William Herbert

Rachael Barclay (00:00) you mentioned in your application that you're not building anything, but being in a circle with great people is important to me. And so... what does a circle like that give a person and what do the rooms you've been in before get right or wrong? And I think what I'm looking for here is I know you're a member of a fraternity and I saw something about Divine Nine, although I'm not familiar, but it seems like you're very involved in community and you're looking for that again, as you just shared. So why is that circle William R. Herbert (00:27) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (00:27) of community so important? William R. Herbert (00:30) So that's a good question. so I think so the first portion is I'm thinking kind of said it earlier, I think I think our village of what our village looks like. I think when you first start looking for your village and you start to find it, and just when you think you found it, you find other parts of your village and it gets bigger. Right? Or Rachael Barclay (00:54) Okay. William R. Herbert (00:55) it gets smaller, right? But I've never really had an opportunity outside of my so I've got like my friend group, like my day one brothers, it's like fourteen of us. Like we were all single at one point, we were all outside, and then And we all got married and had kids and leading our households and and then there's this there's this space that's in between Professional Family and friends and Uber. Rachael Barclay (01:26) Yeah. William R. Herbert (01:27) It's like I don't know the name of it. It's just this Rachael Barclay (01:31) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (01:32) space. And then it ends up becoming a village. And then it's slowly, if you're one of those people that you want that to happen, it moves into your your familiar space, right? But my Rachael Barclay (01:44) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (01:45) familiar space is always something I can always lean into as my say space, always. The space in Rachael Barclay (01:50) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (01:51) between those two entities, I'm trying to figure out what that village looks like. Rachael Barclay (01:57) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (01:58) from a professional standpoint, I have goals. I just don't know what they look like anymore. I do know that I have aspirations. I know that there are other people that have aspirations too. Rachael Barclay (02:10) Thank you. William R. Herbert (02:11) And somewhere in there, I want to be able to help people achieve what those are. And along the way, maybe figure out what mine are. And along the way, maybe figure out how to help mine. And I feel like what brings me into that space is the ability to do that. Rachael Barclay (02:29) Okay. William R. Herbert (02:31) as a person that I do a lot of work in the community with my fraternity. I run mentorship groups with middle schoolers, high school students. Rachael Barclay (02:43) and William R. Herbert (02:44) we I volunteer at the rescue mission at least two Saturdays out of the month, food banks, every Saturday, give blood. There's a lot of stuff that not only just myself, other brothers that that that are a part of this great fraternity of mine that do. Rachael Barclay (03:05) Yeah. William R. Herbert (03:06) there's a space there where I want to be able to tap in with people that want to serve the community but don't necessarily know how. Hey man, if I Rachael Barclay (03:17) Hey. William R. Herbert (03:17) can meet some affluent people that got some money in a bank that may want to even write a grant or something for Rachael Barclay (03:23) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (03:23) some of these young kids. Cause we give we give fundra we we do fundraisers every year because we present scholarships every year. Like The whole D nine, which is a organization of all historic black fraternities and black sororities, we're a part of this large organization. Rachael Barclay (03:43) Okay. William R. Herbert (03:45) and every year in May, April timeframe, we host a luncheon in which all of these organizations present scholarships to young kids going to school. And we've Rachael Barclay (04:00) Yeah. William R. Herbert (04:00) been doing that for like over 20 years. I've been a part of my fraternity for at least 10. And so we've been doing Rachael Barclay (04:06) Yeah. William R. Herbert (04:07) this that long. And so being able to tap into network of people, some