1 00:00:00,050 --> 00:00:01,340 Curious how to partner. 2 00:00:01,370 --> 00:00:04,670 Minimal investment with maximum impact. 3 00:00:04,940 --> 00:00:09,410 So Justin Abrams and I break down how to leverage small tests and increase 4 00:00:09,410 --> 00:00:14,150 your surface area for luck and build relationships that will propel your 5 00:00:14,150 --> 00:00:16,430 growth no matter what field you're in. 6 00:00:16,700 --> 00:00:17,540 Let's dive into it. 7 00:00:20,918 --> 00:00:22,328 Justin, we're doing this. 8 00:00:22,328 --> 00:00:23,768 It's great to have you here, my friend. 9 00:00:23,768 --> 00:00:24,218 How are you? 10 00:00:25,118 --> 00:00:28,208 I am so good man, and I'm so psyched to be here. 11 00:00:28,868 --> 00:00:32,018 This has been a struggle, like we have definitely taken our time to book 12 00:00:32,018 --> 00:00:35,108 this episode, and I appreciate you for bobbing and weaving with my crazy life. 13 00:00:35,108 --> 00:00:38,618 We'll unpack a little bit of it today, but Joe, I'm psyched to see you again on the 14 00:00:38,618 --> 00:00:40,388 podcast and join your show for a change. 15 00:00:40,538 --> 00:00:44,738 Yeah man, I was just on yours and, and I mean like, well strictly from 16 00:00:44,738 --> 00:00:48,188 nowhere and you can find that you, we'll link all this stuff up here 17 00:00:48,263 --> 00:00:49,973 channels we're everywhere as we 18 00:00:50,108 --> 00:00:53,198 I mean like I think you just have like such a cool brand and Cool. 19 00:00:53,288 --> 00:00:55,568 I know you have a cool vibe and personality. 20 00:00:56,123 --> 00:01:00,293 Immediately got along, but we got connected actually through a mutual client 21 00:01:00,293 --> 00:01:02,723 of ours doing some, doing some dev work. 22 00:01:03,203 --> 00:01:06,083 I was doing more like on the marketing side, you're actually doing the what? 23 00:01:06,083 --> 00:01:07,703 The advising and tech side. 24 00:01:08,243 --> 00:01:09,953 I mean, you do so much cool stuff, man. 25 00:01:10,703 --> 00:01:14,033 So, and then, and then getting to know you on your show. 26 00:01:14,033 --> 00:01:16,283 That's why I was like, well, I gotta have you on mine now, you 27 00:01:16,283 --> 00:01:18,083 know, to just keep the party going. 28 00:01:18,113 --> 00:01:21,058 And of course we'll link you to the, uh, the other episode, but. 29 00:01:21,863 --> 00:01:22,403 Yeah, man. 30 00:01:22,433 --> 00:01:25,763 Um, you're, you're living, we're both in wild times. 31 00:01:25,763 --> 00:01:28,823 I mean, great things happening, new additions to the family. 32 00:01:28,823 --> 00:01:35,003 I know on your side, things are, are just, things are popping in in all ways. 33 00:01:35,003 --> 00:01:38,993 So what, what keeps you grounded right now that just comes to mind? 34 00:01:39,023 --> 00:01:39,263 Like, 35 00:01:39,931 --> 00:01:40,591 You know what? 36 00:01:41,731 --> 00:01:43,261 There's quite a few things that keep me grounded. 37 00:01:43,261 --> 00:01:47,311 I'm gonna, I'm gonna blend the, the three major categories, you know, we'll 38 00:01:47,311 --> 00:01:51,181 go like extracurricular, we'll go the professional path and, and family. 39 00:01:51,976 --> 00:01:54,856 You know, I'm in a, in a very interesting part of my life 40 00:01:54,856 --> 00:01:56,566 as far as family is concerned. 41 00:01:56,626 --> 00:01:59,296 There's nothing more grounding than nesting and welcoming 42 00:01:59,296 --> 00:02:01,006 a, an infant into the world. 43 00:02:01,246 --> 00:02:05,596 So like, I'm very much at home in nuclear, uh, very limited as far as 44 00:02:05,596 --> 00:02:09,676 social engagements and things that I'm doing outside of just my, my nuclear, 45 00:02:09,676 --> 00:02:11,956 my nuclear wife and son that I have now. 46 00:02:12,106 --> 00:02:15,886 And, uh, so that really keeps me very focused and, and that 47 00:02:15,886 --> 00:02:18,601 allows me to prioritize the other two categories, which is. 48 00:02:18,691 --> 00:02:23,371 The business and my extracurriculars, my my activities. 