Hello and welcome to Straight From The Heart
presented by Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce.
I am Kim Davis, your host. And today we're
gonna go back and revisit one of my favorite
guests and his business. It's uh Aries CDL
Institute and we have Mr. Harold Fiers.
Today, I'd like to start out by talking to Mr.
Fierce about where we are today with ARIES
and what's going on. The last time we talked,
we talked about schools and reentry and all
the things that you had planned to do. And so
we'd like to kind of recap and find out what's
going on with ARIES today. What's the big news
that we need to know about? The big news,
first of all, let me say thank you. And I'm
honored to be here. This is my second time
and hey, I feel special. Okay, you are. oh We
actually uh physically started the, excuse
me, uh corrections program. Okay. I spent the
first week, well, not a whole week, but Monday,
Wednesday and Friday of last week out at TCF,
which is the women prison in Topeka. This
week, We start at Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I'm going to be in Lansing at the men's prison
and Tuesday and Thursday, I'm going be back
at the women's prison. Okay. We also have,
we like to call them residents that are short
term. The program is for us supposed to be
for 12 months in below, 12 months out. but they
have some individuals that met the criteria
that are getting released in June and August.
they granted them special dispensation and
they're going to allow me to transport them
from Lansing to Kansas City, Kansas, train
them and bring them back. So kind of like the
work release program, but it's train release.
It's training release. So they will come out
and they will be picked up or transported
from the prison to your facilities in Wyandotte.
And then they will get their training and
then transport it back. So what happens, and
I wanna back up a little bit to talk a little
bit about the reentry portion of it before we
get into that. Because when you think about
um workforce and jobs in the US right now,
and especially in our region, ah One of the
most difficult things for a person that does
not have a record or a prison stigma on their
back to find a job or to get a job, it's hard
enough. But to offer, to be able to offer
someone that is being released a second chance
to actually um structure their lives with
a good paying job. with uh something that can
bring dignity. How important is that? We all
need second chances and we all need first chances.
We are all human beings. None of us are trash.
Some of us made mistakes and those people are
coming out and being part of our community.
So if we are going to require them to be productive
citizens, they're entitled to productive opportunities.
You can't uh expect somebody not to commit crime
if they're hungry, if their family is hungry,
if they're, you know, they don't get to go to
proper schools, they don't get to participate
in life like we do. How do you expect them
to exist? So this is a good way. provide them
with an opportunity, a financial opportunity,
which four weeks of training and a year, they'll
be at $100,000 a year. Wow. So this is really
interesting too, because for people who, I'm
sure, and you've probably heard it, for people
who oppose these re-entry programs specifically,
re-entry programs that will take someone who
is coming out of the pineal system and in
a short period of time, going to a six figure
job where there is people that um have not
had those misfortunes in their lives. uh Why
would those opportunities not be preserved
for those? oh They are preserved for those.
They just don't want to take the opportunity
to do them. oh We as Americans don't like
doing hard work. Got a point. You know what?
We import others. We've been importing others
since the beginning of America to do the hard
labor. Right. And we want to reap the benefits.
Right. So those people who do the hard labor,
they should reap the benefits. So tell me some
of the requirements. I mean, what is required
If I wanted to, and this is over the road trucking
or all? It's all. It's local, it's regional
and it's over the road. Okay. And there, are
there different types of uh trucking services?
Like I understand there's dump trucks, there's
tractors. There's dump trucks, there's tow
trucks. There's a flat bed. There's specialty,
oversize. There's, uh uh There's all kind of
divisions in the trucking industry. You can
do fuel. You can do hazmat. You can transport
ammunition. Where's that plant? I think it's
somewhere in Missouri. Lake City? Yeah. They
do ammo. That ammo has to get from one place
to another. uh oh It's called FedEx Freight
and they have white glove services. They uh
transport medical products and they transport
art. So the opportunity oh to actually gain
a skill or a oh profession uh expands beyond
just a job. Is there any, because me coming
from the chamber and being a part of the chamber,
one of the things I look at mostly are like
my entrepreneurs. Is there an opportunity for
entrepreneurship in your training? Of course,
we have the Aries Promise. If you want to become
a truck owner and you show truck driving skills
and a business acumen, we will help you become
an owner. Wow, okay. You know what? A drug dealer
is no different than a baker. They make a product.
