July 22, 2024 • 48 mins
Eric Ely, the Director of Business Development and Retention at the Shawnee Economic Development Council, joins Devin for a very fun episode. Eric brings his wit to the discussion as he dives into his role in Shawnee, Kansas, shedding light on his efforts in local enterprise growth.
Get ready for a nostalgic trip back to the early 90s as Devin and Eric talk career paths and the effects of sugar cereal. Because those two things go together, right?
Eric's dynamic career journey takes center stage as they explore his roles in corporate sales at Sprint, government positions in various cities, and even an unexpected venture into tilapia farming. Hear about the strategic growth of Shawnee, the revitalization of downtown, and how community engagement is driving the city's potential. And find out...which one of these guys had Glamour Shots done and which one received a letter of bravery and why!
Download and listen to The Possibility Mindset Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.
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A special thanks to our sponsor, Eggtc. Shawnee: https://eggtckc.com/eggtc-shawnee/
Sound and Audio Technician: Zack Midyett
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, what's going on everybody?
Welcome back to the PossibilityMindset Podcast.
My name is Devin Henderson andI am your host, and I truly
deeply believe that somethinggreater is always possible for
you.
Well, hello, eric Healy, howyou doing today.
Awesome, awesome.
Man, would you like to hearabout the product that we're
(00:26):
promoting today?
I do, yeah, that's why you'rehere, right, okay, awesome.
Well, I want to let you allknow about Mudwater.
Mudwater is my coffeereplacement.
It's going well.
I'm about 220 days off coffeeright now and, yeah, man, you're
drinking coffee.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
You like it, do you?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
drink too much coffee or what's going on?
Mud water.
You need some mud water, yeah,yeah.
Well, just go to the show linkeric, you'll see it's
mudwatercom slash devon.
Mud water is mud and then wateris wtr.
No, vowelscom slash devon.
It really is something that'ssupposed to give you more focus,
boost your immunity and justhelp you overall.
It's less caffeine, it tastesgood, it's got a little
(01:09):
chocolate in it, I put somehoney in it and it's really
helping me on this journey ofgetting away from coffee, and so
I don't know for sure yet ifI'm going back, but that's where
I'm at right now.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I'm going to try it out.
Yeah, okay, cool man.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
I tell you what.
Well, because it's like a thirdamount of the caffeine that's
in coffee and I just love theritual of a hot, yummy drink in
my hands all morning.
It's not like I have my cup ofcoffee, like people would be
like I already had my coffee.
I'm like what do you mean?
You already had it?
Like when I would drink coffee.
It would be like I'm having mycoffee from like eight to noon.
I always need a cup in my hand,which was obviously why I'm
trying to get away from it.
It was too much.
But with mud water, even if youstill want to drink coffee, you
(01:46):
could drink your cup.
Be done and then move to mudwater.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Nice, it's an idea.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
That's what I did for a while, but now I went cold
turkey from coffee just to kindof see if it makes a difference.
I'm on a journey.
I don't know.
Yet You're in a good mood.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I am in a good mood.
Yeah, thank you for noticingthat.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
This is the second podcast for the day, so I'm in
the zone, yeah, and, as Imentioned in the last episode,
this might be our last time hereat formerly Etcetera, now Rise
and Shine slash.
Actually, this space is ownedby Minsky's Pizza, which, by the
way, I'm going to try to hit upthe owner of Minsky's to see if
he'll let us keep using thisspace.
(02:26):
Notice all the pizza boxesbehind us.
Eric pointed out that you don'tknow what pizza boxes those are
because they're turned thewrong way.
They either say Best Pizza orKansas City, but if we were just
to turn it, you know 45 degrees, you'd see Minsky's.
And Minsky's Eric this is thetruth is my favorite pizza of
all time.
It's awesome, Not just sayingthat because of Nextdoor.
I've loved it since I was a kid.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So wait, those are empty.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Those are empty.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I thought you part of the podcast.
I thought we were.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Oh, you thought that lunch was next.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Okay, fine, all right , that's cool.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Oh man, I'm learning a lot about Eric's sense of
humor.
He had me earlier because heworks in Shawnee.
He is the hold on.
Eric, I want to make sure I getyour title right here the.
Director of Business Developmentand Retention at the Shawnee
Economic Development Council.
Can you have a longer titleplease?
I need it longer.
That's not even enough.
No, nope, I was talking aboutLenexa.
(03:19):
For some reason which those ofyou that don't live in the
Kansas City metro Lenexa andShawnee are like neighbors and
so, since he's a big Shawnee guy, I was talking about Lenexa.
He's like where, what are youtalking about?
At first I was like he's nothearing me.
Right, lenexa, and he's justmessing with me because he's a
punk.
Well, eric, let's introduce youand then we'll talk about our
history and all that.
(03:39):
Okay, so, by a dynamic leaderwho is more than an advocate.
He's the voice of greatness,ensuring continued growth for a
top-tier community.
I can vouch for that.
I'm part of it.
Say hello to Eric Ely.
Director of BusinessDevelopment and Retention at the
Shawnee Economic DevelopmentCouncil.
Nailed it, boom.
He's been there for nearly adecade, really Doing this job as
(04:00):
a de.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It seems like it's been a couple of decades, but
it's really been like six and ahalf years.
Okay, doing this job, doingthis job, I've worked for the
city for a long time and then,okay, became a fish farmer.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
We'll go into all, yeah yeah, fish farmer, standby
for that, all right.
For nearly a decade, he hasremained committed to
championing a local enterpriseand and that's true, he's done.
He's doing that for me, uh,just the other day and in doing
so, enhanced more than itslegacy of excellence, but the
endless possibilities that areyet to be.
So, ladies and gentlemen, ericely, all right, oh, I thought I
(04:38):
said applause yeah, yeah, ohyeah the applause sign.
I it's.
I'm numb to it, thank you.
Um, yeah, hey, I see that hand.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Uh, you got to it.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Thank you, thank you, yeah, hey, I see that hand.
You got your Shawnee Chambershirt on.
You're ready to go for the day.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
It's Friday, it's a casual day.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's casual.
What do you wear Monday throughThursday?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Sport coat.
You know I try to look the part, Do you?
Yeah, you dress it up.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I man, you know what I mean?
The candy man can yeah, awesomedude.
Well, uh, so we actually go way, way back.
Yeah, you, you graduated withmy brother, jason, from china,
mission northwest go coogs, gocoogs.
And uh, a few years before meand then before that, you and
jason played on the samebaseball team, tippins way back
in the day when you wereprobably in what like fourth or
fifth grade, so it was a longtime ago.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I was just a little tight in the day when you were
probably in what like fourth orfifth grade.
That was a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I was just a little tight in the stands, but I
remember those days.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It used to be called Pippins.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I remember that too, and then it was Tippins.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yes, and then I got really confused.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Serious identity crisis there going on, it's just
now happening again.
Yes, yeah, I remember thePippins Tippins Trans.
What was that all about?
Why change one letter?
What happened?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
They were trying to confuse us.
Is that what it was?
Conspiracy, yep.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, is it the Mandela effect?
Where maybe actually it wasTippins the whole time and we're
like wait, was it?
Pippins, Tippins, what's going?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
on yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
What's going on?
Oh man, I don't know.
Dude civic center a lot andkick my soccer ball around
because I needed an indoor space, you know when it was really
hot or cold outside.
And then eric's in there andall of a sudden eric's like I
know your brother jason.
I was like who is this guy?
So, so yeah, what?
What are the jobs?
And you, you've done theshawnee thing for 10 years.
When you were at the civiccenter, what were you doing
(06:15):
there?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I was um, what was my title?
I was like a recreation program.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
It was it was really really long, or maybe it was
just like director and you'relike nah, nah, nah.
I need a new position with abetter title.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I did so.
I would create programming forthe city.
So I would find an aerobicsinstructor or I'd find a police
department and say, hey, we wantto do a forensics class for
kids.
So you name the class oractivity, or yoga, Tai Chi, all
of it.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, scoot up to the mic just a little bit, eric.
I want to make sure they hearthis Tai Chi stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Can you hear me now?
Yes, okay, that's great.
Is that better?
That is better, okay, sorryabout that.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
It's intimidating.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It is.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
These microphones point their finger at me.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I know it's like come on, talk to me, I want you.
So I was in Parks andRecreation and I did that for a
long time.
I actually did it for a coupleof different cities too.
I was in Grandview and I was inLeawood and then Shawnee and
then there's some other stuffI'll talk about.
Kind of in my career journey Ikind of got out and got greedy
and was chasing some money andthen I got back into government.
(07:22):
But yeah, I created programs,activities and all that stuff.
But what I really loved wasparks and recreation is such a
great job because when somebodywere coming to give us money for
classes or programs, they wouldshow up with a big smile on
their face.
They were so excited.
The kids are excited, theparents are excited, but when
they had to go pay money for thecity, for any other thing, it's
(07:43):
always bad, it's for a ticket.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we were like the fun peoplefor the city Right on, right on,
that's cool.
Yeah, I worked for Parks andRec too for years Johnson County
oh yeah, yeah, I did theafter-school daycare.
So while I was at Northwest, mysenior year, that I can juggle
a soccer ball well, I'mproficient at that, because that
(08:09):
was like the solo sport of justbeing able to kick and so it
makes me look like I'm a lotbetter player than I am.
I was just an average player,so I lost out to like one guy
who was.
For years I was like I wasbetter.
He only made the team becausethe coach dated this guy's
girlfriend, which is a truestory.
Well, okay, now I couldactually drop some names for fun
(08:29):
, because it's like we knowthese people Well.
You remember Matt Ireland.
He was in your class, I lovedhim.
He was my freshman coach andthen as a senior varsity coach,
he's the one who cut me, butunderstandably so.
Matt cut you, matt, cut me, yeah, but that's hard because you
make friends.
You know, matt I mean God resthis soul Unfortunate what
(08:50):
happened to him and it's awful,but he, you know, was just.
Everybody loved him.
And so it's hard to like makefriends with people and then
have to tell them, sorry, you'renot going to make the team.
And he let me down easy andoffered to like connect me with
the JUCO coach and everything.
So he was very sweet about it,but anyway I didn't make the
team that year, sorry, and youknow I think everything works
(09:12):
out.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And so then I went across to Benninghoven, which is
right next door to Northwest,and I started working at the
after-school daycare and lovedthat job, and loved that job.
And then after that I moved toBroken Arrow, did it there for
like seven years.
It was the best job to haveduring college because you can
do it like you know.
You go away to college, youcome back for spring break.
They need you.
You come back for summer break,they need you.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You always have a job when you come back.
I was a lifeguard.
I know I was a lifeguard.
I was shining with your parkbeach baby.
It was cool.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Did you get the orange buoys that they had?
We had orange buoys.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
We had the lifeguard stands.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I used to rescue people then Did you actually
rescue someone as a lifeguardRescue?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
little kids.
Really, yeah, you'd pull themout of the water.
It was sad because you would.
Well, it was exciting becauseyou're in there and you save
this kid and you're pulling themout and you're carrying them.
Yeah, and the mom or dad wouldalways get upset.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Well, they're upset, they're embarrassed, sure, but
they would never thank youBecause you're making them look
bad in a way.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Maybe, I don't know Like ah, you should be saving
this kid not me, but it was anawesome job because you always
had, like you said, always hadsomething to go back to.
Totally you go to school, comeback, get an awesome tan.
Yeah, whistle.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Are you lifeguarding still, because the tan's looking
good.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
You must have gone on vacation or something High
blood pressure, high bloodpressure Is that what it is?
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Oh, yeah, oh yeah, you did that on purpose, just so
you could look tan.
Right, I need a tan, but that'snot healthy to get a tan.
That's bad for your skin.
Let me just get some high.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Well and then, yeah, I was always tan.
Well, because I had to get tanfor my glamour shots.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Yes, don't we all?
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Do you remember glamour shots?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Oh, yeah, yeah, do I remember glamour shots.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Let me get my phone.
Let me show you my latest photo.
I was dating a girl and shemade me do it.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Oh dude, I never heard of a dude getting a
glamour shot, ever.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I didn't know.
It happened at my parents house.
Uh, you could still walk intotheir house.
