00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:01.840
We're sitting on the couch, kids are sleeping.
00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:08.720
I look at her, and uh the edited version is like, we're both way too talented to uh be this broke.
00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:10.560
Like the this is a problem.
00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:20.559
And um, in that same conversation, I was like, This is terrible timing, and I don't have a plan or anything, but like, man, I need to like get away for a week or something.
00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:25.359
Not get away from you or the situation, but like get away from my own thoughts, you know.
00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:36.399
All these things that you can say, and you're a you're a victorious, you're a winner because of those things.
00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:38.159
Well, I don't know about that.
00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:42.240
But Dan, we are glad you're here with us today in the studio.
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:51.759
It always takes us a little while to get cranked up on this great uh talk show we have called Big Talk about Small Business.
00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:59.759
And uh Dan Dan, I saw um you actually did some work for Harley Davidson at one point.
00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:03.840
Oh yeah, in a former in a former life, yeah.
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:16.799
That was actually uh uh a little extra fun back in the days where I didn't love the work I was doing, uh, but I did get access to their whole uh marketing um cloud.
00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:24.000
So I had access to all of their formal assets, everything from imagery to b-roll to former commercials and stuff.
00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.120
So it made my job a lot easier to be able to see into their world.
00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:27.519
Yeah.
00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:28.319
Well, cool.
00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:30.159
So tell us a little bit about yourself.
00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:33.359
What how did you get started in this business that you're in?
00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:35.280
Yeah, the uh short version.
00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.400
Um a hundred years ago I was an engineer and I hated it.
00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:41.200
So I was always looking for my creative outlets.
00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.359
And one of those was being in a band that toured and to save money because we weren't signed.
00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:45.920
I did everything.
00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:48.799
So I did our web and our designs, I printed our shirts.
00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:52.959
And then other bands started to hire me for the same thing.
00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.760
I had no idea what the word entrepreneur was, I just knew, you know, make a little money on the side.
00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:02.400
As that kind of grew and we were growing out of being a band, I was like, we should make a music video.
00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:03.840
Uh can't be that hard.
00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:07.680
About nine months later, we uh completed it to this day.
00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:08.479
It was a long time ago.
00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.039
I'm still pretty proud of it, but it was one of the hardest things I ever did.
00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:12.560
But it also opened my eyes to video.
00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:16.479
So I moved away from digital design and into the video world at that point.
00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:18.400
That was like 2010.
00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:20.319
And I've had the video bug ever since.
00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:20.879
Yeah.
00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:21.680
That's cool.
00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.599
So yeah, tell us about nine months.
00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:30.960
Like you, like a video for the band was not a big deal, but you got into it, it became something much different than you expected, huh?
00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:34.080
Yeah, I can't really uh do anything halfway.
00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:36.400
I'm sure a lot of us are kind of cursed with that.
00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:48.000
Um, so we actually storyboarded, worked a script, hired a director, uh, brought actors in from all over the Midwest, found a way to get talented actors without paying them cash.
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:50.400
Uh we had to get pretty creative there.
00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:59.120
Uh, get sites, get permission, gorilla shoot some things we couldn't get permission for, and then editing on anything that's narrative always takes a pretty long time.
00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:05.840
So just the combination of all those things I thought it'd be four weeks and it turned into yeah, about three quarters of a year.
00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:07.919
But I learned a ton in the process.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:09.199
So it was it was worth it.
00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:16.319
Yeah, I mean, it really just forced you to learn all the different components of video and scripting, pre-planning, pre-production, post.
00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:19.439
I mean, it's that's a pretty intense way to get going, man.
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:20.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:03:20.400 --> 00:03:21.599
Uh trial by fire.
00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:26.719
Um, but luckily it was on a project that I was passionate about without having to hype myself up to go do it.
00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:28.240
So that got me through.
00:03:28.319 --> 00:03:32.639
Uh, but yeah, yeah, got bit by the bug and left standard design.
00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:40.000
And I used to run a uh art department for a large apparel printer, so I left all of that kind of design world and start chasing video.
00:03:40.319 --> 00:03:42.319
And and started hot sauce video.
00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:43.919
Where'd you come up with that name?
00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:50.719
Yeah, that was a little further down the line, but um the concept uh was pretty organic in nature, which is actually kind of fun.
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:57.759
So one of our products is we help people about 90% of the time remotely uh build in-home and office studios.
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:06.960
And we would notice that we would get someone looking and sounding good, and they would they would have that kind of high for seven to ten days of, whoa, I actually don't mind how this looks and sounds.
00:04:07.039 --> 00:04:08.080
Like, this is actually pretty good.
00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:09.039
I could do this.
00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:12.319
And then eventually they would crash down and be like, how do you make a great?
00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:13.039
What's a script?
00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:13.840
How do you outlook?
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:18.399
Ah, and therefore was born our strategy product.
00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:22.959
Um, but we wanted to, as a team, we were looking at them, we're like, how do we extend that high?
00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:28.399
How do we um get maybe two weeks of them really believing in themselves instead of just seven days?
00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:40.160
And being a lifelong, uh, as far as this part of my career, being a lifelong editor over 16 years now, I was like, well, you know what we could do now that they look and sound good, I'll tell them just give me a video, 90 seconds on your favorite topic.
00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:42.959
Uh you don't even have to publish it to the public, but just give it to us.
00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:48.319
Let us throw a little hot-os on it and give it back so you can see what's possible now that you look and sound good.
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:50.000
Uh fast forward a little bit.
00:04:50.160 --> 00:05:01.199
I had some uh mentors and some um, you know, helpful folk in the entrepreneurial space around me who were like, all right, dude, you you help people look and sound great on camera and build studios.
00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:05.360
You help them figure out what to make, how to measure it, where it should go, what job it should do.
00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:07.360
And then you bail on them when they need editing.
00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:08.879
Like you can't do that.
00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.920
And little did they know I hate editing personally.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.560
So that's why I got away from it for a long time.
00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:30.000
And the only way to overcome that was to uh put my head down, do it all myself, MVP the product for 14 months, do everything I hate really, really hard, and then build it to a point to where I could hire on staff and then get myself out of it, which is exactly what we did.
00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:36.319
So when it came time to name the product, I'm like, well, I'm just gonna call it hot sauce editing because I'm lazy and we've already been saying that for years.
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:43.759
And then it caught on so much that I just pun intended spread the hot sauce across the whole brand and just called it hot sauce video.
00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:47.120
And now all our products just kind of carry that name with it.
00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:50.160
So what's your specialty then for your video company?
00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:55.839
Then I mean, is it is it about setting up studios and and and all that type?
00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:57.839
Or I mean, what are you really doing?
00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:03.360
Yeah, um, it's as we've grown, um, it's starting to even out a little bit, which is exciting.
00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:05.040
The editing's the backbone.
00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:13.759
So it's a subscription-based editing service, and we have a lot of large creators, large YouTube channels, prolific course creators, stuff like that, who we edit for.
00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:17.519
Um the studio builds, like I said, it used to be 100% remote.
00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:22.639
Now it's kind of 10 because I'm in Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas, and you can throw a rock and hit a lead here.
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:26.720
So, like it word kind of got out that I did studio.
00:06:26.800 --> 00:06:30.639
So I've been doing more in-person in the Fort Worth area over the last few months, and that's been fun.
00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:39.199
I don't want to be a full-time in-person studio builder, but it's nice to get with bigger companies with bigger budgets and actually physically get my hands dirty and help them build.
00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.120
Um, so yeah, studio, strategy, and editing are the three products.
