, kudos to you! And thank you for the great work that you've been doing and for making your life work.

Yeah, I mean, kudos to the players and, you know, the players who go out and make it happen every day.

I haven't been with the organization for five years, but they're still out there doing it. Several of my former teammates are still out there playing, so I mean, it's just a joy to be able to watch them continue to figure out their lives in the same way that I did. I couldn't have imagined for whom I would play. You know, during my 18-year career, I had the opportunity to make friends from all over the world. I'm still connected as of today; you know I have two kids. I would not have had my two children if it hadn't been for the Globetrotters, which eventually led me to my wife after I retired. You now know what it was over the course of those 18 years. It was indeed a difficult time.

There are many lonely moments on the road. People may not realize it, but we now have the opportunity to reflect on and live our lives. You'll be able to share some realistic future dreams with your wife now that you've gotten to know her. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

Yeah, beautifully said, and I think I'll switch gears here to some of the work you've done on television because that's another level up in your game, so to speak. You've been on The Amazing Race three times. Tell us how you got on the show and how you got called back two other times.

Yeah, Tom, an Amazing Race would not have allowed me to experience what my teammate and my former team did all at once. We were the team that had run the most legs in The Amazing Race, but the way it came about was pretty cool because, as you recall, growing up in London as a kid throughout my career, people would frequently come up and talk about their experiences and memories of Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon after the games and guys like that.

So, I'm talking about myself. You know that to have an opportunity to play is, you know, more than a dream for a team like the Harlem Globetrotters. You know that, as far as you know, the organization is now back up and running. They had a small amount, and that is what breaks you. know through COVID, but I mean Tom the things you know you'll be able to experience during your 18-year career in entertainment and telling visions are insurmountable

When the Globetrotters vanish, some people may forget. That's when, around 2007, new ownership came in, and they wanted to create new celebrities and new stars. Whereas in those first seven years of my career, we didn't even have our names on the backs of our judges, but we took the initiative. People didn't recognize us until around 2007. Not only at that one time of year when we come to perform in your town, but also to be able to see me and Big Easy on television. We were a couple of guys who first got that opportunity, and it came through the Amazing Race.

Kimberly was our public relations lady in this case. Thank her for this day. She was working hard for us in LA, and we were able to pitch a video that is still on YouTube. And our video submission to get on the Amazing Race, and they chose us. I mean, we went through a stinting and strenuous process of traveling back and forth to LA two or three times. to be evaluated, and I remember them calling us into the room. "You know, we have several celebrity teams interested in being a part of this show,"

Tom and they told us once. So, you guys need to show us that you generally are. Friends, and genuinely, can you, you know, compete in this show? And the thing about Big Easy and I is that we played for the same college basketball coach at different colleges, and when Big Easy came to join the Globetrotters, our coach, Billy Kennedy, reached out to me and said, "You know, I have this guy coming in, Nathan Lofton, and I want you to take him under your wing." And there was just a natural connection from there.

Once he stepped onto that bus, you knew it was a genuine friendship, and that kind of played off on television that first season of the show, for which we became fan favorites. And as a result of being fan favorites, we came back again for unfinished business.

We didn't win the first time we came in, but they have the opportunity to come back again to do it, and they don't even really have to audition. You are aware that the second time was an honor. Again, we didn't win. We came in second, but you know, at the end of the day, it's not always about the wins and losses; it was about the big easy and I and not being able to let the world see what we were all about. As individuals, we also, you know, represent that organization and that brand that's been around now for almost 100 years.

Also, our families and our hometowns, which we were able to represent on national television for so many different weeks and do it in a way that people saw as commendable and in a way that people wanted to bring their kids out to the arenas and venues, you know, to meet us, and these are all experiences that I cherish and still love talking about and sharing with audiences that I get to speak with around the world.

Yeah, you know.

It's interesting to listen to you. I'm thinking, "Gosh, if I'm listening to this podcast or watching this video, I'm thinking." I'm not going to be a Harlem Globetrotter. I'm not going to get on The Amazing Race or another platform like that on television.

How do I relate to this guy? And then it clicked, right? You said, "friendship”

Your message isn't really about the Harlem Globetrotters. It's not really about basketball or television. It's about perseverance, deep friendships, kindness, and being at the right place at the right time—and what I think I heard was that you worked hard to get on that show. Nobody handed it to you. You had to be strategic. You had to think that you had to be yourself. You had to fly back and forth. You could have not taken the flight and given up early in the process, right?

