Shooting It Straight!

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Welcome to the debut episode of "Shooting It Straight," where hosts Jim Clayton and Randy Black dive into the intersection of sports and life lessons. Jim, a seasoned coach and mentor, shares his journey from the basketball court to the podcast studio, emphasizing the importance of believing in oneself, achieving the right mindset, and staying motivated. With anecdotes from his extensive career in education and sports, Jim illustrates how failure and success are intertwined and how life lessons from the court can be applied to everyday challenges.

Randy, an experienced educator and podcast enthusiast, joins Jim in exploring the power of positive thinking and the impact of mentorship. Together, they discuss their backgrounds, the genesis of the podcast, and the importance of spreading positivity and motivation. This episode sets the stage for future discussions on courage, confidence, and the myriad ways sports can teach us about life. Join them as they embark on this journey to inspire and uplift, reminding listeners to keep "shooting it straight."

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Jim Clayton:Bam, son. This is Shoot It Straight, the podcast where life lessons don't come   Jim Clayton:sugar-coated and excuses get pinched.   Randy Black:I'm Randy Black, podcast guy, professional question asker, and apparently the   Randy Black:only one here who doesn't yell, bam, son, in public.   Jim Clayton:We're working on that, Randy. I'm Jim Clayton, coach, mentor,   Jim Clayton:motivator, and a guy who still thinks a whistle may be the best motivational tool known to man.   Randy Black:Each week, we're taking what Jim's learned from the court, the drills,   Randy Black:the discipline, the drive, and translating it into real-world success.  

Jim Clayton:That's right. This ain't just about basketball. It's about showing up when life presses full court.   Jim Clayton:It's about pushing through when the clock's ticking down.   Randy Black:If you're looking for fluff, well, you might just want to ride the bench.   Jim Clayton:We're here to help you believe bigger, achieve louder, and motivate stronger.   Jim Clayton:So buckle up, and whatever you do, keep shooting it straight. Hey, bam, son.   Randy Black:This is episode number one of Shooting It Straight. I'm Randy Black, joined by my co-host.   Jim Clayton:Jim Clayton.  

Randy Black:Jim Clayton. Great, great name to hear if you know anything about basketball.   Randy Black:And he's finally doing it. He's finally getting a podcast going.   Randy Black:So we're going to take some time here on our debut episode to kind of go through   Randy Black:and outline why it is we're doing this show.   Randy Black:What is the reasoning for it? But before we do that, anybody who might be new,   Randy Black:I'm sure there's a lot of people listening who know Jim, but don't know me.   Randy Black:There might be some people listening that know me, but don't know Jim.   Randy Black:We're going to take a minute to kind of introduce ourselves,   Randy Black:give our background info so you kind of know where it is we're coming from on this.  

Randy Black:So I'm going to throw to Jim and let him kind of talk for a minute about himself   Randy Black:because I know he loves to talk a little bit.   Jim Clayton:Oh, gosh, I hear you, buddy. Well, again, this is just something that I've been   Jim Clayton:wanting to do for a long, long, long time.   Jim Clayton:People have asked me, Coach, you need to write a book. You need to do this.   Jim Clayton:So this is going to be like my first stage to get into that book.   Jim Clayton:Okay. So, you know, the things that I've learned, the lessons I've learned along   Jim Clayton:the way, I've been an educator for 40 years in Cabell County.  

Jim Clayton:I taught high school, started a little elementary school out of East Lynn Elementary.   Jim Clayton:Then I moved to Huntington East in 1980, coached there, shut school down in   Jim Clayton:96, moved to Huntington High, was there through about 2008, and then went to   Jim Clayton:Cabo Midland and finished up there.   Jim Clayton:So I've been in the thick of things, you know, in the trenches with the students,   Jim Clayton:you know, really getting to the guts of what it's all about.   Jim Clayton:And so the things that I've learned along the way is what can I do to help make   Jim Clayton:everybody better? See, it's all about what can you do to help somebody else.  

Jim Clayton:It's not really about me. It's not about you. It's about what can you do to   Jim Clayton:make somebody else better?   Jim Clayton:Because really, when you do that,   Jim Clayton:At the end of the day, when you put your head down on the pillow,   Jim Clayton:man, you've got a real sense of satisfaction, you know, and it happens every day for me.   Jim Clayton:It doesn't happen for everybody else, but it happens every day for me because   Jim Clayton:I make it happen. See, that's the key to the deal.   Jim Clayton:And, you know, I've coasted all over the world.   Jim Clayton:I started my business in 1992 in Huntington. So I've been around for a few decades.  

Jim Clayton:Quite a while. A few decades.   Jim Clayton:Learned a lot along the way. Didn't have a business model to follow.   Jim Clayton:I just learned through trial and just figuring it out.   Jim Clayton:And that's what a lot of people need to learn how to do because everything's   Jim Clayton:not going to be handed to them right in their lap. Okay, here's what you do.   Jim Clayton:So I had to learn through trial and error, learn through experience.   Jim Clayton:And I learned along the way one of the biggest lessons that I probably didn't   Jim Clayton:know, especially being in education, is that failure and success are not opposites.  

Jim Clayton:They run side by side every day down the road.   Jim Clayton:And you can't have really great success without some form of,   Jim Clayton:or many forms of failure.   Randy Black:Do you remember my fortune cookie? Oh, yeah. Failure is feedback,   Randy Black:and feedback is the breakfast of champions.   Jim Clayton:That's right. That's exactly right. But see, in today's world,   Jim Clayton:see, in the old school world, the dinosaur world where I grew up,   Jim Clayton:That's how people learn. In today's world, it's kind of opposite because kids   Jim Clayton:think failure is like, oh, my gosh. They don't know you're going to learn from it.  

