Larry James: Leadership That Lasts, Developing People, Serving Communities & Building a Legacy

What does it take to build a legacy that transforms lives—not just your own, but an entire community?

The conversation goes beyond professional success into the heart of legacy—fatherhood, mentorship, community giving, and developing the next generation of leaders through the African American Leadership Academy. His message is simple yet powerful: "There is no success without a successor."

In this inspiring episode of the Be a Baller Podcast, Coach Tim Brown sits down with Attorney Larry James, one of Central Ohio's most respected legal, civic, and community leaders. From his humble beginnings in the sharecropping fields of the Jim Crow South to becoming a nationally recognized attorney and champion for justice, Larry shares the defining moments that shaped his life and leadership.

Discover how unexpected setbacks became opportunities, why integrity and humility remain the foundation of authentic leadership, and how mentors helped prepare him for every season of influence. Larry also explains why relationship equity, servant leadership, and investing in others are essential for creating lasting impact.

If this conversation inspires you, subscribe to the Be a Baller Podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with someone you're mentoring. Together, we can build leaders who leave a legacy that lasts for generations.

Transcript

Legacy Style Season Kickoff

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to season seven of Be a Baller, the podcast where success isn't the goal, legacy is. This season is all about intentional living, leading with purpose, serving with faith, and leaving a mark that outlives us. We go beyond the highlights, bringing you real conversations with legacy builders from ministry, business, sports, education, and community. Leaders committed to the wisdom pledge, paying it forward to the next generation. If you're ready for faith-filled leadership and practical wisdom to live on purpose and finish strong, let's be a baller, legacy style.

SPEAKER_03 0:36

Welcome to Be a Baller Podcast, where we share powerful conversations on leadership, legacy, faith, business, and fatherhood. I'm your host, Coach Tim Brown, and today we honored to welcome one of Central Ohio's most respected legal, civic, and community leaders, Attorney Larry James. Today's podcast is brought to you by First Merchant Bank, helping you prosper. Larry James has spent more than uh four decades impacting the legal, business, political, and philanthropy landscape of Columbus and beyond. Attorney James has advised local and national leaders, respected, high-profile clients, and built a legacy of leadership, service, and advocacy. Beyond the courtroom, Attorney James is a passionate community leader and co-founder of the African American Leadership Academy. Him and his wife. He has served numerous organizations across Central Hall and has been recognized with countless honors for his leadership, professionalism, and commitment to improving the lives of others. Most importantly, Larry is a husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and man of purpose. Today, we'll discuss leadership, legacy, faith, fatherhood, community impact, and lessons learned through his incredible journey. Please welcome Attorney Larry James to Be a Baller Podcast. Good afternoon. You had to get all that in, you know. There's a lot on there. I had to get all that in. I want to make sure that people know. And then we got our little Cleveland sidebars, you know. Every time you meet somebody from what they call the land, I don't know where that came from. You know, we still Cleveland, you know. But uh let's go back in

Growing Up In Jim Crow Alabama

SPEAKER_03 2:18

time a little bit. I understand that you grew up in a small town in Alabama. Can you talk about uh growing up there and your family and life lessons you learned down south?

SPEAKER_05 2:27

Well, I was born in O'Reilly, Ohio in 1950. And I was like many of the migration families, I was sent back and raised by my grandparents in Demopolis, Alabama, and Webb's bin. They were sharecroppers. Um we had a well that we had to haul water from. We had an outhouse, and I always, you know, joke and say that Sears and Roebuck catalog was not to shop for. So, you know, my grandmother, who had such a strong impression on me, she'd get up at 4:30 in the morning, she'd cook breakfast for everyone, one of those healthy breakfasts. Uh, then she'd go and work in the fields all day, and then she'd come back home and she would do the dinner. And I I don't know what attracted to me just watching how hard she worked and how she cared for the family and how she did it with such dignity and grace. You know, it was the old Jim Crow South in the 50s as we grew up. Everybody knew their place. Uh, our uncle Betty Ed um took care of the colored um movie house because we went upstairs and white folks went downstairs. But um it was an experience that, you know, if you didn't catch it, grow it, clean it, cook it, you didn't eat. We had no hospitals, we had no doctors, and for for black folks, we said colored folks back then, you know, you were a teacher or a preacher, or you worked the fields. Wow.