They staff people to transport that product.
They have payroll. They have the same issues.
They just put the wrong profession. This is
the same thing. You have insurance. You have
taxes. You have payroll. You have labor. Drug
dealers got insurance? No, I'm just kidding.
They should have life insurance. You got a
point there. So, wow, I'm just like really
amazed at um some of the opportunities. And
so you did talk about you you've started out
with Lansing and the Topeka Correctional Facility,
which is the women's facility. How many
are enrolled right now since you started last
week, what is your uh enrollment? I'm going
be a little cagey because of who they are and
where they are. We have three women, which
I can't reveal names, and we have five men.
Okay. And all of them. What's so special
about this program? This will be the first program
in the United States that will allow residents
to drive while they're incarcerated. Most programs,
they'll get you up to your permit and that's
it. They're going um beyond permits to actual
driving, to actual physically having a CDL
license when they walk out the door. So I guess
my question is this. Not to interrupt you.
Okay. They're going to place them in jobs while
they're incarcerated. Which is awesome. But
my question is this. So in most cases, when
people are released, they have a period of
supervised release. And during that supervised
release, they can't leave or cross state lines
without prior permission. Will they, because
these are over the road drivers, some of them
or most of them? Well, we don't know what they're
going to go into. Okay. between me, you and
that glass window right there, the people in
a charge have been talking to parole. Their
goal is to make this work. So they've looked
at every aspect of this program to make sure
it goes far and beyond whatever programs that
are out there. So I'm going to step beyond
your program. because your program is really
a major step for someone that's coming out
of the pineal system. The next step is, or
probably one of the major steps is housing.
know, being able to obtain, they'll have
the finances to be able to afford some, you
know, at least decent and livable housing,
but a lot of... places will not uh even lease
or rent to uh a felon. And it's even hard for
felons, believe it or not, to purchase a home.
So is there going to be any programs where
you guys partner or work with uh housing developments
or homeowner associations that will allow
uh some leeway for some of these? uh these
individuals to be able to get homes or find
an apartment. I'm one of those guys I'd like
to do and then ask for forgiveness later.
My business partner's name is Stacy Landis.
He's the owner of Property Plus Construction.
He already has plans for uh low income housing.
He already has plans uh for um Felon-friendly
housing. um It's just pushing it through the
system. um My suggestion to you, invite him
in and pick his brain. I'm gonna have to do
that. I don't work on the construction side
of his business, but I know for a fact and
had conversations because the school wants to
build a start off with a small house so we
can have those people who don't have um housing
to come and stay at least until two weeks after
they finish the program to find them a job.
Right, right. Okay, that's, mean, that's some
of the things, some of the struggles that a
lot of uh release felons face is I need an
address. So if I'm going to go get a job, I
have to have an address and a place that is
stable enough for a person to believe that I
am stable enough to come to work or to give
me an opportunity. So can you tell me some
of the, uh you were saying you're placing people,
you're trying to help place people into jobs
when they graduate. Are you partnering with
some of the major? uh I know FedEx is very
felon friendly, that they have been good about
hiring felons ah and giving them a second chance
to reenter into the workforce. there others
that you are? Cisco is felon friendly. I've
spoken to ABF and other companies, but
again, they're... I think three other states
that are doing similar to what we're doing,
but they're only getting permits. uh The people
at the Kansas Department of Corrections have
taken this to a whole nother level. And to
be honest, they're very, very hush-hush about
what they're doing because... They don't wanna,
they're just cautious. One, because they don't
wanna name names because of victim issues.
