Solving Atlanta’s Challenges with Mayor Andre Dickens

0:28We always recommend Shopify. Do you want to know what real leadership looks like in action? Do you want to know what inspiration looks like in action? Well, if you do, this is the episode for you. I'm interviewing the one and only Mayor Andre Dickens, the mayor of the city of Atlanta. I consider the best city in the United States. We're going to talk about how he knew at 16 he wanted to become the mayor of the city of Atlanta. Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up. This episode is going to change your life. This is my good friend, Mayor Andre. Mayor Andre Dickens, how are you doing today, sir? Hey, I'm doing well.

1:11Thank you for that. I'm excited to be on with you today. I am the honored one, man. Been a huge fan of you for a very long time. You know, I travel all the time. Delta is my airline. And every time I'm in Atlanta on the shuttles, I hear your voice. And it's always soothing. You know how travel can be sometimes. So your voice is a calming voice on those shuttles. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, Mayor Dickens, one of the things that I love to ask folks is what's your because? That thing that's deeper than your why, right? Like everybody starts with why, and that's really awesome. But I think your because is your true passion, your true purpose.

1:53So if I were to say Mayor Dickens, what's your because? Why do you do the things that you do? Because I've been led to do it since I was 16 years old here in Atlanta, born and raised right here in Atlanta. I've wanted to be mayor since I was 16 years old, watching Ambassador Andrew Young when he was the mayor of Atlanta. And I was just inspired. And I've always wanted to, like, help people become the best version of themselves. It's because I was helped by so many people. This city helped raise me and helped make me from the Atlanta public school system to parks and recreation to just good people at church and around the community.

2:31I was made this person that you see here today is because of other people that have helped me get to this point in life. And so my because is it's time for me to give back and lift as I climb. Wow. So Mayor Dickens at 16. You just said you knew you wanted to be the mayor. That is so ambitious, but also so fulfilling and rewarding. So what at 16 really drove you? Like I know Mayor or Mr. Andrew Young was that driving force. How did you really know that it was possible at 16? Yeah, I really can't explain where that might have come from. I don't come from a family of people that are in politics. Of course, my mom voted, but not necessarily.

3:16She wasn't some campaign leader or political figure. She read the newspaper, talked about what she read, and she would fuss at, you know, local or national figures like everybody else. She wasn't. She didn't go to college. I became the first in my family to go to college when I went to Georgia Tech. But at 16, I just felt on my heart that Atlanta was the best place in the country. We were this growing city. And Ambassador Young was really talking about our civil rights roots and how we are this, we're going to one day be this big international player, this powerhouse of a city. And we will still keep our feel as a city that's not too busy, that we can't love on one another.

3:59And that really got me going. I was excited by it. I knew I was around a bunch of cool people in my high school and a bunch of community people that wanted to see me do well. And I said, I want to be like them. I just want to be mayor. Now, I didn't know what a city council member was. I didn't know what a commissioner was. I barely, you know, I knew what the president and the governor and Congress did, but that was it. So it was coming from somewhere spiritual and somewhere guided by good people in the community to lead me to a decision that one day I would want to be the mayor of Atlanta and that I would hit that mark.

4:33And it happened. It happened four years ago. And it's been the ride of my life. Man, and you're doing an amazing job. I just want you to know that too. I live in Greenville, South Carolina, but I have family in Atlanta. So I'm down there at least twice a month visiting. And the change that you've made, the vibrance of the city is a true reflection of the impact that you have. So I want to make sure I'm giving you your kudos for all that you do for the city. Thank you. two summers I had an internship in Greenville and Taylor's and Greer's, South Carolina, that area. That was when Michael Jordan tried his hand at baseball.

5:10I was there that, that, that summer I was in that, I was in Greenville that summer and then the winter at Tom Pierce. So I know a little bit about your neck and the wounds. There you go. There you go. So you talked about Georgia tech. I'm going to leave that alone. You know, I'm a bulldog at heart. So I leave that alone, but you've gone from engineer, an entrepreneur to mayor, right? What through line connects all those roles? And more importantly, how have they shaped your approach to leadership? Yeah, there are a few through lines through that. One is the incredible ability to solve problems.

