April 8, 2025 • 26 mins
I accidentally created a solution for parent entrepreneurs struggling to balance networking events with family responsibilities by launching a family-friendly business networking group. The experience revealed how many business owners need ways to grow professionally without sacrificing precious time with their children.
• Found that traditional networking events force parents to choose between business growth and family time
• Created "Networking with Kids" events at Jungle Java with another Alignable Ambassador Dr. Mary from Susie Q's Kids
• Strategically scheduled from 4-6pm following school pickup times
• Provides contained environment where kids can play while parents network
• Saw immediate success with natural connections forming among both parents and children
• Planning expansion to additional venues and potentially multiple monthly events
• Available through Alignable, Meetup, and Eventbrite for interested participants
If you're in the Metro Detroit area, join us at Jungle Java on Hall Road in Clinton Township from 4-6pm on the first Thursday of every month. Parents and kids of all ages are welcome!
RSVP for the next event!
https://www.alignable.com/groups/alignable-alliance-of-metro-detroit-mi/events/networking-with-kids-may-2025?_faid=16503&cpd=1
https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-qwiaqsgd/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/networking-with-kids-tickets-1317605566719?aff=oddtdtcreator
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Well, alright, it looks like it's been a little
while since I was able to get onhere and do a podcast.
It is amazing how fast the timegoes.
I'm looking at the last updatehere on my Buzzsprout and it
looks like I guess it hasn'tbeen a month yet.
Okay, well, march 24th that wasthe quick one about the Gaming
(00:22):
Ad Revolution and I wanted tomention something about that.
That is a really good idea, forit's like evergreen, almost
evergreen content.
You do it once and you got yourad up there for was it four or
five years is the average gamelife expectancy, so not a bad
idea.
When you put it all out therelike that with the $5,000 a year
(00:45):
times five years is $25,000.
And that's how much it costsabout $25,000, to put an ad on
that.
So, hit the gaming adrevolution.
That's what I did in the lastepisode there.
Listen to that real quick.
And also there should be amid-roll about the get prepped
(01:06):
video game that's beingmanufactured right now and
developed.
So, anyway, let's get into it.
All right.
So I wanted to mentionsomething about my latest
endeavor by accident.
So if you know what Alignableis, if you're an entrepreneur in
business or anything of thatnature.
(01:27):
You might know about Alignable,which is I always explain it as
LinkedIn and Facebook had ababy and out came Alignable.
It's kind of like a chamber ora B&I, but digitized.
Of course.
It's a social media platformonly for people in business, and
(01:48):
so you're not getting a lot ofthe job search functions that
you get on LinkedIn, like I'mlooking for a job, are you
hiring, or you're not gettingall the Karens complaining about
God knows whatever on Facebookand people ranting about
politics and all of that.
You don't get any politics inAlignable.
You don't get any politics onAlignable.
You don't get any peoplelooking for jobs or hounding you
(02:08):
about things like that.
And also, actually it's evenfrowned upon to co-call on
Alignable, though they don'tlike you pitching.
So it's all about helping otherpeople get leads or contacts
and then hopefully in the futurethey you know, they remember
you when they come acrosssomething that would benefit you
(02:29):
and help you out and give you areferral.
That's the whole like thegiver's gain, like BNI sort of
speak thing that they're doing.
And I was in BNI for a while,god I don't know it's been.
Let's see 2008.
I got out of the military andgot into the ADT
business-to-business alarms, andI think it was 2009, maybe 2010
(02:53):
.
And I was in B&I that wholetime and then even got a new job
, stayed in B&I and theneventually just fizzled out.
It's a lot of work.
I was even a vice presidentwith the B&I group there that I
was in.
We had to go every Thursday Ithink our show time was 6 am
until 7.30, and then you get tocome with a referral or closed
(03:16):
business or one-to-one that youwant to get done, or you kind of
get a slap on the wrist andthen, if you don't do, I think
you get two or three strikes orwarnings and then they ask you
to leave the group.
And it's expensive, dude.
I looked it up online the otherday.
I think it's $1,000 a year orsomething like that.
(03:38):
I think it's a $300 right nowapplication fee and then $600 a
year, and if you do two years atonce, I think they give you a
deal for like 1300 bucks orsomething like that.
I mean it works, but that's alot of money, dude, to put down
for networking group.
And there's so many others outthere, but I'm not talking bad
(03:59):
about them, but I'm just sayingthat it's.
It's a it's.
You need to really be committedfor that and they make you be
committed.
That's kind of the cool thing.
So that's why it works, becausethey make you be held
accountable.
It works.
For some others it don't, andanyway it don't work for me, for
my line of business it justwon't work.
So I do chambers and otherthings.
(04:21):
I'm alignable and I'm trying toget better on LinkedIn and
anyway.
So I want to get back into it.
I digress, I was in alignableand basically what's going on?
Why I don't want to do thisnetworking with kids group was
because I was in the chamber.
I am still in the chamber andthey do a lot of like after
hours events.
So one time I decided you knowwhat?
I'm going to bring the kids andwife to the bowling event and
(04:46):
it's a public bowling alley.
It's not like the chamberbought out the bowling alley.
So I was like, hey, just comeand hang out and play video
games or whatever, right, sothat way I could hang out with
my kiddo At any rate.
Everyone ended up loving it,like everyone in the chamber,
and I think some maybe were alittle bit like spiteful or
(05:07):
resentful maybe of it.
They could kind of tell theywere like distasteful or
whatever, I guess, but I don'tcare, like it's a public place,
dude, so you know they can comeand go wherever they want,
anyway.
So I was like man.
That worked out really well.
