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Well, hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Solid Start, podcast designed to get your week off to a solid start by focusing on life from God's perspective.
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I'm Greg Reed, life coach at Merrill Bros, located up in the tropical paradise of Coconwood, Indiana.
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And today I'm joined by my guest co-host, Marcus Misnick.
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Marcus, woo! Right.
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Thank you.
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Everybody.
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Welcome back.
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Welcome back.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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How was your weekend?
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Fantastic weekend.
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Obviously, celebrating this incredible country and remaining independent for 250 years.
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That is remarkable.
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That is remarkable.
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And uh enjoyed some fireworks, but also just kind of did relaxed and you know stayed around.
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What about yourself?
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Yeah, we uh had a lot of grandkid time, a lot of uh adult kid time.
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We had some basketball tournament action and uh some time to hang out with our eight-year-old granddaughter, some time to relax at home and uh to enjoy one another's company.
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So it was really a good kind of relaxing, didn't do anything wild and crazy, um, but it was really a good weekend.
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So stayed safe, stayed safe and enjoyed the family.
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Still have all 10 digits and um and did not spend any dollars on fireworks.
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So my my budget is still good for uh no no money spent on fireworks.
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So Marcus, I wanted you to uh, if you would, introduce our we have a guest as well today.
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In addition to a guest host, Brian's out uh hanging out with his family for the week, so we'll miss Brian.
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But thanks for uh joining us and uh go ahead and introduce our guests.
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All right.
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Well, I I'm uh not for a second.
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Do I think I'm worthy to be sitting in Brian's chair, but uh here I am.
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So I'm gonna do my best, and and it is my pleasure to introduce Olivia Forey.
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Uh she is a project manager, and I think you've been here since about June 1st, is that right?
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I have, yes, since June 1st.
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Olivia, welcome.
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So great to have you uh on the podcast today.
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So tell us a little about a little about Olivia and your family and all of that.
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Okay.
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Um well I have um my husband and I have been married for 13 years and we have four children.
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Um three 19-year-olds, actually.
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So there you go.
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That's fun.
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Um we have our our 19-year-old daughter, she's attending St.
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Mary's at Notre Dame.
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And then our son, uh one of our sons is at IU down in Bloomington, and our other son is working on trade school right now.
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Okay.
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So those are our big kids, and then we have Charlie, she's 12.
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Charlie, and she's going into seventh grade here in Kokomo.
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How fun is that?
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Yes, yeah, very exciting.
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That's great.
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Um, and I come from I come to Merrill Brothers from um Wesco and I was there as a project manager and a program manager for 17 years.
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So um, I'm just really excited about the opportunity to join this team and um and spend more time spend time here getting to know everyone at the company.
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Yeah, great.
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Well, we'll look forward to uh having you jump in on the podcast here in a little bit.
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Marcus, I wanted to follow up on something you said earlier this 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and very few nations have enjoyed this kind of longevity while preserving constitutional self-government and political freedom.
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I know you've you've been a part of serving our country, so thank you very much to you and your wife for serving our country so well.
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And uh it uh I came across a quote by John Adams, and I asked this morning uh at our safety meeting who John Adams was.
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It took a minute for uh people to remember, but in case you uh it's been a minute before your since your history last history lesson, John Adams uh was obviously one of the founders of the Declaration of Independence, served as our first vice president, and then our second president of the United States.
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So did you vote for him?
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You know what?
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It was his election was right before I was born.
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But thanks for asking.
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I really appreciate it.
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Sure, sure.
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Had I been born a couple years earlier, I definitely would have voted for John Adams because he said this posterity.
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You'll never know how much it costs the present generation to preserve your freedom.
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I hope you will make good use of it.
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And so that just really connected with me because every generation receives an inheritance, and then we leave one behind.
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And the same is true of leadership in a company like this.
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Every manager leaves a culture, every supervisor leaves a legacy, and every conversation, decision, response shapes the people who follow.
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And so all of this uh year we've been looking at what's it look like to be a leader at Merrillbros, both here and outside of here.
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So basically at work and in life.
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And so we want to uh talk about that today and look at the the idea that these last couple of quarters, um, first quarter we said it was to know the condition of your flock.
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So that was all about taking time to know and care for the people in your life.
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Uh Marcus, talk about the uh second quarter and uh what we talked about that quarter and kind of how that fits in with uh the the role that you play here as well.
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Sure.
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The second quarter we have focused on uh discovering the shape uh of your sheep.
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Yes.
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And and shape being an acronym uh that we've had the opportunity to present at the Way of the Shepherd training, obviously, and the the S standing for strengths, the H standing for Heart, the A standing for attitude, the P standing for Personalities, and the E standing for experience.
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Right.
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And so it takes time to uh learn uh all of those different attributes and traits of your people, and that's you know, that's the part of leadership.
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Leadership isn't luxury, yeah.
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Leadership is is difficult because the first thing you do when when you want to be is is you put others first.
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Yeah, that's it.
