SPEAKER_00 0:04

We're listening to the Hanging with the Indy podcast where we break down on topics in a political ministry.

SPEAKER_03 0:17

Today on Hanging with the Indie Podcast, we're adding a new tool to our guest lineup. We've talked with high school and collegiate affluent directors, authors, speakers, the performance coaches. But this is the thing first as we welcome a TikTok star into the conversation. Chris Harris is the affected director of Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers of Florida, a role he dealt in 2022. Before joining ETF, Chris McCoy is the athletic and activities director to talk to Fort Myers High School. He's a former college coach with the titles of both football and track. And now a social media voice for giving thousands of people an authentic look into the day-to-day life of a high school AD. In this episode, you'll hear how Chris uses TikTok not just for laughs and highlights, but as a leadership tool to advocate for athletic administrators to help educate communities and tell the real story of what we do. We'll also explore his thoughts on visibility as a leader, the power of a resentment, leading with intention, and why now is the time for ADs to tell their own stories. Whether you're an athletic director, a coach, or just curious about life behind the scenes of high school sports, this conversation is packed with insight, energy, and encouragement. Let's get into it. Here's our conversation with Chris. Harris.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Chris, we're so glad to have you joining Don and me for this episode of Hanging with the AD. Now we have welcomed high school and collegiate ADs, authors, speakers, performance coaches, and several other folks on there. But today we get to check another box on the podcast as we sit down with our first TikTok star. So welcome to the show, Chris.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

Hey, thank you so much, man. I appreciate you having me and I appreciate all you guys are doing for the athletic director community. So thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

Yes, sir. Maybe we take a few clips here and you can weave them into some TikTok video for us. But uh you're the pro. We're gonna learn from you today. But for our listeners, Chris Harris serves as the athletic director at Evangelical Christian School in Fort Myers, Florida, a position he's held since 2022, I believe. Uh prior to joining the ECS family, Coach Harris was the athletic and activities director at South Fort Myers High School for six years. He's a former collegiate athlete and successful coach, being a part of state titles in football and track. Uh, but let's stop right there. Let's let Chris tell us a little bit more about his journey through athletics. So, Chris, we call it the back of the baseball card bio. We know your background's football, so it may be the back of the football card for you. Take a minute and tell us what the back of Chris Harris's baseball or football card would look like.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Yeah, absolutely. And again, I appreciate y'all having me on the show. And I it's an honor to be here. Um, like I said, definitely not a baseball guy. I grew up in a baseball town, so I went the opposite direction during springtime and went and did track. But um, yeah, love football, love basketball. Coming from North Carolina State, um, Tar Hill State. Uh grew up in Cherryville, North Carolina, small, small town. Everyone knows everybody. Have some great coaches in that area.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

Hey, Chris, let me stop you now. You said it different. Talk to the folks in Cheritable, right? It's Cherrible. There you go. Make them proud up there.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

Yeah, I know, right? It's Cherribal, North Carolina. So if you if you blink, you miss it. But great town, home with the Iron Man, as we call it. You know, so it's great coaches up there from Coach Harold, Coach Broad, a whole bunch of great guys. Like I said, it was a baseball town, but we held our own in football and basketball. But just came from a single-parent home. So shout out to my mom. You know, she did her thing raising my sister and I um had an opportunity to go play some college football at Greensboro College with Coach Young and uh great staff up there, the home of the pride, as they say. Um, had my degree. My degree was in kinesiology, sports behavior. So kind of like I wanted to be a sports psychologist to you know, help Shaq make a free throw. That's what I thought I was gonna do. But obviously, God had different plans. So graduated in 08, um, started selling cell phones, working at ATT. Um, buddy of mine, college teammate, was like, Chris, if you can sell cell phones, come sell gym memberships. So there was a gym up there called the Rush Fitness Complex in Greensboro and got on staff, and in three months, I was a GM of my own gym. So I was running that and doing those things. And again, another teammate approached me, goes, Look, man, what are you doing? Like, you need to get into teaching or coaching. And and if anyone knows about North Carolina, you know, North Carolina teachers are, you know, they're the bottom of the paid, they got paid once a month. Uh, my aunt was a teacher. I said I was good good with my coaches, so I saw what they went through. And I was just like, I'm not gonna be a teacher or a coach. Like I said, that's not me. I remember graduating from high school, Coach Harold was like, Chris, go to school in five years, you'll be the head basketball coach. So I had a job set for me, and I was like, no, like I don't want to be a teacher and a coach. And then Coach uh Burton, Richard Burton, my teammate in college, was coaching at Northern Guildford at the high school in uh Greensboro. They with uh head coach was Johnny Roscoe. So they had gone and won 2010, 2011, 2012 football stage championships. So I remember he was teaching at an elementary school, Peck Elementary, and he jumped and went to the high school to teach. So I was like, Chris, go take my Ph job as an elementary teacher. That's all right, bet. So I took my degree, made a lateral move with uh my teacher certificate, and I became an elementary P teacher. And that was 2012. So that year, I was a rookie teacher of the year, and then again, Northern Guildford went and won a state championship in 2012 as well. And then we went in a track 2013, won a track state championship, came back around 2014, won a football state championship. So my first three years coaching was ring, ring, ring. Most guys go 30 years and don't say one. And my first three years, I'm like, this is on a different level. So next ring was 2015 because I got married. So my wife is a Florida girl. She was like, I'm ready to get back to the Sunshine State. I can't take the dark winter days of North Carolina. So she gave an ultimatum, you coming or not? So I said, Yeah. I was born and raised in North Carolina. I was like, what else is out there for me? So I literally, off of a state championship, moved to Fort Myers in August of 2015, no, excuse me, April 2015, the springtime. So you're not gonna get a teaching job. So I said, all right, let me just do my research. What's going on in this area, what schools? I had never been to Fort Myers, never heard of Fort Myers, had no connections. So, like the nearest family member is four hours away, and that's her mom in Gainesville. So obviously, she works every single day. I'm a man, I'm a husband. I've got I've got to bring my money in. So the first job I found was a temp job at a warehouse, Ferguson Enterprises. And all basically what that is, is someone says they're gonna build 30 houses. I need 30 toilets. I would go through their warehouse, grab 30 toilets, put it on a truck to ship off to that to that location. That was my first job in Fort Myers. So you're talking about going from the top to the bottom, three titles. I'm the coach of the year, let's do all this stuff, let's have some fun. And I'm now I'm in a warehouse in Florida, sweating, losing 10 pounds in a warehouse in the hot sun. So I was called it was a good reality check. You know, it was I loved it because God, it wasn't like a failure to me. It was just like God's like, all right, you had success, let's take you back down, let's show you what real work is. Um so when I was worked at Ferguson's, that was in April. Teachers was getting hired in that summer. So our first teaching job in Fort Myers was Three Oaks Elementary as a teacher assistant, PE job. So I got that in August. Well, I learned real fast middle school in Fort Myers, Lee County doesn't get out of school till 3:34 o'clock. High school gets out at 1:30. So I was like, I can't be here if I want to be a high school coach. So I immediately had to start doing my research. The the P teachers I was working with, they knew my goal, knew my aspirations, they were helping me. And it's it's funny how God works. So I emailed three top schools: Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, South Fort Myers. Gave them my resume. And I'm sitting thinking like someone's gonna reach out to me. I heard from Coach Sam Siriani, who's the only one, legendary Fort Myers coach, he responded and says, Chris, your resume looks absolutely amazing. I just don't have any openings right now. But I'll keep you in mind. So yeah, no problem. You know, guys gotta wait for me. Um, lo and behold, just through different talking to people and networking, Viverdale High School had an opening for a PE teacher and track assistant, football assistant. Jumped on it immediately, got in the door, and I'm like, yes, I'm set, I'm good, I'm back to teaching and coaching. And I thought that was it. I thought that was honestly my story. That happened in February of 2016. So, like I said, it was April was Ferguson Enterprises to August, August to February was a teacher assistant. And in February, I'm at Riverdale High School, and I'm thinking I'm done, I'm set. South Myers had a big uh moment, I guess you'll call it, and the district cleaned house. So same thing. I was posting on social media, I was just doing simple stuff like here's my athletes working out, leadership things, daily reminders, daily motivations. The new principal at South, Ed Matthews, saw my stuff. So he called the principal at Riverdale, who was good friends with, like, who's Chris? And they're like, You need to get Chris to be your new AD. He calls me in for an interview, and I he'll tell you this I denied this phone call three times because they gave me a heads up he was going to call, and I didn't want to be known as a guy bouncing around schools. So he's like, Chris, just come in to talk to me. So I went in, talked to him. You know, I'm North Carolina kid, so I got my suit, shirt, and tie on, I got my resume in hand just out of respect. He was like, This all could be yours. I was like, what are you talking about? He goes, I need an athletic director. And I had to, I was like, Did you not read this? I said, there's nothing about AD in my resume. He goes, I know. He's like, but I've talked to everybody and they was like, you're the guy to get. I was like, okay. He's like, and also in Lee County, you could be uh a track coach and an A D. He said, so I need a head track coach, and you can do both. And then I saw talked to my wife, prayed about it. She's like, Chris, this is a door, you gotta go through it. So, and that's how I got my first AD job. So that was in March of 2016. So I want to say I took that role, no, February. So I took that role 2016 in August, September at that time. Because I remember I coached one game at Riverdale, preseason classic, and then like week one, week two, I was an AD at South, and I was the head track coach, assistant football coach. And then fast forward, COVID hit. I took that as a time, like, all right, stop coaching. And then after COVID, I was just in straight AD. And then the opportunity came where I'm looking at schools for my son, do I want them in public or private? And the same thing. ECS came knocking. The headmaster had never heard of me. Like he was just like, What why are you here? I was like, I don't know, let's figure this out. And then fast forward an hour later, I got a contract sliding across the desk, like, come be the AD at ECS. Now I got my family here, and then we're set.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