I wonder if you know somethinglike this would benefit people
with kids that wish they couldnetwork, especially after hours,
and but they can't, or theyfeel obligated to get home
(05:30):
because they miss their kids orthey have, you know, practice of
some sort soccer, basketball,you name it, dance, you know,
and then uh, or pick up the kids, even from school, you know,
because grandma, grandpa don'ttake, take over, they don't have
babysitters or, you know,insert, whatever situation is,
I'm lucky because my wife's ableto stay home with the kids, so
(05:52):
that's not an issue.
It's just that I didn't have akid to work my life away and
then not, you know, be there inthe evenings and tuck them in
and read them stories andbedtime stuff and all that you
know the fun stuff, and playwith them before he goes to bed,
cause, you know, by the time Iget home at five, you know,
those two hours, two and a halfhours, go quick, dude, by the
(06:12):
time you, everyone knows that.
You know if you got kids by thetime you get home, you do
dinner, you do a quick littleplay session and take a shower
and boom, it's bedtime, you know.
So I don't like missing thatstuff.
So I was like man, I just kindof posted randomly on Alignable
and there's different groups inAlignable where you know like
there's like a dads and businessgroup, there's parents and
(06:33):
business, there's they're calledparentpreneurs, which is pretty
funny and cool and clever.
So of course I joined it becauseI like clutter and I just kind
of posted in the groups.
I was like, hey, is thereanywhere around that anybody
knows of?
That is a networking group, youknow can kind of hand out
contact information, schmoozeand you know business cards, the
whole thing, like you do atchamber events, but it's family
(06:55):
friendly, you can bring yourkids and then the kids can play
or even, if they want to.
The other idea was is that ifthey're old enough and they're
in like you know what do youcall it Girl Scouts, boy Scouts,
and it just happened that wejust missed Girl Scout season
(07:17):
when my first event took off wasthey could maybe sell cookies
and set up a table and theyteach entrepreneurship at Girl
Scouts and Boy Scouts becausethey do the popcorn thing or
whatever.
Somebody else wants to do lawnmowing.
Well, you know, sign up peopleat the event for mowing lawns or
whatever you know, insertwhatever entrepreneur thing or
craft that you want to sell atthis event.
(07:38):
That's the whole idea.
And then the younger kids ifthey're not interested in
entrepreneurship, they go playand they I don't say they call
it network with other kidsbecause you're just playing.
Let's not turn this intosomething more serious.
But you know, I'm on Nextdoorapp and I hear all the time is
that people are new in town andnew moms or parents, whatever.
(08:03):
They want to make new friends.
How do I make friends?
I'm an adult, I have no time.
By the time I go to work and Iget home and I put the kids down
, like I just said, you put themin bed and shower and whatever,
and then, boom, how does thathappen?
How do you have a friend?
How do you go out and makefriends when you don't have
(08:23):
babysitters or can't affordbabysitters and things of that
nature?
So you know, my wife and I arealways trying to find different
ways to find new mom friends forher or whatever, and for me,
honestly, I don't really getalong with many people in a
friendship-wise like situationunless they've been in the
military and there's an instantrapport there like situation,
unless they've been in themilitary and there's an instant
rapport there.
(08:43):
So cause I?
I think the other vets getother vets and I don't know.
It seems I don't want to getinto it, but um, anyway, it's
not about me, so uh, anyway.
So I was like well, let's uh,is there anything around here
that does that?
And everyone's like no.
But you know, definitely, let meknow if you find something
because it's a good idea and Iwould do that.
I'm like okay, well, the onlyother problem with the lineable
(09:05):
is that it's a nationwideprogram.
So even though they try andniche it down to like just your
area or region or city, you endup getting outside of that and
honestly, I kind of almost wishI could just like get rid of all
of the connections I haveoutside of the Great Lakes
region, which is my territory,michigan I call it the Mayo or
(09:27):
Mayo, I guess, however you wantto say it.
But Michigan, indiana, illinois, ohio, and that's kind of like
my region.
I guess you want to say whereit would benefit people to be in
Metro Trading Association.
That's what I sell, thatmembership.
And so, anyway, they're likeyeah, let me know how it goes,
(09:47):
and hit me up when you get itrunning.
I was like, no, no, no, no, no.
I don't want to start nothing,I don't want to get nothing
running.
I'm not trying to do that, I'masking where is it?
I just want to go to theseevents.
They're like, oh, there isnothing.
So if you want it, you're goingto have to do it.
I'm like, oh man.
So then right away, dr Mary hitsme up.
I'm one of the groups and sheowns and runs Susie Q's Kids,
(10:10):
which is a nonprofit based offof her daughter who had died,
and then she gives out thesecoloring books and a bear and
markers and other things, thislittle grab bag to help kids
that are in hospitals or infoster care, going into court
systems that help the kids feelbetter, right?
(10:30):
So she's like I work with kidsand I love this idea.
We're going to do it and you'regoing to be I have to make you
an ambassador on Alignable.
So then you're going to gothrough the program because you
qualify, and then we're going tobe I have to make you an
ambassador on alignable.
So then you're gonna go throughthe program because you qualify
, and then we're going to headup this group together and we're
going to do this.
I was like, oh man, like I gotenough going on, I don't want
like too much extra work, Iguess I don't know.
(10:53):
I never headed up a groupbefore, like I don't know.
You know what I did one time.
I did a meetup group I think Ibought.
I forgot what it was even about.
It was like 15 bucks a month tobe the host of a meetup group
and I bought it and I think Idropped it after six months and
I forgot what the heck it waseven for or about.
(11:14):
Huh, I had to look up my oldaccount and see what I started,
but obviously I didn't goanywhere, because I have a
tendency of starting things andthen it fizzles out after the
excitement gets over and then,uh, well, you know, it goes off.
Like I've been through so manydifferent YouTube channels.
I tried getting into YouTube.
I think it was back in 2015,maybe 17.
