January 24, 2024 • 44 mins
Discover networking strategies that transform apprehension into achievement with Allison Guido, CEO of Almar Building and Remodeling, in a remarkable narration of her leap from the wings to center stage within the South Shore Women's Business Network. This episode isn't just about making connections; it's a deep dive into the psychology of networking, overcoming self-doubt, and the structured approach that turns potential anxiety into business prowess. I'll share my own stories of hiding in bathrooms at networking events, and having panic attacks in parking lots!
As we unravel the intricacies of networking, Allison and I shed light on balancing the act between real-world engagements and the digital realm's networking norms. You'll grasp not only how to gear up for events with goals and talking points but also the assurance that others are just as self-engaged, often oblivious to the tiny missteps we fear. We navigate through the digital evolution of networking, emphasizing the undying need for personal connections and trust, regardless of the platform.
To cap off, we confront the challenges faced by industries like construction and remodeling, which are on the cusp of a generational cliff. Allison's strategies for injecting new life into her field are as innovative as they are necessary, combining vocational training advocacy with a fresh narrative around manual labor careers. This episode is more than just a guide; it's a celebration of building businesses anchored in community, craft, and collaboration. Join us for an enlightening discussion on how the right networking approach can lead to success and fulfillment in both your professional and personal lives.
Connect with Allison:
CONNECT WITH ME MORE AT:
http://www.stopshoulding.me
https://www.instagram.com/minessa.konecky/
🎵 Thank you to Karacter for allowing me to use Telepathy (2005) in my intro.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time.
👉 Check it out: https://karacter.bandcamp.com/album/karacter
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey, hey and welcome.
I am Vanessa Konnicki, yourguide on this journey called
Stop Shooting All Over Yourself.
This podcast is your reminderthat you have got this and you
are more than enough just theway that you are.
In each episode, I bringconversations with amazing
individuals who have walked inyour shoes.
They've stepped away from whatothers think they should be and
(00:26):
the choices that they're told tomake, creating their unique
life blueprint.
These narratives are sure tomotivate you, and their
strategies will aid you inlaying down the foundations for
a life that's not just happier,but is authentically yours.
If you're on YouTube, pleaseshow some love with a like or
subscribe for more enrichingcontent from Merasa TV.
But for now, let's tune in totoday's enlightening
(00:47):
conversation with Alison Guido,ceo of Almor Building and
Remodeling in the South Shore ofMassachusetts.
Now, I met her at the SouthShore Women's Business Network
about a year ago and I marveledat her networking chops.
She was strategic and suddenlyshe was frickin' everywhere and,
having taught marketing for somany years, I could see how
brilliantly she weaved togethertrainings and conversations and
(01:09):
networking events to generatebusiness and strengthen
relationships.
Now the number one question Iget asked is how can I find more
clients, how do I grow mybusiness and my reach?
And Alison has this down pat.
I am so thrilled that shejoined us today to share her
wisdom and her techniques formarketing, and I want you to
keep a special ear out for whenshe starts to talk about her
(01:30):
anxiety and social awkwardness.
I would not have expected thatfrom her, based off my
experience or my outsideobservations of her, so I really
enjoyed the opportunity to divein and massage out some of the
deeper issues that many of ushave related to networking
groups.
All right, hello everyone andwelcome to the podcast.
I have a very special localfriend with me here today.
(01:51):
Alison Guido from AlmarBuilding and Remodeling is here
with us.
She is a South Shore local.
Alison, welcome, welcome to thepodcast today.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Great.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really excited about this.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Me too, because okay, so I didn't.
So here's the thing I didn'tprep Alison to be like why I
wanted her.
I was like I just have to haveyou on the podcast, and I kept
saying things like there's asecret reason why I want you to
pass down.
Here's what the reason is.
Hello, alison, you are a memberof the South Shore Women's
Business Network and I am also amember, and I had not seen you
(02:25):
or heard of you, or even knowwho you were at all up until a
certain point.
And then I'm going to tell youwhat happened.
You show up at a focused chat,okay, because you had some stuff
going on.
You've been doing some stufffor a while.
And then you come back and Isee you.
I see you and I'm like thatperson is on the cover of our
website, right?
So that's the first thing isthat you're the cover of our
website and I was likeinteresting.
But what happened from that dayonwards and this is absolutely
(02:49):
fascinating and just joyous towatch is that you became more
and more visible, more and morearound, and now I know you, like
like, you're a part of my life,like you're, I know Alison is
just around, alison is in theSouth Shore.
I know when to connect with you.
I love that You've become such alarger part of the network, and
(03:09):
I cannot help but think thatthat is intentional, that you
know, that you understand thepower of networking.
So that's it, so that'sactually what I wanted that I
was so blown away by just hownaturally and it may not be
natural, but it feels natural onthis side you seem to take to
networking.
So I'd love to, I'd love to get.
Do you know you're a reallygood network, or is that
something that you're like whoa?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
yes, so my.
So I've been in the network for20, almost 22 years.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, congratulations.
We need to get you a plan.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Thank you.
I'm probably like the longestconsecutive person, and so how I
got into the, into networkingand the network was when I first
graduated from college.
I was in, I took, I work in afamily business and I was at a
meeting with peers and themodeling industry with my dad
and there was a woman fromPennsylvania who was talking
(04:05):
about her women's networkinggroup and my dad turned to me
and was like you have to findone of those.
So I so I found one.
I found social women's businessnetwork and I started going to
meetings and they started kindof training me and I took some
of the things that they hadtrained us in sorority for
recruitment and took thosethings.
And I am a natural anddetermined, I am a spreadsheet,
(04:28):
behind the scenes person.
So it has taken a lot ofpractice and one of the things I
learned was that it doesn't dome any good not to put myself
out there.
When you are in business youknow one's going to promote you
like you do and so if I want tomake connections and I want to
do more and sell more with ourbusiness, I have to be the one
(04:52):
to put myself out there becauseotherwise nobody else is going
to come straight to me, and so Ikind of have taken that
philosophy in with a lot ofpractice.
And again, honestly, it getseasier the more you go to things
because you start to see peopleyou know right, and I've got a
couple of questions that I couldfeel like I can ask anybody and
they'll talk and think I'minteresting.
(05:13):
So so that's kind of where Ihow I became a good networker is
, by practice and kind ofputting myself out there and I
don't think I'm a greatnetworker, but I've kind of
developed a system that my highC personality fits into so that
it works well.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh, my God, okay.
So, dude, you got to know this.
I have in my notes, I have inthere.
I'm actually going to read out.
It's not properly written,because I was my self.
Oh, she read it.
I write it.
It's that it was based.
Oh, it was the it was.
You are very thoughtful andmethodical.
(05:53):
I saw all you need to do islook at your LinkedIn to see how
thoughtful and methodical youare.
So I'm curious do you apply andthat's, do you apply that same
philosophy to networking, whichapparently you do?
Yeah, so let me ask you youmentioned that you're a natural
introvert, which I am as well.
So I'm I don't know how whereyour introversion goes.
So I'll ask like I'm.
(06:13):
I'm not anymore, but when Istarted out, I was terrified of
people like I'd walk in and Iwould need to, like I breathe in
my car before I would go intosomething where we were you on
the spectrum of like I, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yes, that's so.
I play out the scenarios, like,if I know where we're going,
like I like, okay, where'severybody going to be?
Who am I going to talk to?
What are the first three thingsI'm going to do?
What's my goal?
Okay, I look at the list ofpeople who are registered for
things and I go okay, I knowmost of these people.
I want to try and meet threenew people, get three new cards,
(06:45):
something like that I kind ofthink about okay, what have I
done recently that's interesting, that I can talk about if
somebody asked me a question.
So, yeah, I definitely likepull up to the place and take a
beat and like, look around, like, okay, I can do this.
Who's there?
But again, it's, if we don'tput ourselves out there and we
don't try, it's not high school,like we're all coming to these
things for the same reason,right, yeah, we're all looking
(07:07):
for something.
We all got out of bed anddecided we were going to network
today or do a one on one,because we want to engage with
people, and so nobody is in thisroom looking for me to fail or
be awkward.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
You know that's a really good point.
I think that you know, for somany of us we're used to being,
you know, I don't know thatpeople expect us like that, but
we think people expect us tofail right.
Like I think there's that rightand I saw me in the other day
that said something like no oneis thinking about you because
they're just thinking aboutthemselves and worrying about
what other people are thinkingabout them, and like that really
(07:42):
resonated with me very heavilyand I have to admit I struggle
with it because I just I don'tremember that at like the key
moments, you know, like when Igo into a networking and I don't
need that kind of tool as muchanymore but when I do, I and I'm
in the moment, I typicallydon't tend to think about the
fact that you know that person'sprobably just more worried
about what I think about them,or do I have spinach in my teeth
or something like that.
And like you know, you mentionedsomething about what are the
(08:05):
three questions.
So I'm actually curious becausethat's I do that as well.
I I try to, depending on thetime of the year or where we're
at, whatever I try to have a fewgo to questions like being in
Massachusetts.
The Patriots are always a goodgo to at any given time of the
year, so you can always,especially right now where a
belly check is got to see, I canjust start the conversation.
I don't even watch footballright now, right, but you can
(08:26):
just that's a, that's a good one, that you can sort of start
something.
But then there are things likelike what do you like to do?
Tell me more about yourbusiness.
Things where you're expressinginterest in someone else, right
Right To where they're, because,like, people want to belong and
they want to feel like they arebelonging, so okay, so I'm
curious, sorry.
So now you, you're joining thegroup, by the way.
(08:47):
I'm actually curious what I'mtalking about.
So this is 20 years ago.
Yeah, the internet is now.
I mean, like, what are we at2023?
So that's 2000s.
The internet's like prettyhappening at this point, but
it's not like it is now.
So people were not growing thatway.
You didn't have that crutchthat, like, people tend to fall
on right now, which is theinternet.
I'm so curious to hear from youas terms of like you've seen
(09:10):
both where you were running abusiness before and after.
How has the social media andlandscape, in your opinion,
changed, how people network, howyou feel like maybe people are
succeeding less or like.
