Shane Cox
Episode 99

Narrator: Welcome friends, to another episode of the Story and Experience podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira with his guest today and discover the moments that shape us, our families, and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, welcome friends to another episode of Story and Experience podcast, which I've been laughing so hard before we even started recording with our guest today, that we'll see as it goes along and you'll probably understand a little bit more. If you're brand new to this podcast, we have a 100 questions. They are about stories and experiences that shape the person into the leader that they are today. And I get the privilege to be able to ask these great questions and we'll see how it goes. They become more vulnerable, more open, closer to 100. So let me begin with the first one, the easiest one. Can you tell us your name and has anybody ever mispronounced it?

Shane Cox: Yes, Shane Cox and yeah, people mispronounce it. They call me Shane because it looks like Shane. They call me Sean, which is interesting. I got a twin brother named Sean. And so people have a challenge with that.

Japhet De Oliveira: I have never known that about you. So it's pronounced how? Shane?

Shane Cox: Shan.

Japhet De Oliveira: Shan?

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Is that correct?

Shane Cox: That is correct.

Japhet De Oliveira: Shan. Huh? And I was thinking it was Shane, like the cowboy.

Shane Cox: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Shane, that's Shan.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Say it one more time.

Shane Cox: Shan.

Japhet De Oliveira: Shan. It should be really simple, right?

Shane Cox: Yeah, it should be. That's great.

Japhet De Oliveira: Thank you so much. All right. Shan, what do you do for work?

Shane Cox: So I'm the finance officer for Adventist Health, Kern County, the four hospitals and clinics, the various clinics we have in Kern County.

Japhet De Oliveira: Cool. That's fantastic. Do you enjoy it?

Shane Cox: I enjoy it, yes. I love healthcare.

Japhet De Oliveira: You love healthcare as well.

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. That's awesome. How long have you done this?

Shane Cox: I've been here, it'll be four years in February, but I've been in Adventist Healthcare for 27 years in December.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, fantastic. Well done, well done. That's fantastic. That's really good. So simple question, when you wake up in the morning, what do you like to drink? Do you drink coffee, tea, water, liquor, green smoothie?

Shane Cox: Water, and sometimes a smoothie. Sometimes I drink a smoothie for lunch.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. You're the smoothie king.

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Do you make these smoothies yourself or you buy them pre-made?

Shane Cox: Buy them pre-made.

Japhet De Oliveira: Pre-made?

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Pre-made Guaranteed. All right then. All right. Where were you born?

Shane Cox: I was born in Kansas City, Missouri.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh?

Shane Cox: Yes. So mid-Westerner.

Japhet De Oliveira: Nice, nice. And when you were a child, what did you imagine you were going to grow up to be? Finance officer?

Shane Cox: Oh, not at all. I didn't think I was going to be a bean counter, but it's interesting. So there in Kansas City, there's Shawnee Missions there.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's right.

Shane Cox: And actually, my dad was on the board there, so I always had an affinity to work in healthcare.

Japhet De Oliveira: Interesting.

Shane Cox: Even back then when I was a little kid. So that's been my dream to work in healthcare. I didn't know how I was going to get there. But actually it's funny how I got into finance. Actually, I was recruiting at Oakwood and I actually saw the teacher.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oakwood University.

Shane Cox: Oakwood University, and I was college at the time.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know, I'm just-

Shane Cox: I'm showing my age, I'm showing my age.

Japhet De Oliveira: Great university. Okay.

