Big Words start conversations and open doors to new places.
Author: anwaryusef
Anwar Y. Dunbar is a Regulatory Scientist. Being a naturally curious person, he is also a student of all things. He earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor’s Degree in General Biology from Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU). Prior to starting the Big Words Blog Site, Anwar published and contributed to numerous research articles in competitive scientific journals reporting on his research from graduate school and postdoctoral years. After falling in love with writing, he contributed to the now defunct Examiner.com, and the Edvocate where he regularly wrote about: Education-related stories/topics, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Financial Literacy; as well as conducted interviews with notable individuals such as actor and author Hill Harper. Having many influences, one of his most notable heroes is author, intellectual and speaker, Malcolm Gladwell, author of books including Outliers and David and Goliath.
Anwar has his hands in many, many activities. In addition to writing, Anwar actively mentors youth, works to spread awareness of STEM careers, serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the David M. Brown Arlington Planetarium, serves as Treasurer for the JCSU Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, and is active in the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Ministry at the Alfred Street Baptist Church. He also tutors in the subjects of biology, chemistry and physics.
Along with his multi-talented older brother Amahl Dunbar (designer of the Big Words logos, inventor and a plethora of other things), Anwar is a “Fanboy” and really enjoys Science-Fiction and Superhero movies including but not restricted to Captain America Civil War, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Prometheus. He is a proud native of Buffalo, NY.
Three of the key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Career Discussions. A key aspect of any business or organization is properly bringing on new talent and employees. The smoother this process is for both parties, the happier each will be. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Simplify Your Hiring Process.
When it comes to hiring people to work for you, the process can be quite simple, but often business owners don’t really know where to start with the whole thing and can quickly find themselves a bit overwhelmed with everything since there are definitely some planning and steps involved – this can be especially true if they’ve never hired anyone before.
So, if you’re looking to start hiring either your first or next team members, then in this post we’re going to share with you some ways to really simplify your hiring process to make things easier and also help you find the best candidates for your business so that you can grow and scale accordingly.
Know what you’re looking for:
The very first step is to know what you’re actually looking for, so for example, you should get clear on the areas of your business that are a high priority to focus on growing right now. Whether that’s building a marketing team, hiring someone to manage the financial side of things, or whether it’s bringing on people to create a customer service support team for your clients. It really doesn’t matter which area you focus on first because it will always be about what works best for your business, but it’s definitely important that you’re able to identify what these areas are before you start hiring people.
Creating onboarding systems:
Like everything in your business, you should be looking to have as many systems and processes in place to make sure that things are organized and automated, so for example, you should create an onboarding system for people you’re hiring that will include various steps such as creating a video library where they can access all the important information and tutorials on how you do things, automatic contracts that get sent out upon hiring. You can use a hiring software to set up this system or you can create your own through something like Google Docs or Trello – whatever works best for you.
Have an interview process:
Having a clear and effective interview process is also essential in your business because this allows you to know what steps are going to be included so that you can manage things easier. So, for example, maybe your interview process will include something like a telephone or video conference and then a face to face interview or even some other steps to make sure you can have better chances of finding the right people for your business.
Do trial runs:
When it comes to hiring people in your business, one of the very best things you can do to make the process effective and efficient is to do trial runs and make sure you’re hiring people who are truly a good fit. Interviewing people is fine, but the best way to see if someone is a good fit is by actually working with them and a trial run allows you to do that without committing long term, and it’s also good for them since it allows them to see if you’re someone they’d like to work with long term. A trial run of a week or two should be more than sufficient to see if someone really fits well within your company.
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The construction business is a world all in its own. There are distinct keys to succeeding and distinct keys to failing. The following contributed post is entitled, What Works In The World Of Construction.
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If you are thinking of starting your own construction business, there are a lot of things you will want to consider in order to make the most of it that you possibly can. In many respects, a construction business is like any other kind of business, and knowing that will enable you to focus on some of the major elements in the right way. However, there are also a number of things which are unique to construction itself, and which you will need to think about in order to ensure that you can make construction work as well as possible. In this article, we will look at some of the things that really work in the world of construction which you will want to consider for your own business in order to see that it is as successful as possible.
Something that can be said for running a construction business is that you need to know how to focus on the smaller elements as much as the larger, and in many respects these small things are the kind that you are going to need to look into most of all. One perfect example of the kind of smaller thing that really matters is the tools and equipment that your people are using. You need to make sure that everything, from the aerospace cutting tools to the plant you use, is as close to perfect for the job at hand as you can possibly get. As long as your employees have the right tools, everything will be considerably easier, and you will find that this has a strong knock-on effect for your business as a whole.
Connections
You can easily say that having the right connections is something that works well for any kind of business, and it is especially true when it comes to construction. One of your major difficulties is always going to be finding contracts, and that is just something that is so much easier if you are able to speak to as many people as possible within the world of construction itself. Hopefully, you have been a part of that world yourself for a long time, so you will already have some connections you can get started with, but you should aim to never stop networking either. As long as you can keep your connections going strong, you will find that it is much more likely you will get all the contracts you need to keep your business afloat.
Without a clear focus on safety, running this kind of business is always going to be difficult to get right. Not only is it a legal concern, but it’s also a moral one – and ultimately, if you cannot keep your people as safe as possible then you will not be able to keep your business going strong either. So make sure that you are aware of all of the possible things you need to consider if you hope for your business to remain safe and legal at all times.
Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. A good deal amount of business takes place online these days and thus it becomes critical to use social media effectively. Doing so could take your business to the next level, and not doing so could cost you. The following contributed post is entitled, Nailing Your Social Media Campaigns.
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Your business is going well, your team (or just you) are fantastic at what you do, you outsource where you need to. Virtual assistants, some social media management – the type that can even tell you about your social media footprint, and the occasional copywriter. But what about if you want to have a go at your own basic social media campaign?