5:49If you're an engineer, that's what you go to school for. They give you a ton of problems to solve. You learn all of the formulas, all of the strategies, all of the techniques, you learn how to grab a little bit of information and solve complex matters. Well, as an entrepreneur, you got to figure it out. It's every day. Every two weeks is payroll. Every month is electricity and rent. And then it's always competitive factors, how to do better, how to make your dollar stretch farther, how to open up another location. I was an entrepreneur. I owned a series of furniture stores that I started from scratch and it became a multimillion dollar business.

6:32I had 30 employees in different locations. So being a problem solver helps there. And then being mayor, I mean, what mayor doesn't see his or her share of problems every day? We have millions of people that give me input saying, we want better this. We need more of that. And I even see things that I want to solve. And so problem solving is a great skill set to have as an entrepreneur, as a mayor, and definitely, of course, as an engineer. The other through line that I would say is the ability to work well with others, because when you're solving problems, you may not be the only person that has all the answers.

7:09So I've labeled Atlanta as a group project. I say Atlanta is a group project and everybody galvanizes to that because the mayor can't put an S on his or her chest and go around here and be in 50 places at one time, solving all the problems by Friday. No, it takes all of us. It brings people together. And so entrepreneurship is about how to leverage the capacity of others. And then, of course, as an engineer, you're working in a group environment to be able to help deliver something on for the company or for the organization. And so I'm a force multiplier. I'm somebody that can take, you know, one person here, one person there, one idea here, one idea there, bring them all together so that we get the greater good out of that.

7:53And so it's been so helpful to be an engineer, to be in this office, to be someone who knows how to bring people together to get things done. That's why we're doing so much so fast. I think it's part of my nature and part of my experience. I love that, man. I love that so much. And, you know, I try to tell leaders, especially entrepreneurs, the importance of being involved with your city government. Right. You solve a lot of problems. You also hear a lot of complaints. And I personally feel people wouldn't complain as much if they actually were involved with the city or their local government.

8:31Right. Like if they were going to some of these meetings, to some of the town halls, Mayor Dickens can't press a button and make everything happen. Right. But he can listen and then he can share maybe the truth of things that are going on. And I'm using you as an example, but I've always believed no matter where I live, the first thing I do is get connected with my city government. I'd love for you to tell the listeners and viewers how important that is from your viewpoint when business leaders and entrepreneurs get to be involved with the city. It is so important. It is vital. Businesses benefit from a thriving city, so they should contribute to a thriving city.

9:12They should contribute to a city that's struggling to help it thrive. They should contribute to a thriving city so that it thrives more. These things really are group projects. So whether it's businesses for profit, nonprofits, clergy, everybody, including the government, has to work hand in hand. I'll give you an example. You know, so most people, most of us genuinely care about young people. And if someone comes to the mayor and say, hey, we need to do something about these kids. Right. That sounds like something somebody has said to a mayor before. We got to help these kids. And then you're like, all right, what are you going to do?

9:51They're like, no, I'm going to you. You're the mayor. Go solve that problem. These kids need it. They need this, that. I mean, there's no limit to how much stuff we'll say that a kid needs. And so I've turned that around and said, OK, this is what we're going to do. We're going to make sure that we grow our youth programming, that we're going to make sure these kids have outstanding after school programs, summer programs, weekend, that they're going to be busy flourishing. And so we've dubbed it the year of the youth. So I said, hey, it's going to be the year of the youth, but it's not just going to come from City Hall.

10:25I need everybody involved in the year of the youth. So if you care about youth like you say you do, hire one of these interns,$15 an hour for eight weeks during the summer. That's not going to break your business bank, but it's going to give you an opportunity to help change someone's life. You'll be a mentor to them. You'll help them earn while they learn. And that individual, that young person, they won't get in trouble that summer. They're going to have a steady job. They'll be able to go to the movies, go to Six Flags. They'll be able to buy clothes and all the fancy things that they like, all the little cool stuff the kids like to do.