And then there's like thislittle part in the living room
and that they won't take thepicture down.
It's still there, still there.
Black leather jacket uh, noshirt on that's how you dress on
tuesdays.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
That's your two, I've seen you really I I want to see
this glamour shot badly.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
If you could send that to me.
You won't see it.
Guys, Zach will put it on.
My agent won't let me do that.
You have to pay for that, oh mygosh.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So you've had glamour shots done.
That has to go in the bio,Ashley, Don't forget.
In the description we've got toput that in.
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I think that's why they're around anymore.
What?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
else did your girl?
I don't know.
I haven't seen it for a while.
I haven't seen it sinceNapoleon Dynamite.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
If somebody out there is listening or watching this
and Glamour Shots is around,please let us know, because I'll
start a podcast for GlamourShots.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Oh, dude, that is so funny, man.
Now she made you get.
Tell me about that.
How did she make you it?
Tell me about that.
How did she make you?
It sounds like you were apretty easy sell, Like oh, I
have to, Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
When you have a tan from, you're like oh, I'm
totally unprepared, okay, I'llput this on as long as I can go
shirtless and wear that leatherjacket.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
It's like playing Dynamite when Kip's like do you
have a vest I could wear?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
You're like do you have a leather jacket?
I could.
And then also let's say thiswould have been what year was
this?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Like early 90s and back then, like the mullet was
the mullet's back Dude, Dude, Ilike it.
All I have to do is cut thesides and I am back in 80s
fashion.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yeah, so like you had the, so back then it was really
mostly like the soccer playerhaircut.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
But then you had this kind of some tails coming out
and coming out, and so that wasthat was in a glamour shot.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I can see it was it?
I wanted that haircut so badever since first grade?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
my dad wouldn't let me grow out the back, he was a
marine, he wouldn't let me dothat, so now I'm making up for
it.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Look, look at me now.
How do you like me?
Now dad, I'm growing it out allover.
Um, I don't get manycompliments on my hair I'm not
doing it for other people.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Thank you, your hair looks good.
Thanks, man, appreciate that.
I really like it.
I'm not doing it for otherpeople.
Thank you, your hair looks gooddude.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Thanks, man, appreciate that.
I really like it.
It's fun, I'm like, why not?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Mine's just falling out now.
Yeah, well, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So, dude, what else did your girlfriend make you do?
I'm just curious.
Glamour shots Sounds like thekind of girlfriend who's going
to speechless.
I don't know.
I I had to.
I try to erase that out of myhead, okay.
Would I know this person?
Was she a cougar?
She was a meaning.
(13:30):
Cougars are the mascots.
Cougars are the mascots ofseanation northwest what's a
cougar is a coug.
This, this podcast is out ofcontrol.
I didn't see it going this wayand I like it.
This is this.
No, this is way better than so.
Tell me more about economicdevelopment.
Well, okay, man, so we go wayback like that.
But then you moved from, like,the parks and rec side of things
(13:51):
, from the Civic Center, and youmade the big jump to City Hall.
Yeah, so now you're like movingon up.
What were you over there?
What long title did you possess?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
The City of Shawnee Business Liaison oh, the City of
Shawnee Business Liaison.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Oh, French Liaison.
Is it a French position?
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Is that French?
It sounds French.
It's not Russian.
You made it sound.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
French Liaison.
Liaison.
Maybe it's Canadian, I thinkit's Canadian.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Canadian.
That's what it is, I don't know.
Now I want a croissant Do theyhave those over next door.
I don't know, that's a goodword too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I'm just showing off now.
They don't have ideas.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
So let's rewind a little bit.
I've always loved and hatedgovernment.
I just have this weirdrelationship with government.
So I left college I worked forthe city of Grandview, for Parks
and Recreation, and then peoplewould always tell me they're
like, man, you need to be insales, like you're really good,
(14:48):
you're a sales guy, you're asales guy.
And at that time I leftGrandview to go work for
Intercom Radio here in KansasCity.
They had eight radio stationsand all that stuff.
So I went and worked for 997KYDo you remember that?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Oh, yeah, wasn't that ?
The one with the camel was themascot?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Okay, yeah, and so when I was at 997KY, the reason
why I went there was they weregoing to take on the Chiefs
Radio Network at that time, soit was like good timing.
And then all of a sudden theyfound out that they weren't
going to have the Chiefs Network, so they went back to 101 the
Fox.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, the Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
All network.
So they went back to one-on-one.
The fox, yeah, the fox.
All kinds of animals beingthrown around cougars, foxes,
camels right, were there, camels.
Well, the ky, oh, yeah, thecamel.
The camel, no, that was a hippo.
It was a hippo.
It was a hippo.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, camel would have been cool though I thought
it was a camp.
Maybe I was thinking of thecigarettes.
I guess I was thinking aboutjust like the coffee yeah, okay,
cigarettes are next.
Yeah, they need to go yeah, butuh so, uh.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So I did radio sales.
I did that for not very long.
Honestly, it was a real toughbusiness and the money was
pretty good.
But the problem is you'reliterally competing with
everybody in your buildingBecause we had all the other
stations.
Yeah, so I got out of that andthen I went to Sprint and worked
for Sprint Jeez dude.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
what have you not done?
I've done everything man, andthen I went to Vegas and I was
one of the dancers for thereviews.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
They saw my glamour shot.
They're like dude, you're in.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Thunder Down Under was like.
Whose glamour shot is this?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Thunder Down Under like Dr Thunder.
That's a whole otherconversation.
Dr Thunder, that's.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Right, did you grow up on the Not to pause the
sprint, the exciting sprintconversation?
I know this is fun, though,right, this is great creative
minds did you grow up in ahousehold of dr thunder or dr
pepper?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
that's really the ultimate bagged or boxed cereal
we didn't eat a lot of cereal,really no, we, we ate, uh, uh, I
don't know.
They used to be like theselittle astronaut bars.
They were like chocolate andthey were like breakfast bars.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, we ate those all the time it was chocolate
had peanut butter in it.
Oh, dude, I'm going to think ofit before this episode's over.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think that's why all my hair's falling out.
There's something in theingredients.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
It wasn't Nesquik or it was a different thing right.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I think it might have been Nesquik, was that it?
I don't know, but I think Iknow what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But we did eat a lot of sugar cereal.
I mean, I was raised on it.
I'm pretty sure it stunted mygrowth.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's why our brains are so fast, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Wait what.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
The synapses.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know the whole?
Yeah, yeah, I do.
Now that's a whole otherpodcast.
We'll talk about that next time.
My brain is catching up toeverything you're saying.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So I did corporate sales at Sprint, Sprint
Publishing and Advertising and Idid enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
But at that time Sprint was this company, this
phone company, anyway, children.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I was there when it merged with Nextel.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You were.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, and then we this like double merging thing
and all that.
Well, at that time Donnelly andSons were getting ready to come
in and purchase my division,and so then I was like I'm out,
I'm getting back into government.
I went to the city of Leawood,started getting my master's
degree in public administrationand then I was having a meeting
(18:11):
and then some folks at Shawneewere like, hey, we've got this
position, you know.
And I was like, man, that'sperfect.
That's why that's right Grew up.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
I know those people, I love those people.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
So I worked for a Shawnee person rec and then I
was also for fun, cause I reallylove this city.
I was always trying to bringcompanies into Shawnee.
So I was already doing economicdevelopment on my own time and
I talked to the city manager atthat time and we were talking
(18:38):
about I was talking about, youknow, these companies and and we
created the position, businessliaison, and it was modeled
after a town in Oklahoma thathad one and it was really,
honestly, it's the take ingovernment there's black and
white, there's all these rules,right, boom, boom, boom boom.
But in real life, like ifyou're trying to build a company
(18:58):
or a business, it's not blackand white, it's very gray.
So I would go and find the grayand then be able to work it
through the city system, youknow, through codes and all that
stuff, the planning department,and I loved it.
It was great.
I did that for a year and ahalf and then one day, my
father-in-law being the goodsalesman that I am, he knew that
(19:20):
.
He asked me if I would selltilapia.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
This is where the tilapia, you, you have the most
random eclectic background oflike career endeavors ever.
Like who knew it was going togo to fish farm, rather than the
fact that I said it earlieryeah I didn't you know.
It's like wow, tilapia yeah,forrest gump man that is.
That is the chapter of yourlife that I missed somehow
because we got reconnected andyou said fish farming.
(19:46):
I was like I didn't even know.
You left and did anything, youknow so a fish farm I was.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I sold our tilapia to whole food stores all over the
country, cruise ships, all thatstuff.
We started out in a couple ofgrocery stores in Colorado and I
just went in.
I call it reverse marketing.
Well, now it's.
I don't even know what theycall it now, but it was going
out to the stores and talking tocustomers and then the
customers would go to the meatcounter and say why aren't you
(20:13):
selling this fish?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I call that manipulation.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It's a good salesperson.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
It is, that's good stuff.
So I would do that, and thenbloggers before I'd go into a
market, they'd start talkingabout our culture, and sorry,
that reminds me that's brillianttelling the customer hey, go
ask for this meat, so they'llcome to me.
That's like how music artistssay hey, go to your radio
station and request my song.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Same kind of thing right, yeah, yeah, and then,
once they get requested, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I think that's how that band Mercy Me with the song
I Can Only Imagine did it.
Really Like hey, request oursong.
And they'd go to their concerts.
They'd say everybody call yourradio station.
So then they started.
Even though it was a Christiansong, they, everyone was calling
those stations requesting thosesongs.
So reverse marketing.
I suppose I taught him how todo that yeah, you did.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
No, I know you're like let me yeah let me tell you
how this works.
Buddy well, so I I did thetilapia farming and I loved it,
I really did.
But um, I I did that for it wasabout six years and um.
So the city shawnee was lookingfor economic development person
like in this position and I hadtalked to some folks and they
(21:16):
had mentioned that maybe it'd bea good idea.
If I came back and I met withAnn Smith-Tate she was the
president and CEO of the chamber.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yes, just met her.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Yeah, and so when I sat down and had a coffee with
her and one of the city managersjust talking about Shawnee,
when I saw the new energy, I wassuper excited, like I thought,
man, this, this is awesome, likethis city needs this, like
Shawnee is in a really good spotI'm talking geographically, I'm
(21:46):
talking we set the mostnorthern part of Johnson County
and with all the stuff going onnow in downtown Kansas City, you
know, light 1, Light 2, isthere Light 10?
All these new apartments.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It's like Jaws, they just keep going, they just keep
going.
Or Rocky, it's like Rocky yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Or Star Wars, I guess , but that's all.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yeah, that's so confusing.
I know I wish I liked it.
I don't think Kansas Cityenough for that.
I'm not cool enough tounderstand star wars, but um so
never heard someone say thatyeah, I'm really not cool enough
to understand star wars.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I'm just not I, but uh, so yeah.
So I mean we sit right there.
In fact there are some chiefsplayers that now live in our
downtown shawnee, because I Idon't know about you, but if I
had a dog and I lived in anapartment in downtown kansas
city and I wanted to take my dogfor a walk or to go to the
bathroom, I don't want to haveto get in an elevator, ride the
(22:38):
elevator downstairs and go walkout to the doggy area.
I want to go in my backyard.
So I think Shawnee's great.
You've got the elbow room thatyou need if you want to live
that lifestyle in kind of adowntown area.
Our downtown Shawnee is rockingman.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
It lifestyle and kind of a downtown area.
Our downtown, shawnee, isrocking man.
It is beautiful down there.
I mean, I grew up, we grew upin a duplex on I think it was
King Street, which is reallyclose to St Joseph School, and
it was a duplex there.
So we lived.
I lived there like when I was ayear old, and then we moved but
my dad owned the duplex, rentedit out to some tenants next to
us.
We became good friends withthese people, the layman's and,
um, layman's yeah, you know thatfamily yeah, and um, and so I
(23:19):
have, and so I got my firsthaircut there on, down there on
johnson drive, which isessentially main street of
downtown shawnee, back when itwas dave and bob.
I don't know if you rememberdave and bob or if you ever went
in there, but uh was itgentleman's west?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
was that the name of it?
I know what you're talkingabout.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
I think that's what it is.
Well, is that what it is now?
I don't know what it was calledback then.