After all, it pays for you to understand what goes into it, and how to do it in the future.
Learning and implementing a social media campaign might seem like a bit of a daunting task but gathering up hints and tips from respectable sites, chat sites, and joining facebooks groups will help you on your way.
For a quick reason as to why you should be making an effort – there are 600 million people on, and they are scrolling for hours a day. Your adverts should be something the right people see.
Here are some quick fire tips for tackling your next social media campaign.
Social, Social, Advert & Social
Or something like that anyway. Social media is about taking part, conversations, communications and interacting. When you are putting together your campaign, skip the boosting altogether. In all of your materials, from graphics to text posts have questions. Ask and be curious. Be authentic in your communications, hold your communities attention and post links to your products – sure – but weave it into more social posts.
Don’t Beg
Running a competition for likes and follows is fine. Posting every day for likes and follows can come across a little bit needy. Growing organically takes time and care. Of course, ask people to share the content that they enjoy with their friends too, why should they want to share and follow? Content focused – always.
Be There
Make it simple and easy for people to be able to find you on all of your social media platforms. On your website have a share button, so that people can do your advertising for you. When you post new content, you should share it across your platforms too. When you start pushing out content with a message about your new product or service, make sure that you follow up with people that respond and any questions that are asked.
Purpose
Through all of your interactions, you should stick to your goal. Have your text, images, and communications all focused on the message. If you have a sale, make sure that everything is focused on that.
Don’t be scared to put some money into your social media marketing. It is almost impossible to be seen now without paying the price. So spend it well. Go through your analytics and see what your most robust set of numbers? Spending there makes sense, or use the tools to build a similar audience profile to advertise to.
Your social analytics can give you a lot of insight into where your campaigns have been successful, on from that your google analytics can help you see where people arrive and the conversions too.
Two key focuses of my blog are Career Discussions and Health/Wellness. For those people who have planned to retire, an important consideration is what you’re going to do once you stop working. This could be the difference between a long and happy retirement or a short one. The following contributed post is entitled, The Ultimate Guide Of What To Do Now You’re Retired.
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Retirement is a chance for many to take control of their lives after years in the workforce. It’s a great time to take on all the things you wanted to do but never had the time or resources to accomplish. Here are some of the many fun and interesting things you can do to make the most out of your retirement.
1. Don’t Blow Your Budget Make the good times last and don’t spend all your pension pot at once. While it may be tempting to splurge on fun and frivolous things, people are living longer than ever before. Create and stick to a firm budget or set your bank accounts to allocate a fixed income each month so you won’t be tempted to splash the cash. If you’re really having a hard time sticking to it and can see your hard-earned savings dwindling, seek out the advice of your bank for easy and convenient retirement savings plans.
Take A Trip No more requesting time-off from the boss or working around school vacation time, you now have all the time in the world. Take trips to places you’ve never been before, weather thats a day-trip to a town a few hundreds miles away or a long-haul flight to some far-flung destination. The world really is your oyster now!
Travel By Motorhome. Like the comforts of home while you’re on the road? A perfect solution is to buy a motorhome. Available new or used, it’s a way for you to have all your creature comforts while exploring the country.
Upgrade Your Home Life can sometimes get ahead of us and retirement is a great time to tackle any home improvements you may have. Houses can accumulate huge amounts of clutter over the years- use this time to organise your space and donate things that you may no longer have use for. Alternatively take on a bigger project like an attic conversion or a conservatory to really add space and value to your home.
Relax
Yes, relax! You’ve earned it. Take joy in doing things that you really truly love. Start an entertainment blog like Judge Diane Ritchie , learn how to cook like a professional chef, or even start recording your daily musings and upload them onto Youtube. The possibilities really are endless.
Move To Pastures New City life can be grinding especially as you reach old age. The constant hustle, bustle, noise and pollution can really leave you craving the peace and quiet of the country. Consider a move out to the country. Houses are a lot less expensive than the city and you will have time to take on rural pursuits such as chicken rearing or growing your own fruits and vegetables.
Start Your Own Business. Now is the perfect time to start a business with that amazing idea you’ve always had. Use your decades of career expertise to curate a business model that works for you or even get in to consulting to advise others with all of your expertise.
Get A Part-Time Gig. Not quite ready to give up the daily grind? Consider getting a part-time job. It’s a great way to create routine, keep an active social life and bring in a little extra income.
Volunteer. Use your time in retirement to give back to those less fortunate. . Churches and charity organisations are always looking for help and would more than likely love your inclusion.
A key focus of my blog is Career Discussions. There quite a few instances where people start one career and then decide that they want to do something else later in life. While it isn’t uncommon there are things to consider when changing your career. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Plan For A Career Change Later In Life.
Unlike in the past when it was expected that people would go to college and study for a career that they would work at until they were able to retire, things are now changing and it’s becoming easier for people to change their careers – even after they’ve been working in them for a while, so if you’re currently feeling like you’d like a change of pace in your career, but don’t know where or how to start, then in this post we’re going to share with you how to plan for a career change later in life.
Decide what you want:
The very first step to making any big change in your life is by deciding what it is you actually want because in order for a goal to become reality, you really have to be aligned with it on an emotional level and not just pick something out of thin air that you think sounds goos, so really deciding what it is you want in terms of your new career is going to be the easiest way to start planning to make it happen.
Be realistic and flexible:
Of course, it’s all very well and good for us to tell you to just follow your dreams, and whilst that is something you should always be looking to do, it’s important to remember to be realistic, practical and flexible. Not the most sexy things to think of when going after what you’re passionate about, we know, but it’s going to make life a lot easier. So, for example, if you’re approaching retirement age, have been working as an engineer designing AdBlue tanks your whole life, but have always wanted to work as a DJ, then perhaps it’s not going to be the most viable career choice at this point in your life, so a better approach would be to maybe take this up as a hobby and take some classes so you can still have that as part of your life and have fun with it.