11:02They won't have to get in trouble to get the things that they want. And so we did that. Over the last four years, we've had over 16 ,000 young people employed in this city, making a minimum wage of$15 an hour. Some of them on average, on average, it's like$17.50 an hour. These are teenagers and they'll never forget that internship that they did with your company or with your nonprofit or with this major corporation. They will always remember that. And then like after school programming, there's programs that exist at our recreation centers, but there's also nonprofits and churches and things. So if you're serving 50 kids, we'll give you some money to help serve 75.

11:44If you're serving 100 kids, we'll give you some money to serve 150. So we've been doing that as a part of the Year of the Youth, and it's been producing results. We also started Midnight Basketball and all these things. We've got the largest Midnight Basketball program in the United States right now. And here's the results. Crime is so far down. It is way down in the city of Atlanta right now. We had the third highest drop in crime in the nation. And the graduation rate is at the highest it's ever been in the city's history because we've all really sown into these young people. We've done it together.

12:21Business owners are saying, okay, I get it. I'm a part of the solution. That's right. You are a part of the solution and not just a part of figuring out how many problems we have. Don't call City Hall telling me about problems if you're not there to help with solutions. And guess what? These kids that you help intern, these kids that you help mentor, they're your future workforce. They're the ones that you're going to be having to, you know, they're going to start their careers in your companies. They're going to be your mid-level managers. And then one day they'll be the ones that take over your business for you.

12:52I totally agree with that. And I get that from my mentor. I was telling you Damon John, right? Like Damon, the president of his company today started as an intern, right? You get to know people a little bit better. You get to see them, you get to coach and mentor them through things. And hopefully, right, the education or the abilities that they have, the skill sets that they have start to rise and you were able to groom that. And so I'm with you, man. Like, you know, Whitney's song, the children are our future. Well, sometimes we have to put that into action. And so I applaud you for all the amazing things that you have done for the city, especially as it relates to youths, man, because, you know, like us growing up, we were called the lost generation, right?

13:41Well, you're doing something about it. And so I applaud you for doing something about it. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So for those that don't know, Atlanta is a cultural and economic and political force. I mean, I think most of the viewers and listeners know that. But how do you personally balance preserving the legacy of Atlanta while also pushing it into the future? Yeah, that's a delicate balancing act. You want to highlight and really revere and respect the past because the past is very valuable while also preparing ourselves and launching into the future. So I say moving Atlanta forward.

14:26We're trying to move Atlanta forward, but we're not trying to forget our past. We have so we're blessed in Atlanta to have civil rights leaders that I get to see every day. I literally was with Ambassador Andrew Young yesterday. I'm literally going to talk to Bernice King, the daughter of the late great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I talked to her yesterday and today. So I talked to Fortune 500 corporations this morning. I had 40 of them at my table this morning where we talked about our quarterly meeting on where the city is going. So literally all around me in a day, in less than 24 hours, I've been in touch with considerable contributors to our history.

15:10And I'm in touch with people that are right now holding together all of the businesses and economic development of our current environment. And I even met with my senior technology advisor for lunch today to talk about our technology growth and the areas of focus in financial technology, in various development of apps and things that we're trying to do around attracting venture capital. So in less than 24 hours, I've talked about things that are very sincere and deep about Atlanta's history. As you can imagine, with Bernice King or with Andrew Young, how they feel about the national stage right now, what's happening in the world, what's happening in nature, I mean, in the nation.

15:56And then also talking about where we are as a strong city, as a metropolitan area that really punches above its weight. This town competes with international giants where we have all these major corporations, the Coca-Colas, the Home Depots, UPS, Delta Airlines, you name it, we've got it here that really thrive. And then we have small, medium size, but also important technology businesses and minority businesses. We have the world's busiest airport here. The most impactful and consequential airport in the United States is in Atlanta. And so I think about how to manage all that is to be a good listener, to be someone who's very much engaged to always seek advice from people that are capable of, you know, demonstrated and they know what they're talking about and have a significant experience in these things.