A Surprise Turn Toward Law

SPEAKER_05 4:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 4:01

You know, as as you think about your beginning, what inspired you to pursue a career in law and leadership?

SPEAKER_05 4:08

Uh it was a total accident. I graduated from Wittenberg University in 1974. And not really having any role models, I wanted to go into um the work um in law enforcement. Um and it was a job in uh outside of Dayton, Ohio, that there were a hundred applicants uh for um Huber Heights, and the job went to another person and I went to law school. Wow. Wow. Just happenstance.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

Wow, that's usually how God works. You know, it's always his plan. It's always his plan. Always his plan. So talk about that law school experience, you know. You know it's some of your mentors.

SPEAKER_05 4:51

Yeah, I think the funny thing about law school and life and experience is I graduated uh on a Sunday and I had secured a an apartment on the west side of Cleveland, had sent up the the you know, deposit, uh, and I got there, and the individual looked at me and he wouldn't rent to me because I was black.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_05 5:15

So I went down and holiday in at 22nd in Euclid. I checked in there tonight, and and then the next day I went over to the student services and there was a resident assistant job open. So uh I applied for it and got it. So I had free room for the summer because that guy had discriminated against me, and I came that way. And before the summer was out, the dorm director got fired, and I ended up being the dorm director for through law school. So I had room and board and you know, 12 hours of compensation for my three years of law school. So, you know, that was the luck of the draw. And in my first year of law school, there was a good friend of mine who did something really stupid. I testified for him. His aunt was the assistant to the law director in Cleveland, and I testified, she was there, and she was so impressed, she said, you need to come down to City Hall and apply for a job. So I got the job at City Hall as uh an intern, and I got to learn and grow and watch George Forbes operate. Then Mike White came in. I ended up going into the Kucinich administration. So through law school, my second and third year working at the law department down there, and it was the cutting edge because um the 1981-83, the civil rights laws and things of that sort were just opening up. So I got to be on the cutting edge. And by happenstance, my roommate from college, uh you know, his father was at the law firm of Crab Brown, Jones, Potts, and Schmidt, became the lead counsel on the Kent State trials. That trial was tried in downtown Cleveland while I was in law school, and the father of my roommate from college, so I got to see that up close.

SPEAKER_03 7:20

As you're sharing that, you really took me back. You know, really took me back. Uh you know, over four decades, you become one of the most respected leaders in Columbus. What principles have have guided your leadership journey?

SPEAKER_05 7:34

I think of a couple things. And, you know, working with uh uh and watching uh George Forbes or Jerry Hammond or Charlie Brown, uh, you know, that lead counsel in the Kent State trials, you learn a couple things, and that is you have to show up early, be there late, uh, have your integrity, work hard, uh, and try to use sound judgment. And the one thing we always laughed about, never forget unless you own the company, you're the help.

SPEAKER_03 8:04

That's a good word. You're just to help. You're just to help.

SPEAKER_05 8:07

Don't get it twisted.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

Wow. Wow.

Pressure, Integrity, And Public Trust

SPEAKER_03 8:10

You represented major clients and national figures. How do you handle pressure while maintaining that integrity and balance?