Look at your skills:
To follow on from the above point of being realistic, knowing where your strengths and weaknesses are in terms of what kind of career you’d like to have is also very important. That’s not to say that just because you don’t have skills in the area you’d like to work, it’s impossible to work there – you might just have to go and get some further qualifications and gain those skills, or instead look to focus in an area where you do have the skillset available already that you could apply or transfer from your exisiting career.
Start researching:
Once you’ve identified what you want to do and if it’s going to be a realistic option for you, then it’s time to start the research part of your plan – researching what you actually want to do and how you’re going to make it happen. Research will include things like looking at the job market, looking at what skills you’d require and what you’ll have to do in order to get them, and it can also include things like looking to see if you’re better to look for jobs in other countries or cities if the market in your home country isn’t the best right now.
Take action:
Of course, a plan is nothing more than a plan if you don’t take action to make it happen, so taking action is definitely crucial to making your goal a reality, and it’s important to know that although research is something that’s important to your plan overall, it’s not something you should be getting too caught up in because many people end up stuck in the research phase and never actually move beyond this, which is obviously not the point.
The idea is to research the essential parts and then take from that what you need in order to get to the next phase and bring the plan to life.
We hope that this post was useful in helping you determine what steps you might need to take if you’re planning a career change later in life, but also so that you can see it’s definitely possible and that you really only need to follow a few steps to stop yourself becoming overwhelmed with the process.
There’s nothing wrong with starting a new career from scratch later in life, and having a simple plan in place is really going to make the process a lot easier and faster for you so hopefully you can get started now and not worry about whether or not you’re ever going to be able to make it happen.
A key focus of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and a key focus is Career Discussions. In any office setting communication is key, especially with use of the technologies we have at our disposal. Good communication comes in several different forms. The following contributed post is entitled, Let’s Talk: Ways To Communicate Better.
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It becomes apparent very quickly when in an office setting that communication is key. If the smallest pieces of information aren’t passed on to the right person, productivity is going to be slowed down and vital data could be missed, causing all sorts of trouble. That’s why when you work in an office environment, that you should be doing your part to ensure that everyone is communicating effectively. Check out these tips on how to improve your communication in the office.
We’ve all been there before, where we’re being spoken to and our mind goes elsewhere thinking about our own tasks or even personal matters at home. However, this isn’t going to help productivity in the office. Learn how to listen properly and if it helps, take down notes or make reminders so that you don’t forget vital information.
Cloud voice
Sometimes communication lacks in other places than the office. Perhaps your team are in and out of the office all of the time, yet you’re struggling to communicate effectively? There are easy and effective solutions like Cloud Voice available that will allow you to move email, VoIP, video conferencing and even fax your colleagues with ease. Visit https://forsythes.technology/communications-collaboration/cloud-voice-unified-communications/ to find out more about how it can help your office communicate better.
Use notes to remind yourself and others
We’re all busy and it’s easy to become tied up in other tasks. However, this can lead to forgetfulness and of course, that’s not good for productivity. Use sticky pads to leave notes for yourself and your colleagues so that if you can’t help them out straight away, at least you’ve set yourself (or them) a reminder for later. This can be especially useful when you have to remember specific details.
Schedule meetings
If you’re in and out of the office, or you’re concentrating on your own tasks, then sometimes scheduling a meeting can be more effective because it allows everyone to voice their thoughts and help improve the way the team works together. Give everyone plenty of time to think of questions and topics to discuss and that way, you’ll bond as a team and communication levels will be at an all time high.
Work on your body language and tone of voice
Finally, your body language and the tone of voice you’re using can have a big impact on how people listen, understand, and also feel about you. If the whole team is struggling to communicate well, then it might be worth looking at ways in which you should address each other in the office to ensure that things remain professional and more importantly, everything gets done on time.
A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. A key resource that all of us need is water. Quality and safe water is not a resource that everyone has access to, and thus conserving it is of the utmost importance. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Ways You Can Save Water.
Many of us don’t take the time to think about saving water and what a difference it can make if everyone was to changes a few things to help. Whether you need to save water because of a heatwave or are interested in saving money it’s definitely something to be mindful of and to try to make a little bit of a difference. Have a look at some of the easy ways that you could be saving water.
Only Use What You Need
Most people don’t over think how much water we are using with different activities such as making a cup of tea or cooking food however making a small change can make the world fo difference. Try only filling your kettle and boiling the amount of water that you are going to actually use rather than filling the kettle all the way to the top and see how much difference it makes. You can also take on this concept when thinking about watering your garden. By switching to watering by hand using a can you are significantly reducing the amount of water you are using compared to using a garden hose.
Cut Down Your Shower Times
Let us be honest, when we shower we don’t really think about how much water we are using we are preoccupied with getting clean. Fun fact though every minute your spend int he shower can equate up to 17 litres of water, now that sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Try setting a timer and cutting down the amount of time spent in the shower or switching to a more efficient showerhead, they should both help to save you water and cut down on your bills.
Store Rainwater
You really are making the most of your natural resources by catching, storing and using your rainwater and why shouldn’t you? Companies such as National Poly Industries supply and install water tanks, these are brilliant way and highly economical way of helping you to save water and money. You can use it to drink, water your garden and many other ways so it’s something you should be looking in to help take you in the right direction with saving water.
Change Your Diet
This might seem like a strange one to see on the list but there are ways that changing your diet can help you to save water on a much larger scale than you probably think. You could consider eating less meat as rearing animals for dairy and meat for meals uses a massive intensity of water. So by cutting down on the amount of meat you eating can reduce your water footprint immensely. When preparing vegetables you should also consider steaming rather than using pans of boiling water. With a steamer, you are using a considerable less amount of water to cook a larger amount of food.