00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:46.160
Um, the editing's the backbone, it's the biggest earner.
00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:50.240
Uh, but studio and and rep uh strategy are coming up pretty fast.
00:06:50.639 --> 00:07:01.600
And really what ties all those things together, the thread of the business since I left doing corporate and government contracting and stuff like that, is that I'm helping people who film themselves.
00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:06.079
And that's really the thing that we've been mainly focused on since like 2017.
00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:18.160
Um, and fun fact, I don't have to fully dive into the story right now, but we do still have large clients that we help small teams within very personally, just like we do our individual clients.
00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:20.879
So it's kind of cool that our product is that versatile.
00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:22.000
Excellent.
00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:26.000
So, like what kind of videos um are these people doing?
00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:37.439
You said like YouTube content, like the guy that does the free lawn cutting videos or we we get some of those that are really heavy on social, but um it kind of runs the gamut.
00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:44.480
But if I had to pick like the biggest pocket of clients, it definitely falls within the category of what I call education.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:50.160
Now, some of these creators might not consider themselves educational, but they're generally speaking the camera.
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:58.240
You're learning something, whether that's to potentially work with them and their services and their products someday, or just to become aware of them in the market.
00:07:58.480 --> 00:07:59.680
And we are B2B.
00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:06.079
So even though we work with creators and stuff, generally they're trying to create some sort of attention and lead generation through their output.
00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:09.600
And put uh what type of uh clientele?
00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:16.000
I mean, like is this something for a really small business that they can tap into, or are you talking about more enterprise level?
00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:18.480
Yeah, definitely uh aimed at smaller.
00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:25.519
Um, that was kind of part of the goal, leaving the whole corporate space and working with those big companies was I'm originally from Flint, Michigan.
00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:32.399
So I'd fly all over the country, do all these video projects, come home and couldn't, you know, my neighbors couldn't afford to hire me.
00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:34.879
And it was like, how do we help them?
00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:40.000
And very accidentally and organically, I wish it was on purpose because I would look a lot smarter.
00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:51.759
Um, I started filming myself and I had built this little uh contraption on a C-SAM with wheels where my camera, mic, lights were all mounted to it, and I could just walk around the building with it like a little IV cart, you know?
00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:58.320
So I just waddle around the building, pick a floor, and all the floors in the dedicated office building I I was in were pretty.
00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:03.360
So I could get any background I wanted, and then people would see that happening and be like, What are you doing?
00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:07.759
And because I had been doing video forever, I'd be like, you know what, jump in front of the camera, I'll interview you.
00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.720
I do this professionally, and then I would give them a little piece of content, you know.
00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:12.320
So that was kind of my brain.
00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:13.919
It was fun.
00:09:14.399 --> 00:09:15.919
Yeah, it was so much fun.
00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:30.080
And it was accidental in my I mean you it's almost like you could take that tactic and go out on a trade show floor or something and and think of all the potential clients who would you'd be able to demonstrate what you do basically for them.
00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:31.759
Yeah, it was definitely fun.
00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:37.600
And then uh during the shutdown in 2020, uh, like many other businesses, we lost everything.
00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:43.279
We had a business conference already locked in, selling tickets, had to do the refund, you know, figure all that out, shut our business down.
00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:48.879
We got a small PPP loan and we went an extra two months and I gave it all to my team and like let's see if we can conjure something up.
00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:54.639
And we weren't able to use, so we had to shut down um many businesses of our size experience, that same sort of thing.
00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:59.120
Um, and I was like, well, we don't currently have work, but maybe we can be helpful.
00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:22.080
And I just put the call out to a bunch of mid-Michigan news stations, like, hey, let everyone know that we're doing free videos and we'll come with our little cart and they can still stand six feet away and we can shoot outdoors in front of their building or whatever they're comfortable with, just to make videos for restaurants and stuff like that to tell their audience, hey, we're still open, but you got to go around back and knock three times on the big red door and we'll put it in here, you know, all that stuff.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:25.840
And we got picked up on that and had a bunch of videos go viral and stuff.
00:10:25.919 --> 00:10:32.080
So that little cart went through the streets at one point in between a bunch of restaurants, and uh it was really fun.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.799
And it it is something that I could revive.
00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:36.559
Maybe I'll take it to my next conference.
00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:41.759
And then uh, so but you're in Michigan, then you're now down in Dallas, you said Fort Worth?
00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:42.399
Yep, yep.
00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:46.159
Uh just a little bit north of Fort Worth proper, moved about four and a half years ago.
00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:46.799
Okay.
00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:48.240
Why'd you do that?
00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:51.440
Uh I'm not ashamed to say that weather is on that list.
00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:56.559
Um, eight months of winter is very depressing unless you have a snowmobile or a cabin up north.
00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:03.679
Um and opportunity in Michigan uh just really isn't there unless you're in very specific fields.
00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:12.720
Uh if you're in automotive or uh medicine or skilled trades, there's stuff there for you, but not a lot of uh growth and opportunity.
00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.039
And my partner is uh a chef.
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:22.960
So unless you're in like Detroit proper or Lansing proper or Ann Arbor proper, and you want a decent job in the culinary industry, you have to drive.
00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:26.480
And then we're back to six months of like icy roads and driving on that every day.
00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:28.720
Um, so yeah, weather was on there.
00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:37.279
Um, the density of Dallas Fort Worth is about two-thirds uh in population as all of Michigan.
00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:42.639
So hearkening back to Throw a Stone, Find a Lead, like it's crazy how many humans are here.
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:47.440
And um, it afforded a lot of opportunity for both of our crews, especially hers.
00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:52.559
Um and now she's thriving with an awesome celebrity chef guy in Fort Worth and found her way, and it's cool.
00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:54.240
So um opportunity.
00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:56.960
And uh, I've been coming here my whole life as well.
00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:00.399
So familiarity, it was on our top five states to visit.
00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:05.600
And after we visited and I had some business meetings and met with some real estate folks, I was like, I think this might be it.
00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:07.440
So we took the plunge.
00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.600
It is one of the hottest economies, if not the hottest economy in the country.
00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:12.960
Yeah, EFW.
00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:13.360
Yeah.
00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:15.279
It is.
00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:16.159
It's so different.
00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:24.879
I lived there back in the mid-80s, and it was so oil-dependent and development dependent at that time, and it's just evolved tremendously since then.
00:12:25.200 --> 00:12:26.320
Yeah, it is pretty crazy.
00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:30.720
A lot of industry representation now, too, which is slowly happening, but it's visible.
00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.080
So someone like me isn't so out of place nowadays, you know.
00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:35.200
Yeah.
00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:39.440
So how do you how do you grow a company like yours?
00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.200
I mean, has it been difficult to find the talent that you need?
00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:44.559
Uh yes.
00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:47.440
Difficult on on all fronts.
00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:54.080
Uh, not complaining, but a lot of what works for an online business of any kind just has never worked for us.
00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:57.120
Um, and God knows I've tried.
00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:07.120
So um it, you know, it's a lot of word of mouth, a lot of affiliation and collaboration, um, being very, very niche.
00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:14.960
So not just helping with video, but we help people who film themselves, who might be filming themselves at their home office or, you know, where they need a small studio.
00:13:15.039 --> 00:13:18.399
Like all those things have helped us kind of carve a path.
00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:32.879
Um, having our editing service be subscription-based has been really, really great for companies who have hired editors and churned through them or tried to have someone on team that leaves, or have their own freelancers and they're chasing people down.
00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:38.879
So us taking all of that pain away and saying, we do all that hard work, we just edit your stuff, don't worry about it.