Jim Clayton:Everything's based like it. Here's how I know that through my experiences.   Jim Clayton:When you ask a player, how did you do? They go, we won. We lost.   Jim Clayton:And I said, that's not what I asked you. I said, how did you do?   Jim Clayton:And they say, well, I did pretty good.   Jim Clayton:But you see, they forget how good they did because they just think everything's   Jim Clayton:based on winning and losing.   Jim Clayton:And so I come with this question. This is the one I come with right afterwards.   Jim Clayton:I say, is it possible for you to play a good game and your team not win?  

Jim Clayton:Yep. I say, well, see, then don't be so hard on yourself. Now,   Jim Clayton:when all of your other players play really good, you're going to have a good team win.   Randy Black:Yep.   Jim Clayton:And, you know, so I've been through that segment. You know, I've worked for   Jim Clayton:Nike. I've traveled all over the world, done Nike speaking tours with them.   Jim Clayton:Met some fabulous people and coaches all over the world.   Jim Clayton:I wouldn't change that for anything.   Randy Black:Met some pretty famous basketball players as well.   Jim Clayton:Met some players along the way, too. You know what I mean?  

Randy Black:I've seen that picture of you and Michael Jordan hanging on the wall.   Jim Clayton:Oh, yeah. Now, that was probably the best of the best.   Jim Clayton:But I'd already been a little bit—oh, he is the best of the best.   Jim Clayton:Let me clear that up real quick.   Jim Clayton:Yeah. But I've been with some other NBA teams before I really got connected with him.   Jim Clayton:I was with the Nets, New Jersey Nets. That's when they had Kenny Anderson.   Jim Clayton:Okay. They had Drozden Petrovich, Sam Bowie. They had, I mean,   Jim Clayton:they had Ramil Robinson. I mean, they had some really, really good players.  

Jim Clayton:And then I was with the Portland Trailblazers, and they had Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter.   Jim Clayton:I mean, they had a heck of a team over there, too. Buck Williams back in the   Jim Clayton:old school days from Maryland.   Jim Clayton:So I got to do all that kind of stuff. and, you know, and, and   Jim Clayton:And that's kind of the gist of how all this came together.   Jim Clayton:And, you know, I never really was, I mean, I guess I just was an upbeat type of person.   Jim Clayton:I never thought myself was a motivational person, but I got into,   Jim Clayton:you know, motivation. I said, do I want to be a motivated person where I motivate   Jim Clayton:you one day and then the next day you can't remember what I told you?  

Jim Clayton:Or do I want to be somebody that leads you and helps you and mentors you so   Jim Clayton:that you don't forget it and you can use it every day in your life and help make your life better?   Jim Clayton:So I chose the second one. So I said, if I'm going to be good at this,   Jim Clayton:I got to get with the best.   Jim Clayton:If you want to be the best, you got to get with the best. So I got with my buddy named John Maxwell.   Jim Clayton:He's the leadership guru of the world. If you don't know John Maxwell,   Jim Clayton:then you don't really know a   Jim Clayton:whole lot about leadership. He's only written about 100 bestsellers. Yeah.  

Jim Clayton:Okay. So I went down and trained with him and learned and got,   Jim Clayton:oh, the best of the best, you know, and still use all that stuff.   Jim Clayton:Every day I listen to him say something.   Jim Clayton:And it don't matter how many times I've heard him say certain things.   Jim Clayton:If he says the same thing over again, somehow I get a different vibe off of it.   Jim Clayton:Because learning is a lifelong skill. And there's an old saying that says,   Jim Clayton:it's what you learn after you think you know it all that counts.   Jim Clayton:Well, how many people think they know it all? Well, there's a lot of people   Jim Clayton:out there with that. So, you know, that's kind of my background information   Jim Clayton:of how I put all this together.  

Jim Clayton:And, you know, I've always wanted to do it. And really how the last thing I'm   Jim Clayton:going to say on this is a great story.   Jim Clayton:And this is how I got the idea to do it. I didn't come up with it.   Jim Clayton:And I was reading a story about this grocery store.   Jim Clayton:And they had three or four lines of people in there, you know,   Jim Clayton:like the other grocery store.   Jim Clayton:Well, all of a sudden, everybody's in this one line. Did the cashier's ever   Jim Clayton:go, hey, we'll take you over here. We don't want to get in that line.   Jim Clayton:They're looking like, why do they not want to get in that line?  

Jim Clayton:Well, there was a little boy that was bagging groceries, and that was when it   Jim Clayton:was brown paper bags, not plastic.   Jim Clayton:And every time he'd bag a grocery, he'd put little words of wisdom in that thing,   Jim Clayton:like your fortune, like a fortune cookie.   Jim Clayton:And they were in there wanting to get that fortune for the diet.   Jim Clayton:I'm thinking to myself, man, that is cool. What if I did that?   Jim Clayton:So instead of talking myself out of it, like most people do,   Jim Clayton:I didn't know anything about a computer. I couldn't type, couldn't paste, couldn't do anything.  

Jim Clayton:So I got one of my boys in class. I said, well, you going to help me do this?   Jim Clayton:He goes, yeah, I'll help you. So I gave him the first quote.   Jim Clayton:And we did 25 on the first place. So I cut it out in little squares and put   Jim Clayton:it in my pocket. Well, I ran the cafeteria.   Jim Clayton:And so I just got them in there. They're all on their lines,   Jim Clayton:getting ready to eat. And I go, yeah, anybody want to hear the word for today?   Jim Clayton:Yeah, cuz, what's the word? I'd hand them one of those little strips.   Jim Clayton:They go, that's cool. I said, well, I use it.  