That's cool. Right, great story. You know, I heard a lot, a lot of stuff there, but you mentioned at first, even before you got into the guys you coached with, you mentioned two coaches by name. And uh, and it really, when you talk about a back of a baseball car, a back of a lifetime car, right? When you start mentioning coaches, those that just shows once again that the impact coaches have. And these two coaches were high school college coaches of yours. So uh uh that and then two people early on, or several people throughout your journey have said you need to be a teacher and coach, you need to be a teacher and coach. So they've seen something in you. We need you know, you need to come do this, and they see it even without you seeing it, really. So that's really cool that uh you you have some kind of uh hourly sense that other people see to help you find your calling. So that's that's really cool. So uh now you've been called to like be an AD you tick tock star, man. So that's cool. That's uh you're you're uh uh paving the way for the rest of us to learn how to do that.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

So yeah, man, that's that's what I'm here for. I just like I say when I when I became an athletic director, I had no clue what I was doing, no clue. So, like I was going to your podcasts and different ones just figure out what's going on. And I'm a social media guy, not much of a YouTube guy, so I'm on social media just searching and searching. I was like, There's not an AD posting what's going on. So I was and then my one of my friends was like, Chris, do it, just start posting.

SPEAKER_02 12:56

I mean, you're pioneering the way for us, and we're gonna get into that. But let's start with this. Uh, what made you pick up the phone one day and say, I'm gonna show people what being a high school AD really looks like? Like, just like you said, you want to show people that maybe it was you didn't find content, but what else was there that made you say, I'm I'm gonna be the one to do this?

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Oh man, all right. Well, there's a story behind that. So, my first AD meeting when I'm in the public school sector, we were in we're in um, I want to say we're it's a summer session. I don't know where it was, a summer session. Not gonna name, not gonna name drop, but this guy has a hall of fame ad, everyone looks up to, and he's talking to all the first year ADs. Rooms full of like 40 guys. I'm sitting front row, and I'm actually sitting my my good friend, uh, I think it was Justin Budmeyer at the time. Somebody was somebody from Lilly County also was in there. But he looks at the entire crowd and he says, if you want to be an athletic director, you can't have a family. And I just looked at him newlywed guy. I'm the last to hold my family's name, something in family legacy. And I love, again, love Plugrian people room, you know, teachers saying, Chris, you're too small to play college football, played college football. You know, it's just one of them situations where oh no, you're not gonna be a public speaker. I can be a public speaker. Um, but it just hit me. Like that hit me in the gut. And I'm like, dude, like how can you sit here in front of a room of 40 guys, you're the leader, you're the hall of fame, and say you can't have a family doing this job. So I'm my point playing, I'm just gonna prove it wrong. So, like when I started doing the videos, I'm trying to show the balance of life. You know, my wife and I were just talking about it last night, where it's just like, I was like, what do you why do you think we work so well? Like, I'm 70 hours a week. You're selling houses. Like our phones never stop, but we're at the same time we're just so present for our kids. And she said, just because we have a mutual understanding that work doesn't come in this house, if work comes in this house, it's nipped in the bud at the door. So that way we don't want to be walking around frustrated about one of our houses didn't sell or I got an emergency at work because we've already taken care of it. And we have that mutual respect that, you know, she gets a phone call. I'm not gonna be mad at my wife for taking a phone call because I know at the time she's back, she's gonna be happy because she's already taken care of it. And she has that same thing for me. You know, I was thinking about it last night. I was like, I've never seen the the baby boomers. You ever see them take a work phone call after five o'clock as you're growing up as a kid? It never happened. So I'm saying like this is the most successful generation, but I never saw them do anything after five o'clock work related. My my godfather, Billy Cruz, um name dropped here, Charlie Choo Chu Justice, two-time Heisman runner up when um for the Heisman Trophy. That's his daughter is my godmother. So I grew up around that family. He owns the insurance business. That is a definition of a family man. And I never once saw that man take a phone call after five o'clock. He took care of everything that he was supposed to take care of before he came home with his wife and kids. So, like, he was my godfather, loved the man to death. But everything that I've learned as far as a family man goes on work balance, I learned from him. So when it came to posting these videos, there's so many other guys out there, I just want to let them know that you can be a family man and be an athletic director. Like, I literally I was on a call yesterday with a new AD from um Wisconsin, Ben. Saying the first thing he asked me. So man, I just got married. How do I keep this balance? Yeah, and we was on the phone for two hours, two hours, just trying to give them some different feedback, knowledge on how to handle this job and also take care of your family.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

Yeah, it's good. We talk about it a lot on here. You know, most people say there's it's not a balance, it's a lifestyle. And when you can understand, and y'all have set great boundaries there. That's a great lesson on boundaries around family and around the the job, right? And um like you said, your wife said there's a mutual understanding, and I think that gets to the lifestyle, right? You understand each other's lifestyle. Uh, there probably is no balance, even though you think you got it, but yeah, you have those boundaries and that understanding of each other's calling. So that's that's really good. Hey, was there a moment where you realize, whoa, man, people really are watching these things. Uh you know, I'm getting traction on the videos. What what was that like?

