Sept. 1, 2025

You Have a Friend - Bully Buddy

You Have a Friend - Bully Buddy
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Season 1

Bullying remains a devastating reality for countless children and teens. But what if technology could offer a powerful new defense? "AI to Combat Bullying" explores an innovative solution to a pervasive problem. Our guest will talk about Bully Buddy, and about how artificial intelligence is being used to create safer, more supportive safe spaces and environments for children and teens. Discover how this platform is empowering kids, educating bystanders, and changing bullying prevention.

ASharpe Outlook is broadcast live Mondays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). ASharpe Outlook TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

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WEBVTT

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This program is designed to provide general information with regards

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to the subject matters covered. This information is given with

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the understanding that neither the hosts, guests, sponsors or station

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are engaged in rendering any specific and personal medical, financial,

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legal counseling, professional service, or any advice. You should seek

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the services of competent professionals before applying or trying any

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suggested ideas.

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Hello, and thank you for tuning in to a Sharp

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Outlook on pay for HD radio and talk or TV.

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I am Angela Sharp, your host our arm chair discussions

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with industry experts will give you the steps, tools and

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information to be successful in business and to prepare you

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to be your best self. Hello, I'm Angela Sharp, and

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first off, I want to thank you for joining us.

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It's Labor Day and it's a day where we can

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all say thank you for those who put together plans

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and ideas and thoughts that helped laborers to have benefits,

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to have shorter working hours, to have an insurance coverage

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and for one ks and all the different things, and

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a lot of that came through our unions. Thank you

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union members for fighting for benefits for laborers. So have

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a wonderful Labor Day, and I hope you are going

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to really be excited to be on our show today

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because it affects someone in your family and in your life. Today,

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we're going to be talking about bullying. Bullying remains a

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devastating reality for countless children and teens, but what if

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technology could offer a powerful new defense. AI to compat

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bullying explores innovative solution to a pervasive problem. Today I'm

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going to be speaking with Jessica's Toft, the thought leader

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behind bully Buddy, and about how artificial intelligence is being

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used to create safer, more supportive environments for children and teens.

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Discover how this platform is empowering kids, educating bystanders, and

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changing the future of bullying prevention. In our podcast today,

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we're going to talk with the creator of bully Buddy,

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a revolutionary platform that uses AI to address bullying head on.

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Learn how bully Booty Buddy is helping kids cope with bullying.

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And we all know that that is a problem that

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is a major problem in this country and probably around

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the world. But I know here it is some thing

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that is really causing so much fear and anxiety in

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our children, and we need to look at solutions that

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are preventing future incidents and fostering a culture of empathy

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and respect. If you're a parent, educator, or anyone concerned

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about the well being of young people, this podcast is

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a must listen, a must see, and one that you

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must share. Today, I'm talking to Jessica Toft. Jessica is

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the visionary, CEO and founder of bully Buddy, an innovative

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platform that utilizes the power of AI to combat bullying.

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Driven by a deep commitment to creating safer and more

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inclusive environments for children and teens, Jessica is changing the

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way we address bullying. With a background in education, she

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brings a unique perspective to the challenge, focusing on proactive solutions,

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support for those affected, and effective prevention strategies. Jessica is

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a recognized innovator and a passionate advocate for leveraging technology

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technology to make a positive impact on mental health and

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well being. More importantly, she's passionate advocate for creating a

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world where every child feels safe, supported, and empowered. Witnessing

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the devastating impact of bullying firsthand inspired her to create

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bully Buddy, a platform that uses the power of AI

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to proactively combat bullying and foster empathy. She is committed

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to leveraging technology for good, building a future where young

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people can thrive without fear. A passionate advocate for mental

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health and wellbeing, Jessica is leveraging technology to proactively address

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this situation of bullofd I would like to invite you, Jessica,

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to join me so that we can begin this conversation

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about something that is affecting our children here in this

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station and around the world. The bullying and the fear,

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and the intimidation and the manipulation. Something has to be done.

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And I am so grateful that you were here to

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tell us that there's hope and for the teens or

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the children that happen to be watching. You've got a

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friend and it's bully Buddy, and so we're going to begin.

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But you brought a guest today. Please, we would like

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to invite our guests that you brought to join us. Also, Hello, Ted,

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how are you doing?

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Hi Angela. I'm going to do great, having.

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Us wonderful, Well, tell us a little about yourself before

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we began, you know, just having conversation about this. Tell

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us about you.

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Sure, I'm the founder and CEO of Glee Labs and

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Glee Labs is an AI native innovation studio and venture studio.

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We work with founders like Jess who have a strong

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vision and a desire to make the world a better

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place and leverage AI to do so. And so it's

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been really fun working with Jess and being inspired by

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her vision and seeing how she really wants to make

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the world a better place and is looking at innovative

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ways with AI to power that.

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Yes, well I happened to learn about really, buddy, and

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I could not do anything but make sure that I

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let your voices be on a sharp outlook. You know,

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we're always talking about being your best self here in

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an ash are ab outlook and getting informed. Well, I

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don't know of any topic more important than trying to

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combat bullying and coming up with solutions. So these children

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are not feeling so intimidated scared to go to school,

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not being able to sit there and study or even

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learn because of the fact they're afraid of what's going

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to happen when they leave their classroom. It's just at

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this point in time in life, we should have grown

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up and should be doing a lot better than what's

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happening right now. But thank you and think the creator

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above that enriched you with the knowledge and information to

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make this happen. So what inspired you to create Bully Buddy?

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Well, first of all, thank you Angela for having me

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and having Ted. I'm really really grateful for the uppertun

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tunity Bully Buddy was born.