Shane Cox: So actually a couple of weeks ago when I was recruiting, I saw the professor that talked me into going into chemistry.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Shane Cox: And because I always wanted go into healthcare and he said, "Oh, chemistry is a great major." Because I loved chemistry. So then I read a book and it stuck with me even today that accounting is the language of business. And I was like, "Wow, so if I understand accounting, I can understand a business." So I decided to go down the path of accounting and didn't know anything much about accounting at the time, but it just resonated with me. And actually, I started in an accounting firm because when you look at a balance sheet, you know the health of an organization and some people struggle reading it, but I've been trained how to read it. And so that's why I can go in and say, "Hey, I know the language of business, I can read the balance sheet." And you can know the decisions that were made of bad decisions, good decisions by looking at the balance sheet. And now that resonates with what I do today.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's deep. Well, yeah, absolutely. Primarily, not only are you balance sheet, but you're also trying to interpret all the data to make it understandable for everybody else and the implications of that, right?

Shane Cox: Right, right. And that's the other thing I learned in the accounting firm where I worked at, no question's a dumb question. So when you ask a question and you don't get it, then you come up with some kind of question that might not seem that bright. But most of the time, finance people, I work with people who don't understand finance.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. Exactly.

Shane Cox: So I try to ask questions to say, "Okay, you're probably thinking..." And so I actually enjoy that. I enjoy teaching. I probably will do that after I finish what I'm doing today.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? So you said you bumped into this professor?

Shane Cox: Yeah, I bumped into the professor because-

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Shane Cox: I said, "Yeah, so we were over here and I went into chemistry because you talked me into it and then you weeded me out." And he said, "Well, you wanted to go into business." And I said, "Well, you're right." I found my calling, but I was letting someone else find the calling for me. But once I found my calling, that really resonated to what I am today actually.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's really good. That's really good. That is an interesting process. Sometimes we allow others to help shape our calling and then we find it. What helped you find your own calling?

Shane Cox: I guess early in life, I knew I had affinity to business and on that side. Being in healthcare, I never wanted to be a physician, but I also saw myself also going into ministry. My dad, being a PK, preacher's kid, I always saw myself working for the church.

Japhet De Oliveira: Mission is important.

Shane Cox: And mission's very important to me. And I knew that I didn't want to be a preacher, but I knew I had an affinity to numbers, I had an affinity to business. So that's how I find this calling in healthcare, that's the other thing. And accounting, you can work anywhere, you can count widgets or you can take care of folks. I wanted to go into a business that was giving a product that I would be proud of. And when you're furthering the Ministry of Christ, hard to refute that piece. So that's how I found myself into healthcare.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful. Oh, thanks for sharing that, man. That was really good. All right. Early riser, late night owl?

Shane Cox: Late night owl.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. And how late is late for you?

Shane Cox: Normal is midnight.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Oh, really?

Shane Cox: Late is after midnight.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really? Wow, wow.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Shane Cox: And it started in college.

Japhet De Oliveira: And you kept it.

Shane Cox: I kept it. I would tutor tutor folks and I started at 10:00 at night. No, I started at 8:00 to 10:00 and then I would study after 10. So I just kept that for my entire life.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you're one of those students, the ones who studied and then actually helped other students?

Shane Cox: Oh, yeah. Well, I got paid for it too. So an entrepreneur.

Japhet De Oliveira: I can see teaching. Yeah, okay. All right, that's great. Hey, this morning when you woke up very late apparently because you went to bed so late, What's the first thing that went through your mind?

Shane Cox: Today?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Shane Cox: What are we going to talk about?

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Shane Cox: What are we going to talk about?

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, this is good. I'm glad you thought about that. All right, so here's the last one of this first block is a leadership question. Are you a backseat driver?

Shane Cox: I never sit in the backseat. Let me just put that out there. But if I have to, I usually have my eyes closed because I just you know... Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. So you close your eyes.

Shane Cox: I close my eyes.

Japhet De Oliveira: In the backseat because it's too scary?

Shane Cox: Oh no, I just don't. Well, that's just my-

Japhet De Oliveira: I don't want to see where they're driving.

Shane Cox: I don't want to get into it, I just want to enjoy the ride.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. Sit back and relax.

Shane Cox: Sit back and relax.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, I've got to ask you this man, Nate. When you're in an Uber, do you like them to talk to you or do you like them to be quiet?

Shane Cox: In what? Say that again.