Jim Clayton:So the next day, they want to know the word of the day. So that 25 went to 50,   Jim Clayton:went to 75, went to 100, got up to 500 or 600. And dang, I was passing out.   Jim Clayton:And then I started thinking, man, I could do this a whole lot.   Jim Clayton:Because that was before social media.   Jim Clayton:So now I've kind of taken the same thing and turned it a little bit.   Jim Clayton:Now you don't have to be in the line in the cafeteria to get the word for the   Jim Clayton:day. You can get it every day.   Jim Clayton:And this is going to help share that even to a bigger audience.  

Jim Clayton:And what I found out is, which I'm sure you know, a lot of people need to hear   Jim Clayton:positive vibes every day.   Randy Black:Yes.   Jim Clayton:When I send those things out.   Randy Black:I'll talk about that in a second. Oh, yeah.   Jim Clayton:I send that stuff out, and they send that back. I go, Coach,   Jim Clayton:I needed to hear that today. Thanks for sharing that, Coach. I needed that today.   Jim Clayton:And I go, if it helps one person, to me, it's worth it.   Jim Clayton:It's worth it. I don't worry about 100,000 people, one person.   Jim Clayton:That's the key. And that's how the whole thing kind of started.  

Jim Clayton:And that's how I met you. I was doing a motivational speech at Teen Institute.   Randy Black:And we'll talk about that in a little bit.   Jim Clayton:Yeah.   Randy Black:So my background info, you know, like Jimmy, I was an educator.   Randy Black:I still work in education, but I'm   Randy Black:not in a classroom. I haven't been in a classroom for over 10 years now.   Randy Black:And I tell people I miss it because I miss the kids. I miss the interaction with the students.   Randy Black:When you teach a student something, and it's so cliche to use it, but it's so true.   Randy Black:That light bulb that goes off above their head. When you see that happen,   Randy Black:when those eyes get big because they've got it, that jaw drops because they're   Randy Black:so just caught off guard by something.  

Randy Black:That feeling is the best feeling in the world. I know you know it. I know it.   Randy Black:Anybody who's ever taught in a classroom and had success knows it.   Randy Black:That feeling, I miss that.   Randy Black:I still work in education.   Randy Black:I was a teacher. I taught social studies, mostly history, some geography,   Randy Black:sociology. I loved sociology. I loved teaching that course.   Randy Black:I was in a classroom for six years, and then I slid into the tech side in education,   Randy Black:was a tech coach for about two and a half years at Huntington Middle and Cabell   Randy Black:County schools here in West Virginia, and left Cabell County and went to Putnam County,   Randy Black:worked in the technology department in Putnam County for another two,   Randy Black:two and a half years or so before I left.  

Randy Black:And I lived in Wayne County at the time, and the high school that I graduated   Randy Black:from, Spring Valley High School, had a position open, and I went back there.   Randy Black:Stayed there for about eight months and realized I needed to move on because it was not the fit for me.   Randy Black:And went back to Cabell County, worked there at Huntington High,   Randy Black:made connections back with people that I knew because I did my student teaching   Randy Black:in 2004 at Huntington High.   Randy Black:And I went back in 2019. And the first person I saw in the hallway after I got   Randy Black:in and got acquainted back to the building and everything was the guy I did   Randy Black:my student teaching with, Bruce Sr.  

Randy Black:And Bruce turned and looked at me and he pointed at me and said, I told you you'd be back.   Randy Black:And I laughed because he was right. And it was, it was a fit.   Randy Black:I enjoyed it. It was a stressful job handling technology for that building.   Randy Black:You know, we're the, you know, County High is the fourth biggest school in the   Randy Black:state of West Virginia in population.   Randy Black:It's in, you know, one person handling technology for that whole building was rough.   Randy Black:And I just, I had other things going on in life and I had to, I had to move on from it.   Randy Black:But I'm back in Putnam County, still working in education, working in technology,   Randy Black:trying my best to make a difference every day.  

Randy Black:I still get those interactions with the kids every once in a while.   Randy Black:And it just, I have those and I just, I leave the situation smiling.   Randy Black:I feel good because I know that I have had an impact on that kid.   Randy Black:I've taught him something. I've showed him something he didn't know about.   Randy Black:Um, something has, has hit, um, and, and it's made a difference and that's,   Randy Black:that's what it's all about. It's about making the difference.   Randy Black:I've been in podcasting now for about a decade, been involved in the space.   Randy Black:I've had, I can't say I've had success. I've had moderate, moderate things happen   Randy Black:in podcasting, but it's allowed me to make connections with people that I never   Randy Black:thought I'd have connections with,   Randy Black:people that I can reach out to and go, hey, I've ran into this problem.  

Randy Black:Can you give me an idea? Can you kind of guide me along the way and help me   Randy Black:get there with what I'm doing in podcasting? And it's been amazing.   Randy Black:It's been great. You know, people I never thought I'd ever talked to in my life, like Adam Curry.   Randy Black:Adam Curry is the guy that invented podcasting. He's the podfather. He's the goat.   Jim Clayton:He's the goat.   Randy Black:He is. He won't say he is now. He used to. Now he says that because he's bad changes in his life.   Randy Black:Now he says that God just guided him to it, to find a way to get messages out   Randy Black:in a new way. That's how he sees it now.  

Randy Black:Never in my wildest dreams would I think I'd ever exchange messages through   Randy Black:telegram or email or even talk to the guy. And I've had that opportunity.   Jim Clayton:Don't underestimate yourself.   Randy Black:Thank you.   Jim Clayton:Thank you. And see, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be sitting here right now.   Randy Black:We sat in this room in July of 2018.   Jim Clayton:How about that one now?   Randy Black:And recorded an episode for one of the podcasts I did at the time where we talked   Randy Black:about things that Jimmy has done.  