I don't know if I knew the name.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
No, I thought it was right across the street from
City Hall.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Yeah, that's right.
There's still a barbershopthere, yeah, and I've seen
they've kind.
It is a beautiful downtown areaso if you remember as a kid?
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I mean, we were really overlooked for quite a
while.
Our downtown, at 5 o'clock,lights out.
Baby, it's closed, Business isclosed, and so now we've got
reasons for people to go out, wehave a James A Beard award
recipient or nominee or whateverrunner-up.
I don't know how that goes, butyeah, you'd look at this list.
(24:14):
It would say like James A Beard, and they would say Honolulu
and and somewhere in Californiaand New York, not Shawnee.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Kansas.
It was awesome yeah it was.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It's really cool, but we've got some really cool
stuff going on.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
We've got a McLean's down there.
Mclean's is down there.
It's amazing.
There's some other stuff.
Yeah, that's a hot place.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And then also we've got a new bar and restaurant
that's going to be moving intothe old garage across the street
from City Hall.
Oh wait, so it was an old autobody or auto shop Wait to the
west, to the east, to the eastof City Hall.
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Over there by that leather Right.
Yes, that booth store orwhatever.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
They moved around the corner, though they did they
moved around the corner, becausenow on that corner it's called
Wild Child.
It's kind of like a wine barand it has non-alcoholic drinks
there too.
But it's also anaward-winning—I think it was
like Best in Johnson County andthere are awards popping up
(25:10):
everywhere down there.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
That's amazing, man, and you're a big part of, I mean
, you're the economicdevelopment, right yeah we've
been.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yes, and when I first came back, they were trying to
redevelop downtown Shawnee andthey called it Elaine Diet, not
Elaine.
It sounded like I said Elaine'sname, elaine.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Diet Right right.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
It's Elaine Diet where it was.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
I think we got something there with the elaine
diet.
There's got to be some elaineout there who's crushing it, who
we could just name a diet.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Quick, I know quick, it's that buy thatcom right now
yeah, all right, seriously, yeah, uh, but anyhow, no, it's just,
it's fun to be a part of that.
I mean, it really is to be apart of that.
And when they were doing thelane diet and a lot of people
were upset about it, they'relike, oh, this isn't going to
work, and but what that did?
Was it allowed, uh, the, theprop, the development, to come
(25:58):
more toward the street, so itgives you a downtown feeling
okay and lane diet a lane dietmeaning like four lanes.
Yeah to basically two lanes.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Yeah, I've noticed that with the one turn lane down
the middle yes, yes, so smartBecause the traffic isn't so
crazy that you need those fourlanes, you don't need them.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
And also when you have the four lanes.
What a lot of people didn'trealize is that they were like
well, that's going to sloweverything down.
Well, no, because if you had acar in the left lane, a car in
the right lane, the right laneguy was going to turn and the
left lane person was going toturn.
Well, now your traffic isreally backed up.
Yeah, yes, so now that turnlane really has helped out, the
flow goes just fine.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I call that reverse traffic engineering.
I've always called it that Ilike that.
Yeah, yeah, or manipulation,whichever you want to call it.
I like the reverse trafficengineering.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Manipulation sounds so evil, I know, I know.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I get it though.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
This is fascinating.
Keep going, because I want youto keep going, but also I want
to hear about what does it takefor someone like you?
How do you create that?
Because you've helped make thishappen.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I'm a part of it, but also people that are the city
staff.
I mean city staff.
But we go out and you'restorytelling, okay.
So when we were first showingcompanies and restaurants in
downtown Shawnee, when nothingwas really down there, you had a
storytell and you're not makingstuff up, you're being very
(27:28):
honest.
It's like the thing I wastelling you about hey Power and
Light's awesome, guess whatCrossroads is awesome, but all
their rents are going up and alot of Johnson County and go
there to hang out.
Well, why not have somethingright here in Johnson County?
Not only that, but people thatlive in the crossroads will come
over here too, and so juststorytelling.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And so did that encourage the current owners to
step up their game and makerenovations, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, if you remember , there used to be a bunch of
black glass Totally On a corner.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Totally Commerce Bank .
Yeah, shawnee State Bank beforethat, right, shawnee State Bank
.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Got my first check there.
Nice yeah, and the guy had thelittle Huey stick.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, so rough cut there because we had to change
batteries.
But Huey what, what?
What's this hooey stick thing?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
uh.
So when I got my first check,my mom took me up to shawnee
state bank was this lifeguardingcheck?
No, it was.
They were like hey, it'sprobably a good idea that you
started checking account.
Yeah, like just to be a.
You know, it's time in lifeyeah, yeah, you're a man.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Now I'm a man.
12.
Yeah, it's time to start a.
Yeah, yeah, you're a man.
Now I'm a man.
Yeah, it's time to start achecking account.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
So maybe there's some money laundering going on, I
don't know.
Anyway, no, I'm just joking.
Mom and Dad, my Mom and Dad areawesome, no, so I'm sitting in
there in this old bank buildingShawnee State Bank and the guy
he was the nicest guy, he wasall you know he knew I was
nervous, you know, like there'sall these numbers and I have to
fill out little forms, you know,and he brings out this stick
(29:02):
and it's two sticks, and onestick had a propeller on the end
of it.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And he goes have you ever seena hooey stick?
And this like kind of calmed medown, like you know, just kind
of like oh, what is that?
Yeah, and so he would rub thisstick really fast and then the
propeller would start spinning.
Yeah, and then he would sayhooey, and then it would spin
the opposite direction.
Hmm, yeah, you know what?
(29:23):
After this is over, I'm goingto Google hooey sticks.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And try to figure out how that works and just if
there's even but I rememberthose, I mean I've seen you do
okay so he wasn't like a witchdoctor no, well, how does it
flip the other way?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I have, you think, the magician would be like oh
yeah I know he gave me one, likehe had a hooey stick.
He gave it to me and I couldnever figure it out weird yeah,
so, okay, I see.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So he made it seem like the word hooey, reversed it
.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
This is the magician thinking yeah there was some
trick, that yeah, yeah there wasno buttons it was a stick right
propeller and it was like thepropeller was nailed in by a
little.
Yeah, nail yeah I don't knowbut this hooey stick nonetheless
mesmerized you, relaxed you andhelped transition you into
manhood yeah, in terms of achecking account yeah, that's
(30:10):
amazing, like how you can getsomebody to kind of you kind of
shift their focus I yeah, I'vedone the same kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
I used to have these when I was doing kids magic
shows, these pencils that youwould rub them and they would
change color.
So I would carry those with meand sometimes in airports when
there's kids just like crying,I'd tell the parents, hey, can I
give them a gift?
And I would just show them andthey'd be like immediately calm
down and take that pencil andrub it and it changed colors and
changed someone's life, man,you know.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
It was my hooey stick .
Speaker 2 (30:36):
So this sick thing inside of my head was like.
And then the kid walked awayand they had stuff all over
their hands.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh right, right, you got glitter bombed.
You thought it was a colorchanging pencil.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
It was a good story, though no, like it's Friday guys
.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
It.
It's Friday guys, it is Friday.
This is so good man.
When the battery went out, wewere talking about how much fun
we're having.
This is a lot of fun, so, yeah,keep going, though.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Okay so before I talked about the Huey stick and
all that, yes, it was ShawneeState Bank, yes, and it was
covered in black glass.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
And you know, back in the late 60s, you know 70s,
that was kind of the thing yeah,you could see those windows all
the way from shawna missionparkway, which is a good, would
you say, like a mile away fromthere and it's like you could
yeah, you really popped, so itwas a landmark the owner of the
building.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Uh, he's a great guy.
Um, he, I think you know, whenwe went in and talked to him and
kind of talked about what wasgoing on downtown and you know
all that, I think you know, hisspirits turned up and he was
like ready to make some changes.
Yeah, okay, I'm gonna be a partof this.
Yeah, and you know, and, and soyou see it happening in all of
in downtown shawnee, as we'reredeveloping and doing all the
(31:45):
work we're doing, you startseeing like this energy
happening.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yes, it's snowballing in a great totally I can vouch
for it.
Well, here's what's funnysometimes when I'm coming home
from like a trip, like I'll havea keynote up in Iowa and I
drive I-35, and I can eithertake Shawn Mission Parkway home
or I can take Johnson Drive home.
I love taking Johnson Drivehome because it's just more of
this relaxed like I love drivingthrough downtown Shawnee.
(32:08):
It takes a little bit longerbecause it's, you know, like 35
miles an hour instead of 45.
But I just love that stretch.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's not 65 miles an hour, no, it's a good stretch.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Yeah, well, and part of it's because, like I have
history there.
I got my first haircut there.
Yeah, I learned to swim at theold pool, but I just it really
is, especially now with what youguys are doing down there.
It looks great and it's a funhang.
People go to McLean's forcoffee now, and then the bank
for a while became kind of acoffee shop slash bakery, but
(32:43):
now it's like some kind of meat,don't they?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
distribute meat like a meat company or something.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I've lost track.
They did for a while.
Back me up here.
Dodge City Beef.
Okay, that was it.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Dodge City Beef, and that was part of.
The problem is that the ownerof the building had a great idea
.
He's like okay, I'll kind ofsubdivide this building and I'll
have a meat shop over here acoffee shop over here and when I
talked to him I was like, hey,you need one good user in here.
So I went out and actually metwith uh.
(33:17):
When, when uh, we were talkingto companies and businesses, I
reached out to uh districtpoorhouse.
They were over in waldo and uh,at that time I wasn't trying to
, I wouldn't, I was like Ididn't think they would want to
move the whole company over.
But they had this conceptcalled johnny wings and uh, one
of the chefs in there, it waslike a ghost kitchen thing, it
was pretty, it was almost covidand um, so I met, I met with
(33:41):
them and kind of walked themaround, talked about shawnee,
and then we walked inside ofthat building so there was a,
there was a little taco shop inthere, so we walked in there and
when he saw the exposed rock,um saw that he, he was like he,
he was like I'm coming here Nice.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
The exposed rock is beautiful.
It's got that whole kind of Idon't know just that, what's the
word Like vintage or I don'tknow.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It was like je ne sais quoi.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
The French thing is coming back.
Yeah, just that rugged.
That's the word, just thatrugged downtown.
You know, it just does havethat cool vibe.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
So in my mind.
So you can go anywhere inJohnson County, right, and you
can go to restaurants, coffeeshops, all that fun stuff.
But you end up showing up andit's all sheetrock.
Yep, it's a box.
It's a box, it might have acouple of cool track light stuff
and all that.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
If it's a Chipotle, you've got some industrial
piping going on but that's asgood as it gets.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
I'll tell you my Chipotle theory here in a minute
.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
It doesn't sound good .
No, no it's okay.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
It's okay, it's get in, get out, right.
You know that.
Oh yeah.
Yeah, I don't want you to beuncomfortable, but they're not a
sponsor either.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I do love Chipotle and if you want to sponsor me
Chipotle, I will take you.
Oh man, you can just give mefree burritos.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
I lost my train of thought.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
The Rock.
And it's not just a box, it'srugged.
He wanted to come and landthere.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, so it's super organic.
So that original bank it wasthe late 1800s.
There was so much history indowntown Shawnee.
So when you go into thesebuildings, yeah, it's warm, it's
comfortable, it's organic youget this sense of just kind of
coziness.
When you see the rock, yes, yousee some of the old wood, the
rock.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're speaking my language.
I love that vibe.
It's so good.
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
But anyway, I think that's what's really made our
downtown, shawnee, unique.
Yeah, so a lot of other placesin Johnson County which Johnson
County is great, but you don'tget that experience in a lot of
places.
So, yeah, we're celebrating it,man.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Well with what you do .
I can't think of a betterperson to be in your position,
because this whole just buildinga city up, and especially the
downtown with what you've donewith it requires the possibility
mindset.
You are constantly, every day,asking what else is possible,
what's possible with this space,with these people, with these
owners, with these members, andthen you're a visionary, which
(36:02):
is what the possibility mindsetis all about.
You're the visionary, but thenyou have the people, skills and
the knowledge and the experienceyou know to be able to go out,
approach the right people in theright way with the right
information and pull.