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You know, you you essentially in a in a roundabout way, Greg, you essentially become some form of a follower because you're putting others in fr in front of you.
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That's right.
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Right?
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And that's hard to do.
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Yeah.
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Leadership is hard, but but the blessings that come out of it, if if if the success of your day is determined by the day that you've made for others, boy, I tell you what, you you you can you can win every day.
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That's right.
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Right.
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Um, and you know, I I kind of wanted to get Olivia's thoughts on that as well, and kind of the experiences that that she's had in you know kind of determining you know somebody's shape, and it can be your family, right?
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Your kids are all different, right?
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And and not every we don't all have the same shape.
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And so as a as a mother and as a as a professional, and you know, how do you some of the things that you do, you know, to uh to kind of learn and understand you know the different shapes that are out there.
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And I want to real quick, I want to tell you how important Olivia is.
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Yes, she quickly booted you know one of our one of our directors to the closet immediately upon arrival.
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So you know that I just kind of want to set the standard for who you're talking to today, Greg.
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I know, I'm I'm unworthy, unworthy for sure.
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So Olivia, can you share with us some of you know, whether from the perspective of a professional or or a mother or you know, a leader in the community, some different ways that you determine and and find out kind of the shape of of your of people?
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Oh, absolutely.
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Um you couldn't be more correct about how um people are so different because like I said earlier, I have three 19-year-olds and with even though they're all so close in age, they're all so drastically different in personality.
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Um and so over the years, you know, you just have to you learn to adapt to to each each one's individual personality and make those adjustments as time goes on.
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So absolutely.
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And God has shaped you rather uniquely.
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And one of the things that we wanted to ask you about today was uh you uh you have a specific skill and some uh ability that uh uh that God has uh given you.
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So tell us a little bit about uh this rather unique skill that you have and where that's taking you these days.
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Absolutely.
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I actually I love to play pool, billiards.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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And I've been playing pool as an amateur for a little over ten years now, and I've had the opportunity the last few years to participate in the world championships in Las Vegas.
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So then Mark, hey, so if she asked you to uh play a little b game of pool for maybe a couple of bucks or something, I would say no.
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No, we should we should definitely play Mark 200 hit F balls on the table.
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There you go.
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Okay.
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So that's coming up, isn't it?
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Yes, it's coming up the first week of August.
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Um I think August 4th through the 9th.
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Okay.
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Um and in order to participate in the world championships, you have to qualify.
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So I play throughout the year in different tournaments, which leads to the ability to qualify.
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And um, we'll be playing eight ball in August in Las Vegas this year.
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I love as a kid, and my uh dad found this uh uh Brunswick pool table in a fraternal lodge somewhere in Kokomo and ended up taking that to our house, putting it back together.
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So I grew up as a kid playing eight ball, but never qualified for anything other than uh probably hitting the white ball into the pocket before I was supposed to or the eight ball ahead of time.
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I was really good at putting the eight bowl in at it, which is you know, uh you lose the game.
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Absolutely.
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Um it's a good time.
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So that's so great.
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So that's been kind of our focus for this second quarter, Mark's.
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I'm glad you were able to talk about that, this idea of shape.
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And now today we're moving into the it's it's hard to imagine that this is Q3.
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Like that's not possible that we could already be starting.
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And so our focus this quarter is to help your sheep identify with you.
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And so just the focus then and to expand on that is that great leadership is relational before it's positional.
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I'd love to have you uh comment on that, Marcus, because you do a lot of leadership development with us here and with the Army.
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And so, how have how does that get lived out in your in your world?
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Greg, one of the one of the things that I tell every audience that I get the privilege of speaking to is that managers and supervisors have the authority to direct based on their position and their title.
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Right.
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Leaders have the ability to influence regardless of their position in title.
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Yeah.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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If I uh and it doesn't, it comes off really well when I'm in my military uniform and I'm speaking to a group and I have my lieutenant colonel rank velcroed on my chest, and and I can I can pretty much the majority of the time I can say, hey, listen, if I'm talking to lieutenants or captains or majors, I say, as long as what I'm telling you is legal and lawful, you have to do it.
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And if you don't do it, well then you're insubordinate.
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Yeah.
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That's because of your position.
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That's because of my rank or my position.
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Yeah.
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I then proceed to rip my rank off of my chest, essentially standing there as the lowest level private, and I say, now, what can I do, you know, to to get you to buy into anything that I'm saying?
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Yeah.
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Right?
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And so many times we we confuse the you know the position with the privilege of leadership.
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And and that's our goal, right?
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That our goal is to, you know, I don't care whether your position is a CEO or whether your position is to is you know sweeping the shop floor, you have the ability to influence people in the workplace, uh in home, in the community, and if and if as people with positions or titles aren't willing to listen to those that don't have them, well then you're losing out.
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Yeah.
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I've learned more, I've learned more from those uh you know that would be considered a a subordinate just because I remain open to their experiences and their strengths and their heart and their attitude.