(11:35):
No, it was before that 15.
Yeah, I was in Rochester and Iwas going to like this whole.
You know, whatever, I only getinto the whole I had seven
different YouTube channels andthey all didn't make it.
So it's hard, dude.
Podcasting is enough, doingaudio only, and then you want to
combine in there video.
Especially back then I didn'thave a computer that could
(11:57):
render it, so I had to throwthat thing in the freezer or the
fridge or whatever while itrendered the video because it
kept overheating and shuttingitself down.
But now you can do the stupidrendering on your cell phone.
It's insanity, dude.
It's crazy how much power is inyour pocket and people just
don't even realize it.
I've been through it.
I'm the beginning of themillennial 81, 1981.
(12:19):
So I've seen it all come and go.
Not even go.
I guess it'll go, but whatever.
So anyway, I digress again.
So, dr Mary's, like, all right,we're going to make you an
alignable ambassador, and thenwe're going to head this up.
You're going to be aco-ambassador for this group,
and that was in the MacombCounty group.
And then there's five groups,by the way, in Detroit, metro
(12:42):
Detroit.
So then we get this going.
I go through all the training.
It takes like a week or it'slike six hours or something like
that of watching videos andtaking quizzes.
I can't remember it.
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
And so I finish it up in a fewdays and I'm like, okay, cool
(13:02):
days.
And uh, like, okay, cool.
So now they're like oh, by theway, your macomb county group is
now combining with, uh, metrodetroit, oakland county and then
, I think, wayne county andthere was, I think, greater
detroit area or something likethat.
So we got from, went from 537members or something like that
to, I think we're at I don,3,200 or something like that.
Like it definitely multipliedthe group by many, many times,
(13:23):
right.
So I was like, wow, what timing.
So now when I send out theseinvites to the group, not just
500 people get it, but like1,300 or 3,300.
I can't remember what it is,but yeah, way better, you know
better odds, right, for shows,anyway.
So we set up this event and Imake in Canva a little deal and
(13:51):
I'm like, okay, cool.
So here's what we're going todo.
It's for so parents or moms ordads or grandparents with kids
that have to take care of theirkids, or aunts or uncles that
have kids, or basically anybodywho is responsible for kids.
It might even be a good benefitfor people who are in like
child care, right.
So they come they network, handout business cards and be like
(14:13):
hey, you know, bring your kidsto this daycare or whatever,
like that, and you can do it oneor two days a week.
We're going to do this, that'swhy I'm bringing it up.
But you can drop the kid offone or two days a week, go
running around, get some errandsdone, get things done, clean
the house without it gettingtrashed behind you.
As fast as you clean it, youknow how kids are.
And then that way, you know,but that's $85 a day or
(14:35):
something crazy.
We're going to have to go backto work.
I said to my wife you know, ifyou want to do that, that's what
is that?
$160 a week, that's say $200.
And then so that's $400 everytwo weeks, that's $800 a month,
or so $700 to $800 a month justto put him in a daycare for a
(14:57):
few hours for fun.
Like this place looked cool,like I would want to go right.
So I was like, well, no, we'renot doing that Anyway.
So I realized how expensivechildcare is, right.
So all right.
So the whole idea was the eventis you started at four o'clock
and then it goes till six, justa quick two hours.
So why four?
(15:17):
Well, because you're picking upthe kids at you know 3, 15, I
think it is.
My stepson gets out.
I forgot what it is now.
3, 15, 3, 20, I think it is 3,20.
So then, by the time you pickthem up, you turn around, you go
over to it's currently hostedat Jungle Java and then on Hall
Road, by the way, and you gothere at four.
You show up a few minutes earlythere at four.
(15:41):
We show up a few minutes early,don't matter, you know I'm
there at 3, 30 and then.
So then, yeah, you come in, youhand out your schmooze business
card.
It the kids play was what's kindof cool is that?
The one girl that was there Ithink she was 11 and the mom was
like, yeah, she's super shy anddoesn't really know, you know,
doesn't play with kids much andwhatever.
And so my wife took my stepsonover and like, hey, you guys are
(16:06):
going to play now Go get lostLike the old school ways, right.
And they took off and we neverreally saw them again and one
time she came back beet red fromrunning around in these tunnels
.
And if you've ever been in thejungle, there's basketball in
these tunnels, so it's good forall kids.
There's a toddler area and themom was like, hey, you having
(16:27):
fun?
She's like, yeah, this isawesome.
So then a few minutes later, ahalf hour later goes by and
she's like, hey, you ready to go?
And she's like, nope, and soshe didn't want to leave.
So that was kind of a coolthing.
So that's kind of what I kind offigured.
You know, if the kids have fun,I mean they want to come back.
(16:49):
You know they're going to dragtheir parents back right.
So it's kind of a sneaky way toget repeat uh show times at the
, uh at the thing, uh at theevent.
Um, because a lot of timeparents are like oh, you know,
I'm an adult, I'm a parent, I'mlike I don't feel like going to
this networking event, I'm goingto cancel or just not show
because, you know, insert reasonhere, right.
So I was like, well, thatworked out well and the showing
(17:09):
was relatively small.
I was expecting a few more.
I think there was a total offour or five of us, maybe six
adults anyway, but the kids, Ithink there was what there's
three minimum and they had otherfriends.
Now that was.
The other cool thing too.
I forgot to mention is that.
So, as the kids go out and playand they have a little click
(17:30):
already, right, there's like alittle group to kind of know
each other because they're allpart of our group and they we
all, they know the parents orwhatever.
So then they met other kids whowanted to join them because
they are already rolling Right.
So then all of a sudden there'sthis new kid in our group at
the table and he's just coloringwith the markers and paper that
Dr Mary brought.
(17:50):
And so, of course, here comesthe mom.