And it's not just fluff, it'slike this is how this is going
to benefit people and it's triedand true, like it's paying off.
You have transformed that spacedown there.
(36:24):
I know you're a part of it.
It takes a team, but you'redoing an incredible job man and
it's they're lucky to have you.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It's fun, I love it, I love the city, I love the
people in the city.
Yeah, it's fun.
Thank you, that's nice stuffyou said about it.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Well, yeah, and what would you say to then people
because there's other citydevelopment type people at
liaisons, whatever you want tocall it out there, who are no
doubt inspired already by thethings that you're saying, just
like, how can you really takethe true essence of what a place
is and build off of that, right, like you do with the Rock and
the Wood?
But then there's also, likeother CEOs, other managers,
(36:58):
directors what would you tellthem for, just if they want to
like, change the work, culture,change what they have going on,
how does this translate to kindof like everything Translate.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I think at the end of the day, and you probably saw
it.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
We did this today.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
We did this right now it's called having fun and I
always tell people I'm like, ifI ever go into a job and I'm I'm
not having fun anymore, like Ito me.
If you're not having fun, moveon.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Like it's time to move on.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Find something that you can get excited about waking
up and doing, and I think if,if managers and companies, and I
think if they had thatmentality.
I think people get so stuck inbeing very serious.
They think serious means goodbusiness.
Right, yeah, but the way I lookat life is, if you can get
somebody to relax and you, youbuild some commonality with
somebody and you have fun withthem, you're going to get stuff
(37:54):
done.
Fun doesn't mean goofing offTotally, totally.
So I think it getsmisinterpreted in a lot of
workplaces and it always will be.
You can't make people have fun.
I remember I don't want to namethe company, I named a bunch of
them that I worked for, butthere was one where they had
(38:15):
mandatory fun.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
They didn't call it that have fun dang it.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Okay, everybody, it's time to come out and have fun.
You're like, ah, and you go inthere and like, okay, how long
do we have to have fun now?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
You can't compartmentalize fun.
You've got to make it a culture, a way of being.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And then there was this one where we'd sit in a
meeting and they're like they'retrying to make the meetings
more connecting with theemployees, and we sat around
this table and this is terrible.
They're not going to belistening, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Because I have a tiny audience.
Thank you, Eric, for pointingthat out.
She would say here we go, no,no, I'm so sorry for pointing
that out.
She would go no, no, Nah.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I'm messing with you.
I don't think she would, butshe would sit there and she
would say, okay, tell us aboutyour weekend and celebrate.
And I'm like I sound moreenthusiastic than what, but she
was for real man, she was likelike that's not how you do it.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
If the leader can't model it, it's never going to
happen.
Yeah, you know what I mean,cause if you're not and that's
the great thing about you, Imean it's just, it's contagious
man.
Yeah, just your, your fun, yourability to joke, but then the
fact that you can also getthings done, and that's what's
important.
Like you say, it's not justgoofing off.
You're a man who ultimately, atthe end of the day, delivers
and brings it to the bottom line.
(39:34):
But the fun is a huge part ofjust being able to let people
connect with people, let themrelax, because then the creative
juices start to flow more, theideas come easier, and so, yeah,
fun, I mean that's a greatanswer.
Just make fun part of theculture, make it natural, but
let it lead toward productivity.
That's ultimately what it canserve.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
You get to know people, people you work in life
and work and everything.
But if you don't know somebodyvery well, you're never going to
be your real self and thenyou're never going to really
share your real thoughts withsomebody.
But if you are having fun andthey relax we were talking about
relaxing, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Who we stick.
Who we stick baby.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
You bring somebody down to this other level where
they just feel comfortable.
And when you're comfortable youshare things, you share ideas
better.
You're not afraid to throw astupid idea out there.
Yeah, I said stupid idea.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Well, we'll edit that word out.
I call it start ugly.
I just call it.
It's not sloppy, it's notcareless, it's just like let's
just get out there and get crazy.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Yeah, don't be afraid to mess up, let's just, let's
talk about all the ideas.
So I love that man, I love thatso.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
so what's the next for Shawneenee?
What's your big undertakingright now?
Speaker 2 (40:49):
there's.
You know there's a lot becauseI I work with, uh, so I do
anything from large industrialprojects like trying to get some
of our industrial things set upand and going um, and it took
to our smaller businesses indowntown.
Um, there was a lot.
I mean, there's a lot going on.
Um, we're kind of hitting thisweird the economy.
(41:11):
Of course, course, right.
Like, people are going to sit ontheir wallets they always do
right before a national election.
Everybody just sits and waits,sure, and so I would say it'll
slow down a little bit, probablyin October and then after the
election.
I don't think it's going tomatter who really wins.
I have one person in mind I'dlike to win, but I won't share
(41:32):
that.
But at the end of the day, oncethat election happens, I think
all these companies are justwaiting, waiting, waiting, and I
think that they'll pull thetrigger going a few months into
the year.
So I think we'll see some goodeconomic activity.
But, yeah, shawnee's bright man,we're excited.
Months into the year, I think alot.
So I think we'll see some goodeconomic activity.
Um, but yeah, sean, I meanshawnee's bright man, we, we're
excited.
(41:53):
Um, we have some new leadershipat city hall.
Uh, we have a new city managerthat just started a few weeks
ago and I think he's going to doan awesome job.
I mean, he seems like a goodguy, um, and just the staff in
general, um, I love working withhim, so I I I feel really good
about where Shawnee is going.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I really do.
It's amazing.
I mean shout out to AmosFuneral Home downtown Shawnee
Pegas, which used to be Stern's.
That was a regular for usStern's.
I mean we were there once ortwice a week and actually got to
come speak recently for thechamber.
You had me come talk.
That was a good time.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
It was awesome.
You did a great job and we weretalking about having fun.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
It wasn't just one of those oh, here's the
information and here's the.
Yeah, you made it fun and thenpeople were engaged and we need
to do those more often.
But, yeah, awesome job Thanks.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
And it was fun reconnecting with people I
hadn't seen in years.
You know, that's the cool thingabout speaking in your hometown
, oh yeah speaking in yourhometown.
Oh yeah, so well, we can't wrapwithout at least mentioning this
and if whatever of it you wantto share, just this last May you
were recognized by the LeeSummit Police Department.
Another shout out to my cousin,lance, who was with the Lee
Summit Police Department.
His entire career was asergeant, retired back in I
think it was 2020.
(43:05):
And anyway, but you wererecognized by the Lee summit
police department with a letterof commendation.
Uh, when I was practicing that,I said condemnation and we
laughed.
Uh, it was a letter ofcommendation for bravery.
So do you want to just tell uswhat happened?
Why did you get this?
Uh, this letter for bravery?
Speaker 2 (43:24):
yeah, it was.
Uh, it was crazy.
So it was was in December.
I was bringing my boys homefrom basketball practice and
it's crazy.
So there's a roundabout on theway home and there's a home over
there that plays Christmasmusic to the lights.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, so you tune in your little radio
station.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Well, we go through the roundabout and they're like
oh Daddy, go one more time.
There were no cars.
So I went back through and thenthere were no cars, like guys,
you want to go again, yeah, yeah.
So we went back around and thenwe started heading home.
Well, when we got up to thisother intersection, I came upon
this accident, terrible accident.
(44:05):
The guy, I think, was speedingor something, I don't know
exactly the whole story beforeit, but he, he, he ends up
hitting a car and he lands, hehits a tree and this engine's
buckled up.
Uh, he's stuck in the car, he'sunconscious, um, uh.
So he got the doors open andthis young man came out of
nowhere.
(44:26):
16 year old kid lives in theneighborhood, came up and
neighbors are throwing fireextinguishers over the fence
because this thing's starting tojust go ablaze.
And these neighbors werethrowing their kitchen
extinguishers over the fence andwe were grabbing them and
trying to put them out, waitingfor the police and fire to show
up.
You know, I was always taught ifthere's a pretty bad accident
(44:48):
and he was stuck in there, ifthere's a pretty bad accident
and he was stuck in there, butyou try not to pull him out,
because you could really makethings worse, spinal, you know
Sure.
So we kept this fire.
This young man and I kept thisfire at bay, just enough time
for the police officer shows up.
I get his extinguisher and I'mputting it out.
(45:10):
The fire truck gets there andthey get him out of the car.
But it was wild and my kids hadto sit and watch the whole show
.
But at the end of the day, theguy that was in the accident, he
survived, he's alive.
I haven't met him, but I got tomeet the police officers that I
(45:32):
worked with that night.
I met them during thecelebration.
I got to see the young managain, give him a huge hug.
I've talked to him on the phonea couple times.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
He's a great, great kid.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
But yeah, it was wild .
Yeah, I didn't know you weregoing to bring that up.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Yeah, Way to go.
Congratulations, that's awesome.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Hey, I don't think there's any other choice right.
I would never drive pastsomething like that, yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Well, I imagined that like was the Christmas music,
still playing for your kids.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
No, they're watching this to jingle bells like Dashie
through the snow and you'relike in a faxing picture.
Are they forever hatingChristmas now?
Speaker 1 (46:10):
No, we were far enough away from that property.
Yeah, wow, that's wild.
Well, you're the second guestin a row we've had that has
pulled someone from a fire.
You heard the end of Chad'sstory.
I'm like we didn't plan it thisway.
We just got a bunch of heroesin the podcast here.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Yeah, so this is great, man.
It's going to be like a firetheme or something it is.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
We've got to find more people.
Did that person pull a personfrom a fire?
Speaker 2 (46:26):
What did you do?
Yeah, yeah, what have?
Speaker 1 (46:28):
you done with your life?
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Yeah, Next.
Oh, my gosh dude.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
This is next.
This has been a blast man.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Thank you so much, hey.
Thanks for letting it go allover, yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
That's the best.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Yeah, it was fun man.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Yeah, that's the best way to do it.
I mean, and mushroom like, likea mushroom, a fun guy, get it
all right.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Dad jokes sorry it took me like a few seconds, but
yeah, that was.
That was awesome, is it a?
Speaker 1 (46:57):
mushroom a fun guy.
I very appreciate dad jokes, soI appreciate the fun guy thing
man do.
Well, hey, we could do this allday.
This guy's any awesome shoutout to eric's parents.
He's oh, zach's gonna take apicture.
What up?
All right, zach, I'm going toclap for you Now, zach.
Funny story about Zach.
We ran out of room on thecamera so we're giving him a
hard time because he really isawesome.
(47:18):
But, zach, come on, man Get ittogether, right?
Zach the Lego maniac.
Zach, remember that?
Oh, I remember that.
Zach.
Have you ever heard Zach, zach,lego maniac?
It was an 80s thing.
I had a friend named Zach backthen and he hated Legos, if you
can believe that Isn't thatweird?
I know, I know that's what heclaimed.
(47:39):
So anyway, okay, this has beena blast.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, minsky's, thank youEtc.
Thank you Rise and Shine.
Wow, this building belongs to alot of people.
Thank you, eric Ely, forjoining.
This has been so great.
Don't forget to check outMudwater.
Go to the show notes.
Click on the link.
Give us a five-star review onApple.
All those good things, man,that stuff just rolls off my
tongue.
(47:59):
Now.
I'm not afraid of asking forfavors YouTube subscribe, like,
pass this on.
I'm going to see how long Zachcan hold his phone into that
position, Because now he's sincehe ran out of room on the
camera he's now having to holdit with his hands.
Look at his arms shaking he is.
Look at those biceps though.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Dang boy, does that weigh the same amount as a brick
?
I'm just I well, you're amirror lifeguard, it just keeps
slowly dropping down, down, down.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
Anyway, what else do we want to talk about, man?
Anyway, what else do?
Speaker 2 (48:27):
we want to talk about man.
I got a long list here.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Let me see what I got All right, man, that's it.
Hey, we're going to sign offwith our tagline what Else is
Possible.
I'll say what else you say ispossible.
Can you do that?
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Is possible.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Is possible.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yeah, rehearse it a few times, I can do it yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Blah, blah, blah, blah, and remember to never stop
asking the question.
What else is possible?
See you next time.
Hey, what's going on everybody?
Welcome back to the PossibilityMindset Podcast.
My name is Devin Henderson andI am your host, and I truly
deeply believe that somethinggreater is always possible for
you.