Do You have any other tips for cutting back on water usage and helping to cut costs? Please share them in the comment section below.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re starting a solo business, there are a couple of key things to keep in mind as it can be a huge undertaking. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Want To Run A Solo Business? Don’t Forget These Things.
Every day more and more people are deciding that the best choice for them is to walk away from a life of 9 to 5 employment and take their lives into their own hands by starting their own business. And this is pretty understandable. After all, the desire to take charge of your life and pursue something that you’re really passionate about is a pretty universal one. And the great thing is that thanks to the internet, doing so really has never been easier than before. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all of the challenge has been taken out of starting any kind of business. If you’re looking to start a business on your own, there are plenty of things that can make that difficult With that in mind, here are some essential things you need to remember if you’re looking to start a solo business.
The cost
There is no doubt that running any kind of business is one that will always come with at least some degree of necessary financial investment. From the cost of your equipment to the cost of outsourcing certain parts of your business that you’re not equipped to handle, you need to figure out where that money is coming from. Whether you’re investing in the business yourself or you seek investment places like Kickstarter, you need to figure out how you’re going to cover the costs of keeping your business running before you start to turn a profit.
Available resources
One of the best things about running a business in the modern world is how many resources are at your disposal to help you avoid spending too much. From things like social media that allow you to create a strong online marketing presence without spending a single penny to places online where you can get the equipment you need at a reduced price like 123inkjet Canon Cartridges. Being able to save as much money at the beginning of your business is one of the most important things about keeping yourself afloat in the early days.
Burnout
One of the most important things to be aware of as a business owner is that there is always a risk that you’re going to end up putting too much pressure on yourself and burning out. After all, no one can work every hour of the day without it taking some kind of toll on them. Make sure that you learn when to walk away from your business and take a break. Trying to put all of your energy into it is often tempting but is ultimately pretty destructive.
Of course, one of the most important things to remember is that there is no rule that says you have to do everything on your own. Sure, things like outsourcing can be incredibly valuable, but why not consider going into business with someone else. That can often bring about its own set of challenges but partnering up with someone else can be one of the best ways to create a really great small business.
Two key focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. The art business is a niche all with its own caveats and nuances. If you’re interested in this type of business, it’s important to know how be successful it its unique arena. The following contributed post is entitled, Creating a Successful Business from You Art.
To build a business with your art there are three things you need to do. Of course, the most important is to be able to create work that people want, but you also need to be able to market what you have produced and put the whole thing on a proper business footing.
Create Appealing Work
This is the first thing you have to do as without any appealing work you will not make any sales. You need to make work, whether that is painting, sculptures or some other art form that people will be prepared to pay for and then you will have taken the first step.
Research Your Target Audience
Once you know the type of work you are producing you will need to do some research to find the audience that is most likely to buy it. There is no point in marketing to consumers that will not purchase items of art, as that will just be a waste of your time and effort.
There are also other things you need to be aware of such as how big is the potential market you will be aiming to engage with, and what competition are you up against? Information like this can affect your marketing strategy and the time spent on research will be well spent.
You also need to know the best places to show your pieces of work. Would that be in a public exhibition space, a commercial gallery or a studio of your own that consumers can have access to?
You can make it simple for fans of your work to connect with you by using the various social media platforms. Posting images of your work on the like of Facebook and Instagram can create a lot of interest in your products. Joining local art groups can also help to build a circle of fans that will hopefully become future customers.
Businesses do not just happen; you have to work at them for success. You should start with a business plan to work out how much finance you will need when you expect sales to start to happen and how much work you need to produce each week to make the business viable.
There are other things to consider too, such as how will you move a piece of art to the address of the purchaser. There are specialist art movers that deal with these matters, but you need to have spoken to them and let them know that you may need their services in the near future.
Having Business You Love
It is really good to be able to turn a passion into a business and if you are prepared to work hard and plan every stage there is no reason why this should not work for you. Creating a successful business from your art is a great idea and one that you should start on now and not just leave it as an idea to be forgotten.
This is the conclusion of my two-part interview with Niagara Falls LaSalle High School basketball legend, Carlos Bradberry. In part one, Carlos discussed his background, how he started playing basketball, and how he became one of the legendary point guards in the LaSalle basketball dynasty. In part two we talk about his senior year at LaSalle where he led the Explorers to Glens Falls, his college career, and then life after basketball.
The pictures in this interview come from an archive of Section VI basketball, carefully assembled over the years from issues of the Buffalo News, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, and Section V and VI playoff programs by my first Coach at Hutch-Tech High School, Dr. Ken Jones. Other pictures were generously shared by Carlos himself, and his Head Coach at LaSalle Senior High School, Pat Monti. Click on any of the images to enlarge them. This interview and others were created for the love the game but also to promote my book project entitled, The Engineers: A Western New York Basketball Story.
Anwar Dunbar: After the season-ending loss to Greece-Athena your junior season, what was your mentality going into your senior year? Was it, ‘Glens Falls or bust?’
Carlos Bradberry: Yes, it was Glens Falls or bust. There was no other thought in our minds besides getting to Glens Falls. We weren’t thinking about local teams. Our biggest rival was Niagara Falls Senior High School, and everybody thought it was a huge game. It wasn’t for us at that time. Our whole goal was Glens Falls from day one.
AD: Well, I recall you guys having one shocker against Kenmore West in league play.
CB: It was almost two. They played us really close in the sectionals too. They were a good team. They had Rob Fitchlee, Shawn Bryan and Joe Thomas – they were stacked. I think we played them three times that year, and I’d say that all three games were close and none of them were blow outs. They were really good!
AD: Well you know that was the big story and it was like, ‘LaSalle lost!’ So, it sounds like they were legitimately talented, and you guys didn’t just overlook them.
CB: No. They were loaded. They would’ve gone to Glens Falls almost any other year. They ended our win streak. St. Joe’s had a ‘monster’ win streak of their own with Eric Eberz and Jeff Muszynski. Kenmore West ended theirs as well – both in the same year. That was Dick Harvey’s team.
