1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,280 But like miss that how did that happen with it? So Peyton and you y'all came on the show 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:12,720 You did your first little episode with us and then you realized when that y'all had met before through the success networks success champion network 3 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:16,680 Ironically, I saw him again on 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:21,700 They have like a podcast like a live cast every week and I'm like wait 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,400 That's Peyton 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:27,880 Wow, I know him 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,360 I 8 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,360 There it is 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:36,280 I really like Donnie and Keith and what they're up to and you know, Donnie's tell me about his vision 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,960 He's like and I want to have a retreat center and I just want to be able to wake up and see a giraffe walking 11 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:42,960 Past your window and I was like man. This guy's got a vision 12 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:45,480 Like he's got things he wants to do 13 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:50,440 He has a lot of visions big visions. But what I like to say is like they're just good people 14 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,000 Just good salt of the earth people they had their 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:01:00,520 Badass business summit a few weeks ago and I went and I was just struck by how normal 16 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:07,320 Donnie is because he seems like he's such a huge presence like when you see him on all these things 17 00:01:07,320 --> 00:01:09,640 He just seems larger than life, right? 18 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:15,080 And then you see him just in front of you know, the network and you know all these entrepreneurs 19 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:20,880 He's just a solid normal guy who occasionally cries. It's really weird 20 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:22,880 Really weird 21 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:29,440 Given just in his personality. So it's just really good salt of the earth people and you don't meet that 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,240 a lot nowadays, unfortunately 23 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,280 Right. Well, it's it's um, you know something you you got to cultivate 24 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:43,640 And they're they're doing the things that they need to in order to cultivate that and so it's been it has been fun to get 25 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,240 To know them a little bit of a distance but also to have Peyton involved in both programs 26 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,400 You know and and getting behind the scenes a little bit on on both sides 27 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,480 It's been a it's been a fun process to realize like alright, do we want to bring this full circle together? 28 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,480 Is this the timing is the timing later? 29 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,860 You know, it's it's fun to get to explore. Have you met Keith his brother? 30 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:08,840 Yeah, my family is with Keith to Keith is another one that again is just 31 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:16,580 You meet him on like a video call or a virtual coffee and you think of him as one way and then you meet him in person 32 00:02:16,580 --> 00:02:19,560 And you're like, oh wow, you're just like this soft cuddly teddy bear 33 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:26,680 It's just odd it's odd kind of their dynamic and how different they are from each other as well 34 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:31,600 Like on one hand you have Donnie who feels really rough or curse 35 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:38,120 Where the hat just feels like he should be on a motorcycle when you talk to him and then you have Keith 36 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:39,760 It's just like this 37 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:46,320 Chill easy going kind of not completely Zen, but just a whole different brand 38 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:49,840 We had the exact opposite experiences 39 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:51,840 exact opposite 40 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:53,440 You know like me and Keith 41 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,440 Dove in at me and Donnie dove in 42 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,760 At that high-level feel-good process and me and Keith got nitty-gritty on the back end 43 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:05,560 And talked all about it. So they have that that's one of the neat things about leadership though 44 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,840 Right is you have to know the dynamics of like when are you in the war? 45 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Right and when you at the ball 46 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:17,880 Right, and there's a way to show up with the military ball and there's a way to show up on the front lines 47 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,240 And both of them have that dynamic power of being able to do both. So 48 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:28,400 Rebecca you've been you've got EV graphics and consulting you work in the 49 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,680 Accessibility and inclusion space and beyond I don't want to be limiting on this process 50 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:39,000 But you're you talked about business strategy and how it can actually be amplified by diving into 51 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,520 These dynamics that so many entrepreneurs are unaware of 52 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:49,120 I'm gonna play devil's advocate a little bit. There's a number of people who've dove into that dynamic because there's money to be had 53 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,440 Right. There's a number of people who are screaming at people fear of missing out like oh my gosh 54 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,680 If you don't do this, you're gonna your business is gonna be torched by the government and blah blah blah 55 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,200 And there's a balance to be had there 56 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:04,840 but what I loved about what your form submission talked about was that if 57 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:11,800 We play our cards correctly in business if we're strategic about what we're doing then the byproduct of 58 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:14,760 being more inclusive and 59 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,800 Being more aware of accessibility will actually amplify 60 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:24,800 Our revenue growth. I want to dive in and talk about that before we we continue. I love you 61 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:26,840 and 62 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:33,120 I'd look at it as kind of if you support people and they support you kind of thing and you're right 63 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,080 There are plenty of people who are in the space who just see it as like oh everybody's talking about it 64 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:43,300 So let me go to it and maybe you know find a way to bring revenue into my world 65 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:49,960 But in truth, that's not gonna last that's not long lasting action. Those aren't things that are going to bring that revenue generation 66 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:55,920 Generation essentially if you're talking about business you want your people to be able to do the job that you're asking them to do 67 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,720 I went ahead and put a quote on here. I mean, I know it seems so silly. It's like well 68 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:11,860 Isn't that obvious yet? I don't see the actions supporting this in the business world very often, right? 69 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:14,920 So if you support the people they will support you 70 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:18,880 So the question is, you know, I think a lot of us as business owners 71 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:24,920 We saw wait, I do support people. Um, yet that reaction right that defensiveness says otherwise 72 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,120 how do we learn to be supportive in 73 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:35,080 Relation to accessibility and inclusion. What are some things that we're overlooking if you were to hit hard on the subject? 74 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,760 if I'm hitting hard part of it is just being introspective and 75 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,760 Being able to admit that you can miss it. You can miss it. You can make mistakes 76 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:51,680 You can be unaware part of being an entrepreneur part of being a business person is learning how to grow if you look at Apple 77 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:56,240 They're always doing something new. They're always trying something new even as 78 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:02,120 They came up with these new things and like their iPhones right? Everybody was so mad about their charging port 79 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:07,880 Not being you know, like everybody else's what did they do after they figured out? Oh, that's not working 80 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:09,000 They went ahead and said hey 81 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:15,200 We were wrong on that and they've actually changed course if companies that are as big as Apple consider and say hey, we missed it 82 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,560 Hey, we made a mistake and why can't we as other entrepreneurs? 83 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:24,380 I would love to be Apple but I'm not Apple and I don't know if that's you Jackson 84 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:31,340 But it's like it's okay if those larger companies can say that we need to be just as introspective and say we missed it 85 00:06:31,340 --> 00:06:34,120 Or even look at our numbers our numbers 86 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:39,560 We need to be very real about those things our KPIs and our metrics. It can't always be 87 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:47,520 Well, they don't have enough training or there's something wrong with the product or these just aren't the right people at some point 88 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:49,040 We have to say 89 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:50,600 What am I missing? 90 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:55,000 Because things aren't changing in the way I need them to for my business to grow and succeed 91 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,880 I think it's that introspection that really makes people defensive because we don't want to be interested 92 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,040 We don't want to say well, I made this mistake or I'm unaware 93 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:10,680 That's how I knew I was to say well you you you hit hard softly. Oh, right 94 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:13,320 So I'll throw that out there. I'm gonna hit a little bit harder 95 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,520 I'm gonna amplify it because you said you can be aware, right? 