138 | From Athlete to Redemption: Jonathan Shorten's Journey of Resilience

About the Guest

Jonathan Shorten is a highly successful car salesman recognized as one of the top auto salesmen in the country. Emerging from a challenging past, Jonathan navigated through various adversities to carve out a prosperous career in the auto industry. At 28, he now leverages his life experiences, including a background in athletics and his innate resilience, to connect with a diverse clientele, including high-profile college athletes benefitting from NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) opportunities. His journey reflects a compelling story of redemption, faith, and the pursuit of excellence.

Episode Summary

In this engaging episode of Becoming UnDone, host Toby Brooks introduces Jonathan Shorten, a standout figure in the auto sales industry who has transformed personal adversities into professional triumphs. From a promising high school athlete faced with challenges, including a failed drug test and a disqualifying transfer delaying his sports career, Jonathan's journey is one of resilience and reinvention. Anchored in faith and supported by a serendipitous intervention by a mysterious figure at a pivotal moment, Jonathan shares his transition from despair to remarkable success in car sales.

Throughout this inspiring conversation, Jonathan delves into the ups and downs of his life, from navigating legal challenges to mastering social media for business growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. His insightful reflections highlight significant themes like perseverance, community, and the importance of authentic relationships. Jonathan emphasizes the role of faith, recounting impactful moments, including the life-altering guidance of his father and crucial advice from mentors. Delivered with candor and clarity, this episode touches upon the essence of redemption and finding purpose in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

Key Takeaways

• Resilience in Adversity: Jonathan's story is a testament to the essential role resilience plays in overcoming life's challenges.
• The Power of Reinvention: Through strategic use of social media, Jonathan successfully pivoted his career during the pandemic, showcasing the importance of adaptability.
• Faith and Redemption: Jonathan's experience underscores the power of faith and spirituality in personal growth and finding purpose.
• Authenticity and Connection: His success in the auto industry highlights the value of building genuine relationships and staying true to oneself.
• Learning from Failure: Jonathan's journey emphasizes embracing failures as learning opportunities and the stepping stones to future success.

Notable Quotes

1. "I went from hero to zero overnight."
2. "To my knowledge, I'm the first person I know that really utilized Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to sell cars."
3. "The fall is harder the higher you are."
4. "You need to learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable."
5. "I was just as vulnerable as everyone else, and I didn't know that."

Resources:

• Jonathan Shorten on social media: @jshor10
• Follow Jonathan on Facebook for updates:

Transcript

0:00:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): This is becoming undone. Probably like that end of my junior year, I really started figuring out, like, okay, hey, I'm. I'm a pretty good athlete. And then, so what I wanted to do, I wanted to transfer to Coronado. They were going to be the only 6A in the. In the area, because every kid thinks going to 6A just guarantees you're going to play at the next level. I did that, and everything was going great in my first week of my senior year, but the UIL actually did not let me play sports my senior year. No, I didn't get to play. So you gotta think that's coming off my junior year, failing the drug test, you know, then everyone knows, then trying to move my senior year.

0:00:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): I mean, dude, that's like as low as you could have a kid be fighting for my life right now. I was the kid that would go to. I would live on the brink of getting in real trouble. And so this is that, like, first time where I'm like, I have my back against the wall, seriously. And I mean, things got really, really dark for me, man. Especially, like, they always say that the fall is harder the higher you are, you know, I mean, which is true. And so, man, I went from zero to zero overnight.

0:01:13 - (Jonathan Shorten): My name's Jonathan shorten, and I am Undone.

0:01:22 - (Toby Brooks): Hey, friend. I'm glad you're here. Welcome to yet another episode of Becoming Undone, the podcast for those who dare bravely risk mightily and grow relentlessly. I'm Toby Brooks, a speaker, author, professor, and performance scientist. I've spent much of the last two decades working as an athletic trainer and a strength coach in the professional, collegiate and high school sports settings. And over the years, I've grown more and more fascinated with what sets high achievers apart and how failures that can stink in the moment can end up being exactly the push we needed to propel us along our paths to success.

0:01:51 - (Toby Brooks): Each week on Becoming Undone, I invite new guests to examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to. To falling into place. I'd like to emphasize this show is entirely separate from my role at Baylor University, but it's my attempt to apply what I've learned and what I'm learning and to share with others about the mindsets of high achievers. Been another busy week in the Waco area. Still chipping away at some classes and doing a lot to try to keep on course.

0:02:18 - (Toby Brooks): We managed to climb back up in the rankings to 10th this week, so happy to hear that. Hopefully, folks are checking the show out, so if you haven't Shared the show with someone recently. Do me a favor. Let them know that you're listening and that you're enjoying and that hopefully I'm helping you on your journey to success. You know, every now and then, you meet someone whose story grabs you by the collar and it pulls you all the way in.

0:02:50 - (Toby Brooks): For me, that's Jonathan Shorten. From being a promising high school athlete to navigating heartbreak, an arrest on charges of domestic assault, and then eventually, a complete identity collapse, his journey is not just about success, but survival. It's about faith, about failing, about getting up and learning who you are when the spotlight dims and the room gets empty. Today, Jonathan's one of the most successful car salesmen in the country.

0:03:18 - (Toby Brooks): But that's not why he's here. He's here because every car sold has become a story for him of redemption. A story that says, you're not done. So buckle up. This isn't just a comeback story. It's a come to life story in episode 138 with Jonathan Shortman. Hey. Greetings, friend. Welcome back to Becoming Undone, a podcast for those who dare bravely risk mightily and grow relentlessly. Join me, Toby Brooks, as I invite a new guest each week week where we examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place.

0:03:51 - (Toby Brooks): Joining me today from the hub city of Lubbock, Texas, Jonathan shorten is one of the most incredible auto salesmen in the world at this moment. He just shared with me he sold three this morning, and it's not even noon.

0:04:04 - (Jonathan Shorten): So.

0:04:04 - (Toby Brooks): Jonathan, thanks so much for joining me.

0:04:07 - (Jonathan Shorten): Hey, thank you for having me on here, man. It's my pleasure.

0:04:10 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah. So we go sort of way back.

0:04:13 - (Jonathan Shorten): I.

0:04:14 - (Toby Brooks): My kids went to Cooper High School, and I know you've got history there. And we crossed paths initially. A great program that Coach Darden has where he connects mentors from the community with players there at Cooper High. And you were involved in that, and we became friends from that. And then I've kind of followed you on Social for a bit, and, you know, I mean, you know what. You know from what people share with Social. But I gathered that you were a person that was hunting for purpose and looking for what maybe the Lord had in store for you or for. For whatever it was you were placed here to do. And then suddenly you become a salesman and you are killing it. I see you a picture with you with a new trophy every month. So I'm like, I gotta reach out to this guy and I gotta hear his story. So thanks so much for joining me today.

0:05:00 - (Jonathan Shorten): Hey, thanks for having me on here, man, seriously.

0:05:03 - (Toby Brooks): Well, I know your background is in sport and that's a common theme in this show. So take us back to those days in high school. What role did sports play in your life and what did you im your future would look like back then, man?

0:05:15 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, like every kid swore I was going to the pros, you know. Swore. Yeah, you said Coach Darden. I was actually a part of the first group of kids that Coach Darden got to coach back in middle school. Let's see. Probably wanted to lean more towards playing football like at the next level in college. Ended up, ended up getting my sophomore year, sophomore year, man, I just couldn't get over heel spurts, man.

0:05:43 - (Jonathan Shorten): Something about the turf. Couldn't get over it. And I was a little bit chubby. So yeah, sophomore year was chubby about 59 and was all right, man. I mean I really didn't give everything I had to give. And then went off to North Carolina that summer, went to go work at actually the Kitty Hawkins in, in North Carolina. Hung out with my aunt uncle and came back and I was like six three and all I did was eight chips and did nothing.

0:06:14 - (Jonathan Shorten): Came back, I was six three and dunking a basketball and running like four or five. So I probably stepped away from football a little bit too early. I was a late bloomer, stuck to basketball, but actually a part of a group of Cooper that we probably went down for something not so good. Our whole basketball team partied. We had a drug test. We all of us failed literally. Right. But like right before district district play and it's funny, we were actually picked to probably win that district and go really deep in the state. And that was a district that had powerhouse Brownfield Seminoles coming off state championship run.

0:06:56 - (Jonathan Shorten): Lamisa was actually pretty decent back then. Shallow water was shallow water and we were the pig man. And really that's kind of when the first set of adversity really hit me. It was probably my junior year.

0:07:12 - (Toby Brooks): You had expectations on you. You've got a pedigree of high level athletes in your family. So talk to me a little bit about how that may be factored into your identity as an athlete.

0:07:24 - (Jonathan Shorten): My, my dad, man, like you said it, he's probably like he at his time, the 80s, he was that guy in the Lubbock, Amarillo, Odessa area. He was like they say now he was him. Baseball, track, football. Ended up wanting to go to A and M to play football. Not too sure what happened there. So then he went to ACU and Just killed it. He was in the conference, I want to say it was the. It was the Lone Star back then, too, with John Randall. And he actually, him and John Randall were neck and neck every season in sacks.

0:08:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): And what's funny is he's got a really cool story, too. He had quit playing football after. After college and was working at J.C. penney's, and some guy came up to him and was like, I know you, like, why'd you stop playing football? My dad's like, oh, now that I'm done with that. And he's like, hey, I probably got one shot for you. I got one more chance. Like, tells my dad, and JCPenney's like, if you come out to come out to Chicago, I can probably get you a camp invite. And I think you have a good chance of making the team.

0:08:35 - (Jonathan Shorten): And my dad told me, he's like, dude, I thought this guy was full of it. He's like, basically, I was like, yeah, okay, some guy's gonna come see me at JC Penney's, recognize me and think I can still play. And he came back and he did. He ended up getting a shot in Chicago. Philly played Arena Football League, played for the Birmingham Barracudas. It was the only American team in the cfl. A lot of people don't know that, that we actually had a team in the United States back in the day, after that, played in the NFL, Europe, and then came back home. So, like you said, I mean, the expectations were there.

0:09:13 - (Toby Brooks): So get this. Jonathan starts telling me his story by sharing two things. First, he and several of his other Lubbock Cooper teammates are ruled ineligible for basketball for failing a drug test, a preseason pick to contend for a district championship. It all falls apart, and with it, one fourth of his high school opportunity to play organized basketball. And he's remorseful now, but as a 15 or 16 year old, it's a consequence of at least one and maybe several poor decisions.