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My daughter was.

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Being bullied in second grade. My background, I used to

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teach in early childhood and direct childcare centers. So when

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I approached the school with the issue that she was

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coming home every day telling me what was happening at recess,

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I was really shocked that they weren't receptive to it,

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and they weren't willing to.

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Do anything.

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Really, they didn't think it was a big deal. They

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kind of had the kids will be kids' mentality. At

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the same time, she kept coming home and I began

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to realize that she wasn't able to understand the social

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cues that were happening. She thought this game that they

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were playing with her that didn't feel good and didn't

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she didn't find fun. She thought it was a game still,

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and she didn't understand why she was always the one

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that they were.

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Targeting.

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And so I brought her to a therapist and then

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we had her assessed and.

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She was diagnosed as autistic.

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So I deeped dove into autism and what it is,

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and back then there was a huge stigma around it,

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and so I wasn't going to let that stigma define

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my daughter and I wasn't going to let let it

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continue the Bulian. So I then got a job in

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the school district working in special education, and I got

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to learn firsthand from from the school's perspective what's going.

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On and where the.

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Problem is that that they're not able to address such

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a huge problem that's been going on for a very

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long time. I worked with a fifth grader who is

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also autistic and has ADHD, and I saw firsthand how

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settle the actions were that were taken against him, and

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how he was provoked and how things were twisted. And

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I got a good overall picture of how we could

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use AI.

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To document and show the.

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Patterns of behaviors and how we could not only help

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the targeted individual, but we could also help the school

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and help the parents who are advocating for their children.

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So we developed TED and I and Gregory, who's not here,

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We have been working since may to train our ai

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bully Buddy to be a support tool for people who

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our targets bullying and also the.

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Teachers, the parents.

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But the bullies, people who bully people are doing it

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from a place of hurt and well they're also doing

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it from a place of wanting the control and power

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of the situation. There's a reason that they have gotten

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to this point in life, and they weren't born this way.

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So if we can support everyone involved, I say why not?

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And Ted reached out and offered to help me bring

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bully Buddy to life. And I couldn't be more grateful.

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Oh me either. I remember I used I was a

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foster mother. Well when I got them, I was at

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grandmother age, so I was a foster grandmother for two

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sisters and a brother and they had of course, they

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ended up going to new schools and things like that.

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And they came in and just said, we can't go

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back there anymore. I mean we get cold names when

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we're walking down the hall and just different things like that.

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I said, oh, yeah, you're going back, and I'm going

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back with you. And I went directly to the principal.

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I said, I.

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Don't know what you do for your job. Well, let

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me tell you what my expectation is, and this is

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not good behavior. And I'm sure you wouldn't want me

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to make this public to the world because I will

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contact every association out there. I will blast this school.

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You will lose your funding, and they're going to come

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after your job. So do you want to help stop

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this or do you want me to start writing? Because

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I don't have a problem I can And he's like, well,

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you're not from here. I absolutely am not. But I'm

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going to show you how everybody else in the world

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actually functions. And so you're not going to have my

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children treat it this way, are you? No, No, I'm

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going to do so even got on the what do

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you call those intercom system and told them we are

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not going to have bullying. Anybody bullying. You're going to

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get suspended. So I was like, yeah, that's okay, because

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I wasn't having it. I just said, you know, they

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already had been going through experiences in their life. This

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is why where they were in foster care. They needed love.

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They did not need violence, they didn't need the abuse,

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they didn't need all of these emotional, you know, traumas

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they had to go through when they're trying to learn,

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And so I understand, you know what's going on in

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the schools, and I don't know where it all begins,

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but those children that are doing it, there's something wrong

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in their lives and they're just trying to feel empowered.

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But it's the wrong, wrong way to do it.

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I'm sorry.

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I don't want to get on the soap overa here.

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Beyond just wanting to stop bullying, what specific problem are

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are you trying to solve with bully buddy that existing

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solutions aren't weren't addressing. And I think you mentioned it right.

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Right, Well, the schools, I mean it's hard they the

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bullying isn't done in front of teachers, right, It's done

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in the hallways. It's done now through social media. It's

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done when when.

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People aren't looking.

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So to be able to uh empower the target by

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by giving them a support system that will document in

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timestamp things as they come so that you can't you

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can't question the narrative.

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It just is black and white. What it is, uh

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is really the.

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Key because teachers, I mean, they can only do so

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much for one little thing here, another little thing here,

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another little thing here, and it's exhausting for them. They

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have a lot to do. Teachers don't have an easy job.

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They have a very challenging job. And to try to

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discern who is in the right, who is in the

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wrong when people are not being honest and truthful. Isn't

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really fair to the teachers to put that on them.

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And not just teachers. I mean, it happens in the workplace,

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it happens in relationships, it happens in family dynamics, it

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happens in marriages and abusive situations.

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We can combat it at all angles.

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Right, right, Wow, it's going to cover more than just

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the children. Then it's going to be dealing with you know,

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women in domestic you know, violence situations and things like that.

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I'm totally against, I mean, well saying too much. I've

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experienced some of these things that are occurring, and i

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just want to say, first off, parents, you know your children,

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and if you know they're out there bullying and tormenting

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someone else, I know you want to say kids will

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be kids. Well that's not normal, I'll behavior, And so

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why don't you talk with them and find out what's

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going on? And I'm going to let the experts, you know,

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talk with you about that. But parents, somewhere along the line,

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you have to take some responsibility for the behavior of

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your children. So think about that. Just think about that,

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because it does hurt. It really hurts a lot, and

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some don't recover. Okay, Bully Buddy uses cutting edge technology.