SPEAKER_05 8:18

I think, you know, when you grow up black and poor, particularly in the old Jim Crow South, I always say there is not much anyone can throw at you that you have not seen. Um the thing that most people uh get an eyebrow raised over is, you know, I've been general counsel to the National Fraternal Order of Police since 01. And the way that job came about is is unusual circumstances. From 83, well, yeah, from 83 to 86, I was almost trying a lawsuit uh in state or federal court to a jury, and I got pretty good at it. Um towards the end, I think it was around 87, I was trying a case in Cincinnati for uh company. I blackboarded a number to the penny, and that's what the jury came back with. Two weeks later, I got fired. So I realized I was only a legend in my own mind. And I had been an advisor to Buck Reinhardt at that time. Um and Buck came to me and he said, You know, I want to appoint my own police chief. And I he said, Would you help me? Dwight Joseph was his chief at that time. And I said, Well, what do you want me to do? He says, I'd like you to get him to resign. So my job was to meet with the chief, and and Dwight's father had also been chief of police. And I had worked in the city attorney's office with uh uh um the safety forces, so I knew it very well and I knew him very well. And so we had dinner, and he said, Um you want my resignation? And I said, That's the idea, and he says, Okay. What's the time frame? I said, six months, and he tendered his resignation. When we went through that process, I told Buck at that time that if you go through this process, Jim Jackson's gonna be your chief of police and it's gonna be hell to pay because I mean that's that's revolutionary. Uh and I remember the night before uh the mayor called me and said, you know, I'm gonna appoint Jim Jackson. And I said, good luck, because I knew the union was gonna respond in such a way. And so this was happening at the same time. Uh my my legend in my own mind was dissipating. After uh Jim Jackson was appointed chief, it was a few months the mayor was in my office. He said, I need you to come over to be safety director over the safety forces. And I was thinking, how do you distinguish yourself in a sea of competent lawyers? Columbus is saturated with lawyers that can do most things without blinking an eye, but how do you find yourself and distinguish yourself? And I thought, if I take the safety director's job, I will just be able to distinguish myself because you'd be the lead in either the six or eleven o'clock, two or three times a week, and the lead in above the fold and metro section or front page just because of the issues. And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Um and I made that decision to for that purpose. Um in so doing, I had a philosophy. If you're gonna get a bad cop, get him or her the right way. And so you fast forward, um Andy Douglas, who is a Supreme Court justice, uh came to me and said, There's a friend of his running for president of the FOP. Will I support him? Well, I've got a Supreme Court justice asking me to write a check. So I did. And um next thing I know, uh the gentleman, Steve Young uh from Marion, um Marysville, was in my office saying thank you for that contribution. And you know, I said, that's great. We had a long this five-minute conversation turned into a two-hour debate about black folks and cops. Uh and he says, thank you, and he leaves, comes back two weeks later, and he says, I'm going out, I'm unimposed for president of the national FOP. I want you to be my general counsel. And he said, I said, Well, what does that take? He said, You're a smart guy, you'll figure it out. So you pay it forward, you do good things in the right way, and good things come to you. Sometimes it doesn't always work out that way, or you don't see it immediately, but that's exactly what happened. The other thing, when I was during that time period in '89, I was up for a federal judgeship. And I was one of the finalists. And when I went into uh the Department of Justice, um the individual told me, he said, I'm going to tell you three things. Number one, you're the most qualified. Number two, you're not going to get it. And number three, three to five years from now, you'll be happy you didn't get it. And I said, Well, you know, I'm angry. I'm going, you know, I deserve this. This is the dream of every trial lawyer to be a federal judge. And he said, Because every time we've appointed someone like you, you've got bored and you missed the action and you missed the money.

SPEAKER_03 13:24

Well, there's a way of working things out for the good, you know, for the good. And I am so happy I didn't get that federal judge. You know,

Advice For Young Leaders Today

SPEAKER_03 13:35

as we continue on, thinking about today's times, the times we're living in today, what advice would you give young professionals pursuing leadership roles today?

SPEAKER_05 13:44

You know, I think you have to show up. You have to raise your hands. You know, when we created the African American Leadership Academy, we did it for a couple of reasons. Yeah, I always say success and age isolate you and segregate you. And if you had put a gun to my head back then when we started the African American Leadership over 20 years ago, I couldn't have named 10 black lawyers under the age of 35. And so I thought it was important that we have sustained intervention of leadership. And the things I tell them is, you know, you've got to be present, you've got to raise your hand, you've got to have the discipline and patience. It doesn't happen overnight. And you've got to develop a tough skin. You've got to develop, you know, how you're going to deal with failure, how you're going to deal with insults. Um, and if you have aspirations, we were talking beforehand, and I said, you know, the worst place you want to be is when you love someone, you admire them, you respect them, and they're deserving, and they're in need, and you're incapable of providing the help that they need. So you have to ask yourself, what position do you have to be in to address those needs? It's almost like being a branch on a tree. You can't take on more weight than you can sustain, or you will break. Um, you know, folks are young, they're ambitious, they're romantic, they are ideal. Uh that can get you killed.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Speaking of that, how has uh uh faith played a role in your personal growth and professional journey?

SPEAKER_05 15:22

You

Faith, Service, And Paying It Forward

SPEAKER_05 15:23

know, that's a delicate and difficult thing. I say I have doubts about my doubts. I've always been very close to the black clergy. Um and I was um spirituality has always been close to me. My family is very spiritual. My wife is very spiritual. Uh they have our moments that we pray together. Um and I, you know, I took five religion courses in college, and you try to find that place that sets well with you. And um, that's a continuous journey for me. And it's for most people, really. It really is for most people.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

Uh as as we look at your uh record of community service and invest in others, why has that been so important to you and your wife, Donna?