96 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:20,000 And I'm like you kind of have to learn to be aware 97 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:27,280 Oh, you know, there's there's no can to it if you are unaware which so many so many like I'm unaware of a lot of things 98 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,600 If I don't have thick enough skin to admit that I have no business in entrepreneurship 99 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:37,520 No, right. We are very unaware. I think you said the opposite thing said we can be unaware. I think we all are unaware 100 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:44,880 Like there's no ifs ands or buts about it. We're all learning constantly then you talked about KPIs and metrics 101 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:46,980 You know as a as a relation there 102 00:07:46,980 --> 00:07:49,920 I think that's one of those challenges that when 103 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,840 when the brands who want to help with accessibility 104 00:07:54,840 --> 00:08:02,360 Begin to understand how to track the results, right and help the business owners recognize that okay 105 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:09,440 We're not just going to corner you on this one little subject, but we're also going to amplify the success of your brand 106 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:13,760 Then websites will start to become more accountable for 107 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:19,720 Diving into accessibility and like you said it will then lead to us attracting 108 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:25,040 Niches of people that we couldn't otherwise attract because it would literally it would literally be impossible 109 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,040 If we're just going about it in a in a narrow 110 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:35,720 Mindset way, so it's very important to dive into this but you you hit that really big KPIs and metrics 111 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:41,160 So let's dive down the rabbit hole to of that because you brought it up and I'm like, man 112 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,920 I finally got somebody who's gonna talk to me about the goods of business. So 113 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:46,920 Metrics let's start let's dive to the deeper end. So 114 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,440 Out of the shallow waters assuming everybody knows what KPIs and metrics are 115 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:56,600 What what should they be tracking that they are not and how do they utilize their KPIs and metrics? 116 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:59,000 To be more strategic when it comes to growth 117 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,120 When we're talking about what to track, I mean, of course it varies right but for me 118 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:09,680 I always think about when I'm talking about clients things about product productivity. Ooh a word we all love 119 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:13,080 productivity 120 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:14,840 Sales 121 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:19,520 Sales per hour if it's a sales team calls per hour if it's a call center team 122 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,720 I used to work in tons of call centers back in the day 123 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:30,480 Always exciting times but things that really mattered were things like calls per hour things like huge company 124 00:09:31,680 --> 00:09:33,680 It can be okay 125 00:09:33,680 --> 00:09:40,600 I've worked with several that are much smaller and even I get across to a team of I don't know 126 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,400 I guess solopreneur or some like 127 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:47,440 or some like well, let's talk about the threshold because 128 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:53,360 Let's go right for the bottom then solopreneur should they be measuring the sales per hour? I would say 129 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:56,480 If you're talking about a solopreneur, I would 130 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:03,000 I would and I see that as you need to kind of at least know where your baseline is 131 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:09,340 Like everybody needs a baseline and I know it sounds kind of maybe kind of productive for people like well 132 00:10:09,340 --> 00:10:11,800 I'm a solopreneur, but are you even tracking anything? 133 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:18,040 No, that's usually not and that's why I'm excited. I'm playing devil's advocate with you, but I'm like angels advocate, too 134 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,600 Okay, so we're gonna track sales per hour 135 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:23,400 solopreneur is 136 00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,560 What is the baseline that they should be looking at? 137 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,200 In terms of sales per hour 138 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:38,200 That's always because it depends on the industry that looked at and that coincide with each other 139 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:44,320 But I would be very curious like if somebody's gonna tell me that I need to base things based on a sales per hour 140 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:51,160 I need to know their accounting their factoring and other metrics that also go along with that equation to create that that success word 141 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:53,160 So what's what's another? 142 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,080 metric for 143 00:10:56,160 --> 00:11:01,160 Maybe let's go towards companies that are at maybe they got 20 to 50 employees 144 00:11:02,160 --> 00:11:06,640 so they're not your fortune 500s or your earring 5000s, but 145 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:08,080 They're 146 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,080 They want to aggressively grow stronger 147 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:12,640 What are the metrics that? 148 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,880 Are more applicable at that level? 149 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:20,160 At that level I'm still thinking things like productivity 150 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:24,960 Uh-huh, I'm still thinking along those lines and I'm saying that 151 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,760 if nothing else 152 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:33,600 Because I'm when I'm talking about accessibility. I need to know my people are actually working 153 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:38,000 And if we're looking at you know, maybe they haven't closed tickets 154 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:45,200 Maybe they haven't reached this many people maybe they're spending too much time doing x y and z maybe they're not hitting deadlines 155 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:48,880 There's usually a deeper reason for that and we tend to miss it 156 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,600 Because we're not tracking anything 157 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:58,160 A lot of startups in particular because that's kind of the group that I'm thinking when you say that like more startup be 158 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,040 They don't track a lot 159 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:06,880 And it's because of the culture and I get it i've worked in them before and they're like well we move quickly 160 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:11,520 We move fast. We want to break things. I'm all for it. Innovation's amazing 161 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:18,080 But again, if you're not tracking things you have no idea what you're breaking. What's the purpose of breaking the things? 162 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:21,760 You're just breaking stuff to break it 163 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:28,960 You don't you're not able to really be able to find any progress in that or to really identify the key pieces 164 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,960 That you need to address 165 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,560 And you'll make sure I get accessibility too. So accessibility 166 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,360 we're talking about 167 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:41,760 colors layouts and back in systems to help those with disabilities such as 168 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,080 I can't see your website or I 169 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:49,200 Or i'm deaf and I need to be able to see but not not I can't hear the video that's playing 170 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,120 Are those types of compliance aspects of accessibility you're referring to? 171 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,120 Those are some and then I would even go to the website 172 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:03,520 And then I would even go a little further. So you have people that have like conditions like autism, right? 173 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,320 So sometimes it's more of a sensorial overload 174 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:14,000 Sometimes it's that cognitive load situation a lot of websites have and I love a sleek website. Please just let me say that 175 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:18,880 You have websites that auto play video when you first go there and it looks really cool 176 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:24,240 And there's stop motion and there's like tons of videos or tons of photos. There's just a lot going on 177 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:27,120 Yeah, verbal violence. I mean, yeah 178 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,240 Like those are things that can actually be a problem not just they distract 179 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:38,240 It distracts it makes it hard to focus. So maybe you want to promote one product 180 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,520 You're like, oh we really want to promote this but they're like I can't even 181 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:48,480 Adjust to what's happening to digest that information and actually focus on that product. So I'm either going to click away from it 182 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:53,360 Or I'm going to click on another tab that has nothing to do with what you want me to see 183 00:13:54,640 --> 00:14:00,400 Internally that stuff becomes problematic because a lot of the times the way we design our websites 184 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,840 It's kind of the way we design our internal stuff like training 185 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:10,000 Or support or resources or you know, just kind of the the internet 186 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:16,640 Internet rather sorry that people might be using we tend to have that same design style because we have branding 187 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:22,780 And schools, like if we go to school you could we go through the whole castbook 188 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:24,700 It's not that bad 189 00:14:24,700 --> 00:14:26,400 things that are fun meet exclusive 190 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:32,560 We see this a lot of people are celebrating this. So if there's a Food becomes available 191 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:39,200 You can always say yeah 192 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,160 They're ready for this 193 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,840 But I don't think that there are people who get Really frozen 194 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,880 is I've wanted to explore the idea of, 195 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,560 I haven't found that compliance company. 196 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:53,440 I got people who tell me that we need compliance 197 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:54,400 all the time. 198 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,120 And I get it, I want to do it. 199 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,520 But I'm not Jay Abram. 200 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,400 I don't have a billion dollars in my pocket. 201 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,600 Just throw it out there, right? 202 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,180 I don't have the, 203 00:15:08,180 --> 00:15:09,720 and I certainly don't have the sense of security 204 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,680 that this person threatening me with a compliance issue 205 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:16,320 is the person who's the best person to come in 206 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,000 and help me figure this issue out. 207 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:19,980 They just sound like they're terrified. 