You know she's like oh man, mykid just went and crashed a
party, right, like this ain'this party?
Like no, no, no, cool.
And then, you know, of course, Iasked her do you own a business
?
You know, are you in, are youin anything?
And she's like no, I just havea regular job or whatever.
(18:10):
I'm like okay, well, you know.
Then people were like well,here's a business card.
We had a massage therapistthere.
And she's like if you need, youknow I make affordable rates
and I come to you if you're busy.
You got kids and you know I'm atraveling massage therapist.
And then another one handed abusiness card.
I hand a business card and youknow there's a contact right
there maybe referrals and shewas like, oh, this is really
cool.
I'm going to tell my friendsthat are in business that this
(18:32):
is going on, right, boom.
And so hopefully, every firstThursday of the month people
show up and we get new membersand things of that nature.
I just hear all about it all thetime and it's working.
I think it'll work.
It'll get some ramp up time orperiod there, but you get it
(18:52):
rolling and maybe it'll notfizzle out in the summertime,
who knows, because people are onvacation, the kids are gone,
you're not picking up fromschool, you're not out of the
house.
The problem is getting out ofthe house or away from work, but
having to pick up the kidsmakes that all happen.
And then you hit up this eventafter you get them.
That's kind of the whole point.
So I'm not expecting anythinggreat to happen until, was that
(19:18):
September, june, july, august,september.
Yeah, kids go back to school inSeptember, right, I think,
anyway after Labor Day.
So anyway, there's that andlet's see, I just wanted to go
through my notes here and makesure I didn't miss anything
about this and if you guys arein the area.
(19:39):
Like I said, jungle, java HallRoad, clinton Township, that's
where it's.
At 4 to 6, first Thursday ofthe month, we've got kids of all
ages, right.
So if they're a minor, bringthem.
Or even if they're not, ifthey're 18 and they want to get
into, like I said, mowing lawnsor do that, bring them along too
.
Like I said, thereowing lawns,we're like that, you know.
Do that, bring them along too,because, like I said, there's a
(20:01):
basketball court so they don'thave to run through tunnels and
go down slides.
I did want to mention one thingtoo.
It was kind of cool is that,even though there was only a few
of us there, the time went byso fast, right?
So if two hours went by, boom.
And the plan was that I wasgoing to do a five-minute spiel
(20:21):
on metro trading and how itbenefits businesses and things
of that nature, and it didn'teven happen.
All we did was go around, giveour elevator pitches and just go
like that.
So it's hard keeping the agendathat Doc Mary and I had set up.
It didn't even happen.
Some of it did, but most of itdidn't.
(20:43):
So that was kind of cool andyou know it's it'd be hard to do
like a guest speaker orwhatever, because of the kids,
right, cause they're coming andgoing.
My wife was chasing my son andhe's not even two yet.
So he and he is like openthrottle all the time.
He just runs wide open.
I call him two cycle becausewhen he starts, when he wakes up
(21:04):
in the morning, it's likefiring up a chainsaw, like a two
cycle chainsaw or weed whacker.
It's just wide open, dude, andhe runs until he can't go no
more.
You know I was making a joke.
I'm like the old diesel or likean old World War II prop plane
Takes a little while to getwarmed up, he's just like gone.
So we understand that parentsmight not always have a helper
(21:26):
to come help.
And that was the whole point ofit too is that you know
inevitably, when you're waitingfor kids coming down the slide,
you kick up a little bit ofconversation with the parent
that's waiting there as well.
You know it's bound to happen,right, but generally it's forced
, awkward situation and you'rejust kind of like oh, it's a
main conversation, just because.
But if you're already there aspart of the group, that is, you
(21:47):
know the alignable groupnetworking with kids, you know
it's an open, invite to askabout what you do and, um, you
know, do your elevator pitch,right?
So while you're chasing kidsaround and that was the whole
idea and I, we all understandthat not everybody's going to
sit there in the group, in theside in the party room and uh
and talk and hang out.
(22:08):
Uh, I got lucky to where youknow, my wife was able to run
after a link and go for it andthen come in once in a while and
he would hang out with hisbrother occasionally, um, or
another kid.
It's all quarantined off right,like not quarantined, but like
there's a door or whatever,right, and the people at the
front know us.
So there's no kids sleepingwith anybody out the back door
(22:29):
or front door without anyoneknowing about it.
So you can keep an eye on them,of course, but it's not like
it's at a park where they'rejust going to like run away.
That's the whole point of this.
Why we didn't do it at a parkis because we want the kids just
like to run away and saunteroff and like go off into the
woods or out in the road or theparking lot.
So at least at like a jungleJava it's four walls.
(22:50):
The kids are contained for lackof a better word and then that
way you don't have to be alwayson and you can you know chit
chat as they're doing theirthing with checking in on them
from time to time.
There's actually another member, uh, that wanted to do this as
well and he has the same kind ofconcept, except for these
(23:13):
tunnels and slides.
He has an indoor bounce house.
It's in the mall and I might beholding it there in the third
Thursdays of the month, and thenJungle Java will always be
first Thursday of the month, butwe'll find out.
Right now I think that oneevent per month is enough, but
also I understand that doing twoa month is probably better, but
(23:37):
we'll see how it goes.
I just realized that I shouldalso, if you're not unalignable
and don't want to be unalignableand you don't want to get in
one more networking thing, as Idid.
I had a bad experience where itloaded everyone in my contacts
and sent everyone out a massemail to invite them in.
I forgot that it did that.
It's kind of like when youstart Facebook up for the first
(23:57):
time, or LinkedIn.
It said do you want to add yourcontacts?
And it was early morning and Ijust was clicking through
everything.
I was like, oh no.
My roofer was like, what'salignable?
I was like, oh no.
It did say to everyone ininvite Dang it At any rate.