49 00:02:23,431 --> 00:02:28,381 And so I have a really healthy relationship with my business. 50 00:02:28,711 --> 00:02:32,701 You know, I often give the advice, Joe, that opportunity is sometimes 51 00:02:32,701 --> 00:02:35,071 more important to follow than passion. 52 00:02:35,641 --> 00:02:39,850 I'm really lucky to have become passionate about my opportunity that came my way. 53 00:02:40,531 --> 00:02:45,481 So for me, being in this business while, you know, like running an agency lifestyle 54 00:02:45,481 --> 00:02:47,041 and being a service provider and like. 55 00:02:47,761 --> 00:02:51,721 A hectic lifestyle for sure, and like really hard to run this business. 56 00:02:51,961 --> 00:02:54,421 But like, I really feel like I was kind of made for all of that. 57 00:02:54,841 --> 00:02:58,261 You know, my historical career is in, is in sales, is in client 58 00:02:58,261 --> 00:03:02,011 services, is in being a service provider and an expert in my domain. 59 00:03:02,611 --> 00:03:04,711 Like, this is just second nature to me. 60 00:03:04,711 --> 00:03:07,951 And instead of doing it for an employer, I'm, I'm doing it for myself. 61 00:03:07,951 --> 00:03:10,801 And I have the privilege of being an employer, which is a whole 62 00:03:10,801 --> 00:03:13,201 different topic we can talk about that I'm really passionate about. 63 00:03:14,101 --> 00:03:17,491 And then of course my activities just like really keep me remembering 64 00:03:17,911 --> 00:03:24,595 that I'm human and capable and, um, sometimes not so capable. 65 00:03:24,781 --> 00:03:28,201 And like, it's really sobering to be an athlete and like, I'm not 66 00:03:28,201 --> 00:03:31,591 old at all, but like I'm getting older and I'm aware of my abilities. 67 00:03:31,591 --> 00:03:32,791 And we were just talking. 68 00:03:32,791 --> 00:03:37,029 We can unpack it if you'd like about some injuries that I'm nursing back and, All 69 00:03:37,029 --> 00:03:41,109 of those things, pursuing my activities, everything from climbing to, to I 70 00:03:41,109 --> 00:03:46,059 snowboard in the winter and and surfing and cycling, and I could go on and on. 71 00:03:46,059 --> 00:03:47,589 I got so many little activities. 72 00:03:47,919 --> 00:03:51,069 CrossFit for sure is part of my life and just generally in fitness 73 00:03:51,069 --> 00:03:53,559 and wellness and nutrition, like these are all big categories that 74 00:03:53,559 --> 00:03:54,909 I'm really super passionate about. 75 00:03:55,599 --> 00:03:59,199 But in reality, it, it, it really is all meant to just keep me grounded, 76 00:03:59,259 --> 00:04:03,369 keep my head from blowing up, keep me humble, um, keep me pursuing 77 00:04:03,639 --> 00:04:07,149 new activities and new adventures and things that just fuel my fire. 78 00:04:07,149 --> 00:04:11,469 So, yeah, man, I, I, I have a whole system of ways and continue to evolve 79 00:04:11,469 --> 00:04:13,659 ways for myself to, to remain grounded. 80 00:04:13,849 --> 00:04:14,689 that's good man. 81 00:04:14,689 --> 00:04:18,079 And yeah, it seems like a very, like you can communicate it really 82 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:20,959 well too, whereas, you know, a lot of us just, I mean, it probably 83 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:22,159 helps to have a podcast too. 84 00:04:22,159 --> 00:04:22,549 Right. 85 00:04:22,609 --> 00:04:23,029 And 86 00:04:23,329 --> 00:04:23,959 It does a little 87 00:04:23,989 --> 00:04:26,329 know, I know you have a great business business partner as 88 00:04:26,329 --> 00:04:27,589 well, good friend of yours. 