Randy Black:In his teaching career, working at the schools, working here at Sports City   Randy Black:U, his business, and how that has impacted things and impacted lives and things   Randy Black:and the way his mindset has worked and changed and grown over time. Great podcast.   Randy Black:You can actually find it on YouTube. If you search for The Randall Black Show,   Randy Black:Jimmy Clayton, you'll find it.   Randy Black:It's still, it's archived on YouTube right now. It's not available anywhere   Randy Black:else though, but it's out there.   Randy Black:Um, and we had a fantastic time. And at that time we sat here and somebody looked   Randy Black:across the table for me and said, I'm going to start a podcast.  

Randy Black:Well, we've done it seven years later, almost. So it took a little while,   Randy Black:but we got it going. We've got it going.   Jim Clayton:That's why I got you to see a hand again, a guy that knew what to do,   Jim Clayton:that knew how to do everything.   Randy Black:Yeah.   Jim Clayton:And this guy, this is the guy, this is the guy.   Jim Clayton:And you know, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't   Jim Clayton:be sitting there doing this so i mean all the kudos   Jim Clayton:go out to him i mean because i mean   Jim Clayton:really uh it's really weird how   Jim Clayton:things happen yeah but i always believe that things   Jim Clayton:happen for a reason oh yes and i don't always know the reason and i'm not trying   Jim Clayton:to always i don't even try to figure it out i just go with the fact that yeah   Jim Clayton:this is what i believe we're blessed to be here this is going to be a cool experience   Jim Clayton:we're going to share stuff with you guys that's going to blow your mind and it's going to help you.  

Jim Clayton:And that's the whole key to everything. Oh, yeah.   Randy Black:So, you know, the idea is that we came together because we got to know each other.   Randy Black:You know, Jimmy mentioned earlier, the very first time I met Jim Clayton,   Randy Black:I was a sophomore in high school. So that would have been.   Randy Black:1995, 96, probably in that range. I was attending CK High School,   Randy Black:Sherrito Canova High School. It doesn't exist anymore.   Randy Black:And we had a teen institute. And at the teen institute, I remember this guy   Randy Black:I came in and was talking about things and he was the most, I can't tell you   Randy Black:exactly what he talked about, but he was the most positive, upbeat,   Randy Black:energetic guy I had ever listened to.  

Randy Black:And I remembered that and it didn't go away. It stuck with me.   Randy Black:Come 2004, I get my placements to do my student teaching. And that second happens   Randy Black:to teaching, I was at Huntington High School.   Randy Black:And every day at lunch, I had the opportunity to sit down and eat lunch with Jim Clayton.   Randy Black:And I got to know the man that I remembered from that event taking place when I was a youngster.   Randy Black:And we struck up. I can't say at the end it was a friendship,   Randy Black:but we knew each other. We talked to each other every day for the time I was there.  

Randy Black:And then there was a break and we didn't see each other until I took a job teaching   Randy Black:at Cabell Midland High School.   Randy Black:And at the same time, Jim got transferred to Cabell Midland High School.   Randy Black:And we had the opportunity for a couple of years to work together in the same building.   Randy Black:And I can remember walking in to the office, front of the building to Mrs. Daniel's office.   Randy Black:And Jim's there and he's talking about something. He's like,   Randy Black:I don't know how to do it. I need   Randy Black:help with it. And she looks at me and I look at him and I go, let's go.  

Randy Black:And we went back to his classroom and I helped him look at the thing,   Randy Black:get the idea of what he was doing, try to help him get started with it. And from that point on.   Jim Clayton:I didn't know anything about this. Yeah.   Randy Black:And I can say from that point on, I knew I had a friend that if I needed something,   Randy Black:I could reach out and go, hey, I need some help, Jim. Can you help me?   Randy Black:And it's been that way. You know, when I was doing that podcast,   Randy Black:I reached out and I said, hey, let's sit down and talk. What do you think?   Randy Black:And he's like, okay, let's do it. And we were able to take it and I turned it   Randy Black:into two episodes of that show because we were able to talk for a little while.  

Randy Black:And get a great conversation going and share some great info.   Randy Black:So we've come together because Jim's wanted to do a podcast.   Randy Black:He's wanted to talk about these things.   Randy Black:And I reached out to him several months ago because Jim's had some health issues   Randy Black:that, you know, I didn't realize were going on.   Randy Black:And when I found out, the first thing it is, I reached out to him and I said,   Randy Black:hey, I just want to check on you. Make sure you're doing OK.   Randy Black:He said, I'm good. I'm good. I said, well, I'm going to come by and see you.  

Randy Black:And I stopped in here at Sports City U because we are currently upstairs.   Randy Black:We are in the what I'm going to officially dub today on the show,   Randy Black:the Sports City U podcast studio upstairs here in the building.   Randy Black:And I stopped in to check on him and talk with him. And, you know,   Randy Black:I don't hide it. I'm a Christian.   Randy Black:I have a very strong belief in God, and I believe God has the ability to touch   Randy Black:individuals and heal them and take care of them.   Randy Black:And we stood right out here in the middle of this court, my arm around Jim hugging   Randy Black:him, and I prayed for him right there.  

Jim Clayton:You did. I'll never forget that,   Randy Black:Ever. And since then, he's had some good news with things. Things are getting   Randy Black:better. Things are looking better. He's on the mend. Things are going good.   Randy Black:But that day, he told me, I want to start a podcast.   Randy Black:He's like, I want to do it. I want you to help me. I said, okay,   Randy Black:let me think about some stuff and we'll get to it. And we took us a little while.   Jim Clayton:It doesn't matter.   Randy Black:But we got to it. We got back to it. And we sat down for a couple of evenings   Randy Black:and we talked about things and worked our way through it.  

