September 30, 2025 • 49 mins
Skot Waldron shares how business leaders can transform their company culture by focusing on intentional leadership and internal brand development before external marketing. He explains that effective culture-building creates environments where people feel valued and motivated from within rather than being micromanaged.
• The distinction between managing people versus leading them—people want to be led, not managed
• How company culture is "the air you're breathing" and exists whether you're intentionally cultivating it or not
• Small businesses often "get the shaft" from marketing agencies selling superficial solutions without strategic foundations
• Replacing employees costs 1.5-2.5 times their salary, making culture investment financially sound
• The importance of intentional mentorship programs for retaining younger generations
• "Don't light fires under people, light them inside them" as a leadership philosophy
• Skot's book "Unlocked" provides a 52-week framework for developing intentional leadership
• Every interaction creates either a "brand deposit" or "brand withdrawal" with your team
• Leaders should consider how people will think and talk about them 20 years in the future
To learn more about Skot's speaking, coaching, and leadership development programs, visit his website or connect with him through his social media channels.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/skotwaldron
skotwaldron.com
From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
We'll get to your stuff later, you know.
So I guess the dam it dolls nota good thing to pull out when
somebody's talking to you andthey say something stupid and
you start slamming the desk.
No, that is actually good.
So no, Scott, do not no, it is.
Do not feed the beast.
The dammit doll I was gonna saywell noted in the company
because they said we have got tosave more trash cans.
(00:20):
We need to get Chris somethingelse.
And next thing I know, I walkinto the office on my desk is a
damn doll.
Well, you know what?
He is the president of Neri.
I'm just well there if you guysknow this.
Uh also published author.
I'll just wrap it up real quick.
And uh and I know John Maxwell'sguy who worked for Atlanta at
one point doing something forhim, but I worked at a guy's
house.
So there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
So we've we've got to give him something to cope,
is all I'm saying, right?
We need a lot of things.
He's he's so important.
We really need to make sure he'staken care of.
That's all I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
That's a good one, though.
Uh so damagel, not bad.
Good, not bad.
That's all I heard.
Scott hates Chicago.
Scott says small business ownersget the shaft.
Let's go, hoorah, let's go.
Welcome to the Small BusinessSafari, where I help guide you
to avoid those traps, pitfalls,and dangers that lurk when
navigating the wild world ofsmall business ownership.
I'll share those gold nuggets ofinformation and invite guests to
(01:12):
help accelerate your ascent tothat mountaintop of success.
It's a jungle out there, and Iwant to help you traverse
through the levels of owningyour own business that can get
you bogged down and distract youfrom hitting your own personal
and professional goals.
So strap in Adventure Team andlet's take a ride through the
safari to get you to know.
(01:36):
Hey everybody, podcast land.
We're ready to rock and roll.
Got this don't check sounds.
Good.
And I'm like, great.
And we're not going to tell youwhat happened right before this,
but yeah, Chris done.
Fucked it up again, Alan.
And I got the sound rightbecause Scott was genius enough
to say, hey guys, I think youdon't have your mics working.
And sure enough, we don't.
Same stuff, different days.
Here we go.
(01:57):
Chris, you you master oftechnology.
You'd hit the dump button so youcould tell me to FO and he heard
it.
I know.
I know.
That was good.
So we won't be playing thatepisode, everybody.
So we're going to try thisepisode.
So, hey, everybody, how's yourweek going?
Well, it was going really gooduntil I did all that.
I'm going to promise you thatone right now.
But I do got to talk about uhone of the guys who called in uh
(02:19):
off the podcast, CustomIntegrated Solutions, man.
I had these guys call in andsay, Hey, uh, or you contact me
through email, like you all can,Chris at the trusted
toolbox.com.
I'll give you 30 minutes.
We'll talk.
And he says, Hey, I listen tothe podcast, love what you're
saying.
Can we uh jump on a call?
And I'm like, Yeah, man.
I said, I get on the call withhim.
I'm like, dude, I can't findyour website.
(02:40):
I'm like, what do you guys do?
He goes, Oh, yeah, we haven'tgotten around to doing that.
And so I jump right into coachmode.
Oh, you know, you don't have awebsite, man.
I said, How long have you guysbeen at this?
He goes, 30 years.
I'm like, oh, yeah, coach.
You were gonna get allmastermind group on him, and he
just schooled you.
He pulled it on your pants over.
I am so jelly with these guys,man.
They got an awesome business.
(03:02):
What they do is they work withultra wealthy clients in
Southern California and put inintegrated A V solutions in
these people's homes.
And all of their all of their uhwork comes from referrals, not
one advertising thingwhatsoever.
Uh I can see why you're jealous.
I am so jealous.
Are you gonna get into the uhtrusted A B toolbox?
I I can't.
(03:22):
I want I want nothing buthigh-end people who just give me
blank checks, like we're aboutto ask Scott for.
Yeah, by the way, Scott, youwill get to talk.
No, but yeah, hold that.
I don't need to, dude.
I that's good.
unknown (03:34):
It's good.
SPEAKER_00 (03:36):
So you're we gotta invitation precede you.
That's right.
Uh so we jumped on this onereally quick because we've got
Scott Walder and everybody.
I'm feeling unlocked, unhinged.
He unlocks everything around theworld for your culture and your
business.
But Alan says, Man, I'm reallylooking forward to talking to
this guy today.
And yes, you guys, you'll allhear from him in a minute, but
(03:56):
you got to hear how I met thisdude.
He was at the Nary cutting edgeevent, which I'm the president
of Nary.
What role do you play at Nary?
I am the president.
Yeah, I'm curious.
Thank you.
I'm glad you guys asked.
Uh not only am I this is gonnabe fun, Scott.
I feel uh you know, kindredspirit of finally I will have
two on one versus Chris.
Oh no.
All right, I'll take it.
(04:17):
You know what?
Because I could be extra.
I don't know.
You're a little extra.
Yeah, it's extra.
One of my sons, colleagues, thekid from school, said that uh,
hey, my uncle has met your dadin Michigan.
He goes, Yeah, he remembers himbeing a little extra, kind of an
asshole, but kind of funny.
I'm like, Yeah, I'll take it allup.
So we get into this.
I'm doing the Nary event, nearyevent's over.
Uh Scott's walking out.
(04:38):
Somebody says, Have you metScott?
I said I didn't.
He was one of our speakers.
Oh, thanks for doing that.
And uh they say, Oh, he's got abook too.
I'm like, Oh yeah, you got abook?
Great.
I got a podcast.
I said, You got to come on mypodcast.
He goes, Great, I got a book,I'll come on your podcast.
And the elevator doors close.
Boom.
And here we are today, open.
Open the elevator doors'favorite networking event ever.
Yeah, it was favorite shit.
(04:58):
Three times speed, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Which which net which network which event was
it?
SPEAKER_00 (05:01):
This is the Nary cutting edge event, I believe.
Oh, aren't you are you do youare you doing something with
that?
Did you did I mention did Imention that uh not only am I
the president of Larry NaryAtlanta, but I'm on the national
board.
Oh high-end remodelers who dogreat work, Scotty.
Thanks so much.
Is it president a big deal?
I I don't I don't know.
Or did there other titles?
(05:22):
Well, funny enough, I actuallylobbied to move it to SAR, and
they said no.
Supreme leader, and I said, Do Iget do I get to have a crown and
a scepter?
And they said no.
Emperor is a cool title.
I am Emperor of Neri.
Can I do that?
Please kiss the ring.
The Emperor's now start of theroom.
Thank you.
All right.
Throw him up.
SPEAKER_01 (05:43):
Is that what you were doing?
Because I did see the throne inthere.
I didn't know if that was gonnabe like used by you or if like
what was going on with that.
SPEAKER_00 (05:50):
I I thought the security guards were gonna keep
you away from me, but no.
I you know, I'm like, where'dthey go?
I I'm I'm I'm empty, I could getshot here.
I mean, I could be John Lennon,I could go down, somebody
protect the king.
SPEAKER_01 (05:59):
Yeah, you had to fire those guys, they did not do
a good job.
SPEAKER_00 (06:02):
Scott, all right, Scott Waldron's here, guys.
We have got to get into this.
Scott, you should let him talkbecause he's kind of a big deal.
He actually is a way biggerdeal, I know.
And guys, go check this out.
We're gonna give you all thestuff and the details here.
Um, he's a speaker, he's anauthor, he's got his own
podcast.
He actually is a business owner,so he knows what you're going
through and what you're dealingwith.
And we're excited to have ScottWaldron on here, a fellow
(06:24):
Atlantin, but had decided not tocome in here in person.
And he missed out on the bourbonsmashes or just I did, but I do
have a bottle of water.
Yeah, that's close to coolstuff.
So, Scott, welcome to the show.
Before we get into it, I reallygot to know how did you get to
this position?
Because I looked at your yourLinkedIn profile.
It's some pretty interestingstuff you did early on.
(06:45):
And uh, and to get to this, uhtalk about your arc and your
career.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
Well, I was the uh the artsy fartsy kid in high
school, right?
So I loved music, I loved, Iplayed music, I was in lots of
bands growing up, and and Iloved skateboarding, I loved the
art scene, I did a lot ofphotography growing up, and I
don't know, I was that kid,right?
So I did a lot of that.
Um it's the girls that way.
Well, yeah, I did.
SPEAKER_00 (07:09):
Hey, and so modest.
He was trying to go, uh uh yeah.
No, you gotta see that look onYouTube, folks.
SPEAKER_01 (07:15):
It did happen.
So the uh I I just I went toGeorgia State.
I went there for music industrybecause I wanted to actually
make money doing the art thingbecause it was like a practical
too, right?
I wasn't getting good enough tobe like a musician that was
gonna crush it.
So I go to do music industry andI said, Wow, this is not my jam.
This takes all the love out ofmusic for me.
It's all kind of dirty and kindof backstabbing and whatever.
(07:37):
So I was like, uh, I'm not doingthat.
So then I actually went toSwitzerland for a couple of
years.
I lived there and I talked to alot of people and I learned
Swiss German, and I did.
So if any of you guys know SwissGerman, we can talk whatever
afterwards.
SPEAKER_00 (07:56):
Between German and Swiss German.
I mean, um, probably the biggestquestion.
Great, quick question.
SPEAKER_01 (08:00):
Do you want to hear?
Do you want to hear thedifference?
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Okay, this is my perfect example.
I'm gonna say I left thewheelbarrow outside.
Okay.
Regular German, please correctme, Germans, if I'm wrong.
Each habit is SchubladenDraussenglassen.
Okay, each habited uh SchubladenDrausseglassen.
Swiss will say e called GolretDruseglossa.
(08:23):
Oh, good lord, that's verydifferent.
Oh my god, that's way different.
It's a little bit like Swedishchef, kind of, you know?
It's like hurdy, hurtdy, hurry,hurt, so yeah, so that's it was
different.
It's different, and it's notwritten, it's not a written
language.
So the Swiss love it was becausethe Germans don't really
understand them, but theyunderstand the Germans, and it's
it's a whole thing.
(08:43):
Anyway, I went there, came back,and I said, uh, I'm gonna try
the art thing, but I still wantto make money.
So get a theme here.
Music want to make money, artnow.
I want to make money.
I was like, I'm gonna notconnect.
No, they well, yeah, they dographic design.
I was like, ah, I'm gonna dothat.
I had a friend in advertising,another friend that was doing
(09:04):
some web stuff, and he's like,You gotta go to this art school.
So in Buckhead, there's a aschool there, it was the
portfolio center of the time,Miami Ad School now.
And I went there for two yearsand um got recruited for an uh
during my eighth quarter.
It's a two-year program to go toChicago and work at an agency,
global agency up there.
So worked up there for sevenyears, was cold.
SPEAKER_00 (09:27):
That was yeah, he actually finished in two years.
That was eight quarters.
Thank God it wasn't a three-yearprogram because you were out of
fingers.
SPEAKER_01 (09:32):
I just no you are you.
I saw you counting, man.
I saw you counting.
Um, so went up there, cold,poor.
Um, it's by the way, Illinois'kind of ugly, y'all.
I'm just saying.
Okay.
Just say it.
As a guy, I'm just sayingbanana.
Chicago is one of the coolestcities on this I've ever been
(09:53):
to.
And it's one of my favoritecities ever.
It's just born in the it wasjust it's just built in one of
the crappiest places in thecountry.
So I'm just gonna say that.
People are gonna argue with meall day, whatever.
So we said we're Walgreens.
What's that's the only quoteyou're gonna put on this, aren't
you?
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Chicago is the worst city ever, as a guy from
Detroit.
Yes, of course I am.
SPEAKER_01 (10:15):
Yeah, there you go.
There you go.
Um, so anyway, that says Chicagosucks.
She got endorsed, right, by me.
There is a um, so we gotpregnant and we're like, you
know what, we're gonna move backto Atlanta where we're from, our
family's here, we don't want toraise our kids here.
So we moved back to Atlanta,became managing partner of that
firm.
I started our Atlanta office andbuilt that up to a small agency
(10:39):
size, about eight people, andwas like, you know, I don't like
all this payroll.
And so I said, This is a lot ofpressure, this is a lot of
whatever, right?
And that was just eight people.
Some of you out there have 30,40, 50, 100.
I don't know how many people youhave, but it's a lot of
pressure.
