Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to Unscripted Small Business Podcast. I am Zanetta Tunique Empower, and I'm very much looking forward to speaking with my guest today. Miles Johnson. What's going on? How are you today?
[00:00:15] Speaker B: I'm good. How are you?
[00:00:17] Speaker A: I'm good. Thank you for matching my energy. I just wanted to, you know, kick it up a notch for this wonderful. Yeah. You good? Yes.
And I'm always excited to talk to another Spartan. Is that right? Are you a Michigan State grad like I am?
[00:00:34] Speaker B: So, no. I'm from Lansing, actually, but I'm not a Spartan.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: Okay. Well, I love the Lansing locals, you know, and they make East Lansing. They make the world go round. So we appreciate Lansing natives. My daughter was born at Spring, our hospital, so. Okay, very much. You know, I'm very much a fan of Lansing and its connection to East Lansing. And that relationship is so important because it is a part of a larger ecosystem. So what role do you play in the Lansing ecosystem? What are you working on? Who is Miles? Tell us a little bit more about yourself.
[00:01:15] Speaker B: Yeah, great question.
So like you said, my name is Miles. What role do I play in the ecosystem? I'm actually an elected official here in Ingham county. So, I mean, you went to Michigan State, so, you know, Ingham county is like obviously the county that overrules or, you know, overseas, all the cities and smaller cities. So, you know, the difference between East Lansing and Lansing. So either way, I represent South Lansing, and so I sit on the board of 15 other individuals. I'm actually in my second term right now, and I also am an educator.
[00:01:53] Speaker A: Awesome. Awesome. So you are representing South Lansing. What are some things that are emerging in South Lansing that you are really excited about?
[00:02:03] Speaker B: Man, that's. That's another great question. We actually have a project down the street. It's going to be so apart, I wouldn't say apartments, condos. They're gonna put some condos there, have a new bank, because we don't have a whole. We don't have a single financial institution in my whole district. So they're gonna put a bank on the corner. They have condos going over there. They have a health system. So possibly McLaren might be going right there on that corner. I know you said your daughter was born at Sparrow, but McLaren is going to be right there and then working on some other things, you know, still in the works. But I'm super excited about that. It's about like a 2, 3 million dollar project going right here in South Lansing.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: Awesome. I believe there's a credit Union in South Lansing that I used to work at dfcu.
I'm, like, aging myself.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Is that still around dfcu? Yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it depends on what you refer to as South Lansing.
[00:03:04] Speaker A: So what's in South Lansing? What are the landmarks?
[00:03:08] Speaker B: So you got Logan Square, you got the Compton Kroger, as they love to call it.
We have Cedar is Southlands and Southeast. Really, But I'm more so Southwest.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: So, yeah, Waverly Apartments.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: Okay. I do know Waverly Apartments. Not gonna go into detail, but I am familiar.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Oh, okay. All right.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: As a Michigan State student, we knew that we could go to Waverly. The rent is at the time was going to be 500 and.
[00:03:46] Speaker B: Yep, there's that. Yeah, man.
Yeah. Apartment's crazy.
[00:03:52] Speaker A: Where is. There was a farmer's market on the south side. Is that right? Is it still around?
[00:03:57] Speaker B: Yeah, actually, yes. They. They grew it and they do it in the parking lot on the corner of Jolly and mlk.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:04:05] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:04:06] Speaker A: So awesome. So speaking of the farmer's market and something that as a Flint native, I've worked hard to be able to bring awareness to our food deserts, is South Lansing also facing something similar? What does that landscape look like in the south South Lansing area? And are you, as a elected official, working in this space? And. And. Or what are the areas of advocacy that you hold as your priority in your role right now?
[00:04:43] Speaker B: Yes, we. We are in a food desert currently. In my district.
There are things that certain organizations are doing that I support. That is not one of my pillars. I, you know, I tried not to be one of those people or politicians who just say they do whatever under the sun.
Now I have dabbled into it. Currently working with a lady, the lady that actually does the farmers markets. She had a project that she was doing with the county for the past two years, unfort. Well past three years. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get funding, and so I'm working with her to try to figure some things out because she has this wonderful, wonderful garden over there at Harry Hill, which is a school in South Lansing. And like, I literally watched the garden grow from, like, it was like, I hate to say this big, but it was small. And now it's like stretching from the school all the way almost to, like, the street. So to see that transformation has been powerful, to say the least. So wonderful. Yeah, that's how I support.
[00:05:49] Speaker A: So you mentioned that, you know, food insecurity is an area of interest, but not quite one of your pillars. Tell me more about the pillars that you do advocate for and are your priorities right now?
[00:06:02] Speaker B: Yeah, my number one priority is youth empowerment or youth development.