SPEAKER_05 16:12

Well, I'm the oldest of seven kids. There are five fathers for seven kids. We're raised in in part in the old Jim Crow South on welfare. And you know, with five fathers, you we had a motto almost like the Marines. You leave no one behind. And I think uh you know, Donna was a teen mom, uh, and what she has done with the Center for Healthy Families and what we have collectively done in supporting various community initiative, especially as they speak to black folks. Um you understand, you live in that place of vouchers and you know things of that sort, and you struggle to break the cycle that welfare and all the other team parenting, all those things. And so I couldn't escape it. I mean, I couldn't turn my back on my family nor my community. And you've gotta understand that journey is gonna take you many painful steps along the way as you try to get things right. But I think that uh it's too close to home not to care, not to give, and not to understand what that all means.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Why was that so important to you?

SPEAKER_05 17:42

Well, you go back to 1987 and Jerry Hammond and Buck Reinhardt, who's mayor and Jerry was president of city council, they came to me and said, you know, we want you to be president of the King Arts Complex. And I think you've lost your mind. I'm a young lawyer and I that was just not on my radar at the time, and it was messy, and I knew it was going to be a lot of work, and they told me that knowing certain terms, you will do this or you will pay a price. So in 1987, I go over to be president of the King Arts Complex. I did that for 16 years, uh uh two different intervals. And what the arts community said to me about at that time is what this guy knows about art, you can put in a teaspoon.

SPEAKER_04 18:31

True words were never spoken.

SPEAKER_05 18:34

What they did say, he's trainable. And so I got my baptism, I learned about the arts, I learned about fundraising, I learned about board structure and all those things. So uh you fast forward from 1987 uh to 2010 when we reopened the Lincoln and that time in between, uh, I could do that in my sleep. I understood the politics, I understood the arts, I understand the role race played, I understood Columbus, Ohio, and how it worked. And one of the things was that happened along the way with the King Arts Complex to the Lincoln, Franck Vopes, who was president of the Huntington uh bank at that time, I had gone to for the King Arts Complex to raise money uh for the king, and he ended up doing it, and he got the other banks to participate. I think he raised us like $150,000. And he says, if you do things right, I may have asked of you. So sure enough, three years pass, we get the complex correct, and I get summoned to his office, and um he says, I want to just applaud you for the job you've done at the King. I'd like you to go over on the museum board, the Columbus Museum of Art. Well, I'm thinking, you know, that's a $5,000 ask. Well, if I did that, I wouldn't have the money to spread back into my community at that thing because I was a young lawyer. I didn't I didn't have a lot of money, but I had some. And I'm thinking, this is a bad idea, bad timing. And I remember going back, I said, Mr. Vopes, can I get back to you? So I went back, wrote him a very nice letter explaining why the timing was wrong. He said, Here's the deal. I was doing their litigation through nationwide insurance. He says, either you're gonna do this or you're not gonna be doing our work. I want you to put a pin in that, and I'm gonna tell you why. It would be good for you to do this for the museum, it would be good for your own personal growth, and it's the right thing to do. You're gonna stretch yourself and you're gonna write the check. So I kept the business, I went on the museum board. So those sort of things really uh help me. And obviously, with the Lincoln, you uh form the relationships and it's almost like the Pac-Man where you know if you ask somebody for money, they're gonna ask you for something or they're gonna ask you for money. And you've got to be willing to do that exchange. There's a price you pay for success.

SPEAKER_03 21:15

You know, speaking of the uh African American Leadership Academy, give me some of those stories. I know you got some stories from some some person over those 20 years, some people have gone through the academy and some of the great things you see them doing.

SPEAKER_05 21:29

I think uh, you know, when I sit in those rooms, it's probably the most humbling experience we have as a fan because you see those graduates, those fellows throughout Columbus in so many different roles. And when they come back and tell you that they were able to make critical decisions because of what they learned in their process through the academy, uh Luke Fedlum is one of my partners. Partners now who works with me in the firm who came through the uh Academy and having him when he came to our firm a year or so ago and his office was on the other side of the building, and he says, Nope, I want to move, I want to be right next to you. I want to learn. And the idea that I think the thirst that those fellows have, the ones that get it, not everyone gets it. And not at that level that you get it, but those that do, it's like a blossoming of a flower. And you know you've done the right thing. That's good.