I'd love to hear your thoughtson that, because you really
crossed that bridge, like youwere there.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
I think it's what I think is interesting.
Is I actually legit think Ifound the network in the
newspaper?
Oh my God, I love it?
I think there was an ad in thelocal like the ledger or the
Hannah Bermayana or somethinglike that, and I think there was
like this little ad and I thinkI did some Googling too, or
(09:49):
whatever it was called at thetime.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It's probably after I think it was like Yahoo or Ask
Jeeves back then starting todate myself, aren't I, but yeah,
it was.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
It was a different.
It was definitely a differentworld.
The way we connected outside ofa meeting was different because
we didn't have at the time itwas still in my space world.
It wasn't even a Facebook world.
I remember getting on FacebookI had to have a friend who had a
college email address get me aninvite.
So when you think about interms of how long we've been
(10:22):
networking is, it was adifferent world.
But the principles are the same.
Right, the things that makegood networking are the
connecting outside of themeeting, sending a handwritten
note, but you couldn't promoteyourself in the way that people
do constantly now with theFacebook messages and posts and
(10:46):
free kind of marketing.
That, the way that they do itnow.
It was still a much different.
It was a different type ofthing.
But the things that worked wellthen still work well now the
one on ones, the, the personalconnections, making sure that
people know, like and trust youso that when they need you
(11:06):
you're their first go to person.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, you know, it's so interesting you say that you
know where it's like the, thatthese old methods still work,
and I think that's because, likethey're rooted in, like human
nature and the things that areimportant to us.
Because, even and I so when Itaught marketing and coach and
coached business, one of thethings that I talked about a lot
was that you're using socialmedia to mimic the behaviors and
(11:32):
relationship buildingtechniques that previously were
done in person, like the thingsthat you talk about, that work.
But I think at some point, likepeople have lost touch with
that fact that that is what thesocial media aspect is for.
It's there to build arelationships and have, like you
and I have one on one on a zoom.
That's great, perfect Right.
That's very different for mesending you a hey girl, hey
message, asking you to buysomething for me, or something
(11:52):
like that that many people usesocial media for.
I'm curious to know, becauseyou know social media is also
very immediate and short term.
You know, like, so I'm going tocome up with people and just
message them all right now andthen message 50 more people
tomorrow.
It's like a bulk thing.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
But I found you know in terms of my local networking
stuff that it's less immediategratification and more like you
know.
I've known you now for like ayear or two and someone may need
a remodel in like six monthsand I'll send them to Almar and
you'll get that contract andyou'll run with it.
But like the true fruit of thislabor, this work didn't
(12:33):
actually come for like threeyears.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I'm interested in your thoughts in terms of
networking as a one timeactivity as opposed to like an
ongoing thing, that you'rereally planting seeds that won't
grow or sprout for a while.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, it's definitely .
Networking is not a silverbullet, it's not a oh my
goodness.
Leads are down.
I'm going to go to threenetworking events this week and
then things are going to be fine.
It's been 20 years and thereare, and I'm still and I'm just
now sometimes see like, yeah,sometimes I go to something and
somebody says, oh great, I needyou, but there are, it's, it's a
(13:10):
.
It's definitely a drip method,right, and if you put together a
good system for capturing thosepeople, for connecting with
those people, for following uplong term and educating them in
what you do long term, that'swhere the real power of it comes
from.
We are going to do a job, abathroom remodel, here in the
(13:31):
next couple of weeks and she,the woman, is, she's becoming
disabled and she needs somebodyto do her bathroom, and so she
called us.
And then she lives alone.
So she called a friend and saidcan you meet with me, with the
contractor?
I'm nervous about being therealone.
And she's, the friend said,sure, who's coming?
And they said, oh, alma.
And the woman said I knowAllison.
(13:52):
I met her at networking eventin 2019.
She is fabulous.
So I didn't even remember whothis person, who this person was
, but she actually came up.
I saw her to networkingventrally thereafter and she
came up and she said thank youso much, it was so great.
I knew that because she calledyou, it would be, it would,
everything would be fine.
And I felt horrible because Ididn't remember her.
(14:14):
But I but I did my job, forright, I did my job as a
networker because it's what,like six years later, and she
remembered me, she rememberedwho I was as a person and that
her friend calling us.
She knew her friend would betaking care of and we're going
to do it right and she's notgoing to have a problem.
So part of my part of my systemis I capture the, the names of
(14:39):
people and their information andI have a spreadsheet and I,
even if I don't see them at anetwork event, I'm still drip
contacting those people eithervia email or postcard at
intermittent points so that Istay, I stay relevant to them
and I stay regular to them.
So this list goes back 20 yearsof people who are still getting
(15:00):
my contact information becauseat some point I'm going to hit
them on the right day.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Well, you know, it's also the thought of like.
You know what I think about,because I only recently began
networking sort of like actively.
I learned how to.
Let's see, I'm thinking priorto like 2019.
I was zero, networking likezero because I was so afraid of
people I wouldn't do anything.
So it was not that long ago.
We're talking four years.
And then, oh, no wait, let's goa little bit with 2018.
(15:27):
And then I joined a networkinggroup.
I was living in Franklin and itwas a lovely networking group
but, right as it, really like Iwas building relationships.
It was so fun.
And then the pandemic hit andthen I moved to Plymouth and so
when I came here, I was like,okay, my main goal was to get
the podcast into the localcommunity, because I know my
(15:47):
message is important, want toget it out there and so on, and
so to do that, spread the word,become popular.
How do I do that?
Find a networking group.
So I looked for, I lookedthrough a bunch of them, so I
joined.
The way that I typically do itis I've joined.
Like you know, I did this inFranklin at work, and I joined
like five or six and I'll notreally join but like go to their
guest thing or like see andthen pick a short list and then
(16:09):
ultimately I'll end up, you know, finding the one, and then it's
just a matter of and the SouthShore Women's Business Network.
I'm curious to know what youthought there, because I use
there are networking groups thatI've joined in the past and
just not them because it's justI can't even with it, right, and
they're just like they don'tgive you what you need or
they're too transactionalfocused or whatever right.
(16:29):
But I feel like the SSWB andcrack some sort of a code like
they really understand.
Like I have never seensomething generate so much like
if you put your event on theSSWBN page, it'll sell out like
guaranteed, and it's like I feellike there's a reason why why
you've been in this, thisorganization, for 20 years.
(16:49):
So here's my question for youhave you been in some
organizations where you werelike holy shit, this is bullshit
, I am not staying here.
And what was that experiencelike for you?
And like, how did that keep youfrom you know?
Like it's your dad's, like whenyou were younger, when you
jumped in so you'd already hadlike a little bit of successes.
But how did that hold you backwhen you're like, oh my god, I
can't go to that network, Ican't have another experience
(17:09):
like that or something like thatyeah, so I definitely I did the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So I at one point any networking event I was invited
to I went to.
So I tried a ton and we were ina bunch of different groups we
did.
We hit some of those radiotransactional ones.
We hit some local ones thatwere trying to do mimic, the
transactional ones that were notthrough that, that in industry
(17:38):
ones, and I went to all of themand some of them were just
painful to sit through.
Some of them were like you haveto bring a lead to three leads
every time and it was like, ohmy God, I haven't met three new
people who might like fit withany of these people.
And there was a lot of anxietybecause it was like if you don't
(17:58):
pass so many leads you'regetting kicked out.
And it was like, but I'm justgoing to give somebody a name
for something else.
It just it.
Just it just did not fit with myorganizational structure of my
brain and what I loved about theway the social women's business
was set up in over 20 years ithas been, it has run the gamut
(18:18):
of organizational systems, likeat one point we had it was had a
staff and had an executivedirector that was paid, that ran
it, and then we had what themethod we have now, where it's
all it's, it's president andvice president and kind of all
volunteer base.
So I've kind of seen the gamutof the way it's been run, but at
(18:39):
the core it always goes back tothe way the founders had wanted
it to be contacts, coaching,collaboration and community.
And so there was always thatstructure in that educational
piece at every meeting so thatif you didn't know somebody, you
were automatically going to beable to talk to somebody and
(19:00):
share your story and hear theirstory.
That's been across the board atevery event.
It's not just let's show up ata bar and walk around Because
that gives me so much anxiety,like I buy myself and I don't
know where to go and you have todrink, and just going to push
myself into a group.
So that's one of the thingsthat I really liked about it.
It made me feel comfortablebecause I could come in, sit at
(19:22):
a table.
There was a facilitator most ofthe time whose job it was to
make sure that everybody gotspoken to or got a chance to
talk, and so that that that'spart of the reason I think that
the system has worked.
It's been more a focus onbuilding quality relationships
that will eventually pay off andeducating each other to build
(19:43):
that each other up, as opposedto giving around a bunch of
names, that of people who don'tnecessarily even are interested
in our product.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
That's, I think, the heart.
I love that you brought that upbecause I think that this idea
of networking referrals right.
So, like the moment, you'relike you have to bring a lead,
you have to bring a lead and II've been there and that's you
know.
And I, again, I'm like I didn'tmeet three new people this year
and also I feel like in somecases it's like I kind of don't
(20:13):
want to refer you if you'reforcing me to refer you, right,
it's like.
I know that that sounds patchy,but it's true.
So I I'm more, um, what's theword?
Uh, I'm more likely.
That's why that's actually kindof why I switched my business
model and I love the assistantagain, because I just like
referring people.
So that's what I do.
Anyone need something.
I'm like I'll refer you becauseI know everyone.
(20:34):
And going back to what you weresaying about your systems, I'd
like to talk about that a littlebit because I think that the
challenge that most people haveis they don't have a system
right.
They don't know how they'regoing to do it, how they're
going to keep in touch.
You know, I also have aspreadsheet.
I use the air table where I,you know, put people's names and
information and as we talk Iadd like details, so that I
don't forget.
And then that way, somebody'sshocked that I know that they're
(20:55):
gone about six, six months agoand it's like, yeah, dude, I put
it in my air table Like I'm notgoing to actually remember
these things in my brain.
So I'm curious for you what islike?
Uh, what is your general systemfor you know, when you go meet,
follow up, that kind of thing?