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So it's it's a reciprocal uh relationship.
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Yeah.
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Right?
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Yep.
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You know, as I was thinking about how could we illustrate that from scripture, uh, this passage in Philippians is the passage that I think jumped out at me because here's this picture of of the God of the universe not just barking instructions because of the fact that he's God, but he sends his son to live among us.
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So Olivia, why don't uh why don't we have you read this passage from uh Philippians chapter two?
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It's verses five through eight.
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It's probably one of the most profound passages about God's love for us and what he was willing to do.
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Sure.
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Okay, so in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.
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Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
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So Paul's reminding us that Jesus didn't lead from a distance, he entered our world, took the form of a servant, exactly what you were talking about, Marcus, and experienced life as we do.
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Because he came near, he can understand us completely.
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And so the the question that I had on our uh on our screen this morning, Marcus, that I'd like for you to comment on, it's this idea of what's it like to be on the other side of me?
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In other words, when I have a conversation, what do people experience and what what comes across?
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Because that is so significant, isn't it?
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I think, Greg, to un to try to begin to understand what it's like for for people to be on the other side of you, you have to know you.
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Yeah.
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And part of that, and I actually at this, I have our directors uh with a leadership program that we have going on.
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I have them all uh preparing a presentation.
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It's called the Manual of Me.
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Wow.
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Okay.
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And it's not, it might sell it might sound self-centered, but honestly, before you can be begin to lead others and know how to lead others, you know, you have to know how to lead yourself.
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So you have to know who you are.
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And essentially, these presentations, these manual of me presentations, is if you know somebody sat down, one of our directors sat down with Olivia on her first day, they could share with her, you know, their shape so that she could better understand, you know, where they're and it all it all ties into kind of a leadership philosophy.
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And I will tell you the the ones that I've received thus far, there's there's so much servanthood in the messaging.
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That's so wonderful to hear.
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Either either they've identified themselves as being a or they want to become a servant.
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And and I love this, I love this passage, and I'm kind of I just need to share that.
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I was I I tell the guys all the time and the and the and the gals when I'm when I have the opportunity to speak to them that I'm a that I'm a lawn mower, treadmill, you know, conversation with God kind of guy.
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It's always when I'm doing those things.
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And there was a uh I was I was mowing the lawn on on Friday and uh and I was listening to the Red Clay Strays and uh country band, and Brayden, Braden loves these guys, so he'll if he's listening, he'll know what I'm talking about.
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And I was I was kind of really you know questioning am I doing enough for God?
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Are my priorities where they need to be?
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Am I am I being a good enough husband, a good enough son, a good enough brother, a good enough coworker?
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And a song came on that and I didn't even know the red clay strays to be you know Christians for that matter, but it was called Will the Lord Remember Me?
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Wow when when when my time is called.
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Yeah.
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And so that ties so much.
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If the if the Lord sent his son to serve others, then it spoke, and I literally stopped the mower and I just had a moment.
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And I just listened to that song, and then I played it over because it was like the Lord was talking to me and saying, continue to serve, yeah, and I will remember you.
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Yeah.
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Aren't those great moments?
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And I would, and I know I'm not sure I've ever heard music on this podcast, but maybe someday that maybe someday we'll play that.
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I have it on my phone, and it was just an incredible message that as long as you do your best to cons you know continue serving others and him, he'll remember us.
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Yeah, that's great.
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Right?
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Yep, perfect.
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Yes.
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Well, that relates well to our practice assignment, then.
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Those of you that are listening, uh, here's our practice assignment is that we encourage you to become a student, not just a supervisor.
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Uh so spend some time this week learning from someone on your team.
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Um, so whether you're you're leading people or not, this week, we just want to challenge you to say, hey, let's let's just some spend some time learning from someone on the team, that you put yourself in their boots, if you will.
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I had a big pair of uh concrete boots today uh that uh guy let me use as just an illustration to say that those boots represent a person, and that person has a story.
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And so everybody has a story, and Olivia, that's why we wanted to hear a little bit of your story, and we're so thankful that you're willing to share some of that with us.
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Excited about uh the family that God has given you, excited about you being a part of the Merrill Brothers family, and excited about uh just how God has gifted you in many ways, and that you get to be a part of something that uh I don't know any other person that I know personally that's going to Las Vegas to play in the pool championships.
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So we may get a sponsorship going on.
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If Olivia shows up in Vegas without a Merrill Brothers shirt on, something that there's a problem.
00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.599
So we need to work, we'll have you work on that, Marcus.
00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:47.440
That may be your assignment.
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:54.319
So if you're listening and that there's some way we can help you take a next step, uh you can always go to Merrowbros.com.
00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:08.960
There's a tab, uh prayer tab up in the upper right-hand corner on our website, and you can say, hey, I'm I'm struggling with this, or I'm at a place like Marcus, you were on Friday, to say, hey, I'm just having some questions right now, and I'd love to talk to somebody about that.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.200
And that's uh that's how we want to serve you.