0:09:45 - (Toby Brooks): Making matters worse, Cooper isn't necessarily known for being a great place for race relations. In the 14 years I lived in the district, it made the national news exactly twice for racially related headlines. So as one of the fairly low percentage of black kids at Cooper High, Jonathan might have been under some additional scrutiny to begin with. Magnifying that was the fact that he was the son of a former collegiate and professional athlete, Oscar shorten.

0:10:12 - (Toby Brooks): In a story that is almost unthinkable, Jonathan's dad is recognized while working in a JC Penney. He ends up turning that conversation into an opportunity for a tryout which he's then able to parlay into a few seasons in the Canadian Football League and NFL Europe, even with the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. He was recently inducted into the National Football Foundation's hall of fame in 2022.

0:10:38 - (Toby Brooks): And in researching the background for this episode, I came across a great quote from Jonathan's dad. Oscar says quote, my dad told me something when I was young. He said, football is life. And in every football game, there are four or five plays that decide the game. The problem is you don't know what those four or five plays are or when they're going to happen. So if you're giving half effort, if you're loafing on one of those four or five plays, you're not going to be prepared in the game and it may pass you by.

0:11:09 - (Toby Brooks): That's the same way in your life. End quote. That sage wisdom that Jonathan would discover for himself in the years to come. And not all of those lessons were going to be easy.

0:11:23 - (Jonathan Shorten): And kind of the reason I didn't want to grow up in Amarillo. That's where he grew up. And my mom was living there at the time. So as soon as I had the opportunity to get out of Amarillo, I wanted to. Because every time I put a helmet on or lace up my shoes, it was, oh, that shortens board, you know? So I kind of just wanted to make my own identity for myself. It was going well for me at the end of my, my run, probably, probably like that end of my junior year, I really started figuring out, like, okay, hey, I'm, I'm a pretty good athlete. And then, so what I wanted to do, I wanted to transfer to Coronado. They were going to be the only 6A in the, in the area.

0:12:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): Because every kid thinks going to 6A just guarantees you're going to play at the next level, you know? You know, so I did that and everything was going great. I was probably going to even play some football, go back and play football then my first week of my senior year. And I mean, you got to think about where we're at in the timeline. I mean, I've already moved, I've already left. Cooper was at Coronado, but the UIL actually did not let me play sports my senior year.

0:12:34 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I, we actually moved to the Coronado district. And now I didn't get to play. So you got to think that's like I said, you're coming off my junior year failing the drug test. You know, then everyone knows, then try to move my senior year, I Mean, dude, that's like as low as you could have a kid be. You know what I mean? Like, like I still remember sitting in Coach Dean's office and him telling me, like, hey, like, you're going to start for me. I was going to love to have you. Going to be great.

0:13:08 - (Jonathan Shorten): Along with Jared Colver. I've already been playing with Jared Colbert. We in and out of premier pickup games. I mean, we were excited, man, and came into me and was like, hey, like no shot.

0:13:22 - (Toby Brooks): Unlike that first season of ineligibility, this one hit Jonathan differently. He'd spent his years at Cooper, but with aspirations of playing Division 1 basketball, he decides to transfer in the city to nearby Lubbock Coronado High School. At the time, it was the only 6A school around and it included future Texas Tech Red Raider and NBA first rounder, sixth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Jared Culver.

0:13:48 - (Toby Brooks): You hear Jonathan mention the fact that his family quote actually moved. End quote. It isn't uncommon for athletes in Texas, or anywhere else for that matter, to get mailing addresses in districts where they want to play in order for it to be approved for them to be eligible for the next season. However, for whatever reason, even though Jonathan had moved, he was declared ineligible by the uil, the state of Texas governing body for public high school sports.

0:14:16 - (Toby Brooks): It's a major blow. And unlike that first year that was lost due to poor decisions, this one kind of feels worse because by most accounts, he's doing the right things. He's playing AAU ball, working out with who he thought would be his new teammates. But when it's all taken away at the start of the school year, it's the beginning of a dark season and the first moments of a purpose storm that would hang around for years.

0:14:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I still, because of, like you said, I've still probably had opportunities to play sports outside of high school. My dad still lined up a bunch of stuff for me to get the opportunity, but man, by that time, I think it's like, I think it's like when your girlfriend keeps cheating on you, like, you might love her, you know what I'm saying? Like, seriously, like you, you like might love her, but finally you're just like, dude, I don't even want to do this anymore.

0:15:10 - (Jonathan Shorten): Whatever. Like every, every which way. I was getting the bad end of the state.

0:15:14 - (Toby Brooks): Sure. And I think it's, it's natural. I mean, clearly you, you made a mistake on one hand and then, yes, pull things together and think I'm doing it right and I'm focused. And then you get turned away again. And sports at this point had been a pretty significant part of your identity. When that's taken away, what does that do to you psychologically? Where do you go and what's the response to that denial by the uil?

0:15:38 - (Jonathan Shorten): Dude, that's a good. That's. That's something I've never even thought about, but I have. Your answer. Mask it. You mask it. You. You. You turn to things that you think you should or need to do to. I mean, you got to think, like, everyone wants to hang out with the athlete. So, I mean, you try to be like someone that you're really not. And, like, that's actually a really good question. And I've never thought about that, but I think I masked it from 2014 to about 2018, you know, I didn't have an identity. I wasn't Jonathan the athlete. I wasn't the smartest kid, school smart.

0:16:16 - (Jonathan Shorten): I feel like I have really good street smarts, but, I mean, I wasn't. I wasn't great at taking tests, you know, I mean, so, like, man, I was just. Just trying to fit in where I could, you know, I mean, hang out with these group of guys, party with these group of guys. I mean, no direction. Just no direction. Just wanted to mask everything that had happened and not take the accountability. Like, dude, it was me who caused that.

0:16:39 - (Jonathan Shorten): I had so much blame on everything else. Like, oh, what if we would have done this? What if I would have done this? Oh, but this person's parents told this person, you know, and, like, being 28 now, it's 10 years out of high school now I can look and say, I thought, yeah, as that guy in the mirror, like, you know, that always. That was me. You know, it was my decisions. Then someone asked me, like, if I could go back and change it, would I.

0:17:01 - (Jonathan Shorten): No. Like, no. It was everything that happened made me like the person I am today. And the word that I like to describe myself would be resiliency. Like, you know, like, I just. I don't know how to give up. I don't want to give up. I always wanted to be someone, you know. Yeah. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I just knew I was going to figure something out. To be someone. We always had. Me and my friends always had some type of get rich fast game.

0:17:29 - (Jonathan Shorten): 100 jobs that we did started. I mean, they all failed. You know, you just want the shortcut. But you got to realize, like, it's the process. Yeah.

0:17:38 - (Toby Brooks): Like, you know, so candidly. You shared a photo with me that, that obviously you're not ashamed of it. Now it's part of your story. Just like you shared. It was a photo at the jail. You had been arrested. I'm not quite sure on the timeline there, though. So kind of walk me through the days from graduating high school to when you get that phone call from Coach Cole. What. What did that in between look like for Jonathan?

0:18:09 - (Jonathan Shorten): Okay, a bunch of. A lot of fun. Not gonna lie. I was having a lot of fun. I met a girl, moved to McKinney, Texas. I had a few friends already in that area, and once again, I was gonna shoot that one last shot to play some sports. I had a. Had an end to go try out or play football at North Texas. Just the connections are there. I was actually in phenomenal shape. I was lifting crazy. I was lifting for no reason. That's what's funny. I had no plans to go play football. I was just playing basketball at the Wreck in Denton with a bunch of kids that played in North Texas. And they're like, do you play ball? I was like, nah, man. No, like, I'm 20 years old. Like, I don't play any ball. And one of the kids is like, dude, I'm a walk on receiver. Little white guys, like, walk on receiver.

0:19:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): He's like, dude, you need to. You need to come play. Like, you need to come play football. And I was like, I might. Like, you know, I'm already down here. So I was like, you know what? Why not? Like, I'll give him one more shot. And so this was. This would have been like July, man. Yeah, July. Moved over there. I was living there probably two months. And I just remember, like, having the time of my life telling all my friends, I'll never go back to Logan. I'll never go back to that.

0:19:35 - (Jonathan Shorten): That place. I'm like, oh, I'm so glad I'm out. I'm so glad I'm out. And we'd always go to this bowling alley. And keep in mind, I was 20, I wasn't 21, but I had one of my buddies IDs who we looked very similar, Very similar. And we'd always go to the bowling alley. And the bowling alley was in between, like, Denton and McKinney. Somewhere in that area. Not too sure, but it was a drive from our apartment.

0:20:00 - (Jonathan Shorten): And one day we pull up and, man, we've been going there. I think it was every Wednesday. I think every Wednesday is like, $, you call it. So I mean, it was Wednesday. We had 20 bucks and, you know, that's all I needed, dude. You know, you know, bowl maybe one game and just hang out. Well, I'll get to the door. And the dude's like, hey, we get. We got an idea. And we're like, we always come here. We're like, what's going on? Like, we always come here.

0:20:28 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was like, no big deal. Like, we all go to pull our id. I do the. Do the pat. Pat. Backpack. Backpack. I don't have my wallet. And I was like, dude, I'm not going all the way back to get my wallet. Just let me in. The dude's like, adamant. Nope. And my friends, you know, my, you know, 20 year olds, like, the right thing to do would probably be like, hey, we'll go back with you. But I do understand.

0:20:50 - (Jonathan Shorten): So they're like, yeah, we're not going back over there. Like, bro, just go run and get in. Come right back. I was like, you know what, you're right. I still have like two hours to hang out. I was like, I'm gonna go right back. So I drive all the way back. I think you know where this store is going. I drive all the way back, and I pull up to my spot. I mean, I'm starting in there, whipping it in there.

0:21:13 - (Jonathan Shorten): And there's a Dodge Challenger in my spot. And there's this old black guy who would always like, do like the maintenance at the apartments. And I was like, hey, man, this is my spot. And the dude was like, son, come here. And I was like, I don't have time for this. His name is Reggie. I was like, I don't have time for this, Reggie. I. I was like, I love talking to you. I said, dude, I gotta go up there and get my stuff. I gotta go.

0:21:40 - (Jonathan Shorten): And he stops me. He's like, you're not going up there to get your stuff, bro. I was like, okay, dude. I was like, I've never had any issues with you, Reggie. I was like, but right now you're tripping. I was like, I'm going up there to get my stuff. I was like, I don't really care whose car this is. I'm like, will you just move it or will you just tell. Find out who it is so when I get back I can park in my spot.