Speaker 2 (21:08):
So, yeah, I usually go in and, depending on the size
of the event, I say, okay, Iwant to get three cards or meet
three new people.
And going back to that digitalversion versus old school, um, I
was at an event recently and abunch of people didn't have
cards like physical cards.
They're like oh, I only have, Ionly have um, I don't even know
(21:28):
what they're called likevirtual.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Yeah, I think it's called like a doctor, like they
have a couple of electronic oneswhere you like tap your phone.
Virtual cards.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
And I was like no, you need to have, you also need
to have real cards.
Still, like you still need tobe able to stick your card in
for drawing or have somethingthat I can write down, because I
get 1000 emails a day.
Maybe, like trying to alwaysconnect through my computer
isn't the best way.
I need send me a bill, becauseotherwise you're not getting
paid, because if it's an emailit's definitely gonna last.
(21:55):
I need to be able to touch you,um.
So the same thing like I grab,I want to try and meet three new
people, get three new cards.
I jot down the notes on thecard, um, I add it to my
spreadsheet and then I also Isend a um, I send a handwritten
note to the new people that I'vemet and say hey, it was so
great to meet you, um.
Send my card again, um.
(22:15):
And then I also go and I lookthem up on the on Facebook and
LinkedIn and try and connectwith them there, because the
doing of the cons of the post isanother touch to stay, to stay
top of mind, but not necessarilyto harass people with.
So it's kind of um, like I saywith my marketing plan, I still
(22:36):
pick a little bit out of everybox, and that's how I do it with
networking as well.
And then a lot of times, if I'mgoing to a networking meeting
and there's somebody that is Ithink is super interesting or
seemed a little shy, I'll sendthem a message and say hey, I'm
going to go to this meeting.
If you're interested, you canmeet me there, or something like
that.
So, because people want to beinvited too, right, they don't?
When I'm at a networking event,I usually try and find the
(23:00):
person who's standing bythemselves or looking at their
phone, because they desperatelywant somebody to come up and
talk to them.
For the most part, every nowand then, people are really
checking messages, but a lot oftimes it's that they're afraid
and they don't know how to startthe conversation.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I did that.
So when I was practicing youknow, practicing my networking I
remember I went in and Ithought to myself I people
always surprise one that I'mintroverted and terrified of
people because I seem sooutgoing and it's like there's a
therapy.
I use a lot of therapy, likeit's really a lot of it, but
because I look bold, I then look, for I was like you know what?
(23:37):
There's people here who feelworse than me.
So I want to like, as long asI'm looking towards who can I
help?
I feel I think less aboutmyself and I think less about my
own anxieties and less about myown challenges.
So I think I like that idea alot, where it's like look for
someone who is alone, becausethen you become the care, almost
like you are giving care,rather than sitting here feeling
anxious my one of the thingsthat I do.
(23:57):
So here's my system in terms ofnot meeting people.
This is a system about notmeeting people.
So if I go to an event and I'mfeeling overwhelmed because that
does happen, I'm autistic Isometimes will get overwhelmed
and I'm like I cannot functionin this moment I'll go hide in
the bathroom and I'll hide inthe bathroom for like five
minutes, and it's funny is thatI didn't until I realized that
nobody is actually checking mybathroom, visits, right, I think
(24:20):
the bathroom like four timesinstead and, just like my God,
people are going to think I'm soweird and there's nobody's
watching me.
Leave and come to the bathroom.
If they are, who cares?
Right.
So I will go to the bathroomand just sit there, breathe in,
do some meditation and honestly,like that actually a lot of
times will help to reset me andI'll just go back out and then
do good for another 15, 20minutes.
It doesn't always happen, butlike I feel like if you need a
(24:41):
rescue, it's good to know likewhat your rescue is.
So I'm curious do you ever havelike, do you?
What is your go to if you'relike, okay, I've been here for a
bit and, like you suddenlystart to really feel overwhelmed
or sick or tired, or just likeI feel, what do you do?
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I go and I check in with the people at the at the
check-in desk.
Yeah, because sometimes there'sa lull there and I'll be like
how's things going?
Everything okay, do you guysneed anything?
I'm a big one that for years itwas.
I had the feeling that I didn'tmatter unless I was helping
somebody.
Like my purpose and peopleliked me because I was doing
(25:18):
things for them.
So I still kind of revert backto that.
I'll go, I'll take a break,I'll walk up, especially if
there's nobody at the table, andthen just see like how are
things going?
Are we busy tonight?
Anything going on?
So like a lot of times that'swhat I'll do is I'll mosey over
to where there aren't a lot ofpeople.
So if there's nobody, I meanthere's a lot of people checking
(25:39):
me and I clearly don't do that.
I do not need to go and start aconversation Right and usually,
and usually I know I know thatperson too, so it's like it's
easy, like I break of aconversation.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Dude, I want to come back to what you said, because
so I this is a philosophy Iembodied for many years and I
believed it.
Service is the price I pay forthe space I occupy, and I did
not believe that I deserve tolive on this earth or be on this
earth or breathe the air thatanybody else breathes, unless I
was doing something for someoneelse, because otherwise, why
even exist?
This is a terribly unhealthyway of thinking things, and so
(26:13):
for many years I did exactlythat.
But you're absolutely rightthat when I find myself in like
a moment where I'm like have aautistic meltdown or whatever,
the first thing I'll do is gosee how can I serve.
So even I just said, the firstthing I do when I go into
business who can I serve?
And I think this is metheorizing myself on my podcast
is that I'm thinking to myselfthat there's, like that, there's
(26:34):
a difference between doing theservice so that you can justify
your existence on this planetand doing the service to build
relationships, make friends,make somebody feel better, that
kind of thing.
So I think that, like that'sthe thing I had to work through
in therapy was like I couldstill do the same activities.
But I'm not doing it to justifythe fact that I need an access
event, right Like oh, I met thisevent, so I'll help you.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Let me clean, let me dust, let me, you know, do
something, right Like so it wasa lot of people weren't going to
, wouldn't invite me out or talkto me if I wasn't doing
something for them.
So if I joined a board, it waslike I have to be on, I have to
have a role on the board, ornobody's going to talk to me,
there's no need for me.
And then I think it was.
I think I was like almost 40before I felt like I have
friends who like me for me andnot for what I will do for them.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
So I was also in my 40s, so I feel like something
happens when I'm 47.
Now, if you feel free sharingyour age and want to walk with
not all, edit this out.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
I'm 43.
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So, dude, 40s are good times, right.
40s are like, I think, when Iwas also able to.
Now, and even now I'm stillsometimes I'll look at people
and be like, oh my god, really,and I I have to think about that
.
Like so, as I've beenrecovering from surgery, I
haven't been able to go to asmany events and I keep thinking,
my god, they're going to keepme out.
Everybody just cares about you,and I think networking groups
(27:52):
really help to deprogram that,because you really start to
become build relationships withpeople who are invested in you
as well.
Right, and there's somethingvery meaningful when you're
surrounded by people who areinvested in you for no other
reason than you, are you likedoing anything for them?
You're not.
I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
And there's and there's an a wide range of
experiences and networkinggroups right.
So when I'm with my mom,friends the, our experiences are
very similar but we're all inthe similar age, so we haven't
had different life experiencesas vastly as an networking event
.
When I came into my 20s therewere women in their 60s.
Now I'm in the middle of thegroup right, there's younger
(28:33):
women coming in and older women.
So having those conversationsare different than when you're
surrounded by people in yourpeer age group.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, that's a really good point.
And you know, and I think thatlike there's also that I live in
, because you said you know,like when you're in your peer
age group, there's almost like acomfort that's there, whereas
when you're surrounded by peopleolder than you, you almost feel
like especially as socializedwomen, shut up and listen to the
others.
You know people who know whatthey're doing and let them talk,
or like, do you really knowenough to be saying something?
(29:03):
You know, like there's a wholelot of stuff.
I don't know if you broughtthat with you, but I definitely
brought that with me in my firstfew networking meetings.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah, then we had the 30th anniversary for the
gallery recently for the SocialWomen's Business Network and it
was funny because there was thiswhole table of women who were
in their 40s-ish when I came inmy 20s and I was like, oh, those
people, they know everythingand then they didn't, they still
don't.
But it definitely was that like, oh, allison's the baby and
(29:38):
they're the wise old people, andyou start to realize that they
don't know anymore than you dowhen you start to talk to them.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You know.
Okay, so this is.
We're so all over the place.
Now I don't even care anymorebecause, like, this is just so
fun.
So I'm curious, right?
Do you think that?
Like, because, like when we wereyounger, you know, because you
and I were basically the same infact, we're the same age as my
wife so there was an element ofthe elders know everything and
the younger you are, you don'tknow anything.
And I just don't feel like thatexists now.
(30:06):
So I can.
So funny that I feel like thatthe 30th anniversary of that we
had was so we had people of allages, but I feel like it was age
less in the socialization, likeeverybody was socializing with
everyone else, whereas, like,because I feel like something
has happened.
Maybe it's the internet, maybeit's pandemic, I don't know, but
something has happened to whereyou don't feel like the age
(30:29):
difference matters as much, andI think when we meet and we talk
, we're all really just lookingto see like, oh my God, I'm
excited to get to know you.
What can we learn from eachother?
Like, do you feel like thatdifference has happened over the
last 20 years or so?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I think that in certain areas it has.
I think that in our, in thewomen's networking group, it has
, because I think that the waywe have built, the culture we
have built in some of thesegroups, speaks to that.
I think that there are somegroups that don't.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You're absolutely right, I guess.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think it's a cultural difference.
I think that, depending on whoyou're with and where you're
with and the type of person andthe type of people who are
facilitating, that's definitelytrue that there is something to
be learned by everybody, but Ithink that in other groups and
other organizations that it'sdefinitely a do as you're told,
(31:25):
not as you know what I mean,kind of situation Very
diplomatically put, NelsonImpressively.
I'm getting better at my oldage.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
You're absolutely right, though, like you said
that, I was like no, no, there'sstill that.
I think that, like when we werelike I enjoying being in the
spaces where you know, I thinkit was a lot of humility for me
to like pick that up.