Japhet De Oliveira: In an Uber, when you're-

Shane Cox: Oh, an Uber?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Shane Cox: It depends. If I'm in a meeting, of course I'm on the phone. But I like to talk because I like to know who's driving me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. All right. That was a bonus question for you. You're welcome.

Shane Cox: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, here we go then. So floor's open, you get to pick between 11 and a 100, where you want to go? Where would you like to go?

Shane Cox: Okay, let's go with 20.

Japhet De Oliveira: 20? All right. Tell us about something you would give 10 out of 10?

Shane Cox: 10 out of 10?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Shane Cox: Let's see here. I would say, let's say at a nice restaurant that has some really good Italian food.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh really?

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. And do you have a recommendation?

Shane Cox: Here?

Japhet De Oliveira: Anywhere in the United States?

Shane Cox: Oh man.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah.

Shane Cox: Oh man, I don't know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Let's go. Let's go it that way.

Shane Cox: I don't know. There's some places in Chicago. It's somewhat of a chain. I do like Maggiano's.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good. That little zucchini.

Shane Cox: Oh, yeah. Spreaded zucchinis.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's pretty good.

Shane Cox: Yeah, I lived in Chicago for seven years and then-

Japhet De Oliveira: I remember that chain over there, yeah.

Shane Cox: I lived in Florida, they had them there too. So that was the chain. That was a go-to chain.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. That's good. All right, that was 20. What would you like to go next?

Shane Cox: Okay, let's see. I don't know, 33.

Japhet De Oliveira: 33? All right. Tell us about the best gift you've ever given someone else?

Shane Cox: Oh man. Well, I'll just pick on a gift I gave my wife recently. She likes to look at social media and she was using her little phone to look at the screens and what have you. So I got her this 14 inch tablet.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh nice.

Shane Cox: And she was like, "Wow, this just opens up everything." And I was like, "Man, I didn't know it was that deep." I bought it online and it wasn't like it was Apple and everybody knows the joke around here is I'm the only one that has an Android.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Oh, really? Should we start praying for you now?

Shane Cox: Oh no.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was going to get the church community to pray for you.

Shane Cox: Yeah, I'm just that way. And so I bought her that, and she's also an Apple snob too.

Japhet De Oliveira: We should probably stop this podcast.

Shane Cox: Lay hands on the mic.

Japhet De Oliveira: Lay hands.

Shane Cox: But yeah, so I bought that and it was 14 inches and she was like, "Wow, this is the best gift ever." And I was like, "Wow. I wasn't expecting that." I actually bought it for myself.

Japhet De Oliveira: You do realize this is being recorded?

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: And she may feel very well listen to it.

Shane Cox: Yeah, she will see that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, good luck. Let me know how that goes for you.

Shane Cox: Right.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. That's awesome, man.

Shane Cox: Let's go to 50.

Japhet De Oliveira: 50? All right, 50 it is. Share about who has influenced you professionally?

Shane Cox: Boy, I have quite a few. I would say starting out in my career, going into my most major role when I was in Chicago, the CFO there, Randy Safady, actually. He's actually the CFO of Christus Health. He gave me an opportunity that stretched me. And the reason why he meant the most to me is he was a sink or swim type of guy. And so I've learned so much in that type and it really puts the onus on you to figure out and he didn't, "What's the plan here?" He had me come up with plans and what have you and it shaped me to what I am today. I would say before that, the detail oriented being finance person, there was a guy there and I think Don brought him up too, Brent Snyder.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Shane Cox: Detail oriented, very sharp. He's an attorney. He's also with Advent Health. And I remember I made a comment one time, we had a meeting and he's the type of guy who would ask questions and try to figure out how much if you really know what you're saying. And he got to a one time and I said, "That's below my scope." And I was like, "That was the wrong answer." So from that point on is as a CFO, there's no scope. So I learned from him is to be prepared because there's no scope.