0:21:59 - (Jonathan Shorten): And he goes, that's. Whoever in that car is in your apartment. You're not going up there. And I looked at him, I was like, wait, what? And he's like, he's like, dude. He goes, I'll go up there. I'm Gonna knock on the door and I'm gonna escort who's ever out of there to this car. And you're gonna get your stuff and you're not gonna say one word to that girl. And you're gonna get your stuff and you're gonna go find somewhere, somewhere to stay tonight.

0:22:23 - (Toby Brooks): There's a lot to unpack here, so let me give it a shot. Jonathan is still in the midst of figuring out life. He's in great shape and considering trying out as a walk on for the football team at the University of North Texas. However, he's still not all in on making great decisions as he forgets his friend's ID that he's been using to get in to consume. Even as a minor, thinking he'd be gone with his friends for far longer.

0:22:51 - (Toby Brooks): His girlfriend has a visitor who happened to have parked in his spot at the apartment complex. And here's where a non believer might say this story gets crazy. A believer might call it God's protection and provision. Either way, Reggie the maintenance guy steps in and he offers to keep Jonathan from what could have been a serious confrontation to both a girlfriend and her visitor. It's safe to say that Reggie, who whoever he is, altered the course of Jonathan's life along with an incredibly timed phone call from an old coach.

0:23:31 - (Jonathan Shorten): And so the more ironic thing about this is the night prior to this, I'm getting a call From Silas Palit, 325 area code. I'll never forget. I didn't even have his number saved. Called me twice. Second time he calls me, I answer. I was like, what's up? He's like, hey, it's coach Pro. I got a summer job for you in Lubbock. And I was like just exactly how it happened. I was like not coming back to Lubbock.

0:23:55 - (Jonathan Shorten): Click phone. So I was like still trying to get me to come back to Lubbock. I was like, I don't even. Then my girlfriend is like what job? I was like, I don't even listen, I'm not going back. So fast forward 24 hours. Calling back at about 28 or 1am it took me a while to get my stuff and I didn't say a word, man. And this story is actually crazy. This is actually one of the reasons I. Not one of the reasons I believe in God. But this is, this is probably my first moment I realized there is a God.

0:24:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I mean this is crazy what I'm about to tell you. So I mean I get my stuff and I'm driving back to Lubbock and I'm hauling. And I didn't want my dad to know I was back. I didn't want anyone to know I was coming back to Lubbock. For one, I've been ignoring my dad. Weren't on the best of terms. Did not want him to know. I told him, like, I'm gone. I'm not coming back to Lubbock. Well, I'm already on the way back two months, two or three months later and calling Silas. And I'm calling, I'm calling, I'm calling, I'm calling. Finally picks up.

0:24:55 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was like, dude, y' all still got that job for me? I don't even know where it's at. I have no clue. I have no clue. He's like, yeah. He goes, my brother works at Hayes Motor Company. Go over there in the morning. They need a guy to drive the cars around and, you know, pick the lot up and detail some cars. I was like, yeah, dude, I'll do it. I was like, I'll do it. I was like, I'll be there first thing in the morning.

0:25:14 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I get there and I'm the lot porter. I'm going to stay at this spot, but I'm going to go. I'm going to fast forward a little bit, too. I'm already at Hayes being lot porter for about a year. Well, I went back to McKinney to go watch one of my friends graduate. And I was like, dude, I'm going to go by and I'm going to go tell that Reggie guy, thank you. You know, So I pull up to my apartments, type in 0000 pound.

0:25:38 - (Jonathan Shorten): That was. I knew they wouldn't change the code. That was the code. I go in there and I'm driving around, and I see this older Hispanic yelling the golf cart. And I was like, hey. I was like, do you know if Reggie's working today? And they're like, we don't have anyone here named Reggie. I was like, no, dude, the old black guy. I was like, maybe that's not his name. I was like, but he's like the old black guy. I was like, he always had a burnt black and mild in his mouth. They're like.

0:26:01 - (Jonathan Shorten): They're like. They're looking at me like, are you on drugs? I was like, no, dude. I'm really like, I really just want to talk to him. I just want to tell him thank you. And the guy's like, like, he does not understand what I'm saying. That. Well, he's not. He doesn't speak the best English. I'm like, okay. He probably just doesn't understand me. So I drive to the front office, and I see the same lady with blonde hair that I remember talking to when we first got the apartment.

0:26:22 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was asking. I was like, hey, where's Reggie that does, like, the maintenance, that paints the spots and stuff? And they're like, no, we don't have a Reggie. And I was like, wait, excuse me? I was like, you remember me? She's like, oh, I do remember you. And I was like, yes. I said, where's Reggie at? I said, do you remember the. The black guy who, like, he unlocked my door. And she's like, no, no, no. It was an older white guy. She's.

0:26:48 - (Jonathan Shorten): She's like, this guy, he's worked here for years. And I'm sitting there and I'm ripping out. I'm like. I'm like, please, someone tell me, like, that this is really happening right now. So, like, me being me, I'm like, I'm gonna call Aaron. Like, I was like, I just want to make sure I'm not. I'm not tripping. So I called her, and I haven't talked to her in a year. And she's like, what do you want? And I'm like, dude, I just want to talk to you for one second. I was like, just one second. I'm not even bothering you. It's like, was there not a black guy named Reggie that was like, the apartment ground guy? And she's like, yeah. She's like, I remember that old black guy. I was like, what do you think happened to him? She's like, I don't know why? I was like, nothing. I was like, that's everything I needed to know. I was like, bye. You know, I remember driving back, and I was just like, man, I don't know if, like, I was like, man, Because I just keep thinking, like, if I didn't see that guy, I would have ran in there, probably done something I wouldn't want to do, and probably would have been in a lot of trouble. And I just remember driving back, like, telling everyone, like, dude, this guy doesn't exist. I remember calling my buddy Dylan. He's like, he definitely exists. He's like, that dude always was talking to you. And I was like, always.

0:28:02 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was like, every time. I was like, at the police, he was like, my friend Dylan was like, no, that dude was always talking to you. I was like, I know that he doesn't exist. I was like, everyone says he doesn't exist. I Went up there and they're like, bro, that's weird. That's your guardian angel. And I was like, no, I actually think you guys might be right. I was like. Because no one seems to know. This guy's like, I mean, the apartment complex is huge. There's probably 40 units.

0:28:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): I mean, ginormous. I'm like, man, I don't know, man, but I just remember, like, okay, you know what? I was like, I think I'm right where I need to be. I was like, something's telling me, like, I think I'm in the right spot.

0:28:38 - (Toby Brooks): Here's the thing about a story like this. Again, to a non believer, there has got to be another explanation. How else could you explain away the fact that this guy, who not only befriended a young Jonathan who was not making the best decisions in the world at this point in his life, but who also stepped in and interceded in a moment that could have boiled over into violence and all the unwanted consequences that would have come with it.

0:29:04 - (Toby Brooks): How else could you explain the fact that a year later not one person at the apartment complex could recall all anyone by that name or description ever working? But to a believer, there's another train of thought. It was protection. Let me tell you why I believe it. When I was about that same age, I had a similar nuclear meltdown of a relationship. I was engaged to a girl who, figuratively speaking, had had a Challenger parked in my spot a time or two.

0:29:37 - (Toby Brooks): She ultimately ended the relationship. In the aftermath, I found myself contemplating the unthinkable, taking my own life. Now, I will spare you the details, but I came as close as you can to delivering on that idea before something stopped me. A sense that I had a deeper purpose, that God didn't want this for me, that I had work left undone. In that moment, I called out for help. I remember literally screaming to a God that I wasn't even sure existed, that if he was really real, that I needed him to show me and I needed him to teach me how to know him and what he wanted me to do with my life.

0:30:26 - (Toby Brooks): It was my first purpose storm, and it was raging around me at that very moment. A book that I'd mindlessly stashed away on my closet had been given to me months earlier. Just without even thinking about it, I stuck it on the top shelf of my closet. And it had been there for months. But in that moment, that book, suddenly, with no explanation, landed squarely in front of me where I knelt in the doorway of my closet.

0:30:59 - (Toby Brooks): It was Henry and Richard Blackaby's. Experiencing God. The subtitle Knowing and Doing the Will of God Now, I'm sure there's an actual explanation for it. There are physics, there's gravity involved. But in that instance, none of that mattered to me as much as the fact that in my moment of deepest need, I'd been offered a hand of grace, a light of hope, and a path to restoration. Just like me, Jonathan wouldn't be immune from suffering and setbacks forevermore.

0:31:39 - (Toby Brooks): Some might even say they got worse. But in that instance, his experience in God was a guy named Reggie who helped him make his way through a dark moment to a place of safety on the other side.

0:31:53 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I'm working at Hays for a year and I'm 21 now at this point. And I remember basically they were telling me, like, you can either go back to school and still do this, or you can jump into sales or you can't work here. Like, that was. And I was like, what? They're like, yeah, you got like, you're. Every time there's a customer here, you know them, they're like, dude, go back to school and you can work here part time or you need to go full time into selling here or just leave. Don't. Don't work here. And I remember Kyle Porris telling me that, and I was like, all right, dude, I'll give it a shot. I was like, my mom always told me that I shouldn't sell cars. She thinks I'd be really good. And she thinks I'm not going to go back to school.

0:32:33 - (Jonathan Shorten): And he's like, no, man, I mean, just try it. She's going to be happy. She's going to be proud of you regardless. I was like, I don't know, man. My mom thinks I'm going to be really good at this and she really, really wants me to finish school. My mom went to a. M. And I mean, she got in four years. Four. Four in, four out. And I mean, she was that student, you know that. She was the person, like, education is huge.

0:32:54 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was just like, man, you know what? I'll give it a shot. I mean, why not? I'm working, I'm making nine bucks an hour. I was like, man, I mean, picking up some games, a referee on the side. I was like, really? It can't get any worse. Like, that's what I remember Day saying to myself. And my first month selling cars, I sold 15. And I remember one of our owners at the time, specifically remember him saying this. It was kind of like shade. He was throwing but it wasn't. It was just like, oh, anyone can do it once, gotta do it again.

0:33:28 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I did it again, and I did it again, and I did it again and again and again. In my first year there, first full year selling cars, like, I made six figures. And now I'm 21, 22. I'm probably 22, 22. And I'm making decent money, you know? Like, this is when everything, like, milk wasn't $12. So, you know, I mean, I was. My rent was still 600 bucks. So, man, I mean, I was. I was. I was doing it. You know what I mean? Like, I was doing my friends. Like, oh, bad, dude. Like, you're killing it. You're killing it. And then the next year, start off the year even stronger. January, February, March. We're going strong.

