1
00:01:37,910 --> 00:01:46,370
Hello and welcome back to the Perfect 100 where we explore BNI, business, CliftonStrengths
and the journeys people take through it all.
2
00:01:46,370 --> 00:01:48,830
Before we jump in, I have a quick favor to ask.
3
00:01:48,830 --> 00:01:59,930
I recently looked at the YouTube analytics and discovered that only 51 % of you people
that are listening or watching more importantly on YouTube are actually subscribed to the
4
00:01:59,930 --> 00:02:00,230
channel.
5
00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:07,466
So if you're enjoying these conversations, one of the easiest ways to support the show is
to hit the subscribe button.
6
00:02:07,466 --> 00:02:14,468
and it doesn't cost you anything, it just helps us reach more people and allows us to
continue to bring great guests and content every week.
7
00:02:14,468 --> 00:02:24,171
And of course, if you know a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or team who could
benefit from CliftonStrengths or business coaching, speaking, or training, referrals are
8
00:02:24,171 --> 00:02:25,306
always appreciated.
9
00:02:25,306 --> 00:02:28,433
I work with clients both locally and globally.
10
00:02:28,433 --> 00:02:31,954
All right, now today's episode is a little bit different.
11
00:02:31,954 --> 00:02:34,816
Most of our guests are active BNI members.
12
00:02:34,816 --> 00:02:45,562
John Bryant is a former BNI member who is a forensic meteorologist, climate consultant,
and expert witness whose work takes him all over the country.
13
00:02:45,562 --> 00:02:52,125
As I've prepared for this interview, I realized that John represents a challenge many
professionals face.
14
00:02:52,125 --> 00:02:56,267
Some businesses fit naturally into referral networking.
15
00:02:56,267 --> 00:02:58,168
Others are highly specialized.
16
00:02:58,168 --> 00:03:01,322
Some people seem naturally wired to network.
17
00:03:01,322 --> 00:03:05,387
while others are wired to execute, analyze, and solve problems.
18
00:03:05,387 --> 00:03:14,356
So today, we're going to explore not only John's fascinating career, but what happens when
your business doesn't quite fit the traditional networking mold.
19
00:03:14,356 --> 00:03:16,438
John, welcome to the program.
20
00:03:16,775 --> 00:03:17,836
Thank you, Tammy.
21
00:03:17,836 --> 00:03:28,896
I really appreciate you having me on and I look forward to this conversation because
growing businesses and how you coach businesses is pretty cool.
22
00:03:28,896 --> 00:03:34,026
So I think what you do is awesome and I appreciate you allowing me to be on the show.
23
00:03:34,026 --> 00:03:38,633
Well, it is my pleasure and I think the audience is going to find this very interesting.
24
00:03:38,633 --> 00:03:41,156
but let's start where, let's get a little background.
25
00:03:41,156 --> 00:03:44,721
So before weather became your career, what were you like as a kid?
26
00:03:44,721 --> 00:03:45,943
Tell me about growing up.
27
00:03:45,943 --> 00:03:48,946
What do your folks do for work, that kind of stuff.
28
00:03:48,967 --> 00:03:56,304
Yeah, well, my dad was uh an engineer for a long time and he was actually a rocket
scientist, believe it or not.
29
00:03:56,304 --> 00:03:57,275
I just thought about that.
30
00:03:57,275 --> 00:04:01,740
I did not get those brains, but he was an engineer for a long time.
31
00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:03,702
My mother, she grew up...
32
00:04:03,702 --> 00:04:05,051
uh
33
00:04:05,051 --> 00:04:12,159
Well, my roots are in Mississippi, but she did speech therapy and worked for Memphis Oral
School for the Deaf.
34
00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:16,184
And my dad worked for Boeing, uh NASA, Pickering Environmental.
35
00:04:16,184 --> 00:04:21,906
uh So I do have good inspiration from my parents, that's for sure.
36
00:04:21,906 --> 00:04:22,926
Nice.
37
00:04:23,447 --> 00:04:26,178
you're that one saying, you it's not rocket science.
38
00:04:26,178 --> 00:04:28,309
And in your case, it actually is.
39
00:04:30,651 --> 00:04:31,431
I get it.
40
00:04:31,431 --> 00:04:37,794
But you can you can kind of legit say that, you know, in my family, we're all about rocket
science over here.
41
00:04:38,935 --> 00:04:40,436
So tell me about weather.
42
00:04:40,436 --> 00:04:43,047
What first sparked your fascination with weather?
43
00:04:43,165 --> 00:04:50,198
You know, tell you what, and I have asked this question to everybody that is interested in
weather.
44
00:04:50,198 --> 00:04:54,020
I'm like, okay, and there are a lot of people that are fascinated by weather.
45
00:04:54,020 --> 00:04:58,482
I asked them, when did you become interested in weather?
46
00:04:58,482 --> 00:05:04,045
I have never gotten an answer where somebody says, oh, just the last couple of years.
47
00:05:04,045 --> 00:05:07,646
It seems like people are born.
48
00:05:07,646 --> 00:05:10,748
Some people are just born to find weather fascinating.
49
00:05:10,748 --> 00:05:13,289
And that is me.
50
00:05:13,289 --> 00:05:15,002
I've been a weather dork all my life.
51
00:05:15,002 --> 00:05:16,715
I love weather.
52
00:05:16,715 --> 00:05:18,859
And it's always fascinated me.
53
00:05:18,859 --> 00:05:22,305
And I love asking people that question that are weather fanatics.
54
00:05:22,305 --> 00:05:25,490
And I have never had one person tell me otherwise.
55
00:05:25,718 --> 00:05:26,869
So cool.
56
00:05:26,869 --> 00:05:36,840
you, the meteorology kind of the, it was just a natural progression for you or was that
something you decided kind of that made sense for what your interests were?
57
00:05:36,913 --> 00:05:47,165
Yeah, natural progression because I always knew, which is, I think this is pretty rare,
and I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything because my kids are still trying to
58
00:05:47,165 --> 00:05:49,158
figure out exactly what they're gonna do.
59
00:05:49,158 --> 00:05:52,952
But I always knew what I wanted to do.
60
00:05:52,952 --> 00:05:54,097
Now, I...
61
00:05:54,097 --> 00:05:55,938
didn't necessarily have the confidence.
62
00:05:55,938 --> 00:05:58,399
Now I always ask my mother, mom, do you think I have it?
63
00:05:58,399 --> 00:05:59,470
Mom, do you think I have it?
64
00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:01,090
And she would say, yes, son, you have it.
65
00:06:01,090 --> 00:06:01,811
Yes, you have it.
66
00:06:01,811 --> 00:06:16,087
uh But I used to grow up watching the Weather Channel and I'm dating myself here, but I
would use VHS tapes to tape the Weather Channel and then practice at my house and stop the
67
00:06:16,087 --> 00:06:18,909
VHS tapes and act like there was a green screen.
68
00:06:18,909 --> 00:06:23,841
This is just a wall of a global map, not to scale, but
69
00:06:24,021 --> 00:06:36,858
Anyway, that's what I would do and I just pursued my dream and it did work out not
necessarily the way I planned it, but it worked out and it just, I will give my mother a
70
00:06:36,858 --> 00:06:39,557
lot of credit for saying, son, you do have it.
71
00:06:39,557 --> 00:06:49,678
Because I didn't know, I didn't believe and she just instilled upon me, you have to
believe in yourself if you want to achieve and be successful.
72
00:06:49,749 --> 00:06:50,340
Yeah, love that.
73
00:06:50,340 --> 00:07:01,012
Well, and I listen to a lot of podcasts and a lot of actors have that where they'll say,
when they talk about their background, one of the things that seems that comes up often
74
00:07:01,012 --> 00:07:05,047
when I'm listening to them is that they all were acting as a kid, right?
75
00:07:05,047 --> 00:07:10,025
They were all putting on shows at their house for their folks or their family or the
neighbors.
76
00:07:10,025 --> 00:07:15,357
they were looking for the opportunity to be the thing, right, as they were practicing and
honing.
77
00:07:15,357 --> 00:07:25,000
So I love that you were recording yourself and practicing, um you know, that you could
foresee moving that forward into a career.
78
00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:32,723
So talk about, tell me about TV because how did you get into TV and, you know, why was
that the step you wanted to take?
79
00:07:32,908 --> 00:07:34,730
this is how I got in.
80
00:07:35,105 --> 00:07:38,885
I have always been a Mississippi State Bulldog.
81
00:07:38,885 --> 00:07:51,169
believe it or not, they had a program for not only did they combine the science, but they
also uh combined the broadcasting element.
82
00:07:51,460 --> 00:08:01,795
grew up loving Mississippi State because my parents went there and it was actually just a
blessing from God to be honest with you because they had the perfect program that I needed
83
00:08:01,795 --> 00:08:04,636
for college and I worked through high school.
84
00:08:04,636 --> 00:08:08,538
Germantown High School has an excellent uh television.
85
00:08:08,538 --> 00:08:15,881
I mean some of the studios that they have at Germantown High School at the time when I was
there are better than local television stations.
86
00:08:15,881 --> 00:08:21,364
So that helped me and then of course my education being fortunate enough to grow up
87
00:08:21,364 --> 00:08:26,567
uh where my parents were, you know, had the means to send me uh somewhere.
88
00:08:26,567 --> 00:08:30,368
And plus I just had the drive and motivation and I loved it.
89
00:08:30,368 --> 00:08:33,910
I really loved what I did in college and.
90
00:08:34,394 --> 00:08:39,286
At the time, now this is not the case, but you know, at the time it was one of the only
school.
91
00:08:39,286 --> 00:08:45,980
was the only school in the country that boasted a 100 % job placement rate right out of
school.
92
00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:48,651
So I don't think that's the case.
93
00:08:48,651 --> 00:08:50,732
Now things are more challenging.
94
00:08:50,732 --> 00:08:56,324
Things are just more challenging in the workplace now, especially in the field I was in.
95
00:08:56,324 --> 00:09:00,106
And so, you know, at the time it was like, okay, I've got a job.
96
00:09:00,106 --> 00:09:04,218
I started working uh in college at a low, not a local
97
00:09:04,218 --> 00:09:07,410
station, but I would travel on the weekend, Greenville, Mississippi.
98
00:09:07,510 --> 00:09:15,756
And then to make a long story short, television normally, you you start in a small market
and you, your goal is to move up, right?
99
00:09:15,756 --> 00:09:19,478
um And, and end up in your dream place.
100
00:09:19,478 --> 00:09:21,580
But TV, you have to pivot.
101
00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:30,528
If, if, if anybody's listening to this show or watching the podcast right now, you have to
prepare for the unexpected because different things are going to come your way.
102
00:09:30,528 --> 00:09:31,888
You're going to have to move.
103
00:09:31,888 --> 00:09:34,208
You're going to be disappointed, but you have to keep going.
104
00:09:34,208 --> 00:09:36,810
You just have to pick your bootstraps up and keep going.
105
00:09:36,810 --> 00:09:45,896
And so I went to Tupelo for three months and then I came to Memphis and worked for two and
a half decades for three stations, three or four stations.
106
00:09:45,896 --> 00:09:48,978
And it was really a journey.
107
00:09:48,978 --> 00:09:54,101
And I'll tell you how I got a job, my third job in Memphis.
108
00:09:54,101 --> 00:09:58,734
I bugged the heck out of my news director and I wrote her letters.
109
00:09:58,734 --> 00:10:04,389
I called her, you know, I just, she'll tell you, I drove her crazy and she finally,
110
00:10:04,389 --> 00:10:11,360
was nice enough to give me a job and then it was off to the races and she believed in me
and Peggy Phillip.
111
00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:17,769
I've got to thank Peggy Phillip for giving me my first job and it really it really worked
out from there.
112
00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:18,260
Awesome.
113
00:10:18,260 --> 00:10:20,242
Yeah, well, there's a lot of stuff in there.
114
00:10:20,242 --> 00:10:30,088
you know, that stick-to-itiveness that, you know, I think every business owner has the
people that are listening are primarily BNI people, business owners.
115
00:10:30,088 --> 00:10:38,637
that having the, what's the word I'm looking for, perseverance, right, to work in those.
116
00:10:38,637 --> 00:10:40,395
I have an uncle that's in TV.
117
00:10:40,395 --> 00:10:41,446
Well, he was in TV.
118
00:10:41,446 --> 00:10:42,597
He was a sportscaster.
119
00:10:42,597 --> 00:10:47,570
So he all the same things you just said, work in a small market or, you know, kind of take
120
00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:56,594
take the, come up and you you gotta take, you gotta take the work in the tiny markets and
not make a lot of money to get to the next one, which is bigger and so on and so forth to
121
00:10:56,594 --> 00:10:58,325
get to the big leagues, right?
122
00:10:58,325 --> 00:11:03,277
And sometimes we never get to the big leagues or then we shift directions to something
else.
123
00:11:03,277 --> 00:11:05,308
And sometimes that's really hard.
124
00:11:05,429 --> 00:11:08,951
because we thought we were going one way and now we're going another, right?
125
00:11:08,951 --> 00:11:13,494
So, welcome to most people's stories, I feel like, right?
126
00:11:13,494 --> 00:11:19,778
It's very few people kind of start out from, especially if you have that dream when you're
little, you know, that I want to do this.
127
00:11:19,778 --> 00:11:27,862
I'm standing in front of a camera making, you know, videos because I want to do this,
realizing that dream and then sometimes it changes.
128
00:11:27,982 --> 00:11:32,615
I feel like that's a common story for entrepreneurs.
129
00:11:32,615 --> 00:11:33,816
and your story doesn't end there.
130
00:11:33,816 --> 00:11:39,063
We're gonna talk about that, where it does go in a little bit here, what do people tell
me?
131
00:11:39,063 --> 00:11:50,937
Because I think you were a celebrity on television, so I think that comes with that, comes
some things, but what do people really misunderstand about being a meteorologist on
132
00:11:50,937 --> 00:11:52,018
television?
133
00:11:52,112 --> 00:11:57,365
Yeah, well, we could go a long way with this one.
134
00:11:57,365 --> 00:12:05,989
And the first thing I will say, and I'm serious about this, um I had calls when I first
started at the NBC affiliate here in Memphis.
135
00:12:05,989 --> 00:12:15,413
People would get mad um that it rained and I said that it was not going to rain and they
actually believe that we control the weather.
136
00:12:15,413 --> 00:12:17,664
I kid you not.
137
00:12:17,664 --> 00:12:20,275
And so that people would get upset.
138
00:12:20,275 --> 00:12:22,036
But I can tell you a mis-
139
00:12:22,036 --> 00:12:34,596
Misconception I'm not going to speak for every broadcast meteorologist or meteorologist,
you know in the world, but I will tell you the overwhelming number of meteorologists Want
140
00:12:34,596 --> 00:12:35,976
to get it right?
141
00:12:35,976 --> 00:12:48,096
We want to get it right for who we're delivering it to those are our clients the viewers
are our clients and we have to serve them and so I promise you one of the misconceptions
142
00:12:48,096 --> 00:12:49,168
is that we
143
00:12:49,168 --> 00:12:52,009
we just get it wrong all the time.
144
00:12:52,009 --> 00:12:53,400
you can keep a job.
145
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,662
You'll never get fired because you've got the forecast wrong.
146
00:12:56,662 --> 00:12:58,672
And so that's one of the misconceptions.
147
00:12:58,672 --> 00:13:04,965
Another misconception is that it's so glamorous and it's just like the hardest thing in
the world.
148
00:13:04,965 --> 00:13:06,676
People think it's easy to be a journalist.
149
00:13:06,676 --> 00:13:07,826
It's not.
150
00:13:08,827 --> 00:13:14,310
I'm, well, I'm still in the field because I freelance for stations here locally sometimes,
but not full-time.
151
00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:17,211
uh And I will not go back full-time.
152
00:13:17,531 --> 00:13:19,453
But I would say that's misconception.
153
00:13:19,453 --> 00:13:26,653
It's one of the most stressful jobs in America and across the planet really to be honest
with you.
154
00:13:26,748 --> 00:13:28,171
Okay, and why?
155
00:13:28,819 --> 00:13:35,065
I um think the number one reason is you're always fighting for ratings,
156
00:13:36,581 --> 00:13:40,693
Typically, that's how success is defined in the workplace.
157
00:13:40,693 --> 00:13:48,241
If we're just talking about revenue, oh you're always, every show, you're thinking, how
can I beat the competition?
158
00:13:48,261 --> 00:13:51,984
What can I do to differentiate myself from beating the competition?
159
00:13:51,984 --> 00:13:53,545
And here's the deal.
160
00:13:53,586 --> 00:13:59,811
It doesn't matter uh if you know that you did the best job in the world.
161
00:13:59,811 --> 00:14:04,022
You can look at the ratings the next day and you may lose.
162
00:14:04,022 --> 00:14:04,807
Right.
163
00:14:05,043 --> 00:14:11,046
And that is the biggest pressure is looking at those numbers every day.
164
00:14:11,546 --> 00:14:12,266
you're number one?
165
00:14:12,266 --> 00:14:12,727
Great.
166
00:14:12,727 --> 00:14:13,867
But guess what?
167
00:14:13,867 --> 00:14:15,448
That was yesterday.
168
00:14:15,448 --> 00:14:16,398
It's all through today.
169
00:14:16,398 --> 00:14:21,131
You have to maintain that competition every day to be number one.
170
00:14:21,131 --> 00:14:27,053
And that's why I would say it's one of the most uh challenging jobs in America and also
stressful.
171
00:14:27,053 --> 00:14:32,196
I would read those polls, you know, what the top 10 most stressful jobs and think of
journalism.
172
00:14:32,196 --> 00:14:33,536
That's easy, right?
173
00:14:33,536 --> 00:14:35,357
That's glamorous, right?
174
00:14:35,637 --> 00:14:37,208
It's really not sometimes.
175
00:14:37,208 --> 00:14:40,080
It's really, really stressful and it's around the clock.
176
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,362
Social media, I remember when that came along.
177
00:14:42,362 --> 00:14:48,526
Again, dating myself, I was in there before social media and it was easier.
178
00:14:48,526 --> 00:15:01,934
Now the platforms are increasing and it's, I mean, if you're not careful, you can really,
really, uh let me just say, become a workaholic and your family life can get compromised
179
00:15:02,114 --> 00:15:02,874
and...
180
00:15:03,155 --> 00:15:09,320
To be honest, that's what happened to me uh before I got out, especially as chief
meteorologist.
181
00:15:09,561 --> 00:15:13,525
It doesn't matter whose fault it is, it ultimately comes back to you as chief.
182
00:15:13,525 --> 00:15:15,847
um And that's a lot of pressure.
183
00:15:15,847 --> 00:15:20,351
uh But it's just the way that it is.
184
00:15:20,532 --> 00:15:23,212
Those are the nuts and bolts of it, to be honest with you.
185
00:15:23,212 --> 00:15:32,479
Yeah, well, and again, you kind of described, which I'm sure the people listening are
hearing, is the parallels between, so you're working with the team, right?
186
00:15:32,479 --> 00:15:34,811
So it isn't just you.
187
00:15:34,811 --> 00:15:45,960
If the team as a whole isn't meeting those expectations, then you're failing because,
especially in the news, it's a 24-hour cycle these days.
188
00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,982
So whatever happened yesterday doesn't matter.
189
00:15:47,982 --> 00:15:50,023
It's what happens today and the next day.
190
00:15:50,023 --> 00:15:51,554
Every day is a new day for you.
191
00:15:51,554 --> 00:15:52,565
It's not a
192
00:15:52,565 --> 00:15:57,948
I mean, you build a reputation and a brand, but that can change in a heartbeat.
193
00:15:57,948 --> 00:16:05,853
And it's just like being in business is if you're running whatever business you own or
work in, that changes too, if you're not working at it every day.
194
00:16:05,853 --> 00:16:16,910
And I think what you said is fascinating that, you you used the word journalist a couple
of times, and I don't know that people consider that you're standing in front of them
195
00:16:16,910 --> 00:16:18,625
telling the weather, but.
196
00:16:18,625 --> 00:16:20,256
it's much more, right?
197
00:16:20,256 --> 00:16:28,703
As you're looking at the weather models all the time and you know, tell me about what's
the biggest weather event that you ever covered?
198
00:16:28,767 --> 00:16:30,628
Hurricane Katrina without a doubt.
199
00:16:30,628 --> 00:16:43,324
remember I was very young in my early 20s and I was really I'm a hurricane expert because
I've chased so many that that's one of the crazy storm elements of me.
200
00:16:43,324 --> 00:16:53,849
I love chasing hurricanes and so I had experience in college and in my lower 20s and I
remember my station the NBC affiliate at the time said we're sending you to Hattiesburg
201
00:16:53,849 --> 00:16:55,860
and down into southern Louisiana.
202
00:16:55,860 --> 00:16:58,701
They it was a smaller station so they didn't have
203
00:16:58,701 --> 00:17:04,661
The personnel, if you will, and they needed round the clock coverage.
204
00:17:04,921 --> 00:17:10,681
And they just didn't have the staffing because smaller stations just don't have the
staffing that larger stations do.
205
00:17:10,681 --> 00:17:16,701
So they sent me and I will never forget that experience.
206
00:17:16,701 --> 00:17:17,921
Changed my life.
207
00:17:17,921 --> 00:17:23,461
And I remember Tammy, this is something interesting too that I just thought of off the top
of my head.
208
00:17:23,461 --> 00:17:25,801
Our job is to serve viewers, right?
209
00:17:25,801 --> 00:17:27,861
And provide them with life-saving information.
210
00:17:27,861 --> 00:17:28,801
That's the most important
211
00:17:28,801 --> 00:17:34,646
thing meteorologists do and I remember saying to the viewers
212
00:17:34,807 --> 00:17:38,139
And I really thought this that the TV station was going to fall.
213
00:17:38,139 --> 00:17:42,231
I mean, not the station, the tower was going to fall on the TV station.
214
00:17:42,231 --> 00:17:53,436
And I said, folks, look, if we go silent for a minute, I promise you we're going to get
back up and running as quick as we can to provide you with information, but no doubt about
215
00:17:53,436 --> 00:17:53,776
it.
216
00:17:53,776 --> 00:17:55,977
And it's not just being on TV.
217
00:17:55,977 --> 00:18:03,521
It's really connecting with those people when you are off the camera and hearing their
story and their journey.
218
00:18:03,521 --> 00:18:04,661
And I just remember.
219
00:18:04,661 --> 00:18:09,805
remember everybody coming together in that Hurricane Katrina situation.
220
00:18:09,805 --> 00:18:10,666
It was miserable.
221
00:18:10,666 --> 00:18:11,487
It really was.
222
00:18:11,487 --> 00:18:19,934
um And we, you know, when the hurricane had kind of come and land, I remember work, it
slowed down and we thought it was over.
223
00:18:19,934 --> 00:18:23,257
And I was at a restaurant, lucky enough to have power.
224
00:18:23,257 --> 00:18:26,579
And then we saw the levees break and it was like...
225
00:18:26,739 --> 00:18:30,607
I was with my producer and I was like, oh my gosh.
226
00:18:30,607 --> 00:18:34,034
I mean, it was just a moment that is inconceivable.
227
00:18:34,034 --> 00:18:38,412
um so there's no hesitation, Hurricane Katrina.
228
00:18:38,412 --> 00:18:49,277
Yeah, that's probably, we have some viewers that are outside the country, so I don't know
that that would make, I think if we're in the United States, we all know that, right?
229
00:18:49,277 --> 00:18:58,912
It was such a big weather event, even in this area, we had a lot of people that lost their
homes and ended up here because they just gave up, I don't want to live in the zone
230
00:18:58,912 --> 00:19:04,874
anymore, I'm just done with it, so they ended up moving, and we absorbed, I think a lot of
those folks come into this area.
231
00:19:04,874 --> 00:19:06,975
So is that the longest shift you ever worked?
232
00:19:06,975 --> 00:19:08,493
I'm always amazed.
233
00:19:08,493 --> 00:19:09,071
I don't
234
00:19:09,071 --> 00:19:14,151
actually watch local news because I don't have the channels that get me that.
235
00:19:14,151 --> 00:19:16,491
But whenever there's a weather event, guess what I do?
236
00:19:16,491 --> 00:19:22,391
I go online and I pull up, I pull up a live broadcast so I can see what's happening.
237
00:19:22,391 --> 00:19:28,011
So I know if there's a tornado, because we live in an area here where we don't have
basements for the most part.
238
00:19:28,011 --> 00:19:29,491
I don't have a basement.
239
00:19:29,491 --> 00:19:32,031
So I'm like, you know, where do I need to be?
240
00:19:32,031 --> 00:19:34,151
Is there going to be a tornado in my backyard?
241
00:19:34,151 --> 00:19:38,291
I need to be prepared if I need to be in a, you know, cubby hole somewhere.
242
00:19:38,351 --> 00:19:39,165
So how
243
00:19:39,165 --> 00:19:40,905
what does that look like?
244
00:19:40,905 --> 00:19:44,589
Yeah, and I will backtrack for a little.
245
00:19:44,589 --> 00:19:45,015
Yeah.
246
00:19:45,015 --> 00:19:52,819
the global people that are outside of the United States, I was not working, uh but I was
headed to London.
247
00:19:52,819 --> 00:19:55,340
It was my first trip to actually get out of America.
248
00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:57,321
I was so excited.
249
00:19:57,321 --> 00:20:08,446
And I don't know if you remember or not, but there was a volcano uh that blew up or
erupted and spewed all this ash.
250
00:20:08,446 --> 00:20:11,388
mean, massive uh eruption.
251
00:20:11,388 --> 00:20:14,609
And I remember we had to land
252
00:20:14,689 --> 00:20:17,571
in Holland, Amsterdam.
253
00:20:17,571 --> 00:20:18,502
I'll never forget this.
254
00:20:18,502 --> 00:20:24,856
Thankfully, my buddy at the time, had uh some family who lived in Holland, which I was
really lucky about that.
255
00:20:24,856 --> 00:20:31,621
But air travel across Europe, I believe it was three days where air travel was grounded
because of this eruption.
256
00:20:31,621 --> 00:20:37,064
So for your global audience, if anybody was a part of that, you definitely know what I'm
talking about.
257
00:20:37,064 --> 00:20:39,666
So I wasn't working, but I'll never forget that.
258
00:20:39,666 --> 00:20:41,027
And that's a weather event too.
259
00:20:41,027 --> 00:20:44,339
um Not the traditional meteorology, but
260
00:20:44,339 --> 00:20:47,573
the environment and the way the planet works, it's all tied together.
261
00:20:47,573 --> 00:20:54,162
uh So I forget the question, but I just wanted to say that for our global audience.
262
00:20:54,162 --> 00:21:01,222
the longest shift you ever had to work and now you because you said you were working
around the clock for Katrina and I know if that was the longest one you ever because I
263
00:21:01,222 --> 00:21:04,654
when I'm tuning in I'm thinking to myself these people are on like
264
00:21:04,654 --> 00:21:13,678
And they're saying the thing that strikes me the most is how many times you're saying the
same thing over and over and over because you have to keep everybody because that storm is
265
00:21:13,678 --> 00:21:22,431
coming across and you need to let everybody in the front of it know do you need to be in
your cubby hole somewhere, you know, and that's so you're constantly saying the same
266
00:21:22,431 --> 00:21:23,261
things over again.
267
00:21:23,261 --> 00:21:25,202
So what was that event for you?
268
00:21:25,321 --> 00:21:28,043
Yeah, that was Hurricane Harvey when it came.
269
00:21:28,043 --> 00:21:39,003
into Texas and believe it or not, the weather, our weather patterns are changing and
hurricanes are staying stronger now further inland.
270
00:21:39,383 --> 00:21:44,602
And so Hurricane Harvey, when it went through, when it came through Southeast Texas,
caused all that rain.