Well, hello, eric Healy, howyou doing today.
Awesome, awesome.
Man, would you like to hearabout the product that we're
(00:26):
promoting today?
I do, yeah, that's why you'rehere, right, okay, awesome.
Well, I want to let you allknow about Mudwater.
Mudwater is my coffeereplacement.
It's going well.
I'm about 220 days off coffeeright now and, yeah, man, you're
drinking coffee.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
You like it, do you?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
drink too much coffee or what's going on?
Mud water.
You need some mud water, yeah,yeah.
Well, just go to the show linkeric, you'll see it's
mudwatercom slash devon.
Mud water is mud and then wateris wtr.
No, vowelscom slash devon.
It really is something that'ssupposed to give you more focus,
boost your immunity and justhelp you overall.
It's less caffeine, it tastesgood, it's got a little
(01:09):
chocolate in it, I put somehoney in it and it's really
helping me on this journey ofgetting away from coffee, and so
I don't know for sure yet ifI'm going back, but that's where
I'm at right now.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
I'm going to try it out.
Yeah, okay, cool man.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, okay, yeah.
I tell you what.
Well, because it's like a thirdamount of the caffeine that's
in coffee and I just love theritual of a hot, yummy drink in
my hands all morning.
It's not like I have my cup ofcoffee, like people would be
like I already had my coffee.
I'm like what do you mean?
You already had it?
Like when I would drink coffee.
It would be like I'm having mycoffee from like eight to noon.
I always need a cup in my hand,which was obviously why I'm
trying to get away from it.
It was too much.
But with mud water, even if youstill want to drink coffee, you
(01:46):
could drink your cup.
Be done and then move to mudwater.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Nice, it's an idea.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
That's what I did for a while, but now I went cold
turkey from coffee just to kindof see if it makes a difference.
I'm on a journey.
I don't know.
Yet You're in a good mood.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I am in a good mood.
Yeah, thank you for noticingthat.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
This is the second podcast for the day, so I'm in
the zone, yeah, and, as Imentioned in the last episode,
this might be our last time hereat formerly Etcetera, now Rise
and Shine slash.
Actually, this space is ownedby Minsky's Pizza, which, by the
way, I'm going to try to hit upthe owner of Minsky's to see if
he'll let us keep using thisspace.
(02:26):
Notice all the pizza boxesbehind us.
Eric pointed out that you don'tknow what pizza boxes those are
because they're turned thewrong way.
They either say Best Pizza orKansas City, but if we were just
to turn it, you know 45 degrees, you'd see Minsky's.
And Minsky's Eric this is thetruth is my favorite pizza of
all time.
It's awesome, Not just sayingthat because of Nextdoor.
I've loved it since I was a kid.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
So wait, those are empty.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Those are empty.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
I thought you part of the podcast.
I thought we were.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Oh, you thought that lunch was next.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Okay, fine, all right , that's cool.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Oh man, I'm learning a lot about Eric's sense of
humor.
He had me earlier because heworks in Shawnee.
He is the hold on.
Eric, I want to make sure I getyour title right here the.
Director of Business Developmentand Retention at the Shawnee
Economic Development Council.
Can you have a longer titleplease?
I need it longer.
That's not even enough.
No, nope, I was talking aboutLenexa.
(03:19):
For some reason which those ofyou that don't live in the
Kansas City metro Lenexa andShawnee are like neighbors and
so, since he's a big Shawnee guy, I was talking about Lenexa.
He's like where, what are youtalking about?
At first I was like he's nothearing me.
Right, lenexa, and he's justmessing with me because he's a
punk.
Well, eric, let's introduce youand then we'll talk about our
history and all that.
(03:39):
Okay, so, by a dynamic leaderwho is more than an advocate.
He's the voice of greatness,ensuring continued growth for a
top-tier community.
I can vouch for that.
I'm part of it.
Say hello to Eric Ely.
Director of BusinessDevelopment and Retention at the
Shawnee Economic DevelopmentCouncil.
Nailed it, boom.
He's been there for nearly adecade, really Doing this job as
(04:00):
a de.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
It seems like it's been a couple of decades, but
it's really been like six and ahalf years.
Okay, doing this job, doingthis job, I've worked for the
city for a long time and then,okay, became a fish farmer.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
We'll go into all, yeah yeah, fish farmer, standby
for that, all right.
For nearly a decade, he hasremained committed to
championing a local enterpriseand and that's true, he's done.
He's doing that for me, uh,just the other day and in doing
so, enhanced more than itslegacy of excellence, but the
endless possibilities that areyet to be.
So, ladies and gentlemen, ericely, all right, oh, I thought I
(04:38):
said applause yeah, yeah, ohyeah the applause sign.
I it's.
I'm numb to it, thank you.
Um, yeah, hey, I see that hand.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Uh, you got to it.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Thank you, thank you, yeah, hey, I see that hand.
You got your Shawnee Chambershirt on.
You're ready to go for the day.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
It's Friday, it's a casual day.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's casual.
What do you wear Monday throughThursday?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Sport coat.
You know I try to look the part, Do you?
Yeah, you dress it up.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
I man, you know what I mean?
The candy man can yeah, awesomedude.
Well, uh, so we actually go way, way back.
Yeah, you, you graduated withmy brother, jason, from china,
mission northwest go coogs, gocoogs.
And uh, a few years before meand then before that, you and
jason played on the samebaseball team, tippins way back
in the day when you wereprobably in what like fourth or
fifth grade, so it was a longtime ago.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I was just a little tight in the day when you were
probably in what like fourth orfifth grade.
That was a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I was just a little tight in the stands, but I
remember those days.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
It used to be called Pippins.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I remember that too, and then it was Tippins.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yes, and then I got really confused.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Serious identity crisis there going on, it's just
now happening again.
Yes, yeah, I remember thePippins Tippins Trans.
What was that all about?
Why change one letter?
What happened?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
They were trying to confuse us.
Is that what it was?
Conspiracy, yep.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, is it the Mandela effect?
Where maybe actually it wasTippins the whole time and we're
like wait, was it?
Pippins, Tippins, what's going?
Speaker 2 (05:53):
on yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
What's going on?
Oh man, I don't know.
Dude civic center a lot andkick my soccer ball around
because I needed an indoor space, you know when it was really
hot or cold outside.
And then eric's in there andall of a sudden eric's like I
know your brother jason.
I was like who is this guy?
So, so yeah, what?
What are the jobs?
And you, you've done theshawnee thing for 10 years.
When you were at the civiccenter, what were you doing
(06:15):
there?
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I was um, what was my title?
I was like a recreation program.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
It was it was really really long, or maybe it was
just like director and you'relike nah, nah, nah.
I need a new position with abetter title.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I did so.
I would create programming forthe city.
So I would find an aerobicsinstructor or I'd find a police
department and say, hey, we wantto do a forensics class for
kids.
So you name the class oractivity, or yoga, Tai Chi, all
of it.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, scoot up to the mic just a little bit, eric.
I want to make sure they hearthis Tai Chi stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Can you hear me now?
Yes, okay, that's great.
Is that better?
That is better, okay, sorryabout that.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
It's intimidating.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It is.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
These microphones point their finger at me.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
I know it's like come on, talk to me, I want you.
So I was in Parks andRecreation and I did that for a
long time.
I actually did it for a coupleof different cities too.
I was in Grandview and I was inLeawood and then Shawnee and
then there's some other stuffI'll talk about.
Kind of in my career journey Ikind of got out and got greedy
and was chasing some money andthen I got back into government.
(07:22):
But yeah, I created programs,activities and all that stuff.
But what I really loved wasparks and recreation is such a
great job because when somebodywere coming to give us money for
classes or programs, they wouldshow up with a big smile on
their face.
They were so excited.
The kids are excited, theparents are excited, but when
they had to go pay money for thecity, for any other thing, it's
(07:43):
always bad, it's for a ticket.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we were like the fun peoplefor the city Right on, right on,
that's cool.
Yeah, I worked for Parks andRec too for years Johnson County
oh yeah, yeah, I did theafter-school daycare.
So while I was at Northwest, mysenior year, that I can juggle
a soccer ball well, I'mproficient at that, because that
(08:09):
was like the solo sport of justbeing able to kick and so it
makes me look like I'm a lotbetter player than I am.
I was just an average player,so I lost out to like one guy
who was.
For years I was like I wasbetter.
He only made the team becausethe coach dated this guy's
girlfriend, which is a truestory.
Well, okay, now I couldactually drop some names for fun
(08:29):
, because it's like we knowthese people Well.
You remember Matt Ireland.
He was in your class, I lovedhim.
He was my freshman coach andthen as a senior varsity coach,
he's the one who cut me, butunderstandably so.
Matt cut you, matt, cut me, yeah, but that's hard because you
make friends.
You know, matt I mean God resthis soul Unfortunate what
(08:50):
happened to him and it's awful,but he, you know, was just.
Everybody loved him.
And so it's hard to like makefriends with people and then
have to tell them, sorry, you'renot going to make the team.
And he let me down easy andoffered to like connect me with
the JUCO coach and everything.
So he was very sweet about it,but anyway I didn't make the
team that year, sorry, and youknow I think everything works
(09:12):
out.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And so then I went across to Benninghoven, which is
right next door to Northwest,and I started working at the
after-school daycare and lovedthat job, and loved that job.
And then after that I moved toBroken Arrow, did it there for
like seven years.
It was the best job to haveduring college because you can
do it like you know.
You go away to college, youcome back for spring break.
They need you.
You come back for summer break,they need you.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
You always have a job when you come back.
I was a lifeguard.
I know I was a lifeguard.
I was shining with your parkbeach baby.
It was cool.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Did you get the orange buoys that they had?
We had orange buoys.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
We had the lifeguard stands.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I used to rescue people then Did you actually
rescue someone as a lifeguardRescue?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
little kids.
Really, yeah, you'd pull themout of the water.
It was sad because you would.
Well, it was exciting becauseyou're in there and you save
this kid and you're pulling themout and you're carrying them.
Yeah, and the mom or dad wouldalways get upset.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Well, they're upset, they're embarrassed, sure, but
they would never thank youBecause you're making them look
bad in a way.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Maybe, I don't know Like ah, you should be saving
this kid not me, but it was anawesome job because you always
had, like you said, always hadsomething to go back to.
Totally you go to school, comeback, get an awesome tan.
Yeah, whistle.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
Are you lifeguarding still, because the tan's looking
good.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
You must have gone on vacation or something High
blood pressure, high bloodpressure Is that what it is?
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Oh, yeah, oh yeah, you did that on purpose, just so
you could look tan.
Right, I need a tan, but that'snot healthy to get a tan.
That's bad for your skin.
Let me just get some high.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Well and then, yeah, I was always tan.
Well, because I had to get tanfor my glamour shots.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Yes, don't we all?
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Do you remember glamour shots?
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Oh, yeah, yeah, do I remember glamour shots.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Let me get my phone.
Let me show you my latest photo.
I was dating a girl and shemade me do it.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Oh dude, I never heard of a dude getting a
glamour shot, ever.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I didn't know.
It happened at my parents house.
Uh, you could still walk intotheir house.
And then there's like thislittle part in the living room
and that they won't take thepicture down.
It's still there, still there.
Black leather jacket uh, noshirt on that's how you dress on
tuesdays.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
That's your two, I've seen you really I I want to see
this glamour shot badly.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
If you could send that to me.
You won't see it.
Guys, Zach will put it on.
My agent won't let me do that.
You have to pay for that, oh mygosh.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So you've had glamour shots done.
That has to go in the bio,Ashley, Don't forget.
In the description we've got toput that in.
That's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I think that's why they're around anymore.
What?
Speaker 1 (11:42):
else did your girl?
I don't know.
I haven't seen it for a while.
I haven't seen it sinceNapoleon Dynamite.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
If somebody out there is listening or watching this
and Glamour Shots is around,please let us know, because I'll
start a podcast for GlamourShots.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Oh, dude, that is so funny, man.
Now she made you get.
Tell me about that.
How did she make you it?
Tell me about that.
How did she make you?