00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:41.919
Um was a great kind of backbone to the business.
00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.279
And that's about 2.5x each year over the last four.
00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:49.840
So we've had tremendous growth um on that side, which is very organic.
00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:55.200
Um and a lot of the things that folks do that work just don't work for us.
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:57.679
Like running ads really doesn't do too much for us.
00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:09.759
Um you know, like old school things just work so well for us that I keep doing them, like teaching in people's workshops in their online community, and some people hire me from that, or being on shows like this that are business related.
00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.840
And then folks are like, you know, video is important to me, but my laptop looks terrible.
00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.360
Maybe I should get a hold of that guy.
00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.159
Like it it's been very much organic.
00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:25.840
Um, so not too much advice for other folks on how to how to grow a business like this because I'm still trying to figure it out in some regard.
00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:36.480
And you had a story about your you when you were traveling, I guess it was this the move from Michigan down to Dallas that was that you went through some things, or is there a different trip?
00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:42.480
Yeah, it was yeah, it was kind of uh accidental, which I think is what makes it so great.
00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:50.799
Um I had this moment, I recall to it often, I tell the story quite a bit, where uh like I said, we had lost everything.
00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:56.799
So uh she was like figuring out the farmers markets that were still open during COVID and what could be done there.
00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:04.000
And I was taking side work anywhere I could, and uh we were making it work, but it was a lot bumpier uh than we had hoped for.
00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:14.960
And we were sitting on the couch, kids are sleeping, I look at her, and uh the edited version is like we're both way too talented to uh be this broke, like this is a problem.
00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:24.879
And um, in that same conversation, I was like, this is terrible timing, and I don't have a plan or anything, but like, man, I need to like get away for a week or something.
00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:29.440
Not get away from you or the situation, but like get away from my own thoughts, you know.
00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:30.639
What is that?
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:32.080
And it was just a passing thought.
00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:33.039
We kept talking.
00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:43.039
Um few days later, uh Jax, my partner, she had gone uh behind my back and got with a company called Outdoorsy, which I think is still around.
00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:47.360
And it's kind of like Airbnb for camper trailers and RVs and stuff like that.
00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:53.919
And and she had rented me this little pop-up trailer for 10 days, and she drove an SUV and I drove a small car.
00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:59.200
So she let me take her car and I left mine behind and went to this young couple and picked up this pop-up trailer.
00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:08.399
And uh the the great part of the story is I had a friend uh when I mentioned I used to run the art department for large apparel printer, he was the owner of that company.
00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:14.480
We became business partners of a sort along the way and then remained friends ever since when I moved on and started my own thing.
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.799
Who he had accidentally bought a campground in northern lower peninsula, Michigan.
00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.960
And it's just wild, you know, how it kind of happened.
00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:27.759
But he'd been looking for land for a long, long time, finally found some.
00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.919
It had a building on it, that's all he cared about.
00:16:30.080 --> 00:16:32.960
He got there, made the offer, was going to sign papers.
00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:34.960
They're like, oh yeah, by the way, this used to be a campground.
00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:39.519
So there's like bathrooms and electricity and stuff here, like you can do what you want with it.
00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:45.519
And uh he ended up now turning it into a full-blown campground that does, you know, really, really well.
00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:46.799
And it's been fun to watch.
00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:48.159
But anyway, it wasn't developed yet.
00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:54.960
And he's like, there's one lot that has power, and there's one toilet that works.
00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:58.000
So, like, if you want to go there, there's no one there, it's all yours.
00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:06.400
So I just went out into the wilderness for 10 days and I had a whiteboard, a book, a couple documentaries pre-littered on an iPad, and no agenda.
00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.920
And that was kind of the beginning of figuring out what I'm doing today.
00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:11.359
Wow, that's cool.
00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:11.759
Yeah.
00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:16.640
So I mean, like, I think that there's a story behind that with like from an entrepreneurial standpoint, right?
00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.519
Because like what what did that time teach you?
00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:25.039
Like what like it was a I mean, what what did it show you going through that?
00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:36.000
Uh, I think one of the things that really stuck with me was like slowing down, shutting up, being quiet, you know, and not trying to solve all problems all the time.
00:17:36.079 --> 00:17:40.480
Because business for me has always just been like fire, fire, fire, fight it, fight it, fight it, you know.
00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:44.799
So just having a whiteboard and no agenda, I was like, huh.
00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.200
And I went a full day without writing anything.
00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:52.559
And the second day, I kind of broke it into five columns, uh, and it was the five parts of my life.
00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.759
So it's like relationship and business and financial, and you know, and I just started making random notes.
00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:00.079
Like, what does this mean to me or what's currently going on here?
00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:03.440
In the financial one, it was like save up to move out of state, you know.
00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:05.440
It was just one of the things I wrote.
00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:13.359
Uh, so it really kind of like helped me shluff off all the stuff that came with being an entrepreneur and kind of be like, I'm just a dude.
00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:14.640
This is the next stage.
00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:15.839
What do I want out of life?
00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:16.720
What does it look like?
00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:17.119
You know?
00:18:17.359 --> 00:18:24.880
And it wasn't to plan my next steps, it was just to like kind of brain dump and let let myself be okay with the fact that I didn't have any answers.
00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:29.440
Um, and the book I took with me, uh, very randomly, I just wanted one book.
00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:32.160
It was Atomic Habits by James Clear.
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:35.680
And I've never had a book change my life, air quotes, right?
00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:38.880
I've had them impact me and be helpful, but that one did change my life.
00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:42.480
And I think it's because of the state of mind I was in and where I was at with it.
00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:44.160
So I went through it really slow.
00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:51.920
And like most books I read, I took one point away, you know, and that was get 1% better every day.
00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:59.920
And so I kind of focused that 10 days on just trying to absorb information and think a little differently and those sorts of things.
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:06.559
So uh for lack of a better term, maybe a spiritual journey of just who am I and what's next and why does it matter.
00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:10.000
Do you think that that clarity has helped you in your business?
00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:12.880
Like because then thereafter you moved to Dallas, right?
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:13.920
Fort Worth area.
00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:18.720
Yeah, we we saved up for about uh eight months, I think, and then made a big move.
00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:19.440
Yeah.
00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:21.279
Yeah, it was super helpful.
00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:27.200
Um, I think the proof of how impactful that sort of thing can be is again, I've told that story many, many times.
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:37.039
And probably a measurable 50% of the times I tell that story, someone on the other end goes, Oh, I need to do something like that.
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:37.839
You know what I mean?
00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:44.160
Like they can feel that if they could just get away for 10 days in the forest, they might chill a little bit or find the next answer.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:47.519
Um, so that impact just telling the story has told me many times.
00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:49.440
Like, yeah, it was necessary.
00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:51.920
And it was all because my partner was like, Cool, I'll make it happen.
00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:53.599
And we used a credit card we shouldn't have.
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.000
And, you know, here you go, go go find yourself.
00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:57.039
Totally worth it.
00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:59.200
Did you have phone service up there?
00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:00.240
I'm just curious.
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.839
There was enough where I could call her, but I couldn't text or anything.
00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:09.200
Uh, that wasn't by design, but it was, you know, the middle of the upper or lower peninsula.
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:13.920
Um, so I could, you know, get a call into her, but text didn't go through.
00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:14.960
I couldn't send any photos.
00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.119
I had to save them all until I got home and share them then.
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.440
So accidental seclusion.
00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.759
Yeah, that was almost a blessing, I'm sure.
00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:27.680
I mean, the problem is these damn phones, while it's such a great tool, it's just you can never disconnect.