271
00:21:44,643 --> 00:21:49,743
I remember there was 31 tornado warnings in a 27 hour stretch.
272
00:21:49,743 --> 00:21:52,763
And when it's a tornado warning, you are wall to wall.
273
00:21:52,763 --> 00:21:56,603
I mean, you have to keep talking, like you said, repeating yourself.
274
00:21:56,783 --> 00:21:57,997
So 31 tornado warnings.
275
00:21:57,997 --> 00:22:02,678
27 hours and I remember being at the station that entire time.
276
00:22:02,678 --> 00:22:04,631
I had to take a break to be honest with you.
277
00:22:04,631 --> 00:22:09,084
I mean, I had to try to sleep an hour ice storms when they go on.
278
00:22:09,085 --> 00:22:10,145
And here's another thing.
279
00:22:10,145 --> 00:22:13,668
I mean, stations now are just breaking news.
280
00:22:13,668 --> 00:22:15,159
It's just it's always a fight.
281
00:22:15,159 --> 00:22:20,472
They're extending it longer, but I would say probably 48 hours where I was at the station.
282
00:22:20,472 --> 00:22:22,045
Hurricane Katrina was a week now.
283
00:22:22,045 --> 00:22:24,715
It wasn't, you know, on air for.
284
00:22:24,758 --> 00:22:25,187
Yeah.
285
00:22:25,187 --> 00:22:32,176
I would say to answer your question, I'm trying to think here, um probably 24 hours an
entire day.
286
00:22:32,778 --> 00:22:33,547
Yeah.
287
00:22:33,547 --> 00:22:41,262
that you're on camera and talking, engaging people and warning them, know, which is the
biggest thing is.
288
00:22:41,390 --> 00:22:52,170
The only time I see the weather, I shouldn't say that, I look at the weather every day
because I have dogs and they are big and they are furry and I do not want to be, I do not
289
00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:56,650
want to be in the rain with big furry dogs and plus one is terrified of thunderstorms.
290
00:22:56,650 --> 00:23:00,090
So I am always, I feel like a junior meteorologist every day.
291
00:23:00,090 --> 00:23:03,972
I'm looking at the weather going, we should be walking between here and here.
292
00:23:03,972 --> 00:23:04,892
yes.
293
00:23:05,073 --> 00:23:05,514
Yeah.
294
00:23:05,514 --> 00:23:06,585
And the dogs, they do.
295
00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:11,092
You always have to plan your day and time when it's time for them to go out.
296
00:23:11,092 --> 00:23:12,474
And you're like, let me look at the radar.
297
00:23:12,474 --> 00:23:14,755
So I definitely relate to that.
298
00:23:14,755 --> 00:23:23,978
Well, and one of my dogs is like, we know when a storm is coming because he must feel the
pressure change and he immediately gets very clingy.
299
00:23:23,978 --> 00:23:30,019
And you know, you're suddenly, I mean, he's 136 pound dog and he's terrified of storms.
300
00:23:30,019 --> 00:23:36,311
So when he comes by you, lays down and starts slobbering, you know there's a storm coming.
301
00:23:36,311 --> 00:23:37,471
Like it looks like it's sunny out.
302
00:23:37,471 --> 00:23:39,122
No, there's a storm coming.
303
00:23:39,147 --> 00:23:41,247
Yeah, I've got a German Shepherd.
304
00:23:41,547 --> 00:23:41,967
Interesting mix.
305
00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:43,787
I have a German Shepherd and a Pomeranian.
306
00:23:43,787 --> 00:23:49,647
Now the funny thing is the German Shepherd is freaked out about storms and is doing the
same thing that you're talking about.
307
00:23:49,647 --> 00:23:54,567
My Pomeranian, she just sitting outside like enjoying it, which is so weird.
308
00:23:54,567 --> 00:23:58,047
But yeah, dogs have that sick sense of when weather is coming.
309
00:23:58,047 --> 00:23:59,767
Like you said, pressure changing.
310
00:23:59,887 --> 00:24:01,687
And so I do.
311
00:24:01,687 --> 00:24:03,187
I do watch animals.
312
00:24:03,187 --> 00:24:05,427
Animals really know about the weather.
313
00:24:05,427 --> 00:24:06,707
Even even bird patterns.
314
00:24:06,707 --> 00:24:09,151
I mean, I'm fortunate enough to be able to look
315
00:24:09,151 --> 00:24:20,633
outside, live along the Mississippi River, and it's a microclimate of its own, uh meaning
just there's different weather here on the island versus what there is in the city of
316
00:24:20,633 --> 00:24:21,354
Memphis.
317
00:24:21,354 --> 00:24:29,943
But you watch birds and how they freak out or how they plan and they change their
patterns, uh and they know.
318
00:24:29,951 --> 00:24:31,031
Well, they're flying in the sky.
319
00:24:31,031 --> 00:24:32,512
They see the clouds too.
320
00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:37,757
But yeah, animals have this sixth sense, if you will, about weather and it is real.
321
00:24:37,757 --> 00:24:40,959
so watch animals next time you're thinking of is a storm coming?
322
00:24:40,959 --> 00:24:44,521
Because you'll see, I'll see people jogging and you'll see it lightning.
323
00:24:44,521 --> 00:24:46,883
And it's like, what are these people doing?
324
00:24:46,883 --> 00:24:50,015
And so I'm watching that, not the sky, but the animals and what they're doing.
325
00:24:50,015 --> 00:24:51,386
And they have that sixth sense.
326
00:24:51,386 --> 00:24:52,482
So watch animals.
327
00:24:52,482 --> 00:24:56,084
Yeah, so you shouldn't be jogging during a rainstorm.
328
00:24:58,906 --> 00:24:59,808
With an umbrella.
329
00:24:59,808 --> 00:25:01,269
yeah, yeah.
330
00:25:01,269 --> 00:25:02,471
I mean, it's just not smart.
331
00:25:02,471 --> 00:25:02,921
Come on.
332
00:25:02,921 --> 00:25:05,343
You know, little bit of logic here.
333
00:25:05,343 --> 00:25:13,010
We did have a lightning strike a couple of weeks ago down here and it, know, thankfully
the people weren't home.
334
00:25:13,010 --> 00:25:14,821
uh Firefighters were awesome.
335
00:25:14,821 --> 00:25:17,033
They got the animals out or the dog out.
336
00:25:17,033 --> 00:25:18,154
We're just talking about animals.
337
00:25:18,154 --> 00:25:23,358
uh And so you know what I'm freaked out most about with weather?
338
00:25:23,805 --> 00:25:25,996
And that is lightning.
339
00:25:26,396 --> 00:25:30,859
you know, for all of our, if you're watching, listening, don't mess around with lightning.
340
00:25:30,859 --> 00:25:32,930
I can't predict where it's going to strike.
341
00:25:32,930 --> 00:25:40,424
Nobody can, to the like precise home or apartment, um, don't mess around with lightning.
342
00:25:40,424 --> 00:25:44,546
I tell kids all the time and it really, this is for adults too.
343
00:25:44,546 --> 00:25:47,688
When thunder roars go indoors, it's a cliche.
344
00:25:47,688 --> 00:25:50,370
We say it all the time, but people can remember that.
345
00:25:50,370 --> 00:25:51,660
I don't mess around with lightning.
346
00:25:51,660 --> 00:25:52,628
It freaks me out.
347
00:25:52,628 --> 00:25:53,631
Okay, awesome.
348
00:25:53,631 --> 00:25:58,132
So what did being in television teach you about credibility and trust?
349
00:25:58,557 --> 00:25:59,578
it taught me everything.
350
00:25:59,578 --> 00:26:07,251
And like you were saying, look, it takes one split second to lose trust.
351
00:26:07,251 --> 00:26:12,273
And it takes years to build up trust and a reputation.
352
00:26:12,273 --> 00:26:13,874
You have to know that.
353
00:26:13,874 --> 00:26:16,235
You have to know that you say one thing.
354
00:26:16,235 --> 00:26:18,556
This is another reason there's pressure.
355
00:26:18,556 --> 00:26:24,859
You say one thing and your reputation, your trust is gone and you can't get it back.
356
00:26:25,611 --> 00:26:27,451
people will remember.
357
00:26:27,631 --> 00:26:29,831
And so that was, this is always the number one thing.
358
00:26:29,831 --> 00:26:36,131
And I really, and even now, I, you know, I want people to trust me, you know, you want to
maintain a reputation.
359
00:26:36,131 --> 00:26:44,691
And when you're in the media, it doesn't matter if you're on TV or not, when you're in the
media working at a station, anybody can make up anything about you, right?
360
00:26:44,691 --> 00:26:49,991
But you literally, you go to a Grizzlies game or something and it's the way you walk.
361
00:26:49,991 --> 00:26:52,631
It's like, Oh my gosh, you know, somebody's looking at me.
362
00:26:52,631 --> 00:26:53,911
What are they going to say?
363
00:26:53,911 --> 00:26:55,615
That's another reason it's stressful.
364
00:26:55,615 --> 00:26:56,597
to dinner, know?
365
00:26:56,597 --> 00:26:59,451
mean, people looking at you and all this stuff.
366
00:26:59,553 --> 00:27:01,397
It's a tough job.
367
00:27:01,397 --> 00:27:02,749
It really is tough job.
368
00:27:02,749 --> 00:27:04,728
Reputation is huge.
369
00:27:04,728 --> 00:27:16,888
Well, and that's a celebrity thing, Is that you don't necessarily think your weatherman
has celebrity, but they do, weather person, woman, whatever.
370
00:27:16,888 --> 00:27:24,074
uh And I think that that's a, I went out with my uncle, he lives in uh Indiana at the time
he did.
371
00:27:24,074 --> 00:27:29,031
we went, he was in the Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, yeah, market.
372
00:27:29,031 --> 00:27:37,894
and we went out some places for dinner and people are coming over and I'm like, this isn't
my uncle, but to me, but everybody's like, oh, there he is.
373
00:27:38,391 --> 00:27:40,106
It becomes a whole thing.
374
00:27:40,106 --> 00:27:42,457
And so now you're living your life.
375
00:27:42,457 --> 00:27:49,179
Imagine everybody listening if everything you said and everything you did in your business
was being broadcast.
376
00:27:49,559 --> 00:27:56,266
It makes for a stressful environment when you have to be careful, everything you say, how
you show up, but guess what?
377
00:27:56,266 --> 00:28:05,030
everything you do and say on social media is the same because it only takes a minute for
you to say the wrong thing in any place and become part of a problem.
378
00:28:05,257 --> 00:28:06,608
That is so true.
379
00:28:06,608 --> 00:28:18,793
I, you know, one thing that I started telling kids and now, like you just said, mean,
adults, anybody, any business uh owner, POP, the acronym POP, post only positives.
380
00:28:18,793 --> 00:28:21,775
Um, and, and you can, you're safe.
381
00:28:21,775 --> 00:28:23,215
You just never know.
382
00:28:23,215 --> 00:28:26,457
Um, always think before you post business owners.
383
00:28:27,738 --> 00:28:32,070
you know, you have to do social media to be a successful, uh, business owner.
384
00:28:32,070 --> 00:28:35,522
You are, well, maybe not everybody.
385
00:28:35,522 --> 00:28:37,184
but most people have to do it.
386
00:28:37,184 --> 00:28:42,114
ah And so post-summit positives, I would give that advice to any business owner.
387
00:28:42,114 --> 00:28:43,115
Yeah, love that.
388
00:28:43,115 --> 00:28:44,787
So forensic meteorology.
389
00:28:44,787 --> 00:28:48,231
So for everyone listening that has no idea what that is, give us a little background.
390
00:28:48,231 --> 00:28:49,422
What does that mean?
391
00:28:49,663 --> 00:28:53,005
Yeah, so basically, you know, I was a forecaster, right?
392
00:28:53,005 --> 00:28:55,226
uh And now I'm a hindcaster.
393
00:28:55,226 --> 00:28:56,806
What the heck does that mean?
394
00:28:56,806 --> 00:29:02,809
ah You know, I mean, really, it's basically a weather detective.
395
00:29:02,809 --> 00:29:06,191
There's only probably a few hundred of us in the country.
396
00:29:06,191 --> 00:29:10,113
uh In the United States, there's not many.
397
00:29:10,113 --> 00:29:13,754
So what I do basically, all right, let's say there's a car accident, right?
398
00:29:13,754 --> 00:29:20,097
uh I'm thinking of a case, Michigan, and the two parties, they wreck, right?
399
00:29:20,398 --> 00:29:22,119
One person says it was raining.
400
00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:25,121
Another person says, nope, it was sunny.
401
00:29:25,262 --> 00:29:35,110
Well, it occurred over an area that, you know, it was really in a rural area and people
tend to forget.
402
00:29:35,110 --> 00:29:45,879
They have their own memories about weather and the cases I'm dealing with, mainly
attorneys or my clients, insurance companies, individuals as well, but
403
00:29:45,961 --> 00:29:50,077
People have their own memory of what the weather was on a certain day.
404
00:29:50,077 --> 00:29:53,981
And normally, the other person disagrees.
405
00:29:56,785 --> 00:29:58,347
Of course, of course.
406
00:29:58,347 --> 00:29:59,258
It was raining.
407
00:29:59,258 --> 00:29:59,849
wasn't.
408
00:29:59,849 --> 00:30:03,254
um So that was on an individual level.
409
00:30:03,254 --> 00:30:04,459
you know, I'm.
410
00:30:04,459 --> 00:30:07,419
Of course, you're the host here.
411
00:30:07,419 --> 00:30:17,199
asked me the questions, but forensic meteorology in business is big and it's becoming
bigger because storms are becoming stronger.
412
00:30:17,199 --> 00:30:22,259
And you wouldn't believe the amount of money that are involved in some of these cases.
413
00:30:22,419 --> 00:30:34,443
And really, to be honest with you, forensic meteorologists are not that expensive when you
look at the big picture of what a case actually could go one way
414
00:30:34,443 --> 00:30:41,036
or one way or the other, because if something goes to a jury, you never know what's gonna
happen.
415
00:30:41,036 --> 00:30:43,998
Doesn't matter how good you present things.
416
00:30:44,198 --> 00:30:50,641
When at the end of the day, it's up to the jury to decide, you know, what they're gonna
do.
417
00:30:50,641 --> 00:30:52,032
And nobody can predict that.
418
00:30:52,032 --> 00:30:57,762
I don't care how good of an attorney or a meteorologist you are, it's not a jury, anything
can happen.
419
00:30:57,762 --> 00:31:03,572
Yeah, the thing that sprang to mind when you were talking about that is Tracy Morgan and
the Walmart truck.
420
00:31:03,572 --> 00:31:05,059
And I don't know if that was weather really.
421
00:31:05,059 --> 00:31:09,194
I don't know any, don't remember any of the details of it, but let's just say there was
weather involved.
422
00:31:09,194 --> 00:31:14,817
And I think he got millions of dollars from, know, he was in an accident with a, with, I
think it was Walmart.
423
00:31:14,817 --> 00:31:18,799
I won't swear to that, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was, but he won a very big case.
424
00:31:18,799 --> 00:31:20,082
um
425
00:31:20,082 --> 00:31:26,830
So I'm imagining that that is, you know, if we throw weather into the mix, then that can
be pretty important where you come in.
426
00:31:26,830 --> 00:31:28,893
So you're the expert witness.
427
00:31:28,893 --> 00:31:31,726
So what does it take to become an expert witness?
428
00:31:32,374 --> 00:31:48,305
Part of what it takes is I was really fortunate to be able to leverage the career that I
had because as an expert witness, you have to be able to explain complex meteorology
429
00:31:48,305 --> 00:31:51,028
topics in a...
430
00:31:51,028 --> 00:32:00,392
to a non-technical audience, a jury, a judge, a counsel, you're in a legal setting.
431
00:32:00,452 --> 00:32:12,228
If I were to sit and tell you about the jet stream maxes and all this, and I wasn't able
to tell you what that meant, or uh let's just say bring it to a lay person that's not a
432
00:32:12,228 --> 00:32:16,260
meteorologist, you are not going to be very successful.
433
00:32:16,260 --> 00:32:20,942
So my television oh experience has allowed me to be able to communicate
434
00:32:20,942 --> 00:32:25,763
uh complex meteorology topics in a non-technical way.
435
00:32:25,763 --> 00:32:32,275
And I would say that's one of the biggest challenges of being an expert witness, really,
uh to be honest with you.
436
00:32:32,275 --> 00:32:36,866
And so I was fortunate enough to be in TV to develop those communication skills.
437
00:32:36,866 --> 00:32:44,182
oh And you you just try to talk like we're talking right now and keep it simple.
438
00:32:44,182 --> 00:32:54,633
Well, you the interesting thing is we're all an expert witness in our own business, but a
lot of us don't speak that plain language that is necessary to communicate what we do.
439
00:32:54,633 --> 00:33:04,023
And I think that that's a revelation I just had while we're sitting here is that, you
know, if you're not able and I hear this all the time when I'm in a chapter where there
440
00:33:04,023 --> 00:33:04,743
are.
441
00:33:05,777 --> 00:33:13,797
you know, people who work in IT as a good example is they tend to talk about all these
high level things that nobody has any idea what they are.
442
00:33:13,797 --> 00:33:19,997
And in their mind, they know exactly what it is because that's what they do, but they
don't communicate it to the lay person.
443
00:33:19,997 --> 00:33:27,097
maybe that's a, you need a, you, what's that show, tell it to a 10 year old or a five year
old, whatever the age is.
444
00:33:27,097 --> 00:33:31,317
If a five year old can understand what you do, then you're speaking the right language.
445
00:33:31,317 --> 00:33:34,817
But if you're speaking to them and they look at you like you're crazy,
446
00:33:34,889 --> 00:33:43,790
or at all, then you may have a problem with your marketing and your commercials about what
you're doing if they're not reaching everybody.
447
00:33:44,054 --> 00:33:44,894
You're exactly right.
448
00:33:44,894 --> 00:33:48,146
Everybody's an expert when it comes to their own business.
449
00:33:48,146 --> 00:33:56,430
And if you cannot communicate that um to potential clients, then you're not going to have
as many.
450
00:33:56,490 --> 00:33:57,704
And you're so right.
451
00:33:57,704 --> 00:34:07,695
I think that's such a good point to any business owner listening um is communicate what
you do, what your service is.
452
00:34:07,695 --> 00:34:14,158
Because if I don't know what you do and how you're going to help me, I'm not going to
know.
453
00:34:14,158 --> 00:34:15,579
Yeah, and if you didn't...
454
00:34:15,579 --> 00:34:18,231
somebody else or so you lose a client.
455
00:34:18,231 --> 00:34:23,044
think a lot of people uh miss that mark uh messaging.
456
00:34:23,044 --> 00:34:28,107
uh It's messaging marketing uh so important for business success.
457
00:34:28,107 --> 00:34:33,431
uh so if yeah, if you haven't done that and most people, maybe most people have it or some
people have it.
458
00:34:33,431 --> 00:34:38,374
uh Yeah, I would definitely definitely encourage you to uh think about that.
459
00:34:38,374 --> 00:34:43,998
uh Maybe this week or maybe whenever you're listening to this podcast, whenever you
460
00:34:43,998 --> 00:34:44,659
hear it.
461
00:34:44,659 --> 00:34:47,705
You know, just try it and what's go wrong, right?
462
00:34:47,705 --> 00:34:48,665
Yeah.
463
00:34:48,986 --> 00:34:56,792
Well, and if you're, you didn't catch the previous podcast episode, Jim Rosemary was the
guest.
464
00:34:56,792 --> 00:34:59,064
He talked about your benefits.
465
00:34:59,064 --> 00:35:03,917
You know, you should really be talking about the benefits that you bring, not, you know,
what you do.
466
00:35:03,917 --> 00:35:08,200
And that's a great also follow up to this one to, build on that.
467
00:35:08,396 --> 00:35:12,650
So you're to build on something, let's build it to talk about trust.
468
00:35:12,650 --> 00:35:13,908
how do your clients
469
00:35:15,810 --> 00:35:20,470
Yeah, I mean, a lot of it's reputation, a lot of it's communication.
470
00:35:21,270 --> 00:35:30,750
It's an interview and most of my work, I'll be honest with you, is I would say a lot of my
work is outside of the state of Tennessee where I live.
471
00:35:31,210 --> 00:35:38,810
so you have an interview and the client, they interview you and they get a feel.
472
00:35:38,810 --> 00:35:41,150
You tell them about your successes.
473
00:35:41,150 --> 00:35:45,764
I talk about my successes and I think most people can look through some
474
00:35:45,764 --> 00:35:50,517
somebody and be like, I don't know about that person.
475
00:35:50,517 --> 00:35:53,349
They seem to be blowing smoke.
476
00:35:53,349 --> 00:35:58,312
basically just talking to the clients and saying, look, if you hire me, I'm working for
you.
477
00:35:58,312 --> 00:36:00,549
uh You're paying me.
478
00:36:00,549 --> 00:36:07,338
I think reputation, people talk in litigation and the attorney industry.
479
00:36:07,338 --> 00:36:12,001
They talk more than you think they do on both sides, plaintiffs and defense.
480
00:36:12,062 --> 00:36:15,714
And so just building up reputation and trust.
481
00:36:15,714 --> 00:36:26,071
working your hardest, the client, my father-in-law, ultimate business guy in my opinion,
uh he tells me, he's like, look, the client's always right.
482
00:36:26,251 --> 00:36:28,132
The customer's always right.
483
00:36:28,132 --> 00:36:33,356
Now there's one thing I will tell you in my business where the client is not always right.
484
00:36:33,356 --> 00:36:40,700
uh I had a client ask me to remove the uncertainty in data limitations in a forensic
report.
485
00:36:40,701 --> 00:36:43,763
And I said, I'm sorry, I cannot do that.
486
00:36:43,763 --> 00:36:45,604
That goes against the pressure.
487
00:36:45,604 --> 00:36:47,846
principles of what I'm doing.
488
00:36:47,846 --> 00:36:49,937
So you can have your money back.
489
00:36:49,937 --> 00:36:51,158
I'll give you your money back.
490
00:36:51,158 --> 00:36:54,771
I'm not taking that out of my report.
491
00:36:54,771 --> 00:36:59,414
That's part of ethics for an expert witness to do.
492
00:36:59,415 --> 00:37:04,579
And ultimately, um he came around and said, okay, yeah, we'll leave it in the report.
493
00:37:04,579 --> 00:37:05,700
I said, yes, we will.
494
00:37:05,700 --> 00:37:08,252
Otherwise, you know, find another expert.
495
00:37:08,252 --> 00:37:10,980
Right, which there aren't that many of, which is good for you.
496
00:37:11,443 --> 00:37:13,226
Well, yeah, there's not many.
497
00:37:13,226 --> 00:37:14,426
That's true.
498
00:37:14,426 --> 00:37:16,750
How do attorneys find you typically today?
499
00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:20,310
Yeah, well, you know, you and I were just talking social media.
500
00:37:20,990 --> 00:37:31,390
know, I work, you know, as a business owner, this is another thing, as a business owner, I
found out that I work harder as a business owner than I did in television.
501
00:37:31,390 --> 00:37:39,470
You know, and you can get so addicted to work that you have to stop sometimes and balance
yourself and balance your family.
502
00:37:39,710 --> 00:37:44,430
Sometimes my wife says on the weekend, you know, turn your computer off, just put it down.
503
00:37:44,430 --> 00:37:47,090
But I would say social media,
504
00:37:47,144 --> 00:37:48,965
Blogging is huge.
505
00:37:48,965 --> 00:37:52,107
There are expert witness directories that you can pay for.
506
00:37:52,187 --> 00:37:55,309
I've got something that's coming up that's really exciting.
507
00:37:55,309 --> 00:38:01,433
I can't talk about it right now, but it's a partnership with a business where we're...
508
00:38:01,666 --> 00:38:10,231
looking to actually do some matching because let's say somebody in California has a fire
case and they have no clue about me, right?
509
00:38:10,812 --> 00:38:18,863
But if I market, if we start to match needs uh for a case, um then you can really get some
visibility.
510
00:38:18,863 --> 00:38:21,625
But I'm always on social media blogging.
511
00:38:21,625 --> 00:38:22,405
It's amazing.
512
00:38:22,405 --> 00:38:25,627
And Tammy, look, these algorithms now,
513
00:38:26,271 --> 00:38:31,014
I'm just talking social media with artificial intelligence.
514
00:38:31,014 --> 00:38:34,295
It is hard to stay at that top.
515
00:38:34,295 --> 00:38:37,406
Google could have changed their algorithm this morning.
516
00:38:37,406 --> 00:38:38,837
I'm not calling out Google.
517
00:38:38,837 --> 00:38:39,567
I have no idea.
518
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:40,518
I haven't checked yet.
519
00:38:40,518 --> 00:38:42,479
That's another thing I do every morning.
520
00:38:42,479 --> 00:38:44,640
What has changed?
521
00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,041
What has changed to where I'm going to rank?
522
00:38:47,041 --> 00:38:51,263
uh And that's a big, big part of my job.
523
00:38:51,263 --> 00:38:55,725
I don't love it, but it's something not just for my business and industry.
524
00:38:55,725 --> 00:38:57,988
but everybody, you gotta keep up now.
525
00:38:57,988 --> 00:39:01,451
It is more challenging than ever to keep up.
526
00:39:01,512 --> 00:39:04,916
If you're not paying attention, you have to stay awake.
527
00:39:04,977 --> 00:39:08,341
even on weekends, I try to keep up.
528
00:39:08,341 --> 00:39:10,085
it's hard, it's really hard.
529
00:39:25,436 --> 00:39:26,156
Awesome.
530
00:39:26,156 --> 00:39:28,377
All right, so want to transition a little bit.
531
00:39:28,377 --> 00:39:34,669
em One thing that's become obvious as we're talking is your business isn't built
necessarily on transactions.
532
00:39:34,669 --> 00:39:38,961
It's really built on expertise, trust, credibility, all the things we've been talking
about, right?
533
00:39:38,961 --> 00:39:41,682
So kind of brings us to networking.
534
00:39:41,682 --> 00:39:46,021
So let's talk about BNI um and the challenge of being what...
535
00:39:46,021 --> 00:39:47,812
Some will call a unicorn.
536
00:39:47,812 --> 00:39:54,917
So you were in a chapter, you kind of have a unicorn kind of business because there's
really not anybody doing what you're doing, right?
537
00:39:54,917 --> 00:39:55,558
It's unique.
538
00:39:55,558 --> 00:39:59,260
And there are other unicorns and lots of chapters.
539
00:39:59,260 --> 00:40:08,707
like to think of, I don't like to think of it this way, but business coaches, which is
what I am, are kind of unicorns because it's hard for people to define.
540
00:40:08,707 --> 00:40:12,690
What I do is different from the business coach in the next chapter and so on and so forth.
541
00:40:12,690 --> 00:40:14,570
And there aren't that many of us.
542
00:40:15,385 --> 00:40:16,204
Why?
543
00:40:16,204 --> 00:40:18,458
What originally attracted you to BNI?
544
00:40:18,479 --> 00:40:22,131
Yeah, I had look networking.
545
00:40:22,771 --> 00:40:32,597
Really, I had it and by the way, your business coach and yeah, you didn't you get a 100 %
on this Clifton uh score?
546
00:40:33,537 --> 00:40:34,028
always.
547
00:40:34,028 --> 00:40:36,319
That amazed me.
548
00:40:36,319 --> 00:40:37,219
That's a tough test.
549
00:40:37,219 --> 00:40:47,631
um Yeah, so P and I um literally I had coffee with a guy um and you know we were he was a.
550
00:40:47,631 --> 00:40:52,604
financial guy, I'm a meteorologist, know, I'm two different um industries.
551
00:40:52,604 --> 00:40:54,315
And he said, have you ever heard of BNI?