Like I didn't have thathumility and I had to learn it
when I was growing into the agearea where I am the elder right
I'm 47 hours and then I realizedshit, I knew that and I was
(31:55):
like wow, okay, this is okay andit's interesting, as in the
last year or so, my biggestteachers have actually been
millennials and Gen Z.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And like.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I'm just like blown away by how brilliant they are.
But yeah, there's definitelypeople who are still like listen
, shut up and do what I tell youand you're like but it's wrong
and this is a dumb way of doingit, and they're like well, too
bad.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
When I always try to sell my team, my ego is not so
big to think that we're doingeverything right or that the way
that I've set it up is the waythat it should be, like I'm
making it up as I go along too.
So if you guys have a bettersuggestion, let me know.
That doesn't mean I'mnecessarily gonna go with it,
but don't feel like my ego is sobig that I can't hear another
idea or taught a new way to dosomething.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I think that also came with age.
Were you always like that ordid that grow and did you grow
into that?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I think I've been like it for a long time because
but I think I was lucky enoughto come into peer networking
groups in my twenties with we.
Were I joined, my father wasalready in a peer networking
group with similar remodellersfrom around the country who
didn't compete with each other,and I was 20 and they were 40,
50, 60.
And I think I was lucky enoughto learn things from them at an
(33:08):
age where most 20 year oldswouldn't have.
And they kept saying, if I hadbeen had this opportunity in my
twenties, where would I be in my40s and 60s?
And so I kept trying to be veryopen to that, to continue to
learn and grow so that I couldbe in a better place when I got
to be their age.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
All right, I have two questions for you.
The first question is this youwere talking earlier about how
there's like baby Allison andlike you were young and brought
this up a couple of times and Ialso always been in the place
that I've the place I've worked.
I've always been like young butoverachiever and high and wow.
So I'm curious, because we bothwent through this moment where
you stopped being the youngprodigy and you start being like
(33:49):
now you're just normal.
Oh no.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I'm not the young prodigy anymore, I know right.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
So I'm curious.
Oh my God, I was gonna say howdid you realize that?
But maybe I wasn't just reallyreally realized that.
Are you having this wholemoment on camera?
No, but I'm actually curious,like cause I remember when I
realized, damn, I'm really goodat what I do, which is great and
that's awesome, but I'm not theyoung prodigy anymore, right,
and it's like I can still begreat at what I do, but now I'm
47.
I figure it's like you'd expectme to be good at what I do with
(34:17):
this white record, right?
So I'm curious did I justreveal that to you, or?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
No, but what is interesting is that the
remodeling industry is an agingindustry and very often when I
am in things for my industry, Iam still one of the youngest
people there we, I just took aclass for my to renew my license
my construction supervisorslicense and I was absolutely the
(34:43):
youngest person in the room,which was very upsetting to me,
one because I've been doing thisway too long to be the youngest
person in the room and two,what is going to happen to my
industry if I'm the youngestperson in the room like that.
There's no other 20 or 30 yearolds getting their license,
renewing their license.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
That is a really, really good point.
My industry is actuallystruggling with the exact same
thing.
where it's giant, we have a huge, huge group of people who are
retiring out and then, or andthere's not a lot of new people
coming in or the new people whocome in burn out and leave
within two years.
So, like I that's this issomething that my sister and I
talk about a lot as well is howdo you, how do you, create
(35:28):
enthusiasm for an industry, youknow, because a lot of it's
enthusiasm it's marketing.
There's just so many thingsinvolved with it in order to
like but yeah, I definitely getthat.
So there is, like you said, notbeing the young Ajanu is great,
because that ensures thelongevity of your industry.
That's a really importantquestion.
I know you've got me thinkingabout something else, because
(35:49):
now I'm like, oh yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Well, what can I do to support people coming to come
into our industry?
That's also.
That's also the hard thing youknow with you.
For for what I do, if you lookat the VOTEC programs, a lot of
times they're not direct.
They're trying to direct peopletowards the union, and so sure,
votec has a waiting list and,like we, even though there are
(36:12):
kids who want to get into theseprograms, they can't get into
these programs Really.
So what do we do to now thatthere's a slight shift back away
from?
You gotta go to college.
You gotta go to college to besuccessful.
How do we help create this?
And we live in a video gamegeneration where kids aren't
being taught how to do manualthings and work with their hands
(36:34):
.
And why are things so expensive?
Cause I can't get anybody to dothe work.
And if they do, and if I can,who's any good?
First of all like I'm not gonnasend somebody who's not good to
your house either they want tobe compensated for their
experience.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
You are so, so right.
I think that's really and Ithink this is a really good
example, by the way, ofnetworking happening.
Right Cause, like you know,we're talking and I feel like
I'm gonna connect with you aboutthis because we have a similar
challenge, similar problem that,like you, never really know how
these things are gonna gonnagrow out there, right, you know.
So I'm actually curious becausea lot of you know, one of the
(37:12):
things that I'm doing is tryingto build interest in research
administration and so on, and mysister and I are building our
thing on that side.
You know whole separate thingon that.
So I am, I am curious.
So if there are people who arelistening, who are either have
children or people in theirfamily who this is something
that they'd like to explore,because they're like you know,
because there's always peoplewho are looking for their next
thing, right, what can I do next?
(37:32):
You know, researchadministration might be a call
me a construction and gettingcertified, maybe it, and they
can reach out to you.
But I think that.
So I'd love to hear a littlebit about like, tell what, what
kind of person would be, whatkind of person would thrive in a
space like this?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think people for for what I do is people who like
to be outdoors which is kind ofcrazy but somebody who likes to
problem solve and do math anduse their brain A lot of times.
A lot of times we get a bum rapin the construction industry
that that carpenters are dummies.
(38:10):
You have to be reallyintelligent and inquisitive to
do this kind of stuff and figureout how to problem solve.
We live in the Boston area.
These houses are old and theywere built with not to the
current code.
So coming up with creativeideas and being able to want to
step back at the end of the dayand say I've done that is huge.
(38:32):
Our bodies are built to work incubicles right, we're not built
to sit in front of computersall day.
And so the guy, the team thatwe have men and women who work
with us who are most successful,are those people who like to do
something different every day,who'd like to use their hands,
who like to problem solve andhave build relationships,
because we are constantlybuilding relationships with
(38:53):
people to whether it's ourhomeowners or our office team or
our trade partners.
So there's people who like todo lots of different things.
Sometimes ADD people are greatfor this role because you're
constantly doing somethingdifferent.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
I have ADHD, like damn.
Yeah, it's nice when you'redoing this is different all the
time, for sure.
I love that now and as weslowly start to start to wrap up
.
So there's a couple of things Iwant to share with the
listeners as we start to wrap up.
First is that if you I know youlove Allison she's amazing
reach out to her right.
If you're local in the SouthShore, she's one of our South
(39:27):
Shore special features.
But you know, the one thingthat I want to make sure
everybody knows is because youdo do remodeling, can you tell
my listeners and my friends,kind of, what it is that you do?
I should probably start withthis, but you know me, I'm all
over the place.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat you do and how you help
people.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Sure, so my company is Alma, our building remodeling
.
We're out of handover and we'rea third generation company.
2024 is going to be our 65thyear in business and my goal is
to break the contractorstereotypes through our core
values of, you know,communication, education,
quality and integrity.
And we do everything fromwindow and door replacements
(40:08):
right through kitchens,bathrooms, additions, basements
and new homes.
So we service people byhonestly, if it's anything to do
with your house, trying to giveyou a well thought out solution
at a reasonable price To makeit the home of your dreams where
you can live your best life.
Love it, love it so much.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
This is fabulous.
Thank you so much for honestlyeverything Like I have a whole
long list of things I need tothank you First, being on the
being on the podcast, being onthe board, being you know just
these two great, great andnetwork and friend, and I'm so
glad to be where they make ittoday.
Is there any last message thatyou'd like to share with my list
?
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Oh, you know what I wanted to tell you this I love
the title of the podcast Stopshooting on yourself because,
honestly, before we met that inone of my advisory groups, that
was an exercise I had to dobecause I'm very like again,
like I have to be doingsomething, I have to be serving
(41:06):
people, and so I was challengedwith the exercise of every time
I thought I should, I had to sitdown for 10 minutes and not do
something.
And so if you're that type ofperson, it's a very hard habit
to break.
Oh I should go put the laundryin, I should go do this.
Oh, I should help sell one.
So I had to like every time theword should popped into my head
(41:30):
that I should be doingsomething and I should, I was
shooting all over myself.
I had to sit down for 10minutes and reset.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Wow, and now I'm curious how has that helped you?
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Oh my God, it like I.
It took a long time to breakthat habit, but I definitely
don't should as much as I usedto.
I mean, I'll add stuff to alist, but but I definitely has
come to the that almost ADHDthinking in my head like, oh,
this popped in my head, I shoulddo this.
(42:01):
Oh, I should do this, I shoulddo that.
It really definitely helped.
So if you're a shooter, it's agreat exercise to try.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I cannot even tell you how grateful I am that you
shared that story, because I'lltell you my big.
So when I was at rock bottomand coming out in 2018, one of
the first challenges I was givenmy therapist was challenge to
stop saying what if?
So I was what if everywhere?
What if what if, what if whatif whatever you know.
And I said listen, I am tryingto make sure that I am protected
(42:30):
, like now, I know what canhappen.
I've solved the problem and mytherapist said that's great,
that's a good story.
Let's try not to do that.
So I, for one week, she saidlet's see what your life is like
if you don't do that and Ihonestly don't do it at all
anymore.
It's been five, six years nowand I was so hot.
It takes such a weight theguilt the pressure.
So I'm so glad you brought thatup, because that's now going to
(42:51):
be a snippet in and of itself isjust going to be like hey guys,
do this, because if youchallenge yourself for a week
and a half or two to do it,eventually you'll just stop
because I realize one how oftenyou're doing it.
But to have useless like wealmost feel like we need to say
I should, but we really don't.
And I have to say I got to tellyou this I wish I could take
(43:12):
credit for the name.
I, the name that I had for thispodcast was actually shit.
I had a community at the time.
I was running a group coachingcommunity and my community was
like yeah, no, that's nothappening.
And then they said just wait.