00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:22.319
So if there's some way that we can serve you, walk alongside of you, uh, help to learn more of your story, then make sure you reach out to us uh through Merrillbrose.com.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:29.039
If you're uh a part of our uh company and you work in uh in Indiana or in Florida, you can and have my phone number.
00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:35.359
You can always call Greg Reed or you can get a hold of your supervisor, and I'm sure they can uh they can track me down.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:42.720
You know, thinking about praying today.
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:58.799
Uh Livia, I think since you're here with us and you're part of a big family, uh I'd love for you to just pray for the families that are a part of our uh uh Merrill Bros team as they're traveling, just that they'll be able to be intentional about spending time together, getting to know one another.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.400
There are always things we can learn about one another.
00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:12.319
And so I'll have you pray for uh for our families as they're traveling uh for the rest of this summer for safety and just for the opportunity to be able to get to know one another better.
00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:17.759
Marcus, if you'll pray for the supervisors and managers and leaders in our company.
00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.799
I want to pray for the executive team that you're a part of.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:34.319
Um, but why don't you uh you pray for them and then I'll close out by praying for uh uh for those that uh seven seven people that are providing the ultimate direction for our company under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.119
So Olivia, go ahead and go ahead and start us out.
00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:37.839
Thanks.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:55.599
Lord God, we come to you today um and I would to pray for those families that are traveling this summer, that they get to enjoy their time together and get to know one another as they spend time away from home, and we pray that they have safe travels as they return home, Father.
00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:56.720
Amen.
00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.519
Thanks, God.
00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:31.279
Heavenly Father, we I I come to you today acknowledging that that you and and your son chose to lead through service, through servanthood, and I ask and I pray, Lord, that as you guide those that we have given the title of managers and supervisors and directors to, that they don't rest on that title, that they don't they don't guide people just based on their position.
00:22:31.440 --> 00:23:01.200
Lord, I ask that you transition them to leaders that lead through building relationships, that lead through building trust, that lead by getting to know the shape of their people, and give them the strength and the wisdom to truly get to know and understand themselves so that those that they are leading can grasp the direction that that their leaders are wanting to take them, Lord.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:18.079
I just I just ask that our directors and supervisors and managers know that a title enough is not alone and that they come, they come to work, that they go to their families, that they go to their community with a with a heart of service, Lord.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:21.680
And and I just I just ask these things in your name.
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:31.839
Eternal Father, give to our seven members of our executive team the humility of Jesus.
00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:43.759
I pray you would help them to become leaders who understand before directing, who listen before speaking, and serve before expecting.
00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:50.319
Thank you so much for the men that are part of that team that provide direction for this company.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.720
Continue to give them clarity, direction, and the power of your Holy Spirit.
00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:56.240
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:56.960
Amen.
00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:57.359
Amen.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:06.720
Well, again, if you need to get a hold of us, uh you can go to Merrillbrose.com and click on the prayer tab, and you can uh send a message our way.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:10.240
And Marcus and Livia, thanks so much for being a part of the podcast.
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.759
It's great to uh have you here.
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:15.039
Thanks for how and Livia, how many podcasts have you done now?
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:15.839
This is my first.
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:16.559
This is your first.
00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:17.920
You're a pro now.
00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.880
So I am.
00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:21.440
I'm I'm excited to come back again if I'm invited.
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.240
We're we're gonna have you back after the tournament for sure.
00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:24.720
That's right.
00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:28.160
We want to certainly find out our standings.
00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:28.799
That's it.
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.359
That's great.
00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.640
Well, hey, thanks for listening uh to Solid Start.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:37.680
Take care of yourself, take care of your team, and go make today a great day.
00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:22.000
Well, hello everyone, and welcome to another episode of Solid Start, podcast designed to get your week off to a solid start by focusing on life from God's perspective.
00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:27.600
I'm Greg Reed, life coach at Merrill Bros, located up in the tropical paradise of Coconwood, Indiana.
00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:32.079
And today I'm joined by my guest co-host, Marcus Misnick.
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Marcus, woo! Right.
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Thank you.
00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:35.520
Everybody.
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Welcome back.
00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:36.960
Welcome back.
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Thank you.
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:37.679
Thank you.
00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:39.679
How was your weekend?
00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:41.280
Fantastic weekend.
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Obviously, celebrating this incredible country and remaining independent for 250 years.
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That is remarkable.
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That is remarkable.
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And uh enjoyed some fireworks, but also just kind of did relaxed and you know stayed around.
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What about yourself?
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:01.439
Yeah, we uh had a lot of grandkid time, a lot of uh adult kid time.
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We had some basketball tournament action and uh some time to hang out with our eight-year-old granddaughter, some time to relax at home and uh to enjoy one another's company.
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So it was really a good kind of relaxing, didn't do anything wild and crazy, um, but it was really a good weekend.
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So stayed safe, stayed safe and enjoyed the family.
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Still have all 10 digits and um and did not spend any dollars on fireworks.