208 00:15:19,980 --> 00:15:22,700 And they're just a sheep that baws louder 209 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:24,760 than everybody else that there's a problem here. 210 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,920 I was like, no, that's not gonna fix it. 211 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,660 So I'm really very curious to talk to you more 212 00:15:30,660 --> 00:15:34,100 about what you're up to, how you're going about it, 213 00:15:34,100 --> 00:15:37,540 how we can bridge this gap because I'm with you. 214 00:15:37,540 --> 00:15:41,280 At scale, these types of solutions 215 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:44,720 can help brands win at bigger levels 216 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,960 and not at scale, it's important for the one, 217 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:49,200 for the one who needs it. 218 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:51,180 That's what it's about. 219 00:15:51,180 --> 00:15:52,080 It's about helping the one, 220 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,640 but we have to be able to eat as entrepreneurs too 221 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:57,600 in order to be able to survive 222 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,400 and help people with their businesses and thrive. 223 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:02,480 I could pretend I thrive all day long, 224 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,800 as a podcaster, but at the end of the day, 225 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:08,440 there's a balance to be had. 226 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:12,280 And how do you help everybody with what it is you do? 227 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:15,440 It's one of those things I tell people, 228 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:16,660 it's a delicate balance 229 00:16:16,660 --> 00:16:20,000 because I'm a business person slash advocate. 230 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,880 And there are plenty of people who will yell and be like, 231 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:25,200 well, you need it and you need it now. 232 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,560 But one of my personal philosophies is, 233 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,160 I think a lot of people understand 234 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,120 and they get that they need it, 235 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,180 but they don't know how to do it. 236 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:35,800 They don't know how to go about starting it. 237 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:38,440 And if you're not giving them those tools, 238 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,360 all you're doing is yelling into the void 239 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:42,360 because they're gonna hear you. 240 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,320 And they might even be like, yeah, I feel that. 241 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,760 But I can't do that right now because I- 242 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,160 I got 400 other things that I feel 243 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:50,760 and I can hear people yelling at me about. 244 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:52,160 It ain't happening. 245 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:53,520 I have 400 other things 246 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,840 and I know how to do at least 300 of them. 247 00:16:56,840 --> 00:16:59,680 You're yelling at me about something that I wanna do, 248 00:16:59,680 --> 00:17:01,040 but I have no idea how to do it. 249 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:02,760 So that's a whole nother load 250 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,000 that I have to take on to learn how to do it. 251 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,880 Correct, we gotta break the gap for entrepreneurs. 252 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:09,360 We have to break the gap if we don't. 253 00:17:09,360 --> 00:17:11,200 And it's not, and I tell people, 254 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:13,040 it's not an easy thing either. 255 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:14,560 It sounds like it is. 256 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,160 Like, oh, adjust some colors and do this and do that. 257 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:21,480 But when you start going into guidelines, it's not easy. 258 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,960 It's almost like a Rubik's cube. 259 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:24,800 I don't know. 260 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:27,400 Most people in my shoes, 261 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,600 it is far safer to just nod and say, yes, I will do that. 262 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,240 And then get off the stage so that I can say, 263 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,400 okay, let's just try to avoid her calls in the future. 264 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:39,760 That's what entrepreneurs will typically do 265 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,040 in these scenarios versus diving in and figuring it out. 266 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,920 So we're gonna see where this takes us 267 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:50,760 over the next coming weeks and months, vision pros. 268 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:53,280 I hope that y'all are taking note too of like, all right, 269 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:58,120 well, I guess I might need to think about compliance as well. 270 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,360 And if you can shift your mentality from, 271 00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:04,280 do I have to do this to the, 272 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,040 what's the opportunity I'm overlooking on this? 273 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,920 Then you might find yourself putting something 274 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,200 into practice that can actually really help your brands. 275 00:18:13,200 --> 00:18:15,080 And that's what I'm hoping to get to the bottom 276 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:17,120 of at some point, hopefully it's today. 277 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:19,920 Before we dive in too far into that vision, Rebecca, 278 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:22,320 what are, you've been at entrepreneurship, 279 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,240 for a little while, you've got your background in business 280 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:27,600 and all the leadership stuff you've done. 281 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,720 So what three resources would you recommend 282 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,800 for visionaries that are on their way to? 283 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,640 It definitely depends on what you're doing. 284 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:38,480 But for me, I like a few things. 285 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:40,560 So I like actually a couple of books, 286 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,680 The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen. 287 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,800 And it's about why leading companies often fail 288 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,440 when they don't innovate. 289 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,000 And it's one of those things where, 290 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:54,200 we all know about innovation, we talk about it a lot, 291 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,840 it's kind of a buzzword, but I don't really think 292 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,400 that we understand fully what innovation is. 293 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,400 Why it powers businesses and why when you don't have it 294 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,680 and you don't have proper innovations, things fail. 295 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,520 And so I personally like that one. 296 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:15,120 I also like Start with Why by Simon Sinek. 297 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:19,720 And it's more about purpose-driven leadership. 298 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,880 So talking about how leaders that inspire their teams, 299 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,120 like by focusing on the why, 300 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:28,840 can drive that innovation and success. 301 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:32,600 Because again, we tend to wanna start with 302 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:34,960 like the finished product. 303 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,680 We don't always wanna start with the why and the purpose. 304 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:42,000 And I think that's something that business owners as a whole 305 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,360 just kind of forget. 306 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:45,520 I'm a huge fan. 307 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:46,720 I love Simon Sinek. 308 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:47,680 Yes, continue. 309 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,800 And then I have one other book called 310 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,880 The Future is Faster Than You Think by, 311 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:57,320 let me make sure I get him right, 312 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:00,240 Peter Diamandis and Steven Cotten. 313 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:06,040 And I want you to think about rapidly advancing technologies 314 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,920 from AI to 3D printing and how things like that 315 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:12,440 are poised to kind of reshape the way that we do things. 316 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,960 And for me, it's important for visionaries 317 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:18,840 to just wanna think about excelling the pace of change, 318 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:19,720 preparing for the future, 319 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,920 because these are all things that are happening. 320 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:23,320 That's not going anywhere. 321 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:24,800 3D printing's not going anywhere. 322 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,320 They're 3D printing houses. 323 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,160 Yep, military bases. 324 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:29,560 At this point. 325 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:34,560 And so having a good understanding of what that looks like, 326 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:36,000 even if you're not in the tech industry, 327 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,040 even if you're in something else, is really helpful. 328 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:40,720 Like I'm, you know, I'm a designer, 329 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:42,920 I do some tech, that kind of stuff. 330 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,680 I use AI, but even I have to admit to myself 331 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,360 that things have been moving so fast. 332 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:50,200 They are. 333 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:51,600 They're moving. 334 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,240 One of the greatest movies that display that, 335 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:55,240 that broke my mind, 336 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:58,560 because I grew up with, you know, without, 337 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,960 I grew up with everything that we already have, right? 338 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,320 So, and I saw the movie, Oppenheimer, a couple of weeks ago. 339 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:07,640 I was like, whoa, like, oh my gosh, 340 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,520 no wonder why people feel so different 341 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,080 in different generations about things. 342 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,560 Like, it is crazy what we've been able to accomplish 343 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:14,760 and what I took for granted. 344 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:17,440 As a fairly like intellectual individual, 345 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:18,360 I didn't quite get it. 346 00:21:18,360 --> 00:21:21,320 And fun fact, vision pros, 347 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,120 I used to work for Steven Kotler at the movie theater. 