WEBVTT
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First, they totally rejected the system.
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From 2018 to 2023, they completely rejected the system in America.
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I had to go to Brazil.
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I will tell you, I didn't have one hit of dopamine in like seven years.
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Like it was a complete lesson in how do you focus on being your own cheerleader and waking up and knowing that you're still on the right journey.
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And that this isn't about you.
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This is about what you were called to.
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And I just want to encourage everybody that the person that you never forgave needs forgiving, and that's yourself.
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Hi, I'm Alice Hyman, the host of Sales Talk for CEOs.
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I have this podcast because I want to share the stories of female founders who are building incredible companies while juggling family, health, finding funding, and of course, revenue growth.
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It's so important to me to share these stories, and I really want you to help me.
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So here's what you've got to do.
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70% of you who listen and love the show haven't subscribed yet.
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Help me amplify these voices by hitting the subscribe button.
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And of course, then you won't miss an episode.
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Thank you so much for being part of this journey.
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It means the world to me.
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Now let's get into the episode.
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Welcome to Sales Talk for CEOs.
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Today I'm excited to have Melissa Faithheart from eBodyguard on the show with me.
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Welcome, Melissa.
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Hi, Alice.
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Thanks for having me.
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It's so nice to see you.
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Great to see you too.
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Um, it's always fun to get to see your face.
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We do a lot of texting and talking on the phone, but it's always fun when we get to see each other and hopefully soon in person as well.
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Yeah, it's really nice to hang out with you this morning.
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So before we go back into your journey, I'd love for you to tell uh the listeners what eBodyguard does and who the audience is.
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To me, it's just such an important tool, and everyone needs to know about it.
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So just take a little bit of time and share with us all about eBodyguard.
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Okay.
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Well, eBodyguard begins as the MyBodyguard app on your phone and is part of a three system program.
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Uh, the My Bodyguard program.
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It's the My Bodyguard app, the My Bodyguard portal, and the My Bodyguard First Responder Portal.
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So the My Bodyguard app has a button that everybody pushes that is integrated into the 911 system in America and in 10 countries.
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And then this is voice activated, so up to 30 feet away.
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You know, you can imagine why we would need voice activation.
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And then it's also a panic button.
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The e-body cam right here, if you can see that, goes directly into the cloud.
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It does not sit on the phone, it goes directly into the cloud, so you can see it in your own private portal.
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And then we have the safety card.
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Now, the good news about the safety card is that it protects your Fourth Amendment right.
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Why does that matter?
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You want to know why?
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Because you get to choose as your person, your data.
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You own your data, and so you get to decide what goes to 911.
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And on the way to the call, the 911 operator can say to you, Hey, we need more information so we can help you and support you.
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And that's the great thing is that we have become the bridge between 911, first responders, law enforcement, and the community.
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And you're truly in charge of your data.
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We we record the audio, we record the video, but you're still in charge of that data and that moment of your most critical need.
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Did I answer your question about what eBodyguard's doing?
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Yeah.
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So this is a tool that really protects the consumer.
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It really protects all of us humans that are out and about in our daily lives.
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We have a way, if we use eBodyguard, to report something dangerous, something that's happening to us, if we're afraid on if someone is approaching us, if someone is attacking us, if the police or people who should be helping us are not helping us, we have a way to report that, record that, get help at any moment in time because it lives on our phone and it's really easy to use.
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So, you know, let's say our kids are gonna go to a party and they're gonna walk home after the party.
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They turn their e-bodyguard on and they walk home.
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That way, perfect example.
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Their bodyguard is there with them.
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They have, we have your back.
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It's perfect.
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Perfect example.
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I love that.
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I love that.
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And so the other side of that is if I am the human using the app, then you've got it connected to everyone who can help me.
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Correct.
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So you can list who your e-bodyguards are, and at that moment that you need some support, then they get the text message that you have actually activated the e-bodyguard.
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Yes.
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Yeah.
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So let's say I'm just at a party and I don't want any, I mean I'm a teenager at a party and things are not going well.
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And I don't really want to call the police, but I would like my mom to come and pick me up, but I don't want to pick up the phone and call her.
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I could push my mom's button on the e-bodyguard and she would know.
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She would know.
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Amazing, right?
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So I think this is a tool that everybody needs.
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And I'm just so curious, how on earth did you come up with this idea?
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So let's rewind back in time.
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First of all, what were you doing?
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Where were you working?
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You know, what was your family life like?
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And how did you come up with this idea?
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I was actually downtown Denver.
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I was paying for parking and I was like fussing with the meter.
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And I'm like, I could get my purse stolen right now.
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And like, how would I even get a hold of 911?
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My purse would be gone, my phone with it.
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And then I don't have anyone to help me.
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Right?
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It's so true.
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We don't really think about it.
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But like, and I we know this, but we but like we're in a parking garage or we're at a gas station, our purse is always on the seat, right?
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Somebody could just smash the window and grab it.
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Right.
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But that happens in Brazil and in these Latam countries all the time.
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And they just have somebody come up, take their purse.
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And I literally was at that moment going, oh, I should have a voice-activated application that could help me and literally get a hold of the police.
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And then at that moment, they would be on the way and then they would save me.
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Oh, yeah, that's great.
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Oh my gosh, that's amazing.
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So the thought like really did just like occur to you.
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And but so okay, so but you had a job, right?
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You were working.
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I was working at Xerox Services, a conduit, like the same company, basically.
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And I was selling parking systems, I was selling tolling systems, I was selling other big government systems, and I was also building the back end of e-discovery, the taking law enforcement off of paper helped because they were what?
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They were driving paper documents to the attorney's office.
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So I decided to like invent a new system and help them automate, you know, the very system that they're still using today.
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But I was like, oh my goodness, why would a woman stand there like to for minutes, minutes to try to get their parking meter to work?
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And then somebody can just like steal their purse.
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Yeah, so many situations like that, right?
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Okay, so uh I'm assuming you didn't just quit your job and start a company.
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So tell us a little bit about how this kind of progressed.
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So you have the idea, you're building these other systems at the company you work for and selling.
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Um, I would imagine your son was young at that time.
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And yeah, how did that all progress?
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Well, he was 12, and unfortunately, his father passed away.
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Oh.
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I did prior to that.
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Um uh I did place the idea and the concept um on my HR file, and I told them, this is mine.
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You can't have this one.
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And they all signed off on it, thinking it's just a little kind cute little app that Melissa wants to build.
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And so there were a lot of changes at my company, and they were going through a lot of, you know, just you know, at the board level.
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And so one day I decided that it might be time for me to leap into eBodyguard.
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So I did.
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Okay, so here you are.
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You decide, okay, I'm gonna leave my job.
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I'm going to start this.
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Now, that that doesn't cost nothing to start a company.
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So, what how did you decide to go after some funding, or had you just saved up some money and invested yourself?
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I I did invest some of my retirement money and some of um some other money.
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So then I also started to seek out investors, um, private equity investors at that time and personal friends and family.
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And so, um, and then found um who is still my current partner, uh, built an LLC, and he is by my side.
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He's the current co-founder, and he is a vascular surgeon, and he believes strongly in life safety.
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Why?
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Because he saves lives every day.
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And that's part of the journey, is that we have taken what I would call critical death moments together.
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Um, you know, you gotta a founder, and I'm sure you know this, Alice, needs to be able to survive those critical death moments and know that your business will still survive with or without you.
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Um and know that you will be able to solve the problem.
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And if you can do that, you will still be able to know that your mission and your business will move on.
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Yeah, yeah.
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So luckily you found the right partner.
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That that's not always easy.
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Did you talk to a lot of people and interview a lot of people before you chose, or how did how did you know it was the right partner?
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I mean, I think that that was more like a gift from the universe and God.
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That was just something that happened.
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Yeah.
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We've been together eight years now.
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Wow.
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Amazing.
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Yeah, and I think that does happen sometimes.
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One of the founders I interviewed told me though, she did like 50 interviews for co-founders before she found one.
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No, and he didn't become my co-founder overnight.
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That took years.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Yeah.
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You said something with him being a vascular surgeon, that's with heart disease and such, yeah.
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No, vascular is the veins.
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Oh, veins.
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Okay.
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I thought too, in the beginning, I thought he was a heart surgeon.
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It took me a while to know who was veins.
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But it it's interesting because it made me think about heart, and my dad is 91 who has heart problems.
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And I think I should get this app on his phone right away because if if something happens and no one's in around him, even if he's at home, he would need to push that button right away.
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Push or or just, you know, or just talk.
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Say the words, yes, that he needs to say, you know.
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Wow.
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Exactly.
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Yeah, that that's amazing.
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Um, all right.
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So you you feel like you've got a gift from the universe, and I love that.
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And you found this great partner, so you were able to build.
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Now, in the beginning, how long did it actually take you to build out the app and get it exactly the way you wanted it to be?
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Well, I just thought I was building a safety app, you know.
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And then we hit defund the police.
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But before that, we hit COVID.
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Yeah.
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And we all did, right?
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But I didn't know that I was gonna run in straight into all the particulars that I needed to learn about GPS, wireless challenges, everything that had to do with, well, what about this?
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And what about when someone's, you know, in a wireless situation where we can't solve for that?
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So I was presented immediately with the law enforcement questions.
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And so we got to work, right?
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And I I'm the type of person that wants to make sure that we're able to answer those questions.
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And so we saw that we needed to be able to have the ability to, from a GPS satellite, and cellular and Wi-Fi perspective, answer all of those needs, right?
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So that took a long time just to do that.
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And I would imagine you're not a cell cellular wireless GPS expert.
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So you have to hire, you have to hire that expertise, you know, and once you start to learn um, you know, the ins and outs of what you need, then you then you start asking questions.
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Do I bring that in-house?
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Do I buy that?
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Do I license that?
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Do I, I mean, and there's a lot you learn about, you know, your your abilities to make the right decisions to solve problems.
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Yeah.
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Well, gosh, I mean, that is that is the founder way, right?
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We bump up against it and then we're like, oh, gotta figure that one out too.
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Never dreamed in a million years that I would be figuring this out, but here I am figuring it out.
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Correct.
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I would say that you get really good at solving problems after many years.
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Uh I told this on one other podcast, you know, you're only really a great CEO at 10 years.
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So at year nine, I was telling people, don't talk to me this year.
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That's so funny, but it does take time.
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And certainly we make we learn so much along the way and we make so many changes.
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So, how long did it take before you felt, okay, the app is ready?
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I'm gonna go out and start selling.
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Now, you have a sales background, so you knew what to do on that front.
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But talk about how long, you know, that was before you went out to actually share it with people and show it, or maybe you were doing that along the way to get more ideas.
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And then, you know, how did you decide who your first customers would be on the back end of it?