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So my my budget is still good for uh no no money spent on fireworks.
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So Marcus, I wanted you to uh, if you would, introduce our we have a guest as well today.
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In addition to a guest host, Brian's out uh hanging out with his family for the week, so we'll miss Brian.
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But thanks for uh joining us and uh go ahead and introduce our guests.
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All right.
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Well, I I'm uh not for a second.
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Do I think I'm worthy to be sitting in Brian's chair, but uh here I am.
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So I'm gonna do my best, and and it is my pleasure to introduce Olivia Forey.
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Uh she is a project manager, and I think you've been here since about June 1st, is that right?
00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:03.519
I have, yes, since June 1st.
00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:04.719
Olivia, welcome.
00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.599
So great to have you uh on the podcast today.
00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:11.520
So tell us a little about a little about Olivia and your family and all of that.
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Okay.
00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:22.000
Um well I have um my husband and I have been married for 13 years and we have four children.
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Um three 19-year-olds, actually.
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So there you go.
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That's fun.
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Um we have our our 19-year-old daughter, she's attending St.
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Mary's at Notre Dame.
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And then our son, uh one of our sons is at IU down in Bloomington, and our other son is working on trade school right now.
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Okay.
00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:48.560
So those are our big kids, and then we have Charlie, she's 12.
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Charlie, and she's going into seventh grade here in Kokomo.
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How fun is that?
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Yes, yeah, very exciting.
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That's great.
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Um, and I come from I come to Merrill Brothers from um Wesco and I was there as a project manager and a program manager for 17 years.
00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:20.000
So um, I'm just really excited about the opportunity to join this team and um and spend more time spend time here getting to know everyone at the company.
00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:20.800
Yeah, great.
00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:24.639
Well, we'll look forward to uh having you jump in on the podcast here in a little bit.
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Marcus, I wanted to follow up on something you said earlier this 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and very few nations have enjoyed this kind of longevity while preserving constitutional self-government and political freedom.
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I know you've you've been a part of serving our country, so thank you very much to you and your wife for serving our country so well.
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And uh it uh I came across a quote by John Adams, and I asked this morning uh at our safety meeting who John Adams was.
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It took a minute for uh people to remember, but in case you uh it's been a minute before your since your history last history lesson, John Adams uh was obviously one of the founders of the Declaration of Independence, served as our first vice president, and then our second president of the United States.
00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:16.959
So did you vote for him?
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You know what?
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It was his election was right before I was born.
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But thanks for asking.
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I really appreciate it.
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Sure, sure.
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Had I been born a couple years earlier, I definitely would have voted for John Adams because he said this posterity.
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You'll never know how much it costs the present generation to preserve your freedom.
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I hope you will make good use of it.
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And so that just really connected with me because every generation receives an inheritance, and then we leave one behind.
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And the same is true of leadership in a company like this.
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Every manager leaves a culture, every supervisor leaves a legacy, and every conversation, decision, response shapes the people who follow.
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And so all of this uh year we've been looking at what's it look like to be a leader at Merrillbros, both here and outside of here.
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So basically at work and in life.
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And so we want to uh talk about that today and look at the the idea that these last couple of quarters, um, first quarter we said it was to know the condition of your flock.
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So that was all about taking time to know and care for the people in your life.
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Uh Marcus, talk about the uh second quarter and uh what we talked about that quarter and kind of how that fits in with uh the the role that you play here as well.
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Sure.
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The second quarter we have focused on uh discovering the shape uh of your sheep.
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Yes.
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And and shape being an acronym uh that we've had the opportunity to present at the Way of the Shepherd training, obviously, and the the S standing for strengths, the H standing for Heart, the A standing for attitude, the P standing for Personalities, and the E standing for experience.
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Right.
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And so it takes time to uh learn uh all of those different attributes and traits of your people, and that's you know, that's the part of leadership.
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Leadership isn't luxury, yeah.
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Leadership is is difficult because the first thing you do when when you want to be is is you put others first.
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Yeah, that's it.
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You know, you you essentially in a in a roundabout way, Greg, you essentially become some form of a follower because you're putting others in fr in front of you.
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That's right.
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Right?
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And that's hard to do.
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Yeah.
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Leadership is hard, but but the blessings that come out of it, if if if the success of your day is determined by the day that you've made for others, boy, I tell you what, you you you can you can win every day.
00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:04.319
That's right.
00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:04.879
Right.
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Um, and you know, I I kind of wanted to get Olivia's thoughts on that as well, and kind of the experiences that that she's had in you know kind of determining you know somebody's shape, and it can be your family, right?
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Your kids are all different, right?
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And and not every we don't all have the same shape.
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And so as a as a mother and as a as a professional, and you know, how do you some of the things that you do, you know, to uh to kind of learn and understand you know the different shapes that are out there.
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And I want to real quick, I want to tell you how important Olivia is.
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Yes, she quickly booted you know one of our one of our directors to the closet immediately upon arrival.