552
00:40:54,315 --> 00:40:55,946
And I said, no, I haven't.
553
00:40:55,946 --> 00:40:57,277
I have no idea what BNI is.
554
00:40:57,277 --> 00:40:58,707
And he said, you should try it out.
555
00:40:58,707 --> 00:41:00,949
You should go to a local chapter.
556
00:41:00,949 --> 00:41:02,449
And I did.
557
00:41:02,590 --> 00:41:13,416
And some of the business lessons that, I loved my chapter and some of the business, the
number one lesson I learned because I went in to BNI thinking, okay, it's time to get
558
00:41:13,416 --> 00:41:13,866
clients.
559
00:41:13,866 --> 00:41:15,637
I'm in BNI now.
560
00:41:15,781 --> 00:41:17,062
Give me my clients.
561
00:41:17,062 --> 00:41:18,082
It's not how it works.
562
00:41:18,082 --> 00:41:27,428
uh Givers gain is the number one thing that I remember in BNI, that lesson uh that went
into my head.
563
00:41:27,428 --> 00:41:29,289
And I guess my point is,
564
00:41:29,913 --> 00:41:31,374
relationships.
565
00:41:31,374 --> 00:41:33,455
You develop relationships first.
566
00:41:33,455 --> 00:41:36,337
You don't look for what can I gain.
567
00:41:36,337 --> 00:41:40,300
um Givers gain, that always works out.
568
00:41:40,300 --> 00:41:41,341
I have noticed that.
569
00:41:41,341 --> 00:41:43,302
&I taught me that.
570
00:41:43,302 --> 00:41:47,411
so relationships, givers gain, the rest will take care of itself.
571
00:41:47,411 --> 00:41:53,636
Okay, so did you, what did you hope before you kind of knew what it was, what did you hope
it would do for your business?
572
00:41:53,905 --> 00:41:56,085
Well, I hoped it would grow my business.
573
00:41:56,125 --> 00:41:59,623
And that was really why I got in.
574
00:41:59,623 --> 00:41:59,824
right?
575
00:41:59,824 --> 00:42:00,185
Yeah.
576
00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:01,828
Most people do that, right?
577
00:42:02,312 --> 00:42:03,143
Yeah.
578
00:42:03,373 --> 00:42:09,637
BNI really did because it taught me how to, a lot of people don't like networking.
579
00:42:09,637 --> 00:42:10,188
I love it.
580
00:42:10,188 --> 00:42:10,908
I used to hate it.
581
00:42:10,908 --> 00:42:14,980
It used to intimidate me, but I love networking.
582
00:42:14,980 --> 00:42:17,901
And that's really the power of BNI, right?
583
00:42:17,901 --> 00:42:19,362
Networking and referrals.
584
00:42:19,362 --> 00:42:21,803
I saw how it works.
585
00:42:21,803 --> 00:42:30,427
And I will tell you that uh the person who comes to paint my house or the person who comes
to fix my HVAC, uh
586
00:42:30,427 --> 00:42:35,509
almost all people are from BNI because I trust them, right?
587
00:42:35,509 --> 00:42:39,890
You know, we're talking about trust and you develop this trust in these relationships.
588
00:42:39,890 --> 00:42:43,771
And so most of the, that's still a deal with BNI people all the time.
589
00:42:43,771 --> 00:42:48,582
They do most of my work to be honest with web stuff.
590
00:42:48,582 --> 00:42:49,957
mean, all kinds of stuff.
591
00:42:49,957 --> 00:42:52,614
do feel like they immediately understood what you did?
592
00:42:52,708 --> 00:42:53,393
No.
593
00:42:53,393 --> 00:43:05,038
uh That is uh probably one of the most complex uh challenges that I faced was that 30
second elevator pitch that BNI does.
594
00:43:05,879 --> 00:43:11,647
boy, that really taught me how to explain what you did.
595
00:43:11,647 --> 00:43:13,973
Nobody really knows, to be honest with you.
596
00:43:13,973 --> 00:43:19,145
And look, don't know, there may be more than a few hundred in the country, I'm not sure.
597
00:43:19,145 --> 00:43:23,387
But if you look at the data, generally two, 300 people,
598
00:43:23,387 --> 00:43:24,769
do this on a full-time basis.
599
00:43:24,769 --> 00:43:29,198
ah So BNI taught me that, but nobody knew what it was.
600
00:43:29,198 --> 00:43:33,285
uh My 30, what is it, 30 minute presentation.
601
00:43:33,285 --> 00:43:35,433
uh
602
00:43:35,433 --> 00:43:37,379
did it.
603
00:43:37,379 --> 00:43:39,031
It was 30.
604
00:43:39,031 --> 00:43:49,616
ah You know, I think people started to understand and really found curiosity and really
were trying, trying so hard to get me clients.
605
00:43:49,616 --> 00:43:50,956
And that's why I BNI.
606
00:43:50,956 --> 00:43:52,047
We're in it together, right?
607
00:43:52,047 --> 00:43:53,818
We're in it to grow our businesses.
608
00:43:53,818 --> 00:44:03,582
And uh one thing about BNI I love also is the uh I in BNI, business networking
international.
609
00:44:03,582 --> 00:44:05,203
I mean, what, what, what
610
00:44:05,203 --> 00:44:12,287
What kind of other organization allows you to tap in to resources where you can connect
with people globally?
611
00:44:12,848 --> 00:44:26,137
I really, as oh my last few months at BNI, I started to utilize those online resources and
I encourage any business owner listening, if you are a BNI member or if you're not, take
612
00:44:26,137 --> 00:44:30,019
advantage of those resources, the speed networking that they do.
613
00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:35,163
There's so many resources at BNI and it did help me.
614
00:44:35,243 --> 00:44:37,358
those speed networking events.
615
00:44:37,358 --> 00:44:38,611
I actually got a client out of that.
616
00:44:38,611 --> 00:44:43,220
um And so take advantage of everything BNI has to offer.
617
00:44:43,367 --> 00:44:43,919
Awesome.
618
00:44:43,919 --> 00:44:49,172
So do you feel like some professions are easier to refer than others?
619
00:44:49,453 --> 00:44:50,374
Absolutely.
620
00:44:50,374 --> 00:44:52,054
I certainly I do.
621
00:44:52,054 --> 00:44:54,555
um Yes.
622
00:44:54,876 --> 00:45:00,818
To answer your question, because I would see the success stories all the time in BNI.
623
00:45:00,818 --> 00:45:14,705
And, um you know, it's just like, oh, you know, hey, you know, I got a guy who knows this,
this lady and, you know, this person and, you know, just seeing that power um each week.
624
00:45:15,125 --> 00:45:16,546
It was exciting.
625
00:45:16,546 --> 00:45:18,527
It's a lot easier than what I do.
626
00:45:18,527 --> 00:45:18,927
Yeah.
627
00:45:18,927 --> 00:45:19,648
I mean, I
628
00:45:19,648 --> 00:45:26,195
I would say ah definitely um it's a lot easier for some industries than others.
629
00:45:26,195 --> 00:45:33,939
Yeah, and looking back, what do you think were your biggest challenges working in that
framework, so to speak?
630
00:45:34,159 --> 00:45:39,852
Yeah, the biggest challenges were to figure out who needs my services, right?
631
00:45:39,852 --> 00:45:47,145
And, and I, I loved my chapter because everybody tried so hard to get me clients.
632
00:45:47,145 --> 00:45:49,136
mean, really, really, really hard.
633
00:45:49,136 --> 00:45:54,799
Um, and, so just trying to connect me with attorneys, um, insurance professionals.
634
00:45:54,799 --> 00:46:02,202
Look, I'm, hey, look, there are people, there are attorneys and insurance professionals
that have no clue what a forensic meteorologist is.
635
00:46:02,202 --> 00:46:04,083
Which I found crazy.
636
00:46:04,083 --> 00:46:09,853
ah But some of my friends that were insurance agents didn't know what it was.
637
00:46:09,854 --> 00:46:12,799
And so, you know, that's a challenge.
638
00:46:12,799 --> 00:46:14,643
It's a real challenge.
639
00:46:14,643 --> 00:46:15,653
It taught me a lot.
640
00:46:15,653 --> 00:46:22,111
Yeah, one of the things I notice is that a lot of members network what I'm going to call
horizontally.
641
00:46:22,111 --> 00:46:27,828
They're primarily looking for opportunities with the people in the room sitting around
them.
642
00:46:27,869 --> 00:46:30,051
Does that resonate with your experience?
643
00:46:30,609 --> 00:46:31,491
Okay.
644
00:46:31,626 --> 00:46:39,049
um And as a BNI member, need, you know, somebody can say, well, I know this person.
645
00:46:39,049 --> 00:46:46,173
You have to follow up that if I don't follow up, then it's not the person's fault who's
referring me to somebody else.
646
00:46:46,173 --> 00:46:48,654
You know, it's not like it's a bad referral.
647
00:46:48,654 --> 00:46:49,744
I have to follow up.
648
00:46:49,744 --> 00:46:52,065
I have to intentionally say, yes, let's meet for coffee.
649
00:46:52,065 --> 00:46:59,639
Let's talk one-on-one um and have that, you know, relationship building because they've
handed it off to you.
650
00:46:59,759 --> 00:47:06,931
your job to close a deal as far as you know a business transaction so yeah that's that's
huge.
651
00:47:06,931 --> 00:47:18,496
Yeah, and I think that that horizontal networking uh sometimes, know, if you're kind of
just horizontally looking within the chapter, you're asking for who you need within the
652
00:47:18,496 --> 00:47:21,748
people that you meet, you you're seeing every week.
653
00:47:21,748 --> 00:47:32,633
Some professions like yours, maybe mine, um others that they require maybe a more
strategic approach to a vertical kind of process.
654
00:47:32,633 --> 00:47:35,634
So you're hitting different people in different ways.
655
00:47:35,634 --> 00:47:36,848
Do you feel like that might be
656
00:47:36,848 --> 00:47:38,341
might have been true for your business.
657
00:47:38,341 --> 00:47:40,554
That kind of included you, but.
658
00:47:41,039 --> 00:47:43,680
Yeah, no, no, definitely, definitely it's true.
659
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:47,172
It's not just horizontally, it's vertically as well.
660
00:47:47,312 --> 00:47:56,116
you know, when I think vertically, think, OK, I think I think social media, to be honest,
I think my website, right?
661
00:47:56,116 --> 00:48:03,179
I'm thinking who can see my website because that's how a lot of people find me.
662
00:48:03,179 --> 00:48:08,412
how can how can look at the end of the day, forensic meteorologists were competitors.
663
00:48:08,412 --> 00:48:10,406
We go up against each other in court.
664
00:48:10,406 --> 00:48:11,033
You know, we're experts.
665
00:48:11,033 --> 00:48:14,005
witnesses at the end of the day were friends as well.
666
00:48:14,966 --> 00:48:21,630
You know, so it's like, uh you're trying to provide valuable content where you can rank
high.
667
00:48:21,630 --> 00:48:28,565
um And you have to be very careful because I have to stay in my meteorological lane.
668
00:48:28,565 --> 00:48:33,988
You know, when it comes down to litigation, I can't overstep and act like an engineer.
669
00:48:33,988 --> 00:48:34,889
I'm not an expert.
670
00:48:34,889 --> 00:48:36,740
I'm not an engineer expert.
671
00:48:37,221 --> 00:48:39,862
I've got to remain in my expert lane.
672
00:48:39,862 --> 00:48:40,953
And so, yeah.
673
00:48:40,953 --> 00:48:44,979
horizontally, vertically, any approach for me.
674
00:48:44,979 --> 00:48:46,630
Yeah.
675
00:48:47,190 --> 00:48:47,811
Perfect.
676
00:48:47,811 --> 00:48:51,033
Well, so you ultimately left BNI.
677
00:48:51,033 --> 00:49:04,060
Do you feel like it didn't necessarily, was the challenge of it that you were maybe not
looking at a strategy for how to work BNI outside of just the people in the room
678
00:49:04,060 --> 00:49:05,301
potentially?
679
00:49:05,553 --> 00:49:07,653
Yeah, that's a great question.
680
00:49:07,653 --> 00:49:09,733
And I would say yes.
681
00:49:10,133 --> 00:49:15,493
And in fact, I've even thought about, you know, re-entering BNI.
682
00:49:15,773 --> 00:49:20,673
because my last few months of, would say of BNI were the best.
683
00:49:20,673 --> 00:49:29,613
And they were the best because I started to, I mean, like I said earlier, I don't want to
beat this horse, you know, to death or whatever.
684
00:49:29,633 --> 00:49:35,527
But really taking advantage of the resources.
685
00:49:35,527 --> 00:49:42,251
You know, because we're most BNI members, we're thinking, all right, we meet on a certain
day, a certain chapter.
686
00:49:42,291 --> 00:49:45,213
We go do our other thing, right?
687
00:49:45,213 --> 00:49:50,015
And we do our referrals, you know, our CEUs, all that kind of stuff.
688
00:49:50,015 --> 00:49:56,079
But the resources and the speed networking, I was like, maybe I should stay in this.
689
00:49:56,079 --> 00:49:59,260
it just, you know, it was one of those things where it just.
690
00:50:00,353 --> 00:50:05,497
It wasn't, uh you know, people step out of BNI all the time.
691
00:50:05,497 --> 00:50:06,978
And I've seen people come back.
692
00:50:06,978 --> 00:50:16,404
uh So it's, you know, just one of those things that I just, and it's interesting that I'm
sitting here saying I didn't have time for BNI.
693
00:50:16,964 --> 00:50:17,825
But.
694
00:50:18,255 --> 00:50:27,590
At that time, I didn't have time to be at a certain place every morning and find
substitutes.
695
00:50:27,590 --> 00:50:38,965
And I did not want to go against that because I'm like, okay, if I'm not doing it, then
it's not benefiting the chapter and it's not benefiting me.
696
00:50:38,965 --> 00:50:39,785
For sure.
697
00:50:39,785 --> 00:50:50,185
So I want to, we're going to take a little journey here in a minute, but what advice would
you give another business owner who feels like they are a unicorn in BNI?
698
00:50:50,524 --> 00:50:53,616
Yeah, just, hey, don't worry about failure.
699
00:50:53,616 --> 00:50:55,716
Everybody's, you're going to fail as a business.
700
00:50:55,716 --> 00:51:02,289
And what you do is you learn from your failures and you you fail, you get knocked down,
get back up.
701
00:51:02,289 --> 00:51:03,440
It's okay to fail.
702
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:04,741
It is fine to fail.
703
00:51:04,741 --> 00:51:08,843
I failed two or three times, you know, before success.
704
00:51:08,843 --> 00:51:10,864
Be patient, work hard.
705
00:51:10,864 --> 00:51:12,604
You have to work hard.
706
00:51:12,604 --> 00:51:17,066
And if you don't, you're just not going to grow.
707
00:51:17,066 --> 00:51:19,508
This is my belief, so you can disagree with me.
708
00:51:19,508 --> 00:51:20,948
um
709
00:51:22,338 --> 00:51:29,494
I, I want to say I'm just going to embellish on that because there's a saying, don't work
hard, work smart.
710
00:51:29,494 --> 00:51:31,565
So I want to show you something.
711
00:51:31,565 --> 00:51:40,352
uh So this is a, on this slide, so if you're watching on YouTube, you're going to see, and
if you're not a minute describing, because you can't see it.
712
00:51:40,352 --> 00:51:47,830
But I, because I was preparing for this interview, I did a search inside Connect and I
found
713
00:51:47,830 --> 00:51:48,360
Guess what?
714
00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,371
Hundreds of attorneys within BNI.
715
00:51:52,973 --> 00:51:55,224
Because I know that's your top one, right?
716
00:51:55,224 --> 00:51:59,115
So I decided to see what would this landscape actually look like?
717
00:51:59,115 --> 00:52:01,517
um This is just one page.
718
00:52:01,517 --> 00:52:04,607
uh What is your reaction to seeing this?
719
00:52:05,242 --> 00:52:06,624
I love it.
720
00:52:06,624 --> 00:52:16,413
like I was saying, mean, I, you know, just since we have connected, of course we've known
each other, but, you know, connected about this podcast.
721
00:52:16,534 --> 00:52:22,960
I've just started realizing the resources that I had and yeah, connect.
722
00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:27,024
mean, when you're showing me the screen, I want to go sign up again.
723
00:52:29,020 --> 00:52:31,632
It's the power of being I look attorney.
724
00:52:31,632 --> 00:52:33,293
Yeah, I mean it's great.
725
00:52:33,293 --> 00:52:36,596
It's great and I think I think a lot of people Tammy.
726
00:52:36,596 --> 00:52:39,618
I think a lot of people don't utilize this.
727
00:52:39,758 --> 00:52:41,108
as much as they should.
728
00:52:41,108 --> 00:52:41,649
really don't.
729
00:52:41,649 --> 00:52:45,740
At least that was my experience in my chapter and it was my experience.
730
00:52:45,758 --> 00:52:49,981
I only the last couple of months did I see stuff like this and I'm like, wow.
731
00:52:49,981 --> 00:52:56,933
And I did go to another chapter in Colorado and you know, we're all doing the same thing
for each other.
732
00:52:56,933 --> 00:52:58,133
We're helping each other grow.
733
00:52:58,133 --> 00:53:01,724
And I found attorneys there and I was like, my goodness, I went to another chapter.
734
00:53:01,724 --> 00:53:02,745
I found an attorney.
735
00:53:02,745 --> 00:53:07,106
So yes, the power of BNI is really, really amazing.
736
00:53:07,106 --> 00:53:18,363
Well, don't feel bad that you've probably never seen this page because I will bet you lots
of money that if I pulled aside a bunch of BNI members, they would have no idea that this
737
00:53:18,363 --> 00:53:20,174
exists, right?
738
00:53:20,174 --> 00:53:26,678
Because of what I do and how I work, my number one CliftonStrengths is strategy.
739
00:53:26,678 --> 00:53:33,406
um So I normally think about these in Swiacoa trade is because
740
00:53:33,406 --> 00:53:46,185
I understand that there's value in having a plan to, know, think BNI is wonderful for
getting people in a room and teaching them, you know, that there's power in numbers
741
00:53:46,185 --> 00:53:56,002
because that six degrees of separation that we, you know, have that Kevin Bacon game is I
can ask you who, you know, I want to meet so-and-so and you probably are going to be able
742
00:53:56,002 --> 00:53:59,895
to find somebody in between, you know, me and that person if we talk long enough.
743
00:53:59,895 --> 00:54:00,543
And
744
00:54:00,543 --> 00:54:10,646
what people don't recognize is there's more, you know, and I think that they
unintentionally limit themselves to the people sitting in the room.
745
00:54:10,646 --> 00:54:23,029
uh So seeing that now, how might your strategy for networking be different if you had
thought of it in, I know you know that it's a global audience, but would you kind of
746
00:54:23,029 --> 00:54:29,341
seeing this change your uh thought process and how you might approach it, were you to come
back?
747
00:54:29,630 --> 00:54:30,830
100%.
748
00:54:30,830 --> 00:54:32,790
I mean, it's an easy answer.
749
00:54:32,790 --> 00:54:34,830
You're showing me.
750
00:54:35,586 --> 00:54:43,090
just looking at the screen right now, mean, you know, it's, it's almost like, you know, in
businesses, we're always thinking about ROI, right?
751
00:54:43,090 --> 00:54:51,974
Um, and, and so just seeing the screen right now, BNI, really is, is not that expensive.
752
00:54:51,974 --> 00:54:55,916
You know, you get one or two deals and it pays for itself.
753
00:54:55,916 --> 00:54:56,736
You're good.
754
00:54:56,736 --> 00:54:57,577
mean, really.
755
00:54:57,577 --> 00:55:03,660
So just seeing the screen right now, if I connected, all right, we're talking about
connections here.
756
00:55:03,660 --> 00:55:05,140
That, that's what we're talking.
757
00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:14,525
If I connected with one person and there was one transaction done, that pays for 365 days
of BNI.
758
00:55:14,525 --> 00:55:15,645
Just one person.
759
00:55:15,645 --> 00:55:16,466
That's it.
760
00:55:16,466 --> 00:55:21,688
So just seeing that is the power of the connections with BNI.
761
00:55:21,688 --> 00:55:29,482
um As a business coach, you're pretty much telling me, hey, here are the resources.
762
00:55:29,482 --> 00:55:31,533
They're right there in front of your face.
763
00:55:31,573 --> 00:55:33,550
Take advantage of what BNI does.
764
00:55:33,550 --> 00:55:33,900
Yeah.
765
00:55:33,900 --> 00:55:35,552
So and that's just the start, right?
766
00:55:35,552 --> 00:55:42,980
So um there's really a ecosystem that is involved in any referral strategy.
767
00:55:42,980 --> 00:55:46,923
And what do say we take a crack at building yours right now?
768
00:55:47,486 --> 00:55:48,772
Oh, sure.
769
00:55:48,772 --> 00:55:50,035
Absolutely.
770
00:55:50,179 --> 00:55:50,902
I'm game.
771
00:55:50,902 --> 00:55:51,615
I'm down.
772
00:55:51,615 --> 00:55:52,451
Let's do it.
773
00:55:52,451 --> 00:55:53,671
right.
774
00:55:53,671 --> 00:55:55,731
So we talked about attorneys.
775
00:55:55,731 --> 00:55:59,111
I'm going to guess they're specific attorneys within that list, right?
776
00:55:59,111 --> 00:56:04,011
So give me kind of the smattering of a few of them.
777
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:06,193
Yeah, I'll be honest.
778
00:56:06,193 --> 00:56:14,906
um probably the best connections for me, I see legal and accounting, you know, I mean, I'm
not.
779
00:56:16,914 --> 00:56:18,945
probably matched prime for an accountant.
780
00:56:18,945 --> 00:56:20,436
I'm not an expert in accounting.
781
00:56:20,436 --> 00:56:33,932
ah But when I see anything like um insurance, uh property law, oh, Elliott, personal
injury, if I'm seeing that correctly, personal injury law, Elliott would be a great
782
00:56:33,932 --> 00:56:35,282
contact for me.
783
00:56:35,783 --> 00:56:41,295
Let's see, legal and account, again, accounting, I'm not an expert, I always try to stay
in my lane.
784
00:56:41,295 --> 00:56:42,626
Real estate is another one.
785
00:56:42,626 --> 00:56:45,647
uh Weather and real estate go hand in hand.
786
00:56:45,647 --> 00:56:46,868
um
787
00:56:46,868 --> 00:56:56,180
see business law now, uh business law now, ah but there are several connections there, but
Elliot, let's connect.
788
00:56:58,126 --> 00:57:06,358
I I purposely didn't show people's last names or where they are because we're going to get
John back in BNI so we can figure out how to connect him.
789
00:57:06,358 --> 00:57:08,148
And I'm going to get those referrals.
790
00:57:08,148 --> 00:57:09,129
back in.
791
00:57:10,211 --> 00:57:10,792
Yeah.
792
00:57:10,792 --> 00:57:11,463
Yeah.
793
00:57:11,463 --> 00:57:14,737
You know, and I'll tell you another thing that.
794
00:57:15,102 --> 00:57:21,662
I was in the green sometimes, but I was also not in the green.
795
00:57:21,662 --> 00:57:24,542
I guess if you don't know BNI, you don't know what I'm talking about.
796
00:57:24,542 --> 00:57:28,882
You've got to have a certain number of CUs and referrals.
797
00:57:28,882 --> 00:57:33,102
And that's the beauty of it, because it keeps you accountable, right?
798
00:57:33,102 --> 00:57:34,302
And that's the beauty of it.
799
00:57:34,302 --> 00:57:37,502
It makes you work to create these connections.
800
00:57:37,522 --> 00:57:43,242
But yes, seeing your screen, I think I've already made up my mind.
801
00:57:43,902 --> 00:57:45,556
Let me get that checkbook.
802
00:57:47,723 --> 00:57:50,624
We don't take checks anymore, but we will take your credit card.
803
00:57:51,765 --> 00:57:55,677
It is not me because I don't, I, you know, I'm not, I'm just a member.
804
00:57:55,677 --> 00:57:56,977
So there's that,
805
00:58:11,997 --> 00:58:16,349
But I do want to open your mind a little bit more because this is what you did is perfect.
806
00:58:16,349 --> 00:58:20,171
What you did is look at that and crossed off who you didn't think was a fit, right?
807
00:58:20,171 --> 00:58:25,103
But what you said earlier was that lawyers talk.
808
00:58:25,459 --> 00:58:26,120
Right?
809
00:58:26,120 --> 00:58:27,201
Lawyers know each other.
810
00:58:27,201 --> 00:58:33,026
um If you're an attorney, you're in an environment where there are others.
811
00:58:33,026 --> 00:58:34,527
You went to school with others.
812
00:58:34,527 --> 00:58:37,170
You probably belong to an association with others.
813
00:58:37,170 --> 00:58:39,261
You might even work in a big office with others.
814
00:58:39,261 --> 00:58:40,653
So they know each other.
815
00:58:40,653 --> 00:58:47,759
So while you're thinking to yourself, they're not a fit for me because they're in legal
and accounting, I think you said was the one that was not.
816
00:58:47,759 --> 00:58:52,479
the estate planning attorney probably knows a...
817
00:58:52,479 --> 00:58:56,059
you know, like somebody who's doing the things that you need.
818
00:58:56,599 --> 00:59:07,439
I wrote down a few more defense attorneys, insurance adjusters, insurance investigators,
which I think are different because I know when I had a car accident, was actually
819
00:59:07,439 --> 00:59:07,879
weather.
820
00:59:07,879 --> 00:59:09,879
Well, technically it wasn't weather related.
821
00:59:09,879 --> 00:59:11,059
It was water related.
822
00:59:11,059 --> 00:59:18,641
I was on my way to a BNI meeting and it was winter time and I was coming down a slight
823
00:59:18,641 --> 00:59:29,706
hill, not very big, the city had, uh they were doing construction in the road and they had
opened up a water main and so the water was pouring, actually this would probably be a
824
00:59:29,706 --> 00:59:42,061
good case for you, it was a long time ago, but the water was streaming down the the spans
of four lanes and nobody knew, this is the mid-south for if you're listening outside the
825
00:59:42,061 --> 00:59:46,103
area, it doesn't usually snow here and it doesn't usually freeze here.
826
00:59:46,208 --> 00:59:56,572
But guess what on that day it was cold enough for ice and so it was black ice and they
were one after the other Coming down and all of a sudden they lost traction and I got
827
00:59:56,572 --> 01:00:07,472
sandwiched between two people I know how to drive because I'm from the north in but nobody
can drive on ice but that the person I Navigated around the people in front of me that
828
01:00:07,472 --> 01:00:13,363
were not doing what they needed to do and I and I went off the side But somebody from
behind
829
01:00:13,363 --> 01:00:19,605
didn't know what to do and slammed into my car, pushed me into another car who had gone
off the side but not hit anything.
830
01:00:19,605 --> 01:00:21,916
So now I became a pancake between two people.
831
01:00:21,916 --> 01:00:25,577
And then another person, there was a police officer, somebody had already called the
police or whatever.
832
01:00:25,577 --> 01:00:34,800
The police car shows up and then he's behind that person and another person spins out,
comes in, hits the police car and another car came.
833
01:00:34,800 --> 01:00:35,850
I mean, it was ridiculous.
834
01:00:35,850 --> 01:00:39,775
I got sandwiched between two, another car hit as I'm videoing.
835
01:00:39,775 --> 01:00:44,615
what's happening to mine, because I want to be in court if I need to have evidence, I've
got it.
836
01:00:44,615 --> 01:00:47,755
And another car spun, turned backwards and slammed into the another.
837
01:00:47,755 --> 01:00:58,015
So my car got hit three different times because of an ice condition, which was the city's,
know, and I didn't have to pay for any of it because I was not at fault.