But you didn't.

Right

And a commitment to a friend pulled you through. And I think as I'm listening to you, I'm thinking, "Gosh, these are all things we can all use, no matter if we've ever picked up a basketball or not."

You're right, Tom. It's all about perseverance.

When you set your mind to something, you commit to it. Then anything is possible. I mean, the result is You know, even today, as I reflect on speaking to various audiences, I'll talk about, you know, how kindness is free, but I'll also talk about the importance of remembering the things you fantasized about when you were younger.

I mean, for me I wanted to be a professional athlete, and probably once I reached the 7th grade, I realized I had an opportunity to do something special in sports, but there were other dreams that I had. I aspired to be as famous as Michael Jackson, an entertainer.

I enjoy dancing. I wanted to run around; there were so many other things I wanted to do; I wanted to lead people. I wanted to lead people in the way that, as you know, I saw people in my community. I wanted to be a coach, so to speak. such as my high school basketball coach, who is now an 18-year-old Harlem Globetrotter, professional basketball careers are old. Would I get to go back and reflect and think about some of those other dreams?

And also get to think about the things that I dreamed about during that whole process. You know, so that's what I'm doing right now. I just, you know, talk about producing some of the things I do. I have a sports game show concept that I've been pitching, and I've also been incorporating that into my events.

Which I'm very excited about because people go crazy when they have the opportunity to do it, but even more than that, you know, acting.

For nearly 20 years, I traveled to nearly 90 to 100 countries around the world, entertaining and communicating with people who couldn't even speak the same language. You are aware, as am I, but I just recently had the chance to film the movie Sweetwater, which is going to tell the story of the first African American to sign an NBA contract. The Jackie Robinson of the NBA was Nate Sweetwater Clifton, who happened to be a globetrotter. We just filmed this movie.

It was back in May and June, we waited two months, and this movie is set to come out probably around April of next year in many theaters around the United States of America, and it’s going to be something powerful that's also good. to tell the story of perseverance and even Saperstein’s vision of making this team a global team. You'll also be able to see the impact it had on the NBA and the way we see basketball today.

There are so many opportunities and things that we can all continue to do, you know. Because one door closes, it does not imply that others will follow suit. That means new opportunities are opening up for you.

My Globetrotter career ended abruptly, which caught me off guard. However, I had to acknowledge how fortunate I was to be able to hold that spot for so long and then to be able to reflect and realize that that was only one phase of my life and that all of the knowledge and experience I've accumulated over the years are now things I get to put into action. And you know that's what I've been doing over the past five years. Just putting these dreams into action and not giving up It's a whole different level of perseverance, but it's the same thing is, going for a goal that you dreamed about at some point in your life and not giving up on it

Well, I love it. the way you said it and your emphasis on post-perseverance. I'm curious how difficult it is for you to make the transition from athletics to the real world. Or maybe we should call it the "quiet world," where there aren't fans cheering for you every day like they used to. Is that a difficult transition as an athlete to move away from that sport?

Well, at this time I definitely—I mean, speaking for myself—can't speak for every athlete.

But you know, it's no secret that you know if you do a little research. It's a tough transition. You know, after being in the spotlight, so to speak, for such a long period and then sometimes abruptly having that taken away, it's mind-boggling, but some young men and women choose it. They chose to walk away.

I would have probably played until the wheels fell off, but the transition for me—I'd say it wasn't easy, and even now, five years later, I say I'm still transitioning. I still miss traveling to all those different countries and seeing them, you know? The young people, the smiles on their faces, and their speaking—you know, learning to try to speak a language to communicate with the young people.

But the most powerful thing I'd say in that transition, and for anyone working a job or on a team, is that the most important part of your transition will be the way that you treat people while you're there. That's what I think is best for me.

I know that I treated people with dignity and respect. I came across people who were, you know, playing with other people along the way. And for me, that's why I need to do things like Start Facebook groups for my former teammates who wanted to make sure that we knew that we had a place to go come together because that was something. That's what I needed when my globetrotting ended—a group of friends who had already gone through the experience. They had already been. That goes, so to speak, and they were able to support me and let me know what was possible on the other side.