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So you know that I just kind of want to set the standard for who you're talking to today, Greg.
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I know, I'm I'm unworthy, unworthy for sure.
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So Olivia, can you share with us some of you know, whether from the perspective of a professional or or a mother or you know, a leader in the community, some different ways that you determine and and find out kind of the shape of of your of people?
00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:16.000
Oh, absolutely.
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Um you couldn't be more correct about how um people are so different because like I said earlier, I have three 19-year-olds and with even though they're all so close in age, they're all so drastically different in personality.
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Um and so over the years, you know, you just have to you learn to adapt to to each each one's individual personality and make those adjustments as time goes on.
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So absolutely.
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And God has shaped you rather uniquely.
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And one of the things that we wanted to ask you about today was uh you uh you have a specific skill and some uh ability that uh uh that God has uh given you.
00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:07.679
So tell us a little bit about uh this rather unique skill that you have and where that's taking you these days.
00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:08.559
Absolutely.
00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:11.120
I actually I love to play pool, billiards.
00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:11.440
Okay.
00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:11.759
Yeah.
00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:23.519
And I've been playing pool as an amateur for a little over ten years now, and I've had the opportunity the last few years to participate in the world championships in Las Vegas.
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:31.440
So then Mark, hey, so if she asked you to uh play a little b game of pool for maybe a couple of bucks or something, I would say no.
00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:36.399
No, we should we should definitely play Mark 200 hit F balls on the table.
00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:37.519
There you go.
00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:38.000
Okay.
00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:39.360
So that's coming up, isn't it?
00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:41.440
Yes, it's coming up the first week of August.
00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:43.759
Um I think August 4th through the 9th.
00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:44.240
Okay.
00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:48.320
Um and in order to participate in the world championships, you have to qualify.
00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:53.840
So I play throughout the year in different tournaments, which leads to the ability to qualify.
00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:57.759
And um, we'll be playing eight ball in August in Las Vegas this year.
00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:09.840
I love as a kid, and my uh dad found this uh uh Brunswick pool table in a fraternal lodge somewhere in Kokomo and ended up taking that to our house, putting it back together.
00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:20.000
So I grew up as a kid playing eight ball, but never qualified for anything other than uh probably hitting the white ball into the pocket before I was supposed to or the eight ball ahead of time.
00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:24.720
I was really good at putting the eight bowl in at it, which is you know, uh you lose the game.
00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:25.360
Absolutely.
00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:27.120
Um it's a good time.
00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:28.799
So that's so great.
00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:33.039
So that's been kind of our focus for this second quarter, Mark's.
00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:36.559
I'm glad you were able to talk about that, this idea of shape.
00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:42.080
And now today we're moving into the it's it's hard to imagine that this is Q3.
00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:45.600
Like that's not possible that we could already be starting.
00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:51.200
And so our focus this quarter is to help your sheep identify with you.
00:10:51.360 --> 00:11:00.000
And so just the focus then and to expand on that is that great leadership is relational before it's positional.
00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:06.960
I'd love to have you uh comment on that, Marcus, because you do a lot of leadership development with us here and with the Army.
00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:12.159
And so, how have how does that get lived out in your in your world?
00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:25.440
Greg, one of the one of the things that I tell every audience that I get the privilege of speaking to is that managers and supervisors have the authority to direct based on their position and their title.
00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:26.080
Right.
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:32.000
Leaders have the ability to influence regardless of their position in title.
00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:32.240
Yeah.
00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:32.559
Right.
00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:32.799
Yeah.
00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:57.600
If I uh and it doesn't, it comes off really well when I'm in my military uniform and I'm speaking to a group and I have my lieutenant colonel rank velcroed on my chest, and and I can I can pretty much the majority of the time I can say, hey, listen, if I'm talking to lieutenants or captains or majors, I say, as long as what I'm telling you is legal and lawful, you have to do it.
00:11:58.000 --> 00:12:00.159
And if you don't do it, well then you're insubordinate.
00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:00.480
Yeah.
00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:01.679
That's because of your position.
00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:04.159
That's because of my rank or my position.
00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:04.559
Yeah.
00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:19.440
I then proceed to rip my rank off of my chest, essentially standing there as the lowest level private, and I say, now, what can I do, you know, to to get you to buy into anything that I'm saying?
00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:19.919
Yeah.
00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:20.480
Right?
00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:29.440
And so many times we we confuse the you know the position with the privilege of leadership.
00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:31.600
And and that's our goal, right?
00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:58.080
That our goal is to, you know, I don't care whether your position is a CEO or whether your position is to is you know sweeping the shop floor, you have the ability to influence people in the workplace, uh in home, in the community, and if and if as people with positions or titles aren't willing to listen to those that don't have them, well then you're losing out.
00:12:58.159 --> 00:12:58.320
Yeah.
00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:12.879
I've learned more, I've learned more from those uh you know that would be considered a a subordinate just because I remain open to their experiences and their strengths and their heart and their attitude.