And I was just like, I don'tknow, like, I don't know if I
(11:01):
really want to carry this on.
So did that, built it up.
Meanwhile, I'm doing a lot ofspeaking.
I'm starting my speaking career.
Um, I'm getting out there anddoing some promotion for the
company for the company.
Also, I'm also talking a lotabout brand strategy, talking
about social media strategy.
I'm talking about developingyour personas and doing all the
things that represent your brandand your company.
(11:23):
Um here was my little ahamoment, right?
Small businesses, I think theyget the shaft when it comes to
marketing agencies.
Okay.
I was like, this, I because Iwas talking to a lot of smaller
businesses at chambers and andlocal events, and I said, What
(11:44):
are you all doing for like yourbrand strategy work?
And they're like, Oh, I don'tknow what that is.
I just need a logo, a Facebookpage, and a website, and I'm
just good.
And I'm like, No, not really.
That marketing agency just wantsyou to do that, and they're just
gonna crap something out for youso that then they can charge you
some kind of ridiculous retainerfor things you don't know what
you're paying for.
Like it's called SEO or whateveryou want to call it, and um it's
(12:09):
and they're probably doinggarbage work for you, but you
don't know, so you just kind ofkeep paying them this retainer
fee.
SPEAKER_00 (12:16):
You're a hundred percent right about that.
SPEAKER_01 (12:17):
You am I?
SPEAKER_00 (12:18):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Do y'all feel my pain?
You know you are.
I say it's 98%, right?
You know, I'm not kicking themall 100, but yeah, no, I'm
pretty thank you.
And yeah, the keep me humble,man.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
I'm a German critic in keep me humble, Chris.
Yeah, so I I started with Germancritic, I'm the German critic.
That's right.
I started, I started to be alittle bit.
I'm trying to like fight for theI'm fighting for the for that
that entrepreneur, that startupguy, that that person that's
like building his companies, heis mortgaging everything he has
to start this company and go outon a limb.
(12:50):
He's leaving his corporate lifeto start this company.
And I'm like, gosh, you guys,like there's so much more out
there.
So, anyway, there's so I'mstarting to consult them more
and coach them more.
And I was like, this coachingthing is awesome.
I ran into another um nowcolleague of mine who was
speaking at the same event.
He was doing more leadershipkind of coaching and speaking,
(13:11):
and I was doing some brandstrategy work there.
And he goes, Hey, you want totrade me?
You can bring join one of myleadership cohorts, but I need
some brand strategy work for mystuff.
And I was like, Okay, that'scool.
I know about this leadershipstuff.
I worked with John Maxwell for anumber of years and branding a
lot of his products and thatthere, but that's a great name.
SPEAKER_00 (13:29):
He just slid it in.
Is that how you do that?
Is that what he did?
Yeah, you didn't think Chris,you need to take a note on that.
I know when you say I'mpresident of Neri, you normally
pause for the applause, for theapplause.
He just he just kind of rollsand just drops John Maxwell in
the fast.
SPEAKER_01 (13:45):
Like say it really fast.
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
So he's doing some work for John Maxwell, and then
that's right.
Oh I know I like how he didthat.
But but by the way, isn't JohnMaxwell was I mean, it was when
he was here in Atlanta, right?
SPEAKER_01 (14:53):
Yeah, he's yeah, yeah.
Well, I mean, he he still kindof is he's he's in Florida, he's
in Florida.
That's he has that house inFlorida, but I mean it's um, but
he he's up here sometimes, buthe doesn't do as much.
Mark Cold does a lot with theJohn Maxwell company and running
a lot of that stuff now.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
And when I first started the business, though,
one of John Maxwell's uh one ofhis employees lived here in
Atlanta.
We worked for him.
Yeah, I thought John was uhlocated here in Atlanta, I
guess.
So are you trying to drop JohnMaxwell?
Because you know you didsomething.
I'm just doing six degreeseparation dry wall for John
Maxwell.
So I'm telling Scott that wehave common people in common.
We do.
I feel so much John Maxwell'sguy who worked for him in
(15:31):
Atlanta.
SPEAKER_01 (15:31):
I am so I feel so connected to you, Chris, right
now.
Like, dude, elevator, JohnMaxwell.
What else can we say here?
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
It all comes to the case.
We're gonna find all we're gonnafind.
Oh, it goes in, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Um, but I was like, I I know about this leadership.
I'm a creative agency guy.
I don't really need that.
My people love me, it's allgood.
Well, I joined this cohort twomonths later.
I said, I am probably one of theworst communicators, like when
it comes to like interpersonalstuff.
Like, I think I'm like my peoplereally like me and I like them
and chummy chummy, and myclients like me a lot, but I
(16:04):
figured I found out that I'm notgreat at communicating.
I was helping companiescommunicate, but I personally,
as a leader, wasn't great at it.
So changed my life, my wholeperspective.
So I started shifting a lot ofwhat I did to what I call
internal brand development.
External brand development issales marketing, whatever you do
outside.
And I said, clients, if you wantme to do your external brand
(16:26):
stuff, I have to first do theinternal brand stuff.
I'm gonna work with yourleaders, I'm gonna work with
your teams, I'm gonna work withcohesiveness in time internally,
because you can't be healthy onthe outside if you're unhealthy
on the inside, right?
We learn that through health andall kinds of other things,
right?
And we can fake it for a while,but it's eventually going to
bring us down.
So college football is what wentthrough my mind.
SPEAKER_00 (16:49):
You gotta get a recruit your own team.
I mean, oh you know, I thoughtabout when you had it when when
things aren't going right,college football.
I'm like, yeah, I'm withSaturdays, I'm running Sundays.
I mean, everyone's well, you gotto continually recruit your own
team.
You know, it used to be you hadyour you had your players, you
had them for four years, and nowyou got your players, and you're
hoping to keep them for one.
That's a great point.
Yeah, that's yeah, yeah, you'reright.
SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
That is interesting.
I never thought about that.
That's really smart.
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (17:14):
You know what?
I often take Alan's ideas andmake them my own and tell him
about them back.
I'm like, Alan, I got a greatidea.
SPEAKER_01 (17:20):
He goes, You should just here's what you should do.
You should mic, you should muteAlan's mic when he says
something, just repeat it backlike you're active listening,
and then you're saying it intothe mic, and nobody can really
hear what he's saying.
SPEAKER_00 (17:32):
So you know, uh, you know, Alan Facts had something
going here.
Well, Alan, he because helistens to all of our podcasts,
everybody.
Alan does the check.
So I can't uh pull one over onhim, but I I guarantee you the
reason he's doing that isbecause he's trusting but
verifying that I didn't justlike take him out of the entire
episode.
SPEAKER_01 (17:50):
I I love it, I love it.
Those are the high levels oftrust here.
SPEAKER_00 (17:53):
Developing our team, I love that idea.
You take your outward becausethat's I mean, you do you got an
internal market.
I mean, this is um this is goodstuff.
SPEAKER_01 (18:00):
Let's yeah, I mean, your your external brand, people
focus so much on recruitment,recruitment, recruitment.
And then once we get in, weunderestimate the impact of how
much our culture will destroy orenhance that relationship.
We kind of like to got them in,get them onboarded, give them
the the handbook, you know, thePDF, whatever, let them read
(18:20):
through it, you know, train themfor a day, and then we're like,
people aren't loyal anymore.
Then then like we wonder what'sgoing on, right?
SPEAKER_00 (18:29):
Um, you are so right.
I I don't understand why peopleput such a good foot forward
when they're recruiting, andthen the second the person's in,
then they then they become theMedusa that they are.
You know, it just drives mecrazy.
You're talking about the leaderof the company, just the even
the culture.
Yeah, let's let's uh I meanthat's one of the big things
Scott talks about.
(18:49):
Let's talk about culture andwhat it is.
I think a lot of people we talkabout it, we talk around it a
lot.
I don't know if a lot of peoplecan have concrete what that
means because I've said thisbefore.
You have a culture in yourcompany, whether you know it or
not, and whether you'recultivating it or not, your
culture is sitting there, so youbetter understand what it is.
Yeah, and there's no onedefinition of culture.
So, Scott, how how do we dothis?
How do we define our culture?
(19:10):
How do we how do we make itgood?
SPEAKER_01 (19:13):
And what do you do I'm I'm gonna say right now,
it's um company culture is it'sthe air you're breathing, right?
It people don't necessarily payattention to it because it's
just always there and you haveit, whether you know it or not,
and whether you're working on itor not.
It's it's how work like feels onthe inside, uh, unwritten rules,
(19:34):
shared behaviors, things weallow versus disallow, values we
set, not the five that are onyour break room poster of an
eagle.
Like it's like mindset.
It's like it's how people showup, how they interact, how they
make decisions, and it's all ofthat stuff that we kind of say
(19:56):
that's the soft stuff.
We don't we don't we don't domuch with the snow.
I mean, the soft stuff is thesoft stuff.
We gotta do the hard stuff,right?
Well, the soft stuff is the hardstuff because that is the stuff
that causes people to leave thecompanies that they work for.
Um, and then we just chalk it upto well, we don't have time for
that because that's kind of alonger term investment, and we
(20:18):
really just want immediateresults, like whatever.
Anyway, you got to work on thisproposal right now.
So we'll get to your stufflater, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (20:28):
So I guess the dam it doll is not a good thing to
pull out when somebody's talkingto you and they say something
stupid and you start slammingthe desk.
No, that is actually good.
So no, Scott, do not know it isdo not be the beast.
The damn it doll I was gonna sayoutloaded in the company because
they said we have got to savemore trash cans, we need to get
Chris something else.
And next thing I know I walkinto the office on my desk is a
(20:49):
damn it doll.
SPEAKER_01 (20:51):
Well, you know what?
He is the president of Neri.
I'm just well I don't know ifyou guys know this.
Uh also published author, I'lljust wrap it up real quick.
SPEAKER_00 (20:59):
And uh and I know John Maxwell's guy who worked
for Atlanta at one point doingsomething for him, but I worked
at a guy's house.
So there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
So we've we've got to give him something to cope,
is all I'm saying, right?
We meet a lot of things.
He's he's so important.
We really need to make sure he'staken care of.
That's all I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
That's a good one, though.
Uh, so damn it all, not bad.
Good, not bad.
That's all I heard.
Scott hates Chicago.
Scott says, small businessowners get the shaft.
Let's go, hurrah.
Let's go.
And damn it dolls are good.
Damn it.
Damn dolls are good.
I think that's our podcasttitle.
I think we got it.
All right.
Scott says best podcast titleever.
Wow.
(21:35):
Oh my god.
I think I think I'm gonna takethis.
I'm gonna take this speakingengagement.
I think people are gonna die forme to come speak about this.
SPEAKER_01 (21:41):
That's about that.
SPEAKER_00 (21:42):
Isn't good.
SPEAKER_01 (21:42):
I wonder if I can make that one of my speaking
engagement.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
I challenge you right on the air.
I challenge you, and we're in alot of continents like
Australia, so uh in thegalaxies.
So I'm gonna challenge you tohave one of your um speaking um
session titles, Dammit Dolls AreGood.
Okay, here goes back.
I'm writing it down.
I'm coming in.
I I'll promote the shit out ofthat.
(22:06):
Do it in Vegas, and Chris willbe there as he'll do a cameo,
especially around uh NFL ProFootball playoffs.
SPEAKER_01 (22:12):
Do you, when you go to Vegas, do you wear any of
those outfits that the girlswear that have angel wings and
that want your picture takenwith them?
SPEAKER_00 (22:21):
So that's why I do a podcast and a radio show.
Did I mention that too?
Uh, is that uh this face isbuilt for radio.
I guess that it's I'm a littleoff on that one.
All right, I was just checking.
I'm just checking.
Good cut, good, yeah.
I think that's a good question.
Good visual.
Actually, I'm thinking aboutdoing a residency at the sphere.
I can't even say it because I'lllaugh it too hard.
I think I'm gonna do theresidency at the sphere uh when
(22:43):
they ask.
Say it one more time.
I can't because it's so bad.
And Cindy, I know you'relaughing your ass off.
Just cut some of that.
No, don't give me a littlesaying about it.
Cindy just a list.
She does.
She listens, she comes in, shegoes, Remember how many times
you go and said Ed.
Go back three seconds.
I don't I've got to.
And then it would just go out inthe air.
I know.
It's it's he literally sits atthe office next to me.
Cindy sits in the office nownext to me.
(23:05):
Yeah, all right, let's go backto scratch, shall we?
That's like, oh god, what Iknow, but what if I know why I
joined this thing?
I'm wasting.
SPEAKER_01 (23:11):
Oh, wait, are we recording right now?
SPEAKER_00 (23:12):
Oh, there we go.
That's a really good questionbecause I'm not sure.
Cindy, roll it.
No, I'm kidding.
But let's do it.
Let's do it.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (23:21):
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:22):
Um, so I I think culture building.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
I think that one of the I, you know, I get that
there's business pressures.
I get that we have to makemoney.
And sometimes the culture stuffis kind of like the, you know
what, is this is there a directROI of this like culture
training stuff that we're doingright now and investing in our
leaders?
And like, what's the direct ROIof this?
Well, I will tell you right nowthe direct ROI is your people
(23:49):
not leaving.
That um, you know, one and ahalf times salary is what it
takes to replace somebody.