And then Jessica Hopkins shewas the one who named the
podcast she said you need tochange your podcast.
This is the name and I get,you're right, this is the name.
So I always messaged her whensomeone says they like the name
(43:33):
to be like hey, someone saidthey like the name today, so she
gets a lot of those.
So I messaged her today to tellher.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
So thank you so much Good job and people like to get
good feedback.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
I know right, exactly .
Thank you so much.
You are the best, thank you forhaving me.
All of your social and Alma areremodeling will all be in the
show.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
Great.
Thank you so much.
It's been a wonderful time havetalking to you and I will talk
to you again soon.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Oh, could it be that's necessary.
Thank you.
Hey, hey and welcome.
I am Vanessa Konnicki, yourguide on this journey called
Stop Shooting All Over Yourself.
This podcast is your reminderthat you have got this and you
are more than enough just theway that you are.
In each episode, I bringconversations with amazing
individuals who have walked inyour shoes.
They've stepped away from whatothers think they should be and
(00:26):
the choices that they're told tomake, creating their unique
life blueprint.
These narratives are sure tomotivate you, and their
strategies will aid you inlaying down the foundations for
a life that's not just happier,but is authentically yours.
If you're on YouTube, pleaseshow some love with a like or
subscribe for more enrichingcontent from Merasa TV.
But for now, let's tune in totoday's enlightening
(00:47):
conversation with Alison Guido,ceo of Almor Building and
Remodeling in the South Shore ofMassachusetts.
Now, I met her at the SouthShore Women's Business Network
about a year ago and I marveledat her networking chops.
She was strategic and suddenlyshe was frickin' everywhere and,
having taught marketing for somany years, I could see how
brilliantly she weaved togethertrainings and conversations and
(01:09):
networking events to generatebusiness and strengthen
relationships.
Now the number one question Iget asked is how can I find more
clients, how do I grow mybusiness and my reach?
And Alison has this down pat.
I am so thrilled that shejoined us today to share her
wisdom and her techniques formarketing, and I want you to
keep a special ear out for whenshe starts to talk about her
(01:30):
anxiety and social awkwardness.
I would not have expected thatfrom her, based off my
experience or my outsideobservations of her, so I really
enjoyed the opportunity to divein and massage out some of the
deeper issues that many of ushave related to networking
groups.
All right, hello everyone andwelcome to the podcast.
I have a very special localfriend with me here today.
(01:51):
Alison Guido from AlmarBuilding and Remodeling is here
with us.
She is a South Shore local.
Alison, welcome, welcome to thepodcast today.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Great.
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really excited about this.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Me too, because okay, so I didn't.
So here's the thing I didn'tprep Alison to be like why I
wanted her.
I was like I just have to haveyou on the podcast, and I kept
saying things like there's asecret reason why I want you to
pass down.
Here's what the reason is.
Hello, alison, you are a memberof the South Shore Women's
Business Network and I am also amember, and I had not seen you
(02:25):
or heard of you, or even knowwho you were at all up until a
certain point.
And then I'm going to tell youwhat happened.
You show up at a focused chat,okay, because you had some stuff
going on.
You've been doing some stufffor a while.
And then you come back and Isee you.
I see you and I'm like thatperson is on the cover of our
website, right?
So that's the first thing isthat you're the cover of our
website and I was likeinteresting.
But what happened from that dayonwards and this is absolutely
(02:49):
fascinating and just joyous towatch is that you became more
and more visible, more and morearound, and now I know you, like
like, you're a part of my life,like you're, I know Alison is
just around, alison is in theSouth Shore.
I know when to connect with you.
I love that You've become such alarger part of the network, and
(03:09):
I cannot help but think thatthat is intentional, that you
know, that you understand thepower of networking.
So that's it, so that'sactually what I wanted that I
was so blown away by just hownaturally and it may not be
natural, but it feels natural onthis side you seem to take to
networking.
So I'd love to, I'd love to get.
Do you know you're a reallygood network, or is that
something that you're like whoa?
Speaker 2 (03:29):
yes, so my.
So I've been in the network for20, almost 22 years.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Wow, congratulations.
We need to get you a plan.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Thank you.
I'm probably like the longestconsecutive person, and so how I
got into the, into networkingand the network was when I first
graduated from college.
I was in, I took, I work in afamily business and I was at a
meeting with peers and themodeling industry with my dad
and there was a woman fromPennsylvania who was talking
(04:05):
about her women's networkinggroup and my dad turned to me
and was like you have to findone of those.
So I so I found one.
I found social women's businessnetwork and I started going to
meetings and they started kindof training me and I took some
of the things that they hadtrained us in sorority for
recruitment and took thosethings.
And I am a natural anddetermined, I am a spreadsheet,
(04:28):
behind the scenes person.
So it has taken a lot ofpractice and one of the things I
learned was that it doesn't dome any good not to put myself
out there.
When you are in business youknow one's going to promote you
like you do and so if I want tomake connections and I want to
do more and sell more with ourbusiness, I have to be the one
(04:52):
to put myself out there becauseotherwise nobody else is going
to come straight to me, and so Ikind of have taken that
philosophy in with a lot ofpractice.
And again, honestly, it getseasier the more you go to things
because you start to see peopleyou know right, and I've got a
couple of questions that I couldfeel like I can ask anybody and
they'll talk and think I'minteresting.
(05:13):
So so that's kind of where Ihow I became a good networker is
, by practice and kind ofputting myself out there and I
don't think I'm a greatnetworker, but I've kind of
developed a system that my highC personality fits into so that
it works well.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh, my God, okay.
So, dude, you got to know this.
I have in my notes, I have inthere.
I'm actually going to read out.
It's not properly written,because I was my self.
Oh, she read it.
I write it.
It's that it was based.
Oh, it was the it was.
You are very thoughtful andmethodical.
(05:53):
I saw all you need to do islook at your LinkedIn to see how
thoughtful and methodical youare.
So I'm curious do you apply andthat's, do you apply that same
philosophy to networking, whichapparently you do?
Yeah, so let me ask you youmentioned that you're a natural
introvert, which I am as well.
So I'm I don't know how whereyour introversion goes.
So I'll ask like I'm.
(06:13):
I'm not anymore, but when Istarted out, I was terrified of
people like I'd walk in and Iwould need to, like I breathe in
my car before I would go intosomething where we were you on
the spectrum of like I, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yes, that's so.
I play out the scenarios, like,if I know where we're going,
like I like, okay, where'severybody going to be?
Who am I going to talk to?
What are the first three thingsI'm going to do?
What's my goal?
Okay, I look at the list ofpeople who are registered for
things and I go okay, I knowmost of these people.
I want to try and meet threenew people, get three new cards,
(06:45):
something like that I kind ofthink about okay, what have I
done recently that's interesting, that I can talk about if
somebody asked me a question.
So, yeah, I definitely likepull up to the place and take a
beat and like, look around, like, okay, I can do this.
Who's there?
But again, it's, if we don'tput ourselves out there and we
don't try, it's not high school,like we're all coming to these
things for the same reason,right, yeah, we're all looking
(07:07):
for something.
We all got out of bed anddecided we were going to network
today or do a one on one,because we want to engage with
people, and so nobody is in thisroom looking for me to fail or
be awkward.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
You know that's a really good point.
I think that you know, for somany of us we're used to being,
you know, I don't know thatpeople expect us like that, but
we think people expect us tofail right.
Like I think there's that rightand I saw me in the other day
that said something like no oneis thinking about you because
they're just thinking aboutthemselves and worrying about
what other people are thinkingabout them, and like that really
(07:42):
resonated with me very heavilyand I have to admit I struggle
with it because I just I don'tremember that at like the key
moments, you know, like when Igo into a networking and I don't
need that kind of tool as muchanymore but when I do, I and I'm
in the moment, I typicallydon't tend to think about the
fact that you know that person'sprobably just more worried
about what I think about them,or do I have spinach in my teeth
or something like that.
And like you know, you mentionedsomething about what are the
(08:05):
three questions.
So I'm actually curious becausethat's I do that as well.
I I try to, depending on thetime of the year or where we're
at, whatever I try to have a fewgo to questions like being in
Massachusetts.
The Patriots are always a goodgo to at any given time of the
year, so you can always,especially right now where a
belly check is got to see, I canjust start the conversation.
I don't even watch footballright now, right, but you can
(08:26):
just that's a, that's a good one, that you can sort of start
something.
But then there are things likelike what do you like to do?
Tell me more about yourbusiness.
Things where you're expressinginterest in someone else, right
Right To where they're, because,like, people want to belong and
they want to feel like they arebelonging, so okay, so I'm
curious, sorry.
So now you, you're joining thegroup, by the way.
(08:47):
I'm actually curious what I'mtalking about.
So this is 20 years ago.
Yeah, the internet is now.
I mean, like, what are we at2023?
So that's 2000s.
The internet's like prettyhappening at this point, but
it's not like it is now.
So people were not growing thatway.
You didn't have that crutchthat, like, people tend to fall
on right now, which is theinternet.
I'm so curious to hear from youas terms of like you've seen
(09:10):
both where you were running abusiness before and after.
How has the social media andlandscape, in your opinion,
changed, how people network, howyou feel like maybe people are
succeeding less or like.
I'd love to hear your thoughtson that, because you really
crossed that bridge, like youwere there.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
I think it's what I think is interesting.
Is I actually legit think Ifound the network in the
newspaper?
Oh my God, I love it?
I think there was an ad in thelocal like the ledger or the
Hannah Bermayana or somethinglike that, and I think there was
like this little ad and I thinkI did some Googling too, or
(09:49):
whatever it was called at thetime.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
It's probably after I think it was like Yahoo or Ask
Jeeves back then starting todate myself, aren't I, but yeah,
it was.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
It was a different.
It was definitely a differentworld.
The way we connected outside ofa meeting was different because
we didn't have at the time itwas still in my space world.
It wasn't even a Facebook world.
I remember getting on FacebookI had to have a friend who had a
college email address get me aninvite.
So when you think about interms of how long we've been
(10:22):
networking is, it was adifferent world.
But the principles are the same.