838
01:00:58,255 --> 01:01:01,755
Actually, two different insurance companies ended up because there was two different cars.
839
01:01:02,255 --> 01:01:07,149
But, you know, I digress and we're running long anyway, and I apologize for that.
840
01:01:07,149 --> 01:01:10,163
rest because that sounds like the perfect case for me.
841
01:01:10,163 --> 01:01:11,864
And first of all, I'm glad you're okay.
842
01:01:11,864 --> 01:01:13,336
uh
843
01:01:13,336 --> 01:01:26,182
I'm glad you're okay, but a lot of, uh, and just tell me to quit talking whenever, but
actually most of my work involves accidents like that, that are years old again, whoever
844
01:01:26,182 --> 01:01:28,543
was involved in the crash, they probably remember it differently.
845
01:01:28,543 --> 01:01:31,565
You, got, and some police reports are different.
846
01:01:31,565 --> 01:01:32,525
That's another thing.
847
01:01:32,525 --> 01:01:41,699
You know, you've got a County report or maybe, and then an ambulance report, they write
down weather conditions, but you know, they're different sometimes.
848
01:01:41,699 --> 01:01:43,340
Everybody has a different memory.
849
01:01:43,340 --> 01:01:48,514
But I'm glad you're okay, but that is that's the that is the type of stuff I deal with.
850
01:01:50,100 --> 01:01:50,694
Yeah.
851
01:01:50,694 --> 01:01:59,868
I also wrote down uh engineering firms, risk management consultants, uh transportation
companies because of just what I just said, right?
852
01:01:59,868 --> 01:02:02,271
Is there, they're out on the road all the time.
853
01:02:02,271 --> 01:02:09,998
uh Accident reconstruction experts because they're the ones like I had the adjuster came
and looked at the car.
854
01:02:09,998 --> 01:02:13,881
I'm sure somebody went to the site and decided, you know, whose fault was this?
855
01:02:13,881 --> 01:02:16,684
I'm sure there were multiples because there were different insurance companies involved.
856
01:02:16,684 --> 01:02:25,171
uh Property damage uh consultants because I know people spin out into, you know, people's
businesses and all the things.
857
01:02:25,171 --> 01:02:27,743
uh Construction litigation attorney.
858
01:02:27,743 --> 01:02:29,885
So if I hit some of them.
859
01:02:30,144 --> 01:02:31,965
yes, you're nailing it.
860
01:02:31,965 --> 01:02:33,236
That's exactly right.
861
01:02:33,236 --> 01:02:39,000
Engineers, I work with accident reconstruction engineers.
862
01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:46,866
I won't say all the time, but certainly there have been several of those where, look, I'm
not an expert in accident reconstruction.
863
01:02:46,866 --> 01:02:51,188
He's not, or she's not an expert meteorology.
864
01:02:51,589 --> 01:02:53,076
Boom, we combine.
865
01:02:53,076 --> 01:02:53,948
yes.
866
01:02:53,958 --> 01:02:58,501
And then we're trying to solve the case objectively.
867
01:02:58,501 --> 01:03:00,722
I don't care what I work for.
868
01:03:01,243 --> 01:03:03,224
I'm going to be objective as possible.
869
01:03:03,224 --> 01:03:05,673
So is any other expert witness.
870
01:03:05,673 --> 01:03:06,545
Yeah, love that.
871
01:03:06,545 --> 01:03:13,329
So if you could intentionally build five relationships from that ecosystem over the next
year, where would you focus?
872
01:03:14,338 --> 01:03:17,234
I would focus on um
873
01:03:17,314 --> 01:03:21,976
As far as individuals and type of what kind of work?
874
01:03:21,976 --> 01:03:36,033
Yeah, I would do engineering like there's engineers that are part of hurricane damage uh
that are that are saying should this house have stood up and 105 mile per hour winds was
875
01:03:36,033 --> 01:03:37,964
an engineered enough, right?
876
01:03:37,964 --> 01:03:47,208
But the engineer doesn't know about meteorology and I do see that in this business and I'm
sure maybe I've crossed my line.
877
01:03:47,208 --> 01:03:49,930
but you have to remain in your lane.
878
01:03:53,994 --> 01:03:49,932
go ahead.
879
01:03:49,932 --> 01:03:51,183
I have an example of that.
880
01:03:51,183 --> 01:03:59,765
Actually, we have a local member who parked his his all of his business stuff, trucks,
equipment, etc.
881
01:03:59,765 --> 01:04:04,096
under one of those um overhang situations.
882
01:04:04,096 --> 01:04:07,967
That's not a garage, but it's meant to be like an open garage, essentially.
883
01:04:07,967 --> 01:04:09,778
So it's open, you know, front and back.
884
01:04:09,778 --> 01:04:11,578
And but it's got a roof on it.
885
01:04:11,578 --> 01:04:14,209
And that collapsed in one of the recent storms that we had.
886
01:04:14,209 --> 01:04:15,833
So that put him.
887
01:04:15,833 --> 01:04:25,651
put him out of business, is because he can't afford, I don't know what his insurance was,
but he can't afford to have all that stuff replaced tomorrow.
888
01:04:25,651 --> 01:04:34,978
um And the insurance takes a minute, and that was a weather-related scenario that I didn't
think of until just now that I could probably connect you to.
889
01:04:35,736 --> 01:04:37,039
That would be great.
890
01:04:37,039 --> 01:04:44,219
But he dropped out of BNI because his renewal was up and he was like, you know what, I
don't even know when I can get my business back up and running.
891
01:04:44,219 --> 01:04:44,999
So I can't afford it.
892
01:04:44,999 --> 01:04:46,699
I don't know how much I'm going have to spend.
893
01:04:46,699 --> 01:04:51,459
So I can't afford to do this and not have a business and all the things.
894
01:04:51,819 --> 01:04:57,659
it was a bad consequence altogether, the perfect bad storm of things.
895
01:04:57,799 --> 01:04:59,639
So go ahead, keep going.
896
01:04:59,639 --> 01:05:01,359
Just give me one more due to time.
897
01:05:01,359 --> 01:05:03,459
Just give me one more you think would be a fit.
898
01:05:04,559 --> 01:05:05,419
Okay.
899
01:05:05,859 --> 01:05:06,719
Okay.
900
01:05:06,783 --> 01:05:10,442
So um were any of those people in your chapter?
901
01:05:11,210 --> 01:05:13,371
Uh, I dealt with?
902
01:05:13,371 --> 01:05:15,591
No, no, they weren't.
903
01:05:15,591 --> 01:05:22,673
But, but they, one of them referred me, um, or no, it wasn't my chapter.
904
01:05:22,673 --> 01:05:30,715
was the speed networking that, that I got referred to an attorney in New York, for a slip
and fall case, a personal injury case.
905
01:05:30,715 --> 01:05:32,846
Again, I'm on both sides, plaintiff and defense.
906
01:05:32,846 --> 01:05:40,056
It's, you know, um, but, but I did, I did get a case out of that, um, from that speed
networking referral.
907
01:05:40,056 --> 01:05:52,706
Yeah, so it sounds like your business isn't a horizontal networking business so much as it
is a vertical networking business, Is we need to look outside and up, you know, different,
908
01:05:52,847 --> 01:05:58,711
BNI provides that structure and there are other ways to do that if you're not in BNI that
you don't have to be.
909
01:05:58,771 --> 01:06:08,198
But you're paying for that structure of people who, know, the givers gain of it, want to
help other people and get referrals and give referrals and so forth.
910
01:06:08,198 --> 01:06:15,964
Would you agree that that's, you're more of a vertical than a, you know, kind of people in
the room are not going to be, you know, you need the people in the room because you said,
911
01:06:15,964 --> 01:06:24,791
I need HVAC, I need whatever, when things go wrong, but the people in the room are not
necessarily connected directly to the people that you need.
912
01:06:24,938 --> 01:06:28,938
Yes, in fact, I feel like I'm being coached and I love it.
913
01:06:28,938 --> 01:06:35,958
Because yes, I haven't thought of that, but you're right.
914
01:06:35,958 --> 01:06:37,418
It's more of a vertical.
915
01:06:37,838 --> 01:06:40,718
I really like that's why you do what you do.
916
01:06:40,718 --> 01:06:42,878
Because I didn't think of that.
917
01:06:42,878 --> 01:06:47,952
yeah, it is more vertical now that I think about it.
918
01:06:47,952 --> 01:06:55,213
And do feel like other people might be misdiagnosing how they need to work the system also
in their networking?
919
01:06:55,496 --> 01:07:09,731
Yes, I do because I can, I can tell you that, I can speak from experience because I did
not even know that verticality, you know, as a business that if you don't like, were
920
01:07:09,731 --> 01:07:11,571
talking about strategy, right?
921
01:07:12,492 --> 01:07:16,033
and, so I like to learn something new every day.
922
01:07:16,033 --> 01:07:20,034
I've learned a lot today about being on this podcast.
923
01:07:20,774 --> 01:07:25,616
so, and YouTube show and wherever it's being broadcast.
924
01:07:26,507 --> 01:07:27,961
Yes.
925
01:07:27,961 --> 01:07:29,543
yeah, think vertically.
926
01:07:29,543 --> 01:07:32,949
I'm thinking vertically right now when we get done.
927
01:07:32,949 --> 01:07:35,032
I have a lot of work to do.
928
01:07:35,032 --> 01:07:35,772
Yeah, yeah.
929
01:07:35,772 --> 01:07:46,407
Well, and it's not uncommon, like I said, is everybody, know, we come in wherever we are,
it doesn't have to be BNI, it can be a chamber event, you belong to a chamber, you know,
930
01:07:46,407 --> 01:07:54,140
whatever chamber you belong to, you go there for the same reason, is I'm hoping to bump
into someone that would be my client, right?
931
01:07:54,140 --> 01:08:05,355
This is my husband and I, I have a little lab strategy, lab networking lab that is, I put
him through it because, you
932
01:08:05,449 --> 01:08:06,673
his approach.
933
01:08:06,883 --> 01:08:16,388
he never thought about it, just like you said, is I walk, I go into an event, I hope to
meet somebody who's my client, and then I call it a day because I do or I don't.
934
01:08:16,388 --> 01:08:17,948
Maybe I got one and that's great.
935
01:08:17,948 --> 01:08:32,325
um But if you walk into your membership, whatever it's in, with a strategy and how you
work it, and is my business a vertical or horizontal, then you're much more likely to be
936
01:08:32,325 --> 01:08:36,657
successful in building those relationships that you're looking for that are going to grow
your
937
01:08:36,657 --> 01:08:39,301
business and then obviously you help support other people.
938
01:08:39,301 --> 01:08:43,366
So would you say this conversation has changed the way you're thinking about it now?
939
01:08:44,133 --> 01:08:44,614
100%.
940
01:08:44,614 --> 01:08:46,074
It absolutely has.
941
01:08:46,074 --> 01:08:48,234
And my mind's going like crazy.
942
01:08:48,234 --> 01:08:57,134
mean, you, you know, if you are vertical like that, uh, and somebody refers you up, you've
got to follow up, uh, on, on that.
943
01:08:57,134 --> 01:09:05,274
And I remember my BNI chapter one, one other thing that I don't know why I thought of this
as you were saying that, but, um, you know, answer your phone.
944
01:09:05,274 --> 01:09:08,434
I mean, so many people don't answer their phone or leave it somewhere.
945
01:09:08,434 --> 01:09:13,618
I have it by my side as much as I can and answer.
946
01:09:13,618 --> 01:09:14,979
phone, could be a client.
947
01:09:14,979 --> 01:09:16,200
Yes, for sure.
948
01:09:16,200 --> 01:09:21,812
And we're running over, but I don't want to, if you've got it, if you can hang with me,
everyone, you included John for a little bit more.
949
01:09:21,812 --> 01:09:29,126
want to go into your Clifton strengths because you've said so many things along the way
that will play out in your strengths.
950
01:09:29,126 --> 01:09:32,867
uh your top five are number one is belief.
951
01:09:32,867 --> 01:09:36,069
You have certain core values that are unchanging.
952
01:09:36,069 --> 01:09:39,450
These values provide direction and a strong sense of purpose.
953
01:09:39,450 --> 01:09:41,151
Number two is analytical.
954
01:09:41,151 --> 01:09:43,252
You search for reasons and causes.
955
01:09:43,252 --> 01:09:44,940
You have the ability to think about
956
01:09:44,940 --> 01:09:48,161
all of the factors that might affect a situation.
957
01:09:48,161 --> 01:09:49,682
Number three is focus.
958
01:09:49,682 --> 01:09:55,245
You can take a direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on
track.
959
01:09:55,245 --> 01:09:57,486
You prioritize then act.
960
01:09:57,486 --> 01:09:59,706
Your number four is achiever.
961
01:09:59,706 --> 01:10:03,028
You work hard and possess a great deal of stamina.
962
01:10:03,028 --> 01:10:08,950
You take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive and your number five is
arranger.
963
01:10:08,950 --> 01:10:11,572
You are both organized and flexible.
964
01:10:11,572 --> 01:10:14,913
You enjoy figuring out how to align people and resources
965
01:10:14,913 --> 01:10:17,195
to get the best results.
966
01:10:17,195 --> 01:10:20,979
So when you got your results back, what were your thoughts?
967
01:10:21,298 --> 01:10:30,586
My thoughts were that I was really happy about it because, uh I mean, for me, uh it all
starts with my faith and my beliefs.
968
01:10:30,586 --> 01:10:33,818
That's just the way that it is.
969
01:10:33,818 --> 01:10:41,374
And without that, I just don't think I would, well, I wouldn't have direction and I don't
think I would be successful.
970
01:10:41,374 --> 01:10:46,758
Faith first for me, that just is what, that's what works.
971
01:10:46,919 --> 01:10:50,371
that's purpose and the faith, that's number one with me.
972
01:10:50,371 --> 01:10:51,846
Okay, so what really
973
01:10:51,846 --> 01:10:52,946
excited to see that.
974
01:10:52,946 --> 01:10:54,386
didn't know what I was going to get.
975
01:10:54,386 --> 01:10:56,646
I didn't know how bad it might be.
976
01:10:57,045 --> 01:10:57,916
It's not supposed to be bad.
977
01:10:57,916 --> 01:11:01,789
It's supposed to tell you what you're great at, what your natural gifts are.
978
01:11:01,789 --> 01:11:09,955
uh So what stood out to me was that you are heavily concentrated in the executing domain.
979
01:11:09,955 --> 01:11:17,382
So belief, focus, achiever, and arranger are all about getting things done.
980
01:11:17,382 --> 01:11:19,082
Did that resonate with you?
981
01:11:19,452 --> 01:11:26,331
It does resonate with me because if you don't do that, then you know, you have let my
client down.
982
01:11:26,331 --> 01:11:30,376
um So I'm happy to see that.
983
01:11:31,378 --> 01:11:34,441
You have to, your client is.
984
01:11:35,714 --> 01:11:48,598
Number one, mean, you know, when we're talking about business here, well, faith and
purpose, you know, serving the client, the customer is always right.
985
01:11:48,598 --> 01:11:54,480
Unless the customer asks me to compromise my ethics, then the customer's not right.
986
01:11:54,480 --> 01:11:56,751
know, service, you got to serve your customers.
987
01:11:56,751 --> 01:11:59,911
You got to serve your clients and work hard for them.
988
01:11:59,911 --> 01:12:11,116
the belief comes in there too is those core values of I'm not going to compromise my
expert opinion for what your outcome is, what you want your outcome to be is important
989
01:12:11,116 --> 01:12:19,715
because that's number one for you is I'm going to give you what the facts are, so speaking
of facts, two, analytical.
990
01:12:19,715 --> 01:12:28,059
um So how much of forecasting and expert witnessing um work is really about finding the
patterns and separating facts from assumptions?
991
01:12:28,059 --> 01:12:29,453
you
992
01:12:29,475 --> 01:12:30,275
everything.
993
01:12:30,275 --> 01:12:33,995
And it's funny because I don't forecast as much.
994
01:12:33,995 --> 01:12:36,475
People will ask me, what's the weather going to be in Memphis this weekend?
995
01:12:36,475 --> 01:12:38,175
I'm like, I have no clue.
996
01:12:38,175 --> 01:12:43,935
I'm looking at Oregon and what happened at 2021 in this freezing rain event.
997
01:12:43,935 --> 01:12:45,495
So it's really hindcasting now.
998
01:12:45,495 --> 01:12:47,755
I still look at models and stuff, of course.
999
01:12:47,755 --> 01:12:51,135
And I have to keep all my seals and certifications.
1000
01:12:51,415 --> 01:12:53,915
But yeah, yeah, hindcasting.
1001
01:12:53,915 --> 01:12:55,137
Never thought of me doing that.
1002
01:12:55,137 --> 01:13:07,143
All right, and you what I don't see, and it's very likely to be because of some of the
things you've said here today, very likely to be in maybe your top 10 or somewhere close
1003
01:13:07,143 --> 01:13:07,857
by.
1004
01:13:07,857 --> 01:13:13,097
I don't see any relationship building or influencing themes in your top 10.
1005
01:13:13,097 --> 01:13:25,121
um And you said earlier, you love networking and building relationships, so it was
curious, I think because of how your brain is wired, because that's the profession
1006
01:13:25,121 --> 01:13:32,235
work in is all about, you know, focusing on the facts and what's happening and so forth.
1007
01:13:32,235 --> 01:13:42,620
um Do you think that some professionals struggle in networking because, not because
they're not capable, but because they're trying to maybe network in ways that don't fit
1008
01:13:42,620 --> 01:13:44,421
how they're naturally wired?
1009
01:13:45,056 --> 01:13:45,846
Absolutely.
1010
01:13:45,846 --> 01:13:55,981
mean, look, it's not, I'm not wired to sit behind a computer all day, but that's the work
that I'm doing.
1011
01:13:55,981 --> 01:14:00,543
And I forget, you know, I forget you've got to have that balance.
1012
01:14:00,543 --> 01:14:03,965
Like you said, chamber, whatever works for you.
1013
01:14:03,965 --> 01:14:04,365
Right?
1014
01:14:04,365 --> 01:14:14,931
um And so I need to, what I think I've learned today on this podcast is I need, and I love
dealing and working with people, but so much of my
1015
01:14:14,931 --> 01:14:19,778
is data and analytics, know, and behind the desk and whatever.
1016
01:14:19,778 --> 01:14:25,494
um But yes, yeah, I couldn't agree more and it's made me think.
1017
01:14:25,494 --> 01:14:28,085
Yeah, when you have high achievers, they're working all the time.
1018
01:14:28,085 --> 01:14:33,146
That's one of the points of an achiever is we, you know, I have high achiever also working
every day.
1019
01:14:33,146 --> 01:14:43,149
There's always something to do, something that needs accomplished um and getting to the
top, being the best all kind of tend to fall under those things.
1020
01:14:43,169 --> 01:14:53,742
You also have a ranger, you know, which is a lot of the things that you're doing today is
you're in court, you're, you know, looking at the weather patterns, you're trying to grow
1021
01:14:53,742 --> 01:14:54,402
your business.
1022
01:14:54,402 --> 01:14:55,848
So you're, you know,
1023
01:14:55,848 --> 01:14:58,030
I like to think of those as the maestros.
1024
01:14:58,030 --> 01:15:03,213
They're kind of organizing all those different things and bringing them all together as
one.
1025
01:15:03,213 --> 01:15:12,739
uh Looking back, do you see a connection between what your strengths are and the
networking challenges you might have had?
1026
01:15:13,618 --> 01:15:17,051
Yes, I do see that for sure.
1027
01:15:17,352 --> 01:15:23,076
And like you're saying, I've never thought about horizontally and vertically.
1028
01:15:23,357 --> 01:15:26,750
I never really understood what that meant until today.
1029
01:15:26,750 --> 01:15:30,423
But when we get off, I'm still going to do some research on that.
1030
01:15:30,844 --> 01:15:32,165
Yeah.
1031
01:15:32,165 --> 01:15:34,980
So yes, to answer your question, absolutely.
1032
01:15:34,980 --> 01:15:45,084
Well, and I think it's an important point for the listeners is if you're whether you're in
a business that is in the room horizontally makes sense for you know, there's some that
1033
01:15:45,084 --> 01:15:51,246
just make you know, the the firm we call finance insurance real estate mortgage, they're
already doing business with each other.
1034
01:15:51,246 --> 01:15:52,738
That's a natural fit.
1035
01:15:52,738 --> 01:15:57,610
But other people that need to look at that horizontal and really I'm going to argue that's
a lot of people.
1036
01:15:57,610 --> 01:16:02,962
It's really everybody because once you kind of work with your chapter, that's the end of
you know, you need more business.
1037
01:16:02,962 --> 01:16:04,923
So, you know, looking horizontal.
1038
01:16:04,923 --> 01:16:09,106
uh or vertically rather, is what we should all be doing.
1039
01:16:09,106 --> 01:16:14,009
So, you know, what your strategy is is going to matter for what your success is.
1040
01:16:14,009 --> 01:16:19,883
All right, we're going to do a really quick quick fire, really quick quick fire, and then
we'll call it a day here.
1041
01:16:19,883 --> 01:16:23,095
So um just short answers to these questions.
1042
01:16:23,095 --> 01:16:26,897
So most challenging weather event to forecast?
1043
01:16:27,956 --> 01:16:30,076
Uh, snow in the mid south.
1044
01:16:33,356 --> 01:16:38,596
No, I was just going to say, mean, snow in the mid south is, as I would say, my heart is
hurricane.
1045
01:16:38,596 --> 01:16:45,412
Uh, that's for me anyway, easier to forecast, uh, than a snow event in the mid south.
1046
01:16:45,412 --> 01:16:54,539
from the North, one of the questions I was going to ask, I took it up and I'm going ask it
now anyway, because you brought that up, is why do the store shelves empty every time
1047
01:16:54,539 --> 01:16:57,681
there's a snow event potentially coming our way?
1048
01:16:57,681 --> 01:16:59,713
There's no bread, no milk.
1049
01:16:59,713 --> 01:17:04,636
I'm from the North, where we're like, oh, OK, you know, we're just back to business.
1050
01:17:05,478 --> 01:17:07,669
It is amazing to me.
1051
01:17:07,669 --> 01:17:11,690
Somebody can mention flurries and then all the bread and milk is gone.
1052
01:17:11,690 --> 01:17:15,991
And then somebody thought we had a relationship with a supermarket in town here.
1053
01:17:16,772 --> 01:17:19,413
Like we got some kickback if I mentioned snow.
1054
01:17:19,413 --> 01:17:20,808
That's not true.
1055
01:17:20,808 --> 01:17:22,214
I don't know.
1056
01:17:22,434 --> 01:17:24,655
Bread and milk, I'm not sure.
1057
01:17:24,655 --> 01:17:26,475
I don't have an answer for you on that one.
1058
01:17:26,475 --> 01:17:28,106
I don't even eat bread much.
1059
01:17:28,106 --> 01:17:31,479
networking opportunity we need to talk about later.
1060
01:17:31,479 --> 01:17:33,391
All right.
1061
01:17:33,391 --> 01:17:35,543
Most important networking skill?
1062
01:17:35,709 --> 01:17:36,090
of?
1063
01:17:36,090 --> 01:17:38,851
I would say confidence and belief in yourself.
1064
01:17:38,851 --> 01:17:45,404
ah You know, I mean, if you don't believe in yourself and you don't have confidence in
yourself, who is going to believe in you?
1065
01:17:45,404 --> 01:17:47,005
Respect yourself also.
1066
01:17:47,005 --> 01:17:47,567
Perfect.
1067
01:17:47,567 --> 01:17:50,507
And best business advice you've ever received?
1068
01:17:52,044 --> 01:17:54,797
to, to, that the client is always right.
1069
01:17:54,797 --> 01:17:59,594
And again, my father-in-law is the epitome of business success.
1070
01:17:59,594 --> 01:18:04,860
Uh, and that's what he is ingrained in me.
1071
01:18:05,475 --> 01:18:10,512
Alright, finish the sentence, the future belongs to people who...
1072
01:18:10,989 --> 01:18:16,104
who stay true to their core, oh their mission, their purpose.
1073
01:18:16,104 --> 01:18:31,288
uh And like you said, there's no, and I did say working harder, oh it is working smarter,
oh but you have to work hard to work smart, if that makes sense, to learn how to be more
1074
01:18:31,288 --> 01:18:33,776
efficient and work smarter.
1075
01:18:33,776 --> 01:18:34,997
or hire a coach.
1076
01:18:37,140 --> 01:18:38,411
Sorry, plug.
1077
01:18:38,411 --> 01:18:40,816
All right.
1078
01:18:41,104 --> 01:18:43,967
So you spent your career forecasting the weather.
1079
01:18:43,967 --> 01:18:48,301
If you were forecasting the next five years for your business, what do you see coming?
1080
01:18:49,077 --> 01:18:53,130
I see a lot of challenges coming.
1081
01:18:53,230 --> 01:19:00,715
I see a lot more need for what I do because people are just now understanding.
1082
01:19:00,996 --> 01:19:05,960
think some of the people are just now understanding what I do and the value I can provide.
1083
01:19:05,960 --> 01:19:08,061
Look, let me give you some numbers real quick.
1084
01:19:08,061 --> 01:19:10,323
I know we're running long, but.
1085
01:19:10,869 --> 01:19:14,582
If you've got a case that's billions of dollars, right?
1086
01:19:14,582 --> 01:19:21,146
um And it could go one way or the other because a forensic meteorologist is involved.
1087
01:19:21,146 --> 01:19:22,967
I said billions with a B.
1088
01:19:23,088 --> 01:19:25,829
The ROI is going to pay off.
1089
01:19:27,491 --> 01:19:33,020
If you don't have that and you don't have that expert, then you might have lost a billion
dollar case.
1090
01:19:33,020 --> 01:19:34,323
Yeah, crazy.
1091
01:19:34,367 --> 01:19:36,968
Well, this was such a fascinating conversation, John.
1092
01:19:36,968 --> 01:19:38,703
Thank you so much for being here.
1093
01:19:39,349 --> 01:19:41,112
Oh, thank you for having me.
1094
01:19:41,156 --> 01:19:41,736
Awesome.
1095
01:19:41,736 --> 01:19:50,130
All right, and you know, one of the things I've loved about this conversation is how it
really highlights a reality that I see all the time in coaching is not every business
1096
01:19:50,130 --> 01:19:51,961
should not work the same way.
1097
01:19:51,961 --> 01:19:55,572
Some businesses thrive through broad relationship building.
1098
01:19:55,572 --> 01:20:01,515
Others require a much more intentional strategy built around a specific ecosystem.
1099
01:20:01,515 --> 01:20:07,968
So if you've ever felt like a unicorn in BNI or your business em and you've struggled
to...
1100
01:20:08,208 --> 01:20:16,280
you know, explain what you do or you go to networking events and you're the one that's
standing in the corner not knowing who to talk to or what you should be getting out of
1101
01:20:16,280 --> 01:20:22,532
this, then I have, I am in development for the strategic networking lab.
1102
01:20:22,532 --> 01:20:29,695
So it's designed to really help professionals identify the right networking strategy for
their business, their strengths and their goals.
1103
01:20:29,695 --> 01:20:34,120
And if you are listening, don't forget to A, subscribe if you have not.
1104
01:20:34,120 --> 01:20:44,589
um Be like, comment, all the things that help our algorithm go a little farther and then
share it in your chapter or with a business owner who you think might find it interesting.
1105
01:20:44,589 --> 01:20:52,548
um And don't forget to give yourself a CEU if you are a BNI member and we'll see you next
time on The Perfect 100.
00:01:37,910 --> 00:01:46,370
Hello and welcome back to the Perfect 100 where we explore BNI, business, CliftonStrengths
and the journeys people take through it all.
2
00:01:46,370 --> 00:01:48,830
Before we jump in, I have a quick favor to ask.