But one thing happens: you recognize a lot of the doors and the people who were knocking on them when you were on that pedestal. They're not knocking anymore, so it's important that you know to treat people well along the way, not just for the simple fact that they may be able to help you. You'll know down the road, but they may be able to do so don't treat these people you know as if they're castoffs.

I mean, I'm that kind of person. If I met you and I had your number or your e-mail and I thought about you, I would randomly say hello to you, and that's important. It's not that I expect something in return; I just know how I feel when I hear from some of my friends out of nowhere that they're thinking about me and just wanting to see if they can do something to support me or just genuinely check on me.

That's what it's all about. The transition is not, uh, an easy transition, but with support, and do you recall the same motivation and drive that propelled you to that level of success? You can do it again.

Yeah, well, well said, and I think what I heard is to give love, support each other, and do the right things. You know, you're leaving the organization, and that is part of the story.

The other side of the story is that organizations must ensure that they show the same love to anyone who enters their company, institution, or community as when they're leaving. So, what I tend to see in business as we think about the business implications of this Herb is that organizations get excited about new hires, and then when they leave, whether that's voluntary or involuntary, they're asked to leave, right, there's a little bit more apprehension, friction, concern, and kindness and the love and the support tend to get a little watered down on the way out.

What I'm hearing you say it is. If you can keep that at a high level on both sides, walk away with your head held high. Shake hands and look forward to the next journey. That's the right way to do this.

That is exactly what I'm saying.

I mean, for me, that experience you mentioned when you first came in is true. Everyone is excited. Oh, he can do this. He can jump and run. He can speak, and you know that employers tend to push people out the door. You know well what they tell those employers about all the things that they can't do. I can't. I can't speak; I can't. You know I'm not a leader.

You still have those things in you, and I think that there can be a better way to assist people on the way out, even if it's counseling or even pushing them in another direction and letting them know that there are other opportunities beyond that. I mean, I think that would be something that would be great with the Globetrotters to help people. Former players. kind of, you know. figure their way out into other correct aspects, which some men and women, including myself, have been able to do over time, and with acting and realizing that, yes, that is your gift. That's your talent. Being able to go and speak in front of a large group of people and entertain at an event That's your talent. That's your gift. And just because you're not in that court, running up and down the court doesn't mean that you can't do it, and that's what I'm all about.

I'm determined to make sure that for the rest of my life I'm still educating people on the importance of kindness and connection. And you know the realization that I don't know about you, Tom, but over the past couple of years, I think that this world has realized that we're even closer than we could have imagined.

Imagine the COVID outbreak and other things that we've just officially gotten over here in the last few weeks, which I'm super excited about, and I say, hey, bring back the smiles, hugs, and high fives.

That's right, smiles, hugs, and high-fives are back in style again. If you hadn't noticed, which is great for those of us who have a truly human side and enjoy social interaction with others, as I know you do, you've had an amazing career.

You're doubling down and extending it. In so many different areas, have you ever stubbed your toe? Has anything ever gone wrong for you?

I had everything go wrong for me. Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, I've made some bad investments in the past. I've been scammed. I've had all kinds of things happen that, you know, have kind of bumped me along the way. But I discovered – and I'll give you an example –When my Globetrotter career came to an end in 2017, it was something that I didn't expect. I was a player-coach, and that was my intent. The worst that could happen is that I would be promoted to full-time coach. in a front-office type of position, you know, and that didn't happen, and for me, I wasn't mentally prepared to transition into the next phase of my life.

And then, you know, the toll stub was there. Not being prepared, I ended up going out and doing a little Lyft driving, which was great. I mean, being able to go out and drive Lyft and have real conversations again, just like a year after, say, two years ago, when you're spending the basketball on Pope Francis’ finger in two years later, you're driving Lyft and having real conversations, but realizing that you don't get to feel sorry for yourself, some people have far more serious issues than you when you look at the blessings that you've been able to, you know, achieve.

Look at the opportunities that the universe and God are giving you. You can't complain; you get to get up. This is just a little bump in the road, but you get to go through this stretch of adversity, and you get to search and figure out what's next for you.

And that's what happened to me over the course of those first couple of years. You know, it took a while. Some tough moments, some financial situations, a lot of knowing—but at the same time, the realization that if you keep, you know, staying true to yourself, the yeses are eventually coming, and that's what's been happening to me.