00:13:13.200 --> 00:13:16.240
So it's it's a reciprocal uh relationship.
00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:16.639
Yeah.
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:16.960
Right?
00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:17.519
Yep.
00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:38.879
You know, as I was thinking about how could we illustrate that from scripture, uh, this passage in Philippians is the passage that I think jumped out at me because here's this picture of of the God of the universe not just barking instructions because of the fact that he's God, but he sends his son to live among us.
00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:45.360
So Olivia, why don't uh why don't we have you read this passage from uh Philippians chapter two?
00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:47.120
It's verses five through eight.
00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:54.559
It's probably one of the most profound passages about God's love for us and what he was willing to do.
00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:56.480
Sure.
00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:15.840
Okay, so in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.
00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:33.039
Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:47.519
So Paul's reminding us that Jesus didn't lead from a distance, he entered our world, took the form of a servant, exactly what you were talking about, Marcus, and experienced life as we do.
00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:52.159
Because he came near, he can understand us completely.
00:14:53.039 --> 00:15:03.759
And so the the question that I had on our uh on our screen this morning, Marcus, that I'd like for you to comment on, it's this idea of what's it like to be on the other side of me?
00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:09.440
In other words, when I have a conversation, what do people experience and what what comes across?
00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:12.399
Because that is so significant, isn't it?
00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:23.600
I think, Greg, to un to try to begin to understand what it's like for for people to be on the other side of you, you have to know you.
00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:24.480
Yeah.
00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:32.000
And part of that, and I actually at this, I have our directors uh with a leadership program that we have going on.
00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:35.519
I have them all uh preparing a presentation.
00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:37.279
It's called the Manual of Me.
00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:38.399
Wow.
00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:38.879
Okay.
00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:51.440
And it's not, it might sell it might sound self-centered, but honestly, before you can be begin to lead others and know how to lead others, you know, you have to know how to lead yourself.
00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.440
So you have to know who you are.
00:15:53.679 --> 00:16:17.759
And essentially, these presentations, these manual of me presentations, is if you know somebody sat down, one of our directors sat down with Olivia on her first day, they could share with her, you know, their shape so that she could better understand, you know, where they're and it all it all ties into kind of a leadership philosophy.
00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:28.159
And I will tell you the the ones that I've received thus far, there's there's so much servanthood in the messaging.
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.600
That's so wonderful to hear.
00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:36.960
Either either they've identified themselves as being a or they want to become a servant.
00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:43.679
And and I love this, I love this passage, and I'm kind of I just need to share that.
00:16:43.759 --> 00:16:55.519
I was I I tell the guys all the time and the and the and the gals when I'm when I have the opportunity to speak to them that I'm a that I'm a lawn mower, treadmill, you know, conversation with God kind of guy.
00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:57.360
It's always when I'm doing those things.
00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:10.559
And there was a uh I was I was mowing the lawn on on Friday and uh and I was listening to the Red Clay Strays and uh country band, and Brayden, Braden loves these guys, so he'll if he's listening, he'll know what I'm talking about.
00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:18.000
And I was I was kind of really you know questioning am I doing enough for God?
00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:20.960
Are my priorities where they need to be?
00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:27.920
Am I am I being a good enough husband, a good enough son, a good enough brother, a good enough coworker?
00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:37.759
And a song came on that and I didn't even know the red clay strays to be you know Christians for that matter, but it was called Will the Lord Remember Me?
00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.640
Wow when when when my time is called.
00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:41.440
Yeah.
00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:44.160
And so that ties so much.
00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:54.880
If the if the Lord sent his son to serve others, then it spoke, and I literally stopped the mower and I just had a moment.
00:17:54.960 --> 00:18:04.640
And I just listened to that song, and then I played it over because it was like the Lord was talking to me and saying, continue to serve, yeah, and I will remember you.
00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:04.960
Yeah.
00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:06.160
Aren't those great moments?
00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:12.880
And I would, and I know I'm not sure I've ever heard music on this podcast, but maybe someday that maybe someday we'll play that.
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:21.920
I have it on my phone, and it was just an incredible message that as long as you do your best to cons you know continue serving others and him, he'll remember us.
00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:23.039
Yeah, that's great.
00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:23.599
Right?
00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:24.640
Yep, perfect.
00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:25.119
Yes.
00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:28.319
Well, that relates well to our practice assignment, then.
00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:36.640
Those of you that are listening, uh, here's our practice assignment is that we encourage you to become a student, not just a supervisor.
00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:41.759
Uh so spend some time this week learning from someone on your team.
00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:54.960
Um, so whether you're you're leading people or not, this week, we just want to challenge you to say, hey, let's let's just some spend some time learning from someone on the team, that you put yourself in their boots, if you will.
00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:06.640
I had a big pair of uh concrete boots today uh that uh guy let me use as just an illustration to say that those boots represent a person, and that person has a story.