3
00:01:48,830 --> 00:01:59,930
I recently looked at the YouTube analytics and discovered that only 51 % of you people
that are listening or watching more importantly on YouTube are actually subscribed to the
4
00:01:59,930 --> 00:02:00,230
channel.
5
00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:07,466
So if you're enjoying these conversations, one of the easiest ways to support the show is
to hit the subscribe button.
6
00:02:07,466 --> 00:02:14,468
and it doesn't cost you anything, it just helps us reach more people and allows us to
continue to bring great guests and content every week.
7
00:02:14,468 --> 00:02:24,171
And of course, if you know a business owner, entrepreneur, leader, or team who could
benefit from CliftonStrengths or business coaching, speaking, or training, referrals are
8
00:02:24,171 --> 00:02:25,306
always appreciated.
9
00:02:25,306 --> 00:02:28,433
I work with clients both locally and globally.
10
00:02:28,433 --> 00:02:31,954
All right, now today's episode is a little bit different.
11
00:02:31,954 --> 00:02:34,816
Most of our guests are active BNI members.
12
00:02:34,816 --> 00:02:45,562
John Bryant is a former BNI member who is a forensic meteorologist, climate consultant,
and expert witness whose work takes him all over the country.
13
00:02:45,562 --> 00:02:52,125
As I've prepared for this interview, I realized that John represents a challenge many
professionals face.
14
00:02:52,125 --> 00:02:56,267
Some businesses fit naturally into referral networking.
15
00:02:56,267 --> 00:02:58,168
Others are highly specialized.
16
00:02:58,168 --> 00:03:01,322
Some people seem naturally wired to network.
17
00:03:01,322 --> 00:03:05,387
while others are wired to execute, analyze, and solve problems.
18
00:03:05,387 --> 00:03:14,356
So today, we're going to explore not only John's fascinating career, but what happens when
your business doesn't quite fit the traditional networking mold.
19
00:03:14,356 --> 00:03:16,438
John, welcome to the program.
20
00:03:16,775 --> 00:03:17,836
Thank you, Tammy.
21
00:03:17,836 --> 00:03:28,896
I really appreciate you having me on and I look forward to this conversation because
growing businesses and how you coach businesses is pretty cool.
22
00:03:28,896 --> 00:03:34,026
So I think what you do is awesome and I appreciate you allowing me to be on the show.
23
00:03:34,026 --> 00:03:38,633
Well, it is my pleasure and I think the audience is going to find this very interesting.
24
00:03:38,633 --> 00:03:41,156
but let's start where, let's get a little background.
25
00:03:41,156 --> 00:03:44,721
So before weather became your career, what were you like as a kid?
26
00:03:44,721 --> 00:03:45,943
Tell me about growing up.
27
00:03:45,943 --> 00:03:48,946
What do your folks do for work, that kind of stuff.
28
00:03:48,967 --> 00:03:56,304
Yeah, well, my dad was uh an engineer for a long time and he was actually a rocket
scientist, believe it or not.
29
00:03:56,304 --> 00:03:57,275
I just thought about that.
30
00:03:57,275 --> 00:04:01,740
I did not get those brains, but he was an engineer for a long time.
31
00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:03,702
My mother, she grew up...
32
00:04:03,702 --> 00:04:05,051
uh
33
00:04:05,051 --> 00:04:12,159
Well, my roots are in Mississippi, but she did speech therapy and worked for Memphis Oral
School for the Deaf.
34
00:04:12,159 --> 00:04:16,184
And my dad worked for Boeing, uh NASA, Pickering Environmental.
35
00:04:16,184 --> 00:04:21,906
uh So I do have good inspiration from my parents, that's for sure.
36
00:04:21,906 --> 00:04:22,926
Nice.
37
00:04:23,447 --> 00:04:26,178
you're that one saying, you it's not rocket science.
38
00:04:26,178 --> 00:04:28,309
And in your case, it actually is.
39
00:04:30,651 --> 00:04:31,431
I get it.
40
00:04:31,431 --> 00:04:37,794
But you can you can kind of legit say that, you know, in my family, we're all about rocket
science over here.
41
00:04:38,935 --> 00:04:40,436
So tell me about weather.
42
00:04:40,436 --> 00:04:43,047
What first sparked your fascination with weather?
43
00:04:43,165 --> 00:04:50,198
You know, tell you what, and I have asked this question to everybody that is interested in
weather.
44
00:04:50,198 --> 00:04:54,020
I'm like, okay, and there are a lot of people that are fascinated by weather.
45
00:04:54,020 --> 00:04:58,482
I asked them, when did you become interested in weather?
46
00:04:58,482 --> 00:05:04,045
I have never gotten an answer where somebody says, oh, just the last couple of years.
47
00:05:04,045 --> 00:05:07,646
It seems like people are born.
48
00:05:07,646 --> 00:05:10,748
Some people are just born to find weather fascinating.
49
00:05:10,748 --> 00:05:13,289
And that is me.
50
00:05:13,289 --> 00:05:15,002
I've been a weather dork all my life.
51
00:05:15,002 --> 00:05:16,715
I love weather.
52
00:05:16,715 --> 00:05:18,859
And it's always fascinated me.
53
00:05:18,859 --> 00:05:22,305
And I love asking people that question that are weather fanatics.
54
00:05:22,305 --> 00:05:25,490
And I have never had one person tell me otherwise.
55
00:05:25,718 --> 00:05:26,869
So cool.
56
00:05:26,869 --> 00:05:36,840
you, the meteorology kind of the, it was just a natural progression for you or was that
something you decided kind of that made sense for what your interests were?
57
00:05:36,913 --> 00:05:47,165
Yeah, natural progression because I always knew, which is, I think this is pretty rare,
and I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything because my kids are still trying to
58
00:05:47,165 --> 00:05:49,158
figure out exactly what they're gonna do.
59
00:05:49,158 --> 00:05:52,952
But I always knew what I wanted to do.
60
00:05:52,952 --> 00:05:54,097
Now, I...
61
00:05:54,097 --> 00:05:55,938
didn't necessarily have the confidence.
62
00:05:55,938 --> 00:05:58,399
Now I always ask my mother, mom, do you think I have it?
63
00:05:58,399 --> 00:05:59,470
Mom, do you think I have it?
64
00:05:59,470 --> 00:06:01,090
And she would say, yes, son, you have it.
65
00:06:01,090 --> 00:06:01,811
Yes, you have it.
66
00:06:01,811 --> 00:06:16,087
uh But I used to grow up watching the Weather Channel and I'm dating myself here, but I
would use VHS tapes to tape the Weather Channel and then practice at my house and stop the
67
00:06:16,087 --> 00:06:18,909
VHS tapes and act like there was a green screen.
68
00:06:18,909 --> 00:06:23,841
This is just a wall of a global map, not to scale, but
69
00:06:24,021 --> 00:06:36,858
Anyway, that's what I would do and I just pursued my dream and it did work out not
necessarily the way I planned it, but it worked out and it just, I will give my mother a
70
00:06:36,858 --> 00:06:39,557
lot of credit for saying, son, you do have it.
71
00:06:39,557 --> 00:06:49,678
Because I didn't know, I didn't believe and she just instilled upon me, you have to
believe in yourself if you want to achieve and be successful.
72
00:06:49,749 --> 00:06:50,340
Yeah, love that.
73
00:06:50,340 --> 00:07:01,012
Well, and I listen to a lot of podcasts and a lot of actors have that where they'll say,
when they talk about their background, one of the things that seems that comes up often
74
00:07:01,012 --> 00:07:05,047
when I'm listening to them is that they all were acting as a kid, right?
75
00:07:05,047 --> 00:07:10,025
They were all putting on shows at their house for their folks or their family or the
neighbors.
76
00:07:10,025 --> 00:07:15,357
they were looking for the opportunity to be the thing, right, as they were practicing and
honing.
77
00:07:15,357 --> 00:07:25,000
So I love that you were recording yourself and practicing, um you know, that you could
foresee moving that forward into a career.
78
00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:32,723
So talk about, tell me about TV because how did you get into TV and, you know, why was
that the step you wanted to take?
79
00:07:32,908 --> 00:07:34,730
this is how I got in.
80
00:07:35,105 --> 00:07:38,885
I have always been a Mississippi State Bulldog.
81
00:07:38,885 --> 00:07:51,169
believe it or not, they had a program for not only did they combine the science, but they
also uh combined the broadcasting element.
82
00:07:51,460 --> 00:08:01,795
grew up loving Mississippi State because my parents went there and it was actually just a
blessing from God to be honest with you because they had the perfect program that I needed
83
00:08:01,795 --> 00:08:04,636
for college and I worked through high school.
84
00:08:04,636 --> 00:08:08,538
Germantown High School has an excellent uh television.
85
00:08:08,538 --> 00:08:15,881
I mean some of the studios that they have at Germantown High School at the time when I was
there are better than local television stations.
86
00:08:15,881 --> 00:08:21,364
So that helped me and then of course my education being fortunate enough to grow up
87
00:08:21,364 --> 00:08:26,567
uh where my parents were, you know, had the means to send me uh somewhere.
88
00:08:26,567 --> 00:08:30,368
And plus I just had the drive and motivation and I loved it.
89
00:08:30,368 --> 00:08:33,910
I really loved what I did in college and.
90
00:08:34,394 --> 00:08:39,286
At the time, now this is not the case, but you know, at the time it was one of the only
school.
91
00:08:39,286 --> 00:08:45,980
was the only school in the country that boasted a 100 % job placement rate right out of
school.
92
00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:48,651
So I don't think that's the case.
93
00:08:48,651 --> 00:08:50,732
Now things are more challenging.
94
00:08:50,732 --> 00:08:56,324
Things are just more challenging in the workplace now, especially in the field I was in.
95
00:08:56,324 --> 00:09:00,106
And so, you know, at the time it was like, okay, I've got a job.
96
00:09:00,106 --> 00:09:04,218
I started working uh in college at a low, not a local
97
00:09:04,218 --> 00:09:07,410
station, but I would travel on the weekend, Greenville, Mississippi.
98
00:09:07,510 --> 00:09:15,756
And then to make a long story short, television normally, you you start in a small market
and you, your goal is to move up, right?
99
00:09:15,756 --> 00:09:19,478
um And, and end up in your dream place.
100
00:09:19,478 --> 00:09:21,580
But TV, you have to pivot.
101
00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:30,528
If, if, if anybody's listening to this show or watching the podcast right now, you have to
prepare for the unexpected because different things are going to come your way.
102
00:09:30,528 --> 00:09:31,888
You're going to have to move.
103
00:09:31,888 --> 00:09:34,208
You're going to be disappointed, but you have to keep going.
104
00:09:34,208 --> 00:09:36,810
You just have to pick your bootstraps up and keep going.
105
00:09:36,810 --> 00:09:45,896
And so I went to Tupelo for three months and then I came to Memphis and worked for two and
a half decades for three stations, three or four stations.
106
00:09:45,896 --> 00:09:48,978
And it was really a journey.
107
00:09:48,978 --> 00:09:54,101
And I'll tell you how I got a job, my third job in Memphis.
108
00:09:54,101 --> 00:09:58,734
I bugged the heck out of my news director and I wrote her letters.
109
00:09:58,734 --> 00:10:04,389
I called her, you know, I just, she'll tell you, I drove her crazy and she finally,
110
00:10:04,389 --> 00:10:11,360
was nice enough to give me a job and then it was off to the races and she believed in me
and Peggy Phillip.
111
00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:17,769
I've got to thank Peggy Phillip for giving me my first job and it really it really worked
out from there.
112
00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:18,260
Awesome.
113
00:10:18,260 --> 00:10:20,242
Yeah, well, there's a lot of stuff in there.
114
00:10:20,242 --> 00:10:30,088
you know, that stick-to-itiveness that, you know, I think every business owner has the
people that are listening are primarily BNI people, business owners.
115
00:10:30,088 --> 00:10:38,637
that having the, what's the word I'm looking for, perseverance, right, to work in those.
116
00:10:38,637 --> 00:10:40,395
I have an uncle that's in TV.
117
00:10:40,395 --> 00:10:41,446
Well, he was in TV.
118
00:10:41,446 --> 00:10:42,597
He was a sportscaster.
119
00:10:42,597 --> 00:10:47,570
So he all the same things you just said, work in a small market or, you know, kind of take
120
00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:56,594
take the, come up and you you gotta take, you gotta take the work in the tiny markets and
not make a lot of money to get to the next one, which is bigger and so on and so forth to
121
00:10:56,594 --> 00:10:58,325
get to the big leagues, right?
122
00:10:58,325 --> 00:11:03,277
And sometimes we never get to the big leagues or then we shift directions to something
else.
123
00:11:03,277 --> 00:11:05,308
And sometimes that's really hard.
124
00:11:05,429 --> 00:11:08,951
because we thought we were going one way and now we're going another, right?
125
00:11:08,951 --> 00:11:13,494
So, welcome to most people's stories, I feel like, right?
126
00:11:13,494 --> 00:11:19,778
It's very few people kind of start out from, especially if you have that dream when you're
little, you know, that I want to do this.
127
00:11:19,778 --> 00:11:27,862
I'm standing in front of a camera making, you know, videos because I want to do this,
realizing that dream and then sometimes it changes.
128
00:11:27,982 --> 00:11:32,615
I feel like that's a common story for entrepreneurs.
129
00:11:32,615 --> 00:11:33,816
and your story doesn't end there.
130
00:11:33,816 --> 00:11:39,063
We're gonna talk about that, where it does go in a little bit here, what do people tell
me?
131
00:11:39,063 --> 00:11:50,937
Because I think you were a celebrity on television, so I think that comes with that, comes
some things, but what do people really misunderstand about being a meteorologist on
132
00:11:50,937 --> 00:11:52,018
television?
133
00:11:52,112 --> 00:11:57,365
Yeah, well, we could go a long way with this one.
134
00:11:57,365 --> 00:12:05,989
And the first thing I will say, and I'm serious about this, um I had calls when I first
started at the NBC affiliate here in Memphis.
135
00:12:05,989 --> 00:12:15,413
People would get mad um that it rained and I said that it was not going to rain and they
actually believe that we control the weather.
136
00:12:15,413 --> 00:12:17,664
I kid you not.
137
00:12:17,664 --> 00:12:20,275
And so that people would get upset.
138
00:12:20,275 --> 00:12:22,036
But I can tell you a mis-
139
00:12:22,036 --> 00:12:34,596
Misconception I'm not going to speak for every broadcast meteorologist or meteorologist,
you know in the world, but I will tell you the overwhelming number of meteorologists Want
140
00:12:34,596 --> 00:12:35,976
to get it right?
141
00:12:35,976 --> 00:12:48,096
We want to get it right for who we're delivering it to those are our clients the viewers
are our clients and we have to serve them and so I promise you one of the misconceptions
142
00:12:48,096 --> 00:12:49,168
is that we
143
00:12:49,168 --> 00:12:52,009
we just get it wrong all the time.
144
00:12:52,009 --> 00:12:53,400
you can keep a job.
145
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,662
You'll never get fired because you've got the forecast wrong.
146
00:12:56,662 --> 00:12:58,672
And so that's one of the misconceptions.
147
00:12:58,672 --> 00:13:04,965
Another misconception is that it's so glamorous and it's just like the hardest thing in
the world.
148
00:13:04,965 --> 00:13:06,676
People think it's easy to be a journalist.
149
00:13:06,676 --> 00:13:07,826
It's not.
150
00:13:08,827 --> 00:13:14,310
I'm, well, I'm still in the field because I freelance for stations here locally sometimes,
but not full-time.
151
00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:17,211
uh And I will not go back full-time.
152
00:13:17,531 --> 00:13:19,453
But I would say that's misconception.
153
00:13:19,453 --> 00:13:26,653
It's one of the most stressful jobs in America and across the planet really to be honest
with you.
154
00:13:26,748 --> 00:13:28,171
Okay, and why?
155
00:13:28,819 --> 00:13:35,065
I um think the number one reason is you're always fighting for ratings,
156
00:13:36,581 --> 00:13:40,693
Typically, that's how success is defined in the workplace.
157
00:13:40,693 --> 00:13:48,241
If we're just talking about revenue, oh you're always, every show, you're thinking, how
can I beat the competition?
158
00:13:48,261 --> 00:13:51,984
What can I do to differentiate myself from beating the competition?
159
00:13:51,984 --> 00:13:53,545
And here's the deal.
160
00:13:53,586 --> 00:13:59,811
It doesn't matter uh if you know that you did the best job in the world.
161
00:13:59,811 --> 00:14:04,022
You can look at the ratings the next day and you may lose.
162
00:14:04,022 --> 00:14:04,807
Right.
163
00:14:05,043 --> 00:14:11,046
And that is the biggest pressure is looking at those numbers every day.
164
00:14:11,546 --> 00:14:12,266
you're number one?
165
00:14:12,266 --> 00:14:12,727
Great.
166
00:14:12,727 --> 00:14:13,867
But guess what?
167
00:14:13,867 --> 00:14:15,448
That was yesterday.
168
00:14:15,448 --> 00:14:16,398
It's all through today.
169
00:14:16,398 --> 00:14:21,131
You have to maintain that competition every day to be number one.
170
00:14:21,131 --> 00:14:27,053
And that's why I would say it's one of the most uh challenging jobs in America and also
stressful.
171
00:14:27,053 --> 00:14:32,196
I would read those polls, you know, what the top 10 most stressful jobs and think of
journalism.
172
00:14:32,196 --> 00:14:33,536
That's easy, right?
173
00:14:33,536 --> 00:14:35,357
That's glamorous, right?
174
00:14:35,637 --> 00:14:37,208
It's really not sometimes.
175
00:14:37,208 --> 00:14:40,080
It's really, really stressful and it's around the clock.
176
00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:42,362
Social media, I remember when that came along.
177
00:14:42,362 --> 00:14:48,526
Again, dating myself, I was in there before social media and it was easier.
178
00:14:48,526 --> 00:15:01,934
Now the platforms are increasing and it's, I mean, if you're not careful, you can really,
really, uh let me just say, become a workaholic and your family life can get compromised
179
00:15:02,114 --> 00:15:02,874
and...
180
00:15:03,155 --> 00:15:09,320
To be honest, that's what happened to me uh before I got out, especially as chief
meteorologist.
181
00:15:09,561 --> 00:15:13,525
It doesn't matter whose fault it is, it ultimately comes back to you as chief.
182
00:15:13,525 --> 00:15:15,847
um And that's a lot of pressure.
183
00:15:15,847 --> 00:15:20,351
uh But it's just the way that it is.
184
00:15:20,532 --> 00:15:23,212
Those are the nuts and bolts of it, to be honest with you.
185
00:15:23,212 --> 00:15:32,479
Yeah, well, and again, you kind of described, which I'm sure the people listening are
hearing, is the parallels between, so you're working with the team, right?
186
00:15:32,479 --> 00:15:34,811
So it isn't just you.
187
00:15:34,811 --> 00:15:45,960
If the team as a whole isn't meeting those expectations, then you're failing because,
especially in the news, it's a 24-hour cycle these days.
188
00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,982
So whatever happened yesterday doesn't matter.
189
00:15:47,982 --> 00:15:50,023
It's what happens today and the next day.
190
00:15:50,023 --> 00:15:51,554
Every day is a new day for you.
191
00:15:51,554 --> 00:15:52,565
It's not a
192
00:15:52,565 --> 00:15:57,948
I mean, you build a reputation and a brand, but that can change in a heartbeat.
193
00:15:57,948 --> 00:16:05,853
And it's just like being in business is if you're running whatever business you own or
work in, that changes too, if you're not working at it every day.
194
00:16:05,853 --> 00:16:16,910
And I think what you said is fascinating that, you you used the word journalist a couple
of times, and I don't know that people consider that you're standing in front of them
195
00:16:16,910 --> 00:16:18,625
telling the weather, but.
196
00:16:18,625 --> 00:16:20,256
it's much more, right?
197
00:16:20,256 --> 00:16:28,703
As you're looking at the weather models all the time and you know, tell me about what's
the biggest weather event that you ever covered?
198
00:16:28,767 --> 00:16:30,628
Hurricane Katrina without a doubt.
199
00:16:30,628 --> 00:16:43,324
remember I was very young in my early 20s and I was really I'm a hurricane expert because
I've chased so many that that's one of the crazy storm elements of me.
200
00:16:43,324 --> 00:16:53,849
I love chasing hurricanes and so I had experience in college and in my lower 20s and I
remember my station the NBC affiliate at the time said we're sending you to Hattiesburg
201
00:16:53,849 --> 00:16:55,860
and down into southern Louisiana.
202
00:16:55,860 --> 00:16:58,701
They it was a smaller station so they didn't have
203
00:16:58,701 --> 00:17:04,661
The personnel, if you will, and they needed round the clock coverage.
204
00:17:04,921 --> 00:17:10,681
And they just didn't have the staffing because smaller stations just don't have the
staffing that larger stations do.
205
00:17:10,681 --> 00:17:16,701
So they sent me and I will never forget that experience.
206
00:17:16,701 --> 00:17:17,921
Changed my life.
207
00:17:17,921 --> 00:17:23,461
And I remember Tammy, this is something interesting too that I just thought of off the top
of my head.
208
00:17:23,461 --> 00:17:25,801
Our job is to serve viewers, right?
209
00:17:25,801 --> 00:17:27,861
And provide them with life-saving information.
210
00:17:27,861 --> 00:17:28,801
That's the most important
211
00:17:28,801 --> 00:17:34,646
thing meteorologists do and I remember saying to the viewers
212
00:17:34,807 --> 00:17:38,139
And I really thought this that the TV station was going to fall.
213
00:17:38,139 --> 00:17:42,231
I mean, not the station, the tower was going to fall on the TV station.
214
00:17:42,231 --> 00:17:53,436
And I said, folks, look, if we go silent for a minute, I promise you we're going to get
back up and running as quick as we can to provide you with information, but no doubt about
215
00:17:53,436 --> 00:17:53,776
it.
216
00:17:53,776 --> 00:17:55,977
And it's not just being on TV.
217
00:17:55,977 --> 00:18:03,521
It's really connecting with those people when you are off the camera and hearing their
story and their journey.
218
00:18:03,521 --> 00:18:04,661
And I just remember.
219
00:18:04,661 --> 00:18:09,805
remember everybody coming together in that Hurricane Katrina situation.
220
00:18:09,805 --> 00:18:10,666
It was miserable.
221
00:18:10,666 --> 00:18:11,487
It really was.
222
00:18:11,487 --> 00:18:19,934
um And we, you know, when the hurricane had kind of come and land, I remember work, it
slowed down and we thought it was over.
223
00:18:19,934 --> 00:18:23,257
And I was at a restaurant, lucky enough to have power.
224
00:18:23,257 --> 00:18:26,579
And then we saw the levees break and it was like...
225
00:18:26,739 --> 00:18:30,607
I was with my producer and I was like, oh my gosh.
226
00:18:30,607 --> 00:18:34,034
I mean, it was just a moment that is inconceivable.
227
00:18:34,034 --> 00:18:38,412
um so there's no hesitation, Hurricane Katrina.
228
00:18:38,412 --> 00:18:49,277
Yeah, that's probably, we have some viewers that are outside the country, so I don't know
that that would make, I think if we're in the United States, we all know that, right?
229
00:18:49,277 --> 00:18:58,912
It was such a big weather event, even in this area, we had a lot of people that lost their
homes and ended up here because they just gave up, I don't want to live in the zone
230
00:18:58,912 --> 00:19:04,874
anymore, I'm just done with it, so they ended up moving, and we absorbed, I think a lot of
those folks come into this area.
231
00:19:04,874 --> 00:19:06,975
So is that the longest shift you ever worked?
232
00:19:06,975 --> 00:19:08,493
I'm always amazed.
233
00:19:08,493 --> 00:19:09,071
I don't
234
00:19:09,071 --> 00:19:14,151
actually watch local news because I don't have the channels that get me that.
235
00:19:14,151 --> 00:19:16,491
But whenever there's a weather event, guess what I do?
236
00:19:16,491 --> 00:19:22,391
I go online and I pull up, I pull up a live broadcast so I can see what's happening.
237
00:19:22,391 --> 00:19:28,011
So I know if there's a tornado, because we live in an area here where we don't have
basements for the most part.
238
00:19:28,011 --> 00:19:29,491
I don't have a basement.
239
00:19:29,491 --> 00:19:32,031
So I'm like, you know, where do I need to be?
240
00:19:32,031 --> 00:19:34,151
Is there going to be a tornado in my backyard?
241
00:19:34,151 --> 00:19:38,291
I need to be prepared if I need to be in a, you know, cubby hole somewhere.
242
00:19:38,351 --> 00:19:39,165
So how
243
00:19:39,165 --> 00:19:40,905
what does that look like?
244
00:19:40,905 --> 00:19:44,589
Yeah, and I will backtrack for a little.
245
00:19:44,589 --> 00:19:45,015
Yeah.
246
00:19:45,015 --> 00:19:52,819
the global people that are outside of the United States, I was not working, uh but I was
headed to London.
247
00:19:52,819 --> 00:19:55,340
It was my first trip to actually get out of America.
248
00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:57,321
I was so excited.
249
00:19:57,321 --> 00:20:08,446
And I don't know if you remember or not, but there was a volcano uh that blew up or
erupted and spewed all this ash.
250
00:20:08,446 --> 00:20:11,388
mean, massive uh eruption.
251
00:20:11,388 --> 00:20:14,609
And I remember we had to land
252
00:20:14,689 --> 00:20:17,571
in Holland, Amsterdam.
253
00:20:17,571 --> 00:20:18,502
I'll never forget this.
254
00:20:18,502 --> 00:20:24,856
Thankfully, my buddy at the time, had uh some family who lived in Holland, which I was
really lucky about that.
255
00:20:24,856 --> 00:20:31,621
But air travel across Europe, I believe it was three days where air travel was grounded
because of this eruption.
256
00:20:31,621 --> 00:20:37,064
So for your global audience, if anybody was a part of that, you definitely know what I'm
talking about.
257
00:20:37,064 --> 00:20:39,666
So I wasn't working, but I'll never forget that.
258
00:20:39,666 --> 00:20:41,027
And that's a weather event too.
259
00:20:41,027 --> 00:20:44,339
um Not the traditional meteorology, but
260
00:20:44,339 --> 00:20:47,573
the environment and the way the planet works, it's all tied together.
261
00:20:47,573 --> 00:20:54,162
uh So I forget the question, but I just wanted to say that for our global audience.
262
00:20:54,162 --> 00:21:01,222
the longest shift you ever had to work and now you because you said you were working
around the clock for Katrina and I know if that was the longest one you ever because I
263
00:21:01,222 --> 00:21:04,654
when I'm tuning in I'm thinking to myself these people are on like
264
00:21:04,654 --> 00:21:13,678
And they're saying the thing that strikes me the most is how many times you're saying the
same thing over and over and over because you have to keep everybody because that storm is
265
00:21:13,678 --> 00:21:22,431
coming across and you need to let everybody in the front of it know do you need to be in
your cubby hole somewhere, you know, and that's so you're constantly saying the same
266
00:21:22,431 --> 00:21:23,261
things over again.
267
00:21:23,261 --> 00:21:25,202
So what was that event for you?
268
00:21:25,321 --> 00:21:28,043
Yeah, that was Hurricane Harvey when it came.
269
00:21:28,043 --> 00:21:39,003
into Texas and believe it or not, the weather, our weather patterns are changing and
hurricanes are staying stronger now further inland.
270
00:21:39,383 --> 00:21:44,602
And so Hurricane Harvey, when it went through, when it came through Southeast Texas,
caused all that rain.
271
00:21:44,643 --> 00:21:49,743
I remember there was 31 tornado warnings in a 27 hour stretch.