0:34:08 - (Jonathan Shorten): I remember March. I wanted to have a big birthday party, have all my friends. I mean, I remember we had the time of our life and come back because my birthday was on a Monday that year. I don't know how I remember this. It was on a Monday. The year's 2020. And I just remember Sunday waking up. So I get ton of texts, like, can you guys believe the country's gonna shut down? Can you believe, like, this is gonna happen? Like, I was like, dude, this Covid thing's gonna be two weeks, maybe. Maybe a week, and we're gonna go right back to normal life.

0:34:41 - (Jonathan Shorten): And it was wrong, obviously. But I remember I just bought my first house. And next thing you know, they're like, okay, everything's gotta shut down. And I'm like, bro, I just bought a house and spent every dollar I had banking that I was going to come back, come back in April and just kill it. And I was like, oh, my God. I'm sitting there like, what am I gonna do? And I remember I'm calling my mom, and my mom gave me the perfect answer. She goes, you're gonna do what you always do. You're gonna figure it out.

0:35:12 - (Jonathan Shorten): She's like, don't quit. Don't go. Because I was like, maybe I can deliver pizzas or something. The Uber was kind of just going. I was like, man, I think I'm gonna try to Uber. And my mom's like, no. She's like, just figure it out. She's like, you'll figure it out. So to my knowledge, I'm the first person I know that really utilized, like, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to sell cars. Dude, I couldn't have people come to my lot.

0:35:34 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I started thinking. I was like, Dude, I got a bunch of followers on Instagram, Got a lot of people on Facebook, really big on Twitter. I was like, let me just post my cars on here. I mean, let's see how that goes. So I started doing that, and I started selling more cars, and I was like, wait a second. I'm not even going out on the lot to get these guys. I'm just posting stuff and answering my phone. And I don't have kids, so I could deliver any car. And I like doing it.

0:36:05 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, I had people, like, calling me from Arizona, like, hey, I know your cousin. I'm out here. I know your dad, L.A. like, can you bring it out here? We don't. We can't. We can't even go to the dealerships. I was like, yeah, I can, actually. Like, I can. Yeah. Like, yeah, I'll bring it to you. I'll bring it to you and fly home or bring it to you. Drive your trade back. And that's where I kind of started doing that. So, I mean, everything, like, just. I start, like, kind of looking at things. Like, now I'm like, dude, Covid was probably the best thing that happened to me because, you know, everyone else was like, I'll just go get unemployment.

0:36:37 - (Jonathan Shorten): I'll hang out. I'm like, oh. I was like, no, I got to figure this out. You know? I mean, I'm like, dude, I finally have big bills. Like, big, big bills. I remember at the time, I was like, I'm paying 2500 in bills, dude. Like, I was like, I gotta figure something out. Like, I remember, I was like. I was like, 2500 in bills. I was like, I'm gonna drown. Yeah. I remember walking in and telling Jimmy, I was like, you know, I'm really gonna try to sell four or five a month. You know, just try to get by. And he was like, you gotta sell more than four or five. Just watch.

0:37:06 - (Jonathan Shorten): 20, 18, 20, 18, 20, 18,. And November comes, and I'm just realizing. I'm like, I have found a different way how to sell cars. Like, everyone else is still thinking, you got to do commercials. Ads and all that. I was like, no, you don't, man. You just gotta just post the car, reach out, think, remember who, like, oh, this guy likes BMWs. Okay, know, hey, buddy, I just got a BMW. You're a real big BMW guy. Got this.

0:37:32 - (Jonathan Shorten): Send me pictures. Boom. Send pictures. And also, my clients had gotten used to not having to come up to the dealership. So you gotta think. I didn't sell any less cars during COVID I sold more then I've just gained trust with my clients. So then now it's just like, like people call me like, hey, I'm looking at this truck they've already bought for me. They trust me, I'll get in the truck, call them back, like it's not the one, you know, and, and it might be a good money maker for me, but I'm just honest. I'm just like, hey, that's not going to be the one. Like we can find you the one that's not the one. And they love that.

0:38:05 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I mean, Covid really helped me get into this and a lot of people are trying to do what I do on the social media aspect. Like the thing that they're, they don't take into account is like, I really know these people. Right. Like, you know, I'm not some stranger to these people. Like I ref their kids or coach their kids, been in their kids lives. And I mean if you take care of someone's kids, dude, I mean that's all they ask for. That's anyone wants some you to take care of their kids.

0:38:29 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I remember I was that guy who the kids loved having me as a referee. They loved it when I coached them and I really gained everyone's trust through those kids. Yeah. And that's something I didn't realize. Like it's all sports related. Yeah, it really, really is.

0:38:46 - (Toby Brooks): And related to that, something I've seen just in following you on social initially I did see those, you know, hey, here's, here's so and so's 16th birthday. Here's their first car. And you helped them buy that. Yeah, and it was local and it was definitely community. And in particular, you know, a lot of people I know from Cooper who had gravitated towards you. But then nil in the transfer portal kicks in in Lubbock, Texas where if people aren't following, there is money flowing through the veins of Texas Tech athletics. And what I've noticed is that you have established a niche for yourself in, you know, even five or 10 years ago, student athletes that couldn't afford lunch are now buying six figure automobiles because they've got these massive nil deals and, and you're there and you are connected with them in a way that not a lot of car dealers can have.

0:39:39 - (Toby Brooks): You've got credibility, you've got some, some lived experience that I think allows you to connect with them. So talk me through how what you went through and maybe some of your darkest days has equated to a connection point. To a clientele that trusts you in a way that maybe they wouldn't if. If you were me.

0:40:01 - (Jonathan Shorten): Yeah, you're not wrong, man. I mean, it's just, it's just reality. I mean, people, like he said, it's, it's, you know, I'm a young black guy. I still got, I still got enough swag where I'm cool enough to, to rock with him. You know, I'm reach. I'm almost to that 30 year old point where they're now starting to call me Unk, which is crazy to me. But dude, that the nil stuff actually kind of happened as a joke, like how I kind of got locked in. It was. It's actually a funny story that a lot of people don't know.

0:40:36 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I was so into that show Last Chance you with Coach Mosey. I mean, I was so into it. I mean, I think I watched every episode the first night. Stayed up like 6am Like, I'm not kidding. Like I watched, I tried to watch one and next thing you know, I'm at the end. I'm like. But that's it. Like that's, that's the end. Like, you know, and I'm just over there and I'm following every single one of those guys, follow them all.

0:41:02 - (Jonathan Shorten): And maybe like a week later, I see that K.J. allen is coming to tank because of his grades. He wasn't able to go D1 right off the bat. You know the rules is you have to do two years and graduate from community college and that's what he's doing. What made me come here was coach Ken. Like I seen him at a few of my high school games. He like recommended me to go here. And best, best choice by far. We went through it to get him.

0:41:38 - (Toby Brooks): Met his graduation and it's 30 national JUCOs there.

0:41:43 - (Jonathan Shorten): We don't do enough good in our life to get a kid like that. He's an incredible kid. We don't deserve that. That's just a straight blessing. That's all it is. Like the basketball gods and the Almighty himself. Just like here guys, here's kj. You know, now don't mess it up. The player KJ Allen decommissions from USC and now he's heading to Texas Tech. But Alfonso, I know you're talking about it earlier, tell us the rundown.

0:42:09 - (Jonathan Shorten): Yeah, so basically what happened was actually on this, on his Instagram post, right when he commanded Texas Tech, he's like, after consider, after careful consideration these last few weeks with my friends and family, I've Decided to commit from usc. I thank Coach Enfield and his staff for your belief in me. I wasn't the best. I like to thank all the schools that have recruited me, and I am very appreciative. At this time, I'd like to announce that I'll be committing to Texas Tech University.

0:42:40 - (Jonathan Shorten): So how is, like, in the in. Keep in mind, a lot of people don't know this. The nil was not. Like, it had not started yet. Right, Right. Okay, it hadn't started. So, boom, he commits a tech. First thing I do is go at him on Twitter, hit his DMs. Joe, what's up, man? I see you're coming to Lubbock. Want to have lunch with you, want to eat with you. I'm a car salesman. I can help you out. I'm local. Anything you need to Lubbock, I got you.

0:43:07 - (Jonathan Shorten): I remember sending the message, and my girlfriend at the time was like, man, this fool's not gonna message that. Why'd you send that? Like, he's not gonna. Like. Like, you look like an idiot. Like, why'd you say that? I was like. I was like, I don't know. I was like, he's got mad bounce. And I was like, and he's coming to Ludic. I was like, screw, I'm gonna hit him again. Message him again the next day. Like, hey, I don't know if you saw my message, but don't know when you get here, but would love to go to lunch. Steve would love. Would love to take you out to eat. You know, let's hang out.

0:43:33 - (Jonathan Shorten): You know, let's just connect. Messaged me and says, a lot of people don't know kj. KJ is the definition of antisocial. Like, the definition of. He does not want to talk. He doesn't want to do anything. He just wants to. That's kj, you know, so I'm the complete opposite of that. I will talk your ear off if you let me. Like, I really will. And he messaged me back and was like, two words. I'm here. And so.

0:43:58 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I text, send him my number. Like, here's my number. Call me. And I'm just sitting there waiting. I send the message. I mean, I'm just sitting at my desk like this. Just, like, he's got. He's gonna call me, right? And I was telling everybody at, like, work, like, look, you messaged me back. And next thing you know, I get a call from a3.0. No, it's a310 area code, Los Angeles. Pick up like, what's up? He's like, hey, it's kj.

0:44:22 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was like, dude, where are you, Dude, I'll come pick you up. What are you doing? And he's like, I don't have a ride. Like, come get me. I was like, I'll come get you. Like, tell me where you're at. Come get you. So I drive right over to the cottages and go pick him up. And this is before Nil, okay? So, I mean, this is just some top secret information I'm gonna tell anybody. But, you know, like, I mean, I was already.

0:44:49 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was already in the plans to. There was something that I was gonna do because I was like, this guy's gotta. I mean, you know, like, I'm gonna be really honest with you. Everyone's motive has something to do with themselves, you know? And that was mine. I was like, I wanted to meet this guy, but I was like, this guy also can put me onto a different platform. He's got 250,000 followers on Instagram. I've never seen that. I was like, man, if I can do this right, this guy really might help me out, right?

0:45:17 - (Jonathan Shorten): And so we're just talking, chatting, going back and forth, and next thing you know, like, he's like, bro, I love 2K. I was like, bro, just come over my house, let's pay 2K. So playing 2K, always, we're playing 2K with each other. Then, boom. You find out, like, hey, the college football video games coming back because they're about to start paying players the second that happened. I mean, not a lot of people know this. I'm pretty sure.