89 00:04:27,589 --> 00:04:29,959 So I mean, like that, there's always that too. 90 00:04:29,959 --> 00:04:30,529 Um. 91 00:04:30,934 --> 00:04:31,234 It's right. 92 00:04:31,534 --> 00:04:34,594 I see a lot of sim similarities with us too, and also agency owner. 93 00:04:34,594 --> 00:04:36,514 It's like you're interfacing with people a lot. 94 00:04:36,514 --> 00:04:40,174 It's not like you're just talking to a screen all day or, yeah, no, 95 00:04:40,234 --> 00:04:42,514 no fault of their own, but like just creating content all day. 96 00:04:42,514 --> 00:04:45,604 But it's like when you're actually with people engaging, solving 97 00:04:45,604 --> 00:04:49,174 problems together, building together, it's like you reach, I don't know, 98 00:04:49,174 --> 00:04:50,284 there's some something different. 99 00:04:50,374 --> 00:04:51,814 'cause I do the same thing naturally. 100 00:04:52,384 --> 00:04:54,214 but I'm curious, I, I wanna go back to that whole like, 101 00:04:54,214 --> 00:04:55,594 follow the opportunity thing. 102 00:04:55,594 --> 00:04:59,074 Like can you unpack that a little bit more and your, your thought behind that. 103 00:04:59,524 --> 00:05:00,094 Sure. 104 00:05:00,184 --> 00:05:04,744 You know, like, um, it's a very, very, uh, mutual belief between 105 00:05:04,744 --> 00:05:05,944 me and my business partner. 106 00:05:06,364 --> 00:05:10,774 One tangential, just backstory of me and my business partner for your audience. 107 00:05:11,074 --> 00:05:14,824 Uh, my, my partner who is also the chief technology officer and 108 00:05:14,824 --> 00:05:17,914 chief architect of Cause of a Kind, his name is Michael Rispoli. 109 00:05:18,064 --> 00:05:20,134 He's been my friend since we're 15 years old. 110 00:05:20,374 --> 00:05:23,194 He's my rock climbing buddy, and like, we're still climbing together 111 00:05:23,194 --> 00:05:24,874 a couple days a week and, and like. 112 00:05:25,204 --> 00:05:29,674 That's a, that's a relationship built on the foundation of 113 00:05:29,734 --> 00:05:31,354 a super intentional sport. 114 00:05:31,984 --> 00:05:36,274 And it is one thing to be super passionate about climbing. 115 00:05:36,694 --> 00:05:39,424 It's another thing to be really realistic about climbing, because 116 00:05:39,424 --> 00:05:41,524 it's quite literally a deadly sport. 117 00:05:42,004 --> 00:05:44,644 So while we're very passionate about it. 118 00:05:44,914 --> 00:05:47,344 Neither of us were ever gonna be a professional at it. 119 00:05:47,374 --> 00:05:50,074 Neither of us was ever going to pursue it as a career. 120 00:05:50,374 --> 00:05:53,794 And so that is really the relationship between pursuing 121 00:05:53,794 --> 00:05:55,744 passion and pursuing opportunity. 122 00:05:55,804 --> 00:06:00,004 If I pursued that as a passion, I probably would not have seen 123 00:06:00,004 --> 00:06:01,526 success in any way, shape, or form. 124 00:06:02,164 --> 00:06:05,764 I maybe would've ended up working in the climbing industry doing something 125 00:06:05,764 --> 00:06:09,754 related to climbing, and it probably would've tainted the activity for me. 126 00:06:10,339 --> 00:06:14,809 So when I think about the relationship of opportunity versus passion, and I 127 00:06:14,809 --> 00:06:18,019 speak to a lot of young people and a lot of career coaching and just a lot of 128 00:06:18,019 --> 00:06:21,919 professional development in general, I'm fortunate to do those types of things. 129 00:06:22,489 --> 00:06:27,619 Uh, you often catch the advice from people that are your senior, which 130 00:06:27,619 --> 00:06:31,219 is to follow your pers your your passions, pursue your passion, figure 131 00:06:31,219 --> 00:06:33,919 out what you like to do, then figure out how to go make a buck at it. 132 00:06:35,049 --> 00:06:37,419 Oftentimes, the things that we're passionate about. 