00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:14.319
And so everybody has a story, and Olivia, that's why we wanted to hear a little bit of your story, and we're so thankful that you're willing to share some of that with us.
00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:33.680
Excited about uh the family that God has given you, excited about you being a part of the Merrill Brothers family, and excited about uh just how God has gifted you in many ways, and that you get to be a part of something that uh I don't know any other person that I know personally that's going to Las Vegas to play in the pool championships.
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:36.400
So we may get a sponsorship going on.
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:43.359
If Olivia shows up in Vegas without a Merrill Brothers shirt on, something that there's a problem.
00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:45.599
So we need to work, we'll have you work on that, Marcus.
00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:47.440
That may be your assignment.
00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:54.319
So if you're listening and that there's some way we can help you take a next step, uh you can always go to Merrowbros.com.
00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:08.960
There's a tab, uh prayer tab up in the upper right-hand corner on our website, and you can say, hey, I'm I'm struggling with this, or I'm at a place like Marcus, you were on Friday, to say, hey, I'm just having some questions right now, and I'd love to talk to somebody about that.
00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.200
And that's uh that's how we want to serve you.
00:20:11.279 --> 00:20:22.319
So if there's some way that we can serve you, walk alongside of you, uh, help to learn more of your story, then make sure you reach out to us uh through Merrillbrose.com.
00:20:22.400 --> 00:20:29.039
If you're uh a part of our uh company and you work in uh in Indiana or in Florida, you can and have my phone number.
00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:35.359
You can always call Greg Reed or you can get a hold of your supervisor, and I'm sure they can uh they can track me down.
00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:42.720
You know, thinking about praying today.
00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:58.799
Uh Livia, I think since you're here with us and you're part of a big family, uh I'd love for you to just pray for the families that are a part of our uh uh Merrill Bros team as they're traveling, just that they'll be able to be intentional about spending time together, getting to know one another.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.400
There are always things we can learn about one another.
00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:12.319
And so I'll have you pray for uh for our families as they're traveling uh for the rest of this summer for safety and just for the opportunity to be able to get to know one another better.
00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:17.759
Marcus, if you'll pray for the supervisors and managers and leaders in our company.
00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.799
I want to pray for the executive team that you're a part of.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:34.319
Um, but why don't you uh you pray for them and then I'll close out by praying for uh uh for those that uh seven seven people that are providing the ultimate direction for our company under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:37.119
So Olivia, go ahead and go ahead and start us out.
00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:37.839
Thanks.
00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:55.599
Lord God, we come to you today um and I would to pray for those families that are traveling this summer, that they get to enjoy their time together and get to know one another as they spend time away from home, and we pray that they have safe travels as they return home, Father.
00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:56.720
Amen.
00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:57.519
Thanks, God.
00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:31.279
Heavenly Father, we I I come to you today acknowledging that that you and and your son chose to lead through service, through servanthood, and I ask and I pray, Lord, that as you guide those that we have given the title of managers and supervisors and directors to, that they don't rest on that title, that they don't they don't guide people just based on their position.
00:22:31.440 --> 00:23:01.200
Lord, I ask that you transition them to leaders that lead through building relationships, that lead through building trust, that lead by getting to know the shape of their people, and give them the strength and the wisdom to truly get to know and understand themselves so that those that they are leading can grasp the direction that that their leaders are wanting to take them, Lord.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:18.079
I just I just ask that our directors and supervisors and managers know that a title enough is not alone and that they come, they come to work, that they go to their families, that they go to their community with a with a heart of service, Lord.
00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:21.680
And and I just I just ask these things in your name.
00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:31.839
Eternal Father, give to our seven members of our executive team the humility of Jesus.
00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:43.759
I pray you would help them to become leaders who understand before directing, who listen before speaking, and serve before expecting.
00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:50.319
Thank you so much for the men that are part of that team that provide direction for this company.
00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.720
Continue to give them clarity, direction, and the power of your Holy Spirit.
00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:56.240
It's in Jesus' name we pray.
00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:56.960
Amen.
00:23:57.119 --> 00:23:57.359
Amen.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:06.720
Well, again, if you need to get a hold of us, uh you can go to Merrillbrose.com and click on the prayer tab, and you can uh send a message our way.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:10.240
And Marcus and Livia, thanks so much for being a part of the podcast.
00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:11.759
It's great to uh have you here.
00:24:12.079 --> 00:24:15.039
Thanks for how and Livia, how many podcasts have you done now?
00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:15.839
This is my first.
00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:16.559
This is your first.
00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:17.920
You're a pro now.
00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:18.880
So I am.
00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:21.440
I'm I'm excited to come back again if I'm invited.
00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:24.240
We're we're gonna have you back after the tournament for sure.
00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:24.720
That's right.
00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:28.160
We want to certainly find out our standings.
00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:28.799
That's it.
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.359
That's great.
00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.640
Well, hey, thanks for listening uh to Solid Start.
00:24:32.720 --> 00:24:37.680
Take care of yourself, take care of your team, and go make today a great day.