Um, you know, there's all kindsof debate on what the real
number is, but if you just well,let's just throw one and a half
times out because it soundsgood.
SPEAKER_00 (24:02):
That's low.
I think that's low.
You think it's higher?
I think it's way higher, likeway higher.
Let's say two and a half.
Two?
Two and a half.
Oh, oh, oh, you want me tocommit to a number?
I know it's way higher.
SPEAKER_01 (24:13):
I do, I do.
Alan, I I do.
SPEAKER_00 (24:16):
I'll do the math I'll give you.
I agree.
It is higher.
No, you're right.
I mean, you guys are 100% right.
It depends on what businessyou're in.
But if you've got like, youknow, client base and whatever
that you think you're risking, Imean, yeah, it's a lot.
SPEAKER_01 (24:27):
It's it's it's it's a lot, and um, you know, people
don't people don't think aboutit until it happens, and then
they're like, uh, where's mydamage doll?
Because I really need and I'mvery frustrated right now.
So they instead of doing we'retoo reactive, man.
We are way too reactive in ourworld.
(24:48):
Alan's way too reactive.
Reactive.
We need to be more proactive,and that is called
intentionality, which is why mybook premeditation is what the
word I mean.
Is that what it's called?
SPEAKER_00 (25:00):
Uh that's that what you tell the judge.
I was just being proactive.
It's so funny.
I uh just in a couple weeks,that's exactly what I'm gonna
say.
If if this was not premeditated,I was being proactive.
I was being pro my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (25:12):
Oh gosh.
Okay.
Well, yes.
I did.
You know what?
We're gonna couple that with thethe name of my book, right?
We're gonna put those togetherso you can use this in the same
thing.
So legally could legally I getin trouble.
So this is great.
Unlocked a 52 week guide for theintentional leader.
The reason why I wanted to beintentional, right?
Did y'all oh, by the way, I justhappen to have a copy right
(25:33):
here.
Did y'all submit?
SPEAKER_00 (25:34):
Oh my god, there's a book.
Is he an author?
Hey, where's your book?
I don't have a book because Ibooked far behind.
I book it smaller than him.
I just have a little one.
A tiny book, but that'sfantastic.
It's mostly pictures, and youknow what's already not.
All right, so let's talk aboutthis book a little bit.
Uh yeah.
What when did you have the ideato do it?
And then like like 10 years ago.
SPEAKER_01 (25:53):
And then when did you finally publish it?
Like two years, two a year and ahalf, yeah, year and a half ago.
So we so you're being you're abig intentional of sell us
together.
Yeah, I'd be, I was just reallythinking hard about it, you
know.
No, here's what it was.
Um, I was completely paralyzed,and I read all these other books
(26:13):
and I had imposter syndrome.
I've never written a bookbefore.
Yeah, and I was like, huh.
I'm gonna Adam Grant and SimonSinek, and I read all these
people, and I'm going, there'sno way I can write a book, like,
nor do I want to write a300-page science-based,
research-based book on all thisstuff.
I'm like, that soundsridiculous, and I can't do that,
(26:35):
and I'm not gonna do that.
So one day I'm sitting there andalso I had my podcast.
So what I did is I livedvicariously through all of the
authors that came on my show.
So I never had to write a bookbecause I just, you know, said,
Well, I interview authors, so Idon't need to be one.
Well, they all kept asking mewhen you're gonna write your
book, when you're gonna writeyour book.
I was doing speaking gigs allover the country.
People were like, Hey, do youever book out?
(26:56):
Hey, my audience wants yourbook.
And I'm just like, you know,rubbing it in my face that he
didn't have a book.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
So did you write it out of spite then, just to shut
them up?
A little bit.
Okay.
It was a little, and that's howI launched it.
I said, Love that question, takethat.
In spite, I'm unlocked.
That's right.
That's it.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:17):
And so um sold one copy after I launched that.
SPEAKER_00 (27:21):
It was great.
The advertising help on thebook.
I think we got you covered.
All right, yeah, we got this.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:26):
That's it.
There, um, and then one day, andI'm this is a little plug for
Chat GBT, my sponsor.
Is that I went, I'm justkidding.
There now is my sponsor.
And what's this Chat GBT thingcame out?
SPEAKER_00 (27:40):
How did that go?
I would have said, Oh my god, Ithink he's really sponsored by
Chat GBT.
SPEAKER_01 (27:43):
I should everything's got I know I do
too.
I should have said, now you'renot gonna believe anything I say
because I just said anyway.
I um I started plugging somestuff in.
I was like, hey, what if Italked about this?
What would that look like?
Give me 10 chapters.
It gave me 10 chapters.
I was like, what is this beast?
Joking?
(28:03):
No, I said that's interesting.
So I had these 10 chapters and Ididn't use them, but it was it.
I'm a riffer, man.
So I like to riff.
I like to like throw stuff outthere, see what comes back.
And and I said, Well, write anintro for me for this thing.
What would that look like?
It wrote it and I was like, Oh,that's pretty good.
It's not exactly what I wouldsay, but I was like, this is
pretty good.
This gets so it got me rolling.
(28:24):
Then I've collected quotes fromlike, I don't know, from people
for like seven, 10, 12 years,and I had this bank of quotes.
And so I was like, What am I whyam I making this hard?
I've already got content, I'vegot these quotes, I already
write short form content, and Ilove this idea of
transformation.
(28:44):
So inspiration, application,transformation.
The book is formatted in 52 weekchunks, so I didn't have to
write a ton.
I have inspiration, which is oneof these quotes that I've
already collected, I alreadyhave it.
And then I riff off that, soit's like a page maybe of me, my
thoughts about that quote andhow it applies to you as a
(29:05):
leader.
And then there's application,which is what are you gonna do
about it?
Every week I want you to dosomething, take action.
After 52 weeks of doing that,you will be a reinvented human
being.
So, Chris, there's hell.
I need it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:22):
I skipped right to uh uh week 36, and I just read
one week 36 and week 37.
So I need to go back because ifyou go to his website and see
this, this is the chapter Iwanted to read.
Like, yeah, I'm not gonna beable to quote it.
But it basically is it's okay tostart with anger, but it's not
okay to end with anger.
I'm like, um kind of you'rehalfway there.
(29:43):
Anger's a great starter, but ahorrible finisher.
Horrible finisher, yeah.
I was like, well, yeah.
So I read it and I was like, ohdude, yeah, no, he's right.
So it's show notes, so it's theshow notes so far.
Right.
Chicago, I hate Chicago, damn itdolls are good, and Chat GPT
wrote my book.
Uh is that what you wrote mybook?
(30:05):
Go read my book written byChatGBT.
Oh my gosh.
Or I I like small businesses getthe shaft.
I so love that one.
That is good.
Yeah, man, there's so much tohang on here.
SPEAKER_01 (30:14):
Oh god, this is so good.
Clarification, Alan.
I've got it.
Chat GPT did not write me abook.
It helped me write my book,though.
It totally did.
And I think any of you out therewho have shame about that should
not feel it.
SPEAKER_00 (30:27):
Um, no, our listeners are very intelligent,
they they understand humans.
SPEAKER_01 (30:31):
I did write my own book, um, but man, ChatGPT is a
tool that you should use forwatching.
SPEAKER_00 (30:37):
Uh stay tuned.
Uh next couple episodes.
Uh, we're bringing on an AIchampion, and I'm going to tell
you that I'm going to be able totalk about how I've actually
implemented it in my ownbusiness.
And it has been absolutely 1000%gonna scare the shit out of the
early nervous about thatalready.
Yeah.
So let's just watch Terminator.
It's coming true.
It is.
SPEAKER_01 (30:56):
So did you watch uh what's it called?
Transcendence?
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
No, my son and I watched Terminator together for
the first time last night, whichwas really fun.
Yeah, just kind of old schoolmovie.
That was Arnory first uh bigdeal, James Cameron, you know,
and right so that but it'scoming true.
Well, what's chat GBT?
Oh, it totally is.
But what's transcendent?
Is that the other?
Well, I want to know the otherone because I'm Transcendence.
SPEAKER_01 (31:19):
Um that that was the one with Johnny Depp, um, where
uh he at the very beginning ofthe movie, spoiler alert, um, he
gets shot.
He's this real like brainiacdude that's bringing AI to the
world really fast.
They've learned how to takehuman conscience and put it into
the thing.
And he gets shot by someonewho's really scared of AI, aka
(31:40):
Allen, and somebody shoots him,he's gonna die.
But his wife, who's his businesspartner, says, We can upload his
conscience into the AI thing andkeep him alive.
So they upload his conscience inthere and he starts like taking
over the world.
And she has this real bigdilemma about whether it's
really him or not.
(32:01):
It's his conscience, and then helike is is talking like him, he
acts like him, and likeeverything's happened.
So I'm just saying it's prettypretty freaky to think about um
that that could be happening.
SPEAKER_00 (32:12):
But let's go back to this book because you can when
when you read, I did I I'veread, I wouldn't say all of
them, I've read a couple ofchapters.
It is very easy to to digest forsomebody like me who's a
hummingbird who doesn't like toread.
I think you use the word readread liberally.
I skimmed quickly.
No, I can't.
No, I did read it.
No, it was good.
Like I said, yeah, I all youhave to do is skim it.
(32:32):
It's you're not supposed to likesuper duper read it.
But you know what?
I I thought, and I actually satthere and thought for five or
ten minutes.
And isn't that what reading'ssupposed to be?
What's the last book you'vesuper duper read?
The last book is super duperduper.
I've never read that one, by theway.
Uh that would kill you.
Oh my god, there's no way it'dkill me.
Right?
Uh, last book I super duperread.
(32:54):
Oh, uh read or audio book.
No, I'm I'm like, you wereskimming it to get the
highlights, and all of a suddenyou're like, you know what?
I need to slow down.
I've done so many audiobooks.
Uh but the Elon Musk book, thelast one, uh, I I I would tell
you that that's one where Iactually would listen to a
chapter, pause it, and think fora minute.
I'm like, wow, this guy's cool.
Crazy.
(33:14):
I mean, this guy is an assholegenius.
I mean, he is just genius, buthe's still an asshole first.
I'm like, wow, so you're alittle extra.
You're a little extra.
Extra.
Which I'm thinking we get alongreally well.
Yeah, 50% there too.
He would hate me.
But he goes in that surge mode,and I'm sitting there, I was I
mean, I was like driving.
I almost ran everybody off theroad.
(33:36):
Um, in fact, I was on uh I wason Atlanta News, I think, about
that.
But that doesn't matter.
All right, the chopper.
But he won't stop.
He just keeps driving.
He's a white Bronco.
I don't know what's going on.
All right, so Scott, back to thebook.
Uh, so you use the book to getyour thoughts out there.
Um, but I real real question.
Why did you write it?
(33:56):
Did you write it to help thelead end, or did you write it?
You wrote it to say a few to thepeople that were that's right
that you write a book.
SPEAKER_01 (34:02):
No, no, no, no, no, no.
So I'm a few different reasons.
I know what you heard.
It is it is another kind offeather in my personal cap of
I'm a published author, I havedone this thing.
Okay.
Um, we I think we need those inlife to kind of say, you know, I
am an author.
(34:23):
Weird to me for to for me toever even say that.
Okay.
I am a leader, I am a dad.
I am a when we I when wepersonally give ourselves
labels, they are reallyimportant, okay.
Um, positive ones, I would saythey're helpful.
Um that we can Alan's thinking,what can I say right now?
I can see him.
I could see him.
SPEAKER_00 (34:43):
Yes, and he just snorted.
You get Alan to snort.
That's a good one.
That's oh gosh, so Alan justsnorted off of Scott Job.
That's good.
SPEAKER_01 (34:50):
Yeah, that's it.
That's it.
Um, but there was a personalreason for that.
Um, but I do feel this issomething supplemental to my
coaching.
So a lot of my coaching clientswill get a copy of my book.
I had one client that I'mcoaching out in Denver, CEO
there, who said, Hey, can I getthe I can I get 20 more copies?
I want my leadership team toalso be doing this.
(35:11):
So we're gonna every week we'regonna read a chapter together
and then we're gonna process,and then that next week we're
gonna come back and kind of talkabout it.
So a lot of companies are doingthat.
Um, ACEC uh in Georgia, um,they're doing it there.
If you all know the ACEC crew,um, but they're they're doing it
AG, uh AGC, uh, if you know theAssociation General Contractors.
(35:31):
Um yeah.
Some of them have been doing it.
SPEAKER_00 (35:33):
So uh what you just talked about with that that's
actually where I was gonna gowith this, is that this book
really lends itself well to abook club mentality.
And uh we do book club at mycompany with my sales guys and
my project managers, um, wherethey come in and talk about one
topic once a week uh foreducational.
So they'll read one chapter of abook, it's 100 days of selling
(35:53):
and home selling, and thenthey'll talk about it, they'll
reflect you know, they'llthey'll all give their thoughts
and we go around the room andeverybody has to have one.
And I think this book lendsitself so well to that, talking
about being actionable.
And we didn't really answer thequestion.
My my big answer on culture isit starts from the training and
starts from the foundation.
And if you're not staying infront of people and doing things
(36:14):
and showing them what it's liketo be somebody who's in this
company doing things right andthen rewarding people who do
good things, and then tellingpeople when they screw up, hey,
you screwed up.