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What were some of the initial challenges in bringing the

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idea to life and how how have you been overcoming it?

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Well, I would love for Ted to kind of share this,

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because he's really we've walked hand in hand in this experience.

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But it's been a learning process and deciding whether to

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go with an open AI model or precise AI model,

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and whether we should be utilizing multiple experts or singular experts.

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It's been an exciting journey that Ted has really been instrumental,

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and Greg too in the technical end of things.

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Yeah.

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No, it's been a great journey. And one of the

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challenges that we faced initially is just had a very

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clear vision about what we needed Bully Buddy to do,

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and when we looked at the different options for AI,

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we realized, right, I think early on that a large

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language models and large scale AI wouldn't be appropriate for this,

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because really, when a kid is as vulnerable as in

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this situation, they really need expert advice. They don't need

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generalized AI to give the best guests that AI can

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come up with, and the worst thing would be any

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level of hallucination or AI making things up and leading

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a kid down the wrong path. And so right away

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we realized instead of leveraging large language models, we would

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need to take the path of a small, precise language model,

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and instead of relying on the system to train itself

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and to use traditional AI training, we really need experts

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who were familiar with this problem. And so Jess was

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incredible in terms of identifying experts and then working with

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those experts to frame their knowledge such that it could

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be useful in an AI model. And what we've come

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up with, I think we've sort of exceeded expectations. But

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the you know, the level of participation from the experts

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who also had a passion for this and their willingness

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to be incredibly generous with their frameworks really allowed us

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to a provide a place where the child could speak

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to the AI, but most importantly be the AI could

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be empathetic and then actually offer some real solutions and

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remind the child or what's ever being bullied, that their

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worth is comes from within and not from from others,

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and some other principles along those lines. So that's it's

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been a remarkable journey. Great vision to start with, and

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then really having AI catch up to that big vision.

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Oh yeah, absolutely, and that you know, I work with software,

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That's what I do, that's my day job. And so

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I'm you know, in experimenting with AI and things, and

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like I said, having more specific knowledge base than just

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the everything's out there because you know, also know we've

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got a lot of disinformation and a whole bunch of

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other stuff that's out there too. You don't want to

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grabbing that kind of information. So that's really wonderful that

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you have. You just have like this whole, you know,

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huge team that says we want this to stop. And

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that's really important. And I mean I'm just almost in

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tears because you know, I see an answer for these

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children who are like running home from school or don't

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want to go out to recess because you know someone's

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looking for them, or a wife at home she's afraid

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to spend too much money because she she comes in

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the home and who knows what's going to happen to her.

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It's there's no there is absolutely no reason for violence

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or trying to dominate another person. It's just there's just

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no reason for it. And it doesn't make you a

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strong man. It doesn't make you a strong woman. In fact,

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it really does. It demonstrates that you really are the

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weaker vessel that you have to go in and tear

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someone else down to make yourself feel powerful or feel good.

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You know.

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Check out some of my podcasts learn about maybe finding

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your purpose, finding your vision, finding something that gives you

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better things to do with your energy and your time

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and your mind than you know, challenging and intimidating and

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heaven forbid, you know, hitting someone that is smaller than you,

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that is there because they love you, but you're not

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demonstrating love.

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You know.

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I could just go on and on and on, like

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I said, because I've been there, done that. Thank God

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that I was able to get, you know, therapy that

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I needed and to be able to realize I am strong.

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I'm not the experience. I'm someone who survived someone else's

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weaknesses and so this is just great. Okay. What are

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the key features of the Bully Buddy platform and who

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are they designed to help. You mentioned a few, but

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what the who all was it designed to help? Yeah?

329
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I would say it's definitely designed to I mean, so

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the power really is in.

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The targeted individual.

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Hurt.

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People hurt, and it's a cycle.

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So if we can empower the meek, the ones that

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don't want to fight back, but they maybe feel like

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they have no other option, that's what we get to do.

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We get to give them a tool where they can

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go to, they can let it all out, they can talk.

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I mean talking is healing.

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So to be able to release that energy and to

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have a tool that understands, empathizes, and listens and then

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redirects them to a better mindset, and to remind them

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about how wonderful they are and how great they are

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and all of the wonderful things about them.

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And to tell them who.

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They can go to, who the safe people in their

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lives are. Is they get to stop the cycle they

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instead of So I used our Holy Betty three point

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oho that we're testing. And my daughters were fighting in

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the car on the drive to school the other day,

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and my younger daughter was very upset because my older

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daughter was picking on her, and so I use that

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as an example and when I told Bullybuddy that she

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wanted to call her names back, Bully Buddy then.

355
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Redirected her to her own inner power.

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And it just showed me that we get to stop

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people from becoming bullies, we get to end the cycle

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by empowering that targeted individual.

359
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So those are some of the coping mechanisms that you're teaching,

360
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Bully Buddy. What other kinds of coping mechanisms you know,

361
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does Bully Buddy you know teach children right.

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Well, we definitely teach them to look inward, to recognize

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their strengths, to look around them at the supportive people

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in their life that they can turn to, but to

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always realize that they hold the power and that Let's

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say we're talking about an adult who is in a

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situation that they feel like they can't get out of

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and they have become hopeless. Well, we now give them

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a documenting tool that will recognize the abuse, will call

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it by name, that will document it in time, stamp it.

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And if they are dragged into a situation where they

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are made out to be someone that they're not, or

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they're made out to look like the bad guy, which

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happens often in belief they can then just simply present

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the evidence and they don't have to fight back, they

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don't have to take.