people that may want to serve community but just don't know what that looks like. Don't know how they want to feel that their money's going to a great cause, their time goes to a great cause. I want to tap into those people. Rachael Barclay (04:28) Yeah. William R. Herbert (04:29) I d I didn't realize it until maybe a couple days ago when I was trying to figure out I really want to be able to answer this question in a different way when you're asking it. and I was like, I I would love in in in my travels in the on this journey, I would love to find people that know grant writers, that would love to to grant write something simple. We have a gala that's coming up at the end of this month. that we host every other year, Masquerade Gala. it's our s masquerade sneaker gala, so we get to show off our our kicks. Yeah. It's called a masquerade Rachael Barclay (05:03) I know it. I've seen that. What is it called? I think so. William R. Herbert (05:08) ball. Let me see if I can find it and and plug you in. But it's gonna be at the Muckleshoot Casino this year. And it's something that we do every other year. And so there's just a lot of when it comes to the work that we do in the community, like I do not shy away from it. I tell people this is stuff that I believe in, and this is stuff that I see work in real time. and at the end of the day, I if it was these things that essentially saved my life when I was a young kid. Rachael Barclay (05:40) you William R. Herbert (05:41) you know what I'm saying? I went to an HBCU because this show that I watch called A Different World. Rachael Barclay (05:46) yeah. William R. Herbert (05:48) Right, like I saw I saw a village of people Rachael Barclay (05:53) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (05:53) that look like me. Right. Rachael Barclay (05:56) Mm-hmm. So important. William R. Herbert (05:57) And I want that experience. Right. You know what saying? And so and so to be able to be giving back to like communities and watching communities continue to be built. Doing the things that we all love, helping the kids that we love. Like yeah. So yeah, I do a lot I do a lot of work. Rachael Barclay (06:21) That's everything. William R. Herbert (06:22) I can talk about com yeah, it's everything to me. It's part it's part of my being. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (06:28) We should talk another point about the volunteering, like matching the organizations who need things with the people who don't know how to connect with those, because William R. Herbert (06:37) A V. Rachael Barclay (06:38) that's another feature that we're working on with Vantage. So just like, how do you William R. Herbert (06:43) Yeah, we do a lot of work with the Rachael Barclay (06:44) bring that together? William R. Herbert (06:46) Yeah, we do a lot of so a lot of us are also members of the Urban League of Metropolitan Rachael Barclay (06:51) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (06:51) Seattle, as well as the Tacoma Urban League, Seattle Urban League. So yeah, we do a lot of times the work that we're doing in this entity kind of moves in orbit with the work we do in some of these other organizations because a lot of those people in those organizations are also members. of those same set fraternities and sororities. And so we're just Rachael Barclay (07:16) you William R. Herbert (07:16) all just moving. So we all know each other, right? It's just a very Rachael Barclay (07:19) Mmm, mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (07:21) tight, it's just a very tight knit group. Like I found I found the other day I was sitting in a meeting and I found that there was someone that graduated the same year as me and I never talked to them on a campus. But then I was looking at pictures and we found out that we were all in the same photos together. And we were like, how is that? Like Like how is that? Like in what world? Like you know what I'm saying that that happened. So yeah. So yeah, when it comes to like the the community aspect, like that's a very big thing for me. Rachael Barclay (07:57) I love them. So we kind of like answered a lot of questions I had prepared. So I'm going to go to, which is great, but I'm going to go to the quick fires that I have at the end. William R. Herbert (08:08) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (08:10) So what, and they're just like silly things. So what is your go-to coffee order or if you don't drink coffee, you know, the drink that you have every day. William R. Herbert (08:20) golden