0:45:42 - (Jonathan Shorten): Pretty sure me and Jimmy were the first people to lock in an Nil deal with all of the Nil. I mean, that day, Nil went down. We met with him, and we signed him that day went to compliance at Texas Tech. You got to think, nobody knows how this is really going to work. They're telling us, hey, you got to do these amount of videos and y' all can pay him this. That didn't happen. It just paid. I mean, KJ's the hardest person get a hold of. We tried the video one time.

0:46:10 - (Jonathan Shorten): Went terribly. We were like, what? Go just take the. Come by the first of every month. Come, here's the car payment. Come by. Well, with that set up, though, was KJ really only trusted me, like, with everything he did, you know, I mean, he was getting. Getting all these calls, and they didn't have the NIO agents and handlers at this time. They didn't have that dude, they didn't have none of that. Like all these dudes that are coming in here with the crooked ties and you know, the oversized suits coming in there that they just rented to try to represent their someone's baby boy. They didn't have that dude. So I was his agent, so it was me. Like anytime KJ got a call, I was like, dude, just call, just call me and Jimmy, dude, you don't know what you're saying.

0:46:56 - (Jonathan Shorten): This guy, he had this Guy named Coach DeWitt in California who he didn't know what he was doing. And I worked deals for a living, Work deals for a living. And how we kind of got locked in with kj. Like locked, locked in was one day at Velvet Taco, one of the dudes and they're like, one of the managers recognized him as like, can I get a picture at the end? I'm just like, no. I was like, kj, don't take a picture. I was like, dude, you got nil now. And I was like, you're telling me you don't got enough money? Because remember, the schools aren't really in the start of nl. A lot of people don't realize, like you maybe had like three to five guys that were making six figure deals, but everyone else, it was just a little bit of change. Here, there, there. Take a picture with the raising canes guy, we'll give you a thousand bucks here, there. So that's when I was like, got Velvet Taco to do deal with kj.

0:47:46 - (Jonathan Shorten): Well then I got a live to do deal. Then all these other people started reaching out and like I was just KJ's guy. So KJ got me in with the tech basketball team. So at first it was me and this other guy named Kirk Knowles who were really kind of facilitating all the vehicles to the basketball guys where he provided Tahoes to these kids. And dude, young black kids don't want to drive Tahoe. Like they don't. They, they, they, they.

0:48:09 - (Jonathan Shorten): Those are nice vehicles. No offense, but you're talking about 19 year old kid who's got a little bit of money in his pocket. He didn't want to drive a Tahoe. So they started calling me. That's when the Pop, Isaac, Rob, Jalen, Tyson, I got locked into that group. Lamar 4, Dos Amec and Davion Harmon, which me and Davion are the closest friends today still. But I really got locked in with those guys and that's what kind of built me the trust. And then like, you know, everyone else starts noticing like, dude, who is this guy that's always at the basketball team? Like, who is this guy that's always at the basketball team? You know? Like, who is this guy?

0:48:46 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I was like, yo, I sell them all their cars. I can help them meet their cars. Because we only did an nil deal with kj. That's it. It was only with KJ because it wasn't going well. I mean, we weren't gaining sales and stuff. So, like, I understood. It didn't really make sense for us to keep doing nil deals with them. Really didn't. It was better off we just make y' all a really, really good deal on your car. So, I mean, they would look at it as a deal, but it wasn't a. There's nothing on paper. It wasn't a deal. It was just a car deal.

0:49:14 - (Jonathan Shorten): Because the nil was tricky. It's like, well, y' all can't do anything that y' all wouldn't do for another customer. It was. It was easier before. Like, the first year of. The first year of NL was awful because no one really knew how. How to. How they. Everyone wanted to stay from getting in trouble, but everyone wanted to start acting, but you couldn't. So, like, you gotta think. I was like, bro, look like, I'm your friend. Whatever y' all need, just hit me up. Because it was. If you were friends with someone, like, if it was. If it was an established relationship for a deal, really, you could do whatever you wanted.

0:49:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): We'll be back after this quick message.

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0:50:50 - (Jonathan Shorten): That's kind of how we had to spin it, you know, like, hey, like, this is. We've been friends with these guys, you know, because I was driving a yellow BMW at the time, and those dudes would just rip it and it always get pulled over every time. Like, you got your car. Is this guy supposed to be driving your car? I was like, yes. I was like, he's. He's supposed to be driving my car. And so that was kind of the start.

0:51:14 - (Jonathan Shorten): And then you gotta think big time athlete. Not big time, but D1 athletes really only hang with D1 athletes. Band kids really only hang with band kids, you know, so that's when everything kind of started growing. Like, hey, we got this guy in Lubbie, this young black dude. He's super cool. He can talk well to yalls parents. He can talk to y' all like, call this guy for cars. That's when it really started. I really, really started to kind of get into a different type of clientele that I never thought I'd get into.

0:51:46 - (Jonathan Shorten): Because, I mean, the. For one, like, everyone's kind of looking for. To take advantage of those guys. Like, they want to use those guys. Like, come to your kids games. Come this way right in. Dad's funny. So cars. I didn't have kids. Like, I don't get. I remember I was 23, 24, dude, and I had a little bit of money in my pocket. I didn't have a serious girlfriend. I didn't have kids. Like, we were. Whatever they were doing, I was doing because I was. We were around the same age, man, and, you know, like, so it just. I was in. I got myself. I think I was just in the right spot at the right time.

0:52:17 - (Jonathan Shorten): And it just kind of locked me into Texas Tech. Like, everyone just kind of started knowing me. Like, oh, yeah, that's the car guy. We had some girls on a basketball team, like, like, hey, we're going to buy from you. Some Basel players. You're going to buy from. Like, Hunter Dobbins. He. He only came over and bought from us. He's like, I always see all the other kids buying from you. So I just thought, come see.

0:52:38 - (Jonathan Shorten): I remember when he walked into our dealership, like, I was so uninterested in baseball. I was like, yeah, some baseball player thinks I was like, it's not any good, dude. I don't know I've never heard of this guy. And now I'm like, I'm just being cool to him just because like he's cool. I'm like, bernice, he's cool. I was like, I don't know, I don't care about no baseball. Then that see him starting for the Red Sox, I'm like, that's Hunter Dobbins dude. That's the same kid.

0:53:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was like, that's the same dude. Like, and it's ironically he works at Pollard in the off season. Well, not anymore. I think now he's doing. But he was working at Pollard selling cars on the offseason when he was in the minor league. Now he'll probably never, you know, I think last time I talked to him, he said it, you'll see me up taller, he said. But it's going to be to buy it. Right? Right. You know, So I hope, I hope he can help get me into baseball. But I mean that's kind of just how it happens.

0:53:31 - (Jonathan Shorten): Yeah. Yeah.

0:53:32 - (Toby Brooks): And it's, it's crazy to think back to the, the reality of that one phone call from one person put your life on a completely different path.

0:53:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): It really did.

0:53:45 - (Toby Brooks): Looking back now, how is who and where you are today? How does that compare to maybe who or where you thought you would be when you were that 16, 17 year old bright eyed kid with big dreams and, and what has the journey taught you?

0:54:01 - (Jonathan Shorten): That's a good question, man. It's weird because I did end up being that guy, but I just, it was, you know, everyone thinks it's just this to get there. You know, no one realized it was a bunch of this. You know, it was a bunch of this and we'd get back here and then we'd get back and we get back here and then we get back here. I honestly man, did. It's not that I never believed, but like I always believed that this would be my life, you know, but I just never really thought it was going to be a real reality, you know, Like I always thought like I'm going to figure something out and have a breakthrough when I'm like 40 and doing it in my 20s, you know, it's been a, it's been weird.

0:54:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): That's just the best way I can put it because you got to think like I have a lot of friends that aren't doing well that can't handle being next to someone who is. I got a lot of people that I want support from that you can't get support from. Then I'm getting Support from people that you necessarily don't want support from. It's not that you don't. I think everyone's support, but it's just like, I'm expecting the words you're giving me from somewhere over here.

0:55:07 - (Jonathan Shorten): So like you said, it just made me realize I. I can't really control what others think of me. Like, I just need to just be content with myself.

0:55:17 - (Toby Brooks): Things are going great for Jonathan. After struggling a little bit to find his place and his purpose throughout his late teens and early twenties, he finds himself achieving surprising success in the auto industry. By being innovative during COVID with social media marketing and then jumping on board to the new opportunity of paid college athletes who are looking for cool cars. He carves out a niche as the athlete's guy for all things automotive.

0:55:42 - (Toby Brooks): Everything's going great until suddenly a serious allegation threatens to change his life forever. Proving that not all purpose storms are. Because we don't know what to do. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of whose we are.

0:55:59 - (Jonathan Shorten): That's where I think at 28. And this sounds crazy, I think that just kind of came into effect this year. I think, like, I. I went through some serious adversity at 26, you know, because from 22 to 26, everything was excellent. I mean, I was the guy. I was hanging out with people I never thought I'd hang out with. I'm partying as Michael Crabtree, who's my idol, and, you know, like, I'm doing stuff. I'm just like, dang, dude. I didn't think, like, this had happened. Like, you know, and, you know, you get so caught up in, like, the high, like, you don't even recognize, like, dude, I'm not being a great person to other people, you know, like, that's like.

0:56:49 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, I was living it up. And I was like, man, like, I think I can be a better person. And, you know, and then you hit that. That adversity when you get so high up. And a lot of people, like, when you get there, everyone wants you to see. Everyone wants to see you fail, you know, and. And when you show them that you're. You're just like everyone else. You're inhuman. You. You make mistakes. You get caught in the wrong situation around the wrong type of people.

0:57:23 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, I was just as vulnerable as everyone else, and I didn't know that, you know, I was like, I'm on top of the world. Like, whatever. Like, I'm being this pos or this girl, like, whatever, I'll just go date this girl and because she's at work at night, and I'll never get caught and I'll party. And then you realize, like, oh, yo, I wish I would have grabbed myself and put myself back with God instead of have to go through adversity where God makes me find him again. You know what I'm saying?

0:57:57 - (Jonathan Shorten): I'm thankful for it now. I really am. I really am.

0:58:00 - (Toby Brooks): So take me there if you're comfortable with it. You have this. I have this moment where everything's going well after things didn't go well, and there's kind of this cycle repeating where things are going well and then they don't. And the things are going well and then they don't. And now you're 26. You're. You're a grown man making big boy money. And. And all of the sudden, that is in jeopardy. Talk me through it.