AD: I was watching the 1993 Class B-1 sectional final between Amherst and Kenmore East once again at Alumni Arena. Towards the end of that game, you guys walked in as a group and sat right in front of me. I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh boy. LaSalle is here!’ Just as that game was ending, you got up in a business-like fashion and went on to defeat Hamburg and the rest is history.
So, your team beat Kenmore West in the Class A semifinal 61-51 and beat Hamburg 61-42 in the Class A final to win Section VI yet again. Did you feel confident matching up with Section V’s McQuaid? That game was at Rochester War Memorial Arena. Aside from losing Shino Ellis and Willie Cole, you basically returned with the same core group with the addition of Tim Winn.
CB: I’d say confident, but for me leery. My last memory of McQuaid was going out there and getting ‘stomped’ a few years earlier. I wondered how good these guys were and I knew that they had a big guy. I think his name was Jay Wandtke or something like that and he was 6’6” or 6’7”. Obviously, he wasn’t on John Wallace’s level, but I was thinking they had a big guy and I wondered how we were going to match up.
AD: So, it did end up being a close game. The Buffalo News reported that Todd hit a last second late shot and –.
CB: Yes. Todd hit a huge shot from the elbow to give us the 46-45 win.
AD: And you guys advanced to the Final Four in Glens Falls where you matched up with Hempstead from Long Island. You lost a close game to them, 70-67. What was it like getting there? Was it, ‘We’re here,’ and you were happy to just do that or –.
CB: No, we wanted to win. It was huge for us to get there, but as soon as we won that McQuaid game, our focus was, ‘Man you know what, let’s go down there and win this thing!’ I’d never heard of Hempstead before, but I’d always heard about how good Mount Vernon was. Our mentality was to go down there and beat Mount Vernon or whomever we were going to play. All of us were beyond happy to get to Glens Falls, but we weren’t settling for that.
AD: Obviously you want to win the whole thing, but the way it ended, were you satisfied with your senior season?
CB: I was satisfied, but I hate to lose so that last game wore on me for a long time. I probably sat there for a week or two and thought of every play I could’ve done differently. I still remember it to this day. We lost by three points and I missed five or six free throws. I said to myself, ‘If I’d made those six free throws, we would have won the game!’
For me it was bitter-sweet because we got there and showed well, but I thought we could have gone one step further. What made it worse was, I think Hempstead either won or had a very close game with Mount Vernon. I thought we could’ve been the state champs if I’d played a little bit better.
CB: I think we just came out and got into a hole. I think we feared their size and played zone against them. We didn’t really think they could shoot it, but they came out and shot it in the first half. We eventually went to our ‘pressure’ defense and they started turning the ball over left and right. Looking at them warmup, how athletic they were, and how quick they looked, that was one team I can say that I was intimidated by. But man, once we started playing and we got through that lull where they jumped on us, I thought from that point we could win. I thought they had some Division I players and some good guards, but I thought as a team we were better.
AD: Before we move on, how did Coach Monti pick his captains? Was it his best two players? Was it his most senior players?
CB: I’m pretty sure it was always upperclassmen. It wasn’t a team vote or anything. In my freshman year I want to say that it was Milo Small and Duke Davis, who were seniors. Sophomore year it probably fell to Modie, Scotty Rose and my brother. It was always your junior and senior guys who’d been through it. In my junior year I was a Co-Captain with Shino.
AD: Who was Co-Captain with you in your senior year?
CB: I believe it was myself, Chris Frank and maybe Curtis Ralands.
AD: When we played you guys in the 1991 Festival of Lights Tournament, I remember you consistently ‘slashing’ to the basket. What was your game like by the time you graduated from LaSalle?
CB: I spent a lot of time over the summer shooting and I came back as a ‘respectable’ three-point shooter. I was hitting a couple of threes every game, so I was mixing it in more than my junior year when I was just getting to the basket. I knew for me I wanted to play at the college level. It was funny because we would go down to the YMCA and we used to have these unbelievable runs on Saturdays with guys who were in their 30s and 40s. I’d go to the basket every play and they would just ‘hammer’ me. They’d say, ‘Listen, you’re not going to be able to get to the basket on everybody! You’re going to have to learn how to shoot!’ Those guys had a point and it made you get in the gym and work on your jump shot.
AD: Do you remember what your best game was?
CB: One of the games that sticks out was against Lockport. It was probably my junior year. We were down 10-12 points in the third or fourth quarter of a sectional game. We were going to lose and that was huge because we hadn’t lost a game up to that point. They had a guy on their team named Calvin Shellman who was really good. I scored 17 of out of 30 points in the fourth quarter to help us come back and beat them. That’s probably the game that sticks out to me in high school, just off the top of my head.
Also, a game against Niagara Falls in my sophomore year sticks out. Modie had an ankle injury and no one thought we could win without him. I was scared out of my mind because Modie was our guy. I played shooting guard that season, but I had to play point guard in that game. It was a low scoring, tight game. I went to the free throw line with zero seconds on the clock and hit two free throws with all the Niagara Falls High School fans lined up under the basket to win the game. It was crazy because they stormed the court and thought they won the game. Then the court had to be cleared and I had to shoot two free throws with no one else on the court.
AD: Based upon the way that the players were brought up and the way Coach Monti ran the team, it sounds like your teams had good ‘chemistry’ together, and that you guys were a pretty tight group.
CB: The majority of us were always together doing something. It’s funny now because you see some kids and teams that are really disconnected. We were sort of like a family. There were always four guys over my house, or I was always over someone else’s house – nine out of your 11 guys were doing something together.
AD:Tim said that he was over at your place playing video games regularly. It’s strange. I don’t know if it’s organic, but on some teams if no one explains it to you, you don’t realize that chemistry off the court is important as well.