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I mean, consumer and you know, consumers start using it, right?
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But you've got to have that built-in background as well.
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Well, I was really lucky.
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Again, I think I've been really lucky, like my whole life in a way.
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Um, I was brought up at Xerox and, you know, taught by the best of the best.
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And Palo Alto Research Center Scientist taught me you have to build and listen to your clients.
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And so I built the app with, you know, the victims.
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I built them with the domestic shelters.org focus groups and with National Domestic Violence Hotline, you know, as much as they were willing to share, right?
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And with other shelters.
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I mean, these are some of the most tender and vulnerable groups that were willing to give me feedback and with, you know, individuals that had, you know, gone through some really, really tender moments in their lives.
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You know, and I also have gone through, I mean, a domestic violence situation.
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And so uh I I number one, tech, you know, entrepreneurs, if they are willing, and most of them are, um, get in there with their clients and then they build around that initial client focus group.
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I didn't, though, just focus on that.
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I was also listening to, because our um our entire trademark is we are the bridge to smart, safe cities.
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And then our second one is to keep you safe wherever you are.
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I knew I was grabbing that victim voice, but I was also listening for, okay, but how is this gonna impact 911?
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And then law enforcement and then prosecution, and what's defense gonna think about this as well?
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And then internationally, how am I gonna be able to support this?
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Because growing up at Xerox, I was a global citizen.
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It wasn't just about how is this gonna impact American exports and imports.
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I had to think through like seven or eight, eight different layers, right?
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As I was listening to every single voice.
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And that's what I was listening for.
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Wow.
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And I love the way you were able to get these very vulnerable groups to help you because they really, I'm sure, had something to say about their safety and what they needed and what they wished for.
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Um, I can't even imagine.
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That must have been just an amazing experience for you.
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Well, I'm sure that you do that.
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You do that all the time with me, with everybody you talk to.
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You're so good at listening.
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Oh, thank you.
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Thank you.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:18.319
But yeah, I mean, I'm you you were given a gift, really, in a way, when you say, you know, these women's groups let you in and let you listen to them.
00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.839
That is a huge gift.
00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:23.039
So you were really able to shape your product.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:29.279
And like you said, on the other side of it, yeah, how is this gonna pack 911, right?
00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:32.240
And so how does how does the sale work?
00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.480
I mean, anyone can download the app.
00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:40.480
Any any of you can go to eBodyguard in your app store, uh, whatever kind of phone you have, and you can download that.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.519
That is no problem.
00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.039
But what was the other side?
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:53.039
The infrastructure, what did you have to sell on the other side to the communities and the police departments and the safety and fire and all of that?
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:56.559
It took me years to learn that part.
00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:57.440
Years.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:00.880
Uh number one, access is a big deal, right?
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:06.640
Number two, being able to really listen about what 911 needs.
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.640
They have so many screens in front of them.
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:11.599
Oh, and this is the piece that I want everybody to understand.
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.359
People get so frustrated today because they're just watching TV, right?
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.440
About what's going on with law enforcement.
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:24.319
But we have to be thoughtful about the fact that we can be so fast to judge because we have one moment or this or that.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:28.319
I've had my frustrations with law enforcement, sure, along the way.
00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.640
But at the end of the day, it's a system.
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:36.160
Every organization has their need for opportunity to grow.
00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.359
Every person has their need for opportunity to grow.
00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:42.720
I mean, talk about the Broncos and the Chiefs game this weekend, right?
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.640
They're beating Bone Knicks up.
00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:51.039
But at the end of the day, the Chiefs failed the whole time last year, but they came back and they did awesome this weekend, right?
00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.920
Did we did we beat that quarterback up?
00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:03.039
No, no, but the deal is that when we have a tough time, we need our family and our friends to show up for us, reminding us how great we are.
00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:05.119
And that we just need to show up doing our best.
00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:06.880
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:14.799
Okay, so you had to learn how to talk to safety professionals, right?
00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:16.480
You had first responders.
00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:17.920
I grew up with that.
00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:18.480
Okay.
00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.119
Yeah.
00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:23.519
I mean, I my first account was Fort Collins Police Department when I was like 22 years old.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:24.160
Okay.
00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.240
So you knew how to do it.
00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:31.839
You had to approach them and explain to them, I've got this app and it does this thing, but it's gonna impact you.
00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.240
So, what were those conversations like?
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:44.480
Well, number one, uh they were used when I left Conduit Xerox Services, they were used to me being like in the business development role, and now I was the CEO.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.079
So that changed the dynamic.
00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:46.720
Yeah.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.319
And I didn't know nobody told me.
00:19:50.319 --> 00:20:02.480
They didn't knock on my door and say, Melissa, you have to change how you speak to the chiefs and everybody because that shifted with the personality relationship.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.319
Nobody shared that with me.
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.000
Yeah.
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:30.240
Second, um I I do a whole lot more listening now, and I'm willing to be patient and I'm willing to wait a long time for process and watch before I need something to happen.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.319
Yeah.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:48.480
So you kind of you have that approach down now and helping them understand because it's would seem to me like this could seem a little threatening to a police department or to first responders to have citizens, you know, recording and reporting things.
00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.160
Did they feel that way at all?
00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.119
Oh, at first they totally rejected the system.
00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:58.720
From 20, uh, let's see, I started this concept in 2018.
00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:05.440
From 2018 to 2023, they completely rejected the system in America.
00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.519
I had to go to Brazil.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:10.079
Wow.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:15.279
So you talked with them and listened, but they were like, no, no, no, and no.
00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:34.720
I had like one little pilot that would like give me some research, but and I was working with victims to learn like how to build, but no, law enforcement was absolutely threatened by the system completely, entirely, and especially think about what they were going through.
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:41.440
Defund the police, and I'm trying to present to them the idea of oh, and citizens want to record you too.
00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:43.039
No way, yeah, yeah.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:44.400
No problem, right?
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.400
No way, they couldn't accept it.
00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:50.000
Only now are they seeing oh, this is great.
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.200
This is a great opportunity.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.359
So, like five years later, they now eight years later.
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:57.039
It took eight eight weeks.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.200
Oh my gosh.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.680
All right, let's.
00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:02.799
Pause on that for a minute and let's go back.
00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.720
Your son was 12.
00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.240
You're a single mom.
00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:10.640
Now, I'm a female founder.
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.559
I know how much work it is.
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.920
Um, you know, it's it's hard enough, you know, when you have a job.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:19.680
When my son was very young, I worked for my dad's company, Miller Hyman.
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.720
Um, and you know, I could bring him to the office with me.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:27.200
We had a very family-friendly office back in the 90s, which was pretty abnormal.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:29.119
Like that wasn't typical, right?
00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:32.720
Um, but you know, mostly he had to go to school and have a babysitter.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:34.559
My mom helped and all of that.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.400
Um, I was a single mom also.
00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:43.920
Um he his dad was close by, but he worked and, you know, did not uh take the primary responsibility for the care, of course.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.079
And so um, you know, I know that that was not easy, right?
00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:54.000
But then when I started my own company, and now it's like, okay, it's even more, right?
00:22:54.000 --> 00:23:04.400
Because we as female founders, and I think any founder really, they do what has to be done until it's done to keep the company moving forward, right?
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.400
And and focus on product at first and then focus on driving revenue and keeping customers happy.
00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.440
And that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.599
So, how did you juggle that?
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:20.480
How did you manage being a single mom with your son and keeping everything going?
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:21.440
Because you had a lot.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:26.319
Because not only were you building something, you were learning, oh, how is this gonna be?
00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:26.880
How's that gonna?
00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:31.359
And then you're uh butting your head against these uh safety professionals.
00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:33.200
And I'm sure that that was a lot.
00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:46.240
So, what kinds of things you did you do to help yourself um be a mom and be a CEO and all of the other things you wanted to do in your own community and and take care of yourself too.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:51.279
Uh, I will tell you, I didn't have one hit of dopamine in like seven years.
00:23:51.279 --> 00:24:19.920
Like it was a complete lesson in how do you focus on being your own cheerleader and waking up and knowing that you're still on the right journey and that this isn't about you, this is about you know what you were called to, and that this is I mean, some people might call me crazy that I stuck it, stuck it out.
00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.640
Like, really, but it's I think most of us will call ourselves crazy.
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.759
Okay, this is what I really honestly did.
00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:30.720
Number one, I didn't do anything.
00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:33.200
I mean, I used to write musicals in my 30s, okay?
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:35.440
I I just focused on two things.
00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:42.480
I focused on my son because he was growing up in his teenage life and my company.
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.680
That's it.
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:49.359
Okay, every now and then I would see my friends, but that's it, those two things.
00:24:49.359 --> 00:25:10.000
And every morning I would enjoy a cup of coffee, my spiritual work, my exercise, and then I would get to it, and then enjoying those really simple things in life and structuring my life, and at the end of the day, oh, in a bath.
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:28.000
I know, I know that sounds really simple, but like knowing that if I structure my life really, really simple, and then at the end of the day, like my walk, and knowing that this is all I could focus on, that was it.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:36.400
Yeah, so smart because I do feel like we we tend to take on too much, we have that proclivity to do, you know, take on too much.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:42.720
And I agree with you when we can narrow it down and go, This is my life right now, it's not forever.
00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:49.039
Yeah, I knew this is my life right now, and the simpler I keep it, the easier it's going to be.
00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:52.640
Having a teenager, there's nothing easy about it, right?
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.039
Oh, he couldn't, he was so mad at me.
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.960
He was so mad, he's like, You used to have a really good job.
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:14.400
And we went through some tough times, but I knew what I was building, and I knew that I needed to do this, and I knew that it would one day be over.
00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.559
So I my son, I was a single mom and my son, right?
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:23.519
And I used to have him help me with something, you know, he helped me around the house a lot.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:24.960
That was like my first rule.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:29.359
We're a team, you know, we we get the housework done together, right?
00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:33.039
And um, you have your role, I have my role, we're gonna do it, right?
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:34.400
I held each other accountable.
00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:38.720
But then I, when he was, you know, in high school, I was like, okay, you can learn how to do a spreadsheet.
00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:40.720
You can do there's things you can do for me.
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:48.480
But he would watch how hard I work and he would say to me, I'm never gonna be an entrepreneur, I'm never gonna own a business, I know, right?
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.880
And I'm like, okay, okay.
00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:52.480
Uh, but guess what?
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:54.160
He's 35 years old.
00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:58.240
He has been a business owner for 12 years, he's highly successful.
00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:06.319
And after his mom, we actually model to them what they end up becoming.
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:10.000
So my son, oh, okay, I am gonna share this.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:17.440
So my son was he became so mad that that he that he ran away from home.
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.559
He literally like left for a year and went to Oklahoma, of course.
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.400
And he wrote me the nastiest note.
