An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Love or War? Choose Love, uses the one thing in life that never fails in order to cross boundaries of gender, race, and economic status. That one thing is love. My book not only gives Biblical instruction on seven comprehensive traits of pure love, but it also trains people through practice into the nature of love. Everyone needs love.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Papa Joe Bradford.
Papa Joe Bradford is one of the country’s most respected leaders and advocates for at-risk and fatherless children. As an author, producer, teacher, speaker, program developer, and hunger relief leader to thousands of children, he serves through his unique ability to unite teams for active service and love to the least fortunate. Papa Joe holds the rare honor of having his triumphant life story inspire a heartwarming major motion picture, Unconditional, shown around the world on various online platforms. Visit him at papajoe.org to learn more about his impactful new book, Love or War? Choose Love.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up fatherless outside of Nashville in deep poverty with my grandmother, mother and sister. I was a dedicated student in high school, graduating in the top five percent of my class with scholarships offered to me in music, sports, and engineering. I accepted a full cooperative engineering scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
Yes, the book was How to Win Friends and Influence People. I grew up a cross between a jock and a nerd, so people figuratively labeled me a “Jerd.” When I got to college, this book helped me overcome my toughness as a jock and my idiosyncrasies as a nerd to become welcomed in whatever circle of influence I entered.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
When I first formed a nonprofit, a friend, who was the CEO of another nonprofit, told me that for several years their nonprofit had received thousands of more dollars than any other organization due to a grant from a well-known foundation. My friend thought that she could introduce me to the foundation director in hopes that the director would also award my organization a large grant. I applied for a large grant and was quickly denied. Had I applied for a reasonable amount, I would have received the grant. I realized that partnerships in business and otherwise are not built by a simple introduction, but by building trust and relationships.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
Love or War? Choose Love, uses the one thing in life that never fails in order to cross boundaries of gender, race, and economic status. That one thing is love. My book not only gives Biblical instruction on seven comprehensive traits of pure love, but it also trains people through practice into the nature of love. Everyone needs love.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
A section in my book discusses remedies for depression. As a high school saxophonist, I became greatly depressed when I failed to win a position in either of Tennessee’s two Mid-State Competition bands. I went through a regimen of encouragement, diligence, and other key techniques that I now teach in my book that spurred new life in me. There’s more to the story, but the following year, I became the first saxophonist in my state to win not only Mid-State but also All-State positions on both alto and tenor saxophone. I went from a nobody in my junior year to graduating as Tennessee’s highest-ranked high school saxophonist. Of course, I never learned to play two horns simultaneously, so I had to choose one on which to perform.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
My “aha moment” happened when Unconditional, the major motion picture inspired by my story, reached over 121 countries via Walmart App, Netflix, and Youtube. Even years after the initial release of the movie, I noticed the positive responses of thousands of people who witnessed how my character’s life was transformed through showing acts of love to others. If my movie can impact people to that extent, I truly believe that the training in my book can transform their lives even more as it has done many already.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
My wife’s young cousin relocated to our city as a single mom of two children. She was emotionally broken from various oppressive relationships and unable to open her heart to even the simple act of sharing a hug. The principles and practices of love outlined in my book were a strong catalyst in dissolving her hurt and emotional pain. Within months she could freely express love to friends and family, and even met and married her loving husband.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Number 1: Help me find creative ways to get the training that I have written into the hands of groups and communities who need to tackle the subjects of violence, domestic abuse, divorce, prejudice, and other subjects that cause discord among people.
Number 2: Invite me as a guest speaker to your organization, church, or business. I have traveled to many states carrying the practical message of love and seeing many lives begin to change for the better.
Number 3: Initiate programs and events that focus on acts of love in the seven areas described in my book.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I define leadership as the process of discerning your team’s talents/gifts, uniting them in peace as one unit, inspiring and encouraging them, and leading by example to accomplish common goals. In Nashville’s largest inner-city community (Napier-Sudekum), our hunger relief program takes groceries door to door to over 800 families. An event of this magnitude with dozens of volunteers takes a staff that’s effective, kind, and productive in every area of the event from parking volunteers to team leaders guiding volunteers to serve thousands of impoverished people within two hours. Whenever possible, I am leading the charge with my megaphone.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Number 1: Pride and confidence are two different things. Pride makes a person seem to have their “nose in the air” above everyone else and sends people running away from you. Confidence gives fuel to accomplish goals without quitting and draws people to you.
Number 2: Success is not built overnight. Many of my younger years were spent in a hurry to succeed causing me to cut corners in getting help and consequently failing to reach my goals. Patience taught me that I am in nothing alone, and it takes time for people to make decisions and take action.
Number 3: There is always someone else smarter than me in whatever I am doing, so find them. My nonprofit has Nashville’s largest door-to-door hunger relief program taking groceries to several thousand within hours. I thought I was unique in getting six semi-trucks of food donated to be given away within three months until I met a man who had given away 13 semi-trucks of food per day for over a week.
Number 4: I do not have to “reinvent the wheel” in every area of life. Whenever I make a plan for a project, no longer do I spend hours trying to figure out every little detail. I have my team get online and research the most successful methods of doing each step of our project before we make a move.
Number 5: It’s ok to not first succeed in every step along the way to your goal. In this life, hindsight is sometimes our best teacher. Early in my nonprofit leadership career, I ignored sound advice and did not apply for a particular grant believing that we were underqualified. Two months later, a similar nonprofit organization with fewer credentials won the grant award and their program excelled. Afterward, we began applying for and receiving grants that looked even remotely achievable.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You can only be a great example of love when you’ve learned to love those with great weaknesses.” This is my quote derived from lessons that I learned from serving children and families in America’s poverty-stricken, inner-city communities shattered by drugs, alcohol, violence, and all sorts of abuse. Sometimes the ones that need you the most are the most challenging to help due to these various weaknesses.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
The answer is Dr. Tony Evans. He is very accomplished as a leader, author, speaker, and teacher. He epitomizes what I strive to be in those areas.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can visit www.papajoe.org and www.elijahsheart.com.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Papa Joe Bradford Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.