133 00:06:38,559 --> 00:06:42,759 Are not the opportunities that give us the rest of the formula 134 00:06:42,759 --> 00:06:44,319 that lead to a successful life. 135 00:06:44,949 --> 00:06:48,939 And so for me it was cool to follow passion, but it was more 136 00:06:48,939 --> 00:06:52,539 valuable for me to follow the opportunities that came my way. 137 00:06:52,779 --> 00:06:57,459 And I'm lucky enough to be, to have become passionate about the 138 00:06:57,459 --> 00:06:59,109 opportunities that came my way. 139 00:06:59,349 --> 00:07:04,479 And what I talk about is I'm passionate about people and communicating, 140 00:07:04,539 --> 00:07:05,979 and that's where my career I spent. 141 00:07:06,849 --> 00:07:10,419 North of 15 years in client services and sales, like that passion of 142 00:07:10,419 --> 00:07:13,299 communicating functionally with people and value propositions 143 00:07:13,299 --> 00:07:14,649 and being your trusted advisor. 144 00:07:15,219 --> 00:07:19,059 That whole formula was, I was so passionate about it, but cool. 145 00:07:19,059 --> 00:07:22,089 Put a label on it with a job title so I can catch a paycheck at it. 146 00:07:22,869 --> 00:07:26,769 You know, I was, I, I was following the opportunity of creating a business. 147 00:07:26,919 --> 00:07:30,639 Did I originally set out to create a service-based business? 148 00:07:30,969 --> 00:07:32,139 Not in the slightest. 149 00:07:32,679 --> 00:07:34,089 I wanted to be a tech founder. 150 00:07:34,239 --> 00:07:37,809 Mike and I have been trying to build software since like 2014. 151 00:07:38,139 --> 00:07:41,619 We've had a bunch of failed projects and opportunity came along, which 152 00:07:41,795 --> 00:07:45,399 was clients looking for us to solve their problems and build for them. 153 00:07:46,029 --> 00:07:50,799 And so we followed that opportunity and have been become quite passionate 154 00:07:50,799 --> 00:07:54,909 about the client services motion and about the project development motion and 155 00:07:54,909 --> 00:07:56,799 about becoming masters of our domain. 156 00:07:56,949 --> 00:07:59,079 And now that passion has become. 157 00:07:59,589 --> 00:08:03,579 Part of our rhetoric, it's become quite contagious in what we're known for. 158 00:08:03,579 --> 00:08:06,669 And it's like if you want a team so stoked about the problem that you bring 159 00:08:06,669 --> 00:08:08,709 their way, go, go talk to these guys. 160 00:08:09,309 --> 00:08:11,739 And so now we get to evolve off of that. 161 00:08:11,739 --> 00:08:15,159 And now I'm receptive to where opportunity is coming from. 162 00:08:15,879 --> 00:08:18,219 And I'm a, I'm a passionate entrepreneur. 163 00:08:18,249 --> 00:08:19,689 I'm a passionate operator. 164 00:08:19,689 --> 00:08:21,609 I'm passionate about zero to market. 165 00:08:22,149 --> 00:08:26,469 And so that opens opportunity up all the way because I'm not pigeonholed. 166 00:08:26,979 --> 00:08:30,459 I wanna work with amazing people who have amazing tangential talents. 167 00:08:30,879 --> 00:08:37,359 And so opportunity for me is all because my pursuit of passion as a career I 168 00:08:37,359 --> 00:08:40,989 didn't do, I pursued opportunity and became passionate about the skill sets 169 00:08:40,989 --> 00:08:42,639 I was deploying to the opportunity. 170 00:08:42,669 --> 00:08:46,059 And so that's where the advice comes from is awesome. 171 00:08:46,389 --> 00:08:50,259 If you're that 1% that can pursue your passion to a level of lifestyle 172 00:08:50,409 --> 00:08:52,839 that you would find to be successful. 