00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:30.880
I mean, I I just never disconnect anymore.
00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.640
I've got so many things going.
00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:33.839
You know?
00:20:35.599 --> 00:20:42.880
Yeah, I think, you know, like we Mark and I are always harping about life, work, integration, not balance, right?
00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:52.480
We're not very big believers in, you know, trying to structure your day because as a business owner and entrepreneur, like you you're you always have to be tapped in some way or another, right?
00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:58.240
If you're not, then you're something really bad could happen to your to your entire investment, you know.
00:20:58.559 --> 00:21:01.200
You gotta respond to people or responding on us.
00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:02.319
Yeah, and you gotta push.
00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:04.400
Like you're the only one pushing.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:07.359
You know, everybody's pulling their own weight a lot of times.
00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:12.240
But I mean, but but we don't, I don't think we get we give enough credit because you do this.
00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:13.119
I've seen you do this.
00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:17.119
Like you'll you'll break away and have like a time with your family.
00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:17.599
Oh yeah.
00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:19.759
You know, every seems like every year, you know.
00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:29.920
I mean, and there's other ways that you know, when we say integrate, like it, you know, I have a way to escape, you know, the daily, you know, my mine, mine is more micro.
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.000
I have a lot of micro escapes, right?
00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:41.359
Like we're you know, the other day at 4 30 p.m., I break away and I go fish for an hour and a half, and I mean that's what I need, or I jump on the tractor and mow.
00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:43.279
You know, if you like to mow too, yeah.
00:21:43.519 --> 00:21:47.440
I mean, like we're very meditative time, it's 100%, man.
00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.559
I mean, it's unbelievable.
00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:59.680
Little micro moments that that uh but in a situation like that, where there I don't know about you guys, but I have a lot of times where there's this kind of bubbling up need to do exactly data.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:05.200
What you're talking about just as an entrepreneur is like I really need to disengage.
00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:09.759
This doesn't mean to go to Disney World and have a bunch of chaos and that's horrible.
00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:11.759
You know, plan something that we're gonna be.
00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.759
Yeah, it is the obvious thing.
00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.160
You need a vacation when you come back from vacation.
00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:16.720
100%.
00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:18.720
And that happens to us a lot, right?
00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:23.759
I mean, the the pressure, but like to get isolated, to collect your thoughts.
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:31.519
I mean, like what I liked about really what you're doing in that situation is you're escaping just kind of in your face problems.
00:22:31.839 --> 00:22:37.359
Like it, you your your brain actually kind of starts to decompress and rest a little bit.
00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:48.799
And then from that comes a lot of intuitive direction, you know, and and I think that intuitive direction is what gives us a lot of confidence and decision making.
00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:55.519
Because when you come when you come back to a business and you have clear vision, yeah, that's so important.
00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:59.039
I I noticed something Dan said that I'll make the distinction about.
00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:05.839
He said, I didn't necessarily map out a plan, but he was talking about what he wanted, the desired end state.
00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:06.559
Yeah.
00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:08.559
There's a big distinction there.
00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:12.160
I think we all know kind of what the end state is we're going for.
00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:17.759
But yeah, you're never gonna be able to have a detailed plan that's gonna work out.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.319
Yeah.
00:23:18.559 --> 00:23:21.119
But it's it, but at least you got your goal.
00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:21.599
Yeah.
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:23.680
You know where you're trying to go with it.
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:28.400
If you don't have that, then you're probably not gonna get where you want to go.
00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:29.119
Yeah.
00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.720
My uh myself got out of my brain's way for sure.
00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:37.279
And of course, then my brain did a great job of figuring some things out.
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:46.799
And uh I've always found that fascinating that at least in my perspective, there's kind of like your subconscious that just does what it wants, including breathe, heartbeat, all the stuff.
00:23:46.960 --> 00:23:52.240
And then there's your kind of like thoughts that you have a little control over what's happening.
00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:55.279
And then there's kind of you as the observer of both.
00:23:55.440 --> 00:23:59.920
So there's like subconscious that's like breathe, and you know, conscious is like, oh yeah, I forgot we do that.
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.880
And you're watching the conversation or debate happen, you know.
00:24:02.960 --> 00:24:09.359
And it was really a time of being kind of in that third person where I just let my brain do things that I wrote things that made no sense.
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:11.599
My notes from being out there are really weird.
00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.400
A lot of keywords and not a lot of whole thoughts, you know.
00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:15.599
A lot of keywords.
00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:19.359
But uh Did you do like mushrooms or something?
00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:21.759
No, I wish.
00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.200
No, I had to listen to it.
00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:26.079
But uh, you don't have to in that state, you know?
00:24:26.319 --> 00:24:26.640
Yeah.
00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:30.720
But um, I I had a couple uh like micro epiphanies.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:39.599
And one, real quick, is that I I realized that part of what was driving me and part of what I really, really desired was to like put money in other people's pockets.
00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:43.920
It's one of the things that drove me to business in the first place, outside of just being creative.
00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:53.279
And now twice a month on Fridays, it's my favorite day, which sounds weird, I'm sure, to some entrepreneurs when I cut checks to everyone and I'm like, oh, that feels so good.
00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:56.640
No, because I'm contributing to someone else's uh existence.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:24:58.240
That's not weird at all.
00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:04.960
I think most entrepreneurs will tell you that being able to create good jobs for people is one of the most gratifying things they do.
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:05.440
100%.
00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:08.880
I I at least that's what we hear and we feel that way.
00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:14.400
Hey everyone, quick break to talk to the brands and service providers listening out there.
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:19.359
If you offer a product or solution that helps founders scale, we'd love to work with you.
00:25:19.599 --> 00:25:32.160
Whether you're looking for a product placement right here in our studio set, sponsoring a segment, showcasing a new book, or even joining us as a featured guest, we've got flexible ways to get your brand in front of real business operators.
00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:33.119
Perfect, Mark.
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:38.160
And all they have to do is head over to Big Talk About Small Business.com forward slash contact.
00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:42.960
Let's set up a custom sponsorship package that actually delivers leads for your business.
00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:47.279
That's Big Talk About Small Business.com forward slash contact.
00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:56.720
Yeah, it's it's definitely something I kind of it was always there, but I wrote it down and then it became like, oh wow, yeah, that is important to me.
00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:58.799
And the second thing was accidental.
00:25:58.960 --> 00:26:08.799
Um, but it was essentially like I came up, you know, abusive household, broken home, awesome single mom who got me and my brother out, raised us to be great men and all this stuff.
00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:10.559
And it wasn't a lot of opportunity.
00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:12.559
We were very poor, all those sorts of things.
00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:22.160
And so like I've always kind of looked at money as like a tool, and I've looked at other people's, you know, circumstances with as much empathy as naturally exists in me.
00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:25.759
But something kind of hit me um out of nowhere.
00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:27.599
I was just again at a whiteboard.
00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:33.759
And it was like my brain saying to me again, you know, kind of like, hey man, remember that like you've been through a lot.
00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:38.720
So your 10% pain threshold might be someone else's 90.
00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:46.400
So when they complain about something like, oh, you know, it's hard to be on camera and I I'm embarrassed or whatever, and you're like, just do it, it's not that bad.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:51.039
You know, you need to remember they might be at a 90% anxiety level and you're at a five.
00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:51.599
Yeah.
00:26:52.160 --> 00:26:54.240
And that has stuck with me ever since 2020 as well.
00:26:54.319 --> 00:27:01.839
It's like, on top of being empathetic, try to look through the lens of you don't know what you know your client or your employee might be going through.
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:03.759
That's that's really good, man.