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.160
And I was like, okay, it did.
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:24.960
It broke my heart.
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:26.240
It was the hardest period.
00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:26.640
I'm sure.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:28.640
And I'm sharing this because why?
00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:39.359
Because I think female founders, not just female founders, there are there are other single fathers out there that have to be mothers too.
00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:41.680
And they probably live with guilt.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.920
We live with guilt every day of what we cannot get done.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:46.400
Right.
00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:46.960
Right.
00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:54.720
And I just want to encourage everybody that like the person that you never forgave needs forgiving, and that's yourself.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:06.880
And and and and you need to you need to be able to do that journey faster than than you are doing today because there's only so much you have capacity for.
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:12.960
And the more you say no, the faster you'll get to success.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:17.920
And um we all can only do our best every single day.
00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:20.160
And that's what I just gave myself permission for.
00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:24.240
And I gave myself permission for him to be angry at me because I could take it.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:30.799
And I knew that I was the person that could handle his anger because he needed someone to be angry at.
00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:31.599
And you know what?
00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:38.160
Here's what happened: he came back and he is now working at e-bodyguard and he basically every single day.
00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.359
Every single day.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.000
I love it.
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:43.359
Well, I mean, he was going through a lot too, really, from a kid's point of view, right?
00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:50.799
His dad had passed, he's a teenager, he's got a his mom changed her job, and you know, it's everything's different.
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:53.519
I mean, it's hard, right?
00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:56.960
He was just seeking for answers like we all are.
00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:58.000
What's going on?
00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.160
And I think that's what the world is doing right now.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:01.680
What's going on?
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:06.240
No, I oh my gosh, I agree with you so much.
00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:08.880
But, you know, it's amazing, right?
00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:09.920
That we got through it.
00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.880
Like in high school, my son um, you know, was not easy.
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:17.440
I hope he's gonna listen to this podcast, mom.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:23.039
Um, but he didn't, he was so smart and he didn't want to do his work.
00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:26.079
So, you know, it's always this fight with the homework and everything else.
00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:29.359
And I was like, you're getting Fs, but you're so smart.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.200
Like, what is going on here?
00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.839
But that struggle, you know, that they they have, and we have to let them have it.
00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.000
Like we can't fix everything for them, right?
00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:41.119
And so here we are, we're CEOs, we're fixers, right?
00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:43.200
We're solving, we're fixing, we're listening.
00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:44.799
But then with our own kids, right?
00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:47.599
We have to do the same.
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:52.880
And and it's just never easy, but it's amazing how how we get through it.
00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:57.359
And I love that both of our sons are so successfully doing what they're doing.
00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:06.880
And um, I do think having a strong mom who is believing in something and leading that way is just so important.
00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:25.680
Yeah, and I think the more faith you have in yourself and in God and in um uh systems that are set in place to work, the more that you allow um failure.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.519
Yes, yes.
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:34.240
And you can tolerate the failure and it doesn't feel because we have this cognitive load that we all carry, right?
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.440
Every human does.
00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:46.640
But when you are a female founder and you're carrying the cognitive load for your entire company, and as nurture caretaker, because that's who we are, females on this planet, right?
00:30:46.640 --> 00:31:01.440
We run our companies a little bit differently and we we do it with a just a different approach, not bad, not not good, not just a different approach, but it gives us more of a cognitive burden because we think about the humans so heavily, right?
00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:06.240
And then we have, you know, the cognitive burden of running a household.
00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:07.839
And right?
00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:12.079
Because think about all the orchestration of running a household is huge, right?
00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:15.119
There's so many things that need to be done and people that have to be contacted.
00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:19.680
And then we have the orchestration of our children, then the orchestration of our own life.
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:27.839
Um, and then, you know, goodness, if you're in your 40s and above, you've got perimenopause to think about and menopause and all of those things.
00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:30.880
So that cognitive load does compound.
00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:34.559
But what makes it worse is the guilt, which you mentioned earlier, right?
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:39.839
When you feel like you can't do everything you want to do, we got to let go of the guilt part.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:42.160
Really, like it's just we gotta let go.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:51.440
We gotta forgive ourselves, give ourselves grace, um, you know, have the faith, like you said, because otherwise that cognitive load will burn us out.
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.599
And many, many of the women, and I know you and I have talked about this too.
00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:58.720
We do, we get burnout, we have those moments.
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:00.160
We are like, oh, I'm done.
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:05.279
I I can't, I, I can't, but but then but then we wake up the next day and we do.
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:16.000
Yeah, I think I think I only got there though, like by knowing that I am enough, that it is enough, that we're all enough.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:17.440
Yeah, you know.
00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:19.039
I don't know when you got to that.
00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:20.559
When did you get to that?
00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:22.960
Well, I mean, I'm a work in progress, right?
00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.000
I say it every day.
00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:32.960
I have, you know, all of my declarations that I say every morning, and I am enough, I have enough, I do enough, I'm good enough as part of my declarations every morning and still do it.
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:35.279
I do truly believe that.
00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:40.240
And I just have to remind myself sometimes I don't need to do one more thing.
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.839
I don't need to learn one more thing.
00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:45.200
If I do learn one more thing, that's fine, but I don't need to, right?
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.400
Yeah, I am enough exactly the way I am.
00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:52.079
And I think that is a gift that most women don't have yet.
00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:57.599
I I talk to a lot of women who just don't really believe that in their core yet.
00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:02.319
Um, and I think that's something we can help each other with.
00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:06.079
It is truly okay, right?
00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:09.680
You do what you can, like you said, do your best.
00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:12.319
That doesn't need do everything.
00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:13.440
You couldn't do everything.
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:14.640
So you said, what can I do?
00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:17.200
I can run this company and I can raise my son.
00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.559
Those are two things I can do.
00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:20.160
I can't write musicals anymore.
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:22.000
I can do these two things, right?
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:25.359
Right now, not forever, for now, right?
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:28.240
And I think that's where we really have to.
00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:38.720
It becomes hard when you begin in situations like I'm in right now, where I am, I've got grandchildren that I want to have time with and you know, love and hug and all that good stuff.
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:42.559
And then I have uh elderly parents who need a lot of care.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:48.000
And then I have myself and my home and my business, and I'm launching something new, right?
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:50.559
So all of that is too much.
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:54.640
So I every day have to ask, what are my priorities today?
00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:56.079
What can I get done today?
00:33:56.079 --> 00:34:05.519
And and because of the circumstances with my parents right now, I have not seen my grandchildren in three weeks, but I'm fixing that this weekend, right?
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.239
So you can't do everything.
00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:11.679
And when you try, you're going to burn out.
00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:16.320
So every day it's a reminder of I can wake up and do my best.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:19.599
And these are the things I won't do today.
00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:22.800
That's as just as important as what I will do today.
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:36.159
Yeah, I think the other thing is that I'm starting to recognize like what I'm recognizing in myself at least, and maybe, and I don't know if there's commonality with you, but I'm just processing this.
00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:36.719
Yeah.
00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:41.440
We have standards or expectations set by organizations.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:42.719
Okay.
00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:50.960
Or like this is we maybe, maybe, maybe I have seen this is what success is, or people say this is basically successful.
00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:54.000
Or even like society, it's sort of like what we grew up with, right?
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:55.119
Right, right, right.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:35:04.719
Like, oh, that's what it means to be a successful mother, or that's what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, or this is what it looks like, like a template, right?
00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:11.840
And then all of a sudden, like, oh wow, I didn't make I didn't make the mark, I didn't make this, or I didn't make that, right?
00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:15.440
And then we're just crushed because you know what I'm saying?
00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:20.719
Versus just like saying, well, like I brought this forward today.
00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:21.679
Was that good?
00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:23.119
That was the best I did.
00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:24.239
That's great, right?
00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:26.000
And then accepting that, right?
00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:29.440
And seeing how, seeing how did you connect with people?
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:30.719
Did you have a good day?
00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:33.360
Did you have, did you bring forward your best?
00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:36.239
And being able to make that good.
00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:39.119
Being able to make that really good.
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:49.199
Yeah, I always tell the founders I work with, applaud what you got done today and don't focus on what didn't get done because that's for another day.
00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:54.159
But if you don't stop and applaud what you did get done, you always feel behind.
00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:58.880
You always have that cognitive burden of what you there's too much to do.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:00.400
I can never get it done, you know?
00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:02.880
But you did a whole bunch today, and that was great.
00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:04.480
So let's applaud that.
00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:07.519
And then, yeah, all that stuff will move to another day.
00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:10.480
Everything that didn't get done, oh well, it's gonna get done another time.
00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:17.599
So I think it is a mindset shift for some because we're always with checklists and all the stuff we didn't check off.
00:36:17.599 --> 00:36:20.000
Hey, let's applaud the things we did check off.
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:21.280
Woo-hoo! Right.
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:28.159
And then it's it's so much easier to go forward because we're looking at what we did get done versus what we didn't get done.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.760
I think that is what it is.
00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:42.239
I think it's that mind shifts uh like move from uh living in a like fear of oh my goodness, I did not do, versus, hey, I'm good.
00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:43.360
I'm really good.
00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:44.880
And look what I did do.
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:45.679
And you know what?
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.280
Here's my list for tomorrow.
00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:48.079
Yeah.
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:49.519
Yeah, I love that.
00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:50.719
I love it.
00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:53.280
So we all have our ways, you know, of getting through it.
00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:58.960
And I think women are just famous for waking up, putting a smile on their face and pushing through, right?
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:03.119
But I think we need to give ourselves some grace, have some rest, relaxation.
00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:04.880
And and I just love your approach.
00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:12.159
Slim it down, make it simple, and then focus on the one or two things you want to do and just do that.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:14.320
Don't try to do everything, right?
00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:18.159
All right, so back to back to your uh building the business.
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:24.880
So you finally got eight years later, these okay, other countries were easier to get them to understand.
00:37:24.880 --> 00:37:30.800
You got these American safety professionals, uh, first responders to understand.
00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:33.119
Oh, this might be a good thing.
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:34.639
Whoa, okay.
00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:36.400
So where are you now?
00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:38.159
How is this all working for you?
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:41.119
What is what you know, what does the sale look like today?
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:42.159
And what's your focus?
00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:45.519
I know you go to a ton of conferences with safety professionals.
00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.159
So just tell us a little bit about how it's working today.
00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.519
Yeah, that's great.
00:37:49.519 --> 00:38:04.239
So we do have victims on the app in uh America, and that's which always will be one of my priorities, and then of shelters, and then our team has a survivor support team, and that's where my son works, and I'm really happy about that.
00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:07.039
And then uh he also does some digital work.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:13.199
Uh on the um state side, we have Texas uh agencies that are moving forward.