It sounds like you were apretty easy sell, Like oh, I
have to, Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
When you have a tan from, you're like oh, I'm
totally unprepared, okay, I'llput this on as long as I can go
shirtless and wear that leatherjacket.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
It's like playing Dynamite when Kip's like do you
have a vest I could wear?
Speaker 2 (12:25):
You're like do you have a leather jacket?
I could.
And then also let's say thiswould have been what year was
this?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Like early 90s and back then, like the mullet was
the mullet's back Dude, Dude, Ilike it.
All I have to do is cut thesides and I am back in 80s
fashion.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Yeah, so like you had the, so back then it was really
mostly like the soccer playerhaircut.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
But then you had this kind of some tails coming out
and coming out, and so that wasthat was in a glamour shot.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
I can see it was it?
I wanted that haircut so badever since first grade?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
my dad wouldn't let me grow out the back, he was a
marine, he wouldn't let me dothat, so now I'm making up for
it.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Look, look at me now.
How do you like me?
Now dad, I'm growing it out allover.
Um, I don't get manycompliments on my hair I'm not
doing it for other people.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Thank you, your hair looks good.
Thanks, man, appreciate that.
I really like it.
I'm not doing it for otherpeople.
Thank you, your hair looks gooddude.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Thanks, man, appreciate that.
I really like it.
It's fun, I'm like, why not?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Mine's just falling out now.
Yeah, well, you know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
So, dude, what else did your girlfriend make you do?
I'm just curious.
Glamour shots Sounds like thekind of girlfriend who's going
to speechless.
I don't know.
I I had to.
I try to erase that out of myhead, okay.
Would I know this person?
Was she a cougar?
She was a meaning.
(13:30):
Cougars are the mascots.
Cougars are the mascots ofseanation northwest what's a
cougar is a coug.
This, this podcast is out ofcontrol.
I didn't see it going this wayand I like it.
This is this.
No, this is way better than so.
Tell me more about economicdevelopment.
Well, okay, man, so we go wayback like that.
But then you moved from, like,the parks and rec side of things
(13:51):
, from the Civic Center, and youmade the big jump to City Hall.
Yeah, so now you're like movingon up.
What were you over there?
What long title did you possess?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
The City of Shawnee Business Liaison oh, the City of
Shawnee Business Liaison.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Oh, French Liaison.
Is it a French position?
I think it is.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Is that French?
It sounds French.
It's not Russian.
You made it sound.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
French Liaison.
Liaison.
Maybe it's Canadian, I thinkit's Canadian.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Canadian.
That's what it is, I don't know.
Now I want a croissant Do theyhave those over next door.
I don't know, that's a goodword too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
I'm just showing off now.
They don't have ideas.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
So let's rewind a little bit.
I've always loved and hatedgovernment.
I just have this weirdrelationship with government.
So I left college I worked forthe city of Grandview, for Parks
and Recreation, and then peoplewould always tell me they're
like, man, you need to be insales, like you're really good,
(14:48):
you're a sales guy, you're asales guy.
And at that time I leftGrandview to go work for
Intercom Radio here in KansasCity.
They had eight radio stationsand all that stuff.
So I went and worked for 997KYDo you remember that?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Oh, yeah, wasn't that ?
The one with the camel was themascot?
Speaker 2 (15:07):
Okay, yeah, and so when I was at 997KY, the reason
why I went there was they weregoing to take on the Chiefs
Radio Network at that time, soit was like good timing.
And then all of a sudden theyfound out that they weren't
going to have the Chiefs Network, so they went back to 101 the
Fox.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, the Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
All network.
So they went back to one-on-one.
The fox, yeah, the fox.
All kinds of animals beingthrown around cougars, foxes,
camels right, were there, camels.
Well, the ky, oh, yeah, thecamel.
The camel, no, that was a hippo.
It was a hippo.
It was a hippo.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Yeah, camel would have been cool though I thought
it was a camp.
Maybe I was thinking of thecigarettes.
I guess I was thinking aboutjust like the coffee yeah, okay,
cigarettes are next.
Yeah, they need to go yeah, butuh so, uh.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
So I did radio sales.
I did that for not very long.
Honestly, it was a real toughbusiness and the money was
pretty good.
But the problem is you'reliterally competing with
everybody in your buildingBecause we had all the other
stations.
Yeah, so I got out of that andthen I went to Sprint and worked
for Sprint Jeez dude.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
what have you not done?
I've done everything man, andthen I went to Vegas and I was
one of the dancers for thereviews.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
They saw my glamour shot.
They're like dude, you're in.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Thunder Down Under was like.
Whose glamour shot is this?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Thunder Down Under like Dr Thunder.
That's a whole otherconversation.
Dr Thunder, that's.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Right, did you grow up on the Not to pause the
sprint, the exciting sprintconversation?
I know this is fun, though,right, this is great creative
minds did you grow up in ahousehold of dr thunder or dr
pepper?
Speaker 2 (16:42):
that's really the ultimate bagged or boxed cereal
we didn't eat a lot of cereal,really no, we, we ate, uh, uh, I
don't know.
They used to be like theselittle astronaut bars.
They were like chocolate andthey were like breakfast bars.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Yeah, we ate those all the time it was chocolate
had peanut butter in it.
Oh, dude, I'm going to think ofit before this episode's over.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
I think that's why all my hair's falling out.
There's something in theingredients.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
It wasn't Nesquik or it was a different thing right.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
I think it might have been Nesquik, was that it?
I don't know, but I think Iknow what you're talking about.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
But we did eat a lot of sugar cereal.
I mean, I was raised on it.
I'm pretty sure it stunted mygrowth.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That's why our brains are so fast, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Wait what.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
The synapses.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
You know the whole?
Yeah, yeah, I do.
Now that's a whole otherpodcast.
We'll talk about that next time.
My brain is catching up toeverything you're saying.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
So I did corporate sales at Sprint, Sprint
Publishing and Advertising and Idid enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
But at that time Sprint was this company, this
phone company, anyway, children.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I was there when it merged with Nextel.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
You were.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
Yeah, and then we this like double merging thing
and all that.
Well, at that time Donnelly andSons were getting ready to come
in and purchase my division,and so then I was like I'm out,
I'm getting back into government.
I went to the city of Leawood,started getting my master's
degree in public administrationand then I was having a meeting
(18:11):
and then some folks at Shawneewere like, hey, we've got this
position, you know.
And I was like, man, that'sperfect.
That's why that's right Grew up.
Speaker 1 (18:15):
I know those people, I love those people.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
So I worked for a Shawnee person rec and then I
was also for fun, cause I reallylove this city.
I was always trying to bringcompanies into Shawnee.
So I was already doing economicdevelopment on my own time and
I talked to the city manager atthat time and we were talking
(18:38):
about I was talking about, youknow, these companies and and we
created the position, businessliaison, and it was modeled
after a town in Oklahoma thathad one and it was really,
honestly, it's the take ingovernment there's black and
white, there's all these rules,right, boom, boom, boom boom.
But in real life, like ifyou're trying to build a company
(18:58):
or a business, it's not blackand white, it's very gray.
So I would go and find the grayand then be able to work it
through the city system, youknow, through codes and all that
stuff, the planning department,and I loved it.
It was great.
I did that for a year and ahalf and then one day, my
father-in-law being the goodsalesman that I am, he knew that
(19:20):
.
He asked me if I would selltilapia.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
This is where the tilapia, you, you have the most
random eclectic background oflike career endeavors ever.
Like who knew it was going togo to fish farm, rather than the
fact that I said it earlieryeah I didn't you know.
It's like wow, tilapia yeah,forrest gump man that is.
That is the chapter of yourlife that I missed somehow
because we got reconnected andyou said fish farming.
(19:46):
I was like I didn't even know.
You left and did anything, youknow so a fish farm I was.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I sold our tilapia to whole food stores all over the
country, cruise ships, all thatstuff.
We started out in a couple ofgrocery stores in Colorado and I
just went in.
I call it reverse marketing.
Well, now it's.
I don't even know what theycall it now, but it was going
out to the stores and talking tocustomers and then the
customers would go to the meatcounter and say why aren't you
(20:13):
selling this fish?
Speaker 1 (20:14):
I call that manipulation.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It's a good salesperson.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
It is, that's good stuff.
So I would do that, and thenbloggers before I'd go into a
market, they'd start talkingabout our culture, and sorry,
that reminds me that's brillianttelling the customer hey, go
ask for this meat, so they'llcome to me.
That's like how music artistssay hey, go to your radio
station and request my song.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Same kind of thing right, yeah, yeah, and then,
once they get requested, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
I think that's how that band Mercy Me with the song
I Can Only Imagine did it.
Really Like hey, request oursong.
And they'd go to their concerts.
They'd say everybody call yourradio station.
So then they started.
Even though it was a Christiansong, they, everyone was calling
those stations requesting thosesongs.
So reverse marketing.
I suppose I taught him how todo that yeah, you did.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
No, I know you're like let me yeah let me tell you
how this works.
Buddy well, so I I did thetilapia farming and I loved it,
I really did.
But um, I I did that for it wasabout six years and um.
So the city shawnee was lookingfor economic development person
like in this position and I hadtalked to some folks and they
(21:16):
had mentioned that maybe it'd bea good idea.
If I came back and I met withAnn Smith-Tate she was the
president and CEO of the chamber.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
Yes, just met her.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Yeah, and so when I sat down and had a coffee with
her and one of the city managersjust talking about Shawnee,
when I saw the new energy, I wassuper excited, like I thought,
man, this, this is awesome, likethis city needs this, like
Shawnee is in a really good spotI'm talking geographically, I'm
(21:46):
talking we set the mostnorthern part of Johnson County
and with all the stuff going onnow in downtown Kansas City, you
know, light 1, Light 2, isthere Light 10?
All these new apartments.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
It's like Jaws, they just keep going, they just keep
going.
Or Rocky, it's like Rocky yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
Or Star Wars, I guess , but that's all.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yeah, that's so confusing.
I know I wish I liked it.
I don't think Kansas Cityenough for that.
I'm not cool enough tounderstand star wars, but um so
never heard someone say thatyeah, I'm really not cool enough
to understand star wars.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
I'm just not I, but uh, so yeah.
So I mean we sit right there.
In fact there are some chiefsplayers that now live in our
downtown shawnee, because I Idon't know about you, but if I
had a dog and I lived in anapartment in downtown kansas
city and I wanted to take my dogfor a walk or to go to the
bathroom, I don't want to haveto get in an elevator, ride the
(22:38):
elevator downstairs and go walkout to the doggy area.
I want to go in my backyard.
So I think Shawnee's great.
You've got the elbow room thatyou need if you want to live
that lifestyle in kind of adowntown area.
Our downtown Shawnee is rockingman.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
It lifestyle and kind of a downtown area.
Our downtown, shawnee, isrocking man.
It is beautiful down there.
I mean, I grew up, we grew upin a duplex on I think it was
King Street, which is reallyclose to St Joseph School, and
it was a duplex there.
So we lived.
I lived there like when I was ayear old, and then we moved but
my dad owned the duplex, rentedit out to some tenants next to
us.
We became good friends withthese people, the layman's and,
um, layman's yeah, you know thatfamily yeah, and um, and so I
(23:19):
have, and so I got my firsthaircut there on, down there on
johnson drive, which isessentially main street of
downtown shawnee, back when itwas dave and bob.
I don't know if you rememberdave and bob or if you ever went
in there, but uh was itgentleman's west?
Speaker 2 (23:31):
was that the name of it?
I know what you're talkingabout.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
I think that's what it is.
Well, is that what it is now?
I don't know what it was calledback then.
I don't know if I knew the name.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
No, I thought it was right across the street from
City Hall.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Yeah, that's right.
There's still a barbershopthere, yeah, and I've seen
they've kind.
It is a beautiful downtown areaso if you remember as a kid?
Speaker 2 (23:53):
I mean, we were really overlooked for quite a
while.
Our downtown, at 5 o'clock,lights out.
Baby, it's closed, Business isclosed, and so now we've got
reasons for people to go out, wehave a James A Beard award
recipient or nominee or whateverrunner-up.
I don't know how that goes, butyeah, you'd look at this list.
(24:14):
It would say like James A Beard, and they would say Honolulu
and and somewhere in Californiaand New York, not Shawnee.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Kansas.