0:58:29 - (Jonathan Shorten): Oh, yeah, it was. It was 100 in jeopardy. So I had just left Hayes Motor Company, and that's where I was like the rockstar man. For five years in a row. I was that guy because my GM who really, really kind of got me into like, hey, near 20 car a month guys. He moved over to Pollard. Well, the girl I was dating at the time, her parents were best friends with my owners at Hayes. They're really, really good friends with them.

0:59:01 - (Jonathan Shorten): And a lot of stuff just wasn't adding up for me over there. So I was like, you know what? I'm gonna take a chance. I'm gonna Pollard. And I did. And everything started going really south, like, with her and I. Everything, like, with my relationship just kind of started going down. So it's September 10th because Tech was playing Oregon, September 11th. I'll never forget. And all my buddies were hanging out. Everybody that was.

0:59:30 - (Jonathan Shorten): That moved away came back to Lubbock for that game. It was a sellout. I tickets. All my buddies were hanging out at my house. We were drinking, partying, having a great time. And I had given someone else attention where. When I should have just let someone else go, you know, like, we'd been. Rocky. Been in and out. Rocky, Rocky, Rocky. And man, we get back together, and everything just didn't feel right to me. And instead of, like, being real about it, like, I was just like, you know what? Like, I'm just gonna do this and find something else while I'm doing this, you know, which is, once again, it's my fault. Like, I. I do take accountability for that. Like, I take full accountability for that, you know, and so I fall asleep, and all my buddies are at My house. I mean, we stayed up late. Like, I mean, we get back to my. To my house, 2, 3am, start laying down, go to sleep.

1:00:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I have my dog. Her dog's there. All my friends in my living room and wake up, man, and do the pat, pat. Like that. Oh, snap. Where's my phone? Like, you know, where's my phone? Okay. And I noticed my bathroom door is shut. I'm like, oh, no. I was like, I'm cooked, man. I just remember, like, thinking, like, oh, man, she's about to go through my phone and see some stuff she don't want to see. All up in my phone, looking at pictures from the other night. She gonna be upset if she keeps scrolling to the left, dog. She gonna see some that she don't want to see.

1:01:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): And so, like, sure enough opened the door, and, man, that's when it just was a bunch of emotions. She was hurt, upset as she should have been, you know? She should have been. I wasn't man enough to just be like, hey, I'm not all the way in this. Like, probably should just let you go. You do your thing, I'll do my thing. If we come back together, like, that's great. I. I didn't do that, man. I didn't do that. It was selfish of me. I just wanted to keep on partying. Like, that's really what it was. Like, I was 26, and I was like, I'm doing even better at this point.

1:01:34 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I'm like, bro, like, I don't have any kids. I don't have any, like, real responsibility. I have a dog. I don't have any real responsibility. I got some good money saved up, so I'm not worried about bills. Like, I was like, I got this new. Like, this new pep in my step going over to a new dealership, and they love me over here, and I'm selling even more cars, and I just shifted so far away from God at this point. That's just what it was. Like, I was so far away from God. Like, I was so caught up in, like, material.

1:02:00 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, so caught up in, like, hey, I get to go to this Cowboys game, and me and Austin Johnson. I mean, I thought Johnson and Blake Griffins and with us. And, you know, there's me, Like, I'm like, I'm everywhere. I want to be, like, thinking, like, dude, life's great. It wasn't. I realized, like, it wasn't dude. And so, like, we. We go through this incident. I have a couple of my friends, like, hit her out of my House, man. And really, I don't think anything of it.

1:02:29 - (Jonathan Shorten): I'm just like, yeah, whatever. Like, we'll talk to mom. And my buddy's like, hurting me. Good. I was like, bro, yes. I was like, we go through this all the time. He's like, well, what happened? I was like, I was texting this for real, yada, yada, yada, but through my phone. And she went crazy, as she should have. And, you know, everything goes south right there. But like, I'm just thinking. I'm like, you talk tomorrow. We always do. Everything's cool. I never hear back from her.

1:03:00 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like a text call, call from my voice phone. She answers, it's my voice. She hangs up. So I'm like, you know what? I'm just going to give her some space, give some time. So you already know. What I did was like, whatever. I'm gonna go out and party again. Takes playing Oregon, that's not gonna stop me. We're gonna have a great time. Boys are here. And I sure, I had a good time. And then the week goes through and I remember I'm still selling, sounding selling, selling.

1:03:28 - (Jonathan Shorten): Well, I get a call, like, at 2:00', clock, and it's like, hey, this is Detective so and so. You're being investigated for domestic assault. And I was like, dude, I know who you got my phone or who you are, but don't you ever call this phone again. I was like, hang up. Like, I don't think it's real. Like, I think someone's been messing with me. And call again. The next day, he's ready to talk. It's out here. I'm like, bro, stop calling my phone.

1:03:55 - (Jonathan Shorten): I say, you call my phone again, I'm calling the cops. It's like, don't call my phone. So I don't need anything for like another week. Well, finally made a call from a buddy of my buddy of my dad. His. His son's now a lawyer and he moved out to Vegas. Just a good dude. And calls me. He's like, bro, you have like a pending warrant. And I was like, what? I don't think I paid that speeding ticket in Abilene. I was like, I just thought about it.

1:04:27 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I go pay my speeding ticket and Clyde takes it. And I'm like, yeah, speeding ticket, right? I was like, on the phone. He's like, no, dude. He's like, you got a second to come into my office? I was like, yeah, I'll head there right now. And I get there and like, I remember opening the door and seeing, like, this receptionist, like, she knows me. I knew her, and, like, she just gave me this look. I just. Like, he's like, okay.

1:04:54 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I remember going. Sitting in Troy's office and sitting down with him, and, like, I could just see in his face, like, he's just like, you good? And I was like, are you good? Yeah, yeah, I'm good. What's up? He's like, you're a warrant for domestic assault. Like, they're about to file on you any day. And I was like, what? He's like, yeah, bro. Like, you're about to go to jail, man. I was like, wait, what?

1:05:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): So you gotta think, like, I've always been able to, like, get out of stuff, you know? So I'm sitting there, I'm not even worried. I'm like, I'm not even worried. Call this friend. Call this friend, called that friend. Everything's gonna be okay. Let me know what you need from me. And he's like, yeah, okay, whatever. So then I get back to work the next day, and my GM comes up to me. He's like, I need to talk to you. And I was like, like, okay, like.

1:05:53 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, cool. Like, I'm doing great job. Like, what's up? And I can see it in his face. Like, it's like in a good conversation. He's like, I need to talk to you. So I go sit down. He's like, what's going on? And I was like, what do you mean, what's going on? You know, Like, I kind of know, but I'm just like. I'm just like, I want to hear what he's got. I want to hear what he's got to hear. He's like, oh, everyone's saying that. I have a guide here that's putting hands on women. He's like, it. You know, I have a daughter. Like, if that's. He's like, that's what's going on. He goes, can't work here.

1:06:24 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I'm sitting there, I'm like, wait, what? I was like, so this is real. So I'm showing him like, hey, like, this is what's going on. Like, okay. Like, I am getting accused of this right now. Like, this is what's going on right now. And, yeah, keep in mind, I've only worked with hard at this time. May, June, July, August, four months. So, like, I'm not. Like, I'm not the guy that's like, this dude's gonna be our top salesman for two years. He's gonna have a month or he's gonna sell 50 cars. We're gonna keep this guy, you know? So, like, now I'm sitting there, like, they're like, hey, well, you need to go home.

1:06:58 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, you know, like, you need to go home. You can't really be here until we kind of figure out what's going on. And he was like, this is serious. Yes. He's like, this is. This is one of those things. He goes, if you take a conviction for this, he goes, you're probably gonna have to go back to school, dude. Like you said, he probably won't be able to work in the car business. He's like, you're not gonna be able to work here. Well, we'll tell you that straight up. And I was like, I don't know. This is serious.

1:07:26 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, this is really serious. So I had to touch for, like, hey, like, love you to death, man. I gotta find some really, really good representation. And so I find her, find a really good lawyer. So I get with. With new lawyer. And we're sitting there, and it's him, it's his wife, it's me. And I got my mom on the phone, and, like, basically, like, he's asking me like, hey, we need to know about. Like, we need to know from point A to point B, like, what happened?

1:07:52 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I tell him, and I'm like. He's like, looking at me. He's like, okay, I need the real story now. And I'm like, okay, I know you don't know me, man. I said, that's the real story. He's like, all right, tell it again. Tell it all over again. And I mean, he. Word for word, timeline, word for word, everything's the same. And he's looking at me. He's like, okay. He goes, this the last chance. Just tell me what. Like, tell me. He's like, I'm your lawyer, dude. He goes, I need to know because I need to know everything. He said, I need to know when this happened, what you did.

1:08:24 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I tell him one more time. Finally, he looks at me, he's like, okay, that's the same consistent story every time. He goes, something's not adding. Okay, dude, he knows something about it. He says, that's not enough to be filed on. He says, we'll do everything we can to get them to not go through with this. Keep going. We're three days into this, and then they come out the news article like, oh, yeah, not about me, but there's like, the DA's office is backed up months and months and months and cases following on. You're not going to be seen in years.

1:08:52 - (Jonathan Shorten): I remember watching that specifically. I was like, dang, I'm be doing this for a long time until we can get this over with. Yeah. Then two days later, all of a sudden, like, I get a call like, hey, uses up to the front. Like, they fired on you. Like, I just watched the news case. Like, that's them saying they're two years backed up. Just watch a police officer literally, like, go through something way worse. Got it on body cam, use his own weapon.

1:09:17 - (Jonathan Shorten): And they still haven't talked. They still haven't filed on this guy. And it's like six months before me, so I'm like. So that's when I figured out. I was like, oh, my God, I'm about to get screwed, aren't I? He's like, yes. He said. He said, you may be innocent. He said. He said, but, man, we are facing. It's you versus. And this is my favorite line. He said, it's you versus 20 people who hate you. And I was like, great.

1:09:44 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I'm just like, I'm backed up against the wall. Like, I don't know what to do. I'm about to lose all my clientele. Like, this is the worst thing. This is probably the, you know, the Me Too movement. Like, this is probably the worst thing that you can probably be accused of. Like, if it's one of them, it's definitely in the top five. You know what I mean? But you get through a situation like this, and people just automatically take whatever they can get and just run with. And you keep in mind, I put myself so high up on a pedestal where all my business was just open. And I left me so vulnerable, you know? I mean, I was so. I was such an easy target to come at, you know, Because, I mean, like I said, I put myself out there so, like, everyone knows who I am.