Fatherhood Lessons Across Generations

SPEAKER_03 22:40

You know, this this episode will air around Father around Father's Day. This is a Fatherhood Month specials. Uh you've accomplished so much professionally, but you're also a husband, father, and grandfather. What does what does fatherhood mean to you?

SPEAKER_05 22:56

Well, I think it's it's a very it's a communal type thing. So like I said, I'm the oldest of seven kids, and I've been that father figure for the family, and obviously having two sons and having grandchildren. And you try to instill in them, you know, that wisdom. Um you want them to try to get it right. You want them to be wholesome, you want them to grow to be independent, you want them to be caring, and you try to do that example. Um and both Donna and I uh try to set that example. And I think we try to create some type of stability and legacy and the connectivity with the family among the cousins. So we did a family reunion uh in Gatlinburg here a year ago. Uh we had one house had 45 in it, another house had 60 in it. And the idea of watching the generations connect and the generations care for each other, the generations support each other, it is that that safety net. Um you can't save everyone like that tree limb, but you try. Um and I would say we we're we're clicking at a better than 90% rate of making a difference and having those individuals become adults that we're proud of.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

I understand you have a a grand one of your grandchildren, be a freshman in college, you know, do a little more research for you. How does that feel?

SPEAKER_05 24:32

Well, no, I I think that's it's good. So I think when you know you deal with that next generation and you're never sure what they can relate to. I mean, this generation, you know, we we we took our our granddaughter, she graduated from North Carolina AT, where Donna graduated from. So, you know, she wanted to make that difference and now she's in law school. But um, you're not sure what they're picking up and what they're taking away. You don't know that till years later, until you have that conversation where they remind you of these things. And this is what the folks in the academy do, the same thing. So, you know, when they say, I heard you, not only did I hear you, I put it in practice.

SPEAKER_03 25:18

Yeah, the saying that I say a lot is a lot of things, especially working with young boys, a lot of things aren't necessarily taught, they're caught. And that's why I tell uh men that someone's always watching you. They're watching you. I know when I go in those schools, them guys kind of watching how I move, you know what I say. But and I I may not sit down and teach them something and may not listen to all that, but they are watching. And and and it's a blessing when you know they caught it, you know.

SPEAKER_05 25:43

And you know, I think you're yeah, you struggle with that because as they grow to be young adults and you watch them make the mistakes they do, and they're gonna make those mistakes. Um and I always say, have they gotten to the place of likability? You always love them, but you don't always like them.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

That's good. That's good. Love them, but you might not always like them. And I'm sure you had that experience. I raised two boys. Yes. And when they were teenagers, oh no, we wasn't buddies. Now my oldest son, TJ, when he calls now, he's he's uh I think he's 30, late 30s. When he calls now, I got to get ready for an hour conversation. Because I know all of a sudden dad becomes an expert now, you know. But you know, growing, we didn't know nothing. You know, we're old school, but it's a blessing watching that evolution.

SPEAKER_05 26:31

And I think you have to get over yourself because there's so many things that they take you through that it's just hard to forget. You're still mad at them. Going, what were you thinking, you idiot? You know, and and now, you know, and Donna got over, you can't keep telling that story.

SPEAKER_04 26:49

Well, I want to pay back. Right, right, right. You know, it's gonna come back on their children. When they have to do it.

SPEAKER_05 26:55

That is exactly what it's gonna come back. It it does. And you know, you just you know, and you've gotta you've gotta have the the how does it the wherewithal is to just zip it up and not remind them.

SPEAKER_03 27:10

Just like you, you don't want to say that. You know. Um speaking of grand uh being a grandfather, what lessons has being a grandfather taught you about life and legacy now?

SPEAKER_05 27:22

You know, that's very different because my wife is a doting grandparent. I'm the check writing grandparent. I, you know, it's um it's a different generation. Uh and it requires a different approach than when we went through and we were raising our children, nieces and nephews, to this next generation. Um, you know, they're privileged.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 27:52

They are privileged. And I I'm, you know, I have to be careful when I say, you know, if we were growing up together, I would not have liked you. You know, because you don't know how that's going to twist and turn. We have given them all the blessings that we didn't have.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 28:10

And how equipped are they to deal with the struggles, particularly like we're going on today. You know, I one of the things we had happen in the academy, you know, people were saying, I'm tired of the black tax. I don't want to work twice as hard to be half as good and yada, yada, yada. I said, well, listen, if you want to be ordinary and mediocre, you go right ahead and do that.