00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:20.719
We have some agencies here in Colorado, North Carolina, and we're looking in New York and then Indiana.
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:23.119
We have other states that are moving forward.
00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:30.079
We'll see after this year's International Association of Chiefs of Police and a couple other conferences that I'll be at next week.
00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:34.400
We're going to Smart Cities Tech Connect in DC.
00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:47.760
So I really want to be able to uh focus on that bridge between the CIO, the IT director, that city manager discussion, mayor discussion, and the chief of police.
00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:50.639
I think that's a really valuable discussion.
00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:54.000
So I think that's gonna take a little bit of time.
00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:55.199
Interesting.
00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:59.840
Yeah, so you have the victims on the app, but anyone can be on the app.
00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:10.000
And part of the whole thing about this eBodyguard app is that it can help prevent you from becoming a victim of crime as well, which is what I think is just amazing.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.000
It's a very safe preventative tool, right?
00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:18.000
To help people be safe in any environment that they might be in.
00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:29.199
Last night I had a conversation with a gentleman and they saw the app and they said, Well, I don't know that I would ever have a need for that because I'm not a victim of crime.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.960
I said, Well, that's good, but you never know when you might be.
00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:43.760
You never know when like something may happen to you, or you know, that you know, you need to be preventative of it or happen to something in your family.
00:39:43.760 --> 00:39:45.840
Lucky that you haven't needed it so far.
00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:48.719
Lucky that you're you're so lucky.
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:50.239
Yeah, you never know.
00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:53.440
I mean, remember, and I was telling you the story about my sister-in-law.
00:39:53.440 --> 00:40:00.800
Um, she's Hispanic and you know, with ice and everything that's going on, she's not a citizen, but she does have a green card.
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:02.400
She's married to my brother.
00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:08.639
Um, she's working on her citizenship, and she drives a little white Volkswagen bug.
00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:16.880
And she is a tiny little lady who's beautiful, you know, and she's just driving along perfectly fine.
00:40:16.880 --> 00:40:19.039
And she gets pulled over.
00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:26.000
And I mean, she told me she was like going onto a freeway and there were two lanes, and maybe she wasn't in the right lane, but you know, it was really no big deal.
00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:27.920
There were no other cars around, nothing.
00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:31.920
And a cop pulls her over and starts telling her she's drunk.
00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:35.360
And she's like, No, officer, I have not been drinking.
00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:38.880
And then he was really belligerent and rude to her.
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:40.800
Maybe he was the one who was drinking.
00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:48.079
Um, and he was asking her to blow in in the breathalyzer, and she did, and she was not drunk.
00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:51.840
And then he was asking her to do all the things that they ask you to do.
00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:58.159
And uh, she passed every test he gave her, and he still put her in jail.
00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:01.519
I'm so sorry that happened.
00:41:01.519 --> 00:41:03.360
That's unfortunate.
00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:04.239
Yeah.
00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:17.119
And uh in our jail here in the county, they've had so much uh problems with fentanyl that now they strip search everyone who gets put in the county jail before they, I mean, you know, it's not prison, it's jail, right?
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:20.719
It's like you're overnight there for he was saying she was drunk, she wasn't.
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.039
They even took a blood test, she wasn't drunk.
00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:27.119
But if she had had that app, this could have all been recorded.
00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:33.039
And so I told her, of course, about it as soon as I knew about it, which was a little bit after that.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:36.960
But it was, it was a terrible situation for anyone to be in, right?
00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:47.679
And um, this is it's unfortunate, and hopefully these kinds of things don't happen very often, but you don't expect the people who are supposed to protect you to be the ones harming you.
00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:49.599
And in that case, she had that.
00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:53.440
I'm so sorry to hear that that happened with your sister-in-law.
00:41:53.440 --> 00:42:10.320
I will say this though, there is a very clear process when law enforcement is in that situation and anything could have happened there that where they may have broken the law or they may have obviously stepped over and had overreach.
00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:30.400
So I want you to feel at peace that if something did occur and this officer clearly did something incorrectly or broken the law, people today in the power of chiefs of police or city managers or mayors, they're taking it very seriously.
00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:32.960
And I want you to have peace of mind about that.
00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:44.800
Moving forward, uh your sister-in-law um and others like that, um, this is this is not something that that cities are allowing.
00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:46.079
Absolutely not.
00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:51.599
So is there anything at all that you would like to say about what you wish could have happened?
00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:53.599
Yeah, well, thank you for saying that.
00:42:53.599 --> 00:43:00.239
And I I do wish she had e-bodyguard because she could have recorded it, because it becomes her word against his, right?
00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:07.199
And um, you know, we are pursuing it, but basically, I don't know, we'll see.
00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:12.079
I I don't I don't feel like they're going to take the action that we wish that they would.
00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:21.280
But, you know, she she is safe now and she is getting some therapy about it because it was very traumatic for her.
00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:23.119
We need e-bodyguard, right?
00:43:23.119 --> 00:43:32.960
We need a tool like this to keep our citizens safe from whatever it might be, or even, you know, it doesn't even have to be something horrible.
00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:39.360
Sometimes you're just in a situation where you're like, oh my gosh, you could be lost and you just need someone to help you.
00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:42.079
The e-bodycart could help with that too.
00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:44.480
So I think there's just no reason not to have it.
00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:45.840
Everyone should have it.
00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:49.679
And they can set it up to help them with these kinds of things.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:51.920
And even I think about my elderly parents.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:55.679
What a great tool that would be for them to be able to reach 911 so easily.
00:43:55.920 --> 00:44:09.760
Well, I think the reason law enforcement will like it and embrace it is because it actually supports them and gives them peace of mind because then the citizen has absolutely given consent for how they're embracing law enforcement and the community.
00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:23.840
And it relieves the executives, the chiefs and the cities and the mayors about hey, we know that everybody out there on the streets is having the balanced approach to this in that way.
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:25.679
Well, you are go ahead.
00:44:25.679 --> 00:44:26.719
Yeah, go ahead.
00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:28.800
I was just gonna say you are doing great work.
00:44:28.800 --> 00:44:36.079
I I'm so honored to know you and to watch this journey with you for the last couple of years and to see how much of a difference you're making.
00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:45.280
And I'm so grateful that the law enforcement, first responders, and safety professionals are seeing that this is a great tool for everyone.
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:47.199
I really appreciate you, Alice.
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.079
I really do.
00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:51.840
And and I and there's always gonna be more to talk about.
00:44:51.840 --> 00:44:59.039
We're gonna continue to learn from each other as I'm as we're gonna learn with the agencies and support them.
00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:01.519
We want them to know that we support them as well.
00:45:01.760 --> 00:45:03.199
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:45:03.199 --> 00:45:10.719
Okay, well, my goodness, this time went so fast, but I do want everyone to know how they can find you and how they can find eBodyguard.
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:25.840
LinkedIn is a great way to find me, Melissa Faith Heart or eBodyguard, as well as you can download the app at the Apple and Google Play Store under eBodyguard, and you can find me at ebodyguard.org.
00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:26.960
Wonderful.
00:45:26.960 --> 00:45:27.760
Oh my gosh.
00:45:27.760 --> 00:45:30.000
Well, I will continue watching your journey.
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:32.000
You and I will talk again soon.
00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:37.599
Thank you so much for sharing your journey on sales talk for CEOs.
00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:38.800
Thank you.
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:44.960
If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe, and we'll see you next week.
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:02.399
First, they totally rejected the system.
00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:08.560
From 2018 to 2023, they completely rejected the system in America.
00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:10.480
I had to go to Brazil.
00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:16.960
I will tell you, I didn't have one hit of dopamine in like seven years.
00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:29.839
Like it was a complete lesson in how do you focus on being your own cheerleader and waking up and knowing that you're still on the right journey.
00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:32.159
And that this isn't about you.
00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:35.359
This is about what you were called to.
00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:43.200
And I just want to encourage everybody that the person that you never forgave needs forgiving, and that's yourself.
00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:47.439
Hi, I'm Alice Hyman, the host of Sales Talk for CEOs.
00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:58.960
I have this podcast because I want to share the stories of female founders who are building incredible companies while juggling family, health, finding funding, and of course, revenue growth.
00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:04.239
It's so important to me to share these stories, and I really want you to help me.
00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:06.239
So here's what you've got to do.
00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:10.959
70% of you who listen and love the show haven't subscribed yet.
00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:14.879
Help me amplify these voices by hitting the subscribe button.
00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:17.439
And of course, then you won't miss an episode.
00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.000
Thank you so much for being part of this journey.
00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:21.680
It means the world to me.
00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.000
Now let's get into the episode.
00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:31.760
Welcome to Sales Talk for CEOs.
00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:37.920
Today I'm excited to have Melissa Faithheart from eBodyguard on the show with me.
00:01:37.920 --> 00:01:39.359
Welcome, Melissa.
00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:40.400
Hi, Alice.
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:41.280
Thanks for having me.
00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:42.640
It's so nice to see you.
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:44.319
Great to see you too.
00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:47.040
Um, it's always fun to get to see your face.
00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:53.200
We do a lot of texting and talking on the phone, but it's always fun when we get to see each other and hopefully soon in person as well.
00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:56.239
Yeah, it's really nice to hang out with you this morning.
00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:06.239
So before we go back into your journey, I'd love for you to tell uh the listeners what eBodyguard does and who the audience is.
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:11.120
To me, it's just such an important tool, and everyone needs to know about it.
00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:15.360
So just take a little bit of time and share with us all about eBodyguard.
00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:15.919
Okay.
00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:26.000
Well, eBodyguard begins as the MyBodyguard app on your phone and is part of a three system program.
00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:28.000
Uh, the My Bodyguard program.
00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:33.840
It's the My Bodyguard app, the My Bodyguard portal, and the My Bodyguard First Responder Portal.
00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:41.759
So the My Bodyguard app has a button that everybody pushes that is integrated into the 911 system in America and in 10 countries.
00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.680
And then this is voice activated, so up to 30 feet away.
00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:49.120
You know, you can imagine why we would need voice activation.
00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.120
And then it's also a panic button.
00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:56.719
The e-body cam right here, if you can see that, goes directly into the cloud.
00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:02.080
It does not sit on the phone, it goes directly into the cloud, so you can see it in your own private portal.
00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:04.560
And then we have the safety card.
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:09.120
Now, the good news about the safety card is that it protects your Fourth Amendment right.
00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:10.319
Why does that matter?
00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:11.599
You want to know why?
00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:15.840
Because you get to choose as your person, your data.
00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:20.560
You own your data, and so you get to decide what goes to 911.
00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:29.680
And on the way to the call, the 911 operator can say to you, Hey, we need more information so we can help you and support you.
00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:36.960
And that's the great thing is that we have become the bridge between 911, first responders, law enforcement, and the community.