Randy Black:And we were maybe 30 minutes into that second night talking. I said, you're ready.   Jim Clayton:Let's go.   Randy Black:You've got the topics. You've got the ideas. Let's start looking at things and let's get ready to go.   Randy Black:And that's why we're here today. we've come together because like,   Randy Black:I'm not a sports guy in any way at all.   Randy Black:I coached football for a couple of years because I was helping out a friend.   Randy Black:You know, it's one of those things. It was a school I was teaching at at the time.   Randy Black:I'm not a sports guy. So I don't have those lessons like Jim has from the court   Randy Black:that he's used all these years and teaching people the game and teaching them   Randy Black:not just about the game though,   Randy Black:taking that and applying it to life and how they could be a better person by   Randy Black:what they're learning there.  

Randy Black:I'm here because I'm the tech guy. I'm keeping the tech going.   Randy Black:I'm making sure the recordings are good. I'm the editor.   Randy Black:So I'm going to edit this together, make sure it sounds good,   Randy Black:get it all posted online, ready to go.   Randy Black:And I might be a guardrail in a way because sometimes Jim talks and you got to keep him going.   Randy Black:But we're here because he has stuff he wants to share, stuff he wants to tell everybody about.   Jim Clayton:A hundred percent. And I'm going to tell you something. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here.   Jim Clayton:So it's a two-way street. It's not a one-way street.  

Jim Clayton:It's not the general patent rule, my way or the highway. It's a two-way street.   Jim Clayton:And like I said, the things that he's really good at, I'm not very good at.   Jim Clayton:Some of the things I'm really good at, he might not be really good at.   Jim Clayton:So some things we're sharing, he can take it and use it in his life.   Jim Clayton:And then the stuff he's sharing with me, I can take it, not very far,   Jim Clayton:but I can take it and use some stuff in my life, especially tech stuff.   Jim Clayton:Because I'm not a real, I'm not really like super novice, but I just don't have any patience.  

Jim Clayton:And tech doesn't like me. It works fine until I need it, then it breaks.   Jim Clayton:And that drives me crazy. But I ain't worried about that.   Jim Clayton:You know what I mean? We're here. We're going to make it happen.   Jim Clayton:We're going to make some cool stuff happen.   Jim Clayton:We're going to have some great guests. We've got some great topics to talk about. And I'm pumped.   Randy Black:Yeah, we've got an idea. Like a lot of, see, there's going to be times where   Randy Black:we're sitting here and it's, you know, Jimmy's going to come to the table and   Randy Black:he's going to have a topic.  

Randy Black:And we're going to start talking about it. He'll let me know ahead of time.   Randy Black:I'll do some research, look into some stuff, come up with some ideas.   Randy Black:And he and I will just sit here and shoot the breeze and go through it,   Randy Black:talk about it, and see how he takes that idea and uses it to apply it to life.   Randy Black:And then I'm going to take those ideas and see how I might be able to do the same.   Randy Black:So we're kind of taking two different perspectives on it to try to share that   Randy Black:and try to help people to see that there are ways to do things in their lives   Randy Black:that they may not expect.  

Jim Clayton:And not just one way to do it.   Randy Black:Exactly, exactly. There's not just one way. There's always multiple paths to get somewhere.   Randy Black:The story I've shared with people before in the past, I mentioned her a little   Randy Black:bit ago, Mrs. Daniels at Cabell Midland High School.   Randy Black:Mrs. Daniels and I, to this day, get along great.   Randy Black:If she sees me out somewhere or I see her, I walk up to her.   Randy Black:She walks up to me, big hug. How you doing?   Randy Black:Checking on me. Make sure I'm okay. I make sure she's good.   Randy Black:But we did a lot of headbanging at first. We did not, we did not see eye to   Randy Black:eye, but what happened is we both realized we had the same end goal in mind.  

Randy Black:We just had different paths to get there. And once we, once we figured that   Randy Black:out, we were able to communicate with each other, we could talk our way through it.   Randy Black:So if I thought her way didn't work and she kept pushing on me about it, I'm like, well, Ms.   Randy Black:Daniels, why don't we think about this and give her that other route to look at?   Randy Black:And she did the same thing to me. And it shows you that there's more than one way.   Jim Clayton:All roads lead somewhere. Some people just got better roadmatch or GPS.   Randy Black:Exactly.  

Jim Clayton:That's kind of how I'll take that right there.   Randy Black:But we've also got people lined up. Jim's talked to some people he knows from all over.   Randy Black:No, not just the basketball world. There's some people that are also in some   Randy Black:other fascinating areas of life that we've got lined up to that we're going to talk to at times.   Jim Clayton:Yeah, you're not even going to believe it.   Randy Black:Well, we're going to bring people on the show. Let them, you know,   Randy Black:weigh in on topics or talk about things.   Randy Black:And, you know, some of these people, like I know we have a lady who plays professional   Randy Black:basketball in Australia who was one of your students.  

Jim Clayton:Oh, yeah, she played 16 years. Pro player for 16 years.   Randy Black:She is going to come on, and I know we'll get her to talk about what she's learned   Randy Black:from the teaching she got playing basketball or learning basketball,   Randy Black:learning that game from Jim, and how she's applied that in her life.   Randy Black:So it's a gamut of things to talk about and look at.   Randy Black:We don't have a very specific, we're always going to talk about this.   Randy Black:We've got a lot of different ways to look at stuff. I know we've talked about   Randy Black:we're going to look at the idea of courage. and having courage in the game can   Randy Black:lead to you having courage in your life that can lead to you having more success   Randy Black:in your life because you're willing to put yourself out there.  

Randy Black:And it's stuff like that, you know, courage, determination, confidence,   Randy Black:confidence, confidence is a big one.   Jim Clayton:Oh man, pressure, pressure.   Randy Black:So we have, we've got a lot of different ideas, ways we can go with it,   Randy Black:ways we can kind of shape the conversation   Randy Black:to help illustrate these ideas for people   Randy Black:who are listening looking to level up your basketball skills whether   Randy Black:you're a young player just learning the game or a high school athlete aiming for   Randy Black:the next level sports city you basketball academy in.  

