The Bobby Bones Show - Episode 2: Giving Back To Those Who Served

Episode Date: May 11, 2021

For the Calabrese family, based in Utica, New York, serving their community is a family tradition. In 2013, John Calabrese Sr. and his wife Lori embarked on a new career by opening up their own Express Employment Professionals franchise. Intrigued by the business, their son, John Jr., joined the cause and began doing the important work of matching candidates with companies and vice versa. Along the way, he noted that a lot of the area's unemployed were also veterans - many of them homeless and struggling. So he and his family launched the Veterans Supply Drive initiative, using two repurposed military vehicles to collect and distribute food and clothing, as well as monetary donations for like-minded charities. Thirty tons of donated food later, John Jr has received awards for his important and proactive work. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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On the Job is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals. This season, we're bringing you stories of folks following their passion to carve their own career path. A year into COVID, the U.S. has witnessed the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. And now, in 2021, as society begins to return to a new normal, there are people whose occupation it is to help Americans get back on the job. Today, we talked to one of Express Employments professionals, very own,

about his work, how he got there, in the innovative ways he's giving back to his community. people are coming in here looking for work a lot of people take working for granted it's not guaranteed especially in these times it's not guaranteed in early april of 2021 i had the pleasure of talking with john john calabrese i'm a staff consultant with express employment in utica new york and i'm 27 years old full disclosure he works with his dad john calibre senior so this is john calabrese junior yeah i'm junior too which sometimes Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. But don't tell him that. For those unfamiliar, Express Employment Professionals is a franchise.

It's a staffing company. The branch that John works at in Utica is a family business. John works directly with companies recruiting and finding good employees. On the flip side, I'm also helping people find work. So it's kind of like a two-sided coin. So one side is helping our client businesses fill their openings, and then the other side is helping people find work. So like your job is essentially giving people a lifeline.

And a lot of people need it. And a lot of people are looking for a chance to prove themselves. And we're willing to give people that chance and we do every single day. John has a very personal stake in his work, not just because it's a family business, but because this is where he grew up. Right here in Utica in a suburb called New Hartford. Great community.

I had an awesome neighborhood. In my wedding, I had 12 guys. Out of the 12, eight of them all lived in our same neighborhood. He was really into sports growing up, really into science and biology, so eventually he went off to college to be a dentist. I really liked the opportunity. It was just something that I always liked, but not necessarily passionate about. Partway through college, his interest in dentistry and school itself was dwindling. And at the same time, his parents back home were making a pretty big move.

My parents took the leap of faith. They both left their stable, normal jobs and wanted to be their own bosses and open up their own business. So in 2013, John Sr. and his wife, Lori opened up their branch of Express Employment Professionals. And I was pretty inspired by what they were doing, like the entrepreneurial spirit of it. I also didn't want to be in school for 12 more years. So I had an opportunity to work with my parents every day. So I rerouted my whole life. And I said, I'm going to work with you guys down.

I feel like family-run businesses are harder to come by in 2021 than they were even 20 years ago. Maybe because there's a lot more gig work out there or computer jobs. Or maybe people feel like I do and think they'd go insane working with their family. That is definitely not the case for John. For me, it was the opportunity to be with my dad. dab every day, which hasn't happened before this. When he was growing up, John's dad had a job where he was traveling all the time and he was away from home, which is part of the reason he and his wife started this business. So now you've

spent more time with your dad than ever? Yeah, so in the last seven years, I've been with him every single day and my mom every day than never happened before. As starting a small business goes, there were just a ton of jobs that always needed to be done. And I was very easy to find because I was living at the house with them. So basically, if someone didn't show up to work, they would call me and I would go. He kind of gained his parents' trust doing all these odd jobs they had for him. Then it became more steady as he started working in the office. I did a lot of filing back then.

I did a lot of data entry on the computers, learning the software. Then he got put on the task of streamlining their payroll system, which he did. it's the same one that they used today. And then went into staff consulting basically full-time. So you basically just had to learn to do everything because you had to. Yeah, so that's part of the family business. There's not a job description. You learn as you go, which is awesome because I'm constantly doing new things,

and I have a lot of opportunity, which is amazing. It's part of why I love it. We'll get back to our story in a second. First, a word from Express Employment Professional. A strong work ethic Takes pride in a job well done Sweats over the details This is you

But to get an honest day's work You need a response You need a callback You need a job Express employment professionals can help Because we understand what it takes to get a job It takes more than just online searches to land a job It takes someone who will identify your talents

a person invested in your success. At Express, we can even complete your application with you over the phone. We'll prepare you for interviews and will connect you to the right company. Plus, we'll never charge a fee to find you a job. At Express, we can put you to work with companies of all sizes and industries, from the production floor to the front office. Express knows jobs. Get to No Express.

Find your location at ExpressPros.com or on the Express Jobs app. Now, back to On the Job. When John's dad established this branch of Express, one of his core goals was to give back to the community. So besides donating a lot to charity with the business, John got to see the community up close in the office every day. Some of the people that were coming into our office, veterans in particular, that were coming in in pretty rough shape. Utica has a pretty high veteran population, and a lot of them have unstable housing and food and income. And to me, seeing that was pretty shocking. Both my grandparents served in the military,

and they were able to leverage that into great careers. And seeing someone who's basically homeless coming into my office, asking me for a job, and also letting me know that they had a military background, it was shocking to me. It's like a punch in the gut, because you're wondering, how did this person get into the situation?

after everything that they've done for our country, how do they end up here? And what can we do about that beyond employment and helping them get work? This was the question that was rattling around in John's brain for a while. And one day, he and his dad were browsing through used cars on the internet, they liked flipping cars,

and they came across this enormous military truck, pretty low price with no special requirements for driving it. basically like a truck you would see in the movies. And I'm like, well, that's pretty cool. The kid in me is like, that's a big truck. That's interesting. What could we do with that? What if we put express all over it?