377
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In the abuse.

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Internally, they can recognize that that person is operating from

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a place of weakness and they.

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Have no power over them anymore. So, so you know,

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00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:51.440
it's a tool to really empower the meek and the mild.

382
00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:56.640
It's like having an angel on your shoulder. Yeah, I

383
00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:58.880
mean one that you can actually talk to and it

384
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:03.079
talks back. Oh my gosh. That that has got to

385
00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:09.039
be very empowering and strengthening for these children and teens,

386
00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:14.559
teens really especially getting on the social media and you know,

387
00:26:14.759 --> 00:26:18.400
allowing so much of that to enter into their space.

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00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:25.519
I just really really wish we just had had Let's

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00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:29.240
start having a moral compass, and let's start doing checkups

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00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:32.680
on our moral compass. How about that check your moral

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00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:37.559
compass and see how many lines have you crossed? And

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00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:41.440
if you keep continuing to cross lines, you probably need

393
00:26:41.480 --> 00:26:44.480
to have bully buddy to talk to. That's going to

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00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:49.440
help you like center yourself and make you realize you

395
00:26:49.480 --> 00:26:52.640
don't have to do that to be important. You're important

396
00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:59.000
all by yourself. You were fearlessly and wonderfully created and

397
00:26:59.079 --> 00:27:01.680
their gifts in you. You don't have to do that.

398
00:27:02.359 --> 00:27:05.319
Find that musical note that you hear when you're dreaming,

399
00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:10.960
or find that beautiful design in that painting that you'd

400
00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:13.559
like to do, or just the song that you want

401
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:17.240
to write. You have something else in you other than

402
00:27:17.319 --> 00:27:20.920
hurting people that you have to go to school with

403
00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:25.359
or live next door to, or whether you know them

404
00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:29.319
or not. It's like they used to always say, get

405
00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:33.240
a life, you know, and do something else with your time.

406
00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.519
But bullying it's not cute. Yeah, you go out there

407
00:27:37.559 --> 00:27:39.720
and you tape it and you put on social media

408
00:27:39.720 --> 00:27:43.519
and you guys have laughs. But one thing I want

409
00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:47.240
to tell you, what goes around comes around, and it

410
00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.079
usually comes around seven times worse. So you don't want

411
00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:54.519
to be going down those paths where you're just deliberately

412
00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:55.079
doing that.

413
00:27:55.720 --> 00:27:56.160
Anyway.

414
00:27:57.079 --> 00:28:02.160
I'm sorry, I just have passion for this. So how

415
00:28:02.200 --> 00:28:06.759
does bully Buddy help prevent bullying from happening in the

416
00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:07.440
first place?

417
00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:09.079
Is it?

418
00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:11.079
Is there a way for that to happen?

419
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:12.200
Right?

420
00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:17.000
Well, I mean it also holds people accountable. I think

421
00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:19.960
that that's a huge thing that is really hard to

422
00:28:20.039 --> 00:28:25.200
do in bullying because it's not typically done where you

423
00:28:25.240 --> 00:28:31.880
can see it. So when the victim no longer feels

424
00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:35.359
like they have to fight back, they take themselves out

425
00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:39.839
of the situation and they can't be used anymore, so

426
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:46.640
that bully's actions start to speak for themselves and it's

427
00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:53.559
much more visible and the targeted individual then lets natural

428
00:28:53.599 --> 00:28:58.599
consequences take place. And sometimes that's what needs to happen

429
00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:04.400
for people to learn learn their lesson is they need

430
00:29:04.440 --> 00:29:07.039
to let a higher power take.

431
00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:13.720
Over, right, and having that accountability, you know, documented accountability.

432
00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:16.480
This is what you said that this person. Do you

433
00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:19.000
think it was the right thing to say? I mean,

434
00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:24.640
it's almost like maybe an angel, but how about a grandma.

435
00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:27.839
It's like having me on your shoulder. You don't want me.

436
00:29:27.759 --> 00:29:29.000
On your shoulder.

437
00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:33.839
Because I am going to be in your face when

438
00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:37.440
you're out there doing these things. So just having that accountability,

439
00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:40.960
you know, do you know what you just did? And

440
00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:45.279
how would you feel if the same thing happened to you?

441
00:29:47.400 --> 00:29:52.480
So you know, I'm not trying to make anyone feel

442
00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:58.640
ashamed or whatever. I'm wanting you to recognize behaviors do

443
00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:00.000
have consequence.

444
00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:01.839
And so.

445
00:30:03.640 --> 00:30:06.400
Just like I said, having an angel on your shoulder

446
00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:08.799
to keep you on the right path and a grandma

447
00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.079
on the other shoulder when you just don't want to

448
00:30:11.079 --> 00:30:16.079
do right, He's gonna tell you what's up. Hey, I'm

449
00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:16.720
your grandma.

450
00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:17.599
Stop it.

451
00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:20.839
Sorry.

452
00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:25.119
One of the things I was wondering, what kind of

453
00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:30.319
feedback have you received from children or parents or educators

454
00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:35.839
who are aware of Bully Buddy and used it. Can

455
00:30:35.880 --> 00:30:39.200
you share maybe some of those. I don't want to

456
00:30:39.720 --> 00:30:43.119
you to expose anything confidential, but can you kind of

457
00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:46.079
give us a hint of what their feedback is?

458
00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:48.799
Yeah, Ted, do you want to go?