CB: It’s huge! It makes you trust people. It makes you like people more. It makes you want to make something happen for that next guy and they become more than just some guy you’re playing basketball with for two hours a day. They’re almost like you brother or your cousin. Me, Jody, Shino and Fat Jack were all inseparable – we were always together. I wanted to see them do as well as, or better, than me or anybody else.
AD: You said it was yourself, Jody, Shino and who else?
CB: It was me, Jody, and Fat Jack – Tim. (“Fat Jack” as we called him).
AD: Why did you guys call him Fat Jack?
CB: Oh, that’s his name. Everybody knows him as Fat Jack. If somebody calls him Tim, it’s rare. If you’re around Niagara Falls or Buffalo, he’s Fat Jack. That’s been his name since he was younger which was funny because he was the skinniest kid growing up. But those were the guys. Obviously, Shino is a year older than me, so he graduated a year earlier; and Curtis, obviously. That was our other guy. It was crazy how we were all close.
AD: Was there anyone you looked particularly forward to playing against?
CB: Definitely, Calvin Shellman. He was younger than me by a year and played at Lockport, but he was amazing. I don’t know if you remember Anthony Scott from Grand Island. He went on to play football at the University at Buffalo (UB). He was the biggest trash talker in Western New York, so I looked forward to playing against him. We were friends, but those were two of the guys who I looked forward to playing against.
Eric Eberz, from St. Joe’s, was a guy I looked forward to playing against, but never got to play against him in high school. We used to play on some ‘travel’ teams together, and we always used to talk about who was better between St. Joe’s and LaSalle. However, we never got a chance to play each other. So probably, it was those three guys.
AD: Now the Buffalo News captured how fierce the Niagara Falls High School-LaSalle rivalry was and your team owned it for the most part. I read in one of the clippings that at one point a fight broke out. What was the most surprising thing you saw when you played at LaSalle? Was it the fight? Was is someone getting cut? Was it playing against John Wallace? Was it something else?
CB: The rivalry with Niagara Falls was different than anything. A lot of things stuck out. You had hundreds of people outside the gym who couldn’t get in. You had guys looking through windows to try to watch games. That’s something you didn’t see every day around Western New York. Even though we had good crowds, that game was just different. To us it was crazy because we felt like we were never going to lose to Niagara Falls High School.
We had the confidence. We knew the guys and we played against them every day, so we knew we were the better team; but when you got into that environment it was just nuts. It was people on top of people. People stand on the baseline, and it sort of made a lot of the games ugly. We probably didn’t play some our best ‘LaSalle’ games, because at that point you hear everybody in the town screaming and yelling your name. and everyone was trying to make a name for themselves. That’s what sticks out – those Niagara Falls High School games for sure.
AD: Does that mean that during those games, you guys ‘freelanced’ a little bit more and broke from the structure?
CB: Yeah, and I’m sure that Coach Monti would agree. I don’t think he was happy with some of those games. Some of them were ugly and they were the one game out of the year where we didn’t follow the game plan to a ‘T’. The one we played during my sophomore year – that’s when we had Duke and Milo. Niagara Falls High School complained that we always played in our home gym just because it was so much bigger and could accommodate more fans. And they had a right to complain. Their coach at the time kept complaining and we finally played at Niagara Falls High School which is another one of the more meaningful games that sticks out.
We went there, and this was a team with Willie Cauley, who was unbelievably talented. We walked into their gym – the little ‘box’ that they had, and it was supposed to be a close game. We ended up beating them by 40 points. We just ran our offense to the T – everything we did was perfect and after that, they never asked to play there again. It was crazy.
AD:Coach Monti did say that their teams were bigger and more talented, but you guys still owned the rivalry/series.
CB: They were always bigger and had a few better athletes. Willie Cauley was on their team all our years and he was the best player on the court talent-wise every year. It was amazing.
AD: What kind of student were you when you were at LaSalle? It sounds like Coach Monti kept a tight rein on how his players performed in the classroom.
CB: There were progress reports every week that you had to turn in – even when it wasn’t basketball season.
AD: Really? Wow.
CB: You had to be on top of your grades and it wasn’t just your 65s, getting by and passing classes – it was basically to your ability. If you were a 70s kid, Coach Monti expected you to get 70s. If you were an 80s kid, he expected you to get 80s. I was an ‘80s kid’ in high school. I know Jody was a 90s kid and if he had brought in 80s, Coach Monti probably wouldn’t have been happy – do you know what I mean? There wasn’t one grade that everyone had to get. He knew what kids were capable of and that’s what he expected you to get.
AD: When did the colleges start recruiting you?
CB: I was a ‘late bloomer’ – it was the end of my junior year and really it coincided with the start of AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball. Mickey Walker used to run “Upstate Basketball” which was basically an AAU team. He took me on my first few tournaments going from my junior to my senior year. That’s when I really started to get interest from some schools.
I wasn’t heavily recruited. I had around seven interested schools. Most of them were from going out just that little time in the summer with Mickey. I know Fat Jack (Tim Winn) ended up playing later for him as AAU kept getting bigger and bigger. So basically, it was more the middle of eleventh grade.
AD: Obviously, one of them was Niagara University. I remember going to Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium your freshman year and seeing you play against the University at Buffalo. Were there other Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schools interested in you?
CB: Locally it was Canisius College, where John Beilein coached, that showed me the most interest from day one. St. Bonaventure recruited me, but they didn’t make me an offer, and that’s where I wanted to go locally. I probably wasn’t an Atlantic 10 Conference-level kid, though I didn’t know it at the time.
I was more of a MAAC- level kid, which included both Niagara University and Canisius College. There were some teams from outside the MAAC like Marist and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Canisius and Marist were probably the earliest in terms of recruiting me.
CB: This is a great story as well. I loved Canisius, Coach Beilein and Coach McDonald who is now a local Head Coach at Daemen College, but I was young, and I was waiting for that big school to come, which was never coming. It was getting late, and Canisius had been recruiting me for my whole eleventh and twelfth grade years and I think it was around the time of the Final Four.