00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:04.640
That is, yeah.
00:27:04.720 --> 00:27:13.440
I I always think about like, to me, it's it's I've survived all this stuff, so whatever I'm going through compared to that probably isn't that bad.
00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:13.920
Yeah.
00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:16.960
You know, that that is a common thought.
00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:27.839
But you know what what I love about this discussion, you know, and Mark says I can be philosophical at times, but I mean, there's a there's a depth to being an entrepreneur.
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:28.640
Deep thoughts.
00:27:28.880 --> 00:27:29.519
Deep thoughts.
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.799
My big talk about you're part of this, by the way.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.039
Yeah, you're part of the deep thinking.
00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:36.160
That's right.
00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:37.440
That's right.
00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:38.640
Deep thoughts about deep thoughts.
00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:41.359
But I mean, like America Orton.
00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:50.480
You know, the the reality is there's not much on like entrepreneurship is a very deep uh situation.
00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.480
I mean, like, or it's it's very deep.
00:27:52.559 --> 00:27:54.319
It's like it's it takes everything.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.519
It takes everything you got.
00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:01.359
It's everything super complex, and people have tried to make this is why I get onto the education sector.
00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:03.839
Can you teach somebody to be an entrepreneur?
00:28:04.000 --> 00:28:19.519
You can teach them theory and practices and the business side, but can you teach somebody to have the freaking grit, the guts, the passion, the drive, the vision, the subconscious, the the relentlessness, the fearlessness, the confidence.
00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:23.039
You know, and it's like like that's why I get pissed off about that.
00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:26.319
It's like, okay, you taught me accounting, marketing theory.
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:28.960
Here's the thing, though, with the teaching.
00:28:29.119 --> 00:28:34.799
So, yeah, maybe everybody can't do that, but there are more people who can do it than do do it.
00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:35.519
For sure.
00:28:35.759 --> 00:28:44.160
So maybe in those you you you wake up that instinct and and you help them put the pieces together so they can really self-actualize.
00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:45.039
Maybe so.
00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:45.440
Yeah.
00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:48.240
But I think I think there's I can't teach everybody that.
00:28:48.480 --> 00:28:49.279
But I think there's a disc.
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:54.799
Well, what I but I do think there's a discredit to what we're talking about here, right?
00:28:56.559 --> 00:29:03.680
You know, the the reality is like as an entrepreneur, like you you kind of have to dig into yourself and remember why I do.
00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:05.279
I have to remember why I do.
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:17.039
When I find out and I remember why I'm doing something, to Dan's point about I am a high contributor because I do help people earn a living.
00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:17.519
Right.
00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:20.799
And if I do sell this company, they get a big check.
00:29:20.880 --> 00:29:23.119
And that does pay off these big bills.
00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:34.960
And then if I can change their lives, and you're gonna change their lives in a long time and every day, if I can help them see this and I can help them make these next steps, that they're improved.
00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:40.400
They're getting you're talking about a lot of people talk about generational legacy wealth.
00:29:40.480 --> 00:29:45.839
Like, so when you die, all your daughters get all this wonderful money that you've been building up all your life.
00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:46.880
That's great.
00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:54.000
But what about if when you die, you've actually helped hundreds of people with their kids and family?
00:29:54.160 --> 00:29:54.319
Right.
00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:56.240
Like, I mean, what else were we here for?
00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:57.519
Yeah, no, no, I agree.
00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:12.880
So when I just like I guess my point is there's this emotional side of remembering why I'm doing what I'm doing as an entrepreneur is a significant driver because you'll find also a lot of entrepreneurs don't really care about how much money they're really making.
00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:16.000
I know that, but that's the public sort of misconception.
00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:21.599
Anybody who's in business and owns a business is a greedy person who wants to exploit other people.
00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:22.400
Yes.
00:30:22.640 --> 00:30:26.079
And sure, there are some of those, but they're a distinct minority.
00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:26.799
I agree.
00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:28.079
Uh uh, yeah, I agree.
00:30:28.160 --> 00:30:40.000
And I think the purpose of this, one of the points of the show, at least from my standpoint, is to have discussions like this because real entrepreneurs feel a lot.
00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:46.720
They are doing a lot of times things for they don't even understand why they're doing it, they just can't help but do it.
00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:54.400
And so we are actually talking about that, which the professors like Martin Zwag that teachers entrepreneurship, don't even talk about their feelings.
00:30:54.640 --> 00:30:55.440
What are you talking about?
00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:56.559
I talk about my feelings.
00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:58.640
No, but it's true.
00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:14.960
But but Dan, so when you're out there, though, on your own having this experience, um you know, di do you find that you just like a certain thought gets in your mind and it just you it just you can't get it out of your mind?
00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:18.559
It just keeps playing over and over and over and over and over.
00:31:18.640 --> 00:31:20.480
And how do you break that?
00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:22.400
Uh, that's a good question.
00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:28.559
Um, I definitely, you know, did as many activities as was allowed for what I had, right?
00:31:28.640 --> 00:31:29.839
So build a small fire.
00:31:29.920 --> 00:31:35.359
Uh, there's a small lake on that property that butts right up against state-owned forest.
00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:37.200
So just laps around there.
00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.880
Uh, did a little bit of filming, but with no agenda, which for me is very hard.
00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:45.759
So just kind of walk around vlogging for no reason, you know, just talking to a camera and stuff.
00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:48.480
Um, those were, yeah, because that happened a lot.
00:31:48.559 --> 00:31:50.000
So it was like, okay, how do I stop this?
00:31:50.079 --> 00:31:53.359
And I did, I had an old iPad I preloaded a couple documentaries onto.
00:31:53.440 --> 00:31:59.839
So there's a couple times where I would just like go watch something fascinating to try and get back into a creative state.
00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:01.759
Um, but it was it was definitely a battle.
00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:06.160
And also it happened to be August 2020, and in Michigan, that's a really weird time.
00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:14.160
So it'd get up in like, you know, mid high eighties, and the camper was just cooking at a little fan, but only does so much.
00:32:14.319 --> 00:32:17.119
But then it would drop down into like the high 50s at night.
00:32:17.279 --> 00:32:19.839
So I'm like eight blankets and like freezing.
00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:27.200
So like going through that roller coaster for those 10 days also kind of helped break up, you know, what was going on what day it was, my thoughts, those sorts of things.
00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:33.440
Uh, not that I would was gonna die or anything, but it my my brain would be distracted by survival every once in a while.
00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:35.200
Like, gotta be warm, gotta be cold.
00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:36.880
Well, what are you talking about, Mark?
00:32:37.039 --> 00:32:41.200
Like, like the do you have a thought that just sticks in your brain cell?
00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:43.680
Yeah, when I'm out like cutting grass or something.
00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:44.240
Oh, okay.
00:32:44.480 --> 00:32:51.200
You know, where I'll just where I've got that time and or riding a motorcycle where I have to focus entirely.
00:32:51.359 --> 00:32:54.240
I have no other distractions of the phone or anything.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:58.559
I'll just have things that just play over and over and over in my head.
00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:03.599
Like, are you talking about like business things or ideas of things that you should do?
00:33:03.759 --> 00:33:05.680
Like what like give us an example.
00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:15.440
Well, it could be business things, it could be like events that are happening in the news, it could be like something I said and how that impacted somebody else.
00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:24.000
It's a lot of different things, but it just plays over and over and over on a track, and I just obsess over it.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:28.079
And it and and you know, and it it is.
00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:35.680
And and I and so in a way, you know, that's why I I always say, like, I just got I get asked this all the time.