So just watch for that if yousign up.
Anyway, if you're not onalignable, don't want to be.
(24:22):
We'll add the links to themeetup group that I made that is
available for signing up andEventbrite.
I'll leave both of those linksin the description for meetup,
eventbrite and I guess I'll justdo a lineable too.
Why not, who cares?
Right?
So it'll all be in thedescription.
I wanted to thank Duracell formaking the intro music.
The whistling music that youheard was brought to you by
(24:44):
Duracell and I'll have hiscontact information in there as
well that you can check out andlook at his events that he's got
coming up and that's it.
Be good or be good at it.
Well, alright, it looks like it's been a little
while since I was able to get onhere and do a podcast.
It is amazing how fast the timegoes.
I'm looking at the last updatehere on my Buzzsprout and it
looks like I guess it hasn'tbeen a month yet.
Okay, well, march 24th that wasthe quick one about the Gaming
(00:22):
Ad Revolution and I wanted tomention something about that.
That is a really good idea, forit's like evergreen, almost
evergreen content.
You do it once and you got yourad up there for was it four or
five years is the average gamelife expectancy, so not a bad
idea.
When you put it all out therelike that with the $5,000 a year
(00:45):
times five years is $25,000.
And that's how much it costsabout $25,000, to put an ad on
that.
So, hit the gaming adrevolution.
That's what I did in the lastepisode there.
Listen to that real quick.
And also there should be amid-roll about the get prepped
(01:06):
video game that's beingmanufactured right now and
developed.
So, anyway, let's get into it.
All right.
So I wanted to mentionsomething about my latest
endeavor by accident.
So if you know what Alignableis, if you're an entrepreneur in
business or anything of thatnature.
(01:27):
You might know about Alignable,which is I always explain it as
LinkedIn and Facebook had ababy and out came Alignable.
It's kind of like a chamber ora B&I, but digitized.
Of course.
It's a social media platformonly for people in business, and
(01:48):
so you're not getting a lot ofthe job search functions that
you get on LinkedIn, like I'mlooking for a job, are you
hiring, or you're not gettingall the Karens complaining about
God knows whatever on Facebookand people ranting about
politics and all of that.
You don't get any politics inAlignable.
You don't get any politics onAlignable.
You don't get any peoplelooking for jobs or hounding you
(02:08):
about things like that.
And also, actually it's evenfrowned upon to co-call on
Alignable, though they don'tlike you pitching.
So it's all about helping otherpeople get leads or contacts
and then hopefully in the futurethey you know, they remember
you when they come acrosssomething that would benefit you
(02:29):
and help you out and give you areferral.
That's the whole like thegiver's gain, like BNI sort of
speak thing that they're doing.
And I was in BNI for a while,god I don't know it's been.
Let's see 2008.
I got out of the military andgot into the ADT
business-to-business alarms, andI think it was 2009, maybe 2010
(02:53):
.
And I was in B&I that wholetime and then even got a new job
, stayed in B&I and theneventually just fizzled out.
It's a lot of work.
I was even a vice presidentwith the B&I group there that I
was in.
We had to go every Thursday Ithink our show time was 6 am
until 7.30, and then you get tocome with a referral or closed
(03:16):
business or one-to-one that youwant to get done, or you kind of
get a slap on the wrist andthen, if you don't do, I think
you get two or three strikes orwarnings and then they ask you
to leave the group.
And it's expensive, dude.
I looked it up online the otherday.
I think it's $1,000 a year orsomething like that.
(03:38):
I think it's a $300 right nowapplication fee and then $600 a
year, and if you do two years atonce, I think they give you a
deal for like 1300 bucks orsomething like that.
I mean it works, but that's alot of money, dude, to put down
for networking group.
And there's so many others outthere, but I'm not talking bad
(03:59):
about them, but I'm just sayingthat it's.
It's a it's.
You need to really be committedfor that and they make you be
committed.
That's kind of the cool thing.
So that's why it works, becausethey make you be held
accountable.
It works.
For some others it don't, andanyway it don't work for me, for
my line of business it justwon't work.
So I do chambers and otherthings.
(04:21):
I'm alignable and I'm trying toget better on LinkedIn and
anyway.
So I want to get back into it.
I digress, I was in alignableand basically what's going on?
Why I don't want to do thisnetworking with kids group was
because I was in the chamber.
I am still in the chamber andthey do a lot of like after
hours events.
So one time I decided you knowwhat?
I'm going to bring the kids andwife to the bowling event and
(04:46):
it's a public bowling alley.
It's not like the chamberbought out the bowling alley.
So I was like, hey, just comeand hang out and play video
games or whatever, right, sothat way I could hang out with
my kiddo At any rate.
Everyone ended up loving it,like everyone in the chamber,
and I think some maybe were alittle bit like spiteful or
(05:07):
resentful maybe of it.
They could kind of tell theywere like distasteful or
whatever, I guess, but I don'tcare, like it's a public place,
dude, so you know they can comeand go wherever they want,
anyway.
So I was like man.
That worked out really well.
I wonder if you know somethinglike this would benefit people
with kids that wish they couldnetwork, especially after hours,
and but they can't, or theyfeel obligated to get home
(05:30):
because they miss their kids orthey have, you know, practice of
some sort soccer, basketball,you name it, dance, you know,
and then uh, or pick up the kids, even from school, you know,
because grandma, grandpa don'ttake, take over, they don't have
babysitters or, you know,insert, whatever situation is,
I'm lucky because my wife's ableto stay home with the kids, so
(05:52):
that's not an issue.
It's just that I didn't have akid to work my life away and
then not, you know, be there inthe evenings and tuck them in
and read them stories andbedtime stuff and all that you
know the fun stuff, and playwith them before he goes to bed,
cause, you know, by the time Iget home at five, you know,
those two hours, two and a halfhours, go quick, dude, by the
(06:12):
time you, everyone knows that.