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Uh, I would say that that the the one I did with the um when I was doing a crowd surfing and I did the five key points. I mean, I haven't looked at them the last numbers, but I know it was like over 300,000 views. Holy crazy. So I was like, so I was like, all right, so this this one is, and then my my main goal is always talk to the comments. So I would say out of all the comments, like talking to it right now. Uh 451,000 views, 111 comments. So my wife asked me, it's like, is there any negative? I was like, there's always a negative, but it's at the same time, that's just part of life. You know, it's just there's always gonna be that one that says something, you know. It's like, oh, you picked that job. Well, I picked a job. We all pick a job. I mean, cops pick being cops, but then it has to be shot that day. So but it's just that's just part of the job. We're always gonna have that one thing about it. But it's just yeah, I mean, it's just that one video went berserk. So I was not expecting that. So it's just it's just good again, because like I said, what I wanted was what I want to happen is actually happening, and that's A D saying, man, thank you. Like we're we're not invisible. You know, most people don't talk to an AB AD until the scoreboard's broke. So we're they're just the people don't realize that you're the the head coach of all head coaches. And I'm not just trying to say we're put us on a pedestal, but just know that if an AD walks out, athletics is going to be put to a halt.

SPEAKER_03 18:50

Yep. That's I mean, I totally agree. That's what intrigued me the most whenever I saw one of your videos for the first time. I was like, man, he's really telling he's telling the real story, right? Of this gig. And not that again, it's not that it's good or bad or anything. I mean, uh Will Gadera, he's uh um the author of Uncommon Hospitality. He talks, he's in work and sucker sometimes. You know, it doesn't matter what you do, right? You still chose it, but there's gonna be good days and bad days. But at least you're telling the story. I think I already know the answer to this. But do you see your social media presence as a leadership tool? Uh and and and maybe how has it helped you influence or inspire others in athletic administration, or maybe even in even on your own staff?

SPEAKER_01 19:33

Oh, yeah. I mean, I mean my staff makes fun of me. They're like, oh man, you're posting a video or doing something like that. But I want to look at it, I look at it two ways. It's advertising for our school. So like I'm like when school gets back in session, I can highlight my coaches, my student athletes, my amazing administration. Um, and again, it's it is working. Like the DMs is flooded with just ADs, it's the part of that networking. You know, um, like I said, when I first got in this role, you know, you had your your the classes that you were taking in AAA and whatnot, that's how you learned, but it's like this is another way to learn. Social media is so much driven, it's create, it's giving people NIL deals. So like people are now getting paid because of their social media presence. So I think this is just being that uncommon. Um people are reaching out to me and asking me tons of questions. You know, ADs usually learn from having to go to a conference. Once you're you're you're losing time from your family, you're at a conference for a week, great time, great opportunity to learn, and you sit in that class. Oh man, I love that idea. Can I can you send me that slideshow? Well, no, I'm doing is putting my your slideshow in your hand. That's all I'm doing. So, like I remember there was a video I posted about our awards back with the guy's like, Chris, like what awards do you do? Send it to him. So it's just instead of you having to go to a conference, I'm bringing a conference right now to your hand. So it's just it's just another way of being a leader. And I remember I just hired a new coach and my my headmaster, you know, he's old school. He's like, Chris, what does his resume say? I was like, honestly, we're getting to a point where it doesn't matter what the resume says, it's what is like his social media saying about him. Like, what presence is he bringing from the community that I want to be around that guy? People want to be around the person, not what the paper says. So then that and that's kind of how that social, how I'm using social media as my platform is saying, like, all right, here's what's going on in this world, here's what's a reality. Um, and I'll tell you another reason why I did it, I was meeting a lot of guys that wanted to be athletic directors, and nothing against them, but I think they wanted to be an athletic director because they wanted to treat it like fantasy football. Like it's not fantasy football where you're putting pieces together to build your team. It's it's it's bigger than that.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

So let me ask you this do you feel a responsibility to represent athletic directors in a certain way, knowing that you've got a broader audience now?

SPEAKER_01 21:48

I I do. I mean, again, like I always just want to bring the truth to it. Like if I if I can go back and look at myself, I'll be like, Man, what did I not know that I need to know now? Um like when I remember the first. Thing I asked the students, I was like, hey, what did you straight up ask them, what do you like or dislike about the athletic director? And they're like, I didn't know who the athletic director was.

SPEAKER_04 22:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:07

And at the same at the same breath, they were like, So what are you, the new security guard? Because the norm was black males in this area are going to be a security guard. It's like, no, like I'm the athletic director of the school, proposition. And if you want to do the same, you can do the exact same. So like all my athletes, I always same thing my coach told me, hey man, go get your degree, come back and teach and coach. Always tell them that. We got a job waiting for you. Just can't always come back home. So it's just again, again, I'm just trying to be a voice or just a view for someone that doesn't know about the position or wants to find something different. I'm hopefully I'm tackling both of them at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 22:46