348 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:26,640 I'm a research collective. 349 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,120 So very, most people don't know that. 350 00:21:30,120 --> 00:21:32,240 My stint was fairly short with the team 351 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:33,520 that called me the Maverick. 352 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:34,840 And all of the organization, 353 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:36,400 they made some exceptions to the rules 354 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,320 to allow me to participate and be there. 355 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,000 So yeah, they're programs, you're at a dangerous. 356 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,200 And some of the things they're up to 357 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,040 is absolutely fascinating. 358 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:46,440 Great team, by the way. 359 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,440 And fun to be involved a tiny bit in what they're up to. 360 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,680 Simon Sinek, I'm a huge fan of the why concept. 361 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,200 And starting with it, not a bad place to start. 362 00:21:58,200 --> 00:21:59,640 I like to start with the who. 363 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:04,400 That's my start is who am I aligning myself with? 364 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,280 Do we share the same types of values and virtues? 365 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:11,800 And do our whys align as well? 366 00:22:11,800 --> 00:22:15,720 And so I wouldn't give a crap about what Simon taught 367 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,560 if I didn't care for the values and virtues 368 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,080 of the man himself personally. 369 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:22,520 It'd be like studying Hitler. 370 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,600 Oh, I mean, it's like he did a lot of cool things, I guess. 371 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,720 Like he did a lot of big things that made the history books 372 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,360 and he did a lot of awful, horrific things too. 373 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:35,520 It's like, that's not the style, that's not the process. 374 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:38,760 Those aren't the mediums I wanna go about building 375 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:39,600 what I'm building. 376 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:41,640 So again, nothing against Simon. 377 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:43,760 In fact, Tribal Leadership, 378 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,320 I'll drop one more resource on that 379 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:46,760 because I freaking love that book. 380 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:51,760 Tribal Leadership, it talks about how when you have, 381 00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,960 when you finally settle in on the right vision or mission, 382 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:57,240 your team members will actually argue about it. 383 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,640 And that argument is a good thing. 384 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,000 That alignment process is like harmony 385 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:05,000 where it's two different notes. 386 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:06,800 They see things two different ways a little bit, 387 00:23:06,800 --> 00:23:08,520 but that's what creates the music 388 00:23:08,520 --> 00:23:11,800 is that they're not the exact same note across the board. 389 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,240 So Simon is, I'm glad you put him on there. 390 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,160 He's in my hall of fame of business leaders for sure. 391 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:19,040 So we're gonna come right back. 392 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:20,640 We're gonna talk with Rebecca further 393 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,560 about what her vision is, 394 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:24,960 how we apply accessibility and inclusion 395 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:28,840 and strategy altogether for growth of our brands. 396 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,680 And we'll dive in as deep as we can, my friends. 397 00:23:31,680 --> 00:23:34,920 All right, welcome in to Vision Pros Live. 398 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:37,000 With Jackson Callum, I'm your show host. 399 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,680 We'll be doing interviews for visionary entrepreneurs 400 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:41,640 and guest leaders who are building 401 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:43,160 fantastic visions out there. 402 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:51,160 And we'll be talking about how we can make them happen. 403 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:52,000 So let's get started. 404 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:53,640 Welcome to Vision Pros Live. 405 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:55,440 I'm your host, Jackson Callum, 406 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,360 founder and CEO of First Class Business. 407 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:00,440 And I'm excited to have Rebecca Perjean on the stage today. 408 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,960 We're gonna be talking about an area of business 409 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:06,240 that I have ultimately successfully avoided 410 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:09,040 for the last 14 years, the accessibility side. 411 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,080 I know, I guess it's like a guilty admission, by the way, 412 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:13,280 but don't beat me up too bad, my friends. 413 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,200 That's not because I want to ignore it, 414 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:18,280 it's because most of us have so many things to do 415 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,800 as busy entrepreneurs that it's like really one more thing. 416 00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:22,800 And yet this is one of those areas 417 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,480 that it does hurt my heart, 418 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:27,800 that people can't access the value of what we do. 419 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,600 And whether that accessibility is driven by compliance 420 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:32,320 for the sake of those who are blind, 421 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,600 or for the sake of those who are deaf, 422 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:39,400 or it's somebody in, I don't know, Sri Lanka, 423 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:41,520 or the Philippines that only speaks Tagalog, 424 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,240 or somebody in some other foreign country, 425 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,680 like that we have so much room to grow 426 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:47,560 in order to help provide for the 8 billion. 427 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,480 So, but how do we do that? 428 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,040 Is there a way to do that where we don't feel forced? 429 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:57,120 And is there a way we can do that where we benefit 430 00:24:57,120 --> 00:24:59,520 so that we're all growing together? 431 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,320 I'm a big believer in that, and I've gotten to see 432 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,160 and help a few companies do just that at scale. 433 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,760 I hope to be able to provide that to each of you as well. 434 00:25:07,760 --> 00:25:09,600 And Rebecca and I will do our best 435 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,680 to help make that possible for you. 436 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:13,480 Before we bring Rebecca back on stage, 437 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:14,920 just a couple of other resources 438 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,080 where we really can help with that process. 439 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:19,400 One, there's a book called Brain Glue 440 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,960 by an author named James Bond. 441 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,760 James Bond wrote this book, and Jack Canfield, 442 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,680 the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul 443 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,000 that published 130, I'm sorry, his book has sold 444 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,680 to 130 million copies. 445 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:35,520 That's huge. 446 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,840 Jack said, as an entrepreneur, you'd have to be an idiot 447 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,120 not to buy this book, it is so powerful. 448 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:44,880 Well, beyond that, why do I believe in Brain Glue? 449 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:48,640 Because Brain Glue helps you see the emotional side 450 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,640 of what it is you're trying to help people logically do. 451 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,600 If you don't tap into emotions appropriately 452 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:56,360 and you don't use that resource 453 00:25:56,360 --> 00:25:58,120 to help people understand the value of what you do, 454 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,640 you are missing out on helping them stick to the concept 455 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:02,640 that you're trying to provide. 456 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:05,240 I highly check right away that you're trying to provide. 457 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:06,920 I recommend checking out and listening 458 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,520 to the short audio clip on Amazon if it's for you, 459 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:12,760 then go ahead and of course get the book. 460 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:14,040 Then there's Ticker. 461 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,220 Ticker is a program that's meant to help you 462 00:26:17,220 --> 00:26:20,240 with your stock trading purchases for people 463 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,560 who are beginners in the process of investing. 464 00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:25,960 I said traders, but one of the things that Sean taught me, 465 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:27,080 he's the founder of the company, 466 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:30,240 Sean Tepper taught us that there are zero 467 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,640 billionaire day traders in the world. 468 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:34,280 There's literally not a single one. 469 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,080 And what he's trying to say is like, 470 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:38,320 stop with the day trading stuff. 471 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,600 I'll move into investing long-term 472 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,320 and if you move in towards investing long-term, 473 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:45,760 then you're following in the footsteps of people 474 00:26:45,760 --> 00:26:47,440 more like Warren Buffett. 475 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,040 So he's a great leader, came on the show, 476 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:50,400 absolutely loved what he was up to. 477 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:52,220 And I was like, okay, I'm gonna get this out in the world 478 00:26:52,220 --> 00:26:54,600 for people who are big into learning 479 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,380 how to become wise stewards of their finances. 