We recently had the chance to connect with Thaddeus Miller and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Thaddeus, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What battle are you avoiding?
This is a great question and an on time question.
The biggest battle I’m avoiding in life at the current moment is with myself. The battle of the spirit. The crossroads we hit in life to determine if our days will be peaceful or filled with drama.
The battle of heart and mind. The battle to be more in this life or to be content with the current progress. To be more means to chase more to make money, more of a life focus. Or to be content with happiness and no money chasing.
The battle between love or the solo mans journey where you replace love with anything else.
The battle between staying in a city that’s no longer the city I grew up in, but provides endless opportunities; or to find peace and silence on some land with a fishing pole in my hands.
The battle between what man wants or letting God guide my steps. We all know why man should lose this battle. But I find myself facing it.
This battle is the battle I run from.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
First off thanks for having me back on your platform.
I feel we’ve done some pretty legit interviews over the years.
To those new to Hidden Gem:
I’m Thaddeus Miller, I grew up in the Lake Highlands area of North Dallas. A Lake Highlands High School grad. I would consider myself a person who enjoys life on their own terms. Could be considered a real sour patch person, most times I’m extra sweet other times I can be sour lol. About 5 years back I founded a local organization by the name Pop Up Comfort.
Pop Up Comfort is an organization based on the kindness of man. The goal is to provide comfort to those we find in uncomfortable situations and help them the best way we can. Sometimes that help comes in the form of a simple smile. Other times it comes with us attempting to change the outcome of someones life for the best.
Pop Up Comfort has done tons for the city of Dallas over the years. From fixing and cleaning parks, providing a free farmers market, daily acts of kindness, and a really cool program servicing several schools in Dallas just to name a few things.
Pop Up Comfort has an exciting fall planned starting with a 3K for Autism at Bryan Street Tavern in Old East Dallas
on Sept 20th. The goal is to provide one family with a speech therapist to assist their child with speech.
We also have a few school events planned for Sept and Oct.
Stay tuned this fall for more cool stuff.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
You guys came with the deep introspective questions this time for sure. I’m liking it. These are questions we should all think about. It makes us look within. Haha, well it’s for sure making me do so.
I think I started our chat saying I’ve enjoyed life on my terms. I truly meant that. I’ve never let this world determine or dictate who I should be or who I am. I say that proudly. HOWEVER, you have to be built for whatever comes with that.
We live in a world that would like all of us to fall in line or be controlled. That person isn’t a free person in my eyes.
Choosing my route comes with enemies as far as the eye can see at times. Some people don’t understand how one can simply exist and move exactly how they would like on a daily basis.
I’ve fought back against the worlds influence to ensure I stay the person I would like to be. Again you have to be a strong individual you have to be built for the fight. You will stand out, your confidence will shine, your moves will be admired. However you will be hated by some. But staying true to you will be worth not letting the world change you.
We are all placed here individually to find who we would like to be. The world should not have a say in that!
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Oh man I’ll start with this random fact. If I wasn’t unpacking in therapy I would not be able to answer this one.
I’ve never thought about this question til today, however I instantly knew the answer. I know I would tell myself I love you and I would instantly give me a hug. Those are two things in life if I received more of I would have been a more kind and gentle man towards the women in my life and for sure the ones I loved.
Growing up in a household where your mom was always working to provide for her 3 boys sometimes didn’t come with the basics of love, the words of love and touch of love. We experienced the struggle of it. Any household where the mom is the main provider in the ghetto will be void of structured love. No one has time to process feelings and love or hate when you are in a state of making sure you eat.
Where we grew up love was in the action of bills being paid and food on the table. Clothes on your back and a roof over your head. Which as an adult I appreciate more than anything. Having a family with a mom that cared enough to get up every day and work all day til late at night to ensure her sons were good, that’s love. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m just saying the love I needed not to become the hard, non compassionate person I became, wasn’t provided. The love in action that would make me comfortable to give hugs, the love that makes me see love as something beyond being provided for, love that was an emotion or feeling.
I would say to me “say you big eared lil boy I love the F*** out of you. Now go be great….”
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
This will be answered by a fatherless man so let’s start there.
All my life my ideas have stemmed from legends before me. Their concepts and work ethics.
2pac was the first, he gave me the ideas of self worth, the idea that if you stay righteous and true to self you may one day change the world or spark the brain that does. The idea of unity in a divided world. I took those ideas and started helping my community. He gave me ideas and thoughts that showed me even as a flawed man you can do great things.
Kobe would be second. Kobe gave me the idea of imagination and hard work. If you can somehow mix the two it will be difficult to stop you from achieving your goals. The idea that you can battle giants as long as you are prepared and pay attention to the details.
With those two to pull from I can continuously create my own ideas and continue to be a young Russell Crowe with my beautiful mind..
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
There will be many stories told, some by friends, some by not so friendly people that will never meet me. That’s how it plays out for us all..
I will say I know there will be one thing told about me in common from both sides. He did not fold under pressure, he welcomed it every time and became a better version of himself because of it.
He do not bend the knee to fit in, he found out who he was and didn’t apologize for it.
I’m a firm believer that no one can comfortably say I didn’t live on my terms. Regardless of what was thrown at me in the dark or what hate I received in the light, no matter the love or praise…
I took the Frank Sinatra route and “did it my way!!!”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ngos1.com/US/Dallas/1673948389381106/PopUp-Comfort
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popupcomfort?igsh=MWJwMjZpZjgxdWZ6dA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1KceiLQjRR/https://canvasrebel.com/meet-thaddeus-miller/?fbclid=PAdGRjcAMa-Y9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpy7Psp6gMhoeC5KS9Y_Jn-OgTy0zS38ETopnwz09qq-xgC9eXL7rGOdFtyk9_aem_zpsUX1gHno9ENs2R70HENw
- Other: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-thaddeus-miller/?fbclid=PAdGRjcAMa-Y9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpy7Psp6gMhoeC5KS9Y_Jn-OgTy0zS38ETopnwz09qq-xgC9eXL7rGOdFtyk9_aem_zpsUX1gHno9ENs2R70HENw
Image Credits
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