All right. Yeah, you kind of answered my next question. I'm gonna ask it anyway, just to see if you want to expand on anything or it may hit you a little differently. But uh a lot of times, and we kind of already hit this. Uh, what does an athletic director do? Uh we get asked that right, and and I get asked it, you get asked at Don. Uh, Don gets a different level from the district level, right? And a lot of times I'll stammer and it because sometimes it's just sitting here checking email or doing some behind-the-scenes work that helps our coaches, right? And it's not glorifying or sexy or anything like that. So you kind of are almost embarrassed to tell people what to do. So you kind of just struggle to answer it very clearly. You've used social media, as you've alluded to, in a way that not only promotes athletes, coaches, and the programs, but also tells a story of what the AD does really, really clearly. Talk about how social media, and once again, you did this a little bit, but see if you can expand on it, how social media is used as a tool not just for celebrations, but for advocacy, education, and helping us define our narrative as an athletic director, athletic administrator.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Yeah, I mean, I think the best way to describe that athletic director role is the bloopers you see after a movie's done. So it's like you got the perfect film and it's beautiful, and then you wait till the credits end, and you got the bloopers at the end of like, man, they they laughed at that scene, they tripped and fell at that scene, all this stuff happened. That's the ad role. So we're the director, obviously, trying to get the groups back together. Let's get refocused to get to the bigger picture. And we and the AD is always fixing the blooper. Um, I remember one of one podcasts and I described it as in we're the fullback of the team. We're always clearing the path so everyone else can have success. And then and if honestly, if I'm if I was to step down as an AD, the AD that I'm gonna replace myself with is I'm gonna ask you where you're gonna start the team, where you're the role player. Yeah, a Dennis Rodman would be a great athletic director. He was the dirty man. He is he was the dirty man, didn't care what the school board said for him, he cared about what it said for the team, and that's the perfect athletic director. Nothing against the guys that are doing it that were MVP, college guys, NFL guys. You do you, boo-boo. But the ones that get the job are the ones that are like, I didn't care about my name being a paper. My team won. And that's the perfect AD. And I think that's what I'm trying to bring to the story. Like, I remember one time, I remember the first time I all last year I wanted to do videos, but again, work just stops it. Um, two hours from a baseball game, our water was cut off at the school. When someone turned the spigot on in a baseball, try to get water, what did they do? They forgot to turn the spigot off. I just so go out there and happen to check, do my grounds, check before the game starts. Whole visiting dugout is flooded. Two feet deep water. And I'm like, this is the perfect AD moment. I got a game in two hours, not a soul is out of here, but we're about to flip this thing, and they're about to show for this game like nothing ever happened. Bleeper moment. And it's just like people don't understand that. So it's just like, and then the comment that I got was um the one negative comment is like, you know, you picked that job. And I've responded back like, listen, man, not all ADs are getting paid six figures, not all ADs are actually in their office. I remember there was a snippet, so I got like I said, when I got the AD job at South Form Iris High School, it was right at the same time spring is ending for Riverdale High School. So I was in the weight room scheduling baseball games for South. So I'm at Riverdale taking role. One second, guys. Hello? Yeah, I'll play you March 5th. I'll be there. Yep. Write that down. All right, next set. So there's ADs that's still in the classroom right now, trying to be an AD. And you know, we're sitting here that's not teaching. We want to know, like, hey, what's what's what's what's going on? Like, I need a response. Can I play you week two, week three, week four? Man, Chris, we'll fall back. I was in the classroom. Oh man, my fault. I was at lunch duty. Man, I was on the bus ramp. Like, we we all have jobs, everyone doesn't have the exact same job. And I think that's what I'm trying to bring to light is it's like it's not it's not a level playing field. It's just not from the public school to the private school to everyone's jobs from that nine to three, and then when three o'clock hits, your second job hits of practicing games. There's just so much that people don't understand that the athletic director role takes. And I and I and hopefully I hope that you know some ADs are gonna be like, Look, man, like, yeah, this is what I'm going through. Like, I'm you want me to teach three math classes, but also schedule for 20 teams. Like, let's just think about that for a second.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? Yeah, those those guys who teach and coach and uh do the athletic administrator job. Uh they're they're super men and superwomen to me. I I don't know how to do it. I mean, just being an AP and having some other responsibilities is crazy, but at least I, you know, I'm not in front of 30 kids six periods a day where we can't move, right? So those guys are are are incredible.

SPEAKER_03 27:45

Um Chris, I I know that you mentioned that fullback analogy. I thought I've heard you talk about that, and I think that that's absolute gold. Uh, I think that that was a wonderful way to kind of kind of light on what we do uh because uh ultimately I I think that most of us we would like for nobody to know who we are and let just make sure there's toilet paper in the bathroom, right? Um but at the same time, I've heard you say that it is important that people know who the affluent director is, not just by name, but by presence. And I've said that someone should be able to walk into a cafeteria or to attend a game and without being told immediately no, be able to point and go, that's the A D. In my opinion, I feel like that position, someone you ought to be able to show up and go, it's that one right over there. Why do you think that that level of visibility and recognition is so important for an athletic director's success?

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Oh man, because it's I can't I can't remember who I think it was Nick Saban that said it. Athletics is the is the is a doorstep of a school. So you gotta think about it, but athletics is the doorstep of your school, who's keeping the doorstep clean? And and that's that's the AD. So you're looking at the guy that's again, who's gonna be the one that steps in front of all the coaches and all the students and say, this is how we're gonna run things. You know, I give my coaches a lot of freedom. I do. Like I like you you have that right to run your program. I didn't hire you to hold your hand, I hired you to run your program. But at the same time, just make sure your flower bed looks good because it's on our doorstep.

SPEAKER_03 29:17

Right.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

So it's just that's that's that's important. I mean, I think one one of the things that's again, nothing against private schools, but it drives me crazy. Like I sometimes I go to the school and I'm like, where's the AD at? Where in the public school world, you know, it was constant communication. I'm gonna be here, I'll be wearing this, I'll be on the sideline. And there's some private schools when I flip that role, like I had to go search the person. Nothing against them. They're doing their thing, but I just feel like that's that missing key point of like, where's your admin? Where are you at? So like I like I it surprised a lot of ADs. I go to every single awake football game. I just think that admin should just be present. It's football season. Anything can happen. I go to all of my games, I'll learn that from the the public world. And then it's just it just I laugh at it sometimes where it's like, man, I'm not going. Well, what if XYZ happens? What if something happens? This is what I learned from the the public side. Oh man, it's private. Nothing happens to private. Well, until it does. So I'd rather I'd rather stay ready so I ain't got to get ready.

SPEAKER_02 30:15

Yeah, there you go. That's good. I know I know um I saw some altercation or something a few years ago back on social media. You know, it was a negative. I think it might have been Florida, but I I don't want to uh pinpoint there if it wasn't right. But uh as I watched it happen, I think it was a middle school football game or something, but as I watched it happen, I'm like, where is the AD? Which one is the AD? And you couldn't, it was just a bunch of looks like dads out there, you know, with t-shirts and jeans, and like and you just said, what am I gonna be wearing? What what what set you apart? You know, and and sometimes it's sitting on a golf cart. It may be wearing at a softball game, you know, you're down there, it's 150 degrees. You might be wearing shorts and a t-shirt at a softball game, but you might be on a golf cart to set yourself apart. And I think that that's that's that's important. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Yeah. Josh, let me let me jump in real quick. And Chris, one of the things I saw that you do that you did, I thought it was absolute gold. And I'm gonna I'm gonna make some assumptions here, okay, so you can tell me if I'm wrong. Uh, but it appeared to me like it was a uh your visitor sideline. And you you're you're walking down the sideline. They left that sideline an absolute mess. Okay, and it was like it was it was almost kind of like this subtle public service announcement about leaving it better than you found it, right? And I feel like when you don't have that admin piece there, maybe they were there, that would happen. Uh, but I thought like that's another part of the job too, right? Like it's not just advocating for us as leaders, it's also let's let's be better, you know. And I thought that was I thought that was a good opportunity for you to do that.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Yeah, I that that so it's kind of like um again, I'm I'm a different dude. Like I like I said, I I love my coaches, I love my athletes, I love my family. I feel like I'm a I'm a protector, like I said, that fullback. So I know one's gonna mess with my coaches. Like one thing I do, I don't even know if coaches, my coaches realize this, one of them did after all their away games. You know, AD says their favorite game has been a wet game. So because you just sit to sit back and actually just watch football.