480 00:26:57,380 --> 00:26:59,380 This may be the diversification opportunity 481 00:26:59,380 --> 00:27:01,440 that you've also been looking for. 482 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:02,720 And there's the Water Project. 483 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,400 The Water Project is not something 484 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,320 we're affiliated with at all. 485 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:07,160 I just love it. 486 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,680 When I found out that there are millions of people 487 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,080 who don't have access to clean drinking water, 488 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,340 I decided we needed to do something about it. 489 00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:16,120 I needed to do something to remind myself 490 00:27:16,120 --> 00:27:18,520 on a daily basis that I've got to do more 491 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,600 than just rock this microphone, right? 492 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,920 And just bless the people that are closest to me. 493 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,900 What if we were able to help fund projects like this 494 00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:28,320 throughout the world where people don't even have access 495 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:29,500 to the basics of life? 496 00:27:29,500 --> 00:27:31,600 So what I love about the Water Project 497 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:33,780 is I get to pick the actual community 498 00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:35,120 that I'm going to then help, 499 00:27:35,120 --> 00:27:38,140 and they will actually send you the proof 500 00:27:38,140 --> 00:27:40,520 that they brought that Water Project to fruition, 501 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,480 whether it's in the form of a sand dam 502 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,440 or whether it's a borehole well. 503 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,320 These are concepts that I had no idea what they were. 504 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:49,280 Now I get to know kind of all about how those things work 505 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:52,160 because the way they educate people who donate 506 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,400 and give to their projects. 507 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:56,280 So if you're not in a position 508 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:58,200 to financially give back to the Water Project, 509 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,400 my hope is that you'll hear me out 510 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,480 on thinking in your heart and your mind. 511 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,320 Who would love to bless kids like this? 512 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,480 Kids that celebrate Christmas Day, 513 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,240 like my kids celebrate, well, celebrate water, sorry, 514 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:11,080 like my kids celebrate Christmas Day. 515 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:12,780 That's the type of impact that we can make, 516 00:28:12,780 --> 00:28:14,520 and it's a generational impact 517 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:15,680 that can very much change the world. 518 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:17,400 So hope you join me on that. 519 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,040 And if you know of another cause 520 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,460 that's just as important to you or more important to you, 521 00:28:21,460 --> 00:28:23,120 drop it in the comments and give us a chance 522 00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:25,360 to give back to that cause as well. 523 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:26,960 We've got lots of people to help, 524 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,180 and we can do that more effectively together 525 00:28:29,180 --> 00:28:30,160 than we can divide it. 526 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,360 So without further ado, Rebecca, 527 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:34,520 thank you so much for joining me on Vision Pros Live. 528 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:35,760 Welcome in. 529 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:36,880 Thank you so much for having me. 530 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,520 Super excited to be here. 531 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:39,840 Yes, absolutely. 532 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:44,080 So let's talk about the vision a little bit, 533 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:46,840 just to kind of get my own bearings around this. 534 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:48,740 So what do you feel your vision is 535 00:28:48,740 --> 00:28:50,440 for the people that you're serving? 536 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:53,480 For the people I'm serving, 537 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:58,480 I have a vision of a world that actually accommodates them 538 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,720 and engages them and embraces them 539 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:06,720 and really just brings humanity back into the process. 540 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:09,320 That's really the vision I have for them 541 00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:11,080 is to not feel less pain. 542 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:13,300 Talk to me about this. 543 00:29:13,300 --> 00:29:14,140 Who are they? 544 00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,600 They are people with disabilities 545 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,520 and those disabilities can range 546 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:22,240 because a lot of people think physical disabilities. 547 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:23,740 So they think blindness 548 00:29:23,740 --> 00:29:27,200 or they think maybe missing limbs or things like that. 549 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:29,460 But it's also people that have autism, 550 00:29:29,460 --> 00:29:30,720 people that have ADHD, 551 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:32,920 people that have dyslexia, dysgraphia. 552 00:29:34,020 --> 00:29:36,920 All of these different things that they think different 553 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,800 or they're wired differently 554 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,660 or they have maybe a little bit more energy 555 00:29:41,660 --> 00:29:43,320 than some of us. 556 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:45,800 And people tend to think that, 557 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,620 well, there's something wrong with them 558 00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:48,600 because they're different, 559 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:50,560 because they have this going on, 560 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:52,840 excuse me, or because they need additional support, 561 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,440 but that's really not the case. 562 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:55,860 So in my vision, 563 00:29:55,860 --> 00:29:59,680 it's really about bringing just a human component 564 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,120 and helping people understand, 565 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,000 helping businesses understand these are people. 566 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,880 They're employees like anybody else. 567 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:07,280 If they're internal for you, 568 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,040 they're people just like you would meet on the street. 569 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:12,680 They just happen to be different 570 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,800 from what you would expect in terms of the norm. 571 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:16,640 Okay. 572 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:21,640 And let's shift gears a little bit into what's your vision? 573 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,320 What do you see for yourself? 574 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:26,740 Ooh, for myself. 575 00:30:26,740 --> 00:30:30,360 For me, I actually envision, 576 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,380 I envision myself creating spaces 577 00:30:34,380 --> 00:30:39,280 and just really creating a world that is inclusive. 578 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,320 And the world that we live in right now, 579 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,520 I'll be honest, you hear that word inclusive 580 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:47,320 and some people panic in a lot of different ways. 581 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:49,840 It becomes like woke and all this stuff. 582 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:54,840 And I don't necessarily believe that that's what it has to be. 583 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:56,240 I think that you can be inclusive. 584 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,680 I think that you can be accountable. 585 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,200 I just want a world where people are people 586 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,320 and people can be allowed to people, 587 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:07,600 you know, in a good way. 588 00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:10,620 I have a son and I, from my vision, 589 00:31:10,620 --> 00:31:13,880 I just want a world that he can be proud of. 590 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:17,200 He can be happy in, he can grow in, he can thrive in, 591 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:18,680 all of those kinds of things. 592 00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,840 Okay, I love that and I appreciate that. 593 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:25,020 So how is leaders in? 594 00:31:25,020 --> 00:31:25,860 How do we help? 595 00:31:25,860 --> 00:31:28,960 How do we step up and, you know, 596 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,360 help those who are different 597 00:31:30,360 --> 00:31:32,060 and create this type of inclusion? 598 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:34,400 By being open. 599 00:31:35,380 --> 00:31:38,640 And by looking at the way that you're doing things 600 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:40,520 from a completely different lens, 601 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:43,440 because we tend to, as business owners, right, 602 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,800 we might have a small sampling of people, 603 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,480 our leadership, you know, that kind of thing. 604 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,040 Maybe some choice people that you know, 605 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:52,880 kind of in your teams. 606 00:31:52,880 --> 00:31:54,360 And those are the ones that you go to 607 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:55,980 for all the information. 608 00:31:55,980 --> 00:31:59,000 Those are the ones that you go to for all of the feedback. 609 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,600 And the real way that you help 610 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,480 is actually asking all of your people. 611 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:07,840 And by also being proactive. 612 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:09,480 Being proactive and understanding 613 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:11,920 that just because you haven't heard 614 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,200 that somebody has a disability 615 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,080 doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. 616 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:19,360 It's kind of like when people were discovering America. 617 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:21,480 It was already there. 618 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,840 It's not like just because they went 619 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,840 and sailed across the sea that it made it present. 620 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,280 It was already present. 621 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,780 Disabilities are already present in your business. 