Music   Randy Black:Hurricane west virginia is where your journey begins and   Randy Black:greatness is built from private sessions   Randy Black:and skills camps to team development and advanced clinics sports city you offers   Randy Black:a range of programs that fit your goals so if you're ready to train with purpose   improve your game and learn from one of the best call 304-562-2424 to get started today,   The thing, one of the big things, though, with this show that I want to make   sure people know is that this is the vehicle for Jim.   This is his vehicle. I'm along for the ride. I'll share stuff.  

I've got stuff that's going to be valuable. I know I do.   Jim Clayton:100%.   Randy Black:But this is Jim's vehicle. I'm the guy who's helping him to steer that ship.   Randy Black:I'm the guy helping him keep the train on the rails. The guy that's making sure   Randy Black:the roller coaster stops when it's supposed to and then goes along and gets   Randy Black:through the loop when it needs to.   Jim Clayton:And let me tell you, that is critically important.   Jim Clayton:And, you know, it's just that's, you can't have one without the other.   Jim Clayton:Okay. So, you know, everybody talks about this and that. Everybody talks about   Jim Clayton:me, me, me, me, me. This is not about me, me, me, me, me.  

Jim Clayton:It's about we, we, we, we. Yeah. It's not a me show. It's a we show.   Jim Clayton:And there's power in numbers. When everybody's got the right agenda,   Jim Clayton:they're all on the right path. They got the right mindset.   Jim Clayton:It's amazing. what can be accomplished. Amazing.   Randy Black:Just like the kids on the court, we're a team. Oh, exactly. We are a team. We're here.   Jim Clayton:One, two, punch. Pop, pop.   Randy Black:We're here to work together to help get this message out, to get this information   Randy Black:out, to have these discussions.  

Randy Black:You know, and some of these discussions, they ultimately may not be, they may not be fun.   Randy Black:There may be some hard stuff we talk about because, you know,   Randy Black:there's always, you know, the idea of you've got to somebody,   Randy Black:you know, you can talk about from anything, from basketball,   Randy Black:from football to being an artist, being a musician.   Randy Black:The idea of, you've already mentioned it, the idea of failure.   Randy Black:That's a hard conversation to have.   Jim Clayton:100%. Same principles apply. It doesn't matter what you're in.  

Jim Clayton:Okay, so same principles apply. So it's not just a, you know,   Jim Clayton:it only works for basketball. It doesn't work for it.   Jim Clayton:They transfer, you know, right into each other. They run parallel.   Jim Clayton:The lessons you learn over here can run parallel in the game of life.   Jim Clayton:And, you know, that's really what it's all about The game of life And,   Jim Clayton:you know, my motto on the game of life is Today's the day   Jim Clayton:Because we can't do anything about it yesterday because it's history.   Randy Black:And we don't know what Taro's going to be.  

Jim Clayton:Nope. So that's, hey, that's the future. And so today's a gift.   Jim Clayton:That's why they call it the present.   Jim Clayton:So we're in it right now. So we're going to make the best of it.   Jim Clayton:And at 1201, here's what I want you to understand. This is stuff you're going to learn.   Jim Clayton:At 1201 tonight, it doesn't matter if you had the best day of your life or the   Jim Clayton:worst day. Because you know what? It ends.   Jim Clayton:And at 1201, you're starting a new day. So I'm not going to start a new day   Jim Clayton:dealing with what I did yesterday.  

Jim Clayton:That's history. It's gone. I'm going to learn from it, but I'm going to be better today.   Randy Black:Yeah.   Jim Clayton:And that's your attitude. And your attitude and your gratitude.   Randy Black:Oh, there we go.   Jim Clayton:That's the most important two things, baby. There you go.   Randy Black:We've had several Jimmy-isms coming out there. That's what I call them.   Randy Black:Some people don't. I call them Jimmy-isms. Jimmy's little phrases that he puts   Randy Black:out there. And that's another thing.   Randy Black:Every week here on the show, we're going to have what I call,   Randy Black:I've dubbed it Jim's Wisdom of the Week.  

Mark the Announcer Guy:Now it's time for Jimmy's Wisdom of the Week.   Mark the Announcer Guy:This is where Jimmy shares one of his famous Jimmyisms to inspire the listeners.   Randy Black:We're going to start it off with the phrase that is, there's another way to say it. It's the brand.   Randy Black:It is the brand. And it's this phrase right here.   Jim Clayton:Bam, son.   Randy Black:Bam, son. I've heard that said so many times by this man that I had to make   Randy Black:sure that he explains what it is for those people who don't know.   Randy Black:So, Jim, bam, son, what's that mean?  

Jim Clayton:Well, I'll tell you. Bam is a word that when somebody says, I don't care if   Jim Clayton:you hear it on TV, somebody goes, bam, it just kind of gets you excited.   Jim Clayton:It's a fast twitch word, boom, it pops you up. So if you're sitting there boarding   Jim Clayton:it, bam, It's going to bring you up out of your seat.   Jim Clayton:Okay? It's a little different than boom. See, boom. Bang. See,   Jim Clayton:there's a little different than that. And so I'm thinking, okay.   Jim Clayton:So, bam. What's that mean? What does that mean?   Jim Clayton:So I started to think about it. I started writing it down. It's one of those   Jim Clayton:3 o'clock in the morning things.  

Jim Clayton:I wake up at 3 o'clock a lot of times, and I've learned to have my notes and   Jim Clayton:my pen and pencil right by me.   Jim Clayton:Because some of those are the greatest things and thoughts I've ever had.   Jim Clayton:And if I don't write them down, I'm going to forget them because they're in my subconscious.   Jim Clayton:I think I'll remember that tomorrow. No, I won't. So I wrote this down.   Jim Clayton:I said, okay, what am I going to do?   Jim Clayton:Bam. What's the biggest thing? Believe.   Jim Clayton:Believe. If you don't believe in yourself, then don't expect anyone else to.  