I talked to another one of the coaches and he said, ‘Hey, we’ve got another guy on hold for the whole year. You’re our No. 1 guy,’ but they wanted me to give them a commitment and it was halftime of that Final Four game and I kept going back and forth on them. I called Coach McDonald after the Final Four game the next day because I was going to go to Canisius. I told them, ‘Hey, how is everything going?’ He said, ‘We really didn’t think we were going to hear from you, so we signed another point guard.’ At that point they said, ‘Your offer is still here. We want you here,’ but then I called Niagara a minute later and just told them I was coming there.
And the other thing – the sticking point for me, which was just being young and dumb, was that Canisius had a good senior point guard that I knew I was going to have to play behind named Dana “Binky” Johnson. Coach Beilein let you know, ‘You’re going to come in and you’re going to learn as a freshman. You’re going to play under him, but we’re going to groom you to be our next point guard!’ Niagara University had just lost their point guard – a kid named Lloyd Walker and they told me, ‘Hey, you can come here and start right away!’
So that’s where I was torn. As a young kid all you want to hear is that you’re going to go to a college and start right away. So, while my heart sort of knew that Canisius was the right place and I loved Canisius, Niagara came into the picture later. With a coach coming and telling me that I would start my freshman year – I just went with it.
It was funny because guys like Coach Monti – he wouldn’t tell me what to do, but he told me, ‘Hey I think Canisius is a good fit for you.’ My Dad also said Canisius was a great fit and I thought it was a great fit too. It’s just that when you’re a kid turning 18 years old, you just want to play, and you don’t think about all the other stuff involved. I ended up leaving Niagara, but I loved the time that I was there and the guys I played with were great. I don’t regret anything about the way that it worked.
AD: Well, hey man, after talking to Jason Rowe and Tim Winn, it sounds like there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of things to consider when kids are getting recruited. Playing time was one thing you described as important, in addition to how much the schools seem to want you, while also recruiting other players at your position.
CB: Yes, it’s confusing especially for a kid – you sort of want someone to make that decision for you. My Dad told me what he wanted, but he said, ‘Listen, you’ve got to make this decision on your own! I’ll tell you what I think, but you’ve got to make your own decision!’ Sometimes when you’re 17 and 18, you’re not going to make the right decision.
AD: When you went to New Hampshire, you were obviously with another coaching staff. Were there major differences in playing at New Hampshire versus playing at Niagara?
CB: Oh yeah! It was just a whole different approach. I’m not saying one was better than the other, but it was two different systems. One was ‘night’ and one was ‘day’. It’s tough because I had a to sit out a year and when you sit out, you get ‘rusty’ because you don’t really play. You practice, but you don’t play in games for a whole year, and then you come in and you’re in a whole different system. It was a different role than I ever had to play before when I ended up at New Hampshire.
AD: Were you playing the ‘point guard’ position, or did you slide over to ‘shooting guard’?
CB: I played the point guard position at both Niagara and New Hampshire. At Niagara you’re young and dumb. You’re playing in front of your hometown and friends are telling you stuff. At Niagara I had a ‘long leash’ as a freshman and as a sophomore, but maybe I wasn’t doing as well as people thought I was as I wasn’t putting the numbers up. I thought I could and should be doing more so I wound up leaving and going to New Hampshire where the coach was more of a ‘You’re going to be more of a guy to set up our offense and get us into this spot,’’ -type of guy. I learned how to play it in two years and I don’t regret going there either.
CB: No. At Niagara University we were young. We would have been good if everyone had stayed. In my freshman year, we brought in seven freshman which was nuts. Three or four them ended up starting. I think if we could have stayed together until our junior year, we would’ve had a special group at Niagara, but four of the seven ended up leaving. At New Hampshire we just weren’t a very good team. The America East was just a really tough conference and we were a few games under 0.500, so we never got the chance to go to the NCAA Tournament.
CB: Yep. Malik Rose was Drexel’s big man and he was a ‘monster’, but yes, it was tough conference.
AD: Well, you know coincidentally, the first time I ever saw Malik Rose play was the opening round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament when Drexel matched up against John Wallace’s Syracuse team. What did you major in?
CB: Social Work.
AD: Did you have any aspirations of playing professional basketball the way Tim Winn and Jason Rowe did?
CB: No, I had no aspirations to play overseas at all. Nothing interested me about going to another country to play ball.
AD: Is Social Work what you got into once you graduated?
CB: No, I came back and started working in the school system in the Department of Special Education. Unless you get a Master’s Degree, you’re not making too much money in Social Work. My wife is also in the school system and it’s good for our family – to work for the school district and to have our kids come through it. We always have an eye on them and it’s been great.
AD: Okay, well I guess this is a good transition into your kids. We’re Facebook friends now and it looks like your son is following in your footsteps. Did you have expectations for him and put the ball in his hands as a baby? How did he start playing?
CB: So, Jalen is my middle child and he’s a ‘basketball nut’. He played in his first tournament at six years old, and he’s been playing ever since. I’ve got a daughter who is older. She was never really into sports. My younger son never really got into it. My things is that you can’t make kids do something or put them in something they don’t really want to do. My middle one just picked up on it early and loved it.
AD: I saw the video footage of you working him out, and I saw that you took him out to Syracuse for a camp I believe. Are you ‘hands off’ father, or are you ‘hands on’ and coaching him all the time?
CB: Well (laughing), I had an AAU team for years and I had the chance to coach a lot of really good kids who are mostly now juniors and sophomores in high school. I started the team probably when our kids were around fifth grade and I coached a group of really good kids from Niagara Falls and Buffalo. You know what, when you get to a certain point, you’ve got to let go of coaching your own kid, being the Head Coach and doing the whole thing.