1:10:27 - (Jonathan Shorten): So I ended up knowing someone that could get me checked into the jail and I wouldn't be on lovely county motor shots. And she's very adamant, like, no one ever gets our stuff. You're going to go in and out, and we're rooting for you and all this. And I was like, okay, cool. So I go in, go out, go back to work, sell three cars like nothing ever happened. Like, nothing happened. Like, still. I'm still like. I mean, I am. I am losing my mind every day, like, just waiting on good news. He was waiting on good news.

1:10:55 - (Jonathan Shorten): And like a week, maybe two weeks later, one of my buddies calls me, and I haven't talked to him forever. I was like, what are you on, man? He goes, you're on that page. I was like, all right. And immediately, I mean, my phone. People think it rings when we do a. Do a good special, man. I mean, my phone just. I'm getting advice here, here, there, there, there. And people text me, what do you want me to do? How do you want me to defend you? What do you want me to do? And I'm just like, typing all this stuff and get a call from my dad. He goes, hey, I just want to talk to you. He goes, silence can never be misquoted. Don't say anything right now.

1:11:36 - (Jonathan Shorten): He's like, don't say anything. Is the people that love you are going to defend you? He said, people that don't aren't. He said, just. He goes, but what you can't see and you can't hear can't hurt you. He's like, put your phone up. And you just go to work. And goes. He goes, it's okay. He goes, people are. He said, you're about to be dealing with something that you've never dealt with. He said, this going to be good for you. I was like, this ain't kind of going to be good for me. He goes, yes, it is. He's. He's like, yes, it is. This is going to be great.

1:12:02 - (Jonathan Shorten): This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you. And I was like, damned.

1:12:08 - (Toby Brooks): It sure didn't seem like it in the moment, but Jonathan's dad offers some much needed advice and perspective. When it seemed like everything he'd built was crumbling around him. Things had been going great, maybe a little too great. Partying, hanging out with athletes and celebrities, money flowing, lots of girls. Then suddenly caught in some actions he admits today were selfish and that he shouldn't have been doing.

1:12:35 - (Toby Brooks): His relationship with a girlfriend craters, thinking it would blow over like it always did. Keeps on doing what he'd been doing. But in the weeks and months to follow, he's brought up on charges of domestic assault. Once the news of his case hits the Internet, Jonathan finds himself in danger, not just of losing his job, but of never being able to work in the car business again, maybe even being locked up. Losing his freedom, maintaining his innocence from the beginning, he seeks out legal counsel.

1:13:05 - (Toby Brooks): But it is perhaps the words of his dad, Oscar, that ring the most true. Quote, this is gonna be great. This is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you. End quote. It would take some time for those words to ring true, but there's no Question. It was a wake up call that Jonathan needed to get his life back on track, but he wasn't out of the woods yet.

1:13:31 - (Jonathan Shorten): I'm fighting for my life right now. I was like, I've never been in trouble. I was the kid that would go to. I would live on the brink of getting in real trouble. And so this is that, like, first time where I'm like, I have my back against the wall, Seriously. And I mean, things got really, really dark for me, man, especially like. Like, they always say that the fall is harder the higher you are, you know, I mean, which is true.

1:13:57 - (Jonathan Shorten): And so, man, I went from hero to zero overnight. I mean, you know, I still had a lot of. A lot of people that supported me, but then I had all the people that have been waiting for me to fail that were just right up, brought right up. But what ended up being the greatest thing for me is, is I didn't have to. I didn't have to worry and guess and wonder who it was. You know what I mean? Like, I didn't have to worry because people thought I was in jail. I wasn't in jail. I sit in my office when that thing. They were two weeks behind me, you know, I mean, I'm sitting here reading this and. And everyone's like, dude, put your phone down. Stop. Like, stop. You just gonna. You just can make yourself stink and mad. And they're like, yeah, we know, like, you're gonna fire.

1:14:38 - (Jonathan Shorten): Fire up people and respond. And so best thing I did is I really just didn't respond to anything. Like, I just stayed silent. And that was the hardest part, is no one is getting an answer from me on what's going on. I gave a very brief statement, but, I mean, no one would. Would get an answer. No one could get an answer from me. Which makes people like, oh, you know, people are like, dude, he's got to be guilty. Like, I mean, he hasn't came out and said anything. Like, nothing. Like, hasn't responded to anything.

1:15:08 - (Jonathan Shorten): And I should remember, like, I kept going to my lawyer's office. I do give me a statement, like, give me something like, so I can say like. And he's like, that's what you pay me for. He's like, why are you paying me? He's like, do you just sit back and relax? Like, I was like, yes, it's. It's very. That's very easy for you to say. I'm like, I can't sit back and relax, like, and my lawyer didn't know me, man. Like, he has no clue who I am until I think finally, when everything started changing with the lawyer and me.

1:15:43 - (Jonathan Shorten): Happened at a tech basketball game. I'm at a tech game, and I see him, like, sitting right. Right below me and waves at me. And I think he, like, he's watching the corner of my. And, like, person after. And this is my first time I've, like, really gone out. Person after person just coming up, talking to me, talking to me. And the next morning, I remember waking up and my lawyer was like, who are you? And I was like, I tried telling you, man. I was like, I grew up in Lubbock. Everyone knows my dad. Everyone knows me. I was like, bro, we. I picked you because everyone said you're the boss. I was, I need you to be the best right now. And so everything kind of started to change. Started working really, really hard for me.

1:16:18 - (Jonathan Shorten): I really realized what we were up against. And, I mean, they did not keep in mind, this is a missing here I was getting charged at the misdemeanor crime. People can say what they want, but I. When I say it was somewhat of a witch hunt, man. They sent four police officers to Pollard to look for me. They sent. One was sitting. My neighbor said one was sitting in front of my house. My dad said one was sitting in front of his house.

1:16:48 - (Jonathan Shorten): And little do they know, I was in plain view. I was already turning myself in. Like, they were searching, looking for me. And I just remember Jimmy, my gm, who I worked with at Hays, was like, bro, this is outrageous. He's like. They're like. He goes, bro, they're trying to catch you up and ruin you. He said, this isn't about you and whatever happened that night anymore. He said, this isn't about that, bro.

1:17:13 - (Jonathan Shorten): He said, but I just know there's a lot of power right now on that side. And I was like, what did I do? And he's like, ain't saying this. He goes, sounds super cliche. He goes, but you just need to trust God right now. He goes, you need to trust God right now. And he goes, that's super cliche. I know. Like, that's the last thing you want to hear me say. And it really was. It really was me. I'm like, oh, trust God. Like, trust God because the God's the one who put me here, you know? God's the one who took it, you know? And then I started really thinking. I was like, you know what?

1:17:46 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, maybe I did need this, you know? And when I kind of realized, like, I finally stopped denying, like, I knew what had happened, you know? But I kept. I was so in denial, like, this shouldn't happen to me.

1:17:58 - (Toby Brooks): Like, why me?

1:17:59 - (Jonathan Shorten): Why me? This shouldn't even happen to me. Like, why? And then I started thinking. I was like, regardless if it that happened or not, I shouldn't have been over here doing this. I shouldn't have focused on that. You know, I should have been better at this person. I should have been better than that person. So I learned, and. And I was like, I'd always laugh at people on this page and be like, oh, I'm innocent. I swear I'm innocent. I'm innocent. I'm innocent. I'd be like, this idiot over here. And I was like, oh, my God, I've learned empathy now.

1:18:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was like, oh, wow. Like, I've learned, like, this could happen to anyone. Like, you know, like, I need to start realizing, like, I'm no better than you, you know? And I was walking around, like, better than that guy. Like, this guy. Like, you're talking about this salesman. Like, this guy. Like, look at. He doesn't even know this guy, you know? And then I was like, probably so lost. Like. And I just remember one of my customers was like.

1:18:53 - (Jonathan Shorten): And she didn't have any social media. She knew nothing. She just was like, I miss how you were. I was like, what do you mean you miss how it was? She's like, I remember the first time, like, you bought a car for me. Like, you were just so authentic, and you just cared, and you just. You really. You really asked. I remember. She's like, I remember you asking us the week later how the car was and how that much that meant to us. And I remember when you asked us how our son's doing, and I just was like, regardless of what happens, I'm gonna go back to being that guy.

1:19:25 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was like, regardless of what I. What I might have versus when what that guy didn't have, versus. I was like, people love that guy, man. I was like, people really did. And I just, like, really took some steps back and really just focus on positivity. A lot of people don't know this either, dude. I had to pay for a life coach. Like, I. I was, like, seriously depressed. It was like, the same scenario as, like, when an athlete retires.

1:19:54 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, you know, like, what do I do now? Like, that's what I was going through. Because also, I had clients. I wasn't taking new clients. And you got to think, a lot of people don't want to listen to what you said happened. They're just. They're ready to just believe what they want to believe. And you can never change that for someone, you know? But what I could change is how I was towards other people and how I responded to stuff, and that some stuff isn't for me, you know? And that made me go from, like, now I can say it was the best thing that happened to me. Like, I remember my dad telling me that, because I went from here to here, because sure, I was doing.

1:20:37 - (Jonathan Shorten): I was doing good. Sure, I'm successful, but I'm there for people. That's the. That's what's important to me, is regardless of what I have, like, I want to give you someone that, you know, you can call, like, for anything. And, you know, I have your back. Because I only got through what I was going through because people had my back, you know, And I just wanted to be that for everyone else. Now. Now, like, I see someone on that page or someone's going through something, I'm the first person that calls them. Hey, hey, man, I just want to let you know I love you. Like, dude, have you not seen what they're saying? I don't care what they're saying about you. I don't care about what you did that I. I mean, that's horrible.

1:21:15 - (Jonathan Shorten): I sure hope you didn't do that for your sake. But, man, I just want to let you know, I'm not going to let you walk alone to this, you know? And also, it made me level up to even kids. Like, I had to go tell a whole group of kids, like, you're always coaching basketball. Like, this is why me and so and so aren't together. This is what y' all have seen. This is what happened. And I was their hero. And, you know, you see. You see your hero's cape fall off, I mean, you get.

1:21:42 - (Jonathan Shorten): You get upset. And so I had to teach these kids, like, man, like, we'll get through this. And I really didn't feel bad about me. I felt bad about every time I walked my team into the gym. Like, it was like a. Yeah, hey, that's that guy. Hey, those kids play for that guy. You know, I. I cared about that. I really did. I. I cared about that. You know what I mean? Like, dude, these kids, their. Their parents are trusting.