16:56But I'm also, you know, able to say, after hearing everything I've heard, this is the path that we're going down. And I have a dynamic team behind me that we press forward and we don't look back. We move very well together and we're pretty successful at hitting the targets that we go after. I would definitely agree with that, man. I would totally agree with that. You know, Mayor Dickens, I teach leaders that there's this one thing that's the new currency with modern society, modern employees, and that's trust. Right. So at a time where public trust and leadership is fragile, how are you cultivating transparency, accountability and trust with your constituents?

17:42To hear you say that is music to my ears. That's like, wow. Let me tell you, I got elected and then we did the inauguration on the first Monday of 2022. I walked in the city hall and I had my first cabinet meeting with all of the all of the senior leaders. And I told them right then and there, trust and energy are my currency. Literally said that. And so I go to the community and say, and I go to my community, I go to all of the employees I have, and basically trust and energy are my currency. You can trust me. I'm going to do as I say. I'm going to be transparent. I do it with integrity. You can always depend on me.

18:26and I'm going to do it at the highest standards of ethics, et cetera. But I trust you as well. And we exchange that trust. That's how we get things done. I trust you, you trust me, and we continue to exchange that trust. And it has tremendous value. Now, energy is a whole other thing. I have the energy to do this job. I'm high energy. I don't get tired. I push forward. And because I'm energized by seeing us meet our goals, I'm energized by all of the things that people ask us to do in a day. They will never let us rest on our laurels of success. The community is always saying thank you. But what about doing something else on this side of town?

19:07Thank you. Can you do it two more times? Thank you. Can you do it tomorrow? Thank you. But, hey, we need more. And I have to have the energy to say, OK, let's gear back up, get back out there and do some more of it. And so trust you have to trust is earned. And trust is fragile. This political landscape, everybody is at some form of at some point in time, distrustful, mistrust, misrepresentation, misinformation is out there. The algorithm is dividing us. And so are some of our elected elected leaders. People are trying to divide us and an algorithm and folks are allowing that division to occur.

19:51And so people don't know who to trust. I believe that right now, authenticity is really the best value that we can have. Be our authentic selves in every room, in every interview, on every stage and on every task to just do it with authenticity. authenticity. And, you know, AI might come up with some funky person that looks like me, may even sound like me. But because I've demonstrated myself to be trustworthy and authentic, somebody's going to say, that ain't Dre. I know the real Andre. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, Mayor, you often talk about equity and opportunity. And I think a lot of times in society, we'll see those as flashy buzzwords, right?

20:42Like something that's trending, but it's really pillars to what you believe in and what you stand for. How do you turn those values from buzzwords to intangible political outcomes or policy outcomes? Yeah, you have to personalize it. This has to be personal to you. It can't just be academic. It can't just be political or corporate jargon. It can't just be, hey, get to the next quarter or get to the next year and see what the stats are. That won't lead you to the success that you're looking for. And it also will be snubbed out as inauthentic. People have to feel that you really are sincere about equity.

21:24It has to come through in every line that you deliver and everything that you do. You're either for it or you're against it. You can't be half-stepping with it. And so I tell you that for me, it reigns throughout everything. It's in my vision statement and mission statement. It's in our actions. It's in our offices. And nobody finds it to be a burden. They find it to be natural. It is who we are. It's our cultural DNA as a city. It's in the DNA of my administration. And I live by that ethos daily. So it's nothing I got to gear up for or try to figure out before somebody calls me and ask me a question about it.

22:10It's already inside of me. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Mayor Dickens, I want to give you the floor. If you had 30 seconds to speak directly to the next generation of change makers, what would you say to them? Because they're listening and watching this episode right now. To the next generation, I would tell you to be very, very bold. To stand for something. To be your true, authentic self. And if you take advice from me, I would say state your goal as early as it hits you. Once I knew who I wanted to be, I said then at 16, I want to be the mayor of my home city, the city of Atlanta. I didn't hide it under a rock.