00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:39.280
And you're truly in charge of your data.
00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:47.199
We we record the audio, we record the video, but you're still in charge of that data and that moment of your most critical need.
00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:49.840
Did I answer your question about what eBodyguard's doing?
00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:50.159
Yeah.
00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.439
So this is a tool that really protects the consumer.
00:03:53.439 --> 00:03:59.439
It really protects all of us humans that are out and about in our daily lives.
00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:26.879
We have a way, if we use eBodyguard, to report something dangerous, something that's happening to us, if we're afraid on if someone is approaching us, if someone is attacking us, if the police or people who should be helping us are not helping us, we have a way to report that, record that, get help at any moment in time because it lives on our phone and it's really easy to use.
00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:34.560
So, you know, let's say our kids are gonna go to a party and they're gonna walk home after the party.
00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:37.920
They turn their e-bodyguard on and they walk home.
00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:39.680
That way, perfect example.
00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:42.160
Their bodyguard is there with them.
00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:44.639
They have, we have your back.
00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:45.680
It's perfect.
00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:46.800
Perfect example.
00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:47.759
I love that.
00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:48.560
I love that.
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:57.040
And so the other side of that is if I am the human using the app, then you've got it connected to everyone who can help me.
00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:58.319
Correct.
00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:08.800
So you can list who your e-bodyguards are, and at that moment that you need some support, then they get the text message that you have actually activated the e-bodyguard.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:09.439
Yes.
00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:10.000
Yeah.
00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:16.800
So let's say I'm just at a party and I don't want any, I mean I'm a teenager at a party and things are not going well.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:22.480
And I don't really want to call the police, but I would like my mom to come and pick me up, but I don't want to pick up the phone and call her.
00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:26.399
I could push my mom's button on the e-bodyguard and she would know.
00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:27.680
She would know.
00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:29.439
Amazing, right?
00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.560
So I think this is a tool that everybody needs.
00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:36.879
And I'm just so curious, how on earth did you come up with this idea?
00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.199
So let's rewind back in time.
00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:40.639
First of all, what were you doing?
00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:41.839
Where were you working?
00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:43.680
You know, what was your family life like?
00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:45.920
And how did you come up with this idea?
00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.079
I was actually downtown Denver.
00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:52.240
I was paying for parking and I was like fussing with the meter.
00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:55.279
And I'm like, I could get my purse stolen right now.
00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:58.959
And like, how would I even get a hold of 911?
00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:01.519
My purse would be gone, my phone with it.
00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.720
And then I don't have anyone to help me.
00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:05.680
Right?
00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:06.639
It's so true.
00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:07.839
We don't really think about it.
00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:15.199
But like, and I we know this, but we but like we're in a parking garage or we're at a gas station, our purse is always on the seat, right?
00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:17.839
Somebody could just smash the window and grab it.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:18.399
Right.
00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.759
But that happens in Brazil and in these Latam countries all the time.
00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.560
And they just have somebody come up, take their purse.
00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:35.680
And I literally was at that moment going, oh, I should have a voice-activated application that could help me and literally get a hold of the police.
00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:39.040
And then at that moment, they would be on the way and then they would save me.
00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:40.639
Oh, yeah, that's great.
00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:42.560
Oh my gosh, that's amazing.
00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:45.920
So the thought like really did just like occur to you.
00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:49.040
And but so okay, so but you had a job, right?
00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:49.920
You were working.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:55.360
I was working at Xerox Services, a conduit, like the same company, basically.
00:06:55.360 --> 00:07:09.680
And I was selling parking systems, I was selling tolling systems, I was selling other big government systems, and I was also building the back end of e-discovery, the taking law enforcement off of paper helped because they were what?
00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:13.600
They were driving paper documents to the attorney's office.
00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:21.920
So I decided to like invent a new system and help them automate, you know, the very system that they're still using today.
00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:33.040
But I was like, oh my goodness, why would a woman stand there like to for minutes, minutes to try to get their parking meter to work?
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:35.839
And then somebody can just like steal their purse.
00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:38.639
Yeah, so many situations like that, right?
00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:43.439
Okay, so uh I'm assuming you didn't just quit your job and start a company.
00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.240
So tell us a little bit about how this kind of progressed.
00:07:46.240 --> 00:07:51.680
So you have the idea, you're building these other systems at the company you work for and selling.
00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:55.279
Um, I would imagine your son was young at that time.
00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:58.319
And yeah, how did that all progress?
00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:03.680
Well, he was 12, and unfortunately, his father passed away.
00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:04.240
Oh.
00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:07.519
I did prior to that.
00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:18.480
Um uh I did place the idea and the concept um on my HR file, and I told them, this is mine.
00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:19.759
You can't have this one.
00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:25.600
And they all signed off on it, thinking it's just a little kind cute little app that Melissa wants to build.
00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:36.960
And so there were a lot of changes at my company, and they were going through a lot of, you know, just you know, at the board level.
00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:44.720
And so one day I decided that it might be time for me to leap into eBodyguard.
00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.080
So I did.
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:47.840
Okay, so here you are.
00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.000
You decide, okay, I'm gonna leave my job.
00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:51.840
I'm going to start this.
00:08:51.840 --> 00:08:56.480
Now, that that doesn't cost nothing to start a company.
00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:02.240
So, what how did you decide to go after some funding, or had you just saved up some money and invested yourself?
00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:08.960
I I did invest some of my retirement money and some of um some other money.
00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:17.919
So then I also started to seek out investors, um, private equity investors at that time and personal friends and family.
00:09:17.919 --> 00:09:27.919
And so, um, and then found um who is still my current partner, uh, built an LLC, and he is by my side.
00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:34.720
He's the current co-founder, and he is a vascular surgeon, and he believes strongly in life safety.
00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:35.120
Why?
00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:37.519
Because he saves lives every day.
00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:45.919
And that's part of the journey, is that we have taken what I would call critical death moments together.
00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:59.519
Um, you know, you gotta a founder, and I'm sure you know this, Alice, needs to be able to survive those critical death moments and know that your business will still survive with or without you.
00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:03.759
Um and know that you will be able to solve the problem.
00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:11.039
And if you can do that, you will still be able to know that your mission and your business will move on.
00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:12.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:14.000
So luckily you found the right partner.
00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.759
That that's not always easy.
00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:23.279
Did you talk to a lot of people and interview a lot of people before you chose, or how did how did you know it was the right partner?
00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:27.919
I mean, I think that that was more like a gift from the universe and God.
00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:30.559
That was just something that happened.
00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:31.120
Yeah.
00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:33.360
We've been together eight years now.
00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:34.320
Wow.
00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:35.840
Amazing.
00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:38.159
Yeah, and I think that does happen sometimes.
00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:45.120
One of the founders I interviewed told me though, she did like 50 interviews for co-founders before she found one.
00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.000
No, and he didn't become my co-founder overnight.
00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.120
That took years.
00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:50.240
Yeah, yeah.
00:10:50.240 --> 00:10:50.799
Yeah.
00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:56.639
You said something with him being a vascular surgeon, that's with heart disease and such, yeah.
00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:58.480
No, vascular is the veins.
00:10:58.480 --> 00:10:59.279
Oh, veins.
00:10:59.279 --> 00:10:59.679
Okay.
00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:02.799
I thought too, in the beginning, I thought he was a heart surgeon.
00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:05.039
It took me a while to know who was veins.
00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:11.519
But it it's interesting because it made me think about heart, and my dad is 91 who has heart problems.
00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:21.759
And I think I should get this app on his phone right away because if if something happens and no one's in around him, even if he's at home, he would need to push that button right away.
00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.399
Push or or just, you know, or just talk.
00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:27.440
Say the words, yes, that he needs to say, you know.
00:11:27.440 --> 00:11:27.919
Wow.
00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:28.799
Exactly.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.120
Yeah, that that's amazing.
00:11:31.120 --> 00:11:32.080
Um, all right.
00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.679
So you you feel like you've got a gift from the universe, and I love that.
00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:38.240
And you found this great partner, so you were able to build.
00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:45.679
Now, in the beginning, how long did it actually take you to build out the app and get it exactly the way you wanted it to be?
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:52.559
Well, I just thought I was building a safety app, you know.
00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:55.440
And then we hit defund the police.
00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:57.600
But before that, we hit COVID.
00:11:57.600 --> 00:11:58.399
Yeah.
00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:00.320
And we all did, right?
00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:16.639
But I didn't know that I was gonna run in straight into all the particulars that I needed to learn about GPS, wireless challenges, everything that had to do with, well, what about this?
00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:21.919
And what about when someone's, you know, in a wireless situation where we can't solve for that?
00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:25.759
So I was presented immediately with the law enforcement questions.
00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:29.919
And so we got to work, right?
00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:37.440
And I I'm the type of person that wants to make sure that we're able to answer those questions.
00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:47.440
And so we saw that we needed to be able to have the ability to, from a GPS satellite, and cellular and Wi-Fi perspective, answer all of those needs, right?
00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.240
So that took a long time just to do that.
00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.960
And I would imagine you're not a cell cellular wireless GPS expert.
00:12:55.120 --> 00:13:09.519
So you have to hire, you have to hire that expertise, you know, and once you start to learn um, you know, the ins and outs of what you need, then you then you start asking questions.
00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:12.240
Do I bring that in-house?
00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:14.000
Do I buy that?
00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:15.360
Do I license that?
00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:24.799
Do I, I mean, and there's a lot you learn about, you know, your your abilities to make the right decisions to solve problems.
00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:25.519
Yeah.
00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:28.960
Well, gosh, I mean, that is that is the founder way, right?
00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:33.279
We bump up against it and then we're like, oh, gotta figure that one out too.
00:13:33.279 --> 00:13:38.879
Never dreamed in a million years that I would be figuring this out, but here I am figuring it out.
00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.159
Correct.
00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:47.039
I would say that you get really good at solving problems after many years.
00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:52.159
Uh I told this on one other podcast, you know, you're only really a great CEO at 10 years.
00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:56.559
So at year nine, I was telling people, don't talk to me this year.
00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:00.960
That's so funny, but it does take time.
00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:05.200
And certainly we make we learn so much along the way and we make so many changes.
00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.360
So, how long did it take before you felt, okay, the app is ready?
00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.679
I'm gonna go out and start selling.
00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:15.120
Now, you have a sales background, so you knew what to do on that front.
00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:26.960
But talk about how long, you know, that was before you went out to actually share it with people and show it, or maybe you were doing that along the way to get more ideas.
00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:32.399
And then, you know, how did you decide who your first customers would be on the back end of it?
00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:35.200
I mean, consumer and you know, consumers start using it, right?
00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:38.799
But you've got to have that built-in background as well.
00:14:39.039 --> 00:14:40.320
Well, I was really lucky.