00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:38.160
People are like, well, how do you do all the stuff you do?
00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:38.480
Yeah.
00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:40.559
Because I got so many things I'm involved with.
00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:42.319
I never have to motivate myself.
00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:44.960
I just overcommit and I'm conscientious.
00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:45.519
Yeah.
00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:46.000
Okay.
00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:46.640
Agreed.
00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:48.720
Then there's no motivation involved at all.
00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:52.480
I'm gonna do what I don't want to make anybody unhappy.
00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:55.359
I want to do my job, carry my weight.
00:33:55.599 --> 00:33:56.400
Don't want to fail.
00:33:56.640 --> 00:33:57.599
Don't want to fail.
00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:00.880
So I just constantly overcommit and then I'm conscientious.
00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:14.400
But that takes all your, you're, you're just you're so distracted in a way that um that's how you don't play those obsessive track over and over again.
00:34:14.559 --> 00:34:20.559
Well, I think in part to this, like I'm gonna be like to be real, everybody's distracted.
00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:24.000
It's just depending, depending on what they are, are they distracted with.
00:34:24.239 --> 00:34:24.800
That's true.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:43.760
Like the non-contributing passive drifting distraction is binge watching TV, yeah, shopping constantly, right, taking long vacations, dreaming about comfort, living in air conditioned, eating fast food, you know, just getting drunk, getting drunk, doing drugs, yeah.
00:34:43.920 --> 00:34:44.400
No, it's true.
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:45.760
Smoking weeds.
00:34:45.920 --> 00:34:46.239
Yeah.
00:34:46.400 --> 00:34:49.760
So, but I mean, like, so that's all the negative distractions.
00:34:49.840 --> 00:34:55.440
Because as humans, I think we're we're constantly wanting to either be entertained, we want to be like engaged in something.
00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:58.320
But what we do, because I I'm with you.
00:34:58.559 --> 00:34:59.599
We don't do a lot of those things.
00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:03.760
We don't do a lot of those things, but we we compound all these things around us.
00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:12.559
And so we are constantly distracted, but they're always and usually some sort of contribution, purpose-driven thing that that that's true.
00:35:12.880 --> 00:35:16.159
All these 20 eggs that I have, something's bound to work out.
00:35:16.239 --> 00:35:19.440
And at least I can die doing something positive, right?
00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:21.840
It's a great excuse, that's for sure.
00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:23.280
Um, I use it all the time.
00:35:23.519 --> 00:35:24.800
But look at what I'm doing.
00:35:25.039 --> 00:35:30.960
Um it's funny because like for years my partner's been like, you need to get a hobby.
00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:32.159
And I'm like, all right, cool.
00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:34.400
And I start making videos outside of business.
00:35:34.559 --> 00:35:37.519
And she's like, like, outside of what you do, man.
00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:38.400
I'm like, I know.
00:35:39.519 --> 00:35:41.039
You know, just I got back to it.
00:35:41.280 --> 00:35:42.079
Or what I do for work.
00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:44.480
Because I do find it fun.
00:35:44.639 --> 00:35:49.119
Um, but yeah, I uh last year I started getting back into uh comic books.
00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:54.880
I had discovered this writer I really liked and went back into their old catalog and ended up, you know, getting the kids involved.
00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:59.119
And now we will read a certain amount of books and then come together and talk about what we thought about the story and stuff.
00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:10.079
And um, that's been a fun like distraction away that isn't productive per se, you know, because so many of the productive things, it's like, well, I do do other stuff, but all of it is still work.
00:36:10.239 --> 00:36:13.039
I have to learn how to slow down a little bit.
00:36:13.199 --> 00:36:22.320
Um, but like there's a a component I feel very um, very grateful for that was very accidental to finally starting my own business.
00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:27.519
And it's that uh my mom was one of five, she was the only one that went to college in her family ever.
00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:32.480
I'm one of two and I'm the first like entrepreneur in the family lineage ever.
00:36:32.639 --> 00:36:39.199
So there was no like, you know, greasy uncle used car salesman guy that I could learn from or someone who had a business already running.
00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:41.039
And I didn't go to school for business.
00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:43.840
So I was like, how do you learn business?
00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:45.840
Uh I've got no one around to learn it from.
00:36:46.079 --> 00:36:53.360
So when I started doing work um in an agency type model, I was like, well, I guess to start, I'll just treat this like life.
00:36:53.679 --> 00:37:01.840
And what has worked well for me in life is, you know, underpromise, overdeliver, show up when you say you're gonna and say sorry when you're wrong.
00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:04.079
And so I guess I'll do business that way.
00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:10.159
And I've just never stopped because that was the only model I had was how I was doing life as maybe how I could do business.
00:37:10.320 --> 00:37:20.079
And now it's a huge benefit because we're a trusted brand and we hire great people, and um, people can really feel the fact that we all do care about our customers as well as ourselves.
00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:22.320
So got lucky with that one.
00:37:22.800 --> 00:37:24.320
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00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:39.760
How do you get good people?
00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:42.880
Where do you find them and how do you keep them there?
00:37:43.119 --> 00:37:57.519
Yeah, um, I think the short answer um would be the kind of filtering process we use, as well as oddly enough, because of the space I come from, uh, I've been editing professionally over 16 years.
00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:02.400
That includes doing full production where I'd have to go, say, to the West Coast and hire my team.
00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:06.880
So I would come with some equipment and then rent equipment and rent people and make the production happen.
00:38:07.119 --> 00:38:11.840
So working with editors, you know, in Hollywood all the way down to someone's nephew in their basement.
00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:14.159
I mean, I've hired hundreds of editors in my career.
00:38:14.320 --> 00:38:17.360
And it is one of the hardest things ever to find a good editor.
00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:24.320
So to have an agency full of them is like even more difficult because, like you said, you got to not only attract them but keep them around.
00:38:24.559 --> 00:38:29.760
So our filtering process is heavily, heavily focused on communication and availability.
00:38:30.159 --> 00:38:31.199
Because anyone can edit.
00:38:31.679 --> 00:38:42.559
So I don't worry so much about the technical, I worry more about communication and availability because that's what the stress is in our business because we work on like a conveyor belt system where we're editing stuff every day for different clients.
00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:45.199
So we have to communicate well and be available.
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:51.920
And then oddly enough, the number one thing still makes me kind of laugh thinking about it.
00:38:52.079 --> 00:38:56.320
The number one thing to keeping people around is paying them on time.
00:38:58.159 --> 00:39:00.880
Because we come from this world where you're always chasing your checks.
00:39:00.960 --> 00:39:03.440
You're always like, hey man, video's done, spend you know.
00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:11.760
And a lot of the editors that come from the freelance world and join our team is because we farm and they like hunt, kill, eat, hunt, kill, eat.
00:39:11.840 --> 00:39:14.239
And some people don't like that constant chase.
00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:22.639
They'd rather come help us cultivate this farm where we have consistent clients and consistent work, and they like the slower pace and all that stuff.
00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:31.519
So that's kind of a one-two punch of paying on time, which is a huge one for freelancers, and then them knowing there's work there to do instead of having to go hunt.
00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:37.360
I'm gonna have to introduce you to my nephew, who actually is a documentary film editor.
00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:39.440
He's done some really big work.
00:39:39.760 --> 00:39:46.079
He did the one with the the Obama and um Reagan photographer.
00:39:46.320 --> 00:39:47.840
Um, I don't know if you've seen that.
00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:49.760
He was the editor on that.
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:50.960
Um fantastic.