Right, the things that makegood networking are the
connecting outside of themeeting, sending a handwritten
note, but you couldn't promoteyourself in the way that people
do constantly now with theFacebook messages and posts and
(10:46):
free kind of marketing.
That, the way that they do itnow.
It was still a much different.
It was a different type ofthing.
But the things that worked wellthen still work well now the
one on ones, the, the personalconnections, making sure that
people know, like and trust youso that when they need you
(11:06):
you're their first go to person.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, you know, it's so interesting you say that you
know where it's like the, thatthese old methods still work,
and I think that's because, likethey're rooted in, like human
nature and the things that areimportant to us.
Because, even and I so when Itaught marketing and coach and
coached business, one of thethings that I talked about a lot
was that you're using socialmedia to mimic the behaviors and
(11:32):
relationship buildingtechniques that previously were
done in person, like the thingsthat you talk about, that work.
But I think at some point, likepeople have lost touch with
that fact that that is what thesocial media aspect is for.
It's there to build arelationships and have, like you
and I have one on one on a zoom.
That's great, perfect Right.
That's very different for mesending you a hey girl, hey
message, asking you to buysomething for me, or something
(11:52):
like that that many people usesocial media for.
I'm curious to know, becauseyou know social media is also
very immediate and short term.
You know, like, so I'm going tocome up with people and just
message them all right now andthen message 50 more people
tomorrow.
It's like a bulk thing.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
But I found you know in terms of my local networking
stuff that it's less immediategratification and more like you
know.
I've known you now for like ayear or two and someone may need
a remodel in like six monthsand I'll send them to Almar and
you'll get that contract andyou'll run with it.
But like the true fruit of thislabor, this work didn't
(12:33):
actually come for like threeyears.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I'm interested in your thoughts in terms of
networking as a one timeactivity as opposed to like an
ongoing thing, that you'rereally planting seeds that won't
grow or sprout for a while.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Yeah, it's definitely .
Networking is not a silverbullet, it's not a oh my
goodness.
Leads are down.
I'm going to go to threenetworking events this week and
then things are going to be fine.
It's been 20 years and thereare, and I'm still and I'm just
now sometimes see like, yeah,sometimes I go to something and
somebody says, oh great, I needyou, but there are, it's, it's a
(13:10):
.
It's definitely a drip method,right, and if you put together a
good system for capturing thosepeople, for connecting with
those people, for following uplong term and educating them in
what you do long term, that'swhere the real power of it comes
from.
We are going to do a job, abathroom remodel, here in the
(13:31):
next couple of weeks and she,the woman, is, she's becoming
disabled and she needs somebodyto do her bathroom, and so she
called us.
And then she lives alone.
So she called a friend and saidcan you meet with me, with the
contractor?
I'm nervous about being therealone.
And she's, the friend said,sure, who's coming?
And they said, oh, alma.
And the woman said I knowAllison.
(13:52):
I met her at networking eventin 2019.
She is fabulous.
So I didn't even remember whothis person, who this person was
, but she actually came up.
I saw her to networkingventrally thereafter and she
came up and she said thank youso much, it was so great.
I knew that because she calledyou, it would be, it would,
everything would be fine.
And I felt horrible because Ididn't remember her.
(14:14):
But I but I did my job, forright, I did my job as a
networker because it's what,like six years later, and she
remembered me, she rememberedwho I was as a person and that
her friend calling us.
She knew her friend would betaking care of and we're going
to do it right and she's notgoing to have a problem.
So part of my part of my systemis I capture the, the names of
(14:39):
people and their information andI have a spreadsheet and I,
even if I don't see them at anetwork event, I'm still drip
contacting those people eithervia email or postcard at
intermittent points so that Istay, I stay relevant to them
and I stay regular to them.
So this list goes back 20 yearsof people who are still getting
(15:00):
my contact information becauseat some point I'm going to hit
them on the right day.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Well, you know, it's also the thought of like.
You know what I think about,because I only recently began
networking sort of like actively.
I learned how to.
Let's see, I'm thinking priorto like 2019.
I was zero, networking likezero because I was so afraid of
people I wouldn't do anything.
So it was not that long ago.
We're talking four years.
And then, oh, no wait, let's goa little bit with 2018.
(15:27):
And then I joined a networkinggroup.
I was living in Franklin and itwas a lovely networking group
but, right as it, really like Iwas building relationships.
It was so fun.
And then the pandemic hit andthen I moved to Plymouth and so
when I came here, I was like,okay, my main goal was to get
the podcast into the localcommunity, because I know my
(15:47):
message is important, want toget it out there and so on, and
so to do that, spread the word,become popular.
How do I do that?
Find a networking group.
So I looked for, I lookedthrough a bunch of them, so I
joined.
The way that I typically do itis I've joined.
Like you know, I did this inFranklin at work, and I joined
like five or six and I'll notreally join but like go to their
guest thing or like see andthen pick a short list and then
(16:09):
ultimately I'll end up, you know, finding the one, and then it's
just a matter of and the SouthShore Women's Business Network.
I'm curious to know what youthought there, because I use
there are networking groups thatI've joined in the past and
just not them because it's justI can't even with it, right, and
they're just like they don'tgive you what you need or
they're too transactionalfocused or whatever right.
(16:29):
But I feel like the SSWB andcrack some sort of a code like
they really understand.
Like I have never seensomething generate so much like
if you put your event on theSSWBN page, it'll sell out like
guaranteed, and it's like I feellike there's a reason why why
you've been in this, thisorganization, for 20 years.
(16:49):
So here's my question for youhave you been in some
organizations where you werelike holy shit, this is bullshit
, I am not staying here.
And what was that experiencelike for you?
And like, how did that keep youfrom you know?
Like it's your dad's, like whenyou were younger, when you
jumped in so you'd already hadlike a little bit of successes.
But how did that hold you backwhen you're like, oh my god, I
can't go to that network, Ican't have another experience
(17:09):
like that or something like thatyeah, so I definitely I did the
same thing.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
So I at one point any networking event I was invited
to I went to.
So I tried a ton and we were ina bunch of different groups we
did.
We hit some of those radiotransactional ones.
We hit some local ones thatwere trying to do mimic, the
transactional ones that were notthrough that, that in industry
(17:38):
ones, and I went to all of themand some of them were just
painful to sit through.
Some of them were like you haveto bring a lead to three leads
every time and it was like, ohmy God, I haven't met three new
people who might like fit withany of these people.
And there was a lot of anxietybecause it was like if you don't
(17:58):
pass so many leads you'regetting kicked out.
And it was like, but I'm justgoing to give somebody a name
for something else.
It just it.
Just it just did not fit with myorganizational structure of my
brain and what I loved about theway the social women's business
was set up in over 20 years ithas been, it has run the gamut
(18:18):
of organizational systems, likeat one point we had it was had a
staff and had an executivedirector that was paid, that ran
it, and then we had what themethod we have now, where it's
all it's, it's president andvice president and kind of all
volunteer base.
So I've kind of seen the gamutof the way it's been run, but at
(18:39):
the core it always goes back tothe way the founders had wanted
it to be contacts, coaching,collaboration and community.
And so there was always thatstructure in that educational
piece at every meeting so thatif you didn't know somebody, you
were automatically going to beable to talk to somebody and
(19:00):
share your story and hear theirstory.
That's been across the board atevery event.
It's not just let's show up ata bar and walk around Because
that gives me so much anxiety,like I buy myself and I don't
know where to go and you have todrink, and just going to push
myself into a group.
So that's one of the thingsthat I really liked about it.
It made me feel comfortablebecause I could come in, sit at
(19:22):
a table.
There was a facilitator most ofthe time whose job it was to
make sure that everybody gotspoken to or got a chance to
talk, and so that that that'spart of the reason I think that
the system has worked.
It's been more a focus onbuilding quality relationships
that will eventually pay off andeducating each other to build
(19:43):
that each other up, as opposedto giving around a bunch of
names, that of people who don'tnecessarily even are interested
in our product.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
That's, I think, the heart.
I love that you brought that upbecause I think that this idea
of networking referrals right.
So, like the moment, you'relike you have to bring a lead,
you have to bring a lead and II've been there and that's you
know.
And I, again, I'm like I didn'tmeet three new people this year
and also I feel like in somecases it's like I kind of don't
(20:13):
want to refer you if you'reforcing me to refer you, right,
it's like.
I know that that sounds patchy,but it's true.
So I I'm more, um, what's theword?
Uh, I'm more likely.
That's why that's actually kindof why I switched my business
model and I love the assistantagain, because I just like
referring people.
So that's what I do.
Anyone need something.
I'm like I'll refer you becauseI know everyone.
(20:34):
And going back to what you weresaying about your systems, I'd
like to talk about that a littlebit because I think that the
challenge that most people haveis they don't have a system
right.
They don't know how they'regoing to do it, how they're
going to keep in touch.
You know, I also have aspreadsheet.
I use the air table where I,you know, put people's names and
information and as we talk Iadd like details, so that I
don't forget.
And then that way, somebody'sshocked that I know that they're
(20:55):
gone about six, six months agoand it's like, yeah, dude, I put
it in my air table Like I'm notgoing to actually remember
these things in my brain.
So I'm curious for you what islike?
Uh, what is your general systemfor you know, when you go meet,
follow up, that kind of thing?
Speaker 2 (21:08):
So, yeah, I usually go in and, depending on the size
of the event, I say, okay, Iwant to get three cards or meet
three new people.
And going back to that digitalversion versus old school, um, I
was at an event recently and abunch of people didn't have
cards like physical cards.
They're like oh, I only have, Ionly have um, I don't even know
(21:28):
what they're called likevirtual.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Yeah, I think it's called like a doctor, like they
have a couple of electronic oneswhere you like tap your phone.
Virtual cards.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
And I was like no, you need to have, you also need
to have real cards.
Still, like you still need tobe able to stick your card in
for drawing or have somethingthat I can write down, because I
get 1000 emails a day.
Maybe, like trying to alwaysconnect through my computer
isn't the best way.
I need send me a bill, becauseotherwise you're not getting
paid, because if it's an emailit's definitely gonna last.
(21:55):
I need to be able to touch you,um.
So the same thing like I grab,I want to try and meet three new
people, get three new cards.