22:56I didn't conceal it because it's too big of a dream that maybe somebody will say, hey, you know, you can't be mayor. There's only one of them at a time. And they only get that job every four years. So how dare you have the audacity to want to be the mayor and to be serious about it? No, I told everybody. So when I came around and said I'm running for city council, there was not a doubt in any of my friends and in my family and in my teachers and in my church goers. They were all like, finally, let's go. Let's run. Where's my T-shirt? Where's my button? Where's my sign? I'm with you. You talked about this since you were a teenager.

23:31And so I think that there's a CEO, there's a pilot, there's a media mogul, there's somebody who's a great doctor or potential astronaut or lawyer or what have you, whatever it hits you or something I don't even know what you would call it. You have a drive, you have a perspective, you have an interest. I say be bold. Talk about it. Pray over it. Give it to your team. Give it to your friends. Give it to your parents and say, this is what I feel. And then watch them, along with you, put forth the energy and the effort to one day hit that goal. And you'll never regret it. Man, I needed to hear that.

24:17I needed to hear that, man. Like, that was deep. That was like, I have something I'm going to take away and I'm actually going to put in place because of something you just said. You had no idea, but I needed that one. I needed that one. All right, good. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So I'm going to get you out of here, Mayor Dickens, on my, I call it my hot five, my quick five. All right? Okay, okay. All right, rapid fire. First question. Is Georgia Tech ever going to beat Georgia in football again?

24:50Yes. This year. Oh, that was bold. That was bold. Okay. All right, I'll come see you in the middle. What do you know right now? I'll come see you in the end. Don't worry. All right. You don't have to name the restaurant because I don't want you to get in trouble. But what is your favorite Atlanta meal that always hits the spot? What's the dish? Ah, man. I eat good all the time. I love food. I will tell you, it's going to sound so typical, but lemon pepper wings, man. Okay. Okay. All right. We'll have those at the Georgia Tech game this year, me and you. Let's do it. Yep, yep, yep. There we go.

25:33What's one book that's changed your leadership style? The Alchemist. It's a great book. It's a fable. I read it every time I'm trying to make a significant change. I've probably read it six or seven times now. Okay. It's an easy read, too. Yeah, it's a great book. I totally agree. I have that one as well. What's one hidden gem in Atlanta that everyone should experience at least once? Oh, man, it's so many hidden gems. You know, this gem isn't completely hidden, but it is a nice place to retreat. It's called the Cascade Nature Reserve. It has a waterfall. It's a walk through the woods. It's a nature trail.

26:23You get to see a lot of, you know, birds and, you know, lots of species of plants and trees. And when it has a waterfall in there, you can just meander and get lost. But it's still within the city. You don't have to drive an hour to get to it and get to it really quickly. And some people, you know, go to it every week as a place to just, you know, take a walk, get a get a little bit of a clearing of their mind. It became popular during the COVID because it was an outdoor space that people could just like get some fresh air. So Cascade Nature Reserve right there on Cascade Avenue, Cascade Road.

26:59OK. All right. As the story of Mayor Andre Dickens is being told. What's one word that you want to define your legacy?

27:12Wow. One word. Love. love. And I'll tell you why. My pastor, he says, love ought to look like something. And so, you know, people say they love Atlanta. They love the people. They love this. They love that. Well, if you do, it'll look like something. And so for me, that one word is love. So when I'm gone, people will say, I see all this stuff. I see how he made me feel. I see how he changed this city that must have been love that in and of itself is why you are who you are man like i i tell people all the time you are one of the most brilliant people one of the most brilliant leaders that i've ever seen in action a lot of it has to do with the stats you were talking about earlier crime has gone down the city looks cleaner when you're when you're going through the city now there's so much booming that continues to happen in the city of atlanta and you are the forefront of that, man.