It was awesome yeah it was.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
It's really cool, but we've got some really cool
stuff going on.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
We've got a McLean's down there.
Mclean's is down there.
It's amazing.
There's some other stuff.
Yeah, that's a hot place.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
And then also we've got a new bar and restaurant
that's going to be moving intothe old garage across the street
from City Hall.
Oh wait, so it was an old autobody or auto shop Wait to the
west, to the east, to the eastof City Hall.
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Over there by that leather Right.
Yes, that booth store orwhatever.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
They moved around the corner, though they did they
moved around the corner, becausenow on that corner it's called
Wild Child.
It's kind of like a wine barand it has non-alcoholic drinks
there too.
But it's also anaward-winning—I think it was
like Best in Johnson County andthere are awards popping up
(25:10):
everywhere down there.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
That's amazing, man, and you're a big part of, I mean
, you're the economicdevelopment, right yeah we've
been.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Yes, and when I first came back, they were trying to
redevelop downtown Shawnee andthey called it Elaine Diet, not
Elaine.
It sounded like I said Elaine'sname, elaine.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Diet Right right.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
It's Elaine Diet where it was.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
I think we got something there with the elaine
diet.
There's got to be some elaineout there who's crushing it, who
we could just name a diet.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Quick, I know quick, it's that buy thatcom right now
yeah, all right, seriously, yeah, uh, but anyhow, no, it's just,
it's fun to be a part of that.
I mean, it really is to be apart of that.
And when they were doing thelane diet and a lot of people
were upset about it, they'relike, oh, this isn't going to
work, and but what that did?
Was it allowed, uh, the, theprop, the development, to come
(25:58):
more toward the street, so itgives you a downtown feeling
okay and lane diet a lane dietmeaning like four lanes.
Yeah to basically two lanes.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Yeah, I've noticed that with the one turn lane down
the middle yes, yes, so smartBecause the traffic isn't so
crazy that you need those fourlanes, you don't need them.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
And also when you have the four lanes.
What a lot of people didn'trealize is that they were like
well, that's going to sloweverything down.
Well, no, because if you had acar in the left lane, a car in
the right lane, the right laneguy was going to turn and the
left lane person was going toturn.
Well, now your traffic isreally backed up.
Yeah, yes, so now that turnlane really has helped out, the
flow goes just fine.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I call that reverse traffic engineering.
I've always called it that Ilike that.
Yeah, yeah, or manipulation,whichever you want to call it.
I like the reverse trafficengineering.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Manipulation sounds so evil, I know, I know.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I get it though.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
This is fascinating.
Keep going, because I want youto keep going, but also I want
to hear about what does it takefor someone like you?
How do you create that?
Because you've helped make thishappen.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
I'm a part of it, but also people that are the city
staff.
I mean city staff.
But we go out and you'restorytelling, okay.
So when we were first showingcompanies and restaurants in
downtown Shawnee, when nothingwas really down there, you had a
storytell and you're not makingstuff up, you're being very
(27:28):
honest.
It's like the thing I wastelling you about hey Power and
Light's awesome, guess whatCrossroads is awesome, but all
their rents are going up and alot of Johnson County and go
there to hang out.
Well, why not have somethingright here in Johnson County?
Not only that, but people thatlive in the crossroads will come
over here too, and so juststorytelling.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
And so did that encourage the current owners to
step up their game and makerenovations, yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
Yeah, if you remember , there used to be a bunch of
black glass Totally On a corner.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
Totally Commerce Bank .
Yeah, shawnee State Bank beforethat, right, shawnee State Bank
.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Got my first check there.
Nice yeah, and the guy had thelittle Huey stick.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, so rough cut there because we had to change
batteries.
But Huey what, what?
What's this hooey stick thing?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
uh.
So when I got my first check,my mom took me up to shawnee
state bank was this lifeguardingcheck?
No, it was.
They were like hey, it'sprobably a good idea that you
started checking account.
Yeah, like just to be a.
You know, it's time in lifeyeah, yeah, you're a man.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Now I'm a man.
12.
Yeah, it's time to start a.
Yeah, yeah, you're a man.
Now I'm a man.
Yeah, it's time to start achecking account.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:36):
So maybe there's some money laundering going on, I
don't know.
Anyway, no, I'm just joking.
Mom and Dad, my Mom and Dad areawesome, no, so I'm sitting in
there in this old bank buildingShawnee State Bank and the guy
he was the nicest guy, he wasall you know he knew I was
nervous, you know, like there'sall these numbers and I have to
fill out little forms, you know,and he brings out this stick
(29:02):
and it's two sticks, and onestick had a propeller on the end
of it.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And he goes have you ever seena hooey stick?
And this like kind of calmed medown, like you know, just kind
of like oh, what is that?
Yeah, and so he would rub thisstick really fast and then the
propeller would start spinning.
Yeah, and then he would sayhooey, and then it would spin
the opposite direction.
Hmm, yeah, you know what?
(29:23):
After this is over, I'm goingto Google hooey sticks.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
And try to figure out how that works and just if
there's even but I rememberthose, I mean I've seen you do
okay so he wasn't like a witchdoctor no, well, how does it
flip the other way?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
I have, you think, the magician would be like oh
yeah I know he gave me one, likehe had a hooey stick.
He gave it to me and I couldnever figure it out weird yeah,
so, okay, I see.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So he made it seem like the word hooey, reversed it
.
Speaker 2 (29:48):
This is the magician thinking yeah there was some
trick, that yeah, yeah there wasno buttons it was a stick right
propeller and it was like thepropeller was nailed in by a
little.
Yeah, nail yeah I don't knowbut this hooey stick nonetheless
mesmerized you, relaxed you andhelped transition you into
manhood yeah, in terms of achecking account yeah, that's
(30:10):
amazing, like how you can getsomebody to kind of you kind of
shift their focus I yeah, I'vedone the same kind of thing.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
I used to have these when I was doing kids magic
shows, these pencils that youwould rub them and they would
change color.
So I would carry those with meand sometimes in airports when
there's kids just like crying,I'd tell the parents, hey, can I
give them a gift?
And I would just show them andthey'd be like immediately calm
down and take that pencil andrub it and it changed colors and
changed someone's life, man,you know.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
I like it.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
It was my hooey stick .
Speaker 2 (30:36):
So this sick thing inside of my head was like.
And then the kid walked awayand they had stuff all over
their hands.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Oh right, right, you got glitter bombed.
You thought it was a colorchanging pencil.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
It was a good story, though no, like it's Friday guys
.
Speaker 1 (30:51):
It.
It's Friday guys, it is Friday.
This is so good man.
When the battery went out, wewere talking about how much fun
we're having.
This is a lot of fun, so, yeah,keep going, though.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Okay so before I talked about the Huey stick and
all that, yes, it was ShawneeState Bank, yes, and it was
covered in black glass.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
And you know, back in the late 60s, you know 70s,
that was kind of the thing yeah,you could see those windows all
the way from shawna missionparkway, which is a good, would
you say, like a mile away fromthere and it's like you could
yeah, you really popped, so itwas a landmark the owner of the
building.
Speaker 2 (31:22):
Uh, he's a great guy.
Um, he, I think you know, whenwe went in and talked to him and
kind of talked about what wasgoing on downtown and you know
all that, I think you know, hisspirits turned up and he was
like ready to make some changes.
Yeah, okay, I'm gonna be a partof this.
Yeah, and you know, and, and soyou see it happening in all of
in downtown shawnee, as we'reredeveloping and doing all the
(31:45):
work we're doing, you startseeing like this energy
happening.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Yes, it's snowballing in a great totally I can vouch
for it.
Well, here's what's funnysometimes when I'm coming home
from like a trip, like I'll havea keynote up in Iowa and I
drive I-35, and I can eithertake Shawn Mission Parkway home
or I can take Johnson Drive home.
I love taking Johnson Drivehome because it's just more of
this relaxed like I love drivingthrough downtown Shawnee.
(32:08):
It takes a little bit longerbecause it's, you know, like 35
miles an hour instead of 45.
But I just love that stretch.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's not 65 miles an hour, no, it's a good stretch.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Yeah, well, and part of it's because, like I have
history there.
I got my first haircut there.
Yeah, I learned to swim at theold pool, but I just it really
is, especially now with what youguys are doing down there.
It looks great and it's a funhang.
People go to McLean's forcoffee now, and then the bank
for a while became kind of acoffee shop slash bakery, but
(32:43):
now it's like some kind of meat,don't they?
Speaker 2 (32:48):
distribute meat like a meat company or something.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
I've lost track.
They did for a while.
Back me up here.
Dodge City Beef.
Okay, that was it.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
Dodge City Beef, and that was part of.
The problem is that the ownerof the building had a great idea
.
He's like okay, I'll kind ofsubdivide this building and I'll
have a meat shop over here acoffee shop over here and when I
talked to him I was like, hey,you need one good user in here.
So I went out and actually metwith uh.
(33:17):
When, when uh, we were talkingto companies and businesses, I
reached out to uh districtpoorhouse.
They were over in waldo and uh,at that time I wasn't trying to
, I wouldn't, I was like Ididn't think they would want to
move the whole company over.
But they had this conceptcalled johnny wings and uh, one
of the chefs in there, it waslike a ghost kitchen thing, it
was pretty, it was almost covidand um, so I met, I met with
(33:41):
them and kind of walked themaround, talked about shawnee,
and then we walked inside ofthat building so there was a,
there was a little taco shop inthere, so we walked in there and
when he saw the exposed rock,um saw that he, he was like he,
he was like I'm coming here Nice.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
The exposed rock is beautiful.
It's got that whole kind of Idon't know just that, what's the
word Like vintage or I don'tknow.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It was like je ne sais quoi.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
The French thing is coming back.
Yeah, just that rugged.
That's the word, just thatrugged downtown.
You know, it just does havethat cool vibe.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
So in my mind.
So you can go anywhere inJohnson County, right, and you
can go to restaurants, coffeeshops, all that fun stuff.
But you end up showing up andit's all sheetrock.
Yep, it's a box.
It's a box, it might have acouple of cool track light stuff
and all that.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
If it's a Chipotle, you've got some industrial
piping going on but that's asgood as it gets.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
I'll tell you my Chipotle theory here in a minute
.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
It doesn't sound good .
No, no it's okay.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
It's okay, it's get in, get out, right.
You know that.
Oh yeah.
Yeah, I don't want you to beuncomfortable, but they're not a
sponsor either.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
I do love Chipotle and if you want to sponsor me
Chipotle, I will take you.
Oh man, you can just give mefree burritos.
Speaker 2 (34:56):
I lost my train of thought.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
The Rock.
And it's not just a box, it'srugged.
He wanted to come and landthere.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Yeah, so it's super organic.
So that original bank it wasthe late 1800s.
There was so much history indowntown Shawnee.
So when you go into thesebuildings, yeah, it's warm, it's
comfortable, it's organic youget this sense of just kind of
coziness.
When you see the rock, yes, yousee some of the old wood, the
rock.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
You're speaking my language.
I love that vibe.
It's so good.
Yeah, it's so good.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
But anyway, I think that's what's really made our
downtown, shawnee, unique.
Yeah, so a lot of other placesin Johnson County which Johnson
County is great, but you don'tget that experience in a lot of
places.
So, yeah, we're celebrating it,man.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
Well with what you do .
I can't think of a betterperson to be in your position,
because this whole just buildinga city up, and especially the
downtown with what you've donewith it requires the possibility
mindset.
You are constantly, every day,asking what else is possible,
what's possible with this space,with these people, with these
owners, with these members, andthen you're a visionary, which
(36:02):
is what the possibility mindsetis all about.
You're the visionary, but thenyou have the people, skills and
the knowledge and the experienceyou know to be able to go out,
approach the right people in theright way with the right
information and pull.
And it's not just fluff, it'slike this is how this is going
to benefit people and it's triedand true, like it's paying off.
You have transformed that spacedown there.
(36:24):
I know you're a part of it.
It takes a team, but you'redoing an incredible job man and
it's they're lucky to have you.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
It's fun, I love it, I love the city, I love the
people in the city.
Yeah, it's fun.
Thank you, that's nice stuffyou said about it.