And uh, I'm really good at that.
Is that the way you say it?
Hey, you screwed up.
Oh no, a hundred percent.
No, no, that did not happen.
Lead with anger.
Uh, I think it's start withanger.
I I'm thinking of the basictraining scene.
(36:35):
I think full metal jacket.
That's probably close.
Yeah.
Actually, uh we we've alreadytalked about uh I've had to make
a big uh I wanna I want to sayit's really cool things with
Scott here, but culture change.
No, I flip I was flippingtables, bro.
I uh flipped them over, I wasletting them have it, and uh I
said something and I let thisguy have it.
(36:56):
I said a lot of stuff thatcannot be repeated on the
podcast.
Can't be taken back either.
Oh, I definitely didn't gettaken back.
And the general manager afterthe guy left it, my general
manager looked at me and says,I'm not sure what you said, but
it definitely sunk in.
I'd like wow, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (37:11):
Yeah, there's so there's there's certain aspects
of this is where my um whatmakes me a little bit different
as a uh tech typical executivecoach or um team culture guy is
that I come from the brandstrategy world.
So when I sit there and I listento things like that, um I say,
how is every interaction youhave is either uh brand deposit
or brand withdrawal from fromyour account, right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:34):
So uh are you I I took a big one out, kind of like
Scott's uh hourly coaching uhcalls.
So you made a deposit, there'sno doubt about that.
So I took it in print with intoyeah, no, that was a big
withdrawal.
The rest of the officeunfortunately heard it all.
They might have got a deposit.
SPEAKER_01 (37:52):
Well, it depends, right?
And I and I sit there and I lookat things and I say, um, you
know, there are people in yourin your mind right now that you
remember from 20 years ago inyour career, whatever, either
people on your team or leadersthat you had, mentors you had,
that built you up or they toreyou down.
(38:14):
That is your that is a brandimpression in there in your
brain forever for that person.
100%.
That's how they're gonna be,that's how they're remembered.
And then I always ask people,how are people gonna think and
talk about you in 20 years?
Shut up, Alan.
Alan is glad, he's ready.
SPEAKER_00 (38:33):
I I'm gonna mute his microphone.
He's ready.
I may I may get the double birdtoday.
Does that only come out everynow and then?
Every now and then, you knowwhat?
But we are on we are on coursefor it today.
We are close.
SPEAKER_01 (38:45):
Okay.
We are my goal is to get it inthere somehow.
SPEAKER_00 (38:48):
I can yeah, I think you're doing a good job of
peeling uh Chris's scalp backand getting inside that head.
Well, we're that's what we'rehere to do today is fix Chris.
SPEAKER_01 (38:57):
I'm just let's fix everything.
SPEAKER_00 (39:00):
I want to hear Scott.
So, Scott, I watched your uhpromotional video on your
website.
Excellent.
You're doing essentially a TEDtalk with uh the beluga whales,
and I was thinking about Chriswith the clicks and everything
and the chirps and the clicksand the whistles and the clicks,
and it's like, you know, thatthat might have been a good one
for Chris to listen to because II think Chris is just chirping
(39:22):
and clicking, and maybe they'renot hearing it in their
language.
This is why communication is soimportant.
I will go listen to it.
No, no, no, no, no, it's Scott'sturn.
SPEAKER_01 (39:31):
I'm sorry, Scott.
Good.
No, I'm I'm no, please.
No, you hold the you get thetalking pen, you get to talk.
Talk the talking pen.
That's it.
We'll virtually pass it back andforth.
This I think that's reallyimportant to understand that you
know that's why communication isa thing.
That yeah, beluga whales, theyhave these chirps, clicks, and
(39:51):
whistles, and they can talk andcommunicate effectively with
each other in a way that theyunderstand.
And um, but sometimes, like, wethink we're communicating
effectively, but we're not, andthen our brand is diminished and
our influence is thereforediminished, and then people
wonder leaders like, why doesanybody follow me?
(40:12):
Why do I have to convince thesepeople?
Nobody's motivated anymore.
I don't know what the problemis.
I gotta light a fire under thatguy.
Like, how many times do you saythat?
And it's like, why do you areyou hiring people or creating a
culture where you're constantlylighting fires under people?
Like, that's a culture problem.
That's not a that's not a themproblem, that's a culture
(40:34):
problem for the most part.
If you're either hiring thewrong people or you're training
in the wrong way, or you'rekeeping the wrong people.
Um so I want you to understandlike let's not light fires under
people, let's light them insidethem.
So my job as a leader.
SPEAKER_00 (40:51):
What a quote.
What a golden nugget.
I gotta all right.
That's the one.
All right, I think is that it'sthat wall.
That was amazing.
Light fires within them.
Oh my god.
That's the quote.
That's the one, guys.
Sorry to demail you, Scott, butthat was so freaking cool I
hadn't pointed out.
Yeah, that's gonna be good.
That's well, but you know, butbut can you keep going?
(41:12):
No, the Chicago quote was reallygood, though.
Not for nothing as a Detroitguy.
I'm thinking so.
SPEAKER_01 (41:18):
You know what I'm saying?
I know.
I feel you.
Thank you.
Um, that's the problem, though,I think is that we are we
exhaust ourselves as leaderstrying to manage our people too
much.
Um, instead of giving them theautonomy that they would feel
empowered to do, finding whatreally motivates them, putting
the effort into leading them asopposed to managing them.
(41:40):
Um, people don't want to bemanaged.
I don't want to be like, hey,I'm like, you know, 45 in my
career, I've been doing this along time, but I need you to
manage me, said nobody ever.
Um exactly, but they like to beled.
They like to be led, they wantto be inspired, they want to be
guided, they want and I will saythe younger generations, all of
(42:02):
you listening right now, if youdo not have an intentional
mentorship or coaching programor some way to invest in those
younger generations, they'regonna leave.
Okay.
Oh, yeah, because they want it,they want it.
And if you're not gonna give itto them, they're gonna go
somewhere else and get it.
So figure that out.
(42:23):
There you go.
SPEAKER_00 (42:23):
Figure that out.
I think we had another bookcoming up.
I think we need to figure thatout like every every month or
every other month.
He said he would.
So for and uh I'm just gonnachat GBT to write it.
Take that, Alan.
He could be AI right now.
And before we get on thepodcast, uh Alan says, Hey, um,
what's your hourly rate?
He goes, for Chris, 4.2 millionfor everybody else, it's
reasonable.
I said, Do you take checks?
(42:45):
He goes, 100% never from you.
I'm like, oh, this guy knows 4.2million, not reasonable.
Is that what you're saying?
Is that what I just heard fromyou?
No, no.
That yeah, I th well, maybe itwould be for me.
Although I'm a little short on.
Are we on YouTube?
Oh, we are.
I just poured a drink all overmy face because the freaking
peaches just dumped out of theglass.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (43:02):
I didn't see it because I'm so focused on Chris,
Ryan.
You just you you you youbasically you disappear into the
shadows when Chris is around.
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_00 (43:12):
So I'm just a small moon in his universe.
I just found out a way to uhblock him out on YouTube.
But look, guys, go to theYouTube, you'll see my hangover.
All right, Scott.
So obviously, you do thespeaking gigs, you do coaching.
Um, how can people find you?
Who are you looking for?
Uh talk to us a little bit abouthow we can go find you.
SPEAKER_01 (43:31):
I am looking for people that really want to
either level up, they're at kindof this tipping point in their
career, whether they need to,you know, they are those mid-40s
um levels, maybe in their 50sand low 50s, and they're like, I
need to finish out and I need toclimb.
Like right now, I'm stagnant.
(43:51):
I need to, what is that nextlevel for me?
And I need to really step it up.
So a lot of imposter syndromeseeps in because now we're
getting into executive levels,um, ownership of companies,
maybe it's being passed downbecause the boomers are finally
leaving um thank you, boomers.
Like, we don't we don't need youall the time to hold our hands
forever.
Like you can retire, you'reallowed to retire boomers.
(44:13):
So letting the boomers hand passthe baton, but they don't trust
anybody below them.
So I think that if we're reallylooking on investing in that
leadership that is up andcoming, whether it's those
millennials who take up, youknow, over a third of our
workforce right now, andinvesting in them and the Gen
Xers who are going to be takingover all these companies that
(44:34):
already are actually, that'swhat we need to do.
Okay.
Investing in those young leadersthat are hungry for it, that's
who I go after.
Okay.
I'm not here to fix people.
Sorry, Chris.
I know I said that earlier, butpeople come in and they're like,
hey, Scott, yeah, man, I needyou to like fix this guy.
And I'm like, that's not what Ido.
(44:55):
I don't, I don't fix people.
I'm not listening anymore.
I got my doll.
I know.
The um I I show I give peopletools, I give them, I am the
guide.
I am the one who will empoweryou to make the decisions and do
the thing you're so I bet.
You're the only one that can getthat can do it.
All right.
Speaking, coaching, what do youthink you like better?
SPEAKER_00 (45:15):
You like speaking better.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
I love speaking, man.
I love it.
It is my it is my jam.
So speaking to associations,speaking at company retreats,
um, facilitating strategicplanning sessions, um,
facilitation workshops are myjam, my bread and butter.
I love riffing, as you can tellon the show.
I love just hanging out withpeople and really getting to
know them well.
So if any of you have trainingsthat you're wanting to conduct
(45:39):
um off sites or whatever you'redoing, let me know.
Um, if you have speaking events,your association, you're you're
doing something, that's where Imet you, Chris.
Um so if y'all are down withthat, I love doing that as well.
The coaching piece is like thelong-term transformation stuff I
get to experience.
That's like the slow burn whereI really love to like get
(46:01):
involved and get to know people.
The speaking stuff is like thequick dopamine hit of like
everybody gets to like has tosit there and stare at me and
listen to me talk for an hoursometimes, which is really like
you know, but I bet you you justfreaking murder it in a training
seminar where it's aninteraction, but it's still like
maybe a weekend.
SPEAKER_00 (46:20):
I'll bet you're just freaking dynamite.
I don't suck, Alan.
I'm just gonna say there we go.
There's another one.
So we say every time we get onthe radio, right before you get
started.
Yeah, it's Chicago, but I don'tI no, honestly, like he wrote my
book.
Damn it.
SPEAKER_01 (46:35):
Humble brag, I've got over 1700 reviews on my
public uh speaking profile thatyou know, 98% of my people want
to hear me speak again.
So it's awesome, it's uh thosetwo percent we don't care about
them, and it also makes it looklegit.
SPEAKER_00 (46:48):
So all right, I love it.
All right, let's go back to thebeginning because you started
out with uh Swedish German andGerman.
Um so you guys want to findScott Waldron.
He has one of the most uniquespellings of Scott I have seen.
So that's S-K-O-T.
There aren't a whole lot ofchoices, uh but this one's
unique.
I think so.
Yeah, I've never seen it before.
Have you?
No.
Oh, okay.
(47:09):
Did you did you change it whenyou became famous to a case?
SPEAKER_01 (47:12):
I yes, in sixth grade, I was famous.
I um no, like I was in ScottWoodruff and Scott Wilson's
class every year in elementaryschool, so I had to put my last
name on it.
I couldn't put Scott W.
I had to put Scott Waldron onevery paper, and it really
pissed me off.
So sixth grade, who's in myclass?
Scott Wilson, Scott Woodruff.
I said, This is so stupid.
So I changed it to SKOT, and Inever had to put my last name on
(47:34):
anything ever again.
Call it lazy.
No, I call it innovative.
SPEAKER_00 (47:40):
Genius, premeditated, premeditated,
premeditated genius, ScottWalton.
SPEAKER_01 (47:45):
Think of how much I always say, think about how much
time I've saved, not putting afifth letter.
That's only four letters.
And you know, I stylize it alittle bit with the K.
It's kind of like Prince.
I'm gonna go to a symbol next.
How many times have peoplemispronounced it?
Um, every now and then I'll havesomebody go, is it Scott?
And I'm like, is there an E onthe end?
(48:05):
They think you're European, likefrom well, they think I'm
Scandinavian.
They're like, is it from likeNorway or something?
I'm like, no, it's from my sixthgrade brain that got really
annoyed with Scott Woodrow forScott Wilson.
And so what um, so actually, ifyou go to my website, I'll say,
No, I'm not Scandinavian andkind of tell you my story about
how how I did that.
So that's it, man.
SPEAKER_00 (48:25):
Guys, this is awesome.
Great episode.
Thank you, Scott, for coming on.
I'm so glad I got to grab yourbook and beg you to come on my
podcast.
You've been awesome and agracious guest as we've had a
little fun.
We got around it.
But you know what?
I'll say it again.
If you didn't learn something,the man, that's on you because
there is a lot to learn, and notjust about Chicago.
Again, nice city, but notendorsed by Scott.
(48:47):
It may be this summer.
SPEAKER_01 (48:48):
I say let me clarify.
Chicago is one of the brilliant,my favorite city on the planet.
It's Illinois.
Illinois kind of sucks.
I'm just gonna say the rest ofthe state.
SPEAKER_00 (48:57):
I love it.
All right, get out of here, gomake some money, go make
something happen.
You know what?
Do something good in somebody'slife.
Go do something good in somebodyelse's life that's not yours,
Alan.
Let's go make it all happen.
Let's get happen.
Let's make it go.