459
00:30:49.720 --> 00:30:52.559
Well? You know, I think what comes to mind, Angela

460
00:30:52.839 --> 00:30:57.480
is just as we've demoed this, we've we've really seen

461
00:30:57.519 --> 00:31:02.160
it bring people to tears with you know, just that

462
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:08.200
when parents see the possibility here and even experts in

463
00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:12.480
the field see the possibility and the empathy of the system,

464
00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:17.839
it's it's really brought them to tears because they've they've

465
00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:22.960
been exasperated looking for solutions, and now Bully Buddy's here

466
00:31:23.400 --> 00:31:27.440
and finally there's a place where they're their kid or

467
00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:30.880
they themselves can go and hear that they're not crazy

468
00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:35.960
and be validated. There's there's a way for them to

469
00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:39.319
to tell a story you know, today and tomorrow and

470
00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:41.559
the next day, and then for a pattern to be

471
00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:45.640
recognized so that it's not just my side of the

472
00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:48.400
story versure side of the story, it's it's clear to

473
00:31:48.480 --> 00:31:52.400
anybody objectively that there's a real pattern here and that

474
00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:55.519
something needs to be done to to stop the cycle.

475
00:31:57.119 --> 00:32:03.680
We've put the system through some incredible testing, and I

476
00:32:03.720 --> 00:32:09.200
think I've probably been most impressed with how well the

477
00:32:09.359 --> 00:32:12.279
experts because we were there for the interviews, we were

478
00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:18.079
there for the training, but I've been blown away by

479
00:32:18.279 --> 00:32:23.640
how much of their expertise it comes through the system,

480
00:32:24.200 --> 00:32:29.200
and their empathy comes through, and their ability to redirect

481
00:32:29.200 --> 00:32:34.079
and remind somebody where their value is comes through. I

482
00:32:34.119 --> 00:32:37.279
was really nervous that that would get lost in translation.

483
00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:40.400
And you know, Angela, with your background and technology, you

484
00:32:40.440 --> 00:32:44.720
know garbage in. You know, that's just unavoidable when it

485
00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:48.319
comes to technology. Well, in this case, it was expertise

486
00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:52.480
in and empathy in and I think love and care

487
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:56.119
into the system, and those are the things that have

488
00:32:56.240 --> 00:32:58.759
come out of Bully Buddy. I think that's been most delightful.

489
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:03.119
Oh that that to me is just music to my ears.

490
00:33:03.160 --> 00:33:07.119
Like I said, I had those foster children and you know,

491
00:33:07.160 --> 00:33:11.279
they were behind in school. They had been through abuses

492
00:33:11.720 --> 00:33:15.279
and different things like that, and they didn't have maybe

493
00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:21.640
the best feelings about themselves. They didn't have, you know,

494
00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:25.359
that strong confidence or things like that. But just with

495
00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:29.160
having a new place to be at and someone who

496
00:33:29.200 --> 00:33:33.720
would listen and someone who loved them, and someone who said,

497
00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:36.640
I don't care what has happened in the past, or

498
00:33:36.680 --> 00:33:41.359
I don't care what others have told you. You are smart,

499
00:33:41.720 --> 00:33:46.079
you are capable, you are able, and I expect you

500
00:33:46.160 --> 00:33:50.039
to go for the gold. I expect it and I

501
00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:53.079
want you to expect it. And I even had to

502
00:33:53.599 --> 00:33:56.440
catch them up so they graduated on time. They had

503
00:33:56.440 --> 00:33:59.079
to take extra credits, and I went in and talked

504
00:33:59.079 --> 00:34:01.519
to the teachers. I want you to give them extra

505
00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:05.440
classes because I want them graduating on time. I want

506
00:34:05.480 --> 00:34:05.880
you to know.

507
00:34:08.280 --> 00:34:08.639
M hm.

508
00:34:09.079 --> 00:34:13.760
They all graduated, and two of them went to technical

509
00:34:13.840 --> 00:34:18.159
school and they're all buried and have families now.

510
00:34:18.280 --> 00:34:22.119
But beautiful, it was.

511
00:34:22.679 --> 00:34:23.599
It was worth.

512
00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:25.440
It was worth the fight.

513
00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:28.000
It's worth the fight.

514
00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:34.039
To save a life. And that's what Bully Buddy's doing.

515
00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:40.760
He's saving lives. And I just I thank you, I

516
00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:41.800
thank you so much.

517
00:34:44.639 --> 00:34:50.920
Okay, what about because you mentioned that your your daughter

518
00:34:51.039 --> 00:34:54.599
was autistic and some other young you know, do you

519
00:34:54.800 --> 00:35:03.599
have any problems or issues with autistic children interacting with

520
00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:04.639
Bully Buddy?

521
00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:11.159
Well, you know, I mean no, but it's really going

522
00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:16.159
to be helpful for the neurodivergent population because they are

523
00:35:16.679 --> 00:35:23.519
oftentimes the target. I mean, I could go on and

524
00:35:23.559 --> 00:35:28.880
on about how complex communication is because it's such a

525
00:35:28.920 --> 00:35:36.159
spectrum of interpretations and perceptions and perspectives, and when it

526
00:35:36.159 --> 00:35:39.239
comes down to it, we all just need to try

527
00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:43.800
harder to understand one another and to ask questions when

528
00:35:43.840 --> 00:35:46.719
we don't understand one another, and to communicate in a

529
00:35:46.760 --> 00:35:53.079
healthy way. So the basis of Bullyboddy really is surrounded

530
00:35:53.400 --> 00:35:57.639
by how can we communicate with each other in respectful,

531
00:35:57.719 --> 00:36:04.079
healthy ways while respecting ourselves and being assertive and learning

532
00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:10.840
to be assertive, which is necessary in communicating with everyone

533
00:36:11.199 --> 00:36:12.360
in a healthy way.