I work with a lot of youth and try to get their interest, their feedback. What do they want to do? What do they want to see from the county, not only from the city. A lot of people get confused, especially people that don't know anything about politics. Like, aren't you the city commissioner? Like, no, I'm the county commissioner. But at least you know something. You know, I'm fine with that. So when it comes to the youth, though, a lot of them don't have opportunities to advocate. And so I go into certain schools, I see them at the park, I see them at the Boys and Girls Club, and I just asked some questions, like, if you were in a situation where you had a $300 million budget, what would you do with it?
If you wanted to change the parks, or if you wanted to throw an event in Lansing, or if you wanted to change downtown, what would you want to see? And so I use that information to advocate for what they say in certain circles.
[00:07:07] Speaker A: That's wonderful that one to one listening is very important for community leaders like yourself to always have an open door and an open ear to the actual needs of your constituency. So I really respect that you have those conversations so that the youth especially can know that they're being heard.
So I used to volunteer at Southside Community Center. Not sure if that's still exist.
[00:07:33] Speaker B: Oh, shoot. Yeah, that's in the heart of my district.
[00:07:35] Speaker A: Yeah, I know what's going on.
[00:07:38] Speaker B: You do? You do? Okay.
[00:07:40] Speaker A: When you speak of youth advocacy, I spent a lot of time there with the girls and we would just have some real talk conversations with the girls because coming of age and adolescence can be quite the time and support is needed. So that space was a place where I always felt that I could be at home and share that same listening ear to the teens there. So youth advocacy is also something that I care a lot about. What else are your priorities right now and what are some things that you've accomplished that you're really excited about?
[00:08:13] Speaker B: So to answer your first question, another thing that I really, really care about is economic development.
I want to see my people eat. Point blank, period. In South Lanson, we haven't had a lot of financial investment.
Like I said, we got a two point. I mean, not a two point, but a two to $3 million project going on the corner and they're a little short. So on my end as accounting commissioner, I feel partly responsible to kind of edge that on and try to help them find the funding to make sure that we get some positive investment in South Lansing. That's a part of the economic development. Something simple, though, what I'm excited about. I've been marinating on this for a while. I'm glad you brought this question up. And it may not seem exciting or super in your face. Right. But, you know, a lot of politicians and legislators, they.
They create policies and they do these things to make sure that certain people can get funding. And that's cool, right? Like, I could do that, but I have a platform. I have a voice. A lot of people follow me on Facebook, Instagram. So in the month of May, supposed to do it this month, I'm going to do a food tour and I'm going to highlight some of my favorite restaurants, not only in South Lansing, but Ingham County. Why put it on a bigger platform and to kind of drive that economic development. Shoot. They might get a customer or two, but, you know, they can't never say, I ain't never support them. Like, you may not receive a grant from Ingham county, but you know that the county commissioner has supported you with their platform. So that's what I'm excited for. And I love food, so I feel like it just makes sense.
[00:10:04] Speaker A: That's wonderful. And it, it allows for other people to know about the businesses in the area.
Especially when I'm, you know, speaking from an experience or perspective from coming from East Lansing. The only thing over there I'm familiar with is probably crack chicken, but there are some.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: You feel me? See, I'm sorry. I mean, people, people, they just don't know. And I just. You. You hit, you hit a string right there. When you said crack chicken. I just, it's like, bro, we got more than crack chicken.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: I know. It's, it's, it's. It's definitely more than crack chicken. So I appreciate this food tour coming up. So you can really put us on as to where else we can spend our dollars and our time in that. In that part of the community.
[00:10:52] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:10:54] Speaker A: Awesome. So economic empowerment or economic development for small business owners in the area, as well as youth empowerment or youth engagement are super important areas for legislation and policy.
What are some other ways in which other people who are also passionate about these areas can get involved?
[00:11:17] Speaker B: I mean, it really depends on where you live at. So if you're watching this and you're in Florida, I don't know where you said you in Atlanta. So if you're watching this and you're in Georgia, I Would like, it's like, it's almost like a cheat code. And I hate when I, I say this and I feel like people don't be listening to me, but I'm gonna say it anyway.
I would go to your county website because every state has a, have counties. I would go to the county website except no, let me not, let me not say that. You know, somebody might pull my card on that. But I'm pretty sure every state has counties. Either way, go to the county website, go to the committees. Okay. And let's just say you like dogs. Every, every county, to some form or fashion, should have an animal control. And they have a board, a liaison board, and you could go to those. They're all public meetings. So you can go to these public meetings and hear behind the scenes information about what they're doing at the county level in regards to that certain area. If you love housing, if you love homeless, you know, the list goes on. The sheriff department, all these people have meetings. Juvenile justice, you talked about the young, young girls needing somebody to talk to, right? I don't know. You know, hey, some kids just be bad and they, they need that next level. And so like, you like, man, like, what's going on? All these kids shooting kids. There's a public meeting that you can go to literally here in Ingham County. It's the juvenile. No, excuse me, it's the Ingham Academy public meeting. Basically, they have a set time. We only meet four times a year.