272
00:21:49,743 --> 00:21:52,763
And when it's a tornado warning, you are wall to wall.
273
00:21:52,763 --> 00:21:56,603
I mean, you have to keep talking, like you said, repeating yourself.
274
00:21:56,783 --> 00:21:57,997
So 31 tornado warnings.
275
00:21:57,997 --> 00:22:02,678
27 hours and I remember being at the station that entire time.
276
00:22:02,678 --> 00:22:04,631
I had to take a break to be honest with you.
277
00:22:04,631 --> 00:22:09,084
I mean, I had to try to sleep an hour ice storms when they go on.
278
00:22:09,085 --> 00:22:10,145
And here's another thing.
279
00:22:10,145 --> 00:22:13,668
I mean, stations now are just breaking news.
280
00:22:13,668 --> 00:22:15,159
It's just it's always a fight.
281
00:22:15,159 --> 00:22:20,472
They're extending it longer, but I would say probably 48 hours where I was at the station.
282
00:22:20,472 --> 00:22:22,045
Hurricane Katrina was a week now.
283
00:22:22,045 --> 00:22:24,715
It wasn't, you know, on air for.
284
00:22:24,758 --> 00:22:25,187
Yeah.
285
00:22:25,187 --> 00:22:32,176
I would say to answer your question, I'm trying to think here, um probably 24 hours an
entire day.
286
00:22:32,778 --> 00:22:33,547
Yeah.
287
00:22:33,547 --> 00:22:41,262
that you're on camera and talking, engaging people and warning them, know, which is the
biggest thing is.
288
00:22:41,390 --> 00:22:52,170
The only time I see the weather, I shouldn't say that, I look at the weather every day
because I have dogs and they are big and they are furry and I do not want to be, I do not
289
00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:56,650
want to be in the rain with big furry dogs and plus one is terrified of thunderstorms.
290
00:22:56,650 --> 00:23:00,090
So I am always, I feel like a junior meteorologist every day.
291
00:23:00,090 --> 00:23:03,972
I'm looking at the weather going, we should be walking between here and here.
292
00:23:03,972 --> 00:23:04,892
yes.
293
00:23:05,073 --> 00:23:05,514
Yeah.
294
00:23:05,514 --> 00:23:06,585
And the dogs, they do.
295
00:23:06,585 --> 00:23:11,092
You always have to plan your day and time when it's time for them to go out.
296
00:23:11,092 --> 00:23:12,474
And you're like, let me look at the radar.
297
00:23:12,474 --> 00:23:14,755
So I definitely relate to that.
298
00:23:14,755 --> 00:23:23,978
Well, and one of my dogs is like, we know when a storm is coming because he must feel the
pressure change and he immediately gets very clingy.
299
00:23:23,978 --> 00:23:30,019
And you know, you're suddenly, I mean, he's 136 pound dog and he's terrified of storms.
300
00:23:30,019 --> 00:23:36,311
So when he comes by you, lays down and starts slobbering, you know there's a storm coming.
301
00:23:36,311 --> 00:23:37,471
Like it looks like it's sunny out.
302
00:23:37,471 --> 00:23:39,122
No, there's a storm coming.
303
00:23:39,147 --> 00:23:41,247
Yeah, I've got a German Shepherd.
304
00:23:41,547 --> 00:23:41,967
Interesting mix.
305
00:23:41,967 --> 00:23:43,787
I have a German Shepherd and a Pomeranian.
306
00:23:43,787 --> 00:23:49,647
Now the funny thing is the German Shepherd is freaked out about storms and is doing the
same thing that you're talking about.
307
00:23:49,647 --> 00:23:54,567
My Pomeranian, she just sitting outside like enjoying it, which is so weird.
308
00:23:54,567 --> 00:23:58,047
But yeah, dogs have that sick sense of when weather is coming.
309
00:23:58,047 --> 00:23:59,767
Like you said, pressure changing.
310
00:23:59,887 --> 00:24:01,687
And so I do.
311
00:24:01,687 --> 00:24:03,187
I do watch animals.
312
00:24:03,187 --> 00:24:05,427
Animals really know about the weather.
313
00:24:05,427 --> 00:24:06,707
Even even bird patterns.
314
00:24:06,707 --> 00:24:09,151
I mean, I'm fortunate enough to be able to look
315
00:24:09,151 --> 00:24:20,633
outside, live along the Mississippi River, and it's a microclimate of its own, uh meaning
just there's different weather here on the island versus what there is in the city of
316
00:24:20,633 --> 00:24:21,354
Memphis.
317
00:24:21,354 --> 00:24:29,943
But you watch birds and how they freak out or how they plan and they change their
patterns, uh and they know.
318
00:24:29,951 --> 00:24:31,031
Well, they're flying in the sky.
319
00:24:31,031 --> 00:24:32,512
They see the clouds too.
320
00:24:32,733 --> 00:24:37,757
But yeah, animals have this sixth sense, if you will, about weather and it is real.
321
00:24:37,757 --> 00:24:40,959
so watch animals next time you're thinking of is a storm coming?
322
00:24:40,959 --> 00:24:44,521
Because you'll see, I'll see people jogging and you'll see it lightning.
323
00:24:44,521 --> 00:24:46,883
And it's like, what are these people doing?
324
00:24:46,883 --> 00:24:50,015
And so I'm watching that, not the sky, but the animals and what they're doing.
325
00:24:50,015 --> 00:24:51,386
And they have that sixth sense.
326
00:24:51,386 --> 00:24:52,482
So watch animals.
327
00:24:52,482 --> 00:24:56,084
Yeah, so you shouldn't be jogging during a rainstorm.
328
00:24:58,906 --> 00:24:59,808
With an umbrella.
329
00:24:59,808 --> 00:25:01,269
yeah, yeah.
330
00:25:01,269 --> 00:25:02,471
I mean, it's just not smart.
331
00:25:02,471 --> 00:25:02,921
Come on.
332
00:25:02,921 --> 00:25:05,343
You know, little bit of logic here.
333
00:25:05,343 --> 00:25:13,010
We did have a lightning strike a couple of weeks ago down here and it, know, thankfully
the people weren't home.
334
00:25:13,010 --> 00:25:14,821
uh Firefighters were awesome.
335
00:25:14,821 --> 00:25:17,033
They got the animals out or the dog out.
336
00:25:17,033 --> 00:25:18,154
We're just talking about animals.
337
00:25:18,154 --> 00:25:23,358
uh And so you know what I'm freaked out most about with weather?
338
00:25:23,805 --> 00:25:25,996
And that is lightning.
339
00:25:26,396 --> 00:25:30,859
you know, for all of our, if you're watching, listening, don't mess around with lightning.
340
00:25:30,859 --> 00:25:32,930
I can't predict where it's going to strike.
341
00:25:32,930 --> 00:25:40,424
Nobody can, to the like precise home or apartment, um, don't mess around with lightning.
342
00:25:40,424 --> 00:25:44,546
I tell kids all the time and it really, this is for adults too.
343
00:25:44,546 --> 00:25:47,688
When thunder roars go indoors, it's a cliche.
344
00:25:47,688 --> 00:25:50,370
We say it all the time, but people can remember that.
345
00:25:50,370 --> 00:25:51,660
I don't mess around with lightning.
346
00:25:51,660 --> 00:25:52,628
It freaks me out.
347
00:25:52,628 --> 00:25:53,631
Okay, awesome.
348
00:25:53,631 --> 00:25:58,132
So what did being in television teach you about credibility and trust?
349
00:25:58,557 --> 00:25:59,578
it taught me everything.
350
00:25:59,578 --> 00:26:07,251
And like you were saying, look, it takes one split second to lose trust.
351
00:26:07,251 --> 00:26:12,273
And it takes years to build up trust and a reputation.
352
00:26:12,273 --> 00:26:13,874
You have to know that.
353
00:26:13,874 --> 00:26:16,235
You have to know that you say one thing.
354
00:26:16,235 --> 00:26:18,556
This is another reason there's pressure.
355
00:26:18,556 --> 00:26:24,859
You say one thing and your reputation, your trust is gone and you can't get it back.
356
00:26:25,611 --> 00:26:27,451
people will remember.
357
00:26:27,631 --> 00:26:29,831
And so that was, this is always the number one thing.
358
00:26:29,831 --> 00:26:36,131
And I really, and even now, I, you know, I want people to trust me, you know, you want to
maintain a reputation.
359
00:26:36,131 --> 00:26:44,691
And when you're in the media, it doesn't matter if you're on TV or not, when you're in the
media working at a station, anybody can make up anything about you, right?
360
00:26:44,691 --> 00:26:49,991
But you literally, you go to a Grizzlies game or something and it's the way you walk.
361
00:26:49,991 --> 00:26:52,631
It's like, Oh my gosh, you know, somebody's looking at me.
362
00:26:52,631 --> 00:26:53,911
What are they going to say?
363
00:26:53,911 --> 00:26:55,615
That's another reason it's stressful.
364
00:26:55,615 --> 00:26:56,597
to dinner, know?
365
00:26:56,597 --> 00:26:59,451
mean, people looking at you and all this stuff.
366
00:26:59,553 --> 00:27:01,397
It's a tough job.
367
00:27:01,397 --> 00:27:02,749
It really is tough job.
368
00:27:02,749 --> 00:27:04,728
Reputation is huge.
369
00:27:04,728 --> 00:27:16,888
Well, and that's a celebrity thing, Is that you don't necessarily think your weatherman
has celebrity, but they do, weather person, woman, whatever.
370
00:27:16,888 --> 00:27:24,074
uh And I think that that's a, I went out with my uncle, he lives in uh Indiana at the time
he did.
371
00:27:24,074 --> 00:27:29,031
we went, he was in the Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne, yeah, market.
372
00:27:29,031 --> 00:27:37,894
and we went out some places for dinner and people are coming over and I'm like, this isn't
my uncle, but to me, but everybody's like, oh, there he is.
373
00:27:38,391 --> 00:27:40,106
It becomes a whole thing.
374
00:27:40,106 --> 00:27:42,457
And so now you're living your life.
375
00:27:42,457 --> 00:27:49,179
Imagine everybody listening if everything you said and everything you did in your business
was being broadcast.
376
00:27:49,559 --> 00:27:56,266
It makes for a stressful environment when you have to be careful, everything you say, how
you show up, but guess what?
377
00:27:56,266 --> 00:28:05,030
everything you do and say on social media is the same because it only takes a minute for
you to say the wrong thing in any place and become part of a problem.
378
00:28:05,257 --> 00:28:06,608
That is so true.
379
00:28:06,608 --> 00:28:18,793
I, you know, one thing that I started telling kids and now, like you just said, mean,
adults, anybody, any business uh owner, POP, the acronym POP, post only positives.
380
00:28:18,793 --> 00:28:21,775
Um, and, and you can, you're safe.
381
00:28:21,775 --> 00:28:23,215
You just never know.
382
00:28:23,215 --> 00:28:26,457
Um, always think before you post business owners.
383
00:28:27,738 --> 00:28:32,070
you know, you have to do social media to be a successful, uh, business owner.
384
00:28:32,070 --> 00:28:35,522
You are, well, maybe not everybody.
385
00:28:35,522 --> 00:28:37,184
but most people have to do it.
386
00:28:37,184 --> 00:28:42,114
ah And so post-summit positives, I would give that advice to any business owner.
387
00:28:42,114 --> 00:28:43,115
Yeah, love that.
388
00:28:43,115 --> 00:28:44,787
So forensic meteorology.
389
00:28:44,787 --> 00:28:48,231
So for everyone listening that has no idea what that is, give us a little background.
390
00:28:48,231 --> 00:28:49,422
What does that mean?
391
00:28:49,663 --> 00:28:53,005
Yeah, so basically, you know, I was a forecaster, right?
392
00:28:53,005 --> 00:28:55,226
uh And now I'm a hindcaster.
393
00:28:55,226 --> 00:28:56,806
What the heck does that mean?
394
00:28:56,806 --> 00:29:02,809
ah You know, I mean, really, it's basically a weather detective.
395
00:29:02,809 --> 00:29:06,191
There's only probably a few hundred of us in the country.
396
00:29:06,191 --> 00:29:10,113
uh In the United States, there's not many.
397
00:29:10,113 --> 00:29:13,754
So what I do basically, all right, let's say there's a car accident, right?
398
00:29:13,754 --> 00:29:20,097
uh I'm thinking of a case, Michigan, and the two parties, they wreck, right?
399
00:29:20,398 --> 00:29:22,119
One person says it was raining.
400
00:29:22,119 --> 00:29:25,121
Another person says, nope, it was sunny.
401
00:29:25,262 --> 00:29:35,110
Well, it occurred over an area that, you know, it was really in a rural area and people
tend to forget.
402
00:29:35,110 --> 00:29:45,879
They have their own memories about weather and the cases I'm dealing with, mainly
attorneys or my clients, insurance companies, individuals as well, but
403
00:29:45,961 --> 00:29:50,077
People have their own memory of what the weather was on a certain day.
404
00:29:50,077 --> 00:29:53,981
And normally, the other person disagrees.
405
00:29:56,785 --> 00:29:58,347
Of course, of course.
406
00:29:58,347 --> 00:29:59,258
It was raining.
407
00:29:59,258 --> 00:29:59,849
wasn't.
408
00:29:59,849 --> 00:30:03,254
um So that was on an individual level.
409
00:30:03,254 --> 00:30:04,459
you know, I'm.
410
00:30:04,459 --> 00:30:07,419
Of course, you're the host here.
411
00:30:07,419 --> 00:30:17,199
asked me the questions, but forensic meteorology in business is big and it's becoming
bigger because storms are becoming stronger.
412
00:30:17,199 --> 00:30:22,259
And you wouldn't believe the amount of money that are involved in some of these cases.
413
00:30:22,419 --> 00:30:34,443
And really, to be honest with you, forensic meteorologists are not that expensive when you
look at the big picture of what a case actually could go one way
414
00:30:34,443 --> 00:30:41,036
or one way or the other, because if something goes to a jury, you never know what's gonna
happen.
415
00:30:41,036 --> 00:30:43,998
Doesn't matter how good you present things.
416
00:30:44,198 --> 00:30:50,641
When at the end of the day, it's up to the jury to decide, you know, what they're gonna
do.
417
00:30:50,641 --> 00:30:52,032
And nobody can predict that.
418
00:30:52,032 --> 00:30:57,762
I don't care how good of an attorney or a meteorologist you are, it's not a jury, anything
can happen.
419
00:30:57,762 --> 00:31:03,572
Yeah, the thing that sprang to mind when you were talking about that is Tracy Morgan and
the Walmart truck.
420
00:31:03,572 --> 00:31:05,059
And I don't know if that was weather really.
421
00:31:05,059 --> 00:31:09,194
I don't know any, don't remember any of the details of it, but let's just say there was
weather involved.
422
00:31:09,194 --> 00:31:14,817
And I think he got millions of dollars from, know, he was in an accident with a, with, I
think it was Walmart.
423
00:31:14,817 --> 00:31:18,799
I won't swear to that, but I'm pretty sure that's what it was, but he won a very big case.
424
00:31:18,799 --> 00:31:20,082
um
425
00:31:20,082 --> 00:31:26,830
So I'm imagining that that is, you know, if we throw weather into the mix, then that can
be pretty important where you come in.
426
00:31:26,830 --> 00:31:28,893
So you're the expert witness.
427
00:31:28,893 --> 00:31:31,726
So what does it take to become an expert witness?
428
00:31:32,374 --> 00:31:48,305
Part of what it takes is I was really fortunate to be able to leverage the career that I
had because as an expert witness, you have to be able to explain complex meteorology
429
00:31:48,305 --> 00:31:51,028
topics in a...
430
00:31:51,028 --> 00:32:00,392
to a non-technical audience, a jury, a judge, a counsel, you're in a legal setting.
431
00:32:00,452 --> 00:32:12,228
If I were to sit and tell you about the jet stream maxes and all this, and I wasn't able
to tell you what that meant, or uh let's just say bring it to a lay person that's not a
432
00:32:12,228 --> 00:32:16,260
meteorologist, you are not going to be very successful.
433
00:32:16,260 --> 00:32:20,942
So my television oh experience has allowed me to be able to communicate
434
00:32:20,942 --> 00:32:25,763
uh complex meteorology topics in a non-technical way.
435
00:32:25,763 --> 00:32:32,275
And I would say that's one of the biggest challenges of being an expert witness, really,
uh to be honest with you.
436
00:32:32,275 --> 00:32:36,866
And so I was fortunate enough to be in TV to develop those communication skills.
437
00:32:36,866 --> 00:32:44,182
oh And you you just try to talk like we're talking right now and keep it simple.
438
00:32:44,182 --> 00:32:54,633
Well, you the interesting thing is we're all an expert witness in our own business, but a
lot of us don't speak that plain language that is necessary to communicate what we do.
439
00:32:54,633 --> 00:33:04,023
And I think that that's a revelation I just had while we're sitting here is that, you
know, if you're not able and I hear this all the time when I'm in a chapter where there
440
00:33:04,023 --> 00:33:04,743
are.
441
00:33:05,777 --> 00:33:13,797
you know, people who work in IT as a good example is they tend to talk about all these
high level things that nobody has any idea what they are.
442
00:33:13,797 --> 00:33:19,997
And in their mind, they know exactly what it is because that's what they do, but they
don't communicate it to the lay person.
443
00:33:19,997 --> 00:33:27,097
maybe that's a, you need a, you, what's that show, tell it to a 10 year old or a five year
old, whatever the age is.
444
00:33:27,097 --> 00:33:31,317
If a five year old can understand what you do, then you're speaking the right language.
445
00:33:31,317 --> 00:33:34,817
But if you're speaking to them and they look at you like you're crazy,
446
00:33:34,889 --> 00:33:43,790
or at all, then you may have a problem with your marketing and your commercials about what
you're doing if they're not reaching everybody.
447
00:33:44,054 --> 00:33:44,894
You're exactly right.
448
00:33:44,894 --> 00:33:48,146
Everybody's an expert when it comes to their own business.
449
00:33:48,146 --> 00:33:56,430
And if you cannot communicate that um to potential clients, then you're not going to have
as many.
450
00:33:56,490 --> 00:33:57,704
And you're so right.
451
00:33:57,704 --> 00:34:07,695
I think that's such a good point to any business owner listening um is communicate what
you do, what your service is.
452
00:34:07,695 --> 00:34:14,158
Because if I don't know what you do and how you're going to help me, I'm not going to
know.
453
00:34:14,158 --> 00:34:15,579
Yeah, and if you didn't...
454
00:34:15,579 --> 00:34:18,231
somebody else or so you lose a client.
455
00:34:18,231 --> 00:34:23,044
think a lot of people uh miss that mark uh messaging.
456
00:34:23,044 --> 00:34:28,107
uh It's messaging marketing uh so important for business success.
457
00:34:28,107 --> 00:34:33,431
uh so if yeah, if you haven't done that and most people, maybe most people have it or some
people have it.
458
00:34:33,431 --> 00:34:38,374
uh Yeah, I would definitely definitely encourage you to uh think about that.
459
00:34:38,374 --> 00:34:43,998
uh Maybe this week or maybe whenever you're listening to this podcast, whenever you
460
00:34:43,998 --> 00:34:44,659
hear it.
461
00:34:44,659 --> 00:34:47,705
You know, just try it and what's go wrong, right?
462
00:34:47,705 --> 00:34:48,665
Yeah.
463
00:34:48,986 --> 00:34:56,792
Well, and if you're, you didn't catch the previous podcast episode, Jim Rosemary was the
guest.
464
00:34:56,792 --> 00:34:59,064
He talked about your benefits.
465
00:34:59,064 --> 00:35:03,917
You know, you should really be talking about the benefits that you bring, not, you know,
what you do.
466
00:35:03,917 --> 00:35:08,200
And that's a great also follow up to this one to, build on that.
467
00:35:08,396 --> 00:35:12,650
So you're to build on something, let's build it to talk about trust.
468
00:35:12,650 --> 00:35:13,908
how do your clients
469
00:35:15,810 --> 00:35:20,470
Yeah, I mean, a lot of it's reputation, a lot of it's communication.
470
00:35:21,270 --> 00:35:30,750
It's an interview and most of my work, I'll be honest with you, is I would say a lot of my
work is outside of the state of Tennessee where I live.
471
00:35:31,210 --> 00:35:38,810
so you have an interview and the client, they interview you and they get a feel.
472
00:35:38,810 --> 00:35:41,150
You tell them about your successes.
473
00:35:41,150 --> 00:35:45,764
I talk about my successes and I think most people can look through some
474
00:35:45,764 --> 00:35:50,517
somebody and be like, I don't know about that person.
475
00:35:50,517 --> 00:35:53,349
They seem to be blowing smoke.
476
00:35:53,349 --> 00:35:58,312
basically just talking to the clients and saying, look, if you hire me, I'm working for
you.
477
00:35:58,312 --> 00:36:00,549
uh You're paying me.
478
00:36:00,549 --> 00:36:07,338
I think reputation, people talk in litigation and the attorney industry.
479
00:36:07,338 --> 00:36:12,001
They talk more than you think they do on both sides, plaintiffs and defense.
480
00:36:12,062 --> 00:36:15,714
And so just building up reputation and trust.
481
00:36:15,714 --> 00:36:26,071
working your hardest, the client, my father-in-law, ultimate business guy in my opinion,
uh he tells me, he's like, look, the client's always right.
482
00:36:26,251 --> 00:36:28,132
The customer's always right.
483
00:36:28,132 --> 00:36:33,356
Now there's one thing I will tell you in my business where the client is not always right.
484
00:36:33,356 --> 00:36:40,700
uh I had a client ask me to remove the uncertainty in data limitations in a forensic
report.
485
00:36:40,701 --> 00:36:43,763
And I said, I'm sorry, I cannot do that.
486
00:36:43,763 --> 00:36:45,604
That goes against the pressure.
487
00:36:45,604 --> 00:36:47,846
principles of what I'm doing.
488
00:36:47,846 --> 00:36:49,937
So you can have your money back.
489
00:36:49,937 --> 00:36:51,158
I'll give you your money back.
490
00:36:51,158 --> 00:36:54,771
I'm not taking that out of my report.
491
00:36:54,771 --> 00:36:59,414
That's part of ethics for an expert witness to do.
492
00:36:59,415 --> 00:37:04,579
And ultimately, um he came around and said, okay, yeah, we'll leave it in the report.
493
00:37:04,579 --> 00:37:05,700
I said, yes, we will.
494
00:37:05,700 --> 00:37:08,252
Otherwise, you know, find another expert.
495
00:37:08,252 --> 00:37:10,980
Right, which there aren't that many of, which is good for you.
496
00:37:11,443 --> 00:37:13,226
Well, yeah, there's not many.
497
00:37:13,226 --> 00:37:14,426
That's true.
498
00:37:14,426 --> 00:37:16,750
How do attorneys find you typically today?
499
00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:20,310
Yeah, well, you know, you and I were just talking social media.
500
00:37:20,990 --> 00:37:31,390
know, I work, you know, as a business owner, this is another thing, as a business owner, I
found out that I work harder as a business owner than I did in television.
501
00:37:31,390 --> 00:37:39,470
You know, and you can get so addicted to work that you have to stop sometimes and balance
yourself and balance your family.
502
00:37:39,710 --> 00:37:44,430
Sometimes my wife says on the weekend, you know, turn your computer off, just put it down.
503
00:37:44,430 --> 00:37:47,090
But I would say social media,
504
00:37:47,144 --> 00:37:48,965
Blogging is huge.
505
00:37:48,965 --> 00:37:52,107
There are expert witness directories that you can pay for.
506
00:37:52,187 --> 00:37:55,309
I've got something that's coming up that's really exciting.
507
00:37:55,309 --> 00:38:01,433
I can't talk about it right now, but it's a partnership with a business where we're...
508
00:38:01,666 --> 00:38:10,231
looking to actually do some matching because let's say somebody in California has a fire
case and they have no clue about me, right?
509
00:38:10,812 --> 00:38:18,863
But if I market, if we start to match needs uh for a case, um then you can really get some
visibility.
510
00:38:18,863 --> 00:38:21,625
But I'm always on social media blogging.
511
00:38:21,625 --> 00:38:22,405
It's amazing.
512
00:38:22,405 --> 00:38:25,627
And Tammy, look, these algorithms now,
513
00:38:26,271 --> 00:38:31,014
I'm just talking social media with artificial intelligence.
514
00:38:31,014 --> 00:38:34,295
It is hard to stay at that top.
515
00:38:34,295 --> 00:38:37,406
Google could have changed their algorithm this morning.
516
00:38:37,406 --> 00:38:38,837
I'm not calling out Google.
517
00:38:38,837 --> 00:38:39,567
I have no idea.
518
00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:40,518
I haven't checked yet.
519
00:38:40,518 --> 00:38:42,479
That's another thing I do every morning.
520
00:38:42,479 --> 00:38:44,640
What has changed?
521
00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,041
What has changed to where I'm going to rank?
522
00:38:47,041 --> 00:38:51,263
uh And that's a big, big part of my job.
523
00:38:51,263 --> 00:38:55,725
I don't love it, but it's something not just for my business and industry.
524
00:38:55,725 --> 00:38:57,988
but everybody, you gotta keep up now.
525
00:38:57,988 --> 00:39:01,451
It is more challenging than ever to keep up.
526
00:39:01,512 --> 00:39:04,916
If you're not paying attention, you have to stay awake.
527
00:39:04,977 --> 00:39:08,341
even on weekends, I try to keep up.
528
00:39:08,341 --> 00:39:10,085
it's hard, it's really hard.
529
00:39:25,436 --> 00:39:26,156
Awesome.
530
00:39:26,156 --> 00:39:28,377
All right, so want to transition a little bit.
531
00:39:28,377 --> 00:39:34,669
em One thing that's become obvious as we're talking is your business isn't built
necessarily on transactions.
532
00:39:34,669 --> 00:39:38,961
It's really built on expertise, trust, credibility, all the things we've been talking
about, right?
533
00:39:38,961 --> 00:39:41,682
So kind of brings us to networking.
534
00:39:41,682 --> 00:39:46,021
So let's talk about BNI um and the challenge of being what...
535
00:39:46,021 --> 00:39:47,812
Some will call a unicorn.
536
00:39:47,812 --> 00:39:54,917
So you were in a chapter, you kind of have a unicorn kind of business because there's
really not anybody doing what you're doing, right?
537
00:39:54,917 --> 00:39:55,558
It's unique.
538
00:39:55,558 --> 00:39:59,260
And there are other unicorns and lots of chapters.
539
00:39:59,260 --> 00:40:08,707
like to think of, I don't like to think of it this way, but business coaches, which is
what I am, are kind of unicorns because it's hard for people to define.
540
00:40:08,707 --> 00:40:12,690
What I do is different from the business coach in the next chapter and so on and so forth.
541
00:40:12,690 --> 00:40:14,570
And there aren't that many of us.
542
00:40:15,385 --> 00:40:16,204
Why?
543
00:40:16,204 --> 00:40:18,458
What originally attracted you to BNI?
544
00:40:18,479 --> 00:40:22,131
Yeah, I had look networking.
545
00:40:22,771 --> 00:40:32,597
Really, I had it and by the way, your business coach and yeah, you didn't you get a 100 %
on this Clifton uh score?
546
00:40:33,537 --> 00:40:34,028
always.
547
00:40:34,028 --> 00:40:36,319
That amazed me.
548
00:40:36,319 --> 00:40:37,219
That's a tough test.
549
00:40:37,219 --> 00:40:47,631
um Yeah, so P and I um literally I had coffee with a guy um and you know we were he was a.
550
00:40:47,631 --> 00:40:52,604
financial guy, I'm a meteorologist, know, I'm two different um industries.
551
00:40:52,604 --> 00:40:54,315
And he said, have you ever heard of BNI?