00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:44.799
Again, I think I've been really lucky, like my whole life in a way.
00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:50.720
Um, I was brought up at Xerox and, you know, taught by the best of the best.
00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:56.480
And Palo Alto Research Center Scientist taught me you have to build and listen to your clients.
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:02.000
And so I built the app with, you know, the victims.
00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:11.600
I built them with the domestic shelters.org focus groups and with National Domestic Violence Hotline, you know, as much as they were willing to share, right?
00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:13.600
And with other shelters.
00:15:13.600 --> 00:15:28.000
I mean, these are some of the most tender and vulnerable groups that were willing to give me feedback and with, you know, individuals that had, you know, gone through some really, really tender moments in their lives.
00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:33.120
You know, and I also have gone through, I mean, a domestic violence situation.
00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:50.320
And so uh I I number one, tech, you know, entrepreneurs, if they are willing, and most of them are, um, get in there with their clients and then they build around that initial client focus group.
00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:53.039
I didn't, though, just focus on that.
00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:00.240
I was also listening to, because our um our entire trademark is we are the bridge to smart, safe cities.
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:02.799
And then our second one is to keep you safe wherever you are.
00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:10.960
I knew I was grabbing that victim voice, but I was also listening for, okay, but how is this gonna impact 911?
00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:17.519
And then law enforcement and then prosecution, and what's defense gonna think about this as well?
00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:21.279
And then internationally, how am I gonna be able to support this?
00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:24.080
Because growing up at Xerox, I was a global citizen.
00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:30.240
It wasn't just about how is this gonna impact American exports and imports.
00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:35.039
I had to think through like seven or eight, eight different layers, right?
00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:38.159
As I was listening to every single voice.
00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:40.399
And that's what I was listening for.
00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:41.919
Wow.
00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:56.320
And I love the way you were able to get these very vulnerable groups to help you because they really, I'm sure, had something to say about their safety and what they needed and what they wished for.
00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:57.919
Um, I can't even imagine.
00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:00.720
That must have been just an amazing experience for you.
00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:02.399
Well, I'm sure that you do that.
00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.680
You do that all the time with me, with everybody you talk to.
00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:07.359
You're so good at listening.
00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:08.480
Oh, thank you.
00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:09.039
Thank you.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:18.319
But yeah, I mean, I'm you you were given a gift, really, in a way, when you say, you know, these women's groups let you in and let you listen to them.
00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:19.839
That is a huge gift.
00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:23.039
So you were really able to shape your product.
00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:29.279
And like you said, on the other side of it, yeah, how is this gonna pack 911, right?
00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:32.240
And so how does how does the sale work?
00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:34.480
I mean, anyone can download the app.
00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:40.480
Any any of you can go to eBodyguard in your app store, uh, whatever kind of phone you have, and you can download that.
00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:41.519
That is no problem.
00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.039
But what was the other side?
00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:53.039
The infrastructure, what did you have to sell on the other side to the communities and the police departments and the safety and fire and all of that?
00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:56.559
It took me years to learn that part.
00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:57.440
Years.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:00.880
Uh number one, access is a big deal, right?
00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:06.640
Number two, being able to really listen about what 911 needs.
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.640
They have so many screens in front of them.
00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:11.599
Oh, and this is the piece that I want everybody to understand.
00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.359
People get so frustrated today because they're just watching TV, right?
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.440
About what's going on with law enforcement.
00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:24.319
But we have to be thoughtful about the fact that we can be so fast to judge because we have one moment or this or that.
00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:28.319
I've had my frustrations with law enforcement, sure, along the way.
00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:30.640
But at the end of the day, it's a system.
00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:36.160
Every organization has their need for opportunity to grow.
00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.359
Every person has their need for opportunity to grow.
00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:42.720
I mean, talk about the Broncos and the Chiefs game this weekend, right?
00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.640
They're beating Bone Knicks up.
00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:51.039
But at the end of the day, the Chiefs failed the whole time last year, but they came back and they did awesome this weekend, right?
00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:53.920
Did we did we beat that quarterback up?
00:18:53.920 --> 00:19:03.039
No, no, but the deal is that when we have a tough time, we need our family and our friends to show up for us, reminding us how great we are.
00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:05.119
And that we just need to show up doing our best.
00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:06.880
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:14.799
Okay, so you had to learn how to talk to safety professionals, right?
00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:16.480
You had first responders.
00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:17.920
I grew up with that.
00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:18.480
Okay.
00:19:18.480 --> 00:19:19.119
Yeah.
00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:23.519
I mean, I my first account was Fort Collins Police Department when I was like 22 years old.
00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:24.160
Okay.
00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:26.240
So you knew how to do it.
00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:31.839
You had to approach them and explain to them, I've got this app and it does this thing, but it's gonna impact you.
00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:34.240
So, what were those conversations like?
00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:44.480
Well, number one, uh they were used when I left Conduit Xerox Services, they were used to me being like in the business development role, and now I was the CEO.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:46.079
So that changed the dynamic.
00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:46.720
Yeah.
00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:50.319
And I didn't know nobody told me.
00:19:50.319 --> 00:20:02.480
They didn't knock on my door and say, Melissa, you have to change how you speak to the chiefs and everybody because that shifted with the personality relationship.
00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:04.319
Nobody shared that with me.
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.000
Yeah.
00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:30.240
Second, um I I do a whole lot more listening now, and I'm willing to be patient and I'm willing to wait a long time for process and watch before I need something to happen.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.319
Yeah.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:48.480
So you kind of you have that approach down now and helping them understand because it's would seem to me like this could seem a little threatening to a police department or to first responders to have citizens, you know, recording and reporting things.
00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:50.160
Did they feel that way at all?
00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:53.119
Oh, at first they totally rejected the system.
00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:58.720
From 20, uh, let's see, I started this concept in 2018.
00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:05.440
From 2018 to 2023, they completely rejected the system in America.
00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:07.519
I had to go to Brazil.
00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:10.079
Wow.
00:21:10.079 --> 00:21:15.279
So you talked with them and listened, but they were like, no, no, no, and no.
00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:34.720
I had like one little pilot that would like give me some research, but and I was working with victims to learn like how to build, but no, law enforcement was absolutely threatened by the system completely, entirely, and especially think about what they were going through.
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:41.440
Defund the police, and I'm trying to present to them the idea of oh, and citizens want to record you too.
00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:43.039
No way, yeah, yeah.
00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:44.400
No problem, right?
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.400
No way, they couldn't accept it.
00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:50.000
Only now are they seeing oh, this is great.
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.200
This is a great opportunity.
00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:55.359
So, like five years later, they now eight years later.
00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:57.039
It took eight eight weeks.
00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.200
Oh my gosh.
00:21:59.200 --> 00:21:59.680
All right, let's.
00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:02.799
Pause on that for a minute and let's go back.
00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.720
Your son was 12.
00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:06.240
You're a single mom.
00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:10.640
Now, I'm a female founder.
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.559
I know how much work it is.
00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:15.920
Um, you know, it's it's hard enough, you know, when you have a job.
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:19.680
When my son was very young, I worked for my dad's company, Miller Hyman.
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.720
Um, and you know, I could bring him to the office with me.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:27.200
We had a very family-friendly office back in the 90s, which was pretty abnormal.
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:29.119
Like that wasn't typical, right?
00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:32.720
Um, but you know, mostly he had to go to school and have a babysitter.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:34.559
My mom helped and all of that.
00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.400
Um, I was a single mom also.
00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:43.920
Um he his dad was close by, but he worked and, you know, did not uh take the primary responsibility for the care, of course.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.079
And so um, you know, I know that that was not easy, right?
00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:54.000
But then when I started my own company, and now it's like, okay, it's even more, right?
00:22:54.000 --> 00:23:04.400
Because we as female founders, and I think any founder really, they do what has to be done until it's done to keep the company moving forward, right?
00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:10.400
And and focus on product at first and then focus on driving revenue and keeping customers happy.
00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.440
And that doesn't leave a lot of time for anything else.
00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.599
So, how did you juggle that?
00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:20.480
How did you manage being a single mom with your son and keeping everything going?
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:21.440
Because you had a lot.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:26.319
Because not only were you building something, you were learning, oh, how is this gonna be?
00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:26.880
How's that gonna?
00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:31.359
And then you're uh butting your head against these uh safety professionals.
00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:33.200
And I'm sure that that was a lot.
00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:46.240
So, what kinds of things you did you do to help yourself um be a mom and be a CEO and all of the other things you wanted to do in your own community and and take care of yourself too.
00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:51.279
Uh, I will tell you, I didn't have one hit of dopamine in like seven years.
00:23:51.279 --> 00:24:19.920
Like it was a complete lesson in how do you focus on being your own cheerleader and waking up and knowing that you're still on the right journey and that this isn't about you, this is about you know what you were called to, and that this is I mean, some people might call me crazy that I stuck it, stuck it out.
00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:24.640
Like, really, but it's I think most of us will call ourselves crazy.
00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:27.759
Okay, this is what I really honestly did.
00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:30.720
Number one, I didn't do anything.
00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:33.200
I mean, I used to write musicals in my 30s, okay?
00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:35.440
I I just focused on two things.
00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:42.480
I focused on my son because he was growing up in his teenage life and my company.
00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:43.680
That's it.
00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:49.359
Okay, every now and then I would see my friends, but that's it, those two things.
00:24:49.359 --> 00:25:10.000
And every morning I would enjoy a cup of coffee, my spiritual work, my exercise, and then I would get to it, and then enjoying those really simple things in life and structuring my life, and at the end of the day, oh, in a bath.
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:28.000
I know, I know that sounds really simple, but like knowing that if I structure my life really, really simple, and then at the end of the day, like my walk, and knowing that this is all I could focus on, that was it.
00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:36.400
Yeah, so smart because I do feel like we we tend to take on too much, we have that proclivity to do, you know, take on too much.
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:42.720
And I agree with you when we can narrow it down and go, This is my life right now, it's not forever.
00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:49.039
Yeah, I knew this is my life right now, and the simpler I keep it, the easier it's going to be.
00:25:49.039 --> 00:25:52.640
Having a teenager, there's nothing easy about it, right?
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.039
Oh, he couldn't, he was so mad at me.
00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.960
He was so mad, he's like, You used to have a really good job.
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:14.400
And we went through some tough times, but I knew what I was building, and I knew that I needed to do this, and I knew that it would one day be over.
00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:18.559
So I my son, I was a single mom and my son, right?
00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:23.519
And I used to have him help me with something, you know, he helped me around the house a lot.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:24.960
That was like my first rule.
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:29.359
We're a team, you know, we we get the housework done together, right?
00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:33.039
And um, you have your role, I have my role, we're gonna do it, right?
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:34.400
I held each other accountable.