Let's get up that mountain.
Gotta get out of here.
Cheers, everybody.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Small Business
Department.
Remember, your positive attitudewill help you achieve that
(49:17):
higher altitude you're lookingfor in the wild world small
business understanding.
Until next time, make it a greatday.
We'll get to your stuff later, you know.
So I guess the dam it dolls nota good thing to pull out when
somebody's talking to you andthey say something stupid and
you start slamming the desk.
No, that is actually good.
So no, Scott, do not no, it is.
Do not feed the beast.
The dammit doll I was gonna saywell noted in the company
because they said we have got tosave more trash cans.
(00:20):
We need to get Chris somethingelse.
And next thing I know, I walkinto the office on my desk is a
damn doll.
Well, you know what?
He is the president of Neri.
I'm just well there if you guysknow this.
Uh also published author.
I'll just wrap it up real quick.
And uh and I know John Maxwell'sguy who worked for Atlanta at
one point doing something forhim, but I worked at a guy's
house.
So there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
So we've we've got to give him something to cope,
is all I'm saying, right?
We need a lot of things.
He's he's so important.
We really need to make sure he'staken care of.
That's all I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00 (00:50):
That's a good one, though.
Uh so damagel, not bad.
Good, not bad.
That's all I heard.
Scott hates Chicago.
Scott says small business ownersget the shaft.
Let's go, hoorah, let's go.
Welcome to the Small BusinessSafari, where I help guide you
to avoid those traps, pitfalls,and dangers that lurk when
navigating the wild world ofsmall business ownership.
I'll share those gold nuggets ofinformation and invite guests to
(01:12):
help accelerate your ascent tothat mountaintop of success.
It's a jungle out there, and Iwant to help you traverse
through the levels of owningyour own business that can get
you bogged down and distract youfrom hitting your own personal
and professional goals.
So strap in Adventure Team andlet's take a ride through the
safari to get you to know.
(01:36):
Hey everybody, podcast land.
We're ready to rock and roll.
Got this don't check sounds.
Good.
And I'm like, great.
And we're not going to tell youwhat happened right before this,
but yeah, Chris done.
Fucked it up again, Alan.
And I got the sound rightbecause Scott was genius enough
to say, hey guys, I think youdon't have your mics working.
And sure enough, we don't.
Same stuff, different days.
Here we go.
(01:57):
Chris, you you master oftechnology.
You'd hit the dump button so youcould tell me to FO and he heard
it.
I know.
I know.
That was good.
So we won't be playing thatepisode, everybody.
So we're going to try thisepisode.
So, hey, everybody, how's yourweek going?
Well, it was going really gooduntil I did all that.
I'm going to promise you thatone right now.
But I do got to talk about uhone of the guys who called in uh
(02:19):
off the podcast, CustomIntegrated Solutions, man.
I had these guys call in andsay, Hey, uh, or you contact me
through email, like you all can,Chris at the trusted
toolbox.com.
I'll give you 30 minutes.
We'll talk.
And he says, Hey, I listen tothe podcast, love what you're
saying.
Can we uh jump on a call?
And I'm like, Yeah, man.
I said, I get on the call withhim.
I'm like, dude, I can't findyour website.
(02:40):
I'm like, what do you guys do?
He goes, Oh, yeah, we haven'tgotten around to doing that.
And so I jump right into coachmode.
Oh, you know, you don't have awebsite, man.
I said, How long have you guysbeen at this?
He goes, 30 years.
I'm like, oh, yeah, coach.
You were gonna get allmastermind group on him, and he
just schooled you.
He pulled it on your pants over.
I am so jelly with these guys,man.
They got an awesome business.
(03:02):
What they do is they work withultra wealthy clients in
Southern California and put inintegrated A V solutions in
these people's homes.
And all of their all of their uhwork comes from referrals, not
one advertising thingwhatsoever.
Uh I can see why you're jealous.
I am so jealous.
Are you gonna get into the uhtrusted A B toolbox?
I I can't.
(03:22):
I want I want nothing buthigh-end people who just give me
blank checks, like we're aboutto ask Scott for.
Yeah, by the way, Scott, youwill get to talk.
No, but yeah, hold that.
I don't need to, dude.
I that's good.
unknown (03:34):
It's good.
SPEAKER_00 (03:36):
So you're we gotta invitation precede you.
That's right.
Uh so we jumped on this onereally quick because we've got
Scott Walder and everybody.
I'm feeling unlocked, unhinged.
He unlocks everything around theworld for your culture and your
business.
But Alan says, Man, I'm reallylooking forward to talking to
this guy today.
And yes, you guys, you'll allhear from him in a minute, but
(03:56):
you got to hear how I met thisdude.
He was at the Nary cutting edgeevent, which I'm the president
of Nary.
What role do you play at Nary?
I am the president.
Yeah, I'm curious.
Thank you.
I'm glad you guys asked.
Uh not only am I this is gonnabe fun, Scott.
I feel uh you know, kindredspirit of finally I will have
two on one versus Chris.
Oh no.
All right, I'll take it.
(04:17):
You know what?
Because I could be extra.
I don't know.
You're a little extra.
Yeah, it's extra.
One of my sons, colleagues, thekid from school, said that uh,
hey, my uncle has met your dadin Michigan.
He goes, Yeah, he remembers himbeing a little extra, kind of an
asshole, but kind of funny.
I'm like, Yeah, I'll take it allup.
So we get into this.
I'm doing the Nary event, nearyevent's over.
Uh Scott's walking out.
(04:38):
Somebody says, Have you metScott?
I said I didn't.
He was one of our speakers.
Oh, thanks for doing that.
And uh they say, Oh, he's got abook too.
I'm like, Oh yeah, you got abook?
Great.
I got a podcast.
I said, You got to come on mypodcast.
He goes, Great, I got a book,I'll come on your podcast.
And the elevator doors close.
Boom.
And here we are today, open.
Open the elevator doors'favorite networking event ever.
Yeah, it was favorite shit.
(04:58):
Three times speed, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Which which net which network which event was
it?
SPEAKER_00 (05:01):
This is the Nary cutting edge event, I believe.
Oh, aren't you are you do youare you doing something with
that?
Did you did I mention did Imention that uh not only am I
the president of Larry NaryAtlanta, but I'm on the national
board.
Oh high-end remodelers who dogreat work, Scotty.
Thanks so much.
Is it president a big deal?
I I don't I don't know.
Or did there other titles?
(05:22):
Well, funny enough, I actuallylobbied to move it to SAR, and
they said no.
Supreme leader, and I said, Do Iget do I get to have a crown and
a scepter?
And they said no.
Emperor is a cool title.
I am Emperor of Neri.
Can I do that?
Please kiss the ring.
The Emperor's now start of theroom.
Thank you.
All right.
Throw him up.
SPEAKER_01 (05:43):
Is that what you were doing?
Because I did see the throne inthere.
I didn't know if that was gonnabe like used by you or if like
what was going on with that.
SPEAKER_00 (05:50):
I I thought the security guards were gonna keep
you away from me, but no.
I you know, I'm like, where'dthey go?
I I'm I'm I'm empty, I could getshot here.
I mean, I could be John Lennon,I could go down, somebody
protect the king.
SPEAKER_01 (05:59):
Yeah, you had to fire those guys, they did not do
a good job.
SPEAKER_00 (06:02):
Scott, all right, Scott Waldron's here, guys.
We have got to get into this.
Scott, you should let him talkbecause he's kind of a big deal.
He actually is a way biggerdeal, I know.
And guys, go check this out.
We're gonna give you all thestuff and the details here.
Um, he's a speaker, he's anauthor, he's got his own
podcast.
He actually is a business owner,so he knows what you're going
through and what you're dealingwith.
And we're excited to have ScottWaldron on here, a fellow
(06:24):
Atlantin, but had decided not tocome in here in person.
And he missed out on the bourbonsmashes or just I did, but I do
have a bottle of water.
Yeah, that's close to coolstuff.
So, Scott, welcome to the show.
Before we get into it, I reallygot to know how did you get to
this position?
Because I looked at your yourLinkedIn profile.
It's some pretty interestingstuff you did early on.
(06:45):
And uh, and to get to this, uhtalk about your arc and your
career.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
Well, I was the uh the artsy fartsy kid in high
school, right?
So I loved music, I loved, Iplayed music, I was in lots of
bands growing up, and and Iloved skateboarding, I loved the
art scene, I did a lot ofphotography growing up, and I
don't know, I was that kid,right?
So I did a lot of that.
Um it's the girls that way.
Well, yeah, I did.
SPEAKER_00 (07:09):
Hey, and so modest.
He was trying to go, uh uh yeah.
No, you gotta see that look onYouTube, folks.
SPEAKER_01 (07:15):
It did happen.
So the uh I I just I went toGeorgia State.
I went there for music industrybecause I wanted to actually
make money doing the art thingbecause it was like a practical
too, right?
I wasn't getting good enough tobe like a musician that was
gonna crush it.
So I go to do music industry andI said, Wow, this is not my jam.
This takes all the love out ofmusic for me.
It's all kind of dirty and kindof backstabbing and whatever.
(07:37):
So I was like, uh, I'm not doingthat.
So then I actually went toSwitzerland for a couple of
years.
I lived there and I talked to alot of people and I learned
Swiss German, and I did.
So if any of you guys know SwissGerman, we can talk whatever
afterwards.
SPEAKER_00 (07:56):
Between German and Swiss German.
I mean, um, probably the biggestquestion.
Great, quick question.
SPEAKER_01 (08:00):
Do you want to hear?
Do you want to hear thedifference?
SPEAKER_00 (08:02):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (08:03):
Okay, this is my perfect example.
I'm gonna say I left thewheelbarrow outside.
Okay.
Regular German, please correctme, Germans, if I'm wrong.
Each habit is SchubladenDraussenglassen.
Okay, each habited uh SchubladenDrausseglassen.
Swiss will say e called GolretDruseglossa.
(08:23):
Oh, good lord, that's verydifferent.
Oh my god, that's way different.
It's a little bit like Swedishchef, kind of, you know?
It's like hurdy, hurtdy, hurry,hurt, so yeah, so that's it was
different.
It's different, and it's notwritten, it's not a written
language.
So the Swiss love it was becausethe Germans don't really
understand them, but theyunderstand the Germans, and it's
it's a whole thing.
(08:43):
Anyway, I went there, came back,and I said, uh, I'm gonna try
the art thing, but I still wantto make money.
So get a theme here.
Music want to make money, artnow.
I want to make money.
I was like, I'm gonna notconnect.
No, they well, yeah, they dographic design.
I was like, ah, I'm gonna dothat.
I had a friend in advertising,another friend that was doing
(09:04):
some web stuff, and he's like,You gotta go to this art school.
So in Buckhead, there's a aschool there, it was the
portfolio center of the time,Miami Ad School now.
And I went there for two yearsand um got recruited for an uh
during my eighth quarter.
It's a two-year program to go toChicago and work at an agency,
global agency up there.
So worked up there for sevenyears, was cold.
SPEAKER_00 (09:27):
That was yeah, he actually finished in two years.
That was eight quarters.
Thank God it wasn't a three-yearprogram because you were out of
fingers.
SPEAKER_01 (09:32):
I just no you are you.
I saw you counting, man.
I saw you counting.
Um, so went up there, cold,poor.
Um, it's by the way, Illinois'kind of ugly, y'all.
I'm just saying.
Okay.
Just say it.
As a guy, I'm just sayingbanana.
Chicago is one of the coolestcities on this I've ever been
(09:53):
to.
And it's one of my favoritecities ever.
It's just born in the it wasjust it's just built in one of
the crappiest places in thecountry.
So I'm just gonna say that.
People are gonna argue with meall day, whatever.
So we said we're Walgreens.
What's that's the only quoteyou're gonna put on this, aren't
you?
That's it.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
Chicago is the worst city ever, as a guy from
Detroit.
Yes, of course I am.
SPEAKER_01 (10:15):
Yeah, there you go.
There you go.
Um, so anyway, that says Chicagosucks.
She got endorsed, right, by me.
There is a um, so we gotpregnant and we're like, you
know what, we're gonna move backto Atlanta where we're from, our
family's here, we don't want toraise our kids here.
So we moved back to Atlanta,became managing partner of that
firm.
I started our Atlanta office andbuilt that up to a small agency
(10:39):
size, about eight people, andwas like, you know, I don't like
all this payroll.
And so I said, This is a lot ofpressure, this is a lot of
whatever, right?
And that was just eight people.
Some of you out there have 30,40, 50, 100.
I don't know how many people youhave, but it's a lot of
pressure.
And I was just like, I don'tknow, like, I don't know if I
(11:01):
really want to carry this on.
So did that, built it up.
Meanwhile, I'm doing a lot ofspeaking.
I'm starting my speaking career.
Um, I'm getting out there anddoing some promotion for the
company for the company.
Also, I'm also talking a lotabout brand strategy, talking
about social media strategy.
I'm talking about developingyour personas and doing all the
things that represent your brandand your company.
(11:23):
Um here was my little ahamoment, right?
Small businesses, I think theyget the shaft when it comes to
marketing agencies.
Okay.
I was like, this, I because Iwas talking to a lot of smaller
businesses at chambers and andlocal events, and I said, What
(11:44):
are you all doing for like yourbrand strategy work?