Japhet De Oliveira: Deep down. Deep down.

Shane Cox: There's no scope.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah. Hey, that's good.

Shane Cox: The buck stops here.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh hey, that's a great story. I like him, like him. All right, that was 50. So where next?

Shane Cox: Let's go, I guess my age. Let's go 51.

Japhet De Oliveira: 51? All right. Same age. All right. Tell us about something that you know do differently than most people?

Shane Cox: I guess just the simple fact I'm lefthanded. So I know there's a lot of people who aren't that way, so that's one piece. The other thing that's a little unique to me... Boy, that's a great question. I guess one thing that's different for me is I can eat with both hands. I'm lefthanded.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm trying to think about whether that's actually... Don't most of us use two hands?

Shane Cox: No, what I'm saying is I use my fork hand left and right. I can do-

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you in the middle of meals, throw your fork into the other hand?

Shane Cox: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: No? Okay. I'm just wondering if it's a juggling act for you.

Shane Cox: Whatever I need to do to get it in. It's very, very unique.

Japhet De Oliveira: Party tricks are great and so-

Shane Cox: Right, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that was 51. Where'd you want to go next? Yeah.

Shane Cox: Okay, I don't know. Let's go 60.

Japhet De Oliveira: 60? All right. When in life have you felt most alone?

Shane Cox: Boy, let's see here. I guess the most alone, I would say when, of course I was married at the time, but studying late night, working on my master's degree, working late at night. When you finish your work, you go to school and you're studying. And my wife's asleep. And so that's where it seemed like, and in your mind you're like, "I'm doing this for my future growth."

Japhet De Oliveira: That was hard.

Shane Cox: But I felt like that you're pretty much alone in that process. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. What did you do your master's in?

Shane Cox: Business Administration. So management, general management.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You enjoyed it?

Shane Cox: At Texas. Yeah. I enjoyed because being an accountant and then going into management and using those tools for management-

Japhet De Oliveira: Absolutely.

Shane Cox: Is very, very crucial.

Japhet De Oliveira: Helping in the interpretation and application now, yeah.

Shane Cox: Right, especially for these borderline introverts. Just kidding. They don't care about anybody else.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm going to have to look this up. Okay, all right. That was 60. So where next?

Shane Cox: Let's go 62.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. What does a sense of community mean to you?

Shane Cox: A sense of community is a group that you can share and talk, and the proverbial let your hair down. I will say I'm very open type person anyway, but just a group that you can kick your shoes off and just be your comfortable not in wearing a suit. Just being yourself.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. And do you have that on a regular basis in your life?

Shane Cox: I would say not quite as much with Covid and getting to-

Japhet De Oliveira: That's interesting. That's true. That's true.

Shane Cox: Because that took us away. And actually, ironically, I moved here in California because again, been in healthcare 27 years. I was 23 years in Advent Health. I moved here February 2020.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow. The middle D-day.

Shane Cox: So I'm still getting to know people and what have you. So not as much as I had before, but I got a lot of phone time with folks where I could let my hair down.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, not quite the same.

Shane Cox: Not quite the same.

Japhet De Oliveira: But I'm with you. I'm with you. Hey, good for you for doing that. It takes intentionality, right?

Shane Cox: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. All right, that was 62. Where next?

Shane Cox: Okay. I've tried to stay away from the 100. Doubles, and triples, and singles. Let's go to 71.

Japhet De Oliveira: 71? All right. Describe a time when your life took an unpredictable turn. Let's see.

Shane Cox: I would say coming here to California.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, yeah.

Shane Cox: Being in an organization for 23 years and moving out here, and I think it was providential. To give a little story, to give a little bit of transparency on that is I was asked to interview for this role and I said no without hesitation. And then a headhunter called me for the same role about six months later and I said, "I'm saying no to you, and I said no to the last person who I knew." Then the third time, they both got together. So then I decided to go and apply for the role and got the role. The providential piece was my father-in-law lived in Oakland and he actually passed away maybe two years ago. But we were able to spend the last two years of his life together that would've been very difficult if I was still in Kansas City where I came from. So that was very providential to be here.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's incredible, yeah.