milk. Rachael Barclay (08:22) What did you say? William R. Herbert (08:23) Golden milk. Rachael Barclay (08:25) Golden milk. Is that like turmeric and milk? William R. Herbert (08:30) That's turmeric. Rachael Barclay (08:30) That is golden. William R. Herbert (08:32) I I make my own almond milk. So turmeric, Rachael Barclay (08:35) my gosh. William R. Herbert (08:37) almond almond milk, a little salt, a little pepper, and some cinnamon. It's good for your stomach. Rachael Barclay (08:43) Mmm. William R. Herbert (08:44) I I I I intermittent fast like like during Rachael Barclay (08:48) Yeah. William R. Herbert (08:48) like from like seven at night to like one in the afternoon. Rachael Barclay (08:56) Mmm. William R. Herbert (08:57) And so I usually like it's like the one thing that I allow myself to have. Like I have like that one and then I don't eat anything until like late in the afternoon. But it keeps you it keeps your keeps your stomach right and Rachael Barclay (09:11) Okay. William R. Herbert (09:12) and that's my thing. I love how it tastes too. It's good. yeah, put ginger in it sometimes. Rachael Barclay (09:18) Mmm. That's good. So that's what? That's 18 hours of fasting, right? And William R. Herbert (09:25) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (09:26) that's so good because autophagy then happens, right? And it starts like healing and repairing. Yeah, I did that before and I need to do that again. William R. Herbert (09:31) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But I I get I get headaches sometimes and I get headaches sometimes and then I just be like, so like right before I sat down with you, I made a bowl of grits, Rachael Barclay (09:43) Yeah. William R. Herbert (09:45) and then I and I put an egg over easy on top of it, and I was like Rachael Barclay (09:53) It's great too because when you don't, William R. Herbert (09:51) Felt so good. Felt amazing. Rachael Barclay (09:54) when you fast for so long, you then like enjoy the nutrition as nutrition is supposed to be enjoyed rather than like, you know, I don't know, snacking on things. William R. Herbert (10:04) I'm trying yeah. Yeah, I'm trying. Yeah. So we can do. Rachael Barclay (10:07) Yeah, that's all we can do. Okay, so what is a book that you recommend to people, either one that you've read recently or your favorite book or like I'm an audible person more than a sitting down reading person. William R. Herbert (10:25) Yeah, so I've been yeah, so I've been reading a lot of books. I do a lot of audible books. so I'm kind of in between The Let Them Theory. I just actually finished the Let Them Theory. and I'm currently so these my can't really see it, so listening to like Yeah. Rachael Barclay (10:48) the 48 laws of power. Can't read that one. William R. Herbert (10:53) So the second one is the narrative of Olaudah Equiano, who is essentially was Rachael Barclay (11:01) Mmm. William R. Herbert (11:01) like one of the first free slaves Caribbean. Rachael Barclay (11:05) Hmm William R. Herbert (11:07) and the third one is W. E. B. Du Bois, the fight for equality, and the essentially American freedom. So Those are the three books that essentially I've been reading the most. A book That I So if you are a person that has been a parent for a while or even a person that is moving into this space of like of trying just let go. the let them theory Rachael Barclay (11:37) Hmm. William R. Herbert (11:38) is a really good book by I don't know if you ever heard it by Mel Robbins. Rachael Barclay (11:42) Mm It's that green one you can William R. Herbert (11:43) And Rachael Barclay (11:43) see. don't know if you can see it behind me that's shining in the blur. Yeah. William R. Herbert (11:47) Is that what it is? Is that it? Cool. I love it. Another reason why you and I get along great, 'cause cause you got got good taste in books. Yep. Yep. Yep. And so, Rachael Barclay (11:53) Yeah. William R. Herbert (11:59) I think I don't know if you look if you look at mine, you can see I'm almost done with mine. Rachael Barclay (12:08) Yeah, it's such a good book. William R. Herbert (12:08) I think I got like two hours left. and another book, I would say well two more books. One Rachael Barclay (12:18) I love it. William R. Herbert (12:19) Black AF History by Michael Harriot, Black as History, by Michael Rachael Barclay (12:23) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (12:24) Harriet. and it basically talks about it it's it has a breakdown of our history, our real history Rachael Barclay (12:33) Okay, get it. William