You know if you got kids by thetime you get home, you do
dinner, you do a quick littleplay session and take a shower
and boom, it's bedtime, you know.
So I don't like missing thatstuff.
So I was like man, I just kindof posted randomly on Alignable
and there's different groups inAlignable where you know like
there's like a dads and businessgroup, there's parents and
(06:33):
business, there's they're calledparentpreneurs, which is pretty
funny and cool and clever.
So of course I joined it becauseI like clutter and I just kind
of posted in the groups.
I was like, hey, is thereanywhere around that anybody
knows of?
That is a networking group, youknow can kind of hand out
contact information, schmoozeand you know business cards, the
whole thing, like you do atchamber events, but it's family
(06:55):
friendly, you can bring yourkids and then the kids can play
or even, if they want to.
The other idea was is that ifthey're old enough and they're
in like you know what do youcall it Girl Scouts, boy Scouts,
and it just happened that wejust missed Girl Scout season
(07:17):
when my first event took off wasthey could maybe sell cookies
and set up a table and theyteach entrepreneurship at Girl
Scouts and Boy Scouts becausethey do the popcorn thing or
whatever.
Somebody else wants to do lawnmowing.
Well, you know, sign up peopleat the event for mowing lawns or
whatever you know, insertwhatever entrepreneur thing or
craft that you want to sell atthis event.
(07:38):
That's the whole idea.
And then the younger kids ifthey're not interested in
entrepreneurship, they go playand they I don't say they call
it network with other kidsbecause you're just playing.
Let's not turn this intosomething more serious.
But you know, I'm on Nextdoorapp and I hear all the time is
that people are new in town andnew moms or parents, whatever.
(08:03):
They want to make new friends.
How do I make friends?
I'm an adult, I have no time.
By the time I go to work and Iget home and I put the kids down
, like I just said, you put themin bed and shower and whatever,
and then, boom, how does thathappen?
How do you have a friend?
How do you go out and makefriends when you don't have
(08:23):
babysitters or can't affordbabysitters and things of that
nature?
So you know, my wife and I arealways trying to find different
ways to find new mom friends forher or whatever, and for me,
honestly, I don't really getalong with many people in a
friendship-wise like situationunless they've been in the
military and there's an instantrapport there like situation,
unless they've been in themilitary and there's an instant
rapport there.
(08:43):
So cause I?
I think the other vets getother vets and I don't know.
It seems I don't want to getinto it, but um, anyway, it's
not about me, so uh, anyway.
So I was like well, let's uh,is there anything around here
that does that?
And everyone's like no.
But you know, definitely, let meknow if you find something
because it's a good idea and Iwould do that.
I'm like okay, well, the onlyother problem with the lineable
(09:05):
is that it's a nationwideprogram.
So even though they try andniche it down to like just your
area or region or city, you endup getting outside of that and
honestly, I kind of almost wishI could just like get rid of all
of the connections I haveoutside of the Great Lakes
region, which is my territory,michigan I call it the Mayo or
(09:27):
Mayo, I guess, however you wantto say it.
But Michigan, indiana, illinois, ohio, and that's kind of like
my region.
I guess you want to say whereit would benefit people to be in
Metro Trading Association.
That's what I sell, thatmembership.
And so, anyway, they're likeyeah, let me know how it goes,
(09:47):
and hit me up when you get itrunning.
I was like, no, no, no, no, no.
I don't want to start nothing,I don't want to get nothing
running.
I'm not trying to do that, I'masking where is it?
I just want to go to theseevents.
They're like, oh, there isnothing.
So if you want it, you're goingto have to do it.
I'm like, oh man.
So then right away, dr Mary hitsme up.
I'm one of the groups and sheowns and runs Susie Q's Kids,
(10:10):
which is a nonprofit based offof her daughter who had died,
and then she gives out thesecoloring books and a bear and
markers and other things, thislittle grab bag to help kids
that are in hospitals or infoster care, going into court
systems that help the kids feelbetter, right?
(10:30):
So she's like I work with kidsand I love this idea.
We're going to do it and you'regoing to be I have to make you
an ambassador on Alignable.
So then you're going to gothrough the program because you
qualify, and then we're going tobe I have to make you an
ambassador on alignable.
So then you're gonna go throughthe program because you qualify
, and then we're going to headup this group together and we're
going to do this.
I was like, oh man, like I gotenough going on, I don't want
like too much extra work, Iguess I don't know.
(10:53):
I never headed up a groupbefore, like I don't know.
You know what I did one time.
I did a meetup group I think Ibought.
I forgot what it was even about.
It was like 15 bucks a month tobe the host of a meetup group
and I bought it and I think Idropped it after six months and
I forgot what the heck it waseven for or about.
(11:14):
Huh, I had to look up my oldaccount and see what I started,
but obviously I didn't goanywhere, because I have a
tendency of starting things andthen it fizzles out after the
excitement gets over and then,uh, well, you know, it goes off.
Like I've been through so manydifferent YouTube channels.
I tried getting into YouTube.
I think it was back in 2015,maybe 17.
(11:35):
No, it was before that 15.
Yeah, I was in Rochester and Iwas going to like this whole.
You know, whatever, I only getinto the whole I had seven
different YouTube channels andthey all didn't make it.
So it's hard, dude.
Podcasting is enough, doingaudio only, and then you want to
combine in there video.
Especially back then I didn'thave a computer that could
(11:57):
render it, so I had to throwthat thing in the freezer or the
fridge or whatever while itrendered the video because it
kept overheating and shuttingitself down.
But now you can do the stupidrendering on your cell phone.
It's insanity, dude.
It's crazy how much power is inyour pocket and people just
don't even realize it.