00:39:51.119 --> 00:39:59.599
He did the one, the latest one was the Lady Bird Johnson documentary, which is fascinating because it's all done in her voice.
00:39:59.920 --> 00:40:06.639
But anyway, he's worked on some really good projects, but his projects were like really long term, you know?
00:40:07.119 --> 00:40:08.559
It's like a different world.
00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:11.519
It is, especially for documentary filmmaking.
00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:15.679
Um, I'm not just saying this because you brought that up, but like they're my favorite.
00:40:15.840 --> 00:40:22.639
The the people who come up with those stories, the people who interview in a way that's compelling because someone's just sitting in a chair.
00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:25.840
And then the editors, of course, that make the whole thing watchable.
00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:29.519
Um that's such a great field for talent.
00:40:29.679 --> 00:40:31.280
But yeah, long, long term.
00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:34.880
So well, what do what do you uh just real quick?
00:40:35.039 --> 00:40:52.639
Um what do you think is like one of the more uh impactful decisions that you made on getting your bit like getting it from the very first of the startup to kind of crossing that getting to that threshold of second stage growth where you're really growing your company, right?
00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:55.119
I mean, what do you think are some of the It's not just survival?
00:40:55.360 --> 00:40:55.599
Right.
00:40:55.760 --> 00:40:57.519
No longer survival, but you're growing.
00:40:57.679 --> 00:40:59.679
Like what were some of the big decisions that you made back?
00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:02.000
Yeah, uh two things come to mind.
00:41:02.159 --> 00:41:09.519
The first is uh when I came out of the forest, um I sent an email to about 32, 33 people from my list.
00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:16.719
They were other entrepreneurs, former clients I became friends with over time, people who are in business of some sort and know the language.
00:41:16.880 --> 00:41:19.119
And I was just like, hey, you know, we've lost everything.
00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:21.440
I'm not asking for handouts or anything, but keep your ear to the ground.
00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:23.119
I'm trying to figure out what my next move is.
00:41:23.280 --> 00:41:27.679
Would love to have conversations with you guys, see what you're going through and and how, you know, I was very vulnerable in it.
00:41:27.840 --> 00:41:29.760
And I got 100% response on it.
00:41:30.480 --> 00:41:35.840
And that was kind of wild because if you do email at all, you never expect 100% open rate, right?
00:41:35.920 --> 00:41:37.280
Let alone response.
00:41:37.599 --> 00:41:42.239
And uh in there, a bunch of people had said, you know, thank you for being so vulnerable.
00:41:42.320 --> 00:41:46.880
This is helping me in a time where I'm really struggling, or man, I feel you, it's tough right now, and all those sorts of things.
00:41:47.599 --> 00:41:53.760
And uh the word resilient kept coming up because these people know me and they're like, Yeah, I've known you for 15 years, man.
00:41:53.840 --> 00:41:58.159
And and one thing that makes me feel good about the bad situation you're in right now is that I know you're resilient.
00:41:59.119 --> 00:41:59.440
You know.
00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:04.480
And then the final email came in from a good, good friend of mine, Rob Bogan, out of Flint, Michigan.
00:42:04.639 --> 00:42:09.039
And uh he said something about the the word resilient as well.
00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:13.760
And so I called him and I was like, Hey, I'm upset with you, but it's not your fault.
00:42:13.920 --> 00:42:15.119
Can we talk for 10 minutes?
00:42:15.360 --> 00:42:16.559
And he's like, What?
00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:19.760
I'm like, listen, you're like the tenth person to say resilient, blah, blah.
00:42:19.840 --> 00:42:23.920
I just gotta let you know it's it's like really pissing me off because I just keep hearing this.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:25.039
Like, you're gonna be fine.
00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:25.760
You're resilient.
00:42:25.920 --> 00:42:26.960
It's like, I don't want to hear that.
00:42:27.039 --> 00:42:30.320
I want to hear, here's 10 grand, do my project or whatever, you know.
00:42:30.880 --> 00:42:32.239
Right, that's good, right?
00:42:32.800 --> 00:42:36.559
And so I'm I'm sharing this with him, you know, and he's like, Well, hey, can I tell you something, man?
00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:37.360
And I'm like, yeah.
00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:41.360
And he's like, Your resilience has helped me get through stuff in my entrepreneurial career.
00:42:41.440 --> 00:42:45.119
I've just never told you about it because I was just thinking of you and what would Dan do, and dah dah, dah.
00:42:45.199 --> 00:42:49.119
And I'm like, that's a nice sentiment, but still, man, like I'm I'm sharing this thing.
00:42:49.280 --> 00:42:55.119
And and I said this phrase that just burned into my brain and probably probably will never leave.
00:42:55.280 --> 00:42:57.039
And I said it out loud to him on the fly.
00:42:57.199 --> 00:42:59.119
And I said, Yeah, that's all great, man.
00:42:59.199 --> 00:43:02.719
But like, when does resiliency become stupidity?
00:43:02.880 --> 00:43:07.119
And maybe I should stay down instead of standing up and getting the next punch in the face.
00:43:07.760 --> 00:43:08.719
And he was like, you know what?
00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:09.280
That's fair.
00:43:09.599 --> 00:43:10.239
That's fair.
00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.679
Um, I don't have an answer for you.
00:43:11.840 --> 00:43:15.840
You know, and then we just caught up on life and you know, we're friendly and and parted ways.
00:43:16.079 --> 00:43:23.039
But it really got me thinking of how upset I was that like I have to rely on this resiliency to get through.
00:43:23.519 --> 00:43:28.079
And so I sent another email to that same group since I had such a great response.
00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:29.760
I was like, let's have a thought experiment.
00:43:29.840 --> 00:43:30.480
This will be fun.
00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:35.519
Um if a reporter came to you and they held a mic in your face and you're like, Hey, you know Dan Bennett, right?
00:43:35.679 --> 00:43:39.679
Um, if you had to say he had one superpower, what would it be?
00:43:40.079 --> 00:43:41.360
And what would your answer be?
00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:45.360
And I was just doing this for fun because it's COVID, we're all trying to figure out what's next, you know.
00:43:45.440 --> 00:43:48.159
And um, I got a really strong response on that.
00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:56.800
Like 28 of the 30 some people responded, and 12 of them, I'll never forget it was an even dozen, uh, said something around your voice.
00:43:56.960 --> 00:43:59.760
Either when I worked with you, you kept things so calm.
00:44:00.320 --> 00:44:05.679
Even though video can be kind of stressful, or when I took your course, your voice was just like soothing.
00:44:05.760 --> 00:44:06.239
I felt safe.
00:44:06.320 --> 00:44:09.199
I felt like I could do this, and it just kept coming back to my voice.
00:44:09.440 --> 00:44:10.719
And I'd never heard this before.
00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:13.039
I mean, no one ever said your voice is grading.
00:44:13.119 --> 00:44:16.719
I hate it, but like no one ever said it's impactful, it matters to me.
00:44:17.119 --> 00:44:23.760
So I took those two pieces of information and like let them live instead of just like putting them in a file somewhere or chalking it up to whatever.
00:44:23.840 --> 00:44:25.440
I I kind of adopted them.
00:44:26.000 --> 00:44:31.760
And my resiliency was definitely a first step in where we've actually had trajected growth.
00:44:32.079 --> 00:44:48.800
And my voice became something I relied on, not just in marketing and messaging, but like how I, you know, act with clients and how I help people that are stressing out over camera settings and stuff on their end while we're helping to build a studio has really made for um a lot of easy growth.
00:44:49.039 --> 00:44:54.559
And then the second component is the diving into editing when it's the last thing I wanted to do.