And this is the pilot program. So we face
challenges as we go. And they're being close
to the vest because they're working out these
challenges as we proceed. What are some of
the challenges that you are facing or you have
faced since you started this journey? Well,
um the Lansing and Topeka uh facility is paperless.
So you can't bring paper into the facility.
You have to email it to somebody and they
have to print it out on facility property.
Okay. They don't have access to internet You
know like like me and you right so they're working
out That issue. Yeah, and I understand that
there are institutions that now are totally
paperless and even their inmates ah Send and
receive their mail now via emails that they
are allowed to have on iPads that are are
uh uh Well, they're restricted and they are
designated to that inmate while they're there.
This is your way of communication. And so they
are now, I think they're even using these
iPads for their telephone, you know, to be
able to make phone calls and to send and receive
mail because now it takes away the paper and
there's a tracking mechanism. So we can track
anything that comes and goes over that iPad,
including conversations. which is technology
at its best. That's right. Yeah. That's right.
So ah what are some of the other things that
you are looking forward to doing? I mean, know
that ah this is, uh knowing you, Mr. Fierce,
and you and I have had conversation, you have
uh that big heart, that big, you're not that,
that put me in a box. You see something so
huge in your, In your uh vision going forward,
what other things are you planning? Cause I
know this thing is going to expand bigger than
any of us have thought. Well, we plan, we hoping
we can move once we get this up and running
move to the Missouri side. But my goal is
to start a trucking company that's made up
of entirely of felons. I don't plan to hire
anybody. that doesn't have a criminal background.
I truly want a Rico trucking company. That's
interesting. And do you think that that trucking
company would be received by I think it will.
You know what? I think that if people, if the
service is good and reliable, They don't care.
Customers don't care? They don't care. That's
right. You know what? Do you order Amazon? I
do. Do you care who drive the truck? I don't.
That's right. You just want your package As
long as they put my package on my porch. That's
right. So you know what? As long as the package
get to where it's supposed to go, that's fine.
There's other industries out there like the
EV technology. It's felon friendly. There are...
The United States in America is number one in
incarcerating its citizens. We need to change
that. Yeah. I have a question though, because
you know that even though this concept is amazing
and it has every potential of being a big success,
we know that also America is very good about
this, one and done. So it take one mistake or
one person to not follow. the rules and
they want to shut it all down because, oh my
God, uh do you have contingency to constantly
remind people that this program ah is not contingent
upon every single person that comes through
that door being successful. It is contingency
upon us uh really opening doors for as many
as we can. because you can't, none of us, America,
if you were good at saving everybody, we wouldn't
have a prison system. True. And it's second
chance. It goes without saying. you know what?
These people need help. They made mistakes.
They're gonna make some more mistakes. I make
mistakes every day. You, Mr. Fink? Yeah, I make
mistakes every day. Shut up. No, you don't.
And people forgive me. Yes, and we have to
bring grace. not only to others, but to yourself.
And I mean, I'm just really, um I guess I'm
really excited to see an organization that
won't give up. You know, we know that there's
gonna be those that are gonna make mistakes
or continue to, or those that even have, their
motives aren't... I'm in it for the fight.
Right. Right. if you, you know, I just like
to fight. I just don't want to, you know, I
just want us to be prepared to say that we have
you and we have your back and we're going
to support you. I'm saying this so that people
that are watching realize that we can't turn
our backs on the Mr. Fierce of the world who
is trying to make things happen. ah And when
one or two mess up, you know, push Mr. Fierce
to the side because one or two or three or
four or however many mess up for the masses.
Well, you know what, Miss Davis, I don't care
about those people. The only person that could
put me down or keep me down is God. Come on
now. All right now, see, I didn't say we was
going to have Sunday service with Mr. Pierce,
but you know we can. Whatever, I keep telling
people what God has for me is for me. And
there's nothing you could do about it. That's
true. So you know what? If it was, what they
say, it was easy, everybody would do it. Stacy
told me one day, I was sad. He said, what
you sad for? I said, man, I'm just going through
it. He said, listen, you deserve to go through
it. He said, you sit around and think of the
hardest thing to do, and then you go out and
try to do it. And then you want to sit around
and be sad because it's hard. I was like,
okay, if you put it like that, then okay, let's
get at it. Yeah. I love the hard stuff. I
love the struggle. I love the fight. It's
fun for me. they're going to succeed. ready.