I've been through it.
I'm the beginning of themillennial 81, 1981.
(12:19):
So I've seen it all come and go.
Not even go.
I guess it'll go, but whatever.
So anyway, I digress again.
So, dr Mary's, like, all right,we're going to make you an
alignable ambassador, and thenwe're going to head this up.
You're going to be aco-ambassador for this group,
and that was in the MacombCounty group.
And then there's five groups,by the way, in Detroit, metro
(12:42):
Detroit.
So then we get this going.
I go through all the training.
It takes like a week or it'slike six hours or something like
that of watching videos andtaking quizzes.
I can't remember it.
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
And so I finish it up in a fewdays and I'm like, okay, cool
(13:02):
days.
And uh, like, okay, cool.
So now they're like oh, by theway, your macomb county group is
now combining with, uh, metrodetroit, oakland county and then
, I think, wayne county andthere was, I think, greater
detroit area or something likethat.
So we got from, went from 537members or something like that
to, I think we're at I don,3,200 or something like that.
Like it definitely multipliedthe group by many, many times,
(13:23):
right.
So I was like, wow, what timing.
So now when I send out theseinvites to the group, not just
500 people get it, but like1,300 or 3,300.
I can't remember what it is,but yeah, way better, you know
better odds, right, for shows,anyway.
So we set up this event and Imake in Canva a little deal and
(13:51):
I'm like, okay, cool.
So here's what we're going todo.
It's for so parents or moms ordads or grandparents with kids
that have to take care of theirkids, or aunts or uncles that
have kids, or basically anybodywho is responsible for kids.
It might even be a good benefitfor people who are in like
child care, right.
So they come they network, handout business cards and be like
(14:13):
hey, you know, bring your kidsto this daycare or whatever,
like that, and you can do it oneor two days a week.
We're going to do this, that'swhy I'm bringing it up.
But you can drop the kid offone or two days a week, go
running around, get some errandsdone, get things done, clean
the house without it gettingtrashed behind you.
As fast as you clean it, youknow how kids are.
And then that way, you know,but that's $85 a day or
(14:35):
something crazy.
We're going to have to go backto work.
I said to my wife you know, ifyou want to do that, that's what
is that?
$160 a week, that's say $200.
And then so that's $400 everytwo weeks, that's $800 a month,
or so $700 to $800 a month justto put him in a daycare for a
(14:57):
few hours for fun.
Like this place looked cool,like I would want to go right.
So I was like, well, no, we'renot doing that Anyway.
So I realized how expensivechildcare is, right.
So all right.
So the whole idea was the eventis you started at four o'clock
and then it goes till six, justa quick two hours.
So why four?
(15:17):
Well, because you're picking upthe kids at you know 3, 15, I
think it is.
My stepson gets out.
I forgot what it is now.
3, 15, 3, 20, I think it is 3,20.
So then, by the time you pickthem up, you turn around, you go
over to it's currently hostedat Jungle Java and then on Hall
Road, by the way, and you gothere at four.
You show up a few minutes earlythere at four.
(15:41):
We show up a few minutes early,don't matter, you know I'm
there at 3, 30 and then.
So then, yeah, you come in, youhand out your schmooze business
card.
It the kids play was what's kindof cool is that?
The one girl that was there Ithink she was 11 and the mom was
like, yeah, she's super shy anddoesn't really know, you know,
doesn't play with kids much andwhatever.
And so my wife took my stepsonover and like, hey, you guys are
(16:06):
going to play now Go get lostLike the old school ways, right.
And they took off and we neverreally saw them again and one
time she came back beet red fromrunning around in these tunnels
.
And if you've ever been in thejungle, there's basketball in
these tunnels, so it's good forall kids.
There's a toddler area and themom was like, hey, you having
(16:27):
fun?
She's like, yeah, this isawesome.
So then a few minutes later, ahalf hour later goes by and
she's like, hey, you ready to go?
And she's like, nope, and soshe didn't want to leave.
So that was kind of a coolthing.
So that's kind of what I kind offigured.
You know, if the kids have fun,I mean they want to come back.
(16:49):
You know they're going to dragtheir parents back right.
So it's kind of a sneaky way toget repeat uh show times at the
, uh at the thing, uh at theevent.
Um, because a lot of timeparents are like oh, you know,
I'm an adult, I'm a parent, I'mlike I don't feel like going to
this networking event, I'm goingto cancel or just not show
because, you know, insert reasonhere, right.
So I was like, well, thatworked out well and the showing
(17:09):
was relatively small.
I was expecting a few more.
I think there was a total offour or five of us, maybe six
adults anyway, but the kids, Ithink there was what there's
three minimum and they had otherfriends.
Now that was.
The other cool thing too.
I forgot to mention is that.
So, as the kids go out and playand they have a little click
(17:30):
already, right, there's like alittle group to kind of know
each other because they're allpart of our group and they we
all, they know the parents orwhatever.
So then they met other kids whowanted to join them because
they are already rolling Right.
So then all of a sudden there'sthis new kid in our group at
the table and he's just coloringwith the markers and paper that
Dr Mary brought.
(17:50):
And so, of course, here comesthe mom.
You know she's like oh man, mykid just went and crashed a
party, right, like this ain'this party?
Like no, no, no, cool.
And then, you know, of course, Iasked her do you own a business
?
You know, are you in, are youin anything?
And she's like no, I just havea regular job or whatever.
(18:10):
I'm like okay, well, you know.
Then people were like well,here's a business card.
We had a massage therapistthere.
And she's like if you need, youknow I make affordable rates
and I come to you if you're busy.
You got kids and you know I'm atraveling massage therapist.
And then another one handed abusiness card.
I hand a business card and youknow there's a contact right
there maybe referrals and shewas like, oh, this is really
cool.