And they're like, Oh, I don'tknow what that is.
I just need a logo, a Facebookpage, and a website, and I'm
just good.
And I'm like, No, not really.
That marketing agency just wantsyou to do that, and they're just
gonna crap something out for youso that then they can charge you
some kind of ridiculous retainerfor things you don't know what
you're paying for.
Like it's called SEO or whateveryou want to call it, and um it's
(12:09):
and they're probably doinggarbage work for you, but you
don't know, so you just kind ofkeep paying them this retainer
fee.
SPEAKER_00 (12:16):
You're a hundred percent right about that.
SPEAKER_01 (12:17):
You am I?
SPEAKER_00 (12:18):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Do y'all feel my pain?
You know you are.
I say it's 98%, right?
You know, I'm not kicking themall 100, but yeah, no, I'm
pretty thank you.
And yeah, the keep me humble,man.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
I'm a German critic in keep me humble, Chris.
Yeah, so I I started with Germancritic, I'm the German critic.
That's right.
I started, I started to be alittle bit.
I'm trying to like fight for theI'm fighting for the for that
that entrepreneur, that startupguy, that that person that's
like building his companies, heis mortgaging everything he has
to start this company and go outon a limb.
(12:50):
He's leaving his corporate lifeto start this company.
And I'm like, gosh, you guys,like there's so much more out
there.
So, anyway, there's so I'mstarting to consult them more
and coach them more.
And I was like, this coachingthing is awesome.
I ran into another um nowcolleague of mine who was
speaking at the same event.
He was doing more leadershipkind of coaching and speaking,
(13:11):
and I was doing some brandstrategy work there.
And he goes, Hey, you want totrade me?
You can bring join one of myleadership cohorts, but I need
some brand strategy work for mystuff.
And I was like, Okay, that'scool.
I know about this leadershipstuff.
I worked with John Maxwell for anumber of years and branding a
lot of his products and thatthere, but that's a great name.
SPEAKER_00 (13:29):
He just slid it in.
Is that how you do that?
Is that what he did?
Yeah, you didn't think Chris,you need to take a note on that.
I know when you say I'mpresident of Neri, you normally
pause for the applause, for theapplause.
He just he just kind of rollsand just drops John Maxwell in
the fast.
SPEAKER_01 (13:45):
Like say it really fast.
SPEAKER_00 (13:46):
So he's doing some work for John Maxwell, and then
that's right.
Oh I know I like how he didthat.
But but by the way, isn't JohnMaxwell was I mean, it was when
he was here in Atlanta, right?
SPEAKER_01 (14:53):
Yeah, he's yeah, yeah.
Well, I mean, he he still kindof is he's he's in Florida, he's
in Florida.
That's he has that house inFlorida, but I mean it's um, but
he he's up here sometimes, buthe doesn't do as much.
Mark Cold does a lot with theJohn Maxwell company and running
a lot of that stuff now.
SPEAKER_00 (15:08):
And when I first started the business, though,
one of John Maxwell's uh one ofhis employees lived here in
Atlanta.
We worked for him.
Yeah, I thought John was uhlocated here in Atlanta, I
guess.
So are you trying to drop JohnMaxwell?
Because you know you didsomething.
I'm just doing six degreeseparation dry wall for John
Maxwell.
So I'm telling Scott that wehave common people in common.
We do.
I feel so much John Maxwell'sguy who worked for him in
(15:31):
Atlanta.
SPEAKER_01 (15:31):
I am so I feel so connected to you, Chris, right
now.
Like, dude, elevator, JohnMaxwell.
What else can we say here?
SPEAKER_00 (15:40):
It all comes to the case.
We're gonna find all we're gonnafind.
Oh, it goes in, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (15:43):
Um, but I was like, I I know about this leadership.
I'm a creative agency guy.
I don't really need that.
My people love me, it's allgood.
Well, I joined this cohort twomonths later.
I said, I am probably one of theworst communicators, like when
it comes to like interpersonalstuff.
Like, I think I'm like my peoplereally like me and I like them
and chummy chummy, and myclients like me a lot, but I
(16:04):
figured I found out that I'm notgreat at communicating.
I was helping companiescommunicate, but I personally,
as a leader, wasn't great at it.
So changed my life, my wholeperspective.
So I started shifting a lot ofwhat I did to what I call
internal brand development.
External brand development issales marketing, whatever you do
outside.
And I said, clients, if you wantme to do your external brand
(16:26):
stuff, I have to first do theinternal brand stuff.
I'm gonna work with yourleaders, I'm gonna work with
your teams, I'm gonna work withcohesiveness in time internally,
because you can't be healthy onthe outside if you're unhealthy
on the inside, right?
We learn that through health andall kinds of other things,
right?
And we can fake it for a while,but it's eventually going to
bring us down.
So college football is what wentthrough my mind.
SPEAKER_00 (16:49):
You gotta get a recruit your own team.
I mean, oh you know, I thoughtabout when you had it when when
things aren't going right,college football.
I'm like, yeah, I'm withSaturdays, I'm running Sundays.
I mean, everyone's well, you gotto continually recruit your own
team.
You know, it used to be you hadyour you had your players, you
had them for four years, and nowyou got your players, and you're
hoping to keep them for one.
That's a great point.
Yeah, that's yeah, yeah, you'reright.
SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
That is interesting.
I never thought about that.
That's really smart.
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (17:14):
You know what?
I often take Alan's ideas andmake them my own and tell him
about them back.
I'm like, Alan, I got a greatidea.
SPEAKER_01 (17:20):
He goes, You should just here's what you should do.
You should mic, you should muteAlan's mic when he says
something, just repeat it backlike you're active listening,
and then you're saying it intothe mic, and nobody can really
hear what he's saying.
SPEAKER_00 (17:32):
So you know, uh, you know, Alan Facts had something
going here.
Well, Alan, he because helistens to all of our podcasts,
everybody.
Alan does the check.
So I can't uh pull one over onhim, but I I guarantee you the
reason he's doing that isbecause he's trusting but
verifying that I didn't justlike take him out of the entire
episode.
SPEAKER_01 (17:50):
I I love it, I love it.
Those are the high levels oftrust here.
SPEAKER_00 (17:53):
Developing our team, I love that idea.
You take your outward becausethat's I mean, you do you got an
internal market.
I mean, this is um this is goodstuff.
SPEAKER_01 (18:00):
Let's yeah, I mean, your your external brand, people
focus so much on recruitment,recruitment, recruitment.
And then once we get in, weunderestimate the impact of how
much our culture will destroy orenhance that relationship.
We kind of like to got them in,get them onboarded, give them
the the handbook, you know, thePDF, whatever, let them read
(18:20):
through it, you know, train themfor a day, and then we're like,
people aren't loyal anymore.
Then then like we wonder what'sgoing on, right?
SPEAKER_00 (18:29):
Um, you are so right.
I I don't understand why peopleput such a good foot forward
when they're recruiting, andthen the second the person's in,
then they then they become theMedusa that they are.
You know, it just drives mecrazy.
You're talking about the leaderof the company, just the even
the culture.
Yeah, let's let's uh I meanthat's one of the big things
Scott talks about.
(18:49):
Let's talk about culture andwhat it is.
I think a lot of people we talkabout it, we talk around it a
lot.
I don't know if a lot of peoplecan have concrete what that
means because I've said thisbefore.
You have a culture in yourcompany, whether you know it or
not, and whether you'recultivating it or not, your
culture is sitting there, so youbetter understand what it is.
Yeah, and there's no onedefinition of culture.
So, Scott, how how do we dothis?
How do we define our culture?
(19:10):
How do we how do we make itgood?
SPEAKER_01 (19:13):
And what do you do I'm I'm gonna say right now,
it's um company culture is it'sthe air you're breathing, right?
It people don't necessarily payattention to it because it's
just always there and you haveit, whether you know it or not,
and whether you're working on itor not.
It's it's how work like feels onthe inside, uh, unwritten rules,
(19:34):
shared behaviors, things weallow versus disallow, values we
set, not the five that are onyour break room poster of an
eagle.
Like it's like mindset.
It's like it's how people showup, how they interact, how they
make decisions, and it's all ofthat stuff that we kind of say
(19:56):
that's the soft stuff.
We don't we don't we don't domuch with the snow.
I mean, the soft stuff is thesoft stuff.
We gotta do the hard stuff,right?
Well, the soft stuff is the hardstuff because that is the stuff
that causes people to leave thecompanies that they work for.
Um, and then we just chalk it upto well, we don't have time for
that because that's kind of alonger term investment, and we
(20:18):
really just want immediateresults, like whatever.
Anyway, you got to work on thisproposal right now.
So we'll get to your stufflater, you know.
SPEAKER_00 (20:28):
So I guess the dam it doll is not a good thing to
pull out when somebody's talkingto you and they say something
stupid and you start slammingthe desk.
No, that is actually good.
So no, Scott, do not know it isdo not be the beast.
The damn it doll I was gonna sayoutloaded in the company because
they said we have got to savemore trash cans, we need to get
Chris something else.
And next thing I know I walkinto the office on my desk is a
(20:49):
damn it doll.
SPEAKER_01 (20:51):
Well, you know what?
He is the president of Neri.
I'm just well I don't know ifyou guys know this.
Uh also published author, I'lljust wrap it up real quick.
SPEAKER_00 (20:59):
And uh and I know John Maxwell's guy who worked
for Atlanta at one point doingsomething for him, but I worked
at a guy's house.
So there you go.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
So we've we've got to give him something to cope,
is all I'm saying, right?
We meet a lot of things.
He's he's so important.
We really need to make sure he'staken care of.
That's all I'm saying.
SPEAKER_00 (21:14):
That's a good one, though.
Uh, so damn it all, not bad.
Good, not bad.
That's all I heard.
Scott hates Chicago.
Scott says, small businessowners get the shaft.
Let's go, hurrah.
Let's go.
And damn it dolls are good.
Damn it.
Damn dolls are good.
I think that's our podcasttitle.
I think we got it.
All right.
Scott says best podcast titleever.
Wow.
(21:35):
Oh my god.
I think I think I'm gonna takethis.
I'm gonna take this speakingengagement.
I think people are gonna die forme to come speak about this.
SPEAKER_01 (21:41):
That's about that.
SPEAKER_00 (21:42):
Isn't good.
SPEAKER_01 (21:42):
I wonder if I can make that one of my speaking
engagement.
SPEAKER_00 (21:45):
I challenge you right on the air.
I challenge you, and we're in alot of continents like
Australia, so uh in thegalaxies.
So I'm gonna challenge you tohave one of your um speaking um
session titles, Dammit Dolls AreGood.
Okay, here goes back.
I'm writing it down.
I'm coming in.
I I'll promote the shit out ofthat.
(22:06):
Do it in Vegas, and Chris willbe there as he'll do a cameo,
especially around uh NFL ProFootball playoffs.
SPEAKER_01 (22:12):
Do you, when you go to Vegas, do you wear any of
those outfits that the girlswear that have angel wings and
that want your picture takenwith them?
SPEAKER_00 (22:21):
So that's why I do a podcast and a radio show.
Did I mention that too?
Uh, is that uh this face isbuilt for radio.
I guess that it's I'm a littleoff on that one.
All right, I was just checking.
I'm just checking.
Good cut, good, yeah.
I think that's a good question.
Good visual.
Actually, I'm thinking aboutdoing a residency at the sphere.
I can't even say it because I'lllaugh it too hard.
I think I'm gonna do theresidency at the sphere uh when
(22:43):
they ask.
Say it one more time.
I can't because it's so bad.
And Cindy, I know you'relaughing your ass off.
Just cut some of that.
No, don't give me a littlesaying about it.
Cindy just a list.
She does.
She listens, she comes in, shegoes, Remember how many times
you go and said Ed.
Go back three seconds.
I don't I've got to.
And then it would just go out inthe air.
I know.
It's it's he literally sits atthe office next to me.
Cindy sits in the office nownext to me.
(23:05):
Yeah, all right, let's go backto scratch, shall we?
That's like, oh god, what Iknow, but what if I know why I
joined this thing?
I'm wasting.
SPEAKER_01 (23:11):
Oh, wait, are we recording right now?
SPEAKER_00 (23:12):
Oh, there we go.
That's a really good questionbecause I'm not sure.
Cindy, roll it.
No, I'm kidding.
But let's do it.
Let's do it.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (23:21):
All right.
SPEAKER_00 (23:22):
Um, so I I think culture building.
SPEAKER_01 (23:25):
I think that one of the I, you know, I get that
there's business pressures.
I get that we have to makemoney.
And sometimes the culture stuffis kind of like the, you know
what, is this is there a directROI of this like culture
training stuff that we're doingright now and investing in our
leaders?
And like, what's the direct ROIof this?
Well, I will tell you right nowthe direct ROI is your people
(23:49):
not leaving.
That um, you know, one and ahalf times salary is what it
takes to replace somebody.
Um, you know, there's all kindsof debate on what the real
number is, but if you just well,let's just throw one and a half
times out because it soundsgood.
SPEAKER_00 (24:02):
That's low.
I think that's low.
You think it's higher?
I think it's way higher, likeway higher.
Let's say two and a half.
Two?
Two and a half.
Oh, oh, oh, you want me tocommit to a number?
I know it's way higher.
SPEAKER_01 (24:13):
I do, I do.