As an independent artist, I am committed to remaining true to myself and growing as a person. The visuals are connected. Ensure that you are persistent. I am ensuring that I am persistently moving forward with the things I have in mind while also having to narrow some things down.

You know, there was a time about a year and a half ago when I was trying to get into too many different things and they weren't working, whereas now I've become more focused on three or four things that I know.

So that I'm able to have an impact, and those are the things that have been helping me out here recently. But yeah, there are bumps in the road, and with those bumps in the road come more challenges that support that foundation. a group of friends, a family, and now, a wife. You have knowledge that I did not previously have helped me through these bumps in the road.

Well, I love how you look at the world, and I love the steps that you're taking because talent empowerment is all about finding incredible people who empower others.

And we all go through struggles. And we all go through low points. Hey, I'm in high school or college, and I just straightened up to the top. And now I'm the CEO of, you know, pick your organization, right? Or I'm the best whatever that's ever lived without any setbacks.

We all have them. I have them, and you have them. However, how you approach it depends on your attitude and focus when you come to work every day. And that is what pushes you through.

And I love the way you said it. It's all about relationships again because it's about those friendships and partnerships. When you're feeling down, let someone lift you. And that's the advice I have for everybody out there. You're going to have those moments, even on long flights, and you've got to just stay positive. Dig in with that community, dig in with those friends. And if you don't have a community, make one. If you didn't hear it loud and clear, Herb said it twice during this episode.

Build that Facebook group; build that community group. Do meet-up groups help you find your niche and those friends who can bring you in and lift you along the way?

All right, Herb. So, basketball, we've got television shows. We've got actors. We have production. You wrote a book. What's next for you, my friend? What is the next step? Where are we going to see you land in the next couple of years?

Well, for me, I definitely would like to do more producing, and I love to get my sports game show up and running and get it going around the world.

However, simply being on stage constitutes sharing and speaking. You know it's all about kindness, and I've seen it. I've traveled and seen the world, which is why if you look over my shoulder right now, you'll see that this kindness is free. That's an award that I give out at every event that I go to and speak at,

I'll have the school nominate students from each grade level who will bring them up and thank them for their generosity. You know, showing over time that the kid has been recognized will get him a certificate, and the teachers will get him a certificate, but at the end of the day, we recognize one person not for their athletic ability, not for their looks, and not for how much money they have. But for just being a good human being, we award them a plaque, and that's one of the things that are, you know, really dear to me. I want to reward people for being good human beings because it matters, and there are a lot of good people out there that aren't getting there. Just do it, and that's what I'm all about.

I'm all about putting things out there and making a difference in the world. going to create a positive impact that's going to create opportunities for even more people like myself to be able to get on stage and share it with the world. What we need to hear is togetherness, love, and support for one another. And so that's what you're going to see from her. Along with that, we need more consistency, just in front of more people. More events, acting, production, and opportunities await those who surround me. More opportunities for the world to be a better place as a result.

And I can't thank you enough for being the person that you are and lifting others. You truly empower talents all over the world where you work, empowering children and schools and raising the next generation.

And that is just the great work and great man that you are, and we mean it. I appreciate it, my friend, so thank you for being you and taking on these challenges to make the world a little bit better place for all of us.

I appreciate your time, man. Thanks a lot, man. I mean if anyone you know wants to contact me. I'm available on LinkedIn. You can follow me on Instagram. You can find me on Facebook, where I post positive messages, and having me attend one of your events will be like having me around. Remember when you went to see the Globetrotters?

Let me come to one of your events. Entertain yourself, your children, and your family. And let's share some memories. They're going to last a lifetime because, at the end of the day, kindness is free.

Kindness is free.

If you're listening, he just held up the T-shirt, and now he's got the hat going, so thank you so much for being on the show. Herb, Flight Time Lang, we are very excited because all of the information you need to contact him will be included in the show notes. grateful for the work. That's what you did as a globetrotter, but now you're doubling down to help communities and people lift others all over the world. So, thank you for being on the show.

Thank you, Tom. Appreciate it. Kindness is free.

And thank you for joining the Talent Empowerment podcast.

I hope this conversation lifted you so you can lift your teams, your organizations, and your community. We'll see it in the next episode, but for now, let's go back to people and culture. And as my great friend Flight Time just said, kindness is free. Take care of it, buddy.

‍

‍