173 00:08:53,484 --> 00:08:57,024 If you're not part of that 1% group, pursue opportunity. 174 00:08:57,414 --> 00:08:58,524 Don't get stale. 175 00:08:58,914 --> 00:09:02,334 Pursue the next opportunity on top of the experience that you've had. 176 00:09:02,784 --> 00:09:07,554 I'm not saying to settle, I definitely do not settle, but there is something 177 00:09:07,554 --> 00:09:12,534 to say about pursuing opportunities that come your way and figuring out how 178 00:09:12,534 --> 00:09:16,434 to become passionate about the atomic pieces that put that experience together. 179 00:09:16,824 --> 00:09:20,694 That's good, man, because I mean, it's, it, it clearly states like one. 180 00:09:20,964 --> 00:09:24,624 If you just go to, I'll just shout at your site again cause of a kind.com. 181 00:09:24,624 --> 00:09:26,814 I remember when I first looked you guys up, I was like. 182 00:09:27,369 --> 00:09:27,909 Oh, damn. 183 00:09:28,089 --> 00:09:29,559 This guy is like, these guys. 184 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,559 I love the way that you present yourself and it's, it's purely 185 00:09:32,589 --> 00:09:34,119 just right in your face. 186 00:09:34,119 --> 00:09:37,599 It's, it's not like as a jerk or anything, it's just straight 187 00:09:37,599 --> 00:09:39,159 up like, here's who we are. 188 00:09:39,159 --> 00:09:41,349 Never miss a website deadline again. 189 00:09:41,799 --> 00:09:43,539 Um, uh, what, what is the thing? 190 00:09:43,539 --> 00:09:43,779 Yeah. 191 00:09:43,839 --> 00:09:47,649 You basically are talking about, yeah, get a no bullshit quote right now. 192 00:09:47,649 --> 00:09:49,449 I mean, it's just the language you're using. 193 00:09:49,974 --> 00:09:52,014 You're just like, yeah, we, we, ridiculous. 194 00:09:52,284 --> 00:09:55,254 We're ridiculously easy to do business with. 195 00:09:55,404 --> 00:09:56,484 Wanna hop on a quick call. 196 00:09:56,484 --> 00:09:57,954 The answer's always yes. 197 00:09:57,954 --> 00:10:03,234 You know, it's, um, are there any issues that you find or maybe like 198 00:10:03,234 --> 00:10:09,264 as you coach some folks or whatever, like navigating opportunity and, you 199 00:10:09,264 --> 00:10:12,804 know, like, uh, issues in getting passionate with an opportunity or, 200 00:10:12,804 --> 00:10:15,804 you know, because it's like it can quickly lead to burnout for some folks 201 00:10:15,804 --> 00:10:17,124 if you don't approach it correctly. 202 00:10:17,729 --> 00:10:21,119 so opportunity shows itself in, in quite a few different ways. 203 00:10:21,659 --> 00:10:24,779 I often speak to young people that are in pursuit of their first job, and 204 00:10:24,779 --> 00:10:28,919 the hiring market for juniors in any category right now is really difficult. 205 00:10:29,249 --> 00:10:32,999 And you may be looking at a really long stint of unpaid internships and lots 206 00:10:32,999 --> 00:10:37,919 of folks just cannot afford, literally financially afford an internship. 207 00:10:37,919 --> 00:10:39,569 They quite literally need the income 208 00:10:39,929 --> 00:10:40,289 Mm. 209 00:10:40,799 --> 00:10:43,439 when that's the scenario, an opportunity comes calling. 210 00:10:44,699 --> 00:10:48,269 Probably shouldn't have too much of an opinion about how you make money. 211 00:10:48,614 --> 00:10:51,974 And it's always easier to find a gig when you have a gig. 212 00:10:52,174 --> 00:10:52,594 Mm-hmm. 213 00:10:53,234 --> 00:10:56,144 That's just a, that's age old wisdom and advice right there. 214 00:10:56,474 --> 00:11:00,554 So it really depends on where you are in your career Projection. 215 00:11:01,124 --> 00:11:03,674 It really depends on what your network looks like. 216 00:11:03,854 --> 00:11:07,874 It really depends at where you are in your, in the stages of your career. 