534
00:36:13.480 --> 00:36:16.280
Well, I had a guest on a few weeks back,

535
00:36:17.199 --> 00:36:21.840
Brain Charity from the United Kingdom, and they are a

536
00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:29.280
program that works specifically with divergency and I'm going to

537
00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:32.159
have to get you in touch with them, because that's

538
00:36:32.239 --> 00:36:35.880
all they do. They work with not only those that

539
00:36:36.119 --> 00:36:43.400
have been diagnosed with different you know, brain changes and

540
00:36:43.440 --> 00:36:46.199
things like that. You know there's people that get PTSD

541
00:36:46.480 --> 00:36:50.519
that brain's not functioning or they've been in an accident.

542
00:36:50.559 --> 00:36:52.840
There's all there's a lot of different Like you said,

543
00:36:53.079 --> 00:36:54.920
they when they were on the show there told me

544
00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:59.400
they're like over six hundred different you know, things that

545
00:36:59.480 --> 00:37:04.760
can affect the brain and for uh and you know,

546
00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:08.639
to not be able to be treated the same just

547
00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:14.840
because of they work differently. I know of autistic kids,

548
00:37:14.920 --> 00:37:19.639
I've been around them. They're some of the smartest children.

549
00:37:19.960 --> 00:37:22.840
When you get into your tech and your mathematics and

550
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:25.880
things like that, and it's like, hey, now they could

551
00:37:25.880 --> 00:37:29.960
get AI to really work, and there's where they need

552
00:37:29.960 --> 00:37:31.840
to be. But you know, we got to get you know,

553
00:37:32.480 --> 00:37:35.239
employers to get to the point where they realize just

554
00:37:35.440 --> 00:37:37.960
turn the lights down a little bit, you'll have one

555
00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:43.360
of the best programs ever written. But yeah, it's a

556
00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:48.159
matter of just being kinder to one another, I mean,

557
00:37:48.280 --> 00:37:54.760
really being kind. But it's unfortunate these days people don't

558
00:37:54.800 --> 00:37:58.719
even even think about kindness, you know, the way they

559
00:37:59.679 --> 00:38:01.719
see read some of the social media, Like I said,

560
00:38:01.719 --> 00:38:04.559
have grand children. I read some of the comments that

561
00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:07.360
they do back and forth. It's like, oh my goodness,

562
00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:13.920
what is this? And so yeah, it's really really really important.

563
00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:18.159
How do you see Bully Buddy evolving in the future.

564
00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:21.320
I mean, are there any features or other things you're

565
00:38:21.400 --> 00:38:24.239
thinking about, you know, because I know with all kinds

566
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:28.239
of technology, this is version here, but there are going

567
00:38:28.280 --> 00:38:30.599
to be other versions. What are some of the other

568
00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:31.960
things that you're thinking about?

569
00:38:32.360 --> 00:38:34.159
Yeah, well, I mean it's endless.

570
00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:37.639
I think the first time Ted and I spoke, he goes, well,

571
00:38:37.639 --> 00:38:39.800
what do you want to start with? And I was like, Oh,

572
00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:42.880
there's so many problems that we can solve with this.

573
00:38:43.679 --> 00:38:46.400
We have partners with Boys and Girls Club, but we

574
00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:50.960
have another mental health social media platform, Cadre, that we

575
00:38:51.320 --> 00:38:55.280
are in talks with, and I mean there's several autistic

576
00:38:55.480 --> 00:39:00.719
programs that we are talking with, and really it's to

577
00:39:01.719 --> 00:39:07.880
build more versions, to solve more problems, and we now

578
00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:12.559
have a replicatable process that we just need people.

579
00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:14.519
It's all about the people.

580
00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:16.719
It's all about the experts, and it's all about the

581
00:39:16.760 --> 00:39:20.280
people that need help. And I think we can do

582
00:39:20.320 --> 00:39:23.679
it fairly quickly too, with Ted and Greg's help.

583
00:39:24.280 --> 00:39:29.079
M h oh, wonderful. What are some of the biggest

584
00:39:29.119 --> 00:39:36.440
misconceptions people have about using technology, specifically AI to address

585
00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:38.800
bullying issues.

586
00:39:41.719 --> 00:39:43.039
Ted, do you want to take this one?

587
00:39:44.119 --> 00:39:47.039
Yeah. I think what comes to mind is, you know,

588
00:39:47.639 --> 00:39:52.400
most people's experiences with AI is you know, with chat,

589
00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:56.360
GPT or with these large language models, and I think

590
00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:59.920
they've witnessed, you know, some they've been blown away, maybe

591
00:40:00.679 --> 00:40:04.559
on one hand by the power and the ability there,

592
00:40:04.920 --> 00:40:10.719
but they pretty quickly realize or find an experience where

593
00:40:11.079 --> 00:40:14.360
there's hallucination, where the AI is just could be more

594
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:20.519
wrong and it's almost almost comical. And we talked about

595
00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:23.840
this earlier, but I think that that's one of the

596
00:40:23.880 --> 00:40:28.280
things that right away we had to address and take

597
00:40:28.320 --> 00:40:34.760
a totally different path to training models and architecting this.