552
00:40:54,315 --> 00:40:55,946
And I said, no, I haven't.
553
00:40:55,946 --> 00:40:57,277
I have no idea what BNI is.
554
00:40:57,277 --> 00:40:58,707
And he said, you should try it out.
555
00:40:58,707 --> 00:41:00,949
You should go to a local chapter.
556
00:41:00,949 --> 00:41:02,449
And I did.
557
00:41:02,590 --> 00:41:13,416
And some of the business lessons that, I loved my chapter and some of the business, the
number one lesson I learned because I went in to BNI thinking, okay, it's time to get
558
00:41:13,416 --> 00:41:13,866
clients.
559
00:41:13,866 --> 00:41:15,637
I'm in BNI now.
560
00:41:15,781 --> 00:41:17,062
Give me my clients.
561
00:41:17,062 --> 00:41:18,082
It's not how it works.
562
00:41:18,082 --> 00:41:27,428
uh Givers gain is the number one thing that I remember in BNI, that lesson uh that went
into my head.
563
00:41:27,428 --> 00:41:29,289
And I guess my point is,
564
00:41:29,913 --> 00:41:31,374
relationships.
565
00:41:31,374 --> 00:41:33,455
You develop relationships first.
566
00:41:33,455 --> 00:41:36,337
You don't look for what can I gain.
567
00:41:36,337 --> 00:41:40,300
um Givers gain, that always works out.
568
00:41:40,300 --> 00:41:41,341
I have noticed that.
569
00:41:41,341 --> 00:41:43,302
&I taught me that.
570
00:41:43,302 --> 00:41:47,411
so relationships, givers gain, the rest will take care of itself.
571
00:41:47,411 --> 00:41:53,636
Okay, so did you, what did you hope before you kind of knew what it was, what did you hope
it would do for your business?
572
00:41:53,905 --> 00:41:56,085
Well, I hoped it would grow my business.
573
00:41:56,125 --> 00:41:59,623
And that was really why I got in.
574
00:41:59,623 --> 00:41:59,824
right?
575
00:41:59,824 --> 00:42:00,185
Yeah.
576
00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:01,828
Most people do that, right?
577
00:42:02,312 --> 00:42:03,143
Yeah.
578
00:42:03,373 --> 00:42:09,637
BNI really did because it taught me how to, a lot of people don't like networking.
579
00:42:09,637 --> 00:42:10,188
I love it.
580
00:42:10,188 --> 00:42:10,908
I used to hate it.
581
00:42:10,908 --> 00:42:14,980
It used to intimidate me, but I love networking.
582
00:42:14,980 --> 00:42:17,901
And that's really the power of BNI, right?
583
00:42:17,901 --> 00:42:19,362
Networking and referrals.
584
00:42:19,362 --> 00:42:21,803
I saw how it works.
585
00:42:21,803 --> 00:42:30,427
And I will tell you that uh the person who comes to paint my house or the person who comes
to fix my HVAC, uh
586
00:42:30,427 --> 00:42:35,509
almost all people are from BNI because I trust them, right?
587
00:42:35,509 --> 00:42:39,890
You know, we're talking about trust and you develop this trust in these relationships.
588
00:42:39,890 --> 00:42:43,771
And so most of the, that's still a deal with BNI people all the time.
589
00:42:43,771 --> 00:42:48,582
They do most of my work to be honest with web stuff.
590
00:42:48,582 --> 00:42:49,957
mean, all kinds of stuff.
591
00:42:49,957 --> 00:42:52,614
do feel like they immediately understood what you did?
592
00:42:52,708 --> 00:42:53,393
No.
593
00:42:53,393 --> 00:43:05,038
uh That is uh probably one of the most complex uh challenges that I faced was that 30
second elevator pitch that BNI does.
594
00:43:05,879 --> 00:43:11,647
boy, that really taught me how to explain what you did.
595
00:43:11,647 --> 00:43:13,973
Nobody really knows, to be honest with you.
596
00:43:13,973 --> 00:43:19,145
And look, don't know, there may be more than a few hundred in the country, I'm not sure.
597
00:43:19,145 --> 00:43:23,387
But if you look at the data, generally two, 300 people,
598
00:43:23,387 --> 00:43:24,769
do this on a full-time basis.
599
00:43:24,769 --> 00:43:29,198
ah So BNI taught me that, but nobody knew what it was.
600
00:43:29,198 --> 00:43:33,285
uh My 30, what is it, 30 minute presentation.
601
00:43:33,285 --> 00:43:35,433
uh
602
00:43:35,433 --> 00:43:37,379
did it.
603
00:43:37,379 --> 00:43:39,031
It was 30.
604
00:43:39,031 --> 00:43:49,616
ah You know, I think people started to understand and really found curiosity and really
were trying, trying so hard to get me clients.
605
00:43:49,616 --> 00:43:50,956
And that's why I BNI.
606
00:43:50,956 --> 00:43:52,047
We're in it together, right?
607
00:43:52,047 --> 00:43:53,818
We're in it to grow our businesses.
608
00:43:53,818 --> 00:44:03,582
And uh one thing about BNI I love also is the uh I in BNI, business networking
international.
609
00:44:03,582 --> 00:44:05,203
I mean, what, what, what
610
00:44:05,203 --> 00:44:12,287
What kind of other organization allows you to tap in to resources where you can connect
with people globally?
611
00:44:12,848 --> 00:44:26,137
I really, as oh my last few months at BNI, I started to utilize those online resources and
I encourage any business owner listening, if you are a BNI member or if you're not, take
612
00:44:26,137 --> 00:44:30,019
advantage of those resources, the speed networking that they do.
613
00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:35,163
There's so many resources at BNI and it did help me.
614
00:44:35,243 --> 00:44:37,358
those speed networking events.
615
00:44:37,358 --> 00:44:38,611
I actually got a client out of that.
616
00:44:38,611 --> 00:44:43,220
um And so take advantage of everything BNI has to offer.
617
00:44:43,367 --> 00:44:43,919
Awesome.
618
00:44:43,919 --> 00:44:49,172
So do you feel like some professions are easier to refer than others?
619
00:44:49,453 --> 00:44:50,374
Absolutely.
620
00:44:50,374 --> 00:44:52,054
I certainly I do.
621
00:44:52,054 --> 00:44:54,555
um Yes.
622
00:44:54,876 --> 00:45:00,818
To answer your question, because I would see the success stories all the time in BNI.
623
00:45:00,818 --> 00:45:14,705
And, um you know, it's just like, oh, you know, hey, you know, I got a guy who knows this,
this lady and, you know, this person and, you know, just seeing that power um each week.
624
00:45:15,125 --> 00:45:16,546
It was exciting.
625
00:45:16,546 --> 00:45:18,527
It's a lot easier than what I do.
626
00:45:18,527 --> 00:45:18,927
Yeah.
627
00:45:18,927 --> 00:45:19,648
I mean, I
628
00:45:19,648 --> 00:45:26,195
I would say ah definitely um it's a lot easier for some industries than others.
629
00:45:26,195 --> 00:45:33,939
Yeah, and looking back, what do you think were your biggest challenges working in that
framework, so to speak?
630
00:45:34,159 --> 00:45:39,852
Yeah, the biggest challenges were to figure out who needs my services, right?
631
00:45:39,852 --> 00:45:47,145
And, and I, I loved my chapter because everybody tried so hard to get me clients.
632
00:45:47,145 --> 00:45:49,136
mean, really, really, really hard.
633
00:45:49,136 --> 00:45:54,799
Um, and, so just trying to connect me with attorneys, um, insurance professionals.
634
00:45:54,799 --> 00:46:02,202
Look, I'm, hey, look, there are people, there are attorneys and insurance professionals
that have no clue what a forensic meteorologist is.
635
00:46:02,202 --> 00:46:04,083
Which I found crazy.
636
00:46:04,083 --> 00:46:09,853
ah But some of my friends that were insurance agents didn't know what it was.
637
00:46:09,854 --> 00:46:12,799
And so, you know, that's a challenge.
638
00:46:12,799 --> 00:46:14,643
It's a real challenge.
639
00:46:14,643 --> 00:46:15,653
It taught me a lot.
640
00:46:15,653 --> 00:46:22,111
Yeah, one of the things I notice is that a lot of members network what I'm going to call
horizontally.
641
00:46:22,111 --> 00:46:27,828
They're primarily looking for opportunities with the people in the room sitting around
them.
642
00:46:27,869 --> 00:46:30,051
Does that resonate with your experience?
643
00:46:30,609 --> 00:46:31,491
Okay.
644
00:46:31,626 --> 00:46:39,049
um And as a BNI member, need, you know, somebody can say, well, I know this person.
645
00:46:39,049 --> 00:46:46,173
You have to follow up that if I don't follow up, then it's not the person's fault who's
referring me to somebody else.
646
00:46:46,173 --> 00:46:48,654
You know, it's not like it's a bad referral.
647
00:46:48,654 --> 00:46:49,744
I have to follow up.
648
00:46:49,744 --> 00:46:52,065
I have to intentionally say, yes, let's meet for coffee.
649
00:46:52,065 --> 00:46:59,639
Let's talk one-on-one um and have that, you know, relationship building because they've
handed it off to you.
650
00:46:59,759 --> 00:47:06,931
your job to close a deal as far as you know a business transaction so yeah that's that's
huge.
651
00:47:06,931 --> 00:47:18,496
Yeah, and I think that that horizontal networking uh sometimes, know, if you're kind of
just horizontally looking within the chapter, you're asking for who you need within the
652
00:47:18,496 --> 00:47:21,748
people that you meet, you you're seeing every week.
653
00:47:21,748 --> 00:47:32,633
Some professions like yours, maybe mine, um others that they require maybe a more
strategic approach to a vertical kind of process.
654
00:47:32,633 --> 00:47:35,634
So you're hitting different people in different ways.
655
00:47:35,634 --> 00:47:36,848
Do you feel like that might be
656
00:47:36,848 --> 00:47:38,341
might have been true for your business.
657
00:47:38,341 --> 00:47:40,554
That kind of included you, but.
658
00:47:41,039 --> 00:47:43,680
Yeah, no, no, definitely, definitely it's true.
659
00:47:43,680 --> 00:47:47,172
It's not just horizontally, it's vertically as well.
660
00:47:47,312 --> 00:47:56,116
you know, when I think vertically, think, OK, I think I think social media, to be honest,
I think my website, right?
661
00:47:56,116 --> 00:48:03,179
I'm thinking who can see my website because that's how a lot of people find me.
662
00:48:03,179 --> 00:48:08,412
how can how can look at the end of the day, forensic meteorologists were competitors.
663
00:48:08,412 --> 00:48:10,406
We go up against each other in court.
664
00:48:10,406 --> 00:48:11,033
You know, we're experts.
665
00:48:11,033 --> 00:48:14,005
witnesses at the end of the day were friends as well.
666
00:48:14,966 --> 00:48:21,630
You know, so it's like, uh you're trying to provide valuable content where you can rank
high.
667
00:48:21,630 --> 00:48:28,565
um And you have to be very careful because I have to stay in my meteorological lane.
668
00:48:28,565 --> 00:48:33,988
You know, when it comes down to litigation, I can't overstep and act like an engineer.
669
00:48:33,988 --> 00:48:34,889
I'm not an expert.
670
00:48:34,889 --> 00:48:36,740
I'm not an engineer expert.
671
00:48:37,221 --> 00:48:39,862
I've got to remain in my expert lane.
672
00:48:39,862 --> 00:48:40,953
And so, yeah.
673
00:48:40,953 --> 00:48:44,979
horizontally, vertically, any approach for me.
674
00:48:44,979 --> 00:48:46,630
Yeah.
675
00:48:47,190 --> 00:48:47,811
Perfect.
676
00:48:47,811 --> 00:48:51,033
Well, so you ultimately left BNI.
677
00:48:51,033 --> 00:49:04,060
Do you feel like it didn't necessarily, was the challenge of it that you were maybe not
looking at a strategy for how to work BNI outside of just the people in the room
678
00:49:04,060 --> 00:49:05,301
potentially?
679
00:49:05,553 --> 00:49:07,653
Yeah, that's a great question.
680
00:49:07,653 --> 00:49:09,733
And I would say yes.
681
00:49:10,133 --> 00:49:15,493
And in fact, I've even thought about, you know, re-entering BNI.
682
00:49:15,773 --> 00:49:20,673
because my last few months of, would say of BNI were the best.
683
00:49:20,673 --> 00:49:29,613
And they were the best because I started to, I mean, like I said earlier, I don't want to
beat this horse, you know, to death or whatever.
684
00:49:29,633 --> 00:49:35,527
But really taking advantage of the resources.
685
00:49:35,527 --> 00:49:42,251
You know, because we're most BNI members, we're thinking, all right, we meet on a certain
day, a certain chapter.
686
00:49:42,291 --> 00:49:45,213
We go do our other thing, right?
687
00:49:45,213 --> 00:49:50,015
And we do our referrals, you know, our CEUs, all that kind of stuff.
688
00:49:50,015 --> 00:49:56,079
But the resources and the speed networking, I was like, maybe I should stay in this.
689
00:49:56,079 --> 00:49:59,260
it just, you know, it was one of those things where it just.
690
00:50:00,353 --> 00:50:05,497
It wasn't, uh you know, people step out of BNI all the time.
691
00:50:05,497 --> 00:50:06,978
And I've seen people come back.
692
00:50:06,978 --> 00:50:16,404
uh So it's, you know, just one of those things that I just, and it's interesting that I'm
sitting here saying I didn't have time for BNI.
693
00:50:16,964 --> 00:50:17,825
But.
694
00:50:18,255 --> 00:50:27,590
At that time, I didn't have time to be at a certain place every morning and find
substitutes.
695
00:50:27,590 --> 00:50:38,965
And I did not want to go against that because I'm like, okay, if I'm not doing it, then
it's not benefiting the chapter and it's not benefiting me.
696
00:50:38,965 --> 00:50:39,785
For sure.
697
00:50:39,785 --> 00:50:50,185
So I want to, we're going to take a little journey here in a minute, but what advice would
you give another business owner who feels like they are a unicorn in BNI?
698
00:50:50,524 --> 00:50:53,616
Yeah, just, hey, don't worry about failure.
699
00:50:53,616 --> 00:50:55,716
Everybody's, you're going to fail as a business.
700
00:50:55,716 --> 00:51:02,289
And what you do is you learn from your failures and you you fail, you get knocked down,
get back up.
701
00:51:02,289 --> 00:51:03,440
It's okay to fail.
702
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:04,741
It is fine to fail.
703
00:51:04,741 --> 00:51:08,843
I failed two or three times, you know, before success.
704
00:51:08,843 --> 00:51:10,864
Be patient, work hard.
705
00:51:10,864 --> 00:51:12,604
You have to work hard.
706
00:51:12,604 --> 00:51:17,066
And if you don't, you're just not going to grow.
707
00:51:17,066 --> 00:51:19,508
This is my belief, so you can disagree with me.
708
00:51:19,508 --> 00:51:20,948
um
709
00:51:22,338 --> 00:51:29,494
I, I want to say I'm just going to embellish on that because there's a saying, don't work
hard, work smart.
710
00:51:29,494 --> 00:51:31,565
So I want to show you something.
711
00:51:31,565 --> 00:51:40,352
uh So this is a, on this slide, so if you're watching on YouTube, you're going to see, and
if you're not a minute describing, because you can't see it.
712
00:51:40,352 --> 00:51:47,830
But I, because I was preparing for this interview, I did a search inside Connect and I
found
713
00:51:47,830 --> 00:51:48,360
Guess what?
714
00:51:48,360 --> 00:51:51,371
Hundreds of attorneys within BNI.
715
00:51:52,973 --> 00:51:55,224
Because I know that's your top one, right?
716
00:51:55,224 --> 00:51:59,115
So I decided to see what would this landscape actually look like?
717
00:51:59,115 --> 00:52:01,517
um This is just one page.
718
00:52:01,517 --> 00:52:04,607
uh What is your reaction to seeing this?
719
00:52:05,242 --> 00:52:06,624
I love it.
720
00:52:06,624 --> 00:52:16,413
like I was saying, mean, I, you know, just since we have connected, of course we've known
each other, but, you know, connected about this podcast.
721
00:52:16,534 --> 00:52:22,960
I've just started realizing the resources that I had and yeah, connect.
722
00:52:22,960 --> 00:52:27,024
mean, when you're showing me the screen, I want to go sign up again.
723
00:52:29,020 --> 00:52:31,632
It's the power of being I look attorney.
724
00:52:31,632 --> 00:52:33,293
Yeah, I mean it's great.
725
00:52:33,293 --> 00:52:36,596
It's great and I think I think a lot of people Tammy.
726
00:52:36,596 --> 00:52:39,618
I think a lot of people don't utilize this.
727
00:52:39,758 --> 00:52:41,108
as much as they should.
728
00:52:41,108 --> 00:52:41,649
really don't.
729
00:52:41,649 --> 00:52:45,740
At least that was my experience in my chapter and it was my experience.
730
00:52:45,758 --> 00:52:49,981
I only the last couple of months did I see stuff like this and I'm like, wow.
731
00:52:49,981 --> 00:52:56,933
And I did go to another chapter in Colorado and you know, we're all doing the same thing
for each other.
732
00:52:56,933 --> 00:52:58,133
We're helping each other grow.
733
00:52:58,133 --> 00:53:01,724
And I found attorneys there and I was like, my goodness, I went to another chapter.
734
00:53:01,724 --> 00:53:02,745
I found an attorney.
735
00:53:02,745 --> 00:53:07,106
So yes, the power of BNI is really, really amazing.
736
00:53:07,106 --> 00:53:18,363
Well, don't feel bad that you've probably never seen this page because I will bet you lots
of money that if I pulled aside a bunch of BNI members, they would have no idea that this
737
00:53:18,363 --> 00:53:20,174
exists, right?
738
00:53:20,174 --> 00:53:26,678
Because of what I do and how I work, my number one CliftonStrengths is strategy.
739
00:53:26,678 --> 00:53:33,406
um So I normally think about these in Swiacoa trade is because
740
00:53:33,406 --> 00:53:46,185
I understand that there's value in having a plan to, know, think BNI is wonderful for
getting people in a room and teaching them, you know, that there's power in numbers
741
00:53:46,185 --> 00:53:56,002
because that six degrees of separation that we, you know, have that Kevin Bacon game is I
can ask you who, you know, I want to meet so-and-so and you probably are going to be able
742
00:53:56,002 --> 00:53:59,895
to find somebody in between, you know, me and that person if we talk long enough.
743
00:53:59,895 --> 00:54:00,543
And
744
00:54:00,543 --> 00:54:10,646
what people don't recognize is there's more, you know, and I think that they
unintentionally limit themselves to the people sitting in the room.
745
00:54:10,646 --> 00:54:23,029
uh So seeing that now, how might your strategy for networking be different if you had
thought of it in, I know you know that it's a global audience, but would you kind of
746
00:54:23,029 --> 00:54:29,341
seeing this change your uh thought process and how you might approach it, were you to come
back?
747
00:54:29,630 --> 00:54:30,830
100%.
748
00:54:30,830 --> 00:54:32,790
I mean, it's an easy answer.
749
00:54:32,790 --> 00:54:34,830
You're showing me.
750
00:54:35,586 --> 00:54:43,090
just looking at the screen right now, mean, you know, it's, it's almost like, you know, in
businesses, we're always thinking about ROI, right?
751
00:54:43,090 --> 00:54:51,974
Um, and, and so just seeing the screen right now, BNI, really is, is not that expensive.
752
00:54:51,974 --> 00:54:55,916
You know, you get one or two deals and it pays for itself.
753
00:54:55,916 --> 00:54:56,736
You're good.
754
00:54:56,736 --> 00:54:57,577
mean, really.
755
00:54:57,577 --> 00:55:03,660
So just seeing the screen right now, if I connected, all right, we're talking about
connections here.
756
00:55:03,660 --> 00:55:05,140
That, that's what we're talking.
757
00:55:05,480 --> 00:55:14,525
If I connected with one person and there was one transaction done, that pays for 365 days
of BNI.
758
00:55:14,525 --> 00:55:15,645
Just one person.
759
00:55:15,645 --> 00:55:16,466
That's it.
760
00:55:16,466 --> 00:55:21,688
So just seeing that is the power of the connections with BNI.
761
00:55:21,688 --> 00:55:29,482
um As a business coach, you're pretty much telling me, hey, here are the resources.
762
00:55:29,482 --> 00:55:31,533
They're right there in front of your face.
763
00:55:31,573 --> 00:55:33,550
Take advantage of what BNI does.
764
00:55:33,550 --> 00:55:33,900
Yeah.
765
00:55:33,900 --> 00:55:35,552
So and that's just the start, right?
766
00:55:35,552 --> 00:55:42,980
So um there's really a ecosystem that is involved in any referral strategy.
767
00:55:42,980 --> 00:55:46,923
And what do say we take a crack at building yours right now?
768
00:55:47,486 --> 00:55:48,772
Oh, sure.
769
00:55:48,772 --> 00:55:50,035
Absolutely.
770
00:55:50,179 --> 00:55:50,902
I'm game.
771
00:55:50,902 --> 00:55:51,615
I'm down.
772
00:55:51,615 --> 00:55:52,451
Let's do it.
773
00:55:52,451 --> 00:55:53,671
right.
774
00:55:53,671 --> 00:55:55,731
So we talked about attorneys.
775
00:55:55,731 --> 00:55:59,111
I'm going to guess they're specific attorneys within that list, right?
776
00:55:59,111 --> 00:56:04,011
So give me kind of the smattering of a few of them.
777
00:56:04,400 --> 00:56:06,193
Yeah, I'll be honest.
778
00:56:06,193 --> 00:56:14,906
um probably the best connections for me, I see legal and accounting, you know, I mean, I'm
not.
779
00:56:16,914 --> 00:56:18,945
probably matched prime for an accountant.
780
00:56:18,945 --> 00:56:20,436
I'm not an expert in accounting.
781
00:56:20,436 --> 00:56:33,932
ah But when I see anything like um insurance, uh property law, oh, Elliott, personal
injury, if I'm seeing that correctly, personal injury law, Elliott would be a great
782
00:56:33,932 --> 00:56:35,282
contact for me.
783
00:56:35,783 --> 00:56:41,295
Let's see, legal and account, again, accounting, I'm not an expert, I always try to stay
in my lane.
784
00:56:41,295 --> 00:56:42,626
Real estate is another one.
785
00:56:42,626 --> 00:56:45,647
uh Weather and real estate go hand in hand.
786
00:56:45,647 --> 00:56:46,868
um
787
00:56:46,868 --> 00:56:56,180
see business law now, uh business law now, ah but there are several connections there, but
Elliot, let's connect.
788
00:56:58,126 --> 00:57:06,358
I I purposely didn't show people's last names or where they are because we're going to get
John back in BNI so we can figure out how to connect him.
789
00:57:06,358 --> 00:57:08,148
And I'm going to get those referrals.
790
00:57:08,148 --> 00:57:09,129
back in.
791
00:57:10,211 --> 00:57:10,792
Yeah.
792
00:57:10,792 --> 00:57:11,463
Yeah.
793
00:57:11,463 --> 00:57:14,737
You know, and I'll tell you another thing that.
794
00:57:15,102 --> 00:57:21,662
I was in the green sometimes, but I was also not in the green.
795
00:57:21,662 --> 00:57:24,542
I guess if you don't know BNI, you don't know what I'm talking about.
796
00:57:24,542 --> 00:57:28,882
You've got to have a certain number of CUs and referrals.
797
00:57:28,882 --> 00:57:33,102
And that's the beauty of it, because it keeps you accountable, right?
798
00:57:33,102 --> 00:57:34,302
And that's the beauty of it.
799
00:57:34,302 --> 00:57:37,502
It makes you work to create these connections.
800
00:57:37,522 --> 00:57:43,242
But yes, seeing your screen, I think I've already made up my mind.
801
00:57:43,902 --> 00:57:45,556
Let me get that checkbook.
802
00:57:47,723 --> 00:57:50,624
We don't take checks anymore, but we will take your credit card.
803
00:57:51,765 --> 00:57:55,677
It is not me because I don't, I, you know, I'm not, I'm just a member.
804
00:57:55,677 --> 00:57:56,977
So there's that,
805
00:58:11,997 --> 00:58:16,349
But I do want to open your mind a little bit more because this is what you did is perfect.
806
00:58:16,349 --> 00:58:20,171
What you did is look at that and crossed off who you didn't think was a fit, right?
807
00:58:20,171 --> 00:58:25,103
But what you said earlier was that lawyers talk.
808
00:58:25,459 --> 00:58:26,120
Right?
809
00:58:26,120 --> 00:58:27,201
Lawyers know each other.
810
00:58:27,201 --> 00:58:33,026
um If you're an attorney, you're in an environment where there are others.
811
00:58:33,026 --> 00:58:34,527
You went to school with others.
812
00:58:34,527 --> 00:58:37,170
You probably belong to an association with others.
813
00:58:37,170 --> 00:58:39,261
You might even work in a big office with others.
814
00:58:39,261 --> 00:58:40,653
So they know each other.
815
00:58:40,653 --> 00:58:47,759
So while you're thinking to yourself, they're not a fit for me because they're in legal
and accounting, I think you said was the one that was not.
816
00:58:47,759 --> 00:58:52,479
the estate planning attorney probably knows a...
817
00:58:52,479 --> 00:58:56,059
you know, like somebody who's doing the things that you need.
818
00:58:56,599 --> 00:59:07,439
I wrote down a few more defense attorneys, insurance adjusters, insurance investigators,
which I think are different because I know when I had a car accident, was actually
819
00:59:07,439 --> 00:59:07,879
weather.
820
00:59:07,879 --> 00:59:09,879
Well, technically it wasn't weather related.
821
00:59:09,879 --> 00:59:11,059
It was water related.
822
00:59:11,059 --> 00:59:18,641
I was on my way to a BNI meeting and it was winter time and I was coming down a slight
823
00:59:18,641 --> 00:59:29,706
hill, not very big, the city had, uh they were doing construction in the road and they had
opened up a water main and so the water was pouring, actually this would probably be a
824
00:59:29,706 --> 00:59:42,061
good case for you, it was a long time ago, but the water was streaming down the the spans
of four lanes and nobody knew, this is the mid-south for if you're listening outside the
825
00:59:42,061 --> 00:59:46,103
area, it doesn't usually snow here and it doesn't usually freeze here.
826
00:59:46,208 --> 00:59:56,572
But guess what on that day it was cold enough for ice and so it was black ice and they
were one after the other Coming down and all of a sudden they lost traction and I got
827
00:59:56,572 --> 01:00:07,472
sandwiched between two people I know how to drive because I'm from the north in but nobody
can drive on ice but that the person I Navigated around the people in front of me that
828
01:00:07,472 --> 01:00:13,363
were not doing what they needed to do and I and I went off the side But somebody from
behind
829
01:00:13,363 --> 01:00:19,605
didn't know what to do and slammed into my car, pushed me into another car who had gone
off the side but not hit anything.
830
01:00:19,605 --> 01:00:21,916
So now I became a pancake between two people.
831
01:00:21,916 --> 01:00:25,577
And then another person, there was a police officer, somebody had already called the
police or whatever.
832
01:00:25,577 --> 01:00:34,800
The police car shows up and then he's behind that person and another person spins out,
comes in, hits the police car and another car came.
833
01:00:34,800 --> 01:00:35,850
I mean, it was ridiculous.
834
01:00:35,850 --> 01:00:39,775
I got sandwiched between two, another car hit as I'm videoing.
835
01:00:39,775 --> 01:00:44,615
what's happening to mine, because I want to be in court if I need to have evidence, I've
got it.
836
01:00:44,615 --> 01:00:47,755
And another car spun, turned backwards and slammed into the another.