Speaker 1 (36:38):
Well, yeah, and what would you say to then people
because there's other citydevelopment type people at
liaisons, whatever you want tocall it out there, who are no
doubt inspired already by thethings that you're saying, just
like, how can you really takethe true essence of what a place
is and build off of that, right, like you do with the Rock and
the Wood?
But then there's also, likeother CEOs, other managers,
(36:58):
directors what would you tellthem for, just if they want to
like, change the work, culture,change what they have going on,
how does this translate to kindof like everything Translate.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I think at the end of the day, and you probably saw
it.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
We did this today.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
We did this right now it's called having fun and I
always tell people I'm like, ifI ever go into a job and I'm I'm
not having fun anymore, like Ito me.
If you're not having fun, moveon.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Like it's time to move on.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Find something that you can get excited about waking
up and doing, and I think if,if managers and companies, and I
think if they had thatmentality.
I think people get so stuck inbeing very serious.
They think serious means goodbusiness.
Right, yeah, but the way I lookat life is, if you can get
somebody to relax and you, youbuild some commonality with
somebody and you have fun withthem, you're going to get stuff
(37:54):
done.
Fun doesn't mean goofing offTotally, totally.
So I think it getsmisinterpreted in a lot of
workplaces and it always will be.
You can't make people have fun.
I remember I don't want to namethe company, I named a bunch of
them that I worked for, butthere was one where they had
(38:15):
mandatory fun.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
They didn't call it that have fun dang it.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
Okay, everybody, it's time to come out and have fun.
You're like, ah, and you go inthere and like, okay, how long
do we have to have fun now?
Speaker 1 (38:29):
You can't compartmentalize fun.
You've got to make it a culture, a way of being.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
And then there was this one where we'd sit in a
meeting and they're like they'retrying to make the meetings
more connecting with theemployees, and we sat around
this table and this is terrible.
They're not going to belistening, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
Because I have a tiny audience.
Thank you, Eric, for pointingthat out.
She would say here we go, no,no, I'm so sorry for pointing
that out.
She would go no, no, Nah.
Speaker 2 (38:52):
I'm messing with you.
I don't think she would, butshe would sit there and she
would say, okay, tell us aboutyour weekend and celebrate.
And I'm like I sound moreenthusiastic than what, but she
was for real man, she was likelike that's not how you do it.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
If the leader can't model it, it's never going to
happen.
Yeah, you know what I mean,cause if you're not and that's
the great thing about you, Imean it's just, it's contagious
man.
Yeah, just your, your fun, yourability to joke, but then the
fact that you can also getthings done, and that's what's
important.
Like you say, it's not justgoofing off.
You're a man who ultimately, atthe end of the day, delivers
and brings it to the bottom line.
(39:34):
But the fun is a huge part ofjust being able to let people
connect with people, let themrelax, because then the creative
juices start to flow more, theideas come easier, and so, yeah,
fun, I mean that's a greatanswer.
Just make fun part of theculture, make it natural, but
let it lead toward productivity.
That's ultimately what it canserve.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
You get to know people, people you work in life
and work and everything.
But if you don't know somebodyvery well, you're never going to
be your real self and thenyou're never going to really
share your real thoughts withsomebody.
But if you are having fun andthey relax we were talking about
relaxing, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Who we stick.
Who we stick baby.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
You bring somebody down to this other level where
they just feel comfortable.
And when you're comfortable youshare things, you share ideas
better.
You're not afraid to throw astupid idea out there.
Yeah, I said stupid idea.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Well, we'll edit that word out.
I call it start ugly.
I just call it.
It's not sloppy, it's notcareless, it's just like let's
just get out there and get crazy.
Speaker 2 (40:40):
Yeah, don't be afraid to mess up, let's just, let's
talk about all the ideas.
So I love that man, I love thatso.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
so what's the next for Shawneenee?
What's your big undertakingright now?
Speaker 2 (40:49):
there's.
You know there's a lot becauseI I work with, uh, so I do
anything from large industrialprojects like trying to get some
of our industrial things set upand and going um, and it took
to our smaller businesses indowntown.
Um, there was a lot.
I mean, there's a lot going on.
Um, we're kind of hitting thisweird the economy.
(41:11):
Of course, course, right.
Like, people are going to sit ontheir wallets they always do
right before a national election.
Everybody just sits and waits,sure, and so I would say it'll
slow down a little bit, probablyin October and then after the
election.
I don't think it's going tomatter who really wins.
I have one person in mind I'dlike to win, but I won't share
(41:32):
that.
But at the end of the day, oncethat election happens, I think
all these companies are justwaiting, waiting, waiting, and I
think that they'll pull thetrigger going a few months into
the year.
So I think we'll see some goodeconomic activity.
But, yeah, shawnee's bright man,we're excited.
Months into the year, I think alot.
So I think we'll see some goodeconomic activity.
Um, but yeah, sean, I meanshawnee's bright man, we, we're
excited.
(41:53):
Um, we have some new leadershipat city hall.
Uh, we have a new city managerthat just started a few weeks
ago and I think he's going to doan awesome job.
I mean, he seems like a goodguy, um, and just the staff in
general, um, I love working withhim, so I I I feel really good
about where Shawnee is going.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
I really do.
It's amazing.
I mean shout out to AmosFuneral Home downtown Shawnee
Pegas, which used to be Stern's.
That was a regular for usStern's.
I mean we were there once ortwice a week and actually got to
come speak recently for thechamber.
You had me come talk.
That was a good time.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
It was awesome.
You did a great job and we weretalking about having fun.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
It wasn't just one of those oh, here's the
information and here's the.
Yeah, you made it fun and thenpeople were engaged and we need
to do those more often.
But, yeah, awesome job Thanks.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
And it was fun reconnecting with people I
hadn't seen in years.
You know, that's the cool thingabout speaking in your hometown
, oh yeah speaking in yourhometown.
Oh yeah, so well, we can't wrapwithout at least mentioning this
and if whatever of it you wantto share, just this last May you
were recognized by the LeeSummit Police Department.
Another shout out to my cousin,lance, who was with the Lee
Summit Police Department.
His entire career was asergeant, retired back in I
think it was 2020.
(43:05):
And anyway, but you wererecognized by the Lee summit
police department with a letterof commendation.
Uh, when I was practicing that,I said condemnation and we
laughed.
Uh, it was a letter ofcommendation for bravery.
So do you want to just tell uswhat happened?
Why did you get this?
Uh, this letter for bravery?
Speaker 2 (43:24):
yeah, it was.
Uh, it was crazy.
So it was was in December.
I was bringing my boys homefrom basketball practice and
it's crazy.
So there's a roundabout on theway home and there's a home over
there that plays Christmasmusic to the lights.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, so you tune in your little radio
station.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Well, we go through the roundabout and they're like
oh Daddy, go one more time.
There were no cars.
So I went back through and thenthere were no cars, like guys,
you want to go again, yeah, yeah.
So we went back around and thenwe started heading home.
Well, when we got up to thisother intersection, I came upon
this accident, terrible accident.
(44:05):
The guy, I think, was speedingor something, I don't know
exactly the whole story beforeit, but he, he, he ends up
hitting a car and he lands, hehits a tree and this engine's
buckled up.
Uh, he's stuck in the car, he'sunconscious, um, uh.
So he got the doors open andthis young man came out of
nowhere.
(44:26):
16 year old kid lives in theneighborhood, came up and
neighbors are throwing fireextinguishers over the fence
because this thing's starting tojust go ablaze.
And these neighbors werethrowing their kitchen
extinguishers over the fence andwe were grabbing them and
trying to put them out, waitingfor the police and fire to show
up.
You know, I was always taught ifthere's a pretty bad accident
(44:48):
and he was stuck in there, ifthere's a pretty bad accident
and he was stuck in there, butyou try not to pull him out,
because you could really makethings worse, spinal, you know
Sure.
So we kept this fire.
This young man and I kept thisfire at bay, just enough time
for the police officer shows up.
I get his extinguisher and I'mputting it out.
(45:10):
The fire truck gets there andthey get him out of the car.
But it was wild and my kids hadto sit and watch the whole show
.
But at the end of the day, theguy that was in the accident, he
survived, he's alive.
I haven't met him, but I got tomeet the police officers that I
(45:32):
worked with that night.
I met them during thecelebration.
I got to see the young managain, give him a huge hug.
I've talked to him on the phonea couple times.
Speaker 1 (45:40):
He's a great, great kid.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
But yeah, it was wild .
Yeah, I didn't know you weregoing to bring that up.
Speaker 1 (45:44):
Yeah, Way to go.
Congratulations, that's awesome.
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:48):
Hey, I don't think there's any other choice right.
I would never drive pastsomething like that, yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (45:55):
Well, I imagined that like was the Christmas music,
still playing for your kids.
Speaker 2 (45:59):
No, they're watching this to jingle bells like Dashie
through the snow and you'relike in a faxing picture.
Are they forever hatingChristmas now?
Speaker 1 (46:10):
No, we were far enough away from that property.
Yeah, wow, that's wild.
Well, you're the second guestin a row we've had that has
pulled someone from a fire.
You heard the end of Chad'sstory.
I'm like we didn't plan it thisway.
We just got a bunch of heroesin the podcast here.
Speaker 2 (46:19):
Yeah, so this is great, man.
It's going to be like a firetheme or something it is.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
We've got to find more people.
Did that person pull a personfrom a fire?
Speaker 2 (46:26):
What did you do?
Yeah, yeah, what have?
Speaker 1 (46:28):
you done with your life?
Speaker 2 (46:29):
Yeah, Next.
Oh, my gosh dude.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
This is next.
This has been a blast man.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
Thank you so much, hey.
Thanks for letting it go allover, yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:37):
That's the best.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Yeah, it was fun man.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Yeah, that's the best way to do it.
I mean, and mushroom like, likea mushroom, a fun guy, get it
all right.
Speaker 2 (46:55):
Dad jokes sorry it took me like a few seconds, but
yeah, that was.
That was awesome, is it a?
Speaker 1 (46:57):
mushroom a fun guy.
I very appreciate dad jokes, soI appreciate the fun guy thing
man do.
Well, hey, we could do this allday.
This guy's any awesome shoutout to eric's parents.
He's oh, zach's gonna take apicture.
What up?
All right, zach, I'm going toclap for you Now, zach.
Funny story about Zach.
We ran out of room on thecamera so we're giving him a
hard time because he really isawesome.
(47:18):
But, zach, come on, man Get ittogether, right?
Zach the Lego maniac.
Zach, remember that?
Oh, I remember that.
Zach.
Have you ever heard Zach, zach,lego maniac?
It was an 80s thing.
I had a friend named Zach backthen and he hated Legos, if you
can believe that Isn't thatweird?
I know, I know that's what heclaimed.
(47:39):
So anyway, okay, this has beena blast.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, minsky's, thank youEtc.
Thank you Rise and Shine.
Wow, this building belongs to alot of people.
Thank you, eric Ely, forjoining.
This has been so great.
Don't forget to check outMudwater.
Go to the show notes.
Click on the link.
Give us a five-star review onApple.
All those good things, man,that stuff just rolls off my
tongue.
(47:59):
Now.
I'm not afraid of asking forfavors YouTube subscribe, like,
pass this on.
I'm going to see how long Zachcan hold his phone into that
position, Because now he's sincehe ran out of room on the
camera he's now having to holdit with his hands.
Look at his arms shaking he is.
Look at those biceps though.
Speaker 2 (48:17):
Dang boy, does that weigh the same amount as a brick
?
I'm just I well, you're amirror lifeguard, it just keeps
slowly dropping down, down, down.
Speaker 1 (48:25):
Anyway, what else do we want to talk about, man?
Anyway, what else do?
Speaker 2 (48:27):
we want to talk about man.
I got a long list here.
Speaker 1 (48:29):
Let me see what I got All right, man, that's it.
Hey, we're going to sign offwith our tagline what Else is
Possible.
I'll say what else you say ispossible.
Can you do that?
Speaker 2 (48:36):
Is possible.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
Is possible.
Speaker 2 (48:37):
Yeah, rehearse it a few times, I can do it yeah.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
Blah, blah, blah, blah, and remember to never stop
asking the question.
What else is possible?
See you next time.
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