SPEAKER_03 32:16

If I didn't need the money, I'd play I'd play 10 of them every year.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

So like I'm so what I do is I don't even know what my only thing my new coach realizes this. Um, my private, my public school coach did, because he called me and he was like, Man, I miss it. So what I would do is game ends. I'm on the sideline, I'm always on the sideline. I walk out, always 50-yard line, because you know if there's gonna be trash talk, it's at the 50. To shake hands, that's my chance also to say goodbye to the AD. Thank you for your hospitality, everything. So I'm looking across, obviously, to make sure they're there. Well, obviously, if they're not there, I just keep it moving. So, but it's my time that I'm like a protector of my football coach. So I'm like his bodyguard. So I don't want any parent walking up complaining, I don't want any coaches arguing, nothing like that. I'm just visible, I'm there, I'm present, and I'm always just in the back pocket of my head football coach. Just let him know that something's wrong, I'm here for you. And I do that from the time we leave the field all the way to I put him on the bus. So that way, sideline, who left their helmet, who left the shoulder pads, ball back coach, let's get this. And it's not that I don't trust him, I'm just inspecting what I expect. So, and we go from there to the locker room. I hear them talking about the game. I don't get my two cents. I might get my two cents, but it's like my whole way of being back in the locker room. Kids are there, I'm present with them. All right, locker rooms clean. So you can't say I didn't clean the locker room because the locker room's clean, I'm the last one out. And then I walk my coach to the bus. So it's kind of like uh, was it we were soldiers? I'll be the first one there and the last one off the field. So, like all the away games for football, that's how I treated. So when my football coach is on the bus, you can't say that the athletes did XYZ because the AD was pressing.

SPEAKER_02 33:56

That's good stuff. Now I I I love doing the first part, and now you've convicted me. I I need to take it a step further. I I I I never played football, like I don't know how to get a first down, I don't know how to to to call a defense, right? But I can pick up trash. So if I can if I can stay after the game, like you said, and talk to my coach real quick and make sure media persons got to him and uh you know he's got everybody off the field and and whatever, I can pick up trash on the sideline. So coaches don't have to do that. They've been working, they've been trying to win a game, but I don't ever go in the locker room and uh I I typically go to the truck after that. So uh I almost I'm gonna I guess I'm gonna start uh going to the locker room and making sure that's clean to meet to meet the Chris Harris standard, man. I like that. That's really good. Leave it better than you found it for sure.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Uh I mean, and another reason I do that is like I think we were at we were at Venice High School. Yeah, we were at Venice High School. And they they smoked us. It was like a playoff football game, they smoked us. And I remember my principal's like, dude, those guys were huge. Like, I would love to see their weight room. Well, as he says that, one of their coaches is walking by. I was like, Man, can I see your weight room? He goes, sure. My principal looked at me like, really? I'm like, listen, dude, it's an AD, we're all always gonna go on a school tour. And I remember going to the weight room, I was in their locker room, coaches looking at me like, what are you doing in here? I'm like, listen, I'm getting a tour. You just spanked me. I'm getting it. So it's like Denzel said, I'm leaving with something. So, like so, I'm just like, I got a full tour, and it just gives you those ideas of like, all right, this is this is the standard, like, this is how they do things. So, like, I always like I said, when the game ends, you're at another school, and you know we have a busy schedule. So, I use that as in like, all right, what is their locker room like? What is man? That campus is beautiful, and this is oh, they got this and this and that. And you just way another way of taking notes. You're still hanging out with my team, but I'm just seeing different stuff. Like, oh, how's this visitor locker room set up? Like, how far of a walk did y'all do?

SPEAKER_03 35:45

So, yeah, that's funny that you say that. I just went to my wife's 30-year class reunion with her. Yeah and part of I saw the she gave me the list of things they were doing or whatever. She was like, Do you want to do any of these things? And one of them was a school tour. And I was like, 100%, we're doing that. And she goes, You're coming. And I was like, Of course I am. And I'm sitting there, I got my notes page open, like taking notes as to what I liked and what I didn't like. She was like, You're an idiot.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

So, you know, that's it, man.

SPEAKER_02 36:11

That's it. Chris, a few minutes ago, you talked about jobs and job descriptions and kind of what the job entails and all that. We've we've had this some uh um discussions about job descriptions and making sure teachers get their job description and all that. I kind of I always chuckle because it's like teaching and coaching, and I know those are separate usually, but can we really put that job description on a piece of paper, especially like a one-page piece of paper? Now, now it's electronic, but it's still only a quick read, right? And and then you take that a step further to the athletic administrator. I mean, it I mean it there is in you you do these videos uh to show what the AD job really is, but there's no way to put you need a whole ream of paper to put down what the AD does, right? Right, it's incredible. I'm not sitting here trying to brag and act like, as Don said, it's digging ditches or brain surgery or anything, but it once again things pop up, and it's like that's not on my job description, but you know what? I think I'm supposed to do it, so you can't go ask somebody else to do it. So that high school AD uh role, it really is uh a continuous deal, and it requires a lot of us, right? You said it earlier, you may get a phone call after five o'clock. It requires a lot of emotional and physical energy. Recently on your social media, you talked about hitting the reset button, not just for your program in your school, but for yourself as a leader. Why is that reset button so important, especially heading into a new school year? We're recording this in uh late July. I know y'all go to school August 10th, state law or something like that. I think we go to school early August. So we got a week before school starts here. How can that intentional pause pay off throughout the year ahead?