00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:38.720
But then I, when he was, you know, in high school, I was like, okay, you can learn how to do a spreadsheet.
00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:40.720
You can do there's things you can do for me.
00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:48.480
But he would watch how hard I work and he would say to me, I'm never gonna be an entrepreneur, I'm never gonna own a business, I know, right?
00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.880
And I'm like, okay, okay.
00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:52.480
Uh, but guess what?
00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:54.160
He's 35 years old.
00:26:54.160 --> 00:26:58.240
He has been a business owner for 12 years, he's highly successful.
00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:06.319
And after his mom, we actually model to them what they end up becoming.
00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:10.000
So my son, oh, okay, I am gonna share this.
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:17.440
So my son was he became so mad that that he that he ran away from home.
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.559
He literally like left for a year and went to Oklahoma, of course.
00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:22.400
And he wrote me the nastiest note.
00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.160
And I was like, okay, it did.
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:24.960
It broke my heart.
00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:26.240
It was the hardest period.
00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:26.640
I'm sure.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:28.640
And I'm sharing this because why?
00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:39.359
Because I think female founders, not just female founders, there are there are other single fathers out there that have to be mothers too.
00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:41.680
And they probably live with guilt.
00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:45.920
We live with guilt every day of what we cannot get done.
00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:46.400
Right.
00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:46.960
Right.
00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:54.720
And I just want to encourage everybody that like the person that you never forgave needs forgiving, and that's yourself.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:06.880
And and and and you need to you need to be able to do that journey faster than than you are doing today because there's only so much you have capacity for.
00:28:06.880 --> 00:28:12.960
And the more you say no, the faster you'll get to success.
00:28:12.960 --> 00:28:17.920
And um we all can only do our best every single day.
00:28:17.920 --> 00:28:20.160
And that's what I just gave myself permission for.
00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:24.240
And I gave myself permission for him to be angry at me because I could take it.
00:28:24.240 --> 00:28:30.799
And I knew that I was the person that could handle his anger because he needed someone to be angry at.
00:28:30.799 --> 00:28:31.599
And you know what?
00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:38.160
Here's what happened: he came back and he is now working at e-bodyguard and he basically every single day.
00:28:38.559 --> 00:28:39.359
Every single day.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.000
I love it.
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:43.359
Well, I mean, he was going through a lot too, really, from a kid's point of view, right?
00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:50.799
His dad had passed, he's a teenager, he's got a his mom changed her job, and you know, it's everything's different.
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:53.519
I mean, it's hard, right?
00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:56.960
He was just seeking for answers like we all are.
00:28:56.960 --> 00:28:58.000
What's going on?
00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:00.160
And I think that's what the world is doing right now.
00:29:00.400 --> 00:29:01.680
What's going on?
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:06.240
No, I oh my gosh, I agree with you so much.
00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:08.880
But, you know, it's amazing, right?
00:29:08.880 --> 00:29:09.920
That we got through it.
00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.880
Like in high school, my son um, you know, was not easy.
00:29:14.880 --> 00:29:17.440
I hope he's gonna listen to this podcast, mom.
00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:23.039
Um, but he didn't, he was so smart and he didn't want to do his work.
00:29:23.039 --> 00:29:26.079
So, you know, it's always this fight with the homework and everything else.
00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:29.359
And I was like, you're getting Fs, but you're so smart.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:31.200
Like, what is going on here?
00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.839
But that struggle, you know, that they they have, and we have to let them have it.
00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.000
Like we can't fix everything for them, right?
00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:41.119
And so here we are, we're CEOs, we're fixers, right?
00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:43.200
We're solving, we're fixing, we're listening.
00:29:43.200 --> 00:29:44.799
But then with our own kids, right?
00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:47.599
We have to do the same.
00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:52.880
And and it's just never easy, but it's amazing how how we get through it.
00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:57.359
And I love that both of our sons are so successfully doing what they're doing.
00:29:57.359 --> 00:30:06.880
And um, I do think having a strong mom who is believing in something and leading that way is just so important.
00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:25.680
Yeah, and I think the more faith you have in yourself and in God and in um uh systems that are set in place to work, the more that you allow um failure.
00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.519
Yes, yes.
00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:34.240
And you can tolerate the failure and it doesn't feel because we have this cognitive load that we all carry, right?
00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:35.440
Every human does.
00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:46.640
But when you are a female founder and you're carrying the cognitive load for your entire company, and as nurture caretaker, because that's who we are, females on this planet, right?
00:30:46.640 --> 00:31:01.440
We run our companies a little bit differently and we we do it with a just a different approach, not bad, not not good, not just a different approach, but it gives us more of a cognitive burden because we think about the humans so heavily, right?
00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:06.240
And then we have, you know, the cognitive burden of running a household.
00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:07.839
And right?
00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:12.079
Because think about all the orchestration of running a household is huge, right?
00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:15.119
There's so many things that need to be done and people that have to be contacted.
00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:19.680
And then we have the orchestration of our children, then the orchestration of our own life.
00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:27.839
Um, and then, you know, goodness, if you're in your 40s and above, you've got perimenopause to think about and menopause and all of those things.
00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:30.880
So that cognitive load does compound.
00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:34.559
But what makes it worse is the guilt, which you mentioned earlier, right?
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:39.839
When you feel like you can't do everything you want to do, we got to let go of the guilt part.
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:42.160
Really, like it's just we gotta let go.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:51.440
We gotta forgive ourselves, give ourselves grace, um, you know, have the faith, like you said, because otherwise that cognitive load will burn us out.
00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.599
And many, many of the women, and I know you and I have talked about this too.
00:31:55.599 --> 00:31:58.720
We do, we get burnout, we have those moments.
00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:00.160
We are like, oh, I'm done.
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:05.279
I I can't, I, I can't, but but then but then we wake up the next day and we do.
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:16.000
Yeah, I think I think I only got there though, like by knowing that I am enough, that it is enough, that we're all enough.
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:17.440
Yeah, you know.
00:32:17.440 --> 00:32:19.039
I don't know when you got to that.
00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:20.559
When did you get to that?
00:32:20.960 --> 00:32:22.960
Well, I mean, I'm a work in progress, right?
00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.000
I say it every day.
00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:32.960
I have, you know, all of my declarations that I say every morning, and I am enough, I have enough, I do enough, I'm good enough as part of my declarations every morning and still do it.
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:35.279
I do truly believe that.
00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:40.240
And I just have to remind myself sometimes I don't need to do one more thing.
00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:41.839
I don't need to learn one more thing.
00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:45.200
If I do learn one more thing, that's fine, but I don't need to, right?
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:48.400
Yeah, I am enough exactly the way I am.
00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:52.079
And I think that is a gift that most women don't have yet.
00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:57.599
I I talk to a lot of women who just don't really believe that in their core yet.
00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:02.319
Um, and I think that's something we can help each other with.
00:33:02.319 --> 00:33:06.079
It is truly okay, right?
00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:09.680
You do what you can, like you said, do your best.
00:33:09.680 --> 00:33:12.319
That doesn't need do everything.
00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:13.440
You couldn't do everything.
00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:14.640
So you said, what can I do?
00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:17.200
I can run this company and I can raise my son.
00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.559
Those are two things I can do.
00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:20.160
I can't write musicals anymore.
00:33:20.160 --> 00:33:22.000
I can do these two things, right?
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:25.359
Right now, not forever, for now, right?
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:28.240
And I think that's where we really have to.
00:33:28.240 --> 00:33:38.720
It becomes hard when you begin in situations like I'm in right now, where I am, I've got grandchildren that I want to have time with and you know, love and hug and all that good stuff.
00:33:38.720 --> 00:33:42.559
And then I have uh elderly parents who need a lot of care.
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:48.000
And then I have myself and my home and my business, and I'm launching something new, right?
00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:50.559
So all of that is too much.
00:33:50.559 --> 00:33:54.640
So I every day have to ask, what are my priorities today?
00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:56.079
What can I get done today?
00:33:56.079 --> 00:34:05.519
And and because of the circumstances with my parents right now, I have not seen my grandchildren in three weeks, but I'm fixing that this weekend, right?
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:08.239
So you can't do everything.
00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:11.679
And when you try, you're going to burn out.
00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:16.320
So every day it's a reminder of I can wake up and do my best.
00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:19.599
And these are the things I won't do today.
00:34:19.599 --> 00:34:22.800
That's as just as important as what I will do today.
00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:36.159
Yeah, I think the other thing is that I'm starting to recognize like what I'm recognizing in myself at least, and maybe, and I don't know if there's commonality with you, but I'm just processing this.
00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:36.719
Yeah.
00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:41.440
We have standards or expectations set by organizations.
00:34:41.440 --> 00:34:42.719
Okay.
00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:50.960
Or like this is we maybe, maybe, maybe I have seen this is what success is, or people say this is basically successful.
00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:54.000
Or even like society, it's sort of like what we grew up with, right?
00:34:54.239 --> 00:34:55.119
Right, right, right.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:35:04.719
Like, oh, that's what it means to be a successful mother, or that's what it means to be a successful entrepreneur, or this is what it looks like, like a template, right?
00:35:04.719 --> 00:35:11.840
And then all of a sudden, like, oh wow, I didn't make I didn't make the mark, I didn't make this, or I didn't make that, right?
00:35:11.840 --> 00:35:15.440
And then we're just crushed because you know what I'm saying?
00:35:15.440 --> 00:35:20.719
Versus just like saying, well, like I brought this forward today.
00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:21.679
Was that good?
00:35:21.679 --> 00:35:23.119
That was the best I did.
00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:24.239
That's great, right?
00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:26.000
And then accepting that, right?
00:35:26.000 --> 00:35:29.440
And seeing how, seeing how did you connect with people?
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:30.719
Did you have a good day?
00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:33.360
Did you have, did you bring forward your best?
00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:36.239
And being able to make that good.
00:35:36.239 --> 00:35:39.119
Being able to make that really good.
00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:49.199
Yeah, I always tell the founders I work with, applaud what you got done today and don't focus on what didn't get done because that's for another day.
00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:54.159
But if you don't stop and applaud what you did get done, you always feel behind.
00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:58.880
You always have that cognitive burden of what you there's too much to do.
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:00.400
I can never get it done, you know?
00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:02.880
But you did a whole bunch today, and that was great.
00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:04.480
So let's applaud that.
00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:07.519
And then, yeah, all that stuff will move to another day.
00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:10.480
Everything that didn't get done, oh well, it's gonna get done another time.
00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:17.599
So I think it is a mindset shift for some because we're always with checklists and all the stuff we didn't check off.
00:36:17.599 --> 00:36:20.000
Hey, let's applaud the things we did check off.
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:21.280
Woo-hoo! Right.