Shane Cox: And to actually spend that quality time with my father-in-Law.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's amazing.

Shane Cox: So that's why from now on, I will listen first and not be Jonah because I was Jonah and I was waiting for the fish to come.

Japhet De Oliveira: If you were truly Jonah, you would've traveled further east.

Shane Cox: Yes, that's right.

Japhet De Oliveira: As fast as you could.

Shane Cox: I went to the west. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. But it is-

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's really beautiful and I'm glad that you were able to be there as well for your father-in-Law. Yeah, that's great.

Shane Cox: Yeah, it was beautiful.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, where next?

Shane Cox: I guess our year, '72.

Japhet De Oliveira: '72, our year. It's a good year. All right. Tell us about what you want to do when you retire, and then why are you waiting?

Shane Cox: Yeah. So I enjoy what I'm doing. Now one thing that I do quite a bit today is I mentor quite a few individuals. And so I enjoy what I do so much that I don't want to give it up right now, but I guess we alluded to it. I want to be the person to mentor and to maybe teach once I slow down and I don't know, maybe go back to Oakwood. I don't know. But that's something that I feel like I have that gift amongst other gifts is to help others aspire to a position that normally they might not if they don't meet someone like me in this type of role.

Japhet De Oliveira: Where did that enjoyment, desire to mentor others come from?

Shane Cox: I think it came from my dad.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? Yeah, yeah.

Shane Cox: Growing up, my dad has mentored quite a few folks and it's funny, he also had mentors and it just makes life easier when you have someone that's been there and folks that have scars on their head like me. And so I guess I am emulating my dad when I'm mentoring other folks.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is really good. Okay, that's fantastic. That's fantastic. All right, that's 72.

Shane Cox: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: So where next?

Shane Cox: Let's see. Let's go 85.

Japhet De Oliveira: 85. All right. I don't know how you ended up with it. Describe a role model you aspire to be like?

Shane Cox: Okay, I will. I guess it's someone that not only is very successful in what they do, also someone that's bringing somebody along. I do believe that I don't want to be a person that I come to a place, very successful. Then when I leave, everything drops.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, absolutely.

Shane Cox: The piece that I really enjoyed, and this is something that actually Terry Shaw there in Advent Health really told us, have someone at least two people down that can actually take... Actually, this was Don Jernigan, that could take your role because first of all, heaven forbids a bus knocks you over. But also, this organization is bigger than me, and so we want to keep the mission going. And how you do that is to train the next generation.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good wisdom, good wisdom. All right, that was 85. Where next?

Shane Cox: Well, we're going up. We're going up. We're going up. 91. 91.

Japhet De Oliveira: 91, all right. Describe a time in your life when you learned about forgiveness?

Shane Cox: Yeah. Wow, that's a great question. I guess as a human, we're flawed.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, we are.

Shane Cox: And just in my Christian experience, I will say that we fail all the time. And when you understand the true gospel, that's when you can understand true forgiveness. And I would say in my dark days, just learning to love God for myself. And not that he is the person that's there to criticize you and knock you down when you do wrong, but actually someone that's going to love you to a point, to save you. And in the mindset when I can mess up whatever, I have God that will be there, that's going to protect me, and also be there when I need him. But that's something you have to have for yourself. And not my daddy, not my mama, but it's me, oh Lord. And once you get to that point, that's when you feel like true forgiveness, because we're flawed. And I know we can be legalistic at times, but that's how I got the legalistic out of me, and that's how I got true forgiveness. You see someone that treats you wrong, you can be patient with them because you're messed up too.

Japhet De Oliveira: And God's patient with you.

Shane Cox: And God's patient with you. And so that's where you come to the realization that I have true forgiveness. So I got to give that to other folks.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, we are in the 90s, but we actually have time for two more. So which two do you want to go for?