It's light work. You can sign up to be on the board or not and just attend the meeting. It's public. So I mean that's, I feel like that's the biggest overlooked opportunity for everyday people to get involved in those areas.
[00:13:21] Speaker A: Nice. So transforming your interest into advocacy is what it sounds like you just described to us. And it's something that is extremely important, especially as we are now realizing the impact of politics all around us, not just at the federal level, but local politics very much matter. And so knowing where to go to get involved is really, really important.
And so you mentioned an upcoming food tour. Are there will, are there or will there be any volunteer opportunities there?
[00:13:52] Speaker B: Oh, as far as the food tour, that's a good question. I haven't got that far. I was just going to do it by myself, pop up my little iPhone and just hit record.
But if anyone would love to help, I'm all ears, all open shoot. Because people be wanting to have meetings all the time anyway. I just be like, we might as well just hit record, make some content out of this.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: That's beautiful. One thing, it seems like you're very active on social media, and you are also very active and present in your constituent area. What would you say to other black or aspiring black political leaders who may be thinking about going into a public office?
[00:14:40] Speaker B: So, first off, I want to say that I don't truly believe that there are other people that aspire to be a politician. I think there are people who aspire to make a difference in a position of power. There's a difference because some people do aspire to be a politician. But, like, the best people that I've seen that are in politics never wanted to be in politics. Like, they, like, no, I'm cool. Like, I don't want to do that now. They just wanted to make a difference, and they ended up in politics.
And so I would say to those people who are aspiring or, you know, whatever, you know, if you feel like there's more that you want to do in your community and you may not see politics as your route, I would first start off at city council or township board and just, like, casually learn about how politics go, how meetings are ran, because a lot of people, like, let's say a college kid, he majors in political science, he gung ho on going to feds, or he gun ho about going to the state level. And it's like, I feel you, but, like, slow down, because if you understand local politics way more and better, it's easier to transfer to higher levels because it's pretty much all the same.
So that's my suggestion to other black folks is just start. Start small.
[00:16:04] Speaker A: That's great advice. I feel as if being a politician is more of a calling.
I get the call, but my phone is on D and D because it's a lot involved. It's a lot involved. I really respect those who do answer the call and really take honor and pride in being a representative for others because that, you know, representation is very important, especially when it comes to the days and times that we're in right now and different perspectives, having a seat at the table.
[00:16:40] Speaker B: Absolutely. Representation is very important.
[00:16:44] Speaker A: Representation is really important. And I believe that the presence that you have in the community, especially in youth engagement, will most certainly give a wider perspective to the youth, to what's possible, and that change is something that they can see with their own hands and eyes, with their efforts. So as we wrap up this conversation, what are some.
What are some words of advice and wisdom you want to leave behind to others who are just getting to know you and your work?
[00:17:15] Speaker B: Oh, man. I would say start.
That's my biggest word of advice.
If you see me and you like, man, I wonder how he do it. Or you see my social media, like, dang, what's going on? It's just like, I just started with a lot of stuff, and it ended up going out very well for me. You may see me and be confused. Right. But that's just the grace that's been set upon my life. So I just encourage you to act upon the grace that's on your own life.
[00:17:46] Speaker A: Whoever that is watching this video, that is wonderful advice. And also the food tour, I want to talk about that because I haven't had lunch yet, and I'm still just thinking, you know, what are some businesses that? Or how many businesses are you thinking about covering? And if you want to leave your social media tag, drop that so our audience can follow you when you embark on this journey.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: Absolutely. Yep. You can follow me at 517miles on Instagram. Real simple. 517-517-517 myles.
Also, as far as this food tour, I'm gonna do 10 stops and just, like, keep it simple. Okay, 10 stops? Yeah. A matter of fact, I might go live each time and then record it on the back end so they could get my live review. You know what I'm saying? Nothing chopped up.
[00:18:43] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:18:44] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:45] Speaker A: All right. I like that. I love this so much, and I am, you know, proud of you from afar. You are most certainly a shining example of what it means to answer the call, be present, and to start. So many, many, many thanks to you and much support and love for you continuing on this journey, Miles.
[00:19:07] Speaker B: Thank you. I might use that tag, answer the call.
[00:19:12] Speaker A: Okay, well, I will be sending an invoice.
Use it. We got to get money together. You said economic empowerment.
[00:19:20] Speaker B: You're right. You're right, you're right. You right, you're right, you're right.
[00:19:24] Speaker A: Let's get it together. All right, well, this has been a wonderful episode with you. I am Zanetta Tunique, Empowered. This is unscripted. Thank you so much, Miles, and best of luck to you in the remainder of your campaign.
[00:19:40] Speaker B: All right, thank you.
[00:19:42] Speaker A: You're welcome.
[00:19:43] Speaker B: All right, bye.