SPEAKER_04 28:36

What you're doing.

SPEAKER_05 28:37

And so I'm very careful with the grandchildren because they may see the world very different, they may excel very different. Um, we can't impose our experience and the lessons that we had on them because they're just different people, different times, with different, you know, we've sent them to private school. We, you know, they graduate with no debt. Uh, you know, they get to keep their home in the summertime. And I just sometimes I just get mad.

SPEAKER_04 29:10

Oh, yeah, I do too. What are we what are we doing this? Well, I gotta pay the bill. Oh, y'all working.

SPEAKER_05 29:17

So I, you know, that's a work in progress. It is. I mean, but you know, I look at my, you know, grandkids, my nieces, they're beautiful. I, you know, I say they've traveled to more countries than I traveled to states at their age.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

You know, are you kidding me? That's right. That's right. Speaking of that, as we as we continue on this fatherhood piece, what encouragement would you give fathers who are trying to lead families well in today's world?

SPEAKER_05 29:46

Well, you can't wake up and do it. It's a constant 24-7 job. And I think you reference it. And more than the conversation, it's the examples you set, you know, as a husband, you know, and how you're gonna conduct yourself, how are you gonna treat people, that moral compass, you know, whether it's faith-based or something else, you want to exude and exemplify that thing that you're most proud of that you want them to emulate.

SPEAKER_03 30:18

You know, as you look back, you've done a lot of things, you and your wife, you know, you personally have accomplished a lot of things. What continues to motivate and inspire you today?

Retirement Fear And Finding A Successor

SPEAKER_03 30:27

What keeps getting you up?

SPEAKER_05 30:29

I think it's, you know, so I I joke with my wife these days. I said, you know, I'm thinking about doing something I never could have imagined, that is, go into therapy. And the reason for that, I'm supposed to be on this retirement track.

SPEAKER_04 30:43

Right, right.

SPEAKER_05 30:44

And I just can't figure it out. I can't get there. And I know I have this drive, I have this gear, and I can't slow it down, I can't stop climbing that mountain. Um, I think I'm getting to the point to better appreciate some of those successes. And I think that started to happen um maybe a year ago. But um, you know, when you go to retirement, you're on a budget. I'm not used to that.

SPEAKER_04 31:17

I'm sorry. Get ready. Just, you know, and I'm I'm scared. You know, you know, I'm scared, you know, hell. Can't just pick up and go.

SPEAKER_05 31:28

And you don't know because your health and you know, I I can say this that the family is stabilized, you know, the grandkids, the nieces and nephews, the sons, they're at a great place. We position them well. Um so there shouldn't be another mountain to climb. Um, but I'm trying to figure that out.

SPEAKER_03 31:52

Yeah. Yeah. And yeah, it is. All of us we get to that, trying to figure out what next. You know, I was looking for the next. Well, what else can I do? You know, what what more can I do? But what I found in this, I'm living by this at this age stage, is you there's no success without a successor. I think you mentioned Luke when you're talking about Luke. You know, that's a successor. You know, that's somebody you can pour into. And that really wants it. That's the thing. You got to find somebody that wants this. Because I'm talking these little these guys, I'm telling me, I'm trying to give you all this wisdom for free. I ain't charging you for all this. You know, you better sit yourself down and get this.

SPEAKER_05 32:27

He is the first that is that sponge. And you know, I tell him I said, you know, I'm tired, don't don't don't make me get young again. Right, right, right. But, you know, he he really takes advantage of uh and soaks up as much as he can. He takes uh advice, um he takes criticism, he embraces it. The ego doesn't get in the way and you know, he's a great husband, he's a great family person, um just a beautiful father. Yeah, I I marvel at that. And he's just and he's a joyous person. So uh you know that excites me. And maybe that's what keeps me going because I've finally found that person that is there on all fours. Right, right.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

As you come around the corner, this is a legacy podcast, and uh you are truly a baller. And a baller is for building a lifelong legacy. So you think about that word legacy, what does that mean to you personally?