R. Herbert (12:34) without all the whitewashing, in a very peculiar entertaining way of Michael Harriot, because he pulls no punches, he just says things first brand, and either you gotta have a stomach for it or you don't. But if you do, just Rachael Barclay (12:51) Mmm. William R. Herbert (12:52) know you fit in a laugh a lot and you're fitting to be like, okay. And then the last book is Leadership Unlocked by Yours Favorite. That's right. Yeah. is that one back there too? Okay, cool. Yeah, I'm like I'm like Rachael Barclay (13:02) Yeah, Jesse Rhodes. Yeah, that one's back here too. Yeah. William R. Herbert (13:10) three I'm like two hours in it. there it is. Rachael Barclay (13:12) I got my signed copy. William R. Herbert (13:14) I just I just finished reading Atomic Habits for the fourth time. I I listen to that a lot when I exercise. Like if I'm in the gym Rachael Barclay (13:28) that's a good idea. William R. Herbert (13:28) and I'm lifting weights, I'll just I'll just be sitting there just on the bench. Just Rachael Barclay (13:34) That's an atomic habit. Right there. huh. William R. Herbert (13:37) Yep. Yep. So Atomic Habits is is is another book. so yeah. I do listen to I Rachael Barclay (13:42) I love that. William R. Herbert (13:43) do listen to a lot more books now. I didn't realize How much listening to audiobooks through Audible would help me resonate with so many things versus Rachael Barclay (13:55) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (13:57) reading them. Because you read them, it's a it's a tenuous chore. Rachael Barclay (14:03) Mm-mm. William R. Herbert (14:03) Right? but you can You could be driving in a car, I can drive in my car Rachael Barclay (14:09) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (14:09) and I'll be listening to Audible in my car or in the gym. Or I can be having conversations with you and you can say something and I can be like, I just heard that just the other day in this book that I was reading. And then I'll be like, Rachael Barclay (14:23) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (14:24) yeah, Let them Theory by Mel Robbins. She'd be like, Guess what? Guess you see that little green spot back there? That's my book too. But then so then you find out that other people are reading and listening to the same book. So Rachael Barclay (14:34) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (14:34) So yeah, yeah, those are my books. I do listen and read a lot though. Rachael Barclay (14:37) Kind of interesting, like, could you match people on books? know, like, that's what I was thinking. I'm like, hmm, would that tell you about a person? I don't know. Like, pick which is your favorite. William R. Herbert (14:46) I d I didn't I didn't I kinda cut out, what'd you say? Rachael Barclay (14:49) I said it's kind of interesting. I was thinking it's like could you match introductions based on books? know, like top five books. Like how would these people go together? Just an interesting thought. Yeah, yeah. William R. Herbert (14:59) Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. Rachael Barclay (15:04) Okay, and then my last question is what is the best room you've ever walked into anywhere? William R. Herbert (15:12) But so many of man, but Rachael Barclay (15:16) It could be more than one, it could be a couple. William R. Herbert (15:18) So So once upon a time I worked as a government fellow for Honorable John Lewis. And I remember Walking into this room with one of my frat brothers, brother Malwan Johnson, and He was in there. He's also, he, God bless the soul, may he rest in heaven. He's also a member of the same fraternity as me. So I remember walking in, and like any fraternity, we have our own secret handshake. And I remember he walked right up to me and gave me the handshake and gave me the grip, and he gave me the biggest hug. And I burst into tears. Rachael Barclay (16:11) Mmm. William R. Herbert (16:12) And in that same room, it was him, brother Elijah Cummings. Shawn Stockman from Boys the Men and Rachael Barclay (16:24) Mmm. William R. Herbert (16:25) several other people. And I just remembered I would see I would be in one meeting when I would see Brother Lewis all the time. And anytime I'd see him, I'd do one of these and he'd do one of these back to me. And he'd keep it moving. And I remember I I just man. Rachael Barclay (16:50) powerful. William R. Herbert (16:51) He's my frat brother. He's my frat brother. Me, he always be my frat brother. Shawn Stockman from Boys and Men's another frat brother that