SPEAKER_01 38:06

Oh man, you yeah, you got to take care of yourself. I mean, I don't agree with a lot of things LeBron James says, but like I know one of them is like he puts X amount of dollars into his body. Granted, you know, I'm not a millionaire, but I look at it as all right, well, what is my X amount of dollars? And that's just that that reset, that family time, like you know, just getting to be with my son and my wife. And like a home state is North Carolina. So just being back in that area of the of the foothills, that just kind of resets me. It kind of comes me. Not being around the phone, you know, not having to answer any emails. I mean, I'm one of my biggest things. I could take a day to myself doing nothing, and that is a that is a reset for me. Yes, sir. Because you know, sometimes, you know, my wife's like, Man, are you good? I said, Yeah, I'm just I'm like, don't get me wrong, I love being in your presence. I've been talking all day. So, so and I got just me being here, and she just knows that we just sit there in silence because she talks all day. And then some people are like, Man, y'all don't call it talk as a married couple. Well, we do, but we talk all day. So just we just need sometimes a reset. It's just us just sitting next to each other in silence. You know, as a you know, as a young adult, you ride around with music. Now I find myself not listening to a thing in the car. I might listen to a podcast here and there, but sometimes you don't even turn the music on. It's just you gotta reset your mind. You gotta get back with God and just always reminder like why are you starting? And then you're no good if you come into the work life exhausted for your coaches or your student athletes. Like you're gonna have your first pep rally, they don't want to exhaust the guy, they want to hype them energy, man. And that's just that sets the tone for the new that new school year. The athletic director is just not just an admin, you're almost like the mascot for the school. You're the mascot for the athletic department, you're the voice for the athletic department. You are the guy that they look towards. If you're mopian groony, all of them are gonna be mopian groony. If you're excited about the future success, then your coach ain't gonna be upset that he had a bad practice. My ad is happy. He's excited about the things I'm doing. That's why you always gotta give that positive. So coaches are always gonna talk negative about what's going on, but you always gotta remind them the good things they've done. Their assistant coach ain't gonna always remind them of the good things they've done. So the AD also has to do that as well, because you're you're his coach as well. You're his assistant. You always got an eye out in the back for him. So I always always crack myself up, like when you know I'm at halftime and I see something on the sideline. I'm like, listen, man, XYZ going on, you might want to check that. And he looks at his assistant, like, why didn't you tell me that? So I was just like, don't get mad at him. It's just always good having another set of eyes out there. It's like, but this this is good to always have that reset, man. You you cannot grow through the entire year putting everyone before you. And that's just that's in any job that you gotta have that moment to just depress, relax, and get your mind right.

SPEAKER_03 40:48

Yeah, I heard an interview with uh Joaquin Phoenix recently, the actor, and he was the in the person that was interviewing him mentioned something like, you know, we're coming off of the summer, and and and his response was, when is summer? It was like he didn't even because it's every day just runs into the next, right? And it's not that I know that he's a he's a Hollywood actor, but there are professions, right? Like your wife, like there are professions where like there is no summer, there is no time where it slows down a little bit to allow that reset. And so I feel like we're fortunate in that way that we can kind of use that time to do that. And that's gonna look different for everybody. Um, but uh I think it's important that we do that. Now, communication expert and author Vanessa Van Edward, she says that intention is the back door to confidence. Uh from the outside looking in, it seems like you've been very intentional in how you lead. First, uh, would you say that that's true? Uh, and if so, how has that intentionality helped build your confidence over time?

SPEAKER_01 41:46

Oh man, this it's one of those situations where you don't realize you're a leader. Like you said earlier in the podcast, it's like so many people is like, Chris, go be a teacher and a coach. So they saw something in me before I even saw it. You know, when you're when you're a young male hanging out with your friends, you know, you everyone has the locker room talk or the joke or whatnot. So I'm always just thought I was just the follower. You know, I was just this, I was just a guy hanging out. And I remember when I got to college, same mindset. I'm just with a group of guys, not thinking nothing. I'm I'm Chris. I remember church ends, I'm with the football team. We're actually we're all graduated, but we still went to church together. And my nickname was Little C because everyone else was 6'2, 6'3. I'm sitting here 5'11. I was joking with my mom, like if I wasn't bow legged, I'd be 6'1. But I'm bow legged, so I was stuck under six foot. And I remember that's what this lady just walks up to me. I never saw her a day in my life. And she was like, Out of all these people, you're the leader. So, and I remember most recently a student came to me and was like, Like, how do you know when God's talking to you? And I was like, Well, he sent signals. That was a signal long before I became an athletic director, like you're gonna be in a leadership role. And then the thing is, is it's not even being like cocky or just confidence. I just know I got the greatest guy in the world on my back. So there's nothing that can stir me wrong or go do wrong if I know that he's speaking for me. And I think when I do that, be that shining light to all my coaches, to my athletes, my family members, and teachers, I just hope I can always just brighten up their day with my leadership. You know, Chris can all Chris is always gonna have different ideas. Chris is always gonna have something unique to say. And then, like I said, I'm not coming in a room like, oh man, we should have done XYZ. I'm like, well, can we look at doing XYZ? Like, here's the pros of it, here's the cons of it. You know, just trying to keep that door open so everyone can understand. Now, I always I love 20 dongies, you know, be uncommon. And that's literally how how I live my life. And you know, the AD role, people are like, Man, you don't y'all don't compete for nothing. Well, I mean, I compete because I want when a coach leaves my school, I hate to say it, but I want him to be like, Man, Chris was a better AD. Like, all this was taken care of. Now I gotta do XYZ. So I kind of want them to miss me when they're gone. Like, even though they may got a promotion or something like that, I want to. I wanted to know, like, man, Chris's leadership was totally different from that now.

SPEAKER_03 44:04

Yeah. Now, what advice would you give to newer ADs about being purposeful with their time and energy? I heard I've heard you talk about when you first got that job at ACS, one of the first things you did was make sure that you had everyone's correct email, right? Because you wanted to make sure that I'm trying to get to know people, I'm trying to get information out. I'm I need to make sure it's going to the right place, right? Like that's a little thing that I I've never even thought about. But I think that that's that's a huge plus to you know for a new AD to do. Just verify that all that's correct so that you know all you're not wasting your time. So what would you tell that new AD they've just been given the keys? Like a lot of us, I mean, shoot, you didn't even have a chance to do that. Like they were the you just walked in for an interview and they said you're gonna be the AD and the coach, right? Um but a lot of people just get the keys thrown at them, and even the people that throw the keys out of them don't even know what all the keys go to. Uh there's not like a user's manual, right? So what advice would you give to them about being purposeful uh with their time and energy?

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Uh the first thing you need to do is talk to your coaches, like the head coaches coming in. Again, if you're not coming in, like I I hope that ECS understands, like I didn't change not one thing when I got here at the at the at the private school. I might have tweaked some stuff. Like I knew if there was like a 9-1-1 tweak, tweak it. But other than that, it was just talking to the coaches. Like, hey, what do you like? What don't you like? All right, how do y'all do this? What happens on this day? Because they're the ones that's been here longer than you, so you kind of want to know like what system is already in place. So, because they usually come in, like, Chris, what do you need? No, no, no, no. Like, what do you need? Like, what's been going on? Like, I'm just basically taking over for the man or woman, what ship, what direction was the ship going? When I got to South, South, like I said, had a big uh oh moment. So it was really all about that moment was like rebranding. So that's when social media really started because I was just pushing out good content to push down the bad content. But in ECS, it was all about just keeping afloat of what Coach Guttery had already built. So it's just like, all right, who are my people? Who do I need? What do I need? What do you need? You know, what what what can I do on this moment? So that's the first thing is getting to know who your coaches are. And then the second thing is obviously making sure the basics of what's my game schedule look like. Do I need to tweak anything? Do we need to drop anybody? Do we need to add anybody? And then also at the same time, like said the email system. Like, what does my admin admin need? You know, everyone's job description looks so different. You know, the first thing I was like, do I gotta do live studying? Like, no, uh, do I give a carline? No.

unknown 46:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 46:34

So I can just be A D. Like, yeah. So that's that that can mess with someone. Like, if you go from that, actually happened to me my first two years. If I went from seven years of just duties, duties, duties, and now I come to the private world, I don't have a duty, I can be like, oh, yes. But it takes you away from your students. So you gotta be you gotta be still present in the hallways of getting to know your students. And I and I caught myself and I was like, nah, we're not, we're not chilling, dude. You know, you're gonna continue being on Compline and getting to know the students, they're gonna know like not who the AD is.