837
01:00:47,755 --> 01:00:58,015
So my car got hit three different times because of an ice condition, which was the city's,
know, and I didn't have to pay for any of it because I was not at fault.
838
01:00:58,255 --> 01:01:01,755
Actually, two different insurance companies ended up because there was two different cars.
839
01:01:02,255 --> 01:01:07,149
But, you know, I digress and we're running long anyway, and I apologize for that.
840
01:01:07,149 --> 01:01:10,163
rest because that sounds like the perfect case for me.
841
01:01:10,163 --> 01:01:11,864
And first of all, I'm glad you're okay.
842
01:01:11,864 --> 01:01:13,336
uh
843
01:01:13,336 --> 01:01:26,182
I'm glad you're okay, but a lot of, uh, and just tell me to quit talking whenever, but
actually most of my work involves accidents like that, that are years old again, whoever
844
01:01:26,182 --> 01:01:28,543
was involved in the crash, they probably remember it differently.
845
01:01:28,543 --> 01:01:31,565
You, got, and some police reports are different.
846
01:01:31,565 --> 01:01:32,525
That's another thing.
847
01:01:32,525 --> 01:01:41,699
You know, you've got a County report or maybe, and then an ambulance report, they write
down weather conditions, but you know, they're different sometimes.
848
01:01:41,699 --> 01:01:43,340
Everybody has a different memory.
849
01:01:43,340 --> 01:01:48,514
But I'm glad you're okay, but that is that's the that is the type of stuff I deal with.
850
01:01:50,100 --> 01:01:50,694
Yeah.
851
01:01:50,694 --> 01:01:59,868
I also wrote down uh engineering firms, risk management consultants, uh transportation
companies because of just what I just said, right?
852
01:01:59,868 --> 01:02:02,271
Is there, they're out on the road all the time.
853
01:02:02,271 --> 01:02:09,998
uh Accident reconstruction experts because they're the ones like I had the adjuster came
and looked at the car.
854
01:02:09,998 --> 01:02:13,881
I'm sure somebody went to the site and decided, you know, whose fault was this?
855
01:02:13,881 --> 01:02:16,684
I'm sure there were multiples because there were different insurance companies involved.
856
01:02:16,684 --> 01:02:25,171
uh Property damage uh consultants because I know people spin out into, you know, people's
businesses and all the things.
857
01:02:25,171 --> 01:02:27,743
uh Construction litigation attorney.
858
01:02:27,743 --> 01:02:29,885
So if I hit some of them.
859
01:02:30,144 --> 01:02:31,965
yes, you're nailing it.
860
01:02:31,965 --> 01:02:33,236
That's exactly right.
861
01:02:33,236 --> 01:02:39,000
Engineers, I work with accident reconstruction engineers.
862
01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:46,866
I won't say all the time, but certainly there have been several of those where, look, I'm
not an expert in accident reconstruction.
863
01:02:46,866 --> 01:02:51,188
He's not, or she's not an expert meteorology.
864
01:02:51,589 --> 01:02:53,076
Boom, we combine.
865
01:02:53,076 --> 01:02:53,948
yes.
866
01:02:53,958 --> 01:02:58,501
And then we're trying to solve the case objectively.
867
01:02:58,501 --> 01:03:00,722
I don't care what I work for.
868
01:03:01,243 --> 01:03:03,224
I'm going to be objective as possible.
869
01:03:03,224 --> 01:03:05,673
So is any other expert witness.
870
01:03:05,673 --> 01:03:06,545
Yeah, love that.
871
01:03:06,545 --> 01:03:13,329
So if you could intentionally build five relationships from that ecosystem over the next
year, where would you focus?
872
01:03:14,338 --> 01:03:17,234
I would focus on um
873
01:03:17,314 --> 01:03:21,976
As far as individuals and type of what kind of work?
874
01:03:21,976 --> 01:03:36,033
Yeah, I would do engineering like there's engineers that are part of hurricane damage uh
that are that are saying should this house have stood up and 105 mile per hour winds was
875
01:03:36,033 --> 01:03:37,964
an engineered enough, right?
876
01:03:37,964 --> 01:03:47,208
But the engineer doesn't know about meteorology and I do see that in this business and I'm
sure maybe I've crossed my line.
877
01:03:47,208 --> 01:03:49,930
but you have to remain in your lane.
878
01:03:53,994 --> 01:03:49,932
go ahead.
879
01:03:49,932 --> 01:03:51,183
I have an example of that.
880
01:03:51,183 --> 01:03:59,765
Actually, we have a local member who parked his his all of his business stuff, trucks,
equipment, etc.
881
01:03:59,765 --> 01:04:04,096
under one of those um overhang situations.
882
01:04:04,096 --> 01:04:07,967
That's not a garage, but it's meant to be like an open garage, essentially.
883
01:04:07,967 --> 01:04:09,778
So it's open, you know, front and back.
884
01:04:09,778 --> 01:04:11,578
And but it's got a roof on it.
885
01:04:11,578 --> 01:04:14,209
And that collapsed in one of the recent storms that we had.
886
01:04:14,209 --> 01:04:15,833
So that put him.
887
01:04:15,833 --> 01:04:25,651
put him out of business, is because he can't afford, I don't know what his insurance was,
but he can't afford to have all that stuff replaced tomorrow.
888
01:04:25,651 --> 01:04:34,978
um And the insurance takes a minute, and that was a weather-related scenario that I didn't
think of until just now that I could probably connect you to.
889
01:04:35,736 --> 01:04:37,039
That would be great.
890
01:04:37,039 --> 01:04:44,219
But he dropped out of BNI because his renewal was up and he was like, you know what, I
don't even know when I can get my business back up and running.
891
01:04:44,219 --> 01:04:44,999
So I can't afford it.
892
01:04:44,999 --> 01:04:46,699
I don't know how much I'm going have to spend.
893
01:04:46,699 --> 01:04:51,459
So I can't afford to do this and not have a business and all the things.
894
01:04:51,819 --> 01:04:57,659
it was a bad consequence altogether, the perfect bad storm of things.
895
01:04:57,799 --> 01:04:59,639
So go ahead, keep going.
896
01:04:59,639 --> 01:05:01,359
Just give me one more due to time.
897
01:05:01,359 --> 01:05:03,459
Just give me one more you think would be a fit.
898
01:05:04,559 --> 01:05:05,419
Okay.
899
01:05:05,859 --> 01:05:06,719
Okay.
900
01:05:06,783 --> 01:05:10,442
So um were any of those people in your chapter?
901
01:05:11,210 --> 01:05:13,371
Uh, I dealt with?
902
01:05:13,371 --> 01:05:15,591
No, no, they weren't.
903
01:05:15,591 --> 01:05:22,673
But, but they, one of them referred me, um, or no, it wasn't my chapter.
904
01:05:22,673 --> 01:05:30,715
was the speed networking that, that I got referred to an attorney in New York, for a slip
and fall case, a personal injury case.
905
01:05:30,715 --> 01:05:32,846
Again, I'm on both sides, plaintiff and defense.
906
01:05:32,846 --> 01:05:40,056
It's, you know, um, but, but I did, I did get a case out of that, um, from that speed
networking referral.
907
01:05:40,056 --> 01:05:52,706
Yeah, so it sounds like your business isn't a horizontal networking business so much as it
is a vertical networking business, Is we need to look outside and up, you know, different,
908
01:05:52,847 --> 01:05:58,711
BNI provides that structure and there are other ways to do that if you're not in BNI that
you don't have to be.
909
01:05:58,771 --> 01:06:08,198
But you're paying for that structure of people who, know, the givers gain of it, want to
help other people and get referrals and give referrals and so forth.
910
01:06:08,198 --> 01:06:15,964
Would you agree that that's, you're more of a vertical than a, you know, kind of people in
the room are not going to be, you know, you need the people in the room because you said,
911
01:06:15,964 --> 01:06:24,791
I need HVAC, I need whatever, when things go wrong, but the people in the room are not
necessarily connected directly to the people that you need.
912
01:06:24,938 --> 01:06:28,938
Yes, in fact, I feel like I'm being coached and I love it.
913
01:06:28,938 --> 01:06:35,958
Because yes, I haven't thought of that, but you're right.
914
01:06:35,958 --> 01:06:37,418
It's more of a vertical.
915
01:06:37,838 --> 01:06:40,718
I really like that's why you do what you do.
916
01:06:40,718 --> 01:06:42,878
Because I didn't think of that.
917
01:06:42,878 --> 01:06:47,952
yeah, it is more vertical now that I think about it.
918
01:06:47,952 --> 01:06:55,213
And do feel like other people might be misdiagnosing how they need to work the system also
in their networking?
919
01:06:55,496 --> 01:07:09,731
Yes, I do because I can, I can tell you that, I can speak from experience because I did
not even know that verticality, you know, as a business that if you don't like, were
920
01:07:09,731 --> 01:07:11,571
talking about strategy, right?
921
01:07:12,492 --> 01:07:16,033
and, so I like to learn something new every day.
922
01:07:16,033 --> 01:07:20,034
I've learned a lot today about being on this podcast.
923
01:07:20,774 --> 01:07:25,616
so, and YouTube show and wherever it's being broadcast.
924
01:07:26,507 --> 01:07:27,961
Yes.
925
01:07:27,961 --> 01:07:29,543
yeah, think vertically.
926
01:07:29,543 --> 01:07:32,949
I'm thinking vertically right now when we get done.
927
01:07:32,949 --> 01:07:35,032
I have a lot of work to do.
928
01:07:35,032 --> 01:07:35,772
Yeah, yeah.
929
01:07:35,772 --> 01:07:46,407
Well, and it's not uncommon, like I said, is everybody, know, we come in wherever we are,
it doesn't have to be BNI, it can be a chamber event, you belong to a chamber, you know,
930
01:07:46,407 --> 01:07:54,140
whatever chamber you belong to, you go there for the same reason, is I'm hoping to bump
into someone that would be my client, right?
931
01:07:54,140 --> 01:08:05,355
This is my husband and I, I have a little lab strategy, lab networking lab that is, I put
him through it because, you
932
01:08:05,449 --> 01:08:06,673
his approach.
933
01:08:06,883 --> 01:08:16,388
he never thought about it, just like you said, is I walk, I go into an event, I hope to
meet somebody who's my client, and then I call it a day because I do or I don't.
934
01:08:16,388 --> 01:08:17,948
Maybe I got one and that's great.
935
01:08:17,948 --> 01:08:32,325
um But if you walk into your membership, whatever it's in, with a strategy and how you
work it, and is my business a vertical or horizontal, then you're much more likely to be
936
01:08:32,325 --> 01:08:36,657
successful in building those relationships that you're looking for that are going to grow
your
937
01:08:36,657 --> 01:08:39,301
business and then obviously you help support other people.
938
01:08:39,301 --> 01:08:43,366
So would you say this conversation has changed the way you're thinking about it now?
939
01:08:44,133 --> 01:08:44,614
100%.
940
01:08:44,614 --> 01:08:46,074
It absolutely has.
941
01:08:46,074 --> 01:08:48,234
And my mind's going like crazy.
942
01:08:48,234 --> 01:08:57,134
mean, you, you know, if you are vertical like that, uh, and somebody refers you up, you've
got to follow up, uh, on, on that.
943
01:08:57,134 --> 01:09:05,274
And I remember my BNI chapter one, one other thing that I don't know why I thought of this
as you were saying that, but, um, you know, answer your phone.
944
01:09:05,274 --> 01:09:08,434
I mean, so many people don't answer their phone or leave it somewhere.
945
01:09:08,434 --> 01:09:13,618
I have it by my side as much as I can and answer.
946
01:09:13,618 --> 01:09:14,979
phone, could be a client.
947
01:09:14,979 --> 01:09:16,200
Yes, for sure.
948
01:09:16,200 --> 01:09:21,812
And we're running over, but I don't want to, if you've got it, if you can hang with me,
everyone, you included John for a little bit more.
949
01:09:21,812 --> 01:09:29,126
want to go into your Clifton strengths because you've said so many things along the way
that will play out in your strengths.
950
01:09:29,126 --> 01:09:32,867
uh your top five are number one is belief.
951
01:09:32,867 --> 01:09:36,069
You have certain core values that are unchanging.
952
01:09:36,069 --> 01:09:39,450
These values provide direction and a strong sense of purpose.
953
01:09:39,450 --> 01:09:41,151
Number two is analytical.
954
01:09:41,151 --> 01:09:43,252
You search for reasons and causes.
955
01:09:43,252 --> 01:09:44,940
You have the ability to think about
956
01:09:44,940 --> 01:09:48,161
all of the factors that might affect a situation.
957
01:09:48,161 --> 01:09:49,682
Number three is focus.
958
01:09:49,682 --> 01:09:55,245
You can take a direction, follow through and make the corrections necessary to stay on
track.
959
01:09:55,245 --> 01:09:57,486
You prioritize then act.
960
01:09:57,486 --> 01:09:59,706
Your number four is achiever.
961
01:09:59,706 --> 01:10:03,028
You work hard and possess a great deal of stamina.
962
01:10:03,028 --> 01:10:08,950
You take immense satisfaction in being busy and productive and your number five is
arranger.
963
01:10:08,950 --> 01:10:11,572
You are both organized and flexible.
964
01:10:11,572 --> 01:10:14,913
You enjoy figuring out how to align people and resources
965
01:10:14,913 --> 01:10:17,195
to get the best results.
966
01:10:17,195 --> 01:10:20,979
So when you got your results back, what were your thoughts?
967
01:10:21,298 --> 01:10:30,586
My thoughts were that I was really happy about it because, uh I mean, for me, uh it all
starts with my faith and my beliefs.
968
01:10:30,586 --> 01:10:33,818
That's just the way that it is.
969
01:10:33,818 --> 01:10:41,374
And without that, I just don't think I would, well, I wouldn't have direction and I don't
think I would be successful.
970
01:10:41,374 --> 01:10:46,758
Faith first for me, that just is what, that's what works.
971
01:10:46,919 --> 01:10:50,371
that's purpose and the faith, that's number one with me.
972
01:10:50,371 --> 01:10:51,846
Okay, so what really
973
01:10:51,846 --> 01:10:52,946
excited to see that.
974
01:10:52,946 --> 01:10:54,386
didn't know what I was going to get.
975
01:10:54,386 --> 01:10:56,646
I didn't know how bad it might be.
976
01:10:57,045 --> 01:10:57,916
It's not supposed to be bad.
977
01:10:57,916 --> 01:11:01,789
It's supposed to tell you what you're great at, what your natural gifts are.
978
01:11:01,789 --> 01:11:09,955
uh So what stood out to me was that you are heavily concentrated in the executing domain.
979
01:11:09,955 --> 01:11:17,382
So belief, focus, achiever, and arranger are all about getting things done.
980
01:11:17,382 --> 01:11:19,082
Did that resonate with you?
981
01:11:19,452 --> 01:11:26,331
It does resonate with me because if you don't do that, then you know, you have let my
client down.
982
01:11:26,331 --> 01:11:30,376
um So I'm happy to see that.
983
01:11:31,378 --> 01:11:34,441
You have to, your client is.
984
01:11:35,714 --> 01:11:48,598
Number one, mean, you know, when we're talking about business here, well, faith and
purpose, you know, serving the client, the customer is always right.
985
01:11:48,598 --> 01:11:54,480
Unless the customer asks me to compromise my ethics, then the customer's not right.
986
01:11:54,480 --> 01:11:56,751
know, service, you got to serve your customers.
987
01:11:56,751 --> 01:11:59,911
You got to serve your clients and work hard for them.
988
01:11:59,911 --> 01:12:11,116
the belief comes in there too is those core values of I'm not going to compromise my
expert opinion for what your outcome is, what you want your outcome to be is important
989
01:12:11,116 --> 01:12:19,715
because that's number one for you is I'm going to give you what the facts are, so speaking
of facts, two, analytical.
990
01:12:19,715 --> 01:12:28,059
um So how much of forecasting and expert witnessing um work is really about finding the
patterns and separating facts from assumptions?
991
01:12:28,059 --> 01:12:29,453
you
992
01:12:29,475 --> 01:12:30,275
everything.
993
01:12:30,275 --> 01:12:33,995
And it's funny because I don't forecast as much.
994
01:12:33,995 --> 01:12:36,475
People will ask me, what's the weather going to be in Memphis this weekend?
995
01:12:36,475 --> 01:12:38,175
I'm like, I have no clue.
996
01:12:38,175 --> 01:12:43,935
I'm looking at Oregon and what happened at 2021 in this freezing rain event.
997
01:12:43,935 --> 01:12:45,495
So it's really hindcasting now.
998
01:12:45,495 --> 01:12:47,755
I still look at models and stuff, of course.
999
01:12:47,755 --> 01:12:51,135
And I have to keep all my seals and certifications.
1000
01:12:51,415 --> 01:12:53,915
But yeah, yeah, hindcasting.
1001
01:12:53,915 --> 01:12:55,137
Never thought of me doing that.
1002
01:12:55,137 --> 01:13:07,143
All right, and you what I don't see, and it's very likely to be because of some of the
things you've said here today, very likely to be in maybe your top 10 or somewhere close
1003
01:13:07,143 --> 01:13:07,857
by.
1004
01:13:07,857 --> 01:13:13,097
I don't see any relationship building or influencing themes in your top 10.
1005
01:13:13,097 --> 01:13:25,121
um And you said earlier, you love networking and building relationships, so it was
curious, I think because of how your brain is wired, because that's the profession
1006
01:13:25,121 --> 01:13:32,235
work in is all about, you know, focusing on the facts and what's happening and so forth.
1007
01:13:32,235 --> 01:13:42,620
um Do you think that some professionals struggle in networking because, not because
they're not capable, but because they're trying to maybe network in ways that don't fit
1008
01:13:42,620 --> 01:13:44,421
how they're naturally wired?
1009
01:13:45,056 --> 01:13:45,846
Absolutely.
1010
01:13:45,846 --> 01:13:55,981
mean, look, it's not, I'm not wired to sit behind a computer all day, but that's the work
that I'm doing.
1011
01:13:55,981 --> 01:14:00,543
And I forget, you know, I forget you've got to have that balance.
1012
01:14:00,543 --> 01:14:03,965
Like you said, chamber, whatever works for you.
1013
01:14:03,965 --> 01:14:04,365
Right?
1014
01:14:04,365 --> 01:14:14,931
um And so I need to, what I think I've learned today on this podcast is I need, and I love
dealing and working with people, but so much of my
1015
01:14:14,931 --> 01:14:19,778
is data and analytics, know, and behind the desk and whatever.
1016
01:14:19,778 --> 01:14:25,494
um But yes, yeah, I couldn't agree more and it's made me think.
1017
01:14:25,494 --> 01:14:28,085
Yeah, when you have high achievers, they're working all the time.
1018
01:14:28,085 --> 01:14:33,146
That's one of the points of an achiever is we, you know, I have high achiever also working
every day.
1019
01:14:33,146 --> 01:14:43,149
There's always something to do, something that needs accomplished um and getting to the
top, being the best all kind of tend to fall under those things.
1020
01:14:43,169 --> 01:14:53,742
You also have a ranger, you know, which is a lot of the things that you're doing today is
you're in court, you're, you know, looking at the weather patterns, you're trying to grow
1021
01:14:53,742 --> 01:14:54,402
your business.
1022
01:14:54,402 --> 01:14:55,848
So you're, you know,
1023
01:14:55,848 --> 01:14:58,030
I like to think of those as the maestros.
1024
01:14:58,030 --> 01:15:03,213
They're kind of organizing all those different things and bringing them all together as
one.
1025
01:15:03,213 --> 01:15:12,739
uh Looking back, do you see a connection between what your strengths are and the
networking challenges you might have had?
1026
01:15:13,618 --> 01:15:17,051
Yes, I do see that for sure.
1027
01:15:17,352 --> 01:15:23,076
And like you're saying, I've never thought about horizontally and vertically.
1028
01:15:23,357 --> 01:15:26,750
I never really understood what that meant until today.
1029
01:15:26,750 --> 01:15:30,423
But when we get off, I'm still going to do some research on that.
1030
01:15:30,844 --> 01:15:32,165
Yeah.
1031
01:15:32,165 --> 01:15:34,980
So yes, to answer your question, absolutely.
1032
01:15:34,980 --> 01:15:45,084
Well, and I think it's an important point for the listeners is if you're whether you're in
a business that is in the room horizontally makes sense for you know, there's some that
1033
01:15:45,084 --> 01:15:51,246
just make you know, the the firm we call finance insurance real estate mortgage, they're
already doing business with each other.
1034
01:15:51,246 --> 01:15:52,738
That's a natural fit.
1035
01:15:52,738 --> 01:15:57,610
But other people that need to look at that horizontal and really I'm going to argue that's
a lot of people.
1036
01:15:57,610 --> 01:16:02,962
It's really everybody because once you kind of work with your chapter, that's the end of
you know, you need more business.
1037
01:16:02,962 --> 01:16:04,923
So, you know, looking horizontal.
1038
01:16:04,923 --> 01:16:09,106
uh or vertically rather, is what we should all be doing.
1039
01:16:09,106 --> 01:16:14,009
So, you know, what your strategy is is going to matter for what your success is.
1040
01:16:14,009 --> 01:16:19,883
All right, we're going to do a really quick quick fire, really quick quick fire, and then
we'll call it a day here.
1041
01:16:19,883 --> 01:16:23,095
So um just short answers to these questions.
1042
01:16:23,095 --> 01:16:26,897
So most challenging weather event to forecast?
1043
01:16:27,956 --> 01:16:30,076
Uh, snow in the mid south.
1044
01:16:33,356 --> 01:16:38,596
No, I was just going to say, mean, snow in the mid south is, as I would say, my heart is
hurricane.
1045
01:16:38,596 --> 01:16:45,412
Uh, that's for me anyway, easier to forecast, uh, than a snow event in the mid south.
1046
01:16:45,412 --> 01:16:54,539
from the North, one of the questions I was going to ask, I took it up and I'm going ask it
now anyway, because you brought that up, is why do the store shelves empty every time
1047
01:16:54,539 --> 01:16:57,681
there's a snow event potentially coming our way?
1048
01:16:57,681 --> 01:16:59,713
There's no bread, no milk.
1049
01:16:59,713 --> 01:17:04,636
I'm from the North, where we're like, oh, OK, you know, we're just back to business.
1050
01:17:05,478 --> 01:17:07,669
It is amazing to me.
1051
01:17:07,669 --> 01:17:11,690
Somebody can mention flurries and then all the bread and milk is gone.
1052
01:17:11,690 --> 01:17:15,991
And then somebody thought we had a relationship with a supermarket in town here.
1053
01:17:16,772 --> 01:17:19,413
Like we got some kickback if I mentioned snow.
1054
01:17:19,413 --> 01:17:20,808
That's not true.
1055
01:17:20,808 --> 01:17:22,214
I don't know.
1056
01:17:22,434 --> 01:17:24,655
Bread and milk, I'm not sure.
1057
01:17:24,655 --> 01:17:26,475
I don't have an answer for you on that one.
1058
01:17:26,475 --> 01:17:28,106
I don't even eat bread much.
1059
01:17:28,106 --> 01:17:31,479
networking opportunity we need to talk about later.
1060
01:17:31,479 --> 01:17:33,391
All right.
1061
01:17:33,391 --> 01:17:35,543
Most important networking skill?
1062
01:17:35,709 --> 01:17:36,090
of?
1063
01:17:36,090 --> 01:17:38,851
I would say confidence and belief in yourself.
1064
01:17:38,851 --> 01:17:45,404
ah You know, I mean, if you don't believe in yourself and you don't have confidence in
yourself, who is going to believe in you?
1065
01:17:45,404 --> 01:17:47,005
Respect yourself also.
1066
01:17:47,005 --> 01:17:47,567
Perfect.
1067
01:17:47,567 --> 01:17:50,507
And best business advice you've ever received?
1068
01:17:52,044 --> 01:17:54,797
to, to, that the client is always right.
1069
01:17:54,797 --> 01:17:59,594
And again, my father-in-law is the epitome of business success.
1070
01:17:59,594 --> 01:18:04,860
Uh, and that's what he is ingrained in me.
1071
01:18:05,475 --> 01:18:10,512
Alright, finish the sentence, the future belongs to people who...
1072
01:18:10,989 --> 01:18:16,104
who stay true to their core, oh their mission, their purpose.
1073
01:18:16,104 --> 01:18:31,288
uh And like you said, there's no, and I did say working harder, oh it is working smarter,
oh but you have to work hard to work smart, if that makes sense, to learn how to be more
1074
01:18:31,288 --> 01:18:33,776
efficient and work smarter.
1075
01:18:33,776 --> 01:18:34,997
or hire a coach.
1076
01:18:37,140 --> 01:18:38,411
Sorry, plug.
1077
01:18:38,411 --> 01:18:40,816
All right.
1078
01:18:41,104 --> 01:18:43,967
So you spent your career forecasting the weather.
1079
01:18:43,967 --> 01:18:48,301
If you were forecasting the next five years for your business, what do you see coming?
1080
01:18:49,077 --> 01:18:53,130
I see a lot of challenges coming.
1081
01:18:53,230 --> 01:19:00,715
I see a lot more need for what I do because people are just now understanding.
1082
01:19:00,996 --> 01:19:05,960
think some of the people are just now understanding what I do and the value I can provide.
1083
01:19:05,960 --> 01:19:08,061
Look, let me give you some numbers real quick.
1084
01:19:08,061 --> 01:19:10,323
I know we're running long, but.
1085
01:19:10,869 --> 01:19:14,582
If you've got a case that's billions of dollars, right?
1086
01:19:14,582 --> 01:19:21,146
um And it could go one way or the other because a forensic meteorologist is involved.
1087
01:19:21,146 --> 01:19:22,967
I said billions with a B.
1088
01:19:23,088 --> 01:19:25,829
The ROI is going to pay off.
1089
01:19:27,491 --> 01:19:33,020
If you don't have that and you don't have that expert, then you might have lost a billion
dollar case.
1090
01:19:33,020 --> 01:19:34,323
Yeah, crazy.
1091
01:19:34,367 --> 01:19:36,968
Well, this was such a fascinating conversation, John.
1092
01:19:36,968 --> 01:19:38,703
Thank you so much for being here.
1093
01:19:39,349 --> 01:19:41,112
Oh, thank you for having me.
1094
01:19:41,156 --> 01:19:41,736
Awesome.
1095
01:19:41,736 --> 01:19:50,130
All right, and you know, one of the things I've loved about this conversation is how it
really highlights a reality that I see all the time in coaching is not every business
1096
01:19:50,130 --> 01:19:51,961
should not work the same way.
1097
01:19:51,961 --> 01:19:55,572
Some businesses thrive through broad relationship building.
1098
01:19:55,572 --> 01:20:01,515
Others require a much more intentional strategy built around a specific ecosystem.
1099
01:20:01,515 --> 01:20:07,968
So if you've ever felt like a unicorn in BNI or your business em and you've struggled
to...
1100
01:20:08,208 --> 01:20:16,280
you know, explain what you do or you go to networking events and you're the one that's
standing in the corner not knowing who to talk to or what you should be getting out of
1101
01:20:16,280 --> 01:20:22,532
this, then I have, I am in development for the strategic networking lab.
1102
01:20:22,532 --> 01:20:29,695
So it's designed to really help professionals identify the right networking strategy for
their business, their strengths and their goals.
1103
01:20:29,695 --> 01:20:34,120
And if you are listening, don't forget to A, subscribe if you have not.
1104
01:20:34,120 --> 01:20:44,589
um Be like, comment, all the things that help our algorithm go a little farther and then
share it in your chapter or with a business owner who you think might find it interesting.
1105
01:20:44,589 --> 01:20:52,548
um And don't forget to give yourself a CEU if you are a BNI member and we'll see you next
time on The Perfect 100.