622 00:32:31,780 --> 00:32:33,880 They're present in your world, 623 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:36,400 internally and externally. 624 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:38,880 Billions of people worldwide have disabilities. 625 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:40,400 So they exist. 626 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:41,920 You have to be proactive about it 627 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:44,920 and just really be open to learn 628 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,520 and be willing to kind of go towards this new venture. 629 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:49,520 Yeah. 630 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:50,400 Let's dive into that though, 631 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,520 cause we've got some realities 632 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,600 that I think a lot of business owners avoid 633 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,440 cause there's liabilities. 634 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:00,000 You know, there's regulations. 635 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:02,560 There's chaos that can ensue. 636 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,640 So I'm gonna go back to that winter storm that crushed Texas 637 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,920 and almost pulled us off the map powered grid wise. 638 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:15,920 And I found a homeless person underneath my staircase 639 00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:18,280 and I invited them into my home. 640 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,480 We started to make preparations 641 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:26,480 and got them fed and I was gonna have them stay with us. 642 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:30,640 But as their story unfolded, 643 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:33,320 the story started to get a little bit out of hand. 644 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:34,160 Right? 645 00:33:34,160 --> 00:33:35,560 It started to not add up. 646 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,560 This person went from different to, 647 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:40,840 uh-oh, this may be a dangerous situation. 648 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:44,840 And, you know, and by all means, 649 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,920 like I'm supposed to be open, right? 650 00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,640 I'm supposed to make room for these realities, 651 00:33:49,640 --> 00:33:52,040 but I also got kids to protect. 652 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:56,600 And so then I ended up getting them set up in a hotel 653 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:01,000 and for a couple nights and, you know, 654 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,680 as that situation again continued to unfold 655 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,400 and this person began to smoke in that hotel room, 656 00:34:06,400 --> 00:34:08,680 I don't know where they got that, right? 657 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:10,920 But that also created the challenge 658 00:34:10,920 --> 00:34:12,960 and a liability set for me. 659 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,760 And this person could have destroyed that hotel room. 660 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,080 You know, they could have done a lot of things 661 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:24,080 that would have been a nightmare reality for my family 662 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:27,040 and our security to be able to deal with. 663 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:31,160 So I feel a strong empathy towards both sides on this, 664 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:33,080 that, you know, we've got a, you know, 665 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:34,160 well, that's the exception, 666 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:35,320 is it the exception of the rule? 667 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:37,920 We don't know, you know, we only know 668 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,760 what our own experiences are based on. 669 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:44,280 So how do we protect ourselves 670 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:46,200 and how do we make sure that, you know, 671 00:34:46,200 --> 00:34:51,200 we're not feeling guilty for not being able to do more 672 00:34:51,660 --> 00:34:56,420 for individuals, especially when it can be such a danger 673 00:34:56,420 --> 00:34:58,680 to those we love. 674 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:02,480 Yeah, and I will say that as a fellow business owner, 675 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:04,200 I know that it is a scary place, 676 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,440 because like you said, there is liability. 677 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:11,000 There is always the possibility that if you wade into this, 678 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:12,640 you might make a mistake, 679 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:14,840 but I'll actually go the other direction. 680 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:18,140 If you don't wade into this, it's still a mistake. 681 00:35:19,200 --> 00:35:21,760 It's a mistake, of course, for your business 682 00:35:21,760 --> 00:35:24,400 and possible revenue, 683 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,480 but it's also a mistake on a legal side of things. 684 00:35:28,480 --> 00:35:31,040 So it's still a mistake. 685 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:33,560 You have to choose which mistake you'd rather have. 686 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:35,680 If somebody is still going to possibly, 687 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,320 if I've implemented accessibility 688 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:40,040 and somebody might bring a suit, right, 689 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:42,440 because that's a constant fear that business owners have. 690 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,240 So we'll just attack it. 691 00:35:44,240 --> 00:35:46,320 If you bring that to me, 692 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:49,240 I'm able to better bolster my argument by saying, 693 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:51,000 I am implementing these things 694 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,900 and you'll be further down the road 695 00:35:52,900 --> 00:35:55,000 to resolve that situation than you would be 696 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:56,760 if you've done nothing. 697 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,400 If you've done nothing, you are starting from scratch 698 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:03,160 and it is not an easy stick and overlay on your website, 699 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,600 call it a day type of situation, 700 00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:08,320 because a lot of times those don't actually address 701 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,520 a lot of accessibility problems. 702 00:36:10,520 --> 00:36:12,680 So you almost have to choose which type of mistake 703 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:14,080 you'd want to make. 704 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:15,280 If you're asking me, 705 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,720 I would rather be further down the road 706 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:20,240 and make a mistake that I can easily course correct 707 00:36:20,240 --> 00:36:23,360 and pivot as opposed to now saying, 708 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:28,360 I've got X number of days to make sure this is together. 709 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:30,360 This is together. 710 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:31,600 This is together. 711 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,720 And people will have a closer microscope on you 712 00:36:34,720 --> 00:36:37,280 if you've done absolutely nothing 713 00:36:37,280 --> 00:36:39,520 and that's the starting point. 714 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,280 So you're gonna make mistakes, 715 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,000 but mistakes happen. 716 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:46,400 All the things that people have in the audience too 717 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:50,760 about compliance and moving your brand forward, 718 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:52,880 what types of mistakes. 719 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:56,320 I think the greater message that I heard you talk about 720 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,080 was not necessarily even in relation 721 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:00,280 to the compliance aspect. 722 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:02,600 It's about doing the right thing. 723 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:03,440 And that's it. 724 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:06,080 We've got to look at these opportunities and say, 725 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,880 you know what, even if I'm at risk 726 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:12,200 by doing the right thing in this scenario, 727 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,680 if it's the right thing to do, 728 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:18,400 we should step up and do the right thing. 729 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:20,600 Reminds me of the Batman movie 730 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:23,320 where the Joker's trying to blow the boat up or whatever. 731 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:26,520 And then the guy comes and drops the remote 732 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,640 over so nobody can do it. 733 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,040 And it's like somebody had to step up and do that 734 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,400 in order for neither boat to blow up. 735 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:35,600 Sorry to ruin the movie for anybody 736 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:38,160 who didn't see that 20 years ago. 737 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:40,080 But let's dive into another area. 738 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:43,960 So what is the worst leadership experience 739 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:45,880 that you've ever had, Rebecca? 740 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:47,600 Oh God, there have been several. 741 00:37:48,760 --> 00:37:52,880 I think the worst I would ever have had, 742 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:55,040 I was hired in, like I've said, 743 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:56,720 told you before when we were getting to know each other, 744 00:37:56,720 --> 00:37:58,160 I've worked in call centers 745 00:37:58,160 --> 00:38:00,720 but I've worked in very small ones also. 746 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:03,960 And there was a guy, he had just started his business. 747 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:05,440 There were only like 10 of us, 748 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:07,600 but he decided to select me as his lead. 749 00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:08,440 I was so excited. 750 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:09,360 I was like, great. 751 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:12,480 Then he fired everybody that I worked with 752 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:15,360 and told me, go hire a new team. 753 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:16,200 So I did. 754 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,640 I interviewed people, I hired them, I trained them. 755 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:20,880 Everything was golden. 756 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:23,840 And then two months later, he sends me an email. 757 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:26,400 He's like, hey, Rebecca, I'm gonna close the business. 758 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:29,640 Like, oh, okay, this is wild. 759 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,400 And he's like, but I'm gonna tell people 760 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:32,840 because it's gonna close in about a month. 761 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:35,640 I'm gonna tell people in about two weeks. 