SPEAKER_03 47:05

Right. Yeah, I I tell people all the time, you know, being uh uh a district A D, we dismiss high school at 3 30. And all of my athletic directors, local school athletic directors like Josh, they are assistant principals as well. And a lot of the times my phone is quiet until 3 30 because they're having to do that other job, right? And at 3 30, they switch out and then they've got to do their second job. And when I tell people that, it's I get a lot of oh, yeah, yeah, oh, so take it easy on them, you know. So anyway, uh, what advice would you give to another AD who is thinking that, you know, I've got a story to tell. I think it's more important now more than ever uh for us to tell our own stories. And they're kind of they're mulling as a way, just like you, you went into a situation where there was another story that need to needed to be told, but they're nervous to put themselves out there. What would you tell them?

SPEAKER_01 47:57

Oh man, don't be nervous, be uncommon. Like, no, no one is gonna know your story. It's kind of like you know, you you we all married. If you didn't go approach your wife, you probably wouldn't have the story to tell. So so that's the exact same thing. So if you got something to say, say it. I mean, yes, there's gonna be feelings hurt, and that's I think that's where with AI and social media, social media is gonna start cutting down AI because it wants more feelings. AI can't get feelings, so that's where you need to put your story out there. That's the emotion, that's the feeling, that's that's the opening up of like, man, I need help, or um, I got something I gotta get a problem fixed. No one can help you if you're not talking about it. You're just gonna keep digging in your own emotions. But if you got something to say, say it. Is it gonna hurt someone's feelings? 100%. Is it probably gonna make someone a date? 100%. But you don't know unless you open your mouth.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

That's good, really good right there. Love it. Appreciate you putting yourself out there, man. It's it's making us better. So, hey, we're gonna finish this uh little this little part of the episode with a statement we're gonna let you expand on. I don't know if you've watched it. We do that, we've done this all year with our guest. Uh, this statement comes from a book called The Five Graces of Life and Leadership by Gary Bernerson. And the statement is leadership. It starts with a leader, but it is not about the leader. How do you respond to that statement?

SPEAKER_01 49:18

Oh man, when it's work, when it's time to do go to work, the leader has to be the first one there. But at the same time, the leader can't get anything done without the people at work. So it's all doing everything together. Like I said, when I was the video of me sweeping the floor, all I was doing was just holding it down for my facilities guy because he was on vacation. What kind of leader would I be? It's like, all right, dude, you got a lot to catch up on to get to work. No, man, it's been taken care of. So when he comes back, he's like, oh man, Chris, you did XYZ. Well, yeah, like it's like I'm not dull to it. You know, in uh the private school world, you know, I have a turf field. I miss actually painting the lines. I actually do miss that stuff. So it's kind of funny, you know. I'll just go and just find random things to do so you just don't get lazy in the aspect of the world. And I think that it kind of helps where Chris ain't afraid to get his hands dirty, that type of leadership role. You know, most people are leaders where they just go do XYZ. No, I want to I want to be on the front lines with you. If we're going to the battle, we're all going to battle. I'm not wanting to be on a high horse telling shoot the cannon, shoot the arrows, none of this and that. Nah, somebody got to fight it with you. Let's go to battle. Like, do you know for a fact that I got your back, you got my back, and my coaches know that, and the student athletes know that. I never I never forget uh we were at a Miami Dolphin game in my old school. And uh, you know, people are gonna be drunk for drinking, and also the principal or students that want a trip to the Miami Dolphins game. And delighted adult shoulder checked a 17-year-old kid, just shoulder checked him. I just remember our principal, he didn't say a word, he just kind of looked at him like if you touch that student again, it's gonna be a problem. And our and our kids need that because you don't know what their home life is. Same thing with our coaches, you don't know what they're going through at home. We try to know, but again, if they don't tell the story, we don't know the full story. So we've always just got to be there for them. And I just hope that when people look back at Chris, Chris always had their back. You know, I was always there for them one phone call away. I always tell my student athletes, all the ones I coach. If you ever need something, you better ask me. Because I can't help if you don't ask me.

SPEAKER_02 51:20

So man, that's a great way to sum up kind of why we wanted you on here and what we've seen from how you lead is you find random, as you said, random. I don't know if they're random, but find random things to do so you don't get lazy. And uh I think um, you know, laziness is very easy to pick up on and see and notice. Uh, and it's really uh scary to think about, in my opinion. So I think uh you you give us an example to follow there. Go find stuff to do so you don't uh get lazy or be perceived as being lazy. A great, great way to finish up our conversation there. Chris, we're gonna do a little two-minute drill now. You're a football guy, uh, you know how this works. Uh, so we're gonna jump in and uh get to know you a little bit better through the two-minute drill.

SPEAKER_03 52:04

All right, Chris, we're gonna hit you with some rapid fire questions. You just tell us the first thing that comes to your mind, okay?

SPEAKER_01 52:09

Got it.

SPEAKER_03 52:10

What was the first job that you ever had ever in your life?

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Ruby Tuesdays, later.

SPEAKER_03 52:16

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 52:17

On average, how many takes equals a finished TikTok product? One.

SPEAKER_03 52:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 52:25

One take, Chris. There he is. One take.

SPEAKER_03 52:27

There we go. Okay. Now, this is a horrible question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. And it's fallen flat every single time that we've asked it over five years, six years, and so I'll we just don't learn. Is there a favorite TikTok that you have? I have one of one of the ones that you've done, and I'll tell it after you say it. But is there one that when you send it out to you like, man, that's funny, or that's I like that one.

SPEAKER_01 52:50

Oh man, it's the that dumb gator video that I did.

SPEAKER_03 52:54

Okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 52:56

Here's why. They everyone wanted that video, and they wanted it so bad, they got my wife's cell phone number. So she was like, Chris, you gotta put this to an end. Like, they're calling me. I was like, well, why they're calling you selling the house. So but it's just funny, like how it's just the things that happened when that gator video went viral, just was Dolph Digest did a whole article and never interviewed me. Like they wrote up their whole thing and never called me once. So it was just it was just that gator view. That was probably the most hilarious thing.

SPEAKER_03 53:29

Yeah, I like the one with the the Elvis song that people typically do like at an airport and they're jumping on the beach, but every time you jump, you're on the field, you're in the dugout, you're you you couldn't get away from it, you know. And so I thought that was I thought that was great.

SPEAKER_02 53:43

So so maybe get access to the video at closing or something like that, right? That's your wife's line. Uh if you need something about Chris, you get access to it at closing when I get the selling check, right? That's good. Yep, yeah. All right, all right. More difficult. Making videos or giving the commencement speech at your old high school.

SPEAKER_01 54:07

Oh man. Videos. Because the videos, you're you uh you always gotta remember it doesn't matter what people think. Like just make the video. And I think that's why it's quicker to do the one one take, because it's real. It's the booper.