They picked the hungriest. They vetted those
individuals very, very thoroughly. Psychologically,
know, their behavior. They could have filled
the classroom 100. in there. They picked A.
Yeah, that's true. Let me ask this question
though. So let's pivot into you, the business,
the business. know, once this starts to grow,
you know that there'll be others that will
emulate, which is okay because we need as many
as we can get. We need as many because there's
a whole, you can't be the only uh training across
the country. So we know that's going to happen.
But what are some of the challenges as a business
person putting this together and, you know,
uh even putting your business together? What
are some of the challenges that you faced as
a businessman?
People don't believe in you. People think that,
ah you know, who is he? What has he done?
um you know, fortunately, throughout my whole
life, I've run into good people. I ran into
you. I mean, when people see what you're doing,
they help you. It may take them a while. Life
is a struggle from the top down. people, you
know, when they get a minute from fighting
their struggle, when they know that you there,
they'll help you. My biggest struggle is getting
the word out. My biggest struggle is getting
the information out. You know, I don't have
a million dollar reward chest to just spend
on TV ads. So I go around knocking on doors.
spend my Sundays emailing people. I spend my
Saturdays emailing people. When I wake up at
three o'clock in the morning, I do my little
social media thing to get the word out. And
I just keep showing up. And that's half the
battle. Showing up is half the battle. So
were there any challenges as far as getting
permits and getting licenses and I'm still
fighting with Missouri Department of Higher
Education and Workforce Development. Y'all
got these border wars going here that have been
lasting for hundreds and hundreds of years.
I live, my business resides on the Kansas side.
They just don't want to give it to me. Okay.
Is it they don't want to give it to you or
are they saying that you need to have a presence?
on the Missouri side. I don't need to have a
presence. They just don't want to give it to
me because they're not prepared for it. uh
Missouri Department of Workforce and Education
applications are eight to 10 months behind.
Most small businesses don't have eight to
10 months to wait on a piece of paper. So
in the meantime, you find ways around it and
you circumvent it. And I still do business.
90 % of my students come from the Missouri
side. I just can't go through FEC to get them.
So honestly, uh and we know this, that people
will follow the opportunities. If the opportunity
is on the Kansas side, then Missouri, shame
on you because it's not a war thing. It is
a need on both sides of the river. to be able
to grant the opportunity and because what'll
end up happening in most cases or in a lot
of cases, I'm coming to Kansas and I'm getting
all my training. I'm getting to know Kansas
better. This is an opportunity for me to take
my tax dollars, my property ownership, my
spending to the Kansas side because this is
where my opportunity is. And most of my students
come to me because they either failed at another
school or they just didn't like the corporate
atmosphere. My atmosphere in my school is
like,
the house down the corner where everybody hangs
out at. You know what? And I tell the people
even at Lansing, you know, my name is Harold,
because I'm just a regular guy. I'm no better
than you. The only difference between me and
you, somebody happened to walk into my life
at a pivotal point in time and redirected me
and kept me from sitting in that seat that
you sit in. um I'm humble, I'm down to earth.
If you willing to work, you willing to do
what needs to be done, I'm willing to help you.
I'll give you my last if you... If you walk,
I walk through the fire with you if you hold
my hand. I'm not gonna drag you. I'm not gonna
carry you. You're either gonna walk or run,
but you gotta take a step too. Yeah, you gotta
carry yours too. You carry your weight. So,
I'm not trying to kick people out. I'm not
trying to make life difficult for them. I even
try to give people payment plans, which they
never keep. They never keep. That's the hard
part is payment plans. People will pay that
first payment and that's it. And I'm okay.
