Everybody Works

By Tyson Brazille

Everybody Works "A Proven Model and Handbook for Green Job Creation", a collection of insight and stories offering unique and shared perspectives within the creation of green jobs. The guide features a walk through a proven model attempting to address the issues of underserved workers and businesses within the urban and suburban community. Global warming & outdated technology is changing the game!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tyson Brazille
• Release date: Aug 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476047058

Tyson Brazille

Is a student of life. Enjoys utilizing the service that smashwords offer and is impressed with the user friendly content. With a bachelors in Industrial Design, Tyson is working hard at solving problems he and others around him face. Tyson is an advocate of teamwork and knows that a combined effort will help offset the struggles many in our communities, country, and globally face.

Book preview

EVERYBODY WORKS

A PROVEN MODEL AND HANDBOOK FOR GREEN JOB CREATION

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ANDRE' J. WALKER I

TYSON BRAZILLE I WILL BROWN

Edited by J. MARIAH BROWN

Everybody Works

Andre’ J. Walker

Will Brown

Tyson Brazille

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Tyson Brazille

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

FOREWORD

EVERYBODY WORKS

It became very clear to everyone that heard about this radical approach to hiring unemployable African Americans and church boys that EVERYBODY WORKS was more than a hiring practice. I had just started my business HANDY ANDY PAINTING in 1989 and I had $200, zero ideas about estimating or labor burden, but I did find 11 boys, ages 13-16 years old that were in need of summer work. It was the only outlet for survival and growth for everyone involved. Most of our first projects were located in West Oakland. One kid, Will Brown, Jr., had a subcompact vehicle that we used to pick up lunch and drop off kids and day laborers.

The word around Bethel Baptist Church (East Oakland) amongst the youth was the Sunday school teacher was hiring and you could work all day or even an hour! I also found a few unemployed construction workers through Bethel Baptist that offered to help mentor the kids while teaching them basic construction skills. That summer we painted 39 homes using youth and unemployed workers; some of the homes we did pro-bono. I understood I was building my business and brand while transforming one of the most troubled cities in America. We had no choice but to employ alternative transportation choices, recycle, prime and mix odd colors of old paint together. The local paint store sold color matching mistakes and sometimes they gave us paint to cover graffiti. Those deeds were the foundation for our program EVERYBODY WORKS; they have also become the foundation of the green movement and industry.

I thought about asking some of my famous friends in the entertainment and sports industries to provide this foreword, as I came to the conclusion that they might help generate some interest or even book sales. However, that might take away from the real heroes who transformed my life and the communities involved. I look back and understand the courage of these kids and unemployed construction workers, and also understand I will never receive the rewards or credit for proving the original model of workforce training or the need for USGBC-LEED, green building codes and retrofit compliance. The continued love and support for American youth seeking a hand should not be taken lightly. I can honestly say talented workers come in many shapes, sizes and packages and many come without degrees, diplomas, GEDs or certifications. After reading our thoughts, solutions and insight, the way you view your fellow American will be changed forever. This book should be used as a handbook or model for green job creation while transforming communities. Hopefully you will enjoy our journey from 1989.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book is a collaboration of different experiences, talents, gifts, styles and brands. It transcends three time dimensions: a rear-view look at our work in the past, a snap-shot of the present and a peak into our future.

We first thank GOD for this project and the opportunity to tell our story.

Of all the people who worked on this project, we would like to thank Andre’ J. Walker, CEO, Flossy Commercial Development, LLC, for his visionary leadership, creativity, writing and editing; Will Brown, executive vice president, Flossy Commercial Development, LLC, for his wise counsel, inspiration, writing, editing and organization; J. Mariah Brown, public relations practitioner, for her creative ideas, writing, editing and valuable experience and Tyson Brazille, junior industrial designer/concept artist/principal for his graphic designs, creativity, writing, editing and vision.

On a personal note, Will Brown gives special thanks to his mom, for her unconditional love; his dad (deceased), who is reading this right now and his son, Christian, who is his inspiration.

Andre’ J. Walker gives special thanks to the City of Oakland, California; Bethel Baptist Church; Urban Land Institute; the U.S. Green Building Council; Project Miller Sustainable Project #3 Crew; the late John Foster; Wing Yee; Diann Johnson; Ketra Rice; Sheila and Shaina Walker; Uncle Sweetman; Kimberly English; Kim Wilson; ten500; Kenn Pettis; Greg Bridges; Dwayne Wiggins; Lee Neal; Joy Lena Elliot; NAI Capital; Bob Morris; the City of Atlanta, Georgia; and his family for listening to his weird stories and frustrating times when no one took his ideas or vision seriously.

Tyson Brazille: "I would like to give special thanks to my ‘moms yo’ for her prayers and pivotal support of my dreams and ambitions; my family for being a loving and caring unit; Mrs. West and Mrs. Beasely, my art teachers at Huntsville High School; Mr. Scheppe, fourth grade teacher who helped to equip me with confidence and