Jim Clayton:So I said, okay, I'm going to go with bullet. So what's A going to be? I said, hmm, achieve.   Jim Clayton:Well, what do I want to achieve? Well, I want to achieve greatness.   Jim Clayton:I want to achieve the right mindset.   Jim Clayton:See, because with the right mindset, anything is possible.   Jim Clayton:Because you're listening to the right side of your brain that goes,   Jim Clayton:you got this, coach. You can do it.   Jim Clayton:Unfortunately, we flip the coin to the left side, And that society goes,   Jim Clayton:no, you can't. You're a failure.  

Jim Clayton:You can't do it. It ain't going to happen. Nobody's going to do it.   Jim Clayton:And so, see, so many people flip back and forth. I don't even turn that on my dial.   Jim Clayton:I call that W-E-A-K radio, the sound that brings you down.   Jim Clayton:I don't turn that on my dial. So I achieved the right mindset. So I believe in myself.   Jim Clayton:I achieved the right mindset. and no matter what you do in life,   Jim Clayton:you got to be motivated through the process.   Jim Clayton:See, everybody goes through a process and the ones that are successful,   Jim Clayton:here's the difference in what they did that nobody else did.  

Jim Clayton:They paid the price. There's always a price you have to pay.   Jim Clayton:And if you don't invest in yourself, you can't expect others to.   Jim Clayton:And you got to be motivated. Now, motivation is a hard pill because it's not a natural thing.   Randy Black:Right.   Jim Clayton:Now, I get up every day, man. I always say your day's determined before your feet hit the floor.   Jim Clayton:So when I swivel those feet and I come out of that bed, it's on.   Jim Clayton:It's on. And some of you out there that are listening to this,   Jim Clayton:you walk downstairs. Your mom says, well, how's it going today? I'm tired.  

Jim Clayton:And you go, I'm tired. Oh, well, it'll be okay. You go to school.   Jim Clayton:Hey, what's up? I'm tired.   Jim Clayton:You know, I'm tired. And by the end of the day, what kind of day did you have?   Jim Clayton:No, I do. A tired-ass day. That's what you had.   Jim Clayton:Hate to say it, but see, you believe that crap.   Jim Clayton:Okay? So when you go, how you doing, man? If I was worried about me, hey, it's happening.   Jim Clayton:I'm having the best day ever. You know? Ordinary man be dead.   Jim Clayton:You know what I mean? So see, hey, if I was worried about me,   Jim Clayton:you know, I'm not worried about me because I've got it going on.  

Jim Clayton:You know, and that's how I look at it. So I believe, I achieve, and I motivate.   Jim Clayton:Now, the sun part, that came a little bit later.   Jim Clayton:And I got that off of it. I was watching one day. I was watching the Legends   Jim Clayton:of the Bluegrass basketball.   Jim Clayton:And I was just sitting there, and I was about half paying attention.   Jim Clayton:There was a guy, Billy Mike Runyon.   Jim Clayton:He was a legendary coach at Paintsville High School.   Jim Clayton:And there was a section in that video. He's got these boys in the locker room.   Jim Clayton:And he's going, dag, son, you can't guard that boy's son. He's wearing you out,   Jim Clayton:son. What are you going to do about that, son?  

Jim Clayton:And then I just said, bam, son. And that's how that took.   Jim Clayton:And that's how I just put it together. Then it just kind of goes,   Jim Clayton:bam, son. Just there it is.   Randy Black:Yeah.   Jim Clayton:And if it wasn't for that, so I met with him later. I said, I got a saying,   Jim Clayton:which is kind of like my brand. I go, bam, son.   Jim Clayton:And I said, I got this son from you. He goes, for me, I said,   Jim Clayton:you remember that episode in the locker room? He goes, oh, yeah.   Jim Clayton:So then this is how you learn. I was at a camp here one time called my college   Jim Clayton:prep camp, and I had a guy in there that was a heck of a player, Johnson Central.  

Jim Clayton:His name was Cole Crace.   Jim Clayton:What a player. He says, Coach, we're sitting out there at half court.   Jim Clayton:He goes, I don't mean to be critical, but he goes, I'm going to tell you something.   Jim Clayton:If you do this, you're going to make lots of money. I said, well, okay, Mr.   Jim Clayton:Big Shot. I said, show me what you got. He says, I ain't saying your face ain't, whatever.   Jim Clayton:He goes, but if you take your mustache and put it on a shirt and put,   Jim Clayton:bam, son, you're going to sell a bunch.   Jim Clayton:I said, really? He said, really? And everybody in the camp goes, that's right.  

Jim Clayton:So the lady across the street from me was an architect. So I said,   Jim Clayton:let me, this is what I got a little bit.   Jim Clayton:Now, she wasn't a graphic artist. She was an architect. So she kind of drew   Jim Clayton:it out a little bit. I said, yeah, that's kind of cool, but that ain't what I want.   Jim Clayton:So I got a hold of my buddy I had in school, graphic artist,   Jim Clayton:one of the best in the country.   Jim Clayton:And I gave him the idea, and guess what? He came back.   Jim Clayton:There it was. So I said, all right, I'm going to print some shirts,   Jim Clayton:and I'll be dead if old Cole wasn't right.  

Jim Clayton:Those things went like hotcakes. Now, they've been on the stove for a while.   Jim Clayton:I broke them out for a while. but if I break them out they're going again I   Jim Clayton:break them out after this podcast guess what   Jim Clayton:And on the back, it tells you what it is. Believe in yourself,   Jim Clayton:achieve the right mindset, and stay motivated through the process.   Jim Clayton:Nice. And that's the formula to bam, son.   Jim Clayton:And if you do that every day, you're going to have a great day. I'll do it every day.   Randy Black:We may need to take this logo and make some stickers or something.  

