SEND US A TEXT. Drop Mista Yu a text at: (904) 867-4466 or (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2378778/open_sms). Leave your first name and the city you're reaching out to us from. We'll respond to your message on the next Fan Mail episode and give you the biggest shoutout. Every message you send to me matters. WANT A SHOUT-OUT ON THE PODCAST?

A childhood spent sweeping mats and teaching adults at age ten forged a voice that wouldn’t wait its turn. Then came the hard lefts: a high school spiral, a grandmother who parked at a recruiter’s office and wouldn’t budge, a Navy path that led to serving chaplains with the Marines, and a blast in Iraq that changed everything. JR Spear came home with scars, a renewed faith, and a determination to build a life that served his family and his calling.

We dig into how he rebuilt from zero as a first-time business owner, failing fast until a mentor handed him a simple blueprint: run micro one-day events, deliver real value, and make clear tiered offers. One workshop closed over $270,000 in contracts and flipped his beliefs about sales and structure. From there he scaled boot camps across multiple states without paid ads, relying on consistent events and a follow-up system that prioritized people over pressure. JR breaks down the inputs that matter—offer design, event flow, retention vs acquisition cadence—and how to keep momentum when you don’t have a big audience.

Equally powerful is his approach to relationships. Networking, he says, isn’t a hunt, it’s hospitality. Bring three gifts to every conversation: a referral, a resource, or an invite. That simple practice turns strangers into friends and friends into partners. Threaded through it all is his creed—commitment, resilience, excellence, execution, discipline—and a faith that reshaped his marriage, leadership, and sense of peace. If you’re ready to grow with integrity, this story gives you a playbook for micro events, service-first networking, and staying grounded when success arrives.

If this conversation sparked an idea, follow and share the show with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find it. Your support helps us bring more stories and practical playbooks to your feed.

Coffee lovers and health-conscious listeners, we have new sponsors. They're offering you their best discounts! Links are below. Start saving now!

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I know you can probably find a good cup of Joe anywhere these days but can you find a good cup of Joe that is actually healthy for you! Strong Coffee is YOUR answer! Use the promo code below and tell me if it doesn't change the game for you! Healthy for your skin and your mind and it tastes great!

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Support the show

Hope you enjoyed our broadcast! If you would like to, or know someone who would like to be connected to Mista Yu as a future guest on one of our shows or to have him on your show or you think he's the perfect fit to be your new High Performance Coach, visit our page here: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y

We can't wait to hear from you!

Here's my LinkTree: linktr.ee/theycallmemistayu

Here's my Landing Page: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y

SEND US A TEXT. Drop Mista Yu a text at: (904) 867-4466 or (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2378778/open_sms). Leave your first name and the city you're reaching out to us from. We'll respond to your message on the next Fan Mail episode and give you the biggest shoutout. Every message you send to me matters. WANT A SHOUT-OUT ON THE PODCAST?

Hey, Friends and Family.

Even in the months of the podcast season when things are slow, we got content for you. Our team thought it a great idea to start reviewing previous (but timely) episodes of our show during the times that Mista Yu is away from the microphone. All of these episodes (or beautiful Blasts from the Past) were previously broadcasted but we are sharing them with you for a time that you might need it most. Hope you enjoy!

A miracle start, a hard separation, and a relentless mission— Jean takes us from a birth in a five-gallon bucket to a blueprint for rebuilding hope in Haiti. We dive into the heart of Stand For Haiti, the organization he and his wife launched to strengthen what already exists—schools, churches, and community hubs—by wrapping students and families with real support. Instead of duplicating orphanages, Jean chose to repair broken education paths through tuition sponsorships, mentoring, medical access, and training for local teachers. The result is a durable circle of care that helps kids stay in school and communities move from survival to growth.

One story captures the spirit: Jean’s team purchased a voodoo temple and replaced it with a playground. That bold shift reoriented a neighborhood’s daily walk from fear to joy and became a hub for learning and unity. We talk candidly about Haiti’s current crisis—assassination fallout, gangs, displacement, and personal loss—and how people on the ground still show up hungry for change. Jean shares the hardest lesson he learned: outcomes can’t be the compass. Calling must be. Small acts of support—money, presence, leadership—ignite momentum for families who are learning to dodge bullets and keep going.