Alan, I I do.
SPEAKER_00 (24:16):
I'll do the math I'll give you.
I agree.
It is higher.
No, you're right.
I mean, you guys are 100% right.
It depends on what businessyou're in.
But if you've got like, youknow, client base and whatever
that you think you're risking, Imean, yeah, it's a lot.
SPEAKER_01 (24:27):
It's it's it's it's a lot, and um, you know, people
don't people don't think aboutit until it happens, and then
they're like, uh, where's mydamage doll?
Because I really need and I'mvery frustrated right now.
So they instead of doing we'retoo reactive, man.
We are way too reactive in ourworld.
(24:48):
Alan's way too reactive.
Reactive.
We need to be more proactive,and that is called
intentionality, which is why mybook premeditation is what the
word I mean.
Is that what it's called?
SPEAKER_00 (25:00):
Uh that's that what you tell the judge.
I was just being proactive.
It's so funny.
I uh just in a couple weeks,that's exactly what I'm gonna
say.
If if this was not premeditated,I was being proactive.
I was being pro my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (25:12):
Oh gosh.
Okay.
Well, yes.
I did.
You know what?
We're gonna couple that with thethe name of my book, right?
We're gonna put those togetherso you can use this in the same
thing.
So legally could legally I getin trouble.
So this is great.
Unlocked a 52 week guide for theintentional leader.
The reason why I wanted to beintentional, right?
Did y'all oh, by the way, I justhappen to have a copy right
(25:33):
here.
Did y'all submit?
SPEAKER_00 (25:34):
Oh my god, there's a book.
Is he an author?
Hey, where's your book?
I don't have a book because Ibooked far behind.
I book it smaller than him.
I just have a little one.
A tiny book, but that'sfantastic.
It's mostly pictures, and youknow what's already not.
All right, so let's talk aboutthis book a little bit.
Uh yeah.
What when did you have the ideato do it?
And then like like 10 years ago.
SPEAKER_01 (25:53):
And then when did you finally publish it?
Like two years, two a year and ahalf, yeah, year and a half ago.
So we so you're being you're abig intentional of sell us
together.
Yeah, I'd be, I was just reallythinking hard about it, you
know.
No, here's what it was.
Um, I was completely paralyzed,and I read all these other books
(26:13):
and I had imposter syndrome.
I've never written a bookbefore.
Yeah, and I was like, huh.
I'm gonna Adam Grant and SimonSinek, and I read all these
people, and I'm going, there'sno way I can write a book, like,
nor do I want to write a300-page science-based,
research-based book on all thisstuff.
I'm like, that soundsridiculous, and I can't do that,
(26:35):
and I'm not gonna do that.
So one day I'm sitting there andalso I had my podcast.
So what I did is I livedvicariously through all of the
authors that came on my show.
So I never had to write a bookbecause I just, you know, said,
Well, I interview authors, so Idon't need to be one.
Well, they all kept asking mewhen you're gonna write your
book, when you're gonna writeyour book.
I was doing speaking gigs allover the country.
People were like, Hey, do youever book out?
(26:56):
Hey, my audience wants yourbook.
And I'm just like, you know,rubbing it in my face that he
didn't have a book.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
So did you write it out of spite then, just to shut
them up?
A little bit.
Okay.
It was a little, and that's howI launched it.
I said, Love that question, takethat.
In spite, I'm unlocked.
That's right.
That's it.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:17):
And so um sold one copy after I launched that.
SPEAKER_00 (27:21):
It was great.
The advertising help on thebook.
I think we got you covered.
All right, yeah, we got this.
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (27:26):
That's it.
There, um, and then one day, andI'm this is a little plug for
Chat GBT, my sponsor.
Is that I went, I'm justkidding.
There now is my sponsor.
And what's this Chat GBT thingcame out?
SPEAKER_00 (27:40):
How did that go?
I would have said, Oh my god, Ithink he's really sponsored by
Chat GBT.
SPEAKER_01 (27:43):
I should everything's got I know I do
too.
I should have said, now you'renot gonna believe anything I say
because I just said anyway.
I um I started plugging somestuff in.
I was like, hey, what if Italked about this?
What would that look like?
Give me 10 chapters.
It gave me 10 chapters.
I was like, what is this beast?
Joking?
(28:03):
No, I said that's interesting.
So I had these 10 chapters and Ididn't use them, but it was it.
I'm a riffer, man.
So I like to riff.
I like to like throw stuff outthere, see what comes back.
And and I said, Well, write anintro for me for this thing.
What would that look like?
It wrote it and I was like, Oh,that's pretty good.
It's not exactly what I wouldsay, but I was like, this is
pretty good.
This gets so it got me rolling.
(28:24):
Then I've collected quotes fromlike, I don't know, from people
for like seven, 10, 12 years,and I had this bank of quotes.
And so I was like, What am I whyam I making this hard?
I've already got content, I'vegot these quotes, I already
write short form content, and Ilove this idea of
transformation.
(28:44):
So inspiration, application,transformation.
The book is formatted in 52 weekchunks, so I didn't have to
write a ton.
I have inspiration, which is oneof these quotes that I've
already collected, I alreadyhave it.
And then I riff off that, soit's like a page maybe of me, my
thoughts about that quote andhow it applies to you as a
(29:05):
leader.
And then there's application,which is what are you gonna do
about it?
Every week I want you to dosomething, take action.
After 52 weeks of doing that,you will be a reinvented human
being.
So, Chris, there's hell.
I need it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:22):
I skipped right to uh uh week 36, and I just read
one week 36 and week 37.
So I need to go back because ifyou go to his website and see
this, this is the chapter Iwanted to read.
Like, yeah, I'm not gonna beable to quote it.
But it basically is it's okay tostart with anger, but it's not
okay to end with anger.
I'm like, um kind of you'rehalfway there.
(29:43):
Anger's a great starter, but ahorrible finisher.
Horrible finisher, yeah.
I was like, well, yeah.
So I read it and I was like, ohdude, yeah, no, he's right.
So it's show notes, so it's theshow notes so far.
Right.
Chicago, I hate Chicago, damn itdolls are good, and Chat GPT
wrote my book.
Uh is that what you wrote mybook?
(30:05):
Go read my book written byChatGBT.
Oh my gosh.
Or I I like small businesses getthe shaft.
I so love that one.
That is good.
Yeah, man, there's so much tohang on here.
SPEAKER_01 (30:14):
Oh god, this is so good.
Clarification, Alan.
I've got it.
Chat GPT did not write me abook.
It helped me write my book,though.
It totally did.
And I think any of you out therewho have shame about that should
not feel it.
SPEAKER_00 (30:27):
Um, no, our listeners are very intelligent,
they they understand humans.
SPEAKER_01 (30:31):
I did write my own book, um, but man, ChatGPT is a
tool that you should use forwatching.
SPEAKER_00 (30:37):
Uh stay tuned.
Uh next couple episodes.
Uh, we're bringing on an AIchampion, and I'm going to tell
you that I'm going to be able totalk about how I've actually
implemented it in my ownbusiness.
And it has been absolutely 1000%gonna scare the shit out of the
early nervous about thatalready.
Yeah.
So let's just watch Terminator.
It's coming true.
It is.
SPEAKER_01 (30:56):
So did you watch uh what's it called?
Transcendence?
SPEAKER_00 (30:59):
No, my son and I watched Terminator together for
the first time last night, whichwas really fun.
Yeah, just kind of old schoolmovie.
That was Arnory first uh bigdeal, James Cameron, you know,
and right so that but it'scoming true.
Well, what's chat GBT?
Oh, it totally is.
But what's transcendent?
Is that the other?
Well, I want to know the otherone because I'm Transcendence.
SPEAKER_01 (31:19):
Um that that was the one with Johnny Depp, um, where
uh he at the very beginning ofthe movie, spoiler alert, um, he
gets shot.
He's this real like brainiacdude that's bringing AI to the
world really fast.
They've learned how to takehuman conscience and put it into
the thing.
And he gets shot by someonewho's really scared of AI, aka
(31:40):
Allen, and somebody shoots him,he's gonna die.
But his wife, who's his businesspartner, says, We can upload his
conscience into the AI thing andkeep him alive.
So they upload his conscience inthere and he starts like taking
over the world.
And she has this real bigdilemma about whether it's
really him or not.
(32:01):
It's his conscience, and then helike is is talking like him, he
acts like him, and likeeverything's happened.
So I'm just saying it's prettypretty freaky to think about um
that that could be happening.
SPEAKER_00 (32:12):
But let's go back to this book because you can when
when you read, I did I I'veread, I wouldn't say all of
them, I've read a couple ofchapters.
It is very easy to to digest forsomebody like me who's a
hummingbird who doesn't like toread.
I think you use the word readread liberally.
I skimmed quickly.
No, I can't.
No, I did read it.
No, it was good.
Like I said, yeah, I all youhave to do is skim it.
(32:32):
It's you're not supposed to likesuper duper read it.
But you know what?
I I thought, and I actually satthere and thought for five or
ten minutes.
And isn't that what reading'ssupposed to be?
What's the last book you'vesuper duper read?
The last book is super duperduper.
I've never read that one, by theway.
Uh that would kill you.
Oh my god, there's no way it'dkill me.
Right?
Uh, last book I super duperread.
(32:54):
Oh, uh read or audio book.
No, I'm I'm like, you wereskimming it to get the
highlights, and all of a suddenyou're like, you know what?
I need to slow down.
I've done so many audiobooks.
Uh but the Elon Musk book, thelast one, uh, I I I would tell
you that that's one where Iactually would listen to a
chapter, pause it, and think fora minute.
I'm like, wow, this guy's cool.
Crazy.
(33:14):
I mean, this guy is an assholegenius.
I mean, he is just genius, buthe's still an asshole first.
I'm like, wow, so you're alittle extra.
You're a little extra.
Extra.
Which I'm thinking we get alongreally well.
Yeah, 50% there too.
He would hate me.
But he goes in that surge mode,and I'm sitting there, I was I
mean, I was like driving.
I almost ran everybody off theroad.
(33:36):
Um, in fact, I was on uh I wason Atlanta News, I think, about
that.
But that doesn't matter.
All right, the chopper.
But he won't stop.
He just keeps driving.
He's a white Bronco.
I don't know what's going on.
All right, so Scott, back to thebook.
Uh, so you use the book to getyour thoughts out there.
Um, but I real real question.
Why did you write it?
(33:56):
Did you write it to help thelead end, or did you write it?
You wrote it to say a few to thepeople that were that's right
that you write a book.
SPEAKER_01 (34:02):
No, no, no, no, no, no.
So I'm a few different reasons.
I know what you heard.
It is it is another kind offeather in my personal cap of
I'm a published author, I havedone this thing.
Okay.
Um, we I think we need those inlife to kind of say, you know, I
am an author.
(34:23):
Weird to me for to for me toever even say that.
Okay.
I am a leader, I am a dad.
I am a when we I when wepersonally give ourselves
labels, they are reallyimportant, okay.
Um, positive ones, I would saythey're helpful.
Um that we can Alan's thinking,what can I say right now?
I can see him.
I could see him.
SPEAKER_00 (34:43):
Yes, and he just snorted.
You get Alan to snort.
That's a good one.
That's oh gosh, so Alan justsnorted off of Scott Job.
That's good.
SPEAKER_01 (34:50):
Yeah, that's it.
That's it.
Um, but there was a personalreason for that.
Um, but I do feel this issomething supplemental to my
coaching.
So a lot of my coaching clientswill get a copy of my book.
I had one client that I'mcoaching out in Denver, CEO
there, who said, Hey, can I getthe I can I get 20 more copies?
I want my leadership team toalso be doing this.
(35:11):
So we're gonna every week we'regonna read a chapter together
and then we're gonna process,and then that next week we're
gonna come back and kind of talkabout it.
So a lot of companies are doingthat.
Um, ACEC uh in Georgia, um,they're doing it there.
If you all know the ACEC crew,um, but they're they're doing it
AG, uh AGC, uh, if you know theAssociation General Contractors.
(35:31):
Um yeah.
Some of them have been doing it.
SPEAKER_00 (35:33):
So uh what you just talked about with that that's
actually where I was gonna gowith this, is that this book
really lends itself well to abook club mentality.
And uh we do book club at mycompany with my sales guys and
my project managers, um, wherethey come in and talk about one
topic once a week uh foreducational.
So they'll read one chapter of abook, it's 100 days of selling
(35:53):
and home selling, and thenthey'll talk about it, they'll
reflect you know, they'llthey'll all give their thoughts
and we go around the room andeverybody has to have one.
And I think this book lendsitself so well to that, talking
about being actionable.
And we didn't really answer thequestion.
My my big answer on culture isit starts from the training and
starts from the foundation.
And if you're not staying infront of people and doing things
(36:14):
and showing them what it's liketo be somebody who's in this
company doing things right andthen rewarding people who do
good things, and then tellingpeople when they screw up, hey,
you screwed up.
And uh, I'm really good at that.
Is that the way you say it?
Hey, you screwed up.
Oh no, a hundred percent.
No, no, that did not happen.
Lead with anger.
Uh, I think it's start withanger.
I I'm thinking of the basictraining scene.
(36:35):
I think full metal jacket.
That's probably close.
Yeah.