SPEAKER_05 33:40

I think that you've touched people in a way that it's helped them get to their next, that stabilizes them. Obviously, from a family standpoint, my sisters and brothers, uh, and where we came from and where they are today, none of them went to college. I would say if you were to sit down and talk to either one of them, you think they had postgraduate degrees. And so you've given those experiences and you know, that next generation, even that generation that missed college, and their kids are now going to college. Um, you know, when people ask, you know, me about our grandkids and our nieces and nephews, I said, you know, how are we defining them? Because there's that extended family. And you try to make a difference in as many people's lives as you can.

SPEAKER_03 34:39

And you and your wife have have truly done that, you know. You recently received the uh Harrison M. Soy Award from the Columbus Foundation. Can you talk about that experience and what that meant to you and your wife?

SPEAKER_05 34:51

I think you know, awards are a tricky thing. They really, they, they really are. Um and I remember in 2018, I think every major award probably that was in the city, we received success also generates envy and criticism. And you know, they go hand in hand. Um and there are a lot of people that know of you that don't know you, that have an opinion about you. So those accolades are very private because they can, you know, they don't really tell the story. The Luke Fedlums, those relationships and others that you have and acquire to Shea Safford at the Center for Healthy Families, because they know what it took to get those awards. So you gravitate to those type of people that have been a part of your journey, and you can have the private celebration. Uh they're nice, but after a while, there's no place to put them. And I think the other thing you have to remember there's a generation coming behind you that are clueless about who you are or what you do. So your name's on that bill. Nobody pays attention to that stuff after a while. It's only in your head, and maybe your family head and your few friends and say that's great. Otherwise, it's fleeing. Yeah. But I'd rather have it than not.

SPEAKER_03 36:35

Let's just say that. Oh no, no, no, it's it's it's just uh kind of a guy wink just to remind you that you've done well. That you've done well. I want to thank you for being on the show. And I want to thank you for for doing well. Uh when you talked about that uh leadership academy, about I sound this thing, you can be what you can't see. You know, and people have to see us, they have to see success. That's why I do this show, because I want people to know that there are persons out there that are successful, but the story behind it, the story behind it. You know, you with the grandmother story down in Alabama, the Jim Crow laws and all that person look at you now, they would never think that that no, he ain't from that.

unknown 37:12

Come on.

SPEAKER_03 37:12

No, he was born with a platinum spoon in his mouth.

SPEAKER_05 37:15

And you get that, and you have to grow comfortable with it. I think, you know, half of the times you're too black, the other times you're too uncle Tomish. And, you know, everybody has a different opinion about you, and you say, embrace it. Embrace it. Because if you know who you are and you're comfortable, you don't have to retaliate, you don't have to respond. You know, it's like that uh that that that movie said, I got mine and I'm okay with it. I'm okay. I'm okay.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

So, Larry, thank you so much uh for joining us today on Be a Baller Podcast. Your wisdom, leadership, and commitment to faith, family, and community are truly inspiring. Your story reminds us that success is not just about accomplishments, titles, or awards. It's about impact, service, integrity, and a legacy we leave behind for the next generation. Thank you for sharing your journey, your heart for leadership, and your perspective on fatherhood and community. To everyone listening, thank you for tuning in to Be a Baller Podcast. Be sure to subscribe, share this episode, and continue following conversation that inspire growth, leadership, and purpose. Until next time, continue building your legacy one moment at a time. Thanks, Attorney James. Appreciate you being on the show. Yeah, this was good.

SPEAKER_05 38:36

Thank you very much.

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SPEAKER_01 38:38

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SPEAKER_00 39:02

Thank you for spending time with us here on Be a Baller Podcast. Remember, legacy isn't built by accident. It's built through daily choices, faithful obedience, and intentional impact. If today's conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or spoke to your heart, share this episode with a friend, a teammate, a leader, or someone who's ready to live with purpose. That simple act of sharing helps us grow the movement and spread legacy-minded living. We want to invite you to join the legacy movement. This is more than a podcast, it's a call to action. And one of the best ways to go deeper is by grabbing your copy of the book Living a Legacy. It's a powerful resource designed to help you apply what you're hearing and start building something that truly lasts. Until next time, keep showing up, keep pouring into others, and keep building a legacy worth following. Thanks for listening. And remember, be a baller. Live on purpose. Leave a legacy.