SPEAKER_03 54:21

Right. That's a good commencement, too, by the way. Um all right, so let's play a little game of hot or not. So these are hot takes, so unpopular opinions uh that people may feel strongly about. So if you say hot, you agree with what I what we say. If you say not, you disagree. Emailing after 9 p.m.

SPEAKER_02 54:42

Hot.

SPEAKER_03 54:44

There you go.

SPEAKER_02 54:44

All right, hot or not, avocado toast is overrated.

SPEAKER_03 54:50

Hot pickles on Chick-fil-A sandwiches.

SPEAKER_02 54:55

Not all right, hot or not, going to the movies is still better than streaming.

SPEAKER_03 55:05

Not I would probably you have what three three no, you have four kids?

SPEAKER_01 55:12

Four kids under age of some.

SPEAKER_03 55:14

Yeah, you'd have to take out a loan to go to the movies. So I so I get it. Okay. All right, here's here's the deal. So this year uh we have started using uh Brett Ledbetter's uh 365 questions uh with our guest, okay? So uh I need you to pick a number between one and three hundred-five.

SPEAKER_01 55:30

Favorite number is two.

SPEAKER_03 55:32

All right. What's the toughest no you've had to give and why?

SPEAKER_01 55:39

Hmm. All right, so don't get mad at me for saying this, but I never say no, I always say not right now. Because I always had that lifestyle. My mom, single parent, never told me no. She always made it work. So seeing that mindset of my baby needs XYZ, I'm gonna get it done is the exact same mindset I have at work and at home. So like I always tell my coaches, like, man, coach, we need to do XYZ. All right, just give me one second. I might say like not right now. I might just say give me one second.

SPEAKER_00 56:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 56:08

And then that gets them to go do something else. But I didn't tell them no. I just thought I just just don't right now.

SPEAKER_03 56:14

What's the toughest no that you've been given?

SPEAKER_01 56:17

Ooh. Um that's a good one. I don't know. Again, not trying to sound cocky. I don't think I've ever been told no.

SPEAKER_03 56:27

Yeah, when you're own the room, you're in the room. That's okay.

SPEAKER_01 56:29

Yeah. I mean, get in there, because it's to the way I deal with people, I think that all my jobs from Ruby Tuesdays to working in Lakinka to being a bouncer to working in a plumbing warehouse, all ties to being AD. It's just a customer service. So even though I might walk in the room thinking I'm gonna hear no, I'm gonna walk out of the room getting half of my half of a yes. So it's still a win for me. So it's just it's just all how I talk to people. And again, I put you first. So even though I might need to I'm putting you first. Like I remember my headmaster had to get used to me coming in his office just to say, hey, it's the first couple weeks. He's like, you need something? All's good. So no, I'm checking on you. Like, what do you need? Like, how's everything going with you? Like, he said, You're running the ship. If you're not happy, I gotta figure out how to make you happy. So it's just always just checking in on people. So that way when I do need to ask something, they're not telling me no. They just might be saying, No, right now.

SPEAKER_02 57:24

That's good. Wow, good answer. All right, toughest obstacle in Florida golf courses or the alligators on them.

SPEAKER_01 57:33

Actually, different. The snakes that you don't see when your ball goes in the woods.

SPEAKER_03 57:37

Uh yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_01 57:38

That's true. So people always ask me, Chris, are you a good golf? And I always tell them, I look like Tiger Woods, I look like Tiger and I play from the woods.

SPEAKER_03 57:47

Uh what's one what's one leadership lesson you wish you had learned 10 years earlier?

SPEAKER_01 57:53

Hmm. You can't do it alone. You can't. You gotta have that support style. Amen to that.

SPEAKER_02 58:04

Okay, Chris, let's finish with this one. That's our trademark question today. Chris Harris, you've been hanging with the ADs, but let's say you can hang out with anyone. Who would that be a wife?

SPEAKER_01 58:19

This is gonna sound crazy. I would say my grandfather. Never never met him. He's uh the cornerstone of the Harris family. So he's the cornerstone with eight kids. My grandmother raised all of them, all of them because he passed away when my aunt was 13. So I would love to spend time with my grandfather just to know like who we are, what's our foundation. He was a mechanic. So that means he was in the public service, he was serving people, he was doing stuff. But at the same time, he had a family at home. So with eight kids, you know, growing up in the 20s, 30s, 40s, those kids, how did you do what you did? And uh, I learned a lot from my grandmother. She she was uh, like I said, she raised eight kids alone. So single mother, never remarried, held down the Harris family, she buried three of her kids. So she said that's the hardest thing she ever had to do was bury a child. And to live her time through all the precedents, you know, she got to see President Barack Obama, our first black president. What was the type of man that you married to continue to do what you do? So I would love to sit down and just to know am I doing a good job of holding on the family brand? That's it.

SPEAKER_03 59:31

Yeah, I think that's a great answer. I think one of the it kind of aligns with what I think is the best answer we've ever been given. And off the top of my head, I can't remember who said it, but I would like to go back and hang out with the younger version of my grandparents, right? Like not the one that you knew when they were older or maybe retired or whatever, but when they were in their prime to go back and, you know, to really know what they were about. So I think it's a great answer. Chris, thank you so much for the time today uh and for using an alternative tool to help tell the story of high school ADs. Keep up the great work, and thanks again.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:03

Hey, thank you so much, guys. If you ever need anything, let me know. I'll give you some pointers on some videos. Like I said, just don't be afraid to tell your story because we all have different stories, but it does no good if we don't get it out there.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:15

What a great new cool episode with Chris Harris, Athletic Director of Evangelical Christian School down in Fort Myers, Florida. Chris is doing some phenomenal things on social media, and you could tell it from his uh conversation today. But what I took away from it, it's not just about a TikTok video, it's about knowing your purpose and being able to explain and tell that purpose through story and through short story and through stories that relate to our generations today, right? On the platforms, in the spaces that our consumers are getting their information, and Chris has that figured out. Uh, but but what he also has figured out is the role of the athletic director, but also the role of a family man, the role of a husband, a father, a community leader, all the different hats he wears. He's got it figured out, and he's a great person that we can learn from today. And I just encourage you to go check out Chris's social media, especially his TikTok. I believe it's Coach Harris, uh, down there, Evangelical Christian. You can search it and find it, and uh you're gonna be inspired to tell your story and tell it even better than what you're doing now. So good luck with telling your story. Chris, thanks for sharing with us today, making us better and making us realize some of the purposes and reasons and the mission that we are on as high school athletic administrators. And uh, you're doing a great job there, and we appreciate it. Hope everyone got better today, just like we did. If you did, we would love for you to go tell us what you think in a rating, a review, star rating. It helps us get to the to the top of the AI or Google searches and other people find these episodes. And we we'd appreciate you just helping. You don't have to share it with people. If you do, that's great. Hit that share button, we'd love it. But if you just give us a rating, that helps us get to others as well. And as always, thank you for spending your time hanging with the ADs.