Splash Car Wash & Oil Change’s Post

Responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power...

The TDCJ promotional video featuring Officer Elliot Ruiz sheds light on his career and experiences but also exposes the deep flaws of TDCJ.  While Ruiz’s dedication may be sincere, the video is less about him and more about a system skilled at masking its true nature.  TDCJ avoids discussions of rehabilitation and justice, offering instead propaganda designed to maintain a facade while perpetuating dehumanizing practices.  What is notably absent is any mention of TDCJ’s mission: "to provide public safety, promote positive change in offender behavior, reintegrate offenders into society, and assist victims of crime."  The incarcerated individuals central to that mission are rendered invisible, reduced to silent props in the background.  This treatment reflects a system uninterested in rehabilitation and focused solely on control.  The only indirect reference to the incarcerated comes when Ruiz says, "No matter what ‘they’ do to me."  Who is “they”?  The video’s ambiguity avoids acknowledging these individuals as human beings deserving dignity and a chance to change.  This “us vs. them” mindset isn’t unique to officers; it’s ingrained in TDCJ’s culture, perpetuating division and undermining meaningful reform. Instead of addressing rehabilitation, the video prioritizes recruitment and retention, focusing on the struggles of staff while ignoring the humanity of the incarcerated.  Ruiz’s story is meant to inspire new recruits, yet it sidesteps the truth of incarceration, erasing the voices and potential of those in TDCJ’s care.  When Ruiz remarks that no one is perfect, he could have tied this sentiment to TDCJ’s role in helping people move beyond their mistakes.  Instead, the video pivots back to his personal narrative, missing an opportunity to humanize the incarcerated and highlight the system’s rehabilitative mission.  This omission feels deliberate; acknowledging the humanity of those incarcerated would mean admitting systemic failures. The video’s focus on the fears of corrections staff such as retirement highlights another imbalance.  While staff concerns are valid, what about the fears of the incarcerated?  Will they see their families again?  Leave prison with hope?  Survive the system?  These voices are silenced, while staff concerns take center stage, reflecting a system designed to prioritize control over compassion.  This video underscores how TDCJ and the corrections industry excel at herding people but fail at helping them.  Images of silent incarcerated individuals walking in the background are a stark reminder of this reality.  Rehabilitation requires more than rhetoric; it demands action, change, and humanity.  Yet, TDCJ’s focus remains on power and control, not transformation.  If TDCJ claims to promote positive change, it must start by recognizing the humanity of those it incarcerates.  Until then, videos like this will remain what they are: propaganda for a broken system.

WHAT’S YOUR 4 MINUTE MILE? ===================== On the historic 70th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister’s legendary feat of being the first human to run under four minutes in the mile, I share the most important performance enhancing “secret” he used to achieve greatness. Do you have a hurdle holding you back? Is there a barrier you want to overcome? Do you have your own four minute mile? Take and apply the lesson in this video and use it to inspire your next record breaking performance!

He was doing the work. Now, he's leading the team! Did you miss the release of my interview with Eric Armour? If so, there's a link to watch it down below. But first, here's a bit about Eric. In the interview, Eric discusses how he faced the challenge of transitioning from a technician servicing and repairing heavy equipment in the shop to leading techs working in the shop and the field (on the road working out of a service truck). Learn about the trying times Eric and his team went through during the 10 months when they didn't have a service manager (before he became the service manager). Discover how Eric overcame the odds being stacked against him with the field techs because he had no experience as a field tech. Develop an understanding of how Eric learned that applying leadership principles to develop your team can be much more challenging than applying them to develop yourself. In this interview, Eric shares a bit of the path he's traveled to be where he is today, how choosing to become intentional about personal development has helped him personally as he's become much better at unleashing his team's potential, and how it's helped him professionally as he continues his climb up the corporate ladder. Eric is the Service Manager at Yancey Bros. Co. leading a team of service technicians in the shop and in the field. He and his team focus exclusively on maintaining heavy duty Caterpillar equipment. Don't miss the 3rd episode of the "Real People Getting Real Results!" interview series featuring Eric Armour interviewed by Mack Story, Blue-Collar Leadership® Watch it on the Blue-Collar Leadership YouTube channel at the link below and check out the other interviews in this series which can be found under the playlist titled "Real People Getting Real Results!" Be sure to subscribe while you're there, and tap the 🔔 to be notified of future video releases. #leadershiptips #leadershippodcast #leadershipmindset #caterpillar #serviceindustry #serviceadvisor #servicemanagement #servicemanager #repairandmaintenance #maintenancemanagement #servicetechnician #heavymachinery #heavyequipmentlife  #dirtworld #dirtlife #dirtwork #bluecollarleadership #leadershipdevelopment https://lnkd.in/eF3UQnPk

Recruiting like a Ceasar?🧐 Standing at the Propylaea with my wife, I was struck by the sheer grandeur of it all. This monumental gateway to the Acropolis, where the most powerful figures in history— kings, generals, Caesars—once walked, is awe-inspiring. Knowing that some of the world’s greatest leaders strolled these same steps to reach the Parthenon filled me with wonder. It might sound like a stretch, but this feeling reminds me of how we aim to set up our clients for greatness in the recruiting process. At The Well, we take care of the first two-thirds of recruiting, carefully preparing candidates to meet our clients. By the time they connect, candidates are not only excited—they see our clients as leaders, with a sense of anticipation and respect. Our clients get to step in as the hero of the story, like a king or queen marching through the Propylaea, ready to meet their elite talent. If you’d like to be set up as the Caesar, entering to meet the best talent out there, check the comments below to learn more. Let’s see if we can make you the hero of your recruiting story.

As an entrepreneur seeking, some of the frequent feedback I receive is to tone down my rhetoric on living with PTSD. I met Darcel A. Rideout some time ago and she encouraged me to turn it up - full send. Her simple advice to Self and others to: " 'Get out and meet someone, today! is the type of feedback that moves me forward. Regardless of where it came from, #PTSD left untreated will Grind Your Gears Up. #awareness #mentalmealthmatters #veteransuicideawareness

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. We don’t walk around work with our title and level floating above our heads. People respond to what you do and how you do it. If you want to get promoted start by acting like you’re already at the next level. With your actions. Don’t wait for others to treat you like you’re already there.

Trust in the unknown means breaking down barriers. The mind works to protect us and anything unknown or not yet experienced is perceived as a threat. When you understand this, you better understand fear, that it's a normal reaction and how to overcome it. The question is will you let your mind rule you or will you rule it? 🩵

Your work is what you do, not who you are. ✨ Instead of saying, “I am a coach or I am a Salesforce Consultant,” I get to say “I support my clients as a coach/consultant.” There’s a significant difference in the details. Being able to separate my identity as my work was one of the biggest challenges for me years ago, but so worth it to have my mental health and harmony as my priority now over my job, which allows me to show up even better these days. 💕 #mindset #success #boundaries #empowerment