Yeah. If they tell me they can't pay me, don't
ghost me. Just say, hey, I'm having problems.
Well, let's come back whenever you get your
problem solved. Right. And my thing is that
I go out and try to find funding for my students
and I walk them through the application process.
And once they get their application turned
in, I follow up for them. ah So you do a lot
of hand holding. A lot of hand holding. A lot
of hand holding um to make sure they get the
money they need to better their lives. some
of the things, and we talked about early on,
you talked about how uh Here are people that
have an opportunity to come out of prison, get
uh great skill training and the opportunity
to be in six figures in a short amount of time.
uh I guess one of the things that I think about
is, do you remind them that if you went to college,
you might make six figures, but... uh half
of that six features is gonna go back to your
student loans that you're gonna have to pay.
But Dad. I don't remind my students. I remind
people that I talk to who have master's degree,
who have bachelor's degrees. Dad. Dad, listen,
you spent 10 years in school and you're gonna
top out at 150,000. I got a felon here that's
gonna go to school for four months. And within
a year, he'll be able to live right next to
you. Cause he can afford it. Yeah. That's crazy.
That is. You should see the look on their face.
That is crazy. So I'm wondering also, is there
going to be opportunity for uh young people
coming out of high school that, you know,
I don't want to go to college. don't, uh college
is not my thing. I'm making it out of high
school and that's enough. They're changing
the laws. They're working on changing the laws
to 18. But you can get a license, CDL license
at 18. If your license is in the state of Kansas,
you can't drive into Missouri. That's the only
drawback. And they're working on changing that
because there's such a shortage of drivers.
Yeah. But again, at 18 though, they could get
their CDL license and drive all over the state
of Kansas. All over the state of Kansas. Okay.
And those were opportunities. right now that
are great opportunities. And the reason I ask
the question is, when I went through Leadership
Kansas in 2021, I learned a lot about Kansas
and I learned a lot about the rural towns of
Kansas. And it's really ironic how they have
skilled training for their young men and women
and they come out of high school and they are
surveyors or they are heavy equipment. operators
and they are hitting uh six figures within
a year coming out of high school with no debt
and going straight into the workforce at 70,000
plus. And so when I think about uh some of
the opportunities that we neglect to give
to our kids or because not every kid is college
bound. And what you don't want to do is have
kids that go through high school and even struggle
to get through high school or even kids that
do well in high school but just can't make it
through college because one, financially they
can't afford it. Two, they may have obligations
to their families because they come from a
family that quite frankly need their assistance
and help end up at Walmart or at a fast food
restaurant or job jumping. because they have
not the skill to do anything else. This is
wonderful, there. It's wonderful. Yeah. Excuse
me. Even if you plan to go to college, do out
of the school for one, out of school for one
summer, you can get your CDL license and when
you go off to school, you can drive on the weekends
and make great money. Oh, so that's another
good uh option. Yes. Yeah, that's a great option.
Your CDL license. If you never drive a day
after you get out of school, as long as you
keep your license uh renewed, you'll have that
CDL license. You might need to take a refresher
course, but that license never expires. There's
no driving hour commitment. You don't have to
prove that you've driven 10 hours every year
or five hours every year. That license is good.
So is there any other types of trainings that
comes with the CDL like OSHA or? We don't provide
OSHA. But um strategic workforce development
provides OSHA. um OSHA 10 and I think OSHA 30.
So we don't provide it. um
You can get OSHA training everywhere. And I
don't want to be the end all to be all for
everybody. So you're not trying to be a one
stop shop. No, I want to do what I do. I want
to do it better than everybody else that does
it. And that's it. That sounds good. So what's
on the horizon? What's on the horizon?
I'm sorry, Stacey. ah Mr. Landis is about to
start another business. And I'm gonna, you
know what, I'm gonna allow you to invite him
and let him talk about our new business venture.
He's the president and CEO of that business.