Actually, uh we we've alreadytalked about uh I've had to make
a big uh I wanna I want to sayit's really cool things with
Scott here, but culture change.
No, I flip I was flippingtables, bro.
I uh flipped them over, I wasletting them have it, and uh I
said something and I let thisguy have it.
(36:56):
I said a lot of stuff thatcannot be repeated on the
podcast.
Can't be taken back either.
Oh, I definitely didn't gettaken back.
And the general manager afterthe guy left it, my general
manager looked at me and says,I'm not sure what you said, but
it definitely sunk in.
I'd like wow, okay.
SPEAKER_01 (37:11):
Yeah, there's so there's there's certain aspects
of this is where my um whatmakes me a little bit different
as a uh tech typical executivecoach or um team culture guy is
that I come from the brandstrategy world.
So when I sit there and I listento things like that, um I say,
how is every interaction youhave is either uh brand deposit
or brand withdrawal from fromyour account, right?
SPEAKER_00 (37:34):
So uh are you I I took a big one out, kind of like
Scott's uh hourly coaching uhcalls.
So you made a deposit, there'sno doubt about that.
So I took it in print with intoyeah, no, that was a big
withdrawal.
The rest of the officeunfortunately heard it all.
They might have got a deposit.
SPEAKER_01 (37:52):
Well, it depends, right?
And I and I sit there and I lookat things and I say, um, you
know, there are people in yourin your mind right now that you
remember from 20 years ago inyour career, whatever, either
people on your team or leadersthat you had, mentors you had,
that built you up or they toreyou down.
(38:14):
That is your that is a brandimpression in there in your
brain forever for that person.
100%.
That's how they're gonna be,that's how they're remembered.
And then I always ask people,how are people gonna think and
talk about you in 20 years?
Shut up, Alan.
Alan is glad, he's ready.
SPEAKER_00 (38:33):
I I'm gonna mute his microphone.
He's ready.
I may I may get the double birdtoday.
Does that only come out everynow and then?
Every now and then, you knowwhat?
But we are on we are on coursefor it today.
We are close.
SPEAKER_01 (38:45):
Okay.
We are my goal is to get it inthere somehow.
SPEAKER_00 (38:48):
I can yeah, I think you're doing a good job of
peeling uh Chris's scalp backand getting inside that head.
Well, we're that's what we'rehere to do today is fix Chris.
SPEAKER_01 (38:57):
I'm just let's fix everything.
SPEAKER_00 (39:00):
I want to hear Scott.
So, Scott, I watched your uhpromotional video on your
website.
Excellent.
You're doing essentially a TEDtalk with uh the beluga whales,
and I was thinking about Chriswith the clicks and everything
and the chirps and the clicksand the whistles and the clicks,
and it's like, you know, thatthat might have been a good one
for Chris to listen to because II think Chris is just chirping
(39:22):
and clicking, and maybe they'renot hearing it in their
language.
This is why communication is soimportant.
I will go listen to it.
No, no, no, no, no, it's Scott'sturn.
SPEAKER_01 (39:31):
I'm sorry, Scott.
Good.
No, I'm I'm no, please.
No, you hold the you get thetalking pen, you get to talk.
Talk the talking pen.
That's it.
We'll virtually pass it back andforth.
This I think that's reallyimportant to understand that you
know that's why communication isa thing.
That yeah, beluga whales, theyhave these chirps, clicks, and
(39:51):
whistles, and they can talk andcommunicate effectively with
each other in a way that theyunderstand.
And um, but sometimes, like, wethink we're communicating
effectively, but we're not, andthen our brand is diminished and
our influence is thereforediminished, and then people
wonder leaders like, why doesanybody follow me?
(40:12):
Why do I have to convince thesepeople?
Nobody's motivated anymore.
I don't know what the problemis.
I gotta light a fire under thatguy.
Like, how many times do you saythat?
And it's like, why do you areyou hiring people or creating a
culture where you're constantlylighting fires under people?
Like, that's a culture problem.
That's not a that's not a themproblem, that's a culture
(40:34):
problem for the most part.
If you're either hiring thewrong people or you're training
in the wrong way, or you'rekeeping the wrong people.
Um so I want you to understandlike let's not light fires under
people, let's light them insidethem.
So my job as a leader.
SPEAKER_00 (40:51):
What a quote.
What a golden nugget.
I gotta all right.
That's the one.
All right, I think is that it'sthat wall.
That was amazing.
Light fires within them.
Oh my god.
That's the quote.
That's the one, guys.
Sorry to demail you, Scott, butthat was so freaking cool I
hadn't pointed out.
Yeah, that's gonna be good.
That's well, but you know, butbut can you keep going?
(41:12):
No, the Chicago quote was reallygood, though.
Not for nothing as a Detroitguy.
I'm thinking so.
SPEAKER_01 (41:18):
You know what I'm saying?
I know.
I feel you.
Thank you.
Um, that's the problem, though,I think is that we are we
exhaust ourselves as leaderstrying to manage our people too
much.
Um, instead of giving them theautonomy that they would feel
empowered to do, finding whatreally motivates them, putting
the effort into leading them asopposed to managing them.
(41:40):
Um, people don't want to bemanaged.
I don't want to be like, hey,I'm like, you know, 45 in my
career, I've been doing this along time, but I need you to
manage me, said nobody ever.
Um exactly, but they like to beled.
They like to be led, they wantto be inspired, they want to be
guided, they want and I will saythe younger generations, all of
(42:02):
you listening right now, if youdo not have an intentional
mentorship or coaching programor some way to invest in those
younger generations, they'regonna leave.
Okay.
Oh, yeah, because they want it,they want it.
And if you're not gonna give itto them, they're gonna go
somewhere else and get it.
So figure that out.
(42:23):
There you go.
SPEAKER_00 (42:23):
Figure that out.
I think we had another bookcoming up.
I think we need to figure thatout like every every month or
every other month.
He said he would.
So for and uh I'm just gonnachat GBT to write it.
Take that, Alan.
He could be AI right now.
And before we get on thepodcast, uh Alan says, Hey, um,
what's your hourly rate?
He goes, for Chris, 4.2 millionfor everybody else, it's
reasonable.
I said, Do you take checks?
(42:45):
He goes, 100% never from you.
I'm like, oh, this guy knows 4.2million, not reasonable.
Is that what you're saying?
Is that what I just heard fromyou?
No, no.
That yeah, I th well, maybe itwould be for me.
Although I'm a little short on.
Are we on YouTube?
Oh, we are.
I just poured a drink all overmy face because the freaking
peaches just dumped out of theglass.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (43:02):
I didn't see it because I'm so focused on Chris,
Ryan.
You just you you you youbasically you disappear into the
shadows when Chris is around.
I'm just saying.
SPEAKER_00 (43:12):
So I'm just a small moon in his universe.
I just found out a way to uhblock him out on YouTube.
But look, guys, go to theYouTube, you'll see my hangover.
All right, Scott.
So obviously, you do thespeaking gigs, you do coaching.
Um, how can people find you?
Who are you looking for?
Uh talk to us a little bit abouthow we can go find you.
SPEAKER_01 (43:31):
I am looking for people that really want to
either level up, they're at kindof this tipping point in their
career, whether they need to,you know, they are those mid-40s
um levels, maybe in their 50sand low 50s, and they're like, I
need to finish out and I need toclimb.
Like right now, I'm stagnant.
(43:51):
I need to, what is that nextlevel for me?
And I need to really step it up.
So a lot of imposter syndromeseeps in because now we're
getting into executive levels,um, ownership of companies,
maybe it's being passed downbecause the boomers are finally
leaving um thank you, boomers.
Like, we don't we don't need youall the time to hold our hands
forever.
Like you can retire, you'reallowed to retire boomers.
(44:13):
So letting the boomers hand passthe baton, but they don't trust
anybody below them.
So I think that if we're reallylooking on investing in that
leadership that is up andcoming, whether it's those
millennials who take up, youknow, over a third of our
workforce right now, andinvesting in them and the Gen
Xers who are going to be takingover all these companies that
(44:34):
already are actually, that'swhat we need to do.
Okay.
Investing in those young leadersthat are hungry for it, that's
who I go after.
Okay.
I'm not here to fix people.
Sorry, Chris.
I know I said that earlier, butpeople come in and they're like,
hey, Scott, yeah, man, I needyou to like fix this guy.
And I'm like, that's not what Ido.
(44:55):
I don't, I don't fix people.
I'm not listening anymore.
I got my doll.
I know.
The um I I show I give peopletools, I give them, I am the
guide.
I am the one who will empoweryou to make the decisions and do
the thing you're so I bet.
You're the only one that can getthat can do it.
All right.
Speaking, coaching, what do youthink you like better?
SPEAKER_00 (45:15):
You like speaking better.
SPEAKER_01 (45:16):
I love speaking, man.
I love it.
It is my it is my jam.
So speaking to associations,speaking at company retreats,
um, facilitating strategicplanning sessions, um,
facilitation workshops are myjam, my bread and butter.
I love riffing, as you can tellon the show.
I love just hanging out withpeople and really getting to
know them well.
So if any of you have trainingsthat you're wanting to conduct
(45:39):
um off sites or whatever you'redoing, let me know.
Um, if you have speaking events,your association, you're you're
doing something, that's where Imet you, Chris.
Um so if y'all are down withthat, I love doing that as well.
The coaching piece is like thelong-term transformation stuff I
get to experience.
That's like the slow burn whereI really love to like get
(46:01):
involved and get to know people.
The speaking stuff is like thequick dopamine hit of like
everybody gets to like has tosit there and stare at me and
listen to me talk for an hoursometimes, which is really like
you know, but I bet you you justfreaking murder it in a training
seminar where it's aninteraction, but it's still like
maybe a weekend.
SPEAKER_00 (46:20):
I'll bet you're just freaking dynamite.
I don't suck, Alan.
I'm just gonna say there we go.
There's another one.
So we say every time we get onthe radio, right before you get
started.
Yeah, it's Chicago, but I don'tI no, honestly, like he wrote my
book.
Damn it.
SPEAKER_01 (46:35):
Humble brag, I've got over 1700 reviews on my
public uh speaking profile thatyou know, 98% of my people want
to hear me speak again.
So it's awesome, it's uh thosetwo percent we don't care about
them, and it also makes it looklegit.
SPEAKER_00 (46:48):
So all right, I love it.
All right, let's go back to thebeginning because you started
out with uh Swedish German andGerman.
Um so you guys want to findScott Waldron.
He has one of the most uniquespellings of Scott I have seen.
So that's S-K-O-T.
There aren't a whole lot ofchoices, uh but this one's
unique.
I think so.
Yeah, I've never seen it before.
Have you?
No.
Oh, okay.
(47:09):
Did you did you change it whenyou became famous to a case?
SPEAKER_01 (47:12):
I yes, in sixth grade, I was famous.
I um no, like I was in ScottWoodruff and Scott Wilson's
class every year in elementaryschool, so I had to put my last
name on it.
I couldn't put Scott W.
I had to put Scott Waldron onevery paper, and it really
pissed me off.
So sixth grade, who's in myclass?
Scott Wilson, Scott Woodruff.
I said, This is so stupid.
So I changed it to SKOT, and Inever had to put my last name on
(47:34):
anything ever again.
Call it lazy.
No, I call it innovative.
SPEAKER_00 (47:40):
Genius, premeditated, premeditated,
premeditated genius, ScottWalton.
SPEAKER_01 (47:45):
Think of how much I always say, think about how much
time I've saved, not putting afifth letter.
That's only four letters.
And you know, I stylize it alittle bit with the K.
It's kind of like Prince.
I'm gonna go to a symbol next.
How many times have peoplemispronounced it?
Um, every now and then I'll havesomebody go, is it Scott?
And I'm like, is there an E onthe end?
(48:05):
They think you're European, likefrom well, they think I'm
Scandinavian.
They're like, is it from likeNorway or something?
I'm like, no, it's from my sixthgrade brain that got really
annoyed with Scott Woodrow forScott Wilson.
And so what um, so actually, ifyou go to my website, I'll say,
No, I'm not Scandinavian andkind of tell you my story about
how how I did that.
So that's it, man.
SPEAKER_00 (48:25):
Guys, this is awesome.
Great episode.
Thank you, Scott, for coming on.
I'm so glad I got to grab yourbook and beg you to come on my
podcast.
You've been awesome and agracious guest as we've had a
little fun.
We got around it.
But you know what?
I'll say it again.
If you didn't learn something,the man, that's on you because
there is a lot to learn, and notjust about Chicago.
Again, nice city, but notendorsed by Scott.
(48:47):
It may be this summer.
SPEAKER_01 (48:48):
I say let me clarify.
Chicago is one of the brilliant,my favorite city on the planet.
It's Illinois.
Illinois kind of sucks.
I'm just gonna say the rest ofthe state.
SPEAKER_00 (48:57):
I love it.
All right, get out of here, gomake some money, go make
something happen.
You know what?
Do something good in somebody'slife.
Go do something good in somebodyelse's life that's not yours,
Alan.
Let's go make it all happen.
Let's get happen.
Let's make it go.
Let's get up that mountain.
Gotta get out of here.
Cheers, everybody.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Small Business
Department.
Remember, your positive attitudewill help you achieve that
(49:17):
higher altitude you're lookingfor in the wild world small
business understanding.
Until next time, make it a greatday.
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