And we could do food drives. I nominated John Jr. Because for such a young man to come up with such an impactful idea, I thought it needed to be recognized. The voice you're hearing is Beverly Knapp, the Express Employment Professionals, corporate developer for the Calabrese region. This is a video made about John when he was recognized at the company's annual conference after he and his dad made this military food drive truck a reality. And you just did it because why not? It's a crazy idea at the time, but it was less than a year later we had the truck.

And it was very real. In the past year, we've donated roughly 17 tons of food. and that goes to local food pantries and they distribute it directly to the veterans. In the video, John is driving this massive army truck through the streets of Utica. They've driven it in parades. They've partnered with local sports teams

to do drives during games and, of course, partnered with organizations that directly help vets. John's contribution and dedication to feed our vets has really opened the eyes of the community and let them know what we really do here, who we're helping. And you're up to,

20 tons of food now? That's insane. It's unbelievable. It just shows how tight-knit our community is and how giving our community is. This program has brought a whole new awareness, and I really feel good about when we go to the schools, the young people getting involved. They come out with cases of food, not just bags of food. In 2017, when this video was made, John was honored with the Champions of Hope Award,

something that Express gives out every year. The truck has been running for five years now. I believe that the truck is a symbol of hope for veterans, so they know that someone's looking out for them after they looked out for us. Despite getting recognized in this video, with the truck, John is really behind the scenes. He delivers food to these organizations.

He's the middleman. Like, you know, the people you're doing it for might not even know who you are. How do you feel about that? I think I would rather be like that. I'd rather be like the Batman that comes in and helps out. No one really knows who he is, drives around this big truck, who's this guy. I'd rather be like that, honestly.

Yeah. I just want to help. I don't want to be in the spotlight because of this. I'm not doing it really for me. Hmm. I mean, it's pretty crazy what you do every day. I mean, whether you're out Batmaning and your truck and helping people get on their feet so they're healthy enough to find work or actually in the office directly finding someone employment, your job is

to provide a livelihood. Yeah, I mean, that's the reason why I do it. That's the reason why I come in here every day. When you help someone find a job, it's probably one of the most rewarding things that you can do. You're basically changing someone's life through employment. It's probably true that the memories you have at the end of your life, the really, good ones. For most people, they're not memories from on the job. They're probably moments with family or friends or traveling. But in order to really enjoy those moments, or to be content, or to even make those moments possible, you need the security of work. Having a job gives you that security. It can give you shelter, food, warmth, comfort, the freedom to do the things

that you want to do. A job can give you purpose and hope. That is the service that John provides. He knows that, and he's got a folder in his desk drawer just in case he ever forgets. I call it the Good Folder. Different letters and cards, people have written me, and going through it and looking back, you forget sometimes, but we've really helped through Express so many people in our community. I asked John about one of his favorite stories from the Good Folder. He told me that one time he helped a couple find work,

and the odds were very stacked against them. Husband and wife, refugee couple, their names are son and fien, both hearing and paired. He said on paper, these things made it pretty difficult, but he did find them both jobs. And they sent me a card,

which I found, and I have here. I can read it if you want. It's kind of lengthy. He holds up a green card with neat handwriting all over it. Okay. Dear John, Thank you kindly for helping us find a job.

We've worked there for a whole year. It was an enjoyable experience and gave us the work experience that we needed to move forward in our careers. And we wanted to say thank you so much for your time and your great service. Sorry we can't stay. We're unfortunately moving to another state for a new adventure with family. However, once again, thank you so much for everything. sincerely son and fienn i haven't looked at that since then and this was in 2018 it's emotional looking at it i don't know at the time you're in the middle of doing your job i have to

find these people for these jobs you're not thinking of that and then you read something like this and you really understand how you're impacting someone's life it's something that happens here all the time it's so rewarding and that makes everything else just pale in comparison. When things like that happen, it makes everything so worth it. For On the Job, I'm Otis Gray. Thanks for listening to On The Job,

brought to you by Express Employment Professionals. This season of On the Job is produced by Audiation. The episodes were written and produced by me, Otis Gray. Our executive producer is Sandy Smallins. The show is mixed by Matt Noble for Audiation Studios at the loft in Bronxville, New York. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Find us on IHeart Radio and Apple Podcasts.

If you liked what you heard, please consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. We'll see you next time for more inspiring stories about discovering your life's work. All right, if you have ever dealt with a traditional home security company,

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and with the app guided setup, you can have everything installed and armed in under an hour. No technician needed. And it's not just a camera. It's a full ecosystem of sensors, cameras for inside and outside, and 24-7 professional monitoring. If there's ever a break-in, a fire, or a flood, SimpleSafe's agents are on it immediately. They were also named America's best customer service by Newsweek, which honestly tracks. Right now, you can get 50% off your new system by visiting simplysafe.com slash bones. That's half off at simplysafe.com slash bones. There's No safe like simply safe. Owning a home comes with a lot of things nobody really prepares you for, including yard care.

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designed to fit your schedule so you can keep moving forward wherever life takes you. Learn more at amu. APUS.edus.edu slash military. Open doors to the future for you and your family with the help of American Military University. That's AMU. APUS.org slash military. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.