Welcome to ACCESS GRANTED

In this latest episode of Access Granted, Renato Paiva, the CEO of Access Youth Academy interviews Walter Green who shares his life journey on the Access Granted podcast, highlighting his 29-year segments: a struggling childhood, a business career, and a phase of service. He discusses his father's impact, his own career in the hospitality industry, and his transition to philanthropy. Green emphasizes the importance of expressing gratitude while people are alive, leading to the creation of the Say It Now movement, which has inspired over 10 million expressions of appreciation globally. He also praises Access Youth Academy for its mission, leadership, and success in helping underserved kids achieve higher education.

Walter Green's Early Life and Career Journey

• Reanto welcomes Walter Green to the Axis Youth Academy and expresses excitement about discussing his life story.
• Walter Green reflects on his life, describing his early years as a struggle marked by frequent moves due to his father's business ventures and health issues.
• He recounts his father's dream of owning a dude ranch in the Adirondacks, which led to financial difficulties and frequent relocations.
• Walter shares the impact of his father's heart attack and subsequent death, which influenced his early adulthood and career choices.

Career Transitions and Business Success

• Walter discusses his various jobs in his 20s, including working in the CPA field, food service, and hotel business.
• He describes his transition to a startup company in the executive conference center field, which became a successful business.
• Walter explains his decision to sell the company at 59 and move to the West Coast to focus on serving others through nonprofit work.
• He highlights his involvement in projects like the Institute of Science and his work in Kenya, emphasizing his commitment to serving others.

The Concept of Serving Others

• Reanto inquires about Walter's motivation for serving others, particularly in his later years.
• Walter explains that his entire life has been about serving in different forms, whether in business or nonprofit work.
• He emphasizes the importance of working with people he loves and the evolution of his service work to have no commercial application.
• Walter shares his belief that everyone has been given something by someone, and it's important to acknowledge and express gratitude.

The Say It Now Movement

• Reanto introduces Walter's Say It Now movement, which encourages people to express gratitude to those who have made a significant impact on their lives.
• Walter explains the inspiration behind the movement, which stemmed from his own experience of publicly acknowledging his friends' impact on his life.
• He describes the process of visiting 44 people to tell them how they had influenced him, leading to the creation of his book.
• Walter highlights the impact of the movement, which has inspired millions of expressions of gratitude globally.

Impact of the Say It Now Movement

• Walter shares the success of the Say It Now movement, including its reach in 83 countries and over 80,000 schools.
• He explains the importance of expressing gratitude while the person is alive, as it provides a meaningful experience for both the giver and receiver.
• Walter discusses the role of technology, such as Zoom, in facilitating the movement during the pandemic.
• He emphasizes the power of the movement to change lives and the positive feedback he has received from people who have participated.

Walter's Personal Reflections and Future Plans

• Walter reflects on his personal journey and the importance of having a supportive partner, like his wife Lola, throughout his...