Shane Cox: Let's see, I graduated from Oakwood in '95.

Japhet De Oliveira: 95? All right. This is actually perfect for you. Tell us about how you see your faith and life intersecting.

Shane Cox: Yeah, wow. That's why I went into healthcare is because of that. There's a story, I was working for Advent Health and I had an opportunity to work for a for-profit. Nothing's wrong with for-profit healthcare, but I talked to a CFO who worked in Advent Health and also worked in for-profit. And he said one thing that stuck with me. He said, "If your mission is to make money, for-profit. But if you have a greater mission, it's to be in a faith-based organization." And then that's when I made in my mind, I'm going to work in a faith-based organization. So that's when I made that shift.

And one point, I was like, "I want to do whatever I can to move up the top. And if I got to go for-profit, I go for-profit." And again, there's nothing wrong with that, but my mission and my life is to further the mission of Christ. And since that's my mission, that's what keeps me moving and that's why I'm able to make tough decisions because how does that tie into the mission of the organization when you make tough decisions?

Someone asked me one time, they said, "How do you make tough decisions? How does that meet the mission of the organization?" And it doesn't mean to say everything easy. Sometimes you have to have layoffs, but it has to meet the mission of the organization and it's Christ-centered.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's really good. Thank you for sharing that.

Shane Cox: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, your last one, which number would you want to go with?

Shane Cox: Yeah, I'm going to wimp out. Let's go 97.

Japhet De Oliveira: 97? All right. Well, here it is. Tell us about a time when you did the right thing.

Shane Cox: Wow. When I did the right thing? That's interesting.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, it's a time when you did the right thing and there were implications and consequences to it, but you did the right thing.

Shane Cox: Yeah, okay. That's a great question. When I did the right thing, the way I live my life, hopefully I always make the right decision. So I should have a lot of examples. Let's see here. I guess there was a mistake that was made early in my career, a journal entry, and I'll never forget it. I would say that Advent health paid a lot of tuition for me and I made a mistake and it was easy for me to blame someone else.

Japhet De Oliveira: Interesting.

Shane Cox: One thing that I've learned in leadership is even if someone below you makes the mistake, I should have something in place that prevents them from making a mistake that screws up their lives and my life.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, okay. All right, all right.

Shane Cox: So with that being said, there was an entry that was made wrong by another person and they said, "Okay, who should we blame?" I said, "Blame me because I am in charge of this department and ultimately I need to review those journal entries." And this journal entry went all the way up to, actually, at the time it went up to Terry Shaw and he went to my boss and said, "What's going on here? What's this entry?" And my boss came to me and I said, "Hey, the buck stops here." And so I think I made the right decision. Of course I had to counsel the person and what have you, but at the end of the day, I think that's my responsibility in leadership, especially this person that was very young. Their career might've gone a different way had I not had the grace that I had for them. But it was also so my boss gave me grace maybe because I gave them grace.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful.

Shane Cox: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's risky and beautiful at the same time.

Shane Cox: Yes, yes. My philosophy is, and that's with dealing with corporate compliance is I'm going to be an open book, but I don't want to go down for someone else. I want to go down for my mistake, but I'm going to own my mistake.

Japhet De Oliveira: But then you've got to Model that for others as well.

Shane Cox: Well, yes, exactly.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Shane Cox: Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's fantastic. Hey, it has been fantastic to talk to you.

Shane Cox: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing, for the honesty and for the laughter. It's been good. I want to encourage people to do the same when they are sitting down with a friend, asking good questions, learning about each other. It is strong. You grow, I grow, we all get better for it. So I want to encourage everybody to do that. God bless until we connect again. And again, thank you so much, man.

Shane Cox: Thank you. This was fun.

Narrator: Thank you for joining us for the Story and Experience podcast. We invite you to read, watch, and submit your story and experience at adventisthealth.org/story. The Story and Experience podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.