was in that room. And I just remember being in space with all these great people. There's so many other people. I probably can't even remember, but I remember being in space with him and brother Cummings. Yeah, like just being in the space with some of these people, like, yeah. So I would say that room. I would say So You have the history of Seattle, and then you have the history of the Central District, right? Rachael Barclay (17:30) Yeah. William R. Herbert (17:31) Which essentially is like the first it's like the first of many things of Seattle. It's like the first essentially neighborhood in which the rest of Seattle was built around it. Rachael Barclay (17:42) Thank William R. Herbert (17:43) first unincorporated like black neighborhood. Rachael Barclay (17:48) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (17:50) But I say all of that to say there are people that operate in that space to keep in that neighborhood what it is and to br continue Rachael Barclay (17:58) Thank William R. Herbert (17:59) to bring businesses and flourish to that neighborhood. but I've been in spaces working, you know, volunteering for the Urban League where I've walked in the rooms and I'm in the rooms with like black civil rights operators, like Black Panthers. I'm part of a group called the Breakfast Club. which Rachael Barclay (18:21) Mmm. William R. Herbert (18:21) essentially is a a breakfast that we do one Thursday out of the month, and we have programs and events to help raise our young men, teach them how to tie a tie, teach how to how to dress up and interv you know, inter for interview and occasion. and so in that group, being in that group with those men are men that have been heads of the Seattle City Council for like years and and so when I'm in those rooms There's like so much history. And these are people, I'm fifty. And these are people that are like 70s, 80s, 90s year olds, like still fighting. So Rachael Barclay (19:04) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (19:05) anytime where I get to walk in those rooms, Rachael Barclay (19:08) Yeah. William R. Herbert (19:09) I just take a deep breath. Rachael Barclay (19:13) Mm-hmm. William R. Herbert (19:14) and just be in space. And Rachael Barclay (19:16) Okay. William R. Herbert (19:17) there are lots I went to a lunch the other day and I was just brother Robert Jones, who's the president of Washington, who's also me and Jesse's frat brother. I went to a luncheon like two weeks ago with him and several others and And a couple other people are like, You don't really say much. And I'm like, nah. I do love talking, but sometimes certain rooms I just know just to shut my mouth, man, and just listen. And he goes, you were raised right. And I was like, Yep, raised by my mama. So Yeah, raised by my mama. Sometimes yeah, sometimes Rachael Barclay (19:49) Yes, I was going to say that. You don't always need to talk. William R. Herbert (19:56) you can you know, and and it's funny that 'cause one thing that I've learned is if my mom says, he goes, Sometimes you don't need to talk. Sometimes You have everything that you need to say, and you can say all of that by just keeping your mouth shut. And I'd just be like, Yes, ma'am. She goes, But the difference Rachael Barclay (20:09) Amen. William R. Herbert (20:12) but but my mom says the difference is is knowing when that is. So and so that comes she and Rachael Barclay (20:18) Mm-hmm. Discernment. William R. Herbert (20:20) sh she goes, Yeah, so use discernment and she goes, that comes with age. And I think one of the things that we were talking about is people don't use discernment anymore. Rachael Barclay (20:30) Mm-mm. Yep. William R. Herbert (20:30) And and it just shows and just like how they operate and how they choose friends and even the choices that they make of like who they gonna ride with and who they gonna let let slide on, like when they do dumb stuff, right? Like all those things, right? And so I'm learning in my in my wise old years, I'm fifty, I'm not old, Rachael Barclay (20:54) Yeah, really, I was going to say, I was going to let you get away with it, but it's okay. William R. Herbert (20:57) Yeah. Yeah. I'm learn I'm learning in my wise old years that discernment's good. Find comfort in it. Find comfort in discernment and find comfort in operating with discernment. No. Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (21:11) and integrity. It's not as plentiful as you would imagine. William R. Herbert (21:18) No ma'am, it is it it hey, it is not. You know, like it is not.