762 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:37,560 I can't, I don't want you to say anything 763 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:41,560 because I don't want them to be scared or panic or leave. 764 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:43,440 I was like, I don't even know how to react. 765 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:44,960 So I didn't say anything. 766 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,840 Two weeks comes around, he doesn't say anything. 767 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:52,600 And day after day after day drags on. 768 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,320 And I'm like, are you gonna say anything? 769 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:56,360 He's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll have a meeting. 770 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,640 I ended up having to tell those people, 771 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:03,800 look them in the eye and tell them you are all fired 772 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:05,840 as of ex-dates. 773 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,960 And that was absolutely not my job. 774 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:13,960 My boss never talked to any of them ever again. 775 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:16,040 Like he never reached out to them, 776 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:19,400 never asked how are you gonna recover? 777 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:21,200 None of those things. 778 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:24,120 And that showed me a lot. 779 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:25,280 It equally showed me a lot 780 00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:26,920 because we talked to the client. 781 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:29,840 We had one client at the time and I talked to them 782 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:32,680 and I was so apologetic, I felt so bad 783 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,360 that we had done so poorly for them. 784 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:36,520 And I remember I apologized 785 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,600 for not meeting their expectations. 786 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:40,840 And the client said, what do you mean? 787 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:46,240 And I'm like, well, so-and-so told me 788 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:48,760 that part of the reason you deleted the contract 789 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,080 was because we weren't meeting the metrics 790 00:39:51,080 --> 00:39:52,880 and we weren't meeting your expectations. 791 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,280 And they're like, no, y'all were fine. 792 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:59,800 They told us they wanted to terminate the contract, 793 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:02,240 but no, we were happy with your work. 794 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:08,000 So essentially I found out that my boss lied to me. 795 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:13,000 You make me fire people, like just a horrible situation. 796 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:17,120 And I learned in that moment 797 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:20,760 that being a good leader does not mean you have a good title. 798 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:22,040 You have to be honest with people. 799 00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:23,520 You have to be transparent with people 800 00:40:23,520 --> 00:40:26,360 and you have to do the right thing, even when it's hard. 801 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:28,080 That was the hardest thing I've ever done. 802 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:30,080 I've never been in HR like that, 803 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:34,240 telling people you have no job after such date 804 00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:35,960 is probably one of the hardest things, 805 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:38,480 especially when you've gotten to know them. 806 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:39,440 Oh my goodness. 807 00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:43,040 We've got a resource that combats this 808 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:44,160 because this is huge. 809 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,000 It's a massive problem in the world of entrepreneurship 810 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:51,480 and entrepreneurship and solopreneurship 811 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:54,880 is that there's so many companies 812 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:56,360 that are trying to learn how to scale 813 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:57,880 and trying to learn how to build. 814 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:00,000 And there's two realities on that. 815 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,360 One, yeah, it's completely irresponsible for us as leaders 816 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:04,800 to put ourselves in that position 817 00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:07,600 and put others in that position knowingly, 818 00:41:07,600 --> 00:41:08,600 or even ignorantly. 819 00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,520 We're adults, right? 820 00:41:10,520 --> 00:41:13,720 We have to have, there's consequences to our actions 821 00:41:13,720 --> 00:41:17,320 as adults and it goes on both sides, right? 822 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:18,840 So I'm very grateful for the entity 823 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:20,920 I found most of these tips from. 824 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:22,760 It came from Traffic and Funnels 825 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:24,400 and the sales mentor guys. 826 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,000 They've since shut down their own business. 827 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:29,160 They're facing a lot of the same challenges, 828 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:32,240 but we have a list of things that, 829 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:34,480 if you're gonna go to work for a brand, 830 00:41:34,480 --> 00:41:37,320 we've got to look at that brand and say, okay, 831 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:39,880 do they have their social media presence established 832 00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:41,520 really, really well, right? 833 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:43,360 Do they have a leadership chart? 834 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,680 People who provide different roles, 835 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,640 where does it feel kind of like so homey 836 00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:51,360 that you can't tell if this company, 837 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,600 where are their revenues at right now? 838 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:55,480 Oh, well, that's private information. 839 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:56,320 Ask. 840 00:41:57,520 --> 00:42:02,520 It is on us as adults if we do not ask the hard questions 841 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,880 of the people that we may want to work with. 842 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:10,040 What is the exit strategy if things don't go well? 843 00:42:10,040 --> 00:42:11,160 Why don't we ask? 844 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,520 Because we don't want to lose the opportunity, right? 845 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:15,120 We wanna just make it, 846 00:42:15,120 --> 00:42:17,080 we wanna make sure that we secure the paycheck 847 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:17,960 and the opportunity at hand, 848 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:21,240 but my point on that is I just hope that all of us 849 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:22,520 can learn from these experiences 850 00:42:22,520 --> 00:42:26,600 because it sucks to work with bad leaders. 851 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:30,120 It also like sucks if we keep putting ourselves 852 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:33,320 in a position where we keep ending up with bad leaders. 853 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,760 We gotta all learn what we need to learn 854 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:37,560 to have a better outcome. 855 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,120 What's the best leadership going in the opposite direction? 856 00:42:40,120 --> 00:42:42,400 What's the best leadership experience you've ever had? 857 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,600 Best leadership experience I've ever had 858 00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:48,000 is when I was a kid, there was a CEO, 859 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,080 nobody liked him in the company. 860 00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:50,920 He was new. 861 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:55,920 He just got a whole different energy and nobody liked him, 862 00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:59,400 but he was the only person to reach out to me 863 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,840 after I actually got back from maternity leave. 864 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:05,360 I had so many problems with my pregnancy. 865 00:43:05,360 --> 00:43:07,400 I had kidney infections. 866 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,120 My son was born with hydrocephalus. 867 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:12,520 It was a huge thing and I was out. 868 00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:16,880 My team, believe it or not, acted like I had abandoned them, 869 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:21,200 like I had been on vacation for four or five months, 870 00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:22,520 not like I had had a child. 871 00:43:22,520 --> 00:43:25,480 And so it was very isolating in that moment. 872 00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:28,280 And I remember he pulled me to the slide 873 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,240 and he was like, so how are you doing? 874 00:43:30,240 --> 00:43:32,560 And I'm like, what do you mean, how am I doing? 875 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:34,680 I didn't even understand why he was asking me that. 876 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:39,080 And he's like, I see that there's some things going on. 877 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:40,040 Are you okay? 878 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:42,120 How are things going? 879 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:44,720 And we were talking and he recognized 880 00:43:44,720 --> 00:43:46,720 what I was going through a postpartum depression 881 00:43:46,720 --> 00:43:48,200 and postpartum anxiety 882 00:43:48,200 --> 00:43:51,040 because his own mother had gone through it. 883 00:43:51,040 --> 00:43:54,160 And so he told me about that story and he's like, 884 00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:57,880 I want you to know I see everything that's going on 885 00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:00,800 and I know it's really uncomfortable. 886 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:04,720 And I'm gonna work to change some of this. 887 00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:06,680 I'm gonna work to support you, 888 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:08,720 but I wanna give you a choice. 889 00:44:08,720 --> 00:44:12,680 Do you want to stay or do you want to go? 890 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:14,720 If you wanna go spend time with your family, 891 00:44:14,720 --> 00:44:16,600 I get it, I fully understand it. 892 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:18,120 I wanna give you the choice 893 00:44:18,120 --> 00:44:20,560 because I know this is a difficult time. 894 00:44:20,560 --> 00:44:22,840 And I decided to go because I'm like, 895 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:24,160 this is all too stressful 896 00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:27,920 and the atmosphere isn't healthy for me. 897 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:31,960 And he gave me a severance package and let me go. 898 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:37,000 And to me, that is the type of leader that we should all be. 899 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,840 No, I understand that it's not realistic for everybody 900 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:41,400 to do all of those things. 