And... It's something that we as African
Americans are not doing presently. Okay. Okay.
Well, you know, we're to have to really get
him on like real soon. And I can't invite him
unless you give me his contact information.
we want to make sure that we get that contact
information. Mr. Pierce, I can't thank you
enough for always saying yes. I mean, the one
thing I can say about Mr. Pierce, he is a member
of the Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce,
but he is also an active participant, I can
call Mr. Fears at the last minute and say, hey,
I need you over here and you show up. And I
do want you to know that I really appreciate
that. uh We support everything that you're
doing. uh being that we are Kansas entity with
Missouri offices, uh we want to also support
in any way we can in helping you to uh maneuver.
through whatever it is in order so we can do
the same on the Missouri side, even if it means
finding partnerships on this side that you
all can share opportunities. If I'm not mistaken,
not to cut you off, uh we're having a gathering
on the 23rd of June. We're trying to strengthen
our board. Okay. So we're going to be sending
out invitations, you're going to get one. I
don't know if it's a conflict of interest or
not, but you know everybody in Kansas City.
Once you get that invitation, provide me
with some suggestions for people that I can
follow up with. I'm going to ask you one more
favor. I'm going to provide you with Mr. Landis'
contact information. Require him. to wear
a jacket when he comes. Require him to wear
a jacket. You heard that he has to wear a jacket
when he comes. Yes. Okay. Does he not wear jackets?
Well, here's the thing. It's a joke between
me and him. So if I walk in here one day with
a black eye, you'll know. Oh my goodness.
Violence. Violence. Well, Ms. Pierce, I want
to thank you again for coming on our show.
This won't be the last time. I really think
that understanding the reentry programs I've
known a lot of reentry programs over the years.
There's been, and there's been some very successful
ones. There's been people that have uh really
taken those opportunities and run with them.
ah And because of the Mr. Fierces in the world,
the doors have been open for many. I just
want to say that uh this is an important part
of the American fabric and how we restructure
and continue to be the great country that we're
supposed to be. ah And that is when we don't
throw our people away. So again, thank you for
coming on. Can I say one more thing? would
be remiss if I didn't say, give this shout
out to Ms. Mary Ricketts. Ms. Mary Ricketts
found us when we was kind of struggling. oh
Ms. Ricketts has been by our side as a cheerleader,
as a mentor. as a door opener, a gate opener
for us, a connector, a network. And Ms. Rickett
has not charged us a dime. Come on, Mary. That's
the other black eye I might get. No, you're
not going to get a black eye. Mary happens to
be one of our members as well. She's been a
long time supporter and advocate for the Heartland
Black Chamber of Commerce. Actually, one of
my passwords on one of my subscriptions came
from Mary. So Mary is a very good person to
know and shout out to Mary Rickett in Turning
Point and what she does. It is uh phenomenal.
But that's how we win when we support one another.
Just don't forget Mary when you reach the
top. Point training consultant. Yes, she is
amazing. So that is the end of our show. You
want to tell us, is there anything that people
need to know if they want to enroll or learn
more about Eris? Can you tell, Eris? They can
go to our website at www.acdli.org or they
can call 913-207-8841. That's 913-207. oh 8
8 4 1 and you're talking you're going to be
looking for Aries CDL institution institute
yes okay so don't forget that Aries ah and
we're not talking about the sign we're talking
Aries CDL institute thank you again Mr. Fierce
we really enjoy the conversation and I can't
wait to see you know even your first cohort
ah as it graduates in We turned out some amazing
people and they amazing drivers. As soon as
I get the release to release the pictures and
the photos, you'll be the first one to get
them and we'll be the first ones to promote
it. All right. Well, till next time, we want
to thank you for joining us on straight from
the heart. You know, we got to keep it straight.
I want to thank my sponsors, Kauffman Foundation
and AGA production without whom without them
whom this show would not be. ah I'm looking
forward to seeing you next week and keep it
straight and straight from the heart. Thanks.