I jot down the notes on thecard, um, I add it to my
spreadsheet and then I also Isend a um, I send a handwritten
note to the new people that I'vemet and say hey, it was so
great to meet you, um.
Send my card again, um.
(22:15):
And then I also go and I lookthem up on the on Facebook and
LinkedIn and try and connectwith them there, because the
doing of the cons of the post isanother touch to stay, to stay
top of mind, but not necessarilyto harass people with.
So it's kind of um, like I saywith my marketing plan, I still
(22:36):
pick a little bit out of everybox, and that's how I do it with
networking as well.
And then a lot of times, if I'mgoing to a networking meeting
and there's somebody that is Ithink is super interesting or
seemed a little shy, I'll sendthem a message and say hey, I'm
going to go to this meeting.
If you're interested, you canmeet me there, or something like
that.
So, because people want to beinvited too, right, they don't?
When I'm at a networking event,I usually try and find the
(23:00):
person who's standing bythemselves or looking at their
phone, because they desperatelywant somebody to come up and
talk to them.
For the most part, every nowand then, people are really
checking messages, but a lot oftimes it's that they're afraid
and they don't know how to startthe conversation.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
I did that.
So when I was practicing youknow, practicing my networking I
remember I went in and Ithought to myself I people
always surprise one that I'mintroverted and terrified of
people because I seem sooutgoing and it's like there's a
therapy.
I use a lot of therapy, likeit's really a lot of it, but
because I look bold, I then look, for I was like you know what?
(23:37):
There's people here who feelworse than me.
So I want to like, as long asI'm looking towards who can I
help?
I feel I think less aboutmyself and I think less about my
own anxieties and less about myown challenges.
So I think I like that idea alot, where it's like look for
someone who is alone, becausethen you become the care, almost
like you are giving care,rather than sitting here feeling
anxious my one of the thingsthat I do.
(23:57):
So here's my system in terms ofnot meeting people.
This is a system about notmeeting people.
So if I go to an event and I'mfeeling overwhelmed because that
does happen, I'm autistic Isometimes will get overwhelmed
and I'm like I cannot functionin this moment I'll go hide in
the bathroom and I'll hide inthe bathroom for like five
minutes, and it's funny is thatI didn't until I realized that
nobody is actually checking mybathroom, visits, right, I think
(24:20):
the bathroom like four timesinstead and, just like my God,
people are going to think I'm soweird and there's nobody's
watching me.
Leave and come to the bathroom.
If they are, who cares?
Right.
So I will go to the bathroomand just sit there, breathe in,
do some meditation and honestly,like that actually a lot of
times will help to reset me andI'll just go back out and then
do good for another 15, 20minutes.
It doesn't always happen, butlike I feel like if you need a
(24:41):
rescue, it's good to know likewhat your rescue is.
So I'm curious do you ever havelike, do you?
What is your go to if you'relike, okay, I've been here for a
bit and, like you suddenlystart to really feel overwhelmed
or sick or tired, or just likeI feel, what do you do?
Speaker 2 (24:56):
I go and I check in with the people at the at the
check-in desk.
Yeah, because sometimes there'sa lull there and I'll be like
how's things going?
Everything okay, do you guysneed anything?
I'm a big one that for years itwas.
I had the feeling that I didn'tmatter unless I was helping
somebody.
Like my purpose and peopleliked me because I was doing
(25:18):
things for them.
So I still kind of revert backto that.
I'll go, I'll take a break,I'll walk up, especially if
there's nobody at the table, andthen just see like how are
things going?
Are we busy tonight?
Anything going on?
So like a lot of times that'swhat I'll do is I'll mosey over
to where there aren't a lot ofpeople.
So if there's nobody, I meanthere's a lot of people checking
(25:39):
me and I clearly don't do that.
I do not need to go and start aconversation Right and usually,
and usually I know I know thatperson too, so it's like it's
easy, like I break of aconversation.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Dude, I want to come back to what you said, because
so I this is a philosophy Iembodied for many years and I
believed it.
Service is the price I pay forthe space I occupy, and I did
not believe that I deserve tolive on this earth or be on this
earth or breathe the air thatanybody else breathes, unless I
was doing something for someoneelse, because otherwise, why
even exist?
This is a terribly unhealthyway of thinking things, and so
(26:13):
for many years I did exactlythat.
But you're absolutely rightthat when I find myself in like
a moment where I'm like have aautistic meltdown or whatever,
the first thing I'll do is gosee how can I serve.
So even I just said, the firstthing I do when I go into
business who can I serve?
And I think this is metheorizing myself on my podcast
is that I'm thinking to myselfthat there's, like that, there's
(26:34):
a difference between doing theservice so that you can justify
your existence on this planetand doing the service to build
relationships, make friends,make somebody feel better, that
kind of thing.
So I think that, like that'sthe thing I had to work through
in therapy was like I couldstill do the same activities.
But I'm not doing it to justifythe fact that I need an access
event, right Like oh, I met thisevent, so I'll help you.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Let me clean, let me dust, let me, you know, do
something, right Like so it wasa lot of people weren't going to
, wouldn't invite me out or talkto me if I wasn't doing
something for them.
So if I joined a board, it waslike I have to be on, I have to
have a role on the board, ornobody's going to talk to me,
there's no need for me.
And then I think it was.
I think I was like almost 40before I felt like I have
friends who like me for me andnot for what I will do for them.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
So I was also in my 40s, so I feel like something
happens when I'm 47.
Now, if you feel free sharingyour age and want to walk with
not all, edit this out.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
I'm 43.
So yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
So, dude, 40s are good times, right.
40s are like, I think, when Iwas also able to.
Now, and even now I'm stillsometimes I'll look at people
and be like, oh my god, really,and I I have to think about that
.
Like so, as I've beenrecovering from surgery, I
haven't been able to go to asmany events and I keep thinking,
my god, they're going to keepme out.
Everybody just cares about you,and I think networking groups
(27:52):
really help to deprogram that,because you really start to
become build relationships withpeople who are invested in you
as well.
Right, and there's somethingvery meaningful when you're
surrounded by people who areinvested in you for no other
reason than you, are you likedoing anything for them?
You're not.
I love that so much.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
And there's and there's an a wide range of
experiences and networkinggroups right.
So when I'm with my mom,friends the, our experiences are
very similar but we're all inthe similar age, so we haven't
had different life experiencesas vastly as an networking event
.
When I came into my 20s therewere women in their 60s.
Now I'm in the middle of thegroup right, there's younger
(28:33):
women coming in and older women.
So having those conversationsare different than when you're
surrounded by people in yourpeer age group.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, that's a really good point.
And you know, and I think thatlike there's also that I live in
, because you said you know,like when you're in your peer
age group, there's almost like acomfort that's there, whereas
when you're surrounded by peopleolder than you, you almost feel
like especially as socializedwomen, shut up and listen to the
others.
You know people who know whatthey're doing and let them talk,
or like, do you really knowenough to be saying something?
(29:03):
You know, like there's a wholelot of stuff.
I don't know if you broughtthat with you, but I definitely
brought that with me in my firstfew networking meetings.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah, then we had the 30th anniversary for the
gallery recently for the SocialWomen's Business Network and it
was funny because there was thiswhole table of women who were
in their 40s-ish when I came inmy 20s and I was like, oh, those
people, they know everythingand then they didn't, they still
don't.
But it definitely was that like, oh, allison's the baby and
(29:38):
they're the wise old people, andyou start to realize that they
don't know anymore than you dowhen you start to talk to them.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
You know.
Okay, so this is.
We're so all over the place.
Now I don't even care anymorebecause, like, this is just so
fun.
So I'm curious, right?
Do you think that?
Like, because, like when we wereyounger, you know, because you
and I were basically the same infact, we're the same age as my
wife so there was an element ofthe elders know everything and
the younger you are, you don'tknow anything.
And I just don't feel like thatexists now.
(30:06):
So I can.
So funny that I feel like thatthe 30th anniversary of that we
had was so we had people of allages, but I feel like it was age
less in the socialization, likeeverybody was socializing with
everyone else, whereas, like,because I feel like something
has happened.
Maybe it's the internet, maybeit's pandemic, I don't know, but
something has happened to whereyou don't feel like the age
(30:29):
difference matters as much, andI think when we meet and we talk
, we're all really just lookingto see like, oh my God, I'm
excited to get to know you.
What can we learn from eachother?
Like, do you feel like thatdifference has happened over the
last 20 years or so?
Speaker 2 (30:41):
I think that in certain areas it has.
I think that in our, in thewomen's networking group, it has
, because I think that the waywe have built, the culture we
have built in some of thesegroups, speaks to that.
I think that there are somegroups that don't.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
You're absolutely right, I guess.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think it's a cultural difference.
I think that, depending on whoyou're with and where you're
with and the type of person andthe type of people who are
facilitating, that's definitelytrue that there is something to
be learned by everybody, but Ithink that in other groups and
other organizations that it'sdefinitely a do as you're told,
(31:25):
not as you know what I mean,kind of situation Very
diplomatically put, NelsonImpressively.
I'm getting better at my oldage.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
You're absolutely right, though, like you said
that, I was like no, no, there'sstill that.
I think that, like when we werelike I enjoying being in the
spaces where you know, I thinkit was a lot of humility for me
to like pick that up.
Like I didn't have thathumility and I had to learn it
when I was growing into the agearea where I am the elder right
I'm 47 hours and then I realizedshit, I knew that and I was
(31:55):
like wow, okay, this is okay andit's interesting, as in the
last year or so, my biggestteachers have actually been
millennials and Gen Z.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
And like.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I'm just like blown away by how brilliant they are.
But yeah, there's definitelypeople who are still like listen
, shut up and do what I tell youand you're like but it's wrong
and this is a dumb way of doingit, and they're like well, too
bad.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
When I always try to sell my team, my ego is not so
big to think that we're doingeverything right or that the way
that I've set it up is the waythat it should be, like I'm
making it up as I go along too.
So if you guys have a bettersuggestion, let me know.
That doesn't mean I'mnecessarily gonna go with it,
but don't feel like my ego is sobig that I can't hear another
idea or taught a new way to dosomething.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Absolutely.
I love that.