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:28.159
And then it's it's so much easier to go forward because we're looking at what we did get done versus what we didn't get done.
00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.760
I think that is what it is.
00:36:29.760 --> 00:36:42.239
I think it's that mind shifts uh like move from uh living in a like fear of oh my goodness, I did not do, versus, hey, I'm good.
00:36:42.239 --> 00:36:43.360
I'm really good.
00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:44.880
And look what I did do.
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:45.679
And you know what?
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.280
Here's my list for tomorrow.
00:36:47.280 --> 00:36:48.079
Yeah.
00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:49.519
Yeah, I love that.
00:36:50.320 --> 00:36:50.719
I love it.
00:36:50.719 --> 00:36:53.280
So we all have our ways, you know, of getting through it.
00:36:53.280 --> 00:36:58.960
And I think women are just famous for waking up, putting a smile on their face and pushing through, right?
00:36:58.960 --> 00:37:03.119
But I think we need to give ourselves some grace, have some rest, relaxation.
00:37:03.119 --> 00:37:04.880
And and I just love your approach.
00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:12.159
Slim it down, make it simple, and then focus on the one or two things you want to do and just do that.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:14.320
Don't try to do everything, right?
00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:18.159
All right, so back to back to your uh building the business.
00:37:18.159 --> 00:37:24.880
So you finally got eight years later, these okay, other countries were easier to get them to understand.
00:37:24.880 --> 00:37:30.800
You got these American safety professionals, uh, first responders to understand.
00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:33.119
Oh, this might be a good thing.
00:37:33.119 --> 00:37:34.639
Whoa, okay.
00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:36.400
So where are you now?
00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:38.159
How is this all working for you?
00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:41.119
What is what you know, what does the sale look like today?
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:42.159
And what's your focus?
00:37:42.159 --> 00:37:45.519
I know you go to a ton of conferences with safety professionals.
00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:48.159
So just tell us a little bit about how it's working today.
00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.519
Yeah, that's great.
00:37:49.519 --> 00:38:04.239
So we do have victims on the app in uh America, and that's which always will be one of my priorities, and then of shelters, and then our team has a survivor support team, and that's where my son works, and I'm really happy about that.
00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:07.039
And then uh he also does some digital work.
00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:13.199
Uh on the um state side, we have Texas uh agencies that are moving forward.
00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:20.719
We have some agencies here in Colorado, North Carolina, and we're looking in New York and then Indiana.
00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:23.119
We have other states that are moving forward.
00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:30.079
We'll see after this year's International Association of Chiefs of Police and a couple other conferences that I'll be at next week.
00:38:30.079 --> 00:38:34.400
We're going to Smart Cities Tech Connect in DC.
00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:47.760
So I really want to be able to uh focus on that bridge between the CIO, the IT director, that city manager discussion, mayor discussion, and the chief of police.
00:38:47.760 --> 00:38:50.639
I think that's a really valuable discussion.
00:38:50.639 --> 00:38:54.000
So I think that's gonna take a little bit of time.
00:38:54.639 --> 00:38:55.199
Interesting.
00:38:55.199 --> 00:38:59.840
Yeah, so you have the victims on the app, but anyone can be on the app.
00:38:59.840 --> 00:39:10.000
And part of the whole thing about this eBodyguard app is that it can help prevent you from becoming a victim of crime as well, which is what I think is just amazing.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.000
It's a very safe preventative tool, right?
00:39:14.000 --> 00:39:18.000
To help people be safe in any environment that they might be in.
00:39:18.639 --> 00:39:29.199
Last night I had a conversation with a gentleman and they saw the app and they said, Well, I don't know that I would ever have a need for that because I'm not a victim of crime.
00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.960
I said, Well, that's good, but you never know when you might be.
00:39:32.960 --> 00:39:43.760
You never know when like something may happen to you, or you know, that you know, you need to be preventative of it or happen to something in your family.
00:39:43.760 --> 00:39:45.840
Lucky that you haven't needed it so far.
00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:48.719
Lucky that you're you're so lucky.
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:50.239
Yeah, you never know.
00:39:50.239 --> 00:39:53.440
I mean, remember, and I was telling you the story about my sister-in-law.
00:39:53.440 --> 00:40:00.800
Um, she's Hispanic and you know, with ice and everything that's going on, she's not a citizen, but she does have a green card.
00:40:00.800 --> 00:40:02.400
She's married to my brother.
00:40:02.400 --> 00:40:08.639
Um, she's working on her citizenship, and she drives a little white Volkswagen bug.
00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:16.880
And she is a tiny little lady who's beautiful, you know, and she's just driving along perfectly fine.
00:40:16.880 --> 00:40:19.039
And she gets pulled over.
00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:26.000
And I mean, she told me she was like going onto a freeway and there were two lanes, and maybe she wasn't in the right lane, but you know, it was really no big deal.
00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:27.920
There were no other cars around, nothing.
00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:31.920
And a cop pulls her over and starts telling her she's drunk.
00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:35.360
And she's like, No, officer, I have not been drinking.
00:40:35.360 --> 00:40:38.880
And then he was really belligerent and rude to her.
00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:40.800
Maybe he was the one who was drinking.
00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:48.079
Um, and he was asking her to blow in in the breathalyzer, and she did, and she was not drunk.
00:40:48.079 --> 00:40:51.840
And then he was asking her to do all the things that they ask you to do.
00:40:51.840 --> 00:40:58.159
And uh, she passed every test he gave her, and he still put her in jail.
00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:01.519
I'm so sorry that happened.
00:41:01.519 --> 00:41:03.360
That's unfortunate.
00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:04.239
Yeah.
00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:17.119
And uh in our jail here in the county, they've had so much uh problems with fentanyl that now they strip search everyone who gets put in the county jail before they, I mean, you know, it's not prison, it's jail, right?
00:41:17.119 --> 00:41:20.719
It's like you're overnight there for he was saying she was drunk, she wasn't.
00:41:20.719 --> 00:41:23.039
They even took a blood test, she wasn't drunk.
00:41:23.039 --> 00:41:27.119
But if she had had that app, this could have all been recorded.
00:41:27.119 --> 00:41:33.039
And so I told her, of course, about it as soon as I knew about it, which was a little bit after that.
00:41:33.039 --> 00:41:36.960
But it was, it was a terrible situation for anyone to be in, right?
00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:47.679
And um, this is it's unfortunate, and hopefully these kinds of things don't happen very often, but you don't expect the people who are supposed to protect you to be the ones harming you.
00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:49.599
And in that case, she had that.
00:41:49.840 --> 00:41:53.440
I'm so sorry to hear that that happened with your sister-in-law.
00:41:53.440 --> 00:42:10.320
I will say this though, there is a very clear process when law enforcement is in that situation and anything could have happened there that where they may have broken the law or they may have obviously stepped over and had overreach.
00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:30.400
So I want you to feel at peace that if something did occur and this officer clearly did something incorrectly or broken the law, people today in the power of chiefs of police or city managers or mayors, they're taking it very seriously.
00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:32.960
And I want you to have peace of mind about that.
00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:44.800
Moving forward, uh your sister-in-law um and others like that, um, this is this is not something that that cities are allowing.
00:42:44.800 --> 00:42:46.079
Absolutely not.
00:42:46.079 --> 00:42:51.599
So is there anything at all that you would like to say about what you wish could have happened?
00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:53.599
Yeah, well, thank you for saying that.
00:42:53.599 --> 00:43:00.239
And I I do wish she had e-bodyguard because she could have recorded it, because it becomes her word against his, right?
00:43:00.239 --> 00:43:07.199
And um, you know, we are pursuing it, but basically, I don't know, we'll see.
00:43:07.199 --> 00:43:12.079
I I don't I don't feel like they're going to take the action that we wish that they would.
00:43:12.079 --> 00:43:21.280
But, you know, she she is safe now and she is getting some therapy about it because it was very traumatic for her.
00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:23.119
We need e-bodyguard, right?
00:43:23.119 --> 00:43:32.960
We need a tool like this to keep our citizens safe from whatever it might be, or even, you know, it doesn't even have to be something horrible.
00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:39.360
Sometimes you're just in a situation where you're like, oh my gosh, you could be lost and you just need someone to help you.
00:43:39.360 --> 00:43:42.079
The e-bodycart could help with that too.
00:43:42.079 --> 00:43:44.480
So I think there's just no reason not to have it.
00:43:44.480 --> 00:43:45.840
Everyone should have it.
00:43:45.840 --> 00:43:49.679
And they can set it up to help them with these kinds of things.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:51.920
And even I think about my elderly parents.
00:43:51.920 --> 00:43:55.679
What a great tool that would be for them to be able to reach 911 so easily.
00:43:55.920 --> 00:44:09.760
Well, I think the reason law enforcement will like it and embrace it is because it actually supports them and gives them peace of mind because then the citizen has absolutely given consent for how they're embracing law enforcement and the community.
00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:23.840
And it relieves the executives, the chiefs and the cities and the mayors about hey, we know that everybody out there on the streets is having the balanced approach to this in that way.
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:25.679
Well, you are go ahead.
00:44:25.679 --> 00:44:26.719
Yeah, go ahead.
00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:28.800
I was just gonna say you are doing great work.
00:44:28.800 --> 00:44:36.079
I I'm so honored to know you and to watch this journey with you for the last couple of years and to see how much of a difference you're making.
00:44:36.079 --> 00:44:45.280
And I'm so grateful that the law enforcement, first responders, and safety professionals are seeing that this is a great tool for everyone.
00:44:45.599 --> 00:44:47.199
I really appreciate you, Alice.
00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:48.079
I really do.
00:44:48.079 --> 00:44:51.840
And and I and there's always gonna be more to talk about.
00:44:51.840 --> 00:44:59.039
We're gonna continue to learn from each other as I'm as we're gonna learn with the agencies and support them.
00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:01.519
We want them to know that we support them as well.
00:45:01.760 --> 00:45:03.199
Absolutely, absolutely.
00:45:03.199 --> 00:45:10.719
Okay, well, my goodness, this time went so fast, but I do want everyone to know how they can find you and how they can find eBodyguard.
00:45:11.360 --> 00:45:25.840
LinkedIn is a great way to find me, Melissa Faith Heart or eBodyguard, as well as you can download the app at the Apple and Google Play Store under eBodyguard, and you can find me at ebodyguard.org.
00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:26.960
Wonderful.
00:45:26.960 --> 00:45:27.760
Oh my gosh.
00:45:27.760 --> 00:45:30.000
Well, I will continue watching your journey.
00:45:30.000 --> 00:45:32.000
You and I will talk again soon.
00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:37.599
Thank you so much for sharing your journey on sales talk for CEOs.
00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:38.800
Thank you.
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:44.960
If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe, and we'll see you next week.