901 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:43,240 But what he did do that I think is possible. 902 00:44:43,240 --> 00:44:44,640 It's pretty realistic. 903 00:44:44,640 --> 00:44:45,480 It's pretty realistic. 904 00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:46,880 That there was nothing. 905 00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:48,280 It really, I feel like it's realistic, 906 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:49,720 but I know some people might be like, 907 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:50,800 I don't think that's realistic. 908 00:44:50,800 --> 00:44:51,640 But the one thing- 909 00:44:51,640 --> 00:44:53,960 It's a success for those people, just saying. 910 00:44:53,960 --> 00:44:55,200 Just saying. 911 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:57,280 If you can't do those basic pieces 912 00:44:57,280 --> 00:44:59,320 of taking care of humanity, 913 00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:01,800 then success is not likely in your future. 914 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:02,640 Okay, go ahead, continue. 915 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:04,440 I'll agree with that. 916 00:45:04,440 --> 00:45:05,680 But the one thing he did do 917 00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:07,080 that I don't think anybody can dispute 918 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:08,920 is he treated me like I was human. 919 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:10,320 Yes, that's exactly right. 920 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:14,280 He completely acknowledged, I see you. 921 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:16,880 I see what's going on. 922 00:45:16,880 --> 00:45:19,440 I know I can't fix all things in this moment, 923 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,240 but I can do this. 924 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:23,760 And so he identified the way he could do 925 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,480 as opposed to the things he could not do. 926 00:45:26,480 --> 00:45:28,440 And that helped me in ways 927 00:45:28,440 --> 00:45:30,800 I don't think people can even understand. 928 00:45:30,800 --> 00:45:34,240 Like we were having such a hard time as parents. 929 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:35,400 Like I said, our son was born. 930 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:36,760 He had a hydrocephalus. 931 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:40,360 And so we were going to doctor's visits every week, 932 00:45:40,360 --> 00:45:43,000 specialist visits every week. 933 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:44,880 I'm dealing with postpartum depression, 934 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:46,280 but I am working full-time. 935 00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:48,640 I'm dealing with postpartum anxiety and panic attacks, 936 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:50,200 and I am working full-time. 937 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,800 His dad is working overnight. 938 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:54,440 We did not have daycare. 939 00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:57,320 So it's like I had night shift, he had day shift. 940 00:45:57,320 --> 00:46:01,640 It was craziness in our household. 941 00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:06,160 And that one thing completely changed things for us. 942 00:46:06,160 --> 00:46:08,880 And we were able to really nurture him 943 00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:11,440 in a way that set him up for success later on down the line. 944 00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:14,680 Like I was able to be a much more involved parent 945 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:16,840 than I probably would have been without it. 946 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:18,760 That's a powerful story. 947 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,200 I really appreciate you being willing to share that. 948 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:24,360 It was a life-changing moment. 949 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:26,360 Yeah, I can see that. 950 00:46:26,360 --> 00:46:27,760 Absolutely. 951 00:46:27,760 --> 00:46:29,200 It's funny how it's just leaders. 952 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:33,160 We just got to be human and show up for people. 953 00:46:33,160 --> 00:46:36,560 So if this is the last chance you had to share, 954 00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:38,480 what powerful lesson can the visionaries learn 955 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,600 from your experience, Rebecca? 956 00:46:40,600 --> 00:46:44,400 Learn that having the vision itself is not enough. 957 00:46:45,440 --> 00:46:47,080 You've got to put in the work, 958 00:46:47,080 --> 00:46:52,080 and you've got to put in some of the personal skin 959 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:54,600 to really make your vision come to life. 960 00:46:54,600 --> 00:46:55,960 And sometimes that means stepping 961 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:57,640 into something uncomfortable. 962 00:46:57,640 --> 00:46:59,320 We talked a little bit about accessibility 963 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:00,920 and that kind of discomfort, 964 00:47:00,920 --> 00:47:02,800 but even just being human sometimes, 965 00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:04,240 so it shouldn't make us uncomfortable. 966 00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:06,200 If it's something we're not used to doing, 967 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:08,120 if it's opening up, if it's being vulnerable, 968 00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:09,880 that's going to feel uncomfortable. 969 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:14,880 But that's really what all of my experiences have been. 970 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:18,440 It's about bringing that human quote element 971 00:47:18,440 --> 00:47:19,800 back into the fold, 972 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:23,280 because that's really how you win as a visionary. 973 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:25,120 It's how you win as an entrepreneur. 974 00:47:25,120 --> 00:47:30,120 People will buy your product, yeah, if it works, right? 975 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:32,400 They'll buy it, it might be okay, 976 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:35,040 but if they don't like you as people, 977 00:47:35,040 --> 00:47:36,960 they're not going to continue to buy from you. 978 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:38,400 You will not have sustainability. 979 00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:39,920 You will not have longevity. 980 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:41,960 Yeah, they're not going to buy your product either. 981 00:47:41,960 --> 00:47:42,800 Oh, I'm just going to- 982 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:44,760 He's like, I'm going to challenge that. 983 00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:45,600 They're not going to buy your product. 984 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:47,640 If you're at a local marketplace, 985 00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:49,040 they might buy your bar soap. 986 00:47:49,040 --> 00:47:49,880 Oh, right, I get that. 987 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:52,280 Oh, right, because you're there and the president, 988 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:54,200 but that does not create loyalty. 989 00:47:54,200 --> 00:47:55,840 Right, well, it creates loyalty. 990 00:47:55,840 --> 00:47:57,240 And if you look at it, 991 00:47:57,240 --> 00:47:59,680 the next Disney movie that comes out, 992 00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:01,280 the only people who are going to go see that movie 993 00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:03,160 are people who are Disney fans. 994 00:48:03,160 --> 00:48:04,480 That is it. 995 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:06,400 And they got all the marketing budget in the world 996 00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:07,480 to convince you that their product 997 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:08,680 or their service is the best. 998 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:10,320 But the only people who are going 999 00:48:10,320 --> 00:48:13,080 are people who are actually a fan of the actual culture 1000 00:48:13,080 --> 00:48:14,640 and the company itself. 1001 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:16,440 And that's the same reason why Tesla sold 1002 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:18,320 180,000 cars from Staves 1003 00:48:18,320 --> 00:48:20,440 that nobody was going to get for two to three years. 1004 00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:21,960 I went into a dealership right now 1005 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:23,160 and they told me I wasn't going to get my car 1006 00:48:23,160 --> 00:48:25,240 for two to three years, they call the cops. 1007 00:48:25,240 --> 00:48:26,840 Right, and be like, no, not happening. 1008 00:48:26,840 --> 00:48:28,000 Not buying this product. 1009 00:48:28,000 --> 00:48:29,960 People don't care about our product or service. 1010 00:48:29,960 --> 00:48:31,160 I'm with you 100%. 1011 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:33,800 They need to be able to understand and value that vision. 1012 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:35,600 And if we're not putting the skin in the game 1013 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:38,120 to the vision, we got a pipe dream. 1014 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:39,560 We don't have the vision, right? 1015 00:48:39,560 --> 00:48:42,360 So we have to be willing to put into the vision. 1016 00:48:42,360 --> 00:48:43,920 I love what you just shared. 1017 00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:45,880 So those of you listening in, 1018 00:48:45,880 --> 00:48:48,000 again, I know I brought some heat today, 1019 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:50,400 but I had Rebecca here to balance me out 1020 00:48:50,400 --> 00:48:52,560 and bring all the nurturing love with it. 1021 00:48:52,560 --> 00:48:55,520 So definitely take a look at the show notes 1022 00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:56,720 and you'll see the action steps. 1023 00:48:56,720 --> 00:48:58,280 You'll also see the different resources 1024 00:48:58,280 --> 00:48:59,360 that we recommended. 1025 00:48:59,360 --> 00:49:01,680 If you want to be on the show in the top right corner, 1026 00:49:01,680 --> 00:49:03,840 you're going to see a button that says, be our guest. 1027 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:05,320 If you've got a vision that you're striving 1028 00:49:05,320 --> 00:49:07,720 to bring to life and you know it's going to help others, 1029 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:10,360 whether it's local and for your neighborhood 1030 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:11,320 or if you're your own family, 1031 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:13,600 or you've got a vision that's going to help 1032 00:49:13,600 --> 00:49:15,800 the entire world, come and share with us. 1033 00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:17,640 We need to learn and talk about these principles 1034 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:20,080 more often as leaders and as we do. 1035 00:49:20,080 --> 00:49:22,600 I mean, I get so much out of sessions. 1036 00:49:22,600 --> 00:49:23,720 Like there's so many notes here, 1037 00:49:23,720 --> 00:49:25,760 things I'm gonna learn from what Rebecca just shared with me. 1038 00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:28,600 So come and join us, share your vision too. 1039 00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:29,880 And we will see all of you guys 1040 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:31,800 on the next episode of Vision Pros Live. 1041 00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:33,040 Take care everybody. 1042 00:49:33,040 --> 00:49:34,400 Thank you for being here today. 1043 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:36,880 I'm really happy that you tuned in to Vision Pros Live. 1044 00:49:36,880 --> 00:49:39,560 I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions 1045 00:49:39,560 --> 00:49:41,840 as these episodes continue to move forward. 1046 00:49:41,840 --> 00:49:43,520 This is going to get more and more fun. 1047 00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:45,320 We'll have more and more engagement as well. 1048 00:49:45,320 --> 00:49:47,440 We'll invite people to participate in the show 1049 00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:49,800 and thank you for giving us your time and attention. 1050 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:51,840 Have an excellent time building out.