I think that also came with age.
Were you always like that ordid that grow and did you grow
into that?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I think I've been like it for a long time because
but I think I was lucky enoughto come into peer networking
groups in my twenties with we.
Were I joined, my father wasalready in a peer networking
group with similar remodellersfrom around the country who
didn't compete with each other,and I was 20 and they were 40,
50, 60.
And I think I was lucky enoughto learn things from them at an
(33:08):
age where most 20 year oldswouldn't have.
And they kept saying, if I hadbeen had this opportunity in my
twenties, where would I be in my40s and 60s?
And so I kept trying to be veryopen to that, to continue to
learn and grow so that I couldbe in a better place when I got
to be their age.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
All right, I have two questions for you.
The first question is this youwere talking earlier about how
there's like baby Allison andlike you were young and brought
this up a couple of times and Ialso always been in the place
that I've the place I've worked.
I've always been like young butoverachiever and high and wow.
So I'm curious, because we bothwent through this moment where
you stopped being the youngprodigy and you start being like
(33:49):
now you're just normal.
Oh no.
Speaker 2 (33:52):
I'm not the young prodigy anymore, I know right.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
So I'm curious.
Oh my God, I was gonna say howdid you realize that?
But maybe I wasn't just reallyreally realized that.
Are you having this wholemoment on camera?
No, but I'm actually curious,like cause I remember when I
realized, damn, I'm really goodat what I do, which is great and
that's awesome, but I'm not theyoung prodigy anymore, right,
and it's like I can still begreat at what I do, but now I'm
47.
I figure it's like you'd expectme to be good at what I do with
(34:17):
this white record, right?
So I'm curious did I justreveal that to you, or?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
No, but what is interesting is that the
remodeling industry is an agingindustry and very often when I
am in things for my industry, Iam still one of the youngest
people there we, I just took aclass for my to renew my license
my construction supervisorslicense and I was absolutely the
(34:43):
youngest person in the room,which was very upsetting to me,
one because I've been doing thisway too long to be the youngest
person in the room and two,what is going to happen to my
industry if I'm the youngestperson in the room like that.
There's no other 20 or 30 yearolds getting their license,
renewing their license.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
That is a really, really good point.
My industry is actuallystruggling with the exact same
thing.
where it's giant, we have a huge, huge group of people who are
retiring out and then, or andthere's not a lot of new people
coming in or the new people whocome in burn out and leave
within two years.
So, like I that's this issomething that my sister and I
talk about a lot as well is howdo you, how do you, create
(35:28):
enthusiasm for an industry, youknow, because a lot of it's
enthusiasm it's marketing.
There's just so many thingsinvolved with it in order to
like but yeah, I definitely getthat.
So there is, like you said, notbeing the young Ajanu is great,
because that ensures thelongevity of your industry.
That's a really importantquestion.
I know you've got me thinkingabout something else, because
(35:49):
now I'm like, oh yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
Well, what can I do to support people coming to come
into our industry?
That's also.
That's also the hard thing youknow with you.
For for what I do, if you lookat the VOTEC programs, a lot of
times they're not direct.
They're trying to direct peopletowards the union, and so sure,
votec has a waiting list and,like we, even though there are
(36:12):
kids who want to get into theseprograms, they can't get into
these programs Really.
So what do we do to now thatthere's a slight shift back away
from?
You gotta go to college.
You gotta go to college to besuccessful.
How do we help create this?
And we live in a video gamegeneration where kids aren't
being taught how to do manualthings and work with their hands
(36:34):
.
And why are things so expensive?
Cause I can't get anybody to dothe work.
And if they do, and if I can,who's any good?
First of all like I'm not gonnasend somebody who's not good to
your house either they want tobe compensated for their
experience.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
You are so, so right.
I think that's really and Ithink this is a really good
example, by the way, ofnetworking happening.
Right Cause, like you know,we're talking and I feel like
I'm gonna connect with you aboutthis because we have a similar
challenge, similar problem that,like you, never really know how
these things are gonna gonnagrow out there, right, you know.
So I'm actually curious becausea lot of you know, one of the
(37:12):
things that I'm doing is tryingto build interest in research
administration and so on, and mysister and I are building our
thing on that side.
You know whole separate thingon that.
So I am, I am curious.
So if there are people who arelistening, who are either have
children or people in theirfamily who this is something
that they'd like to explore,because they're like you know,
because there's always peoplewho are looking for their next
thing, right, what can I do next?
(37:32):
You know, researchadministration might be a call
me a construction and gettingcertified, maybe it, and they
can reach out to you.
But I think that.
So I'd love to hear a littlebit about like, tell what, what
kind of person would be, whatkind of person would thrive in a
space like this?
Speaker 2 (37:49):
I think people for for what I do is people who like
to be outdoors which is kind ofcrazy but somebody who likes to
problem solve and do math anduse their brain A lot of times.
A lot of times we get a bum rapin the construction industry
that that carpenters are dummies.
(38:10):
You have to be reallyintelligent and inquisitive to
do this kind of stuff and figureout how to problem solve.
We live in the Boston area.
These houses are old and theywere built with not to the
current code.
So coming up with creativeideas and being able to want to
step back at the end of the dayand say I've done that is huge.
(38:32):
Our bodies are built to work incubicles right, we're not built
to sit in front of computersall day.
And so the guy, the team thatwe have men and women who work
with us who are most successful,are those people who like to do
something different every day,who'd like to use their hands,
who like to problem solve andhave build relationships,
because we are constantlybuilding relationships with
(38:53):
people to whether it's ourhomeowners or our office team or
our trade partners.
So there's people who like todo lots of different things.
Sometimes ADD people are greatfor this role because you're
constantly doing somethingdifferent.
Speaker 1 (39:05):
I have ADHD, like damn.
Yeah, it's nice when you'redoing this is different all the
time, for sure.
I love that now and as weslowly start to start to wrap up
.
So there's a couple of things Iwant to share with the
listeners as we start to wrap up.
First is that if you I know youlove Allison she's amazing
reach out to her right.
If you're local in the SouthShore, she's one of our South
(39:27):
Shore special features.
But you know, the one thingthat I want to make sure
everybody knows is because youdo do remodeling, can you tell
my listeners and my friends,kind of, what it is that you do?
I should probably start withthis, but you know me, I'm all
over the place.
So tell us a little bit aboutwhat you do and how you help
people.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
Sure, so my company is Alma, our building remodeling
.
We're out of handover and we'rea third generation company.
2024 is going to be our 65thyear in business and my goal is
to break the contractorstereotypes through our core
values of, you know,communication, education,
quality and integrity.
And we do everything fromwindow and door replacements
(40:08):
right through kitchens,bathrooms, additions, basements
and new homes.
So we service people byhonestly, if it's anything to do
with your house, trying to giveyou a well thought out solution
at a reasonable price To makeit the home of your dreams where
you can live your best life.
Love it, love it so much.
Speaker 1 (40:28):
This is fabulous.
Thank you so much for honestlyeverything Like I have a whole
long list of things I need tothank you First, being on the
being on the podcast, being onthe board, being you know just
these two great, great andnetwork and friend, and I'm so
glad to be where they make ittoday.
Is there any last message thatyou'd like to share with my list
?
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Oh, you know what I wanted to tell you this I love
the title of the podcast Stopshooting on yourself because,
honestly, before we met that inone of my advisory groups, that
was an exercise I had to dobecause I'm very like again,
like I have to be doingsomething, I have to be serving
(41:06):
people, and so I was challengedwith the exercise of every time
I thought I should, I had to sitdown for 10 minutes and not do
something.
And so if you're that type ofperson, it's a very hard habit
to break.
Oh I should go put the laundryin, I should go do this.
Oh, I should help sell one.
So I had to like every time theword should popped into my head
(41:30):
that I should be doingsomething and I should, I was
shooting all over myself.
I had to sit down for 10minutes and reset.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Wow, and now I'm curious how has that helped you?
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Oh my God, it like I.
It took a long time to breakthat habit, but I definitely
don't should as much as I usedto.
I mean, I'll add stuff to alist, but but I definitely has
come to the that almost ADHDthinking in my head like, oh,
this popped in my head, I shoulddo this.
(42:01):
Oh, I should do this, I shoulddo that.
It really definitely helped.
So if you're a shooter, it's agreat exercise to try.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I cannot even tell you how grateful I am that you
shared that story, because I'lltell you my big.
So when I was at rock bottomand coming out in 2018, one of
the first challenges I was givenmy therapist was challenge to
stop saying what if?
So I was what if everywhere?
What if what if, what if whatif whatever you know.
And I said listen, I am tryingto make sure that I am protected
(42:30):
, like now, I know what canhappen.
I've solved the problem and mytherapist said that's great,
that's a good story.
Let's try not to do that.
So I, for one week, she saidlet's see what your life is like
if you don't do that and Ihonestly don't do it at all
anymore.
It's been five, six years nowand I was so hot.
It takes such a weight theguilt the pressure.
So I'm so glad you brought thatup, because that's now going to
(42:51):
be a snippet in and of itself isjust going to be like hey guys,
do this, because if youchallenge yourself for a week
and a half or two to do it,eventually you'll just stop
because I realize one how oftenyou're doing it.
But to have useless like wealmost feel like we need to say
I should, but we really don't.
And I have to say I got to tellyou this I wish I could take
(43:12):
credit for the name.
I, the name that I had for thispodcast was actually shit.
I had a community at the time.
I was running a group coachingcommunity and my community was
like yeah, no, that's nothappening.
And then they said just wait.
And then Jessica Hopkins shewas the one who named the
podcast she said you need tochange your podcast.
This is the name and I get,you're right, this is the name.
So I always messaged her whensomeone says they like the name
(43:33):
to be like hey, someone saidthey like the name today, so she
gets a lot of those.
So I messaged her today to tellher.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
So thank you so much Good job and people like to get
good feedback.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
I know right, exactly .
Thank you so much.
You are the best, thank you forhaving me.
All of your social and Alma areremodeling will all be in the
show.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
Great.
Thank you so much.
It's been a wonderful time havetalking to you and I will talk
to you again soon.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Oh, could it be that's necessary.
Thank you.
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