1:22:09 - (Jonathan Shorten): The one thing like, that a parent wants is just to make sure their kid is taken care of. Yeah. You know, So, I mean, that's what that hurt me the most. But also, you got to think, like, I'll talk to those same kids today. And they're like, Dude, I'm going through this at school. And the source, everyone said, hey, man, remember when I went through the worst thing that I thought was the worst? And I cried in front of all yalls parents, and y' all came together, prayed for me.

1:22:32 - (Jonathan Shorten): I said, dude, listen. I said, this too shall pass. And then I tell them that, like, this too shall pass. Like, but if you don't. I said, but you got it. You got to let it pass, though. You can't give up. And that's what it's been to me is this testimony, like, hey, like, what I went through, it could happen to anyone. I don't say, why me? I really don't. I know that, like, it needed to be me. Like, it needed to be me because for one, I have a big outreach to kids.

1:23:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): A lot of kids call me, text me, ask me, like, how'd you get to where you're at? Or how'd you do this? Like, you know, and the thing about it now is, like, I know when I was going through that, I thought, like, man, I'll never be big time again. And I think I'm bigger. Like, I think I got better. Like, I'm bigger, better because for one, like, I'm doing everything I do, but now I'm doing it with the power of God. Like, now I know I have the number. My number one fan that's always with me, you know, and that's.

1:23:33 - (Jonathan Shorten): It's really, really been the best. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's been the best thing that's happened to me. Right? It really.

1:23:40 - (Toby Brooks): That's how that works. Again, we're talking with Jonathan Shorten Pollard. Friendly forward. He's. He's been through it. I'm reminded of a saying that that has given me peace when I'm in it. And that's a smooth sea never makes a skilled sailor. And understanding that, that those storms and those trials and those adversities force us to grow in ways that ease and complacency and, you know, things just going exactly according to plan never could.

1:24:08 - (Toby Brooks): And. And I see that. I mean, when I. When I log into social media, you're always sitting in front of a new trophy. It seems like another 50 car month, so clearly it has pivoted you. If you could go back and talk to yourself the day after your high school graduation, knowing what Jonathan was headed for those years of success and adversity and success and adversity, what would you tell yourself?

1:24:36 - (Jonathan Shorten): Don't be anything you're not. That's that's, that's easy to me, you know, I was, don't be anything you're not, man. I had to realize like I didn't grow up in the hood. Why do I have to talk to slang for someone to like me? Like, you know what I mean? Like dude, just be myself man. And like when you're just yourself, you have to spend like the amount of energy like you save is so, so, so much energy. And people don't realize like what are you talking about? Like, dude, you, it takes a lot of energy to hold a lion.

1:25:11 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like a lot people don't think about that, man, is like the one thing I would tell myself like an 18 year old me is dude, just be yourself. People are going to talk bad about you or good about you, regardless, it doesn't matter, just be yourself. And that's what got me caught up in every situation that I was caught up in. It's because I wanted to fit in somewhere that I probably shouldn't have been.

1:25:39 - (Jonathan Shorten): You know, I, I, you people want to be this and don't even realize. Like you might like Jaylon Tyson for instance, man, I don't mean to tell his business but I mean he's dreamed his whole life to play in the NBA and to hear him say like my life was better before this, like that hurts man, you know, Like I hate hearing that. Like that's everything that dude's worked for and to hear that like, and that's what people don't understand is you have some kid that just dedicating his whole life to be this. And like maybe that's not for you, man. Maybe I know that you think having a 30 million dollar contract is going to make you happy.

1:26:17 - (Jonathan Shorten): Not necessarily, man. I got like a lot of people have a lot of money but they're lonely. Yeah. And I think if you ask someone with a lot of money, would they trade good friends for money? I think they're going to say yes. I think like bro, loneliness will kill you. Yes. But the one thing I would tell myself like that's a great question. I, I do get asked that a lot is like dude, just be yourself man. Like, just be yourself. Like I'm might not be cool enough to hang out with some group of guys. Like, and this guy was, he, he didn't, he didn't talk like us. Like, yeah, I had two parents that are both highly educated and I never realized I was like, okay, that's probably why like I, I do have good grammar. I do speak well.

1:27:00 - (Jonathan Shorten): I speak great. You Know, I was made fun of it playing au basketball. I'd bust your ass still, but they'd still make fun of it. You know what I mean? And the cool thing is now I'm just like, dude, all those guys had something to say like, that, you know, I don't. I'm not ever saying I'm rooting for your downfall, because I'm not. But I'm just, like, looking out. Like, watch them. I can talk to anyone. I can talk to anyone and everyone. You know what I mean? Like, and I'm respected by a lot of people. Like, people know, like, oh, dude, this guy comes from a good background.

1:27:30 - (Jonathan Shorten): My grandmother was a teacher for 40 years at West Texas A. M. I mean, my Grandma was librarian. 40 years. Like, if. Like, I'm just a product of how I was raised. And you just have to understand, like, it's okay if people. People aren't going to understand. Sure. And they don't have to. And they're not supposed to. Yep. You know, and then.

1:27:49 - (Toby Brooks): Well, your phone's been blowing up while we've been here, so I want to land this plane. I know you. You're busy. You got things to do.

1:27:56 - (Jonathan Shorten): I got two left for you here.

1:27:57 - (Toby Brooks): I love music and the emotions that it can represent in ways that words give. If we were to watch a montage of your life, what song would you pick to play in the background? And why?

1:28:06 - (Jonathan Shorten): Kanye west can't tell me nothing. La la la Wait till I give my my money right I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven When I woke I smith that on a necklace I told God I'll be back in a second, man, it's so hard not to act reckless. The song starts off, I had a dream My Bombay way to heaven I woke up and spent it on a necklace, you know, I mean, dude, that's. That's my song, man. That is my song right there. Is. I tell myself I ever made Kanye west be like, you didn't realize this, but you wrote that song for me?

1:28:45 - (Jonathan Shorten): Like, you tell them that and. Yeah, definitely that one. Yeah. Love it.

1:28:51 - (Toby Brooks): Well, I dropped those into a playlist. I've got basically, like, a mixtape of all my guests that I put in. So that's a question I ask them all. What for Jonathan Short remains undone.

1:29:03 - (Jonathan Shorten): Man. Dude, still, like, man, that's a good question, man. Is. I think I've really mastered a lot on, like, my career. Like, I think I gotten to where I want to be. I think what lies next for me is. Is I still want to be a better person, man. I still want to be able to say no when I want to say no or need to say no. I still want to be better in my. In my personal relationships, dude. I think that's the one area where I think if I can figure that out, I think I can be as complete as complete can be. I think I'm on a good path, but, I mean, I would love to get to the point where I can tell the devil know a lot easier. Yeah, I think.

1:29:50 - (Jonathan Shorten): I think that's the. The one place where I can. I have. I have a lot of room. I think a lot of us have a lot of room to grow there, but I don't think a lot of people are just ready to admit that to ourselves. Yeah. Yeah. All right.

1:30:03 - (Toby Brooks): If listeners want to connect, where. Where can I set them?

1:30:06 - (Jonathan Shorten): Drop the socials now, dude. At j short 10 on everything, it's j s h o r 10. J shorten, if you hear you get it.

1:30:17 - (Toby Brooks): Gotcha.

1:30:18 - (Jonathan Shorten): Then Jonathan shorten on Facebook, man. And you can find me anywhere on there. All right. I'm not like the Deion Sanders said, I'm not hard to find.

1:30:27 - (Toby Brooks): I commented on that today. I saw a quote. Ch said he he tried to get called Dion before his game and he didn't pick up. I said for the first time in his life, he was hard to find. Thanks again. I really do appreciate your time, but it's been tremendous.

1:30:42 - (Jonathan Shorten): My name is Jonathan shorten, and I am undone.

1:30:46 - (Toby Brooks): What Jonathan reminds us of here is that reinvention isn't reserved for fairy tales or second chances. It's a choice. It's a decision you make when you're sitting in the dark with nothing left to prove and everything left to build. Now, you might not sell cars. You might have never been arrested. Chances are, you felt stuck. You've looked in the mirror and asked, is this really it? The answer, if you're willing to do the work, is no, friend.

1:31:14 - (Toby Brooks): It is not. You too, are undone. I'm thankful to Jonathan for dropping in, and I hope you enjoyed our conversation. For more info on today's episode, be sure to check it out on the web. Simply go to undonepodcast.com ep138 to see the notes, links, and images related to today's guest, Jonathan Shorten. I know there are great stories out there to be told, and I'm always on the lookout. So if you or someone you know has a story we can all be inspired by, tell me about it.

1:31:54 - (Toby Brooks): Surf on over to undonepodcast.com, click the contact tab in the top menu and drop me a note. Coming up on the show, I'll be taking off next week to visit the kids back in Lubbock, but the week after that, on October 18th, I've got Silicon Valley entrepreneur Iliana Golan, who transitioned from an Air Force career into a successful startup founder, only to wake up one day and discover she'd been removed and locked out from the company she'd founded.

1:32:19 - (Toby Brooks): Hear how she turned that experience of devastation and starting over into a 10 million dollar comeback and the work she's doing today as the founder of Leap Academy. Then I've got my inspiring conversation with Quang X Pham, the Vietnamese American businessman who became the first Vietnamese American to earn naval aviator wings in the US Marine Corps. And then he went on to found multiple pharmaceutical companies.

1:32:42 - (Toby Brooks): There's some more coming up on Becoming Undone. Some exciting news this week I'm launching my new coaching business and I'd love to help you. You can go to undonepodcast.com survey where you can complete my totally free state of your life assessment. After you fill it out, I'll generate a personalized report to help you dial in on what's working well, what needs work, as well as some strategies for success as you continue your own comeback, your own rebuild, or your own reload on your journey.

1:33:11 - (Toby Brooks): Journey to Success. It's totally free, totally personalized. My gift to you, my friend and listener. While you're there, you can click on that subscribe tab on the top to sign up for my free newsletter that I produce most weeks. It too is always free and it's built to help you pursue better every day. Becoming Undone is a Niger Hype creative production written and produced by me, Toby Brooks. Tell a friend about the show. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at becoming undone Podcast and follow me at my new socials handle. They're all the same now at Dr. Toby Brooks that's D R T O B Y B R O o k s that's on Facebook, Instagram, X LinkedIn, tick tock. You can also check me out on Linktree at linktr EE backslash DrToby Brooks, a brand new website should launch this week as well@drtobybrooks.com

1:33:57 - (Toby Brooks): and TBH. I think the doctor part is pretentious. I kind of hate it, but it was the only related handle that was available across all platforms. So sorry about that. Listen, subscribe and leave me a review at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. Till next time, friend. Keep getting.

1:34:29 - (Jonathan Shorten): Sa.