I'm going to tell my friendsthat are in business that this
(18:32):
is going on, right, boom.
And so hopefully, every firstThursday of the month people
show up and we get new membersand things of that nature.
I just hear all about it all thetime and it's working.
I think it'll work.
It'll get some ramp up time orperiod there, but you get it
(18:52):
rolling and maybe it'll notfizzle out in the summertime,
who knows, because people are onvacation, the kids are gone,
you're not picking up fromschool, you're not out of the
house.
The problem is getting out ofthe house or away from work, but
having to pick up the kidsmakes that all happen.
And then you hit up this eventafter you get them.
That's kind of the whole point.
So I'm not expecting anythinggreat to happen until, was that
(19:18):
September, june, july, august,september.
Yeah, kids go back to school inSeptember, right, I think,
anyway after Labor Day.
So anyway, there's that andlet's see, I just wanted to go
through my notes here and makesure I didn't miss anything
about this and if you guys arein the area.
(19:39):
Like I said, jungle, java HallRoad, clinton Township, that's
where it's.
At 4 to 6, first Thursday ofthe month, we've got kids of all
ages, right.
So if they're a minor, bringthem.
Or even if they're not, ifthey're 18 and they want to get
into, like I said, mowing lawnsor do that, bring them along too
.
Like I said, thereowing lawns,we're like that, you know.
Do that, bring them along too,because, like I said, there's a
(20:01):
basketball court so they don'thave to run through tunnels and
go down slides.
I did want to mention one thingtoo.
It was kind of cool is that,even though there was only a few
of us there, the time went byso fast, right?
So if two hours went by, boom.
And the plan was that I wasgoing to do a five-minute spiel
(20:21):
on metro trading and how itbenefits businesses and things
of that nature, and it didn'teven happen.
All we did was go around, giveour elevator pitches and just go
like that.
So it's hard keeping the agendathat Doc Mary and I had set up.
It didn't even happen.
Some of it did, but most of itdidn't.
(20:43):
So that was kind of cool andyou know it's it'd be hard to do
like a guest speaker orwhatever, because of the kids,
right, cause they're coming andgoing.
My wife was chasing my son andhe's not even two yet.
So he and he is like openthrottle all the time.
He just runs wide open.
I call him two cycle becausewhen he starts, when he wakes up
(21:04):
in the morning, it's likefiring up a chainsaw, like a two
cycle chainsaw or weed whacker.
It's just wide open, dude, andhe runs until he can't go no
more.
You know I was making a joke.
I'm like the old diesel or likean old World War II prop plane
Takes a little while to getwarmed up, he's just like gone.
So we understand that parentsmight not always have a helper
(21:26):
to come help.
And that was the whole point ofit too is that you know
inevitably, when you're waitingfor kids coming down the slide,
you kick up a little bit ofconversation with the parent
that's waiting there as well.
You know it's bound to happen,right, but generally it's forced
, awkward situation and you'rejust kind of like oh, it's a
main conversation, just because.
But if you're already there aspart of the group, that is, you
(21:47):
know the alignable groupnetworking with kids, you know
it's an open, invite to askabout what you do and, um, you
know, do your elevator pitch,right?
So while you're chasing kidsaround and that was the whole
idea and I, we all understandthat not everybody's going to
sit there in the group, in theside in the party room and uh
and talk and hang out.
(22:08):
Uh, I got lucky to where youknow, my wife was able to run
after a link and go for it andthen come in once in a while and
he would hang out with hisbrother occasionally, um, or
another kid.
It's all quarantined off right,like not quarantined, but like
there's a door or whatever,right, and the people at the
front know us.
So there's no kids sleepingwith anybody out the back door
(22:29):
or front door without anyoneknowing about it.
So you can keep an eye on them,of course, but it's not like
it's at a park where they'rejust going to like run away.
That's the whole point of this.
Why we didn't do it at a parkis because we want the kids just
like to run away and saunteroff and like go off into the
woods or out in the road or theparking lot.
So at least at like a jungleJava it's four walls.
(22:50):
The kids are contained for lackof a better word and then that
way you don't have to be alwayson and you can you know chit
chat as they're doing theirthing with checking in on them
from time to time.
There's actually another member, uh, that wanted to do this as
well and he has the same kind ofconcept, except for these
(23:13):
tunnels and slides.
He has an indoor bounce house.
It's in the mall and I might beholding it there in the third
Thursdays of the month, and thenJungle Java will always be
first Thursday of the month, butwe'll find out.
Right now I think that oneevent per month is enough, but
also I understand that doing twoa month is probably better, but
(23:37):
we'll see how it goes.
I just realized that I shouldalso, if you're not unalignable
and don't want to be unalignableand you don't want to get in
one more networking thing, as Idid.
I had a bad experience where itloaded everyone in my contacts
and sent everyone out a massemail to invite them in.
I forgot that it did that.
It's kind of like when youstart Facebook up for the first
(23:57):
time, or LinkedIn.
It said do you want to add yourcontacts?
And it was early morning and Ijust was clicking through
everything.
I was like, oh no.
My roofer was like, what'salignable?
I was like, oh no.
It did say to everyone ininvite Dang it At any rate.
So just watch for that if yousign up.
Anyway, if you're not onalignable, don't want to be.
(24:22):
We'll add the links to themeetup group that I made that is
available for signing up andEventbrite.
I'll leave both of those linksin the description for meetup,
eventbrite and I guess I'll justdo a lineable too.
Why not, who cares?
Right?
So it'll all be in thedescription.
I wanted to thank Duracell formaking the intro music.
The whistling music that youheard was brought to you by
(24:44):
Duracell and I'll have hiscontact information in there as
well that you can check out andlook at his events that he's got
coming up and that's it.
Be good or be good at it.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.