Jim Clayton:Oh, I got it. Oh, I'll send it to you. You can put it out. Oh,   Jim Clayton:I got it. Man, I got it everywhere.   Jim Clayton:But you'd love. And I haven't seen it in a while, and these kids have it.   Jim Clayton:I got in every different color in the rainbow.   Jim Clayton:And, but that's how the word came, came about.   Jim Clayton:And it's probably never, ever going to go away. And I'll send you one time.   Jim Clayton:You're going to die on this one. Had this little girl from Logan. I forget.   Jim Clayton:And she is in here and she is a, she was a fire, she's a firecracker.   Jim Clayton:She had on her little Logan shirt. She had on a sweatband.  

Jim Clayton:And so what I said to her, so I said to her, I said, what do you got to say about that?   Jim Clayton:And she goes, Bam, son Woo   Jim Clayton:So, I've got this video You have to see it Once I see it Oh,   Jim Clayton:you'll go wild So now, when I go at my house And I go, my little granddaughters   Jim Clayton:One's four, one's six I go,   Jim Clayton:the one that's four I go, bam, son She goes, woo   Jim Clayton:And what's everybody do?   Jim Clayton:They smile They laugh They take the edge off Oh, yeah And really, that's the key.   Jim Clayton:I mean, don't take life so seriously.  

Jim Clayton:You know, it's the little things.   Jim Clayton:It's those little victories that we get every day. Not the big victories.   Jim Clayton:We'll see those down the road. Yeah. But all those little success stories,   Jim Clayton:I call them little victories.   Randy Black:Mm-hmm.   Jim Clayton:And all those little victories, you know what they do? They add up.   Jim Clayton:Oh, yes. And if you don't pay attention to the little things,   Jim Clayton:Don't worry about the big ones. This ain't going to happen. Everybody wants the big one.   Randy Black:Oh, yeah.  

Jim Clayton:They don't want to take the steps. And in my world, there's no elevator to the penthouse.   Jim Clayton:There's just step. Oh, yeah. And we got to take the steps.   Jim Clayton:And when you step from one step to the next one, you're leaving people where they are.   Jim Clayton:And you're stepping on people that are happy where they are.   Jim Clayton:So you're leaving something behind to get to the next step. And every time you   Jim Clayton:step, you're leaving somebody to go to the next one.   Jim Clayton:And all the room is where? It's at the top.   Randy Black:Yeah.  

Jim Clayton:What's the most overcrowded place in America? The bottom.   Jim Clayton:Doesn't take much effort to be on the bottom. And everybody gets that when you tell them.   Randy Black:Mm-hmm.   Jim Clayton:But they think that. I say it comes back to your mindset. Mm-hmm.   Jim Clayton:Your mindset, is it open or is it closed?   Jim Clayton:And if it's open, man, sky's the limit for you. And that's kind of how it all came about.   Randy Black:Awesome. So we're going to close this one up. Before we do, though,   Randy Black:I want to give a shout out real quick.   Randy Black:As you listen to the open on this show, there was some music playing there in the background.  

Randy Black:Kind of sounded a little bit, you know, like Jackson Brown there.   Randy Black:Had a nice beat to it. Nice rhythm to it, man. Good pump.   Randy Black:And just want to give a shout out to my brother. I have a twin brother for people   Randy Black:who don't know me. and he works in education. He works in technology and education as well.   Randy Black:He's a math teacher for several years, but he's also a musician.   Randy Black:And then I said, hey, I got an idea. I need some help.   Randy Black:Jim and I are wanting to do this podcast and we need some music.   Randy Black:And he's like, okay, tell me what you're looking for. And I laid it out to him and he's like,   Randy Black:I don't know why, but for some reason I said, how about, uh,   Randy Black:something that's kind of Southern rock?  

Randy Black:And his reply back was, are we talking like Leonard Skinner or are we talking   Randy Black:like the Allman brothers?   Randy Black:And I went, uh, Southern rock was not what I meant. I said, I'm thinking more   Randy Black:like that Southern California country rock sound. He's like, okay.   Randy Black:I said, you know, the Eagles, early Eagles before, before Don Felder came in. He's like, okay.   Randy Black:I said, maybe, maybe Jackson Brown. And it's like that light bulb went off and he went, got it.   Randy Black:And a couple of days, you know, a couple of days later, he sent me just a basic   Randy Black:MIDI file. He's like, what do you think of this?  

Randy Black:And I was like, okay, that's good. And I sent it to Jim and Jim's like,   Randy Black:yeah, this is going to be good.   Jim Clayton:Off to charge. It was off to charge.   Randy Black:He worked on it, put that together. And we want to, you know,   Randy Black:give a big shout out and thank him for that. Rick, you did a great job and we appreciate that.   Jim Clayton:Love it. Love it.   Randy Black:Appreciate it. And we, you know, it sets the tone on the show.   Randy Black:It builds us in and it's going to catch you here on the way out here in a second   Randy Black:when we close out the show. But come back each week.  

Randy Black:We're going to be here. We're going to be spreading this message,   Randy Black:building up these life lessons and sharing them with you here on Shooting It Straight.   Randy Black:If you've enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe, share it with someone   Randy Black:who needs a boost, and follow us online at shootingitstraightpodcast.com.   Randy Black:That's where you'll find every episode, updates, and more.   Jim Clayton:In life, just like in a game, it's not about being perfect. It's about showing   Jim Clayton:up, putting it to work, and taking your shot when it can.  

Jim Clayton:And remember, keep shooting it straight. Bam, son!