We also open the human chapters that keep Jean grounded: pick-up basketball, Caribbean food memories, and the power of music as a bridge. Hip hop once served as his evangelism tool, from campus

Coffee lovers and health-conscious listeners, we have new sponsors. They're offering you their best discounts! Links are below. Start saving now!

Quantum Squares: https://quantumsquares.com/discount/TCMMY

Strong Coffee: https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/TCMMY

ZivoLife: https://zivo.life/discount/TCMMY

I know you can probably find a good cup of Joe anywhere these days but can you find a good cup of Joe that is actually healthy for you! Strong Coffee is YOUR answer! Use the promo code below and tell me if it doesn't change the game for you! Healthy for your skin and your mind and it tastes great!

Strong Coffee: https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/TCMMY

Support the show

Hope you enjoyed our broadcast! If you would like to, or know someone who would like to be connected to Mista Yu as a future guest on one of our shows or to have him on your show or you think he's the perfect fit to be your new High Performance Coach, visit our page here: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y

We can't wait to hear from you!

Here's my LinkTree: linktr.ee/theycallmemistayu

Here's my Landing Page: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y

SEND US A TEXT. Drop Mista Yu a text at: (904) 867-4466 or (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2378778/open_sms). Leave your first name and the city you're reaching out to us from. We'll respond to your message on the next Fan Mail episode and give you the biggest shoutout. Every message you send to me matters. WANT A SHOUT-OUT ON THE PODCAST?

Hey, Friends and Family.

Even in the months of the podcast season when things are slow, we got content for you. Our team thought it a great idea to start reviewing previous (but timely) episodes of our show during the times that Mista Yu is away from the microphone. All of these episodes (or beautiful Blasts from the Past) were previously broadcasted but we are sharing them with you for a time that you might need it most. Hope you enjoy!

If you’ve ever wondered where change really happens, this conversation makes the case for getting closer to the ground. We sit down with Dr. Curtis Merriweather Jr.—engineer turned entrepreneur, self-funded mayoral candidate, and ministry leader—to trace a path from Navy labs to city hall hopes to a mission that blends strategy with conviction. Curtis explains why he aimed for the mayor’s seat: it’s an executive role where decisions move from talk to action and results show up on the block. He’s candid about what self-funding taught him about independence, optics, and the power of community buy-in.

We go deep on education as a tool rather than a trophy. Curtis frames every post-grad degree as a targeted solution: an MBA to decode business after engineering, project management to stabilize federal programs, and a PhD driven by tough questions about healthcare outcomes. He argues for a balanced stack—STEM for rigorous problem-solving, humanities for ethics and perspective—so leaders can make good choices under pressure. On entrepreneurship, he shares how to create a “soft landing,” get alignment at home, and sharpen the value proposition that customers actually validate.

Then we open the door to the federal marketplace. With $1.8 trillion in discretionary spend, government contracting is a massive, often overlooked lane. From tech giants to landscaping firms, the government buys almost everything. Curtis offers practical entry points, common pi

Coffee lovers and health-conscious listeners, we have new sponsors. They're offering you their best discounts! Links are below. Start saving now!

Quantum Squares: https://quantumsquares.com/discount/TCMMY

Strong Coffee: https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/TCMMY

ZivoLife: https://zivo.life/discount/TCMMY

I know you can probably find a good cup of Joe anywhere these days but can you find a good cup of Joe that is actually healthy for you! Strong Coffee is YOUR answer! Use the promo code below and tell me if it doesn't change the game for you! Healthy for your skin and your mind and it tastes great!

Strong Coffee: https://strongcoffeecompany.com/discount/TCMMY

Support the show

Hope you enjoyed our broadcast! If you would like to, or know someone who would like to be connected to Mista Yu as a future guest on one of our shows or to have him on your show or you think he's the perfect fit to be your new High Performance Coach, visit our page here: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y

We can't wait to hear from you!

Here's my LinkTree: linktr.ee/theycallmemistayu

Here's my Landing Page: https://theycallmemistayu.wixsite.com/they-call-me-mista-y