My goal was to let that go once he became a freshman which was last year and have him go play for a bigger program that’s not a local program and not me coaching him. So, this last year he started playing with the “Albany City Rocks” which is our only Nike-sponsored team in the state other than teams in New York City. So, he started playing with those guys.
AD: And it looks like Jalen is playing for Niagara Falls High School?
AD: Does he know how good you were? Has he heard the legends of Coach Pat Monti, the LaSalle Explorers, Eric Gore, Michael Starks and the ten-year dynasty?
CB: He hears about it and I wouldn’t say that I’m hands off. We were in the gym just before you called. I’ll get him in and do his workouts. I’m basically his ‘rebounding machine’ – I’ll run around and chase his balls for him. I’ll do that, but other than that, at this point you want to get him around other people. He’s older and it’s time for me to turn it over to somebody else.
AD: On Monday, I saw you say that you had a game. Was that him playing or do you still play?
CB: For Niagara Falls High School, I’m going to be an assistant coach. A couple of kids are coming from Jalen’s old school and it’s good that we got them in a league so that they can start to mix in with the other players and get a feel for each other. Hopefully when November comes, everybody will know each other a little bit better. I was previously an Assistant Coach at Niagara Falls High School and I took a couple of years off when Jalen started middle school.
AD: Okay, Carlos, we’re almost done. I can see from Facebook that you still literally eat, sleep and breathe the game, and I see you frequently posting about today’s players, their skill level, and what kids don’t know how to do. How has the game changed since the early 1990s when we were out there playing? Is the game more about shooting like Steph Curry and the Warriors? What are you seeing? Are the kids less tough?
CB: It’s funny, because I get into arguments with guys about this because I say that I know that if I was in high school right now, with the same skill level I had in high school, I would’ve never been a Division I player today. These kids are so skilled at a young age now that it’s unbelievable. So, when I say that to the older guys and they start talking about Jordan and Bird – yeah, pros are pros – pros are going to be unbelievable – they’re all skilled and they’re all great.
I tell guys that, to me, this generation is so much more skilled than ours. Now the flipside, and I’ll probably get a knock for this, I think our generation was intellectually more ahead of these guys. I think so much time gets spent today on skill work and one-on-one training that it doesn’t translate into ‘team’ basketball. You’re individually always working with a trainer, working on your handle, and working on your shot. You’re working on all of these individual skills, whereas back in the day we were just playing, so we just learned how to play the game a little bit better.
So, I think they’re more skilled. They’re way stronger than we were – the athleticism is just ridiculous across the board and that’ my take on it. The younger kids’ skill level is just ridiculous compared to what we were back in the day.
AD: Interesting.
CB: And just watching my son and other kids – we have a lot of other kids who are amazing. You go to some of these events and you have younger and older kids. I can tell you right now that we weren’t playing against kids that were doing some of the stuff these kids are doing now.
AD: In terms of athleticism and dunking?
CB: I’m talking about skill set. You’ve got 6’9” guys who can handle the ball like point guards. The post-game isn’t seen anymore, which I think is a bad sign, but I just think individual skills are way higher than they were back when we played in high school. I look at the teams we played on, the guys I played with, myself included – I couldn’t do half the stuff I see ninth and tenth graders doing now.
AD: Where were you when you heard LaSalle was going to be demolished and how did you feel about it?
CB: Ah man. When was that, 2000? I was back here from New Hampshire and I was devastated just because LaSalle was so much more than a basketball team. It was like a family and I don’t mean just your basketball guys. It was a family in terms of your friends and the people you grew up with. LaSalle was a tight knit school. There wasn’t much violence or fights or all that crazy stuff going on. When you heard that it was breaking up, you felt like things were going to change. I’m not just talking about basketball, but in general; it was just something that I felt was bad for our city.
AD: So, aside from the LaSalle basketball dynasty going away, has there been an effect on the city?
CB: When you’re relating it to sports, I look at it as having a negative effect. It’s funny, because every year you hear parents, friends and people who have issues and say, ‘Hey there’s a lot of favoritism going on at this high school because our kid didn’t make the team, or this kid didn’t make that team!’ They don’t realize that you combined these two schools (LaSalle and Niagara Falls Senior High Schools) so you used to have 24-26 spots, and now you can only grab 12 kids.
I think it has taken away from our kids from an athletic standpoint where you have a lot of kids walking around that high school now that are really good at some sports, but unfortunately, there are 12 guys better than them. Do you know what I mean? I think it’s just negatively impacted it in that way and I thought just having the option of two different schools was something that gave a lot of kids more options and a better chance than they have now.
AD: Okay. For any youngster aspiring to play basketball or to achieve any other life goal, what advice would you give them?
CB: The first one is that you must have the books over everything. Being from Buffalo and up in the Falls, you see so much talent wasted because kids aren’t there academically. There are a million stories of guys who didn’t get out (of the neighborhood) and were amazing in any sport, and my thing is that education must be first. You’ve got to get that education and you’ve got to work hard in the classroom.
Then obviously, with the sports part, you can’t cheat it. There are those rare guys who are born good at something, but you can’t cheat the process. You’ve got to get into the gym, and you’ve got to work at it. It’s a grind and you’ve got to be in there really working at whatever your goal is almost daily now. And really those are it. I think we’ve had a lot of guys from around here go off to college and play and it shows that if you really put your time in and you do your work in the classroom, you can get out of here.
AD: Is there anything you would change about your playing days?
CB: My playing days? No, nothing at all.
AD: Well, Carlos, unless you have any other comments or stories, we are at the end. I really appreciate this. One thing that will be evident from my interviews with you, Tim and Coach Monti, is that while you guys were the team that everyone was trying to beat, I developed a lot of respect for LaSalle basketball and what you all accomplished. I’ll also try to catch a Niagara Falls High School game when I’m back there over the Holidays.
CB: Okay, great, thanks.
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