00:44:54.880 --> 00:44:59.119
Because I just had a mentor who was like, Well, what if you built it and then you never had to run it?
00:44:59.360 --> 00:45:00.400
That'd be kind of cool, right?
00:45:00.639 --> 00:45:02.400
I'm like, Well, yeah, but that's a pipe dream.
00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:04.719
And he's like, or it's 12 months away.
00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:06.559
You know, like it's up to you, bro.
00:45:06.800 --> 00:45:08.079
And that's where I put my head down.
00:45:08.159 --> 00:45:10.320
It took, you know, a little longer than 12 months.
00:45:10.400 --> 00:45:11.360
Um, but we did it.
00:45:11.519 --> 00:45:16.320
And then when we opened up to the public in 2023, there was clients showing up paying full price.
00:45:16.400 --> 00:45:18.960
And I was like, Whoa, I I think it might have worked.
00:45:19.119 --> 00:45:22.320
And then the first year of 2.5 growth, I'm like, okay, this is enough.
00:45:22.480 --> 00:45:26.079
We're paying you and I'm eating this first time ever, you know.
00:45:26.159 --> 00:45:31.119
And then the next year I was like, oh, this is creating a responsibility.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:32.400
What do we do with this money?
00:45:32.559 --> 00:45:35.519
Because there's a little bit extra, you know, and should I reinvest or should I, you know.
00:45:35.760 --> 00:45:40.400
And then the next year I'm like, I think we're on to something and this feels real.
00:45:40.559 --> 00:45:43.920
So I better handle it with care and and do the right thing.
00:45:44.159 --> 00:45:50.000
Um so it was kind of like you said, a little bit more philosophical than a lever I pulled.
00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:52.960
But it's definitely been led to growth.
00:45:53.360 --> 00:45:58.480
He found out that his voice was a big part of like what his superpower.
00:45:58.639 --> 00:45:59.039
Yeah.
00:45:59.360 --> 00:46:02.719
Influencing other people, combing other people, you know.
00:46:02.960 --> 00:46:08.320
I mean, I've been told before I have a face for radio, but I mean, uh beautiful.
00:46:10.079 --> 00:46:13.280
I think it's a face for video, which is why we're doing the show.
00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:32.400
I got to be the voice of Coin Harvey once, and he was the guy who um who was the founder of um, you know, uh here at the lake um uh with Turn of the Century Resort that went out of business, um, and there's still remnants of it.
00:46:33.039 --> 00:46:34.400
You know what I'm talking about?
00:46:34.719 --> 00:46:36.559
Anyway, it was a video on that.
00:46:36.639 --> 00:46:38.639
Um, it was kind of interesting.
00:46:38.880 --> 00:46:40.880
But uh, well, this is cool.
00:46:41.039 --> 00:46:42.880
It's been great, great talking with you, Dan.
00:46:43.119 --> 00:46:44.159
Yeah, Dan, it really has.
00:46:44.239 --> 00:46:45.360
I really enjoyed the convo.
00:46:45.440 --> 00:46:49.119
And I think that again, your voice is gonna help people out, right?
00:46:49.199 --> 00:46:49.920
That are listening.
00:46:50.239 --> 00:46:52.079
So it's been enjoyable.
00:46:52.239 --> 00:47:01.280
Um Dana, do you have any final thoughts you want to give out to any of the listeners that might be, you know, starting their business in the middle of it?
00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:03.679
Anything that you would you would recommend?
00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:04.320
Yeah.
00:47:04.480 --> 00:47:07.440
Um, I've been asked this question in some forum many, many times.
00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:11.760
Like if you had a mic and there's a million people listening, what's the one thing you would say, you know?
00:47:11.840 --> 00:47:14.320
And it's always been the same, so I just stick with it.
00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:16.400
And it's give yourself grace.
00:47:16.719 --> 00:47:28.079
Um there's enough enough trolls in the world, there's enough hurdles, we gotta jump, ladders, we gotta climb, walls, we gotta sum it, you know, um, that we don't need to put extra pressure on ourselves.
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:32.079
Now I'm also saying this to myself as I say it to the audience.
00:47:32.639 --> 00:47:47.519
Um, but when you do that thing or you tackle, you know, the next problem, or like with a lot of our clients, you start putting yourself out there in this very scary thing called video, and you're you know, being very vulnerable by putting your face out in public and teaching something or sharing something or entertaining.
00:47:47.920 --> 00:47:53.519
Um every time you come up against a little rough patch, you know, a little sandpaper, just give yourself grace.
00:47:53.679 --> 00:47:56.000
I think it's uh been a huge tool for me.
00:47:56.400 --> 00:47:56.800
Excellent.
00:47:56.880 --> 00:48:00.400
And how do people get a hold of you if they want to reach out or get a hold of your company?
00:48:00.639 --> 00:48:06.880
Um for exactly this purpose, I bought a URL years and years and years ago called danhaslinks.com.
00:48:07.679 --> 00:48:09.280
And all my links are there.
00:48:09.440 --> 00:48:13.360
But we're called hot sauce video on every platform, so we're not hard to find.
00:48:13.679 --> 00:48:14.719
Hot links.
00:48:15.440 --> 00:48:16.079
Hot links.
00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:16.400
No.
00:48:16.639 --> 00:48:20.960
Yeah, uh, hot links is another thing I just thought of.
00:48:21.119 --> 00:48:21.440
Oh, yeah.
00:48:21.599 --> 00:48:23.519
Remember, like hot sauce links, yeah.
00:48:23.679 --> 00:48:24.880
Just get hot links now.
00:48:25.039 --> 00:48:25.440
All right.
00:48:25.679 --> 00:48:29.760
Well, hey, yeah, you better go get that domain though.
00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:33.679
We appreciate your spending a little time with us today, Dan.
00:48:33.760 --> 00:48:40.239
It's been an interesting departure from our normal harassing the guest that we tend to do.
00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:45.280
You your voice calmed us so much, we didn't want to give you shit like the other one did.
00:48:47.119 --> 00:48:50.239
I tell you what, that's not the first time that's happened, so I'll take it.
00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:53.039
All right.
00:48:53.119 --> 00:48:55.280
Well, until next week, I guess.
00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:57.440
We still need a sponsor, by the way.
00:48:57.679 --> 00:48:58.480
Yes, we do.
00:48:58.639 --> 00:48:58.960
Yes.
00:48:59.119 --> 00:49:02.480
So you think hot sauce videos would sponsor ourselves, Dan?
00:49:02.800 --> 00:49:03.519
Yeah, Dan.
00:49:03.679 --> 00:49:05.599
I mean, let's it's worth talking about.
00:49:05.840 --> 00:49:08.079
Make you guys, bro.
00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:09.199
Sweat.
00:49:09.440 --> 00:49:14.400
It's the first lead we've had after 160 episodes.
00:49:14.880 --> 00:49:23.360
Uh no, no, we really appreciate your being here, but this has been another episode of Big Talk about small business.
00:49:24.239 --> 00:49:25.199
Thank you, Dan.
00:49:25.440 --> 00:49:26.480
Appreciate you, buddy.
00:49:26.719 --> 00:49:27.199
Thanks, man.
00:49:27.440 --> 00:49:28.079
Thanks, guys.
00:49:28.239 --> 00:49:29.280
Uh take care, man.
00:49:29.360 --> 00:49:30.239
It's been fun.
00:49:36.239 --> 00:49:39.840
Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Big Talk About Small Business.
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:53.840
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00:49:54.079 --> 00:49:57.840
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00:49:58.159 --> 00:50:04.239
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