598
00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:38.840
The models that we have, you know, where the experts

599
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:42.119
would would set the rules and those rules would be

600
00:40:42.320 --> 00:40:46.639
hard coded and there wouldn't be room for hallucinations. So

601
00:40:47.079 --> 00:40:49.920
I think I think that's one of the challenges that

602
00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:53.679
that we're dealing with. I think the other challenge is

603
00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:58.519
most people when they encounter AI, it's sort of like

604
00:40:58.599 --> 00:41:02.599
this chat experience. It's where you ask AI a question,

605
00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:07.079
AI comes back with an answer and you can kind

606
00:41:07.079 --> 00:41:09.519
of do that back and forth for a period of time,

607
00:41:09.880 --> 00:41:15.519
but at some stage you really need a workflow alongside

608
00:41:15.559 --> 00:41:18.199
that that helps you to say, Okay, these are the

609
00:41:18.199 --> 00:41:20.960
next steps and this is a path you can take,

610
00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:23.639
and you need like in this case, what we call

611
00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:28.480
this application awareness, that AI needs to be aware and

612
00:41:28.519 --> 00:41:31.360
live within an application so that the application to do

613
00:41:31.440 --> 00:41:36.239
things that are super important like provide security, like make

614
00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:41.280
sure that things are recorded so that they can later

615
00:41:41.400 --> 00:41:46.199
be reported. Some of the functionality that applications bring to

616
00:41:46.239 --> 00:41:50.159
the table out around the AI. So I think those

617
00:41:50.159 --> 00:41:52.079
are some of the things that we've seen as some

618
00:41:52.159 --> 00:41:56.239
of the challenges with technology.

619
00:41:56.360 --> 00:42:01.159
So because we will be ending soon, I want you

620
00:42:01.320 --> 00:42:07.920
to let our listeners know how to connect with bully

621
00:42:07.960 --> 00:42:10.960
Buddy and your team.

622
00:42:13.480 --> 00:42:18.079
You well, you can find me on LinkedIn often I've

623
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:20.719
met some really amazing people.

624
00:42:21.920 --> 00:42:23.639
Like Ted and Greg.

625
00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:28.559
But you can also go to bullybuddyai dot com and

626
00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:31.920
glee dash labs dot com.

627
00:42:31.599 --> 00:42:33.480
For for more.

628
00:42:33.880 --> 00:42:36.519
I mean Ted and Greg get through good Lee Labs.

629
00:42:36.679 --> 00:42:42.519
It's not just Bully Buddy. They're helping others solve big

630
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:45.280
problems and using AI.

631
00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:46.679
So it's really exciting.

632
00:42:49.119 --> 00:42:53.199
What is one thing you want listeners to take away

633
00:42:53.559 --> 00:42:58.599
from this conversation about bully buddy and the fight against bullying?

634
00:42:58.880 --> 00:43:04.840
What what would you it was just one specific thing, well,

635
00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:06.079
narrow it down.

636
00:43:06.840 --> 00:43:10.559
I mean, the the power is within you. You have

637
00:43:10.679 --> 00:43:14.679
the power over if you respond, how you respond. You

638
00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:18.599
have the power to remember that it's not you, it's them,

639
00:43:19.519 --> 00:43:26.000
and and that is how you how you can not

640
00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:30.599
not get sucked in, how you can stay out of

641
00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:34.880
their trap, you know, to just remember your light.

642
00:43:35.960 --> 00:43:40.000
Yes, and well, what advice would you give to someone

643
00:43:40.159 --> 00:43:44.400
who is being bullied right now? And what advice would

644
00:43:44.440 --> 00:43:49.159
you give to someone witnessing bullying happen? Happening they're usually

645
00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:51.000
not alone, They've got a group of them.

646
00:43:51.159 --> 00:43:53.480
Yeah, yeah, no, I think that's that's one of the

647
00:43:53.519 --> 00:44:00.000
hardest parts because it's such an isolating thing. It's really

648
00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:02.880
makes someone feel like they're on an island. It makes

649
00:44:02.920 --> 00:44:04.519
them question their reality.

650
00:44:05.079 --> 00:44:06.840
So if you see it.

651
00:44:06.840 --> 00:44:12.440
Happening, don't participate, Just don't just don't listen to the person.

652
00:44:12.599 --> 00:44:15.960
Don't participate, and see how you can offer support and

653
00:44:16.000 --> 00:44:19.239
help to the person you see being targeted. I think

654
00:44:19.320 --> 00:44:23.039
it's way easier for people to walk away because when

655
00:44:23.079 --> 00:44:29.719
you stand up to bully, there's typically reactions directed at

656
00:44:29.760 --> 00:44:35.880
you and more more negative consequences for the targeted individual.

657
00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:41.719
So to not participate in the bullying at all, I

658
00:44:41.760 --> 00:44:45.880
mean by watching it and not doing anything that is participating.

659
00:44:46.239 --> 00:44:48.280
So you really need to walk away and you need

660
00:44:48.320 --> 00:44:52.000
to support those who need to be supported by finding

661
00:44:52.039 --> 00:44:55.920
something healthy to do, finding something that makes you feel good,

662
00:44:56.079 --> 00:45:01.679
finding something that is good for everyone, but not participating

663
00:45:01.800 --> 00:45:02.840
in the negativity.

664
00:45:03.760 --> 00:45:08.119
Yeah. Absolutely, And finding something doesn't mean you always have

665
00:45:08.199 --> 00:45:11.199
to have something that costs a lot of money or

666
00:45:11.280 --> 00:45:16.480
different things like that. There's so much creativity within us.

667
00:45:16.840 --> 00:45:21.639
We can create new things instead of you know, it's

668
00:45:21.639 --> 00:45:23.440
got to be something that costs the money. It's got

669
00:45:23.440 --> 00:45:25.440
to be the parents got to buy this, they got

670
00:45:25.440 --> 00:45:28.239
to buy that. They've gotta because material things when it

671
00:45:28.280 --> 00:45:31.280
all boils down, really doesn't make people happy. Look at

672
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:33.719
some of the rich. They are the most unhappy people

673
00:45:33.760 --> 00:45:36.199
I've ever seen in my life. Yes, they can go

674
00:45:36.239 --> 00:45:38.760
wherever they want to go, buy whatever they want to buy,

675
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:43.119
and they're still unhappy. Okay, since money is not making

676
00:45:43.159 --> 00:45:45.920
you happy, let me give you a little advice. How

677
00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:49.760
about sharing it with people in need and that will

678
00:45:49.800 --> 00:45:52.559
bring you more joy than you can ever ever, ever,

679
00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:58.760
ever imagine it's more to it than just seeing if

680
00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:03.239
you can be the richest who cares. You've got to

681
00:46:03.320 --> 00:46:08.000
understand there's more things important, and that's humanity as a whole.

682
00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:12.039
We are all on this planet together and we need

683
00:46:12.079 --> 00:46:15.840
to do better in getting along and talking to one another.

684
00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:20.920
And yes, we shouldn't have people participating in bullying and

685
00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:24.920
standing around, you know, in a circle and different things

686
00:46:24.960 --> 00:46:27.960
like that. You know, I just it's gotten a lot

687
00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:32.599
worse since when I was a child. But like you said,

688
00:46:32.760 --> 00:46:36.960
you know, you try to stop someone who probably has

689
00:46:37.039 --> 00:46:42.400
been bullied, they need to get this energy out or whatever.

690
00:46:42.840 --> 00:46:47.159
But they need to get the bullying buddy and get

691
00:46:47.199 --> 00:46:54.119
some conversations and go from there. Do any of the

692
00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:59.280
people that might be using bully buddy if it gets

693
00:46:59.320 --> 00:47:03.199
to the point where where the person is talking to

694
00:47:03.519 --> 00:47:06.320
they can see that they're escalating.

695
00:47:07.880 --> 00:47:08.360
Is there a.

696
00:47:10.039 --> 00:47:15.800
Trigger or something that can be added, maybe version number

697
00:47:15.840 --> 00:47:21.480
five that sends an alert so a human can actually

698
00:47:22.840 --> 00:47:24.599
you know, be a part of it.

699
00:47:26.000 --> 00:47:26.360
Yeah.

700
00:47:26.599 --> 00:47:32.639
Yeah, it definitely redirects people to I mean, we're people centric,

701
00:47:33.320 --> 00:47:38.840
so it's programmed to recognize the red flags and then

702
00:47:39.000 --> 00:47:43.119
direct them straight to the appropriate source.

703
00:47:43.280 --> 00:47:45.039
To help that person.

704
00:47:45.199 --> 00:47:50.000
So, I mean, the prevention of what can happen when

705
00:47:50.000 --> 00:47:55.400
people don't have support is in place, which is really important.

706
00:47:55.480 --> 00:47:57.360
Ted, did you have anything you wanted to add to that?

707
00:47:58.559 --> 00:48:00.599
Yeah, no, I think you covered it. But I think

708
00:48:00.639 --> 00:48:03.199
that that was one of the things we were super

709
00:48:03.239 --> 00:48:06.480
sensitive too. As you can imagine, Angela is just you know,

710
00:48:08.119 --> 00:48:14.559
certain circumstances, certain red flags really require to you know,

711
00:48:14.599 --> 00:48:17.280
a bully buddy to stop and say, you know, you

712
00:48:17.400 --> 00:48:21.760
need to get bring this to a trusted adult now,

713
00:48:22.360 --> 00:48:25.800
and you know we were we were quick to make

714
00:48:25.840 --> 00:48:29.000
sure that that would be the case. The primary expert

715
00:48:29.119 --> 00:48:32.519
for the system is this gentleman named Dustin Dean, and

716
00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:35.559
there's so many brilliant things that he brought to the table,

717
00:48:36.519 --> 00:48:40.159
but he was also very quick to say, you know,

718
00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:44.000
this is something that we need to bring to you know,

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a real person as soon as possible. And so we

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we try to draw that line where Bullybuddy's there from

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an educational perspective, but bullybuddy is not a therapist, and

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00:48:56.119 --> 00:48:59.400
there you know there, when things are serious, you need

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help from a trusted adult or a trusted professional.

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Great, Wow, this has just been wonderful. Well, I tell you,

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I'm really grateful that the two of you were able

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to join on this day, and I know those that

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are watching and listening have been impacted. And call Bully

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00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:25.760
Buddy if you know your child is being bullied or

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00:49:25.800 --> 00:49:30.480
doing the bullying, and get the help so they can

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00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:37.639
have very happy, joyful, productive lives. This is a Sharp Outlook,

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and I'm Angela Sharp. I thank you for joining us

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00:49:41.960 --> 00:49:45.360
today because this has been very special and I know

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you all have been impacted and is always I want

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00:49:50.320 --> 00:49:55.199
you to be knowing what's going on, get information on

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00:49:55.280 --> 00:50:02.880
Bully Buddy and stay informed. I want to thank you

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for joining us on a Sharp Outlook. We have been

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00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:09.559
informed and energized to take the next steps. We have

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posted links to websites and videos to learn more on

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00:50:13.519 --> 00:50:17.400
today's topic. Please join us again next week for another

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00:50:17.519 --> 00:50:22.199
thought provoking conversation right here on k for HD Radio

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00:50:22.719 --> 00:50:26.760
and Talk for TV. Listen to the podcast on all

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the podcast apps, and until next week, stay informed.