217 00:11:08,204 --> 00:11:11,924 And so opportunity presents itself differently for the different stages. 218 00:11:12,164 --> 00:11:15,914 If I'm talking to a younger audience, it is about being employable. 219 00:11:16,064 --> 00:11:18,734 Demonstrate your ability to be employable. 220 00:11:19,034 --> 00:11:22,544 So if you made it through high school and you didn't have a job. 221 00:11:23,039 --> 00:11:24,539 I, I had my first job out. 222 00:11:24,564 --> 00:11:25,769 I, I was 12 years old. 223 00:11:25,769 --> 00:11:28,049 I was a ca golf course, super accountable. 224 00:11:28,079 --> 00:11:32,039 It's the first time I, it is the first time I ever got told f you to my face 225 00:11:32,039 --> 00:11:33,839 because of my performance with subpar. 226 00:11:34,214 --> 00:11:34,814 That's a way to 227 00:11:34,979 --> 00:11:36,089 I never heard that again. 228 00:11:36,209 --> 00:11:39,749 And that's a way to learn again, is from some, some super rich local 229 00:11:39,959 --> 00:11:43,379 that won't pay you for your round because you just weren't good enough. 230 00:11:44,129 --> 00:11:45,329 And so that's a like. 231 00:11:45,674 --> 00:11:49,304 Getting a job, demonstrating your employable, demonstrating 232 00:11:49,304 --> 00:11:53,294 that you have a pursuit of skills no matter what job you get. 233 00:11:53,924 --> 00:11:57,314 Again, the lens you look through, you could become passionate about 234 00:11:57,314 --> 00:12:01,124 the core skills that you, that you stitch together for that experience. 235 00:12:01,214 --> 00:12:03,194 Or you could just be slogged by it. 236 00:12:03,584 --> 00:12:06,464 It could be a drag, but that's all about you, man. 237 00:12:06,464 --> 00:12:07,814 Like that's all about the person. 238 00:12:07,814 --> 00:12:10,304 And like it depends on the lens that you look in. 239 00:12:10,814 --> 00:12:13,424 I can honestly say I've had some really horrible jobs in my life. 240 00:12:14,159 --> 00:12:16,769 But I can do, I can dot 'em all together. 241 00:12:17,069 --> 00:12:21,779 I can stitch every single job as a formidable experience, and I can tell 242 00:12:21,779 --> 00:12:27,149 you a story from each one of those jobs that compounds today, 20 something 243 00:12:27,149 --> 00:12:31,739 years later, into a professional career now opportunity for a more and 244 00:12:31,739 --> 00:12:33,479 mature professional looks different. 245 00:12:34,244 --> 00:12:38,324 It looks like promotional opportunities, it looks like is now the right time after 246 00:12:38,324 --> 00:12:39,944 raising kids to start that business. 247 00:12:39,944 --> 00:12:41,144 I always wanted to start. 248 00:12:41,474 --> 00:12:43,664 It looks like the pursuit of financial freedom. 249 00:12:43,664 --> 00:12:47,834 It looks like the pursuit of, of travel and calming down and maybe 250 00:12:47,834 --> 00:12:52,029 distributing wisdom, and so opportunity presents itself depends on where you 251 00:12:52,029 --> 00:12:53,774 are in the stage of your lifecycle. 252 00:12:54,554 --> 00:13:00,554 But man, being a dad of young kids, being, being exposed to the youth and 253 00:13:00,554 --> 00:13:04,874 to the next generation of professionals that are out there, the number one thing 254 00:13:04,874 --> 00:13:07,094 that I implore is demonstrate employment. 255 00:13:07,274 --> 00:13:08,774 I don't care where you had a job. 256 00:13:08,834 --> 00:13:11,294 I don't care where you have a job currently. 257 00:13:11,564 --> 00:13:15,584 I care that somebody else has a litmus test on you and that you're proven. 258 00:13:16,349 --> 00:13:19,169 And now we can all grow into potential. 259 00:13:19,349 --> 00:13:23,849 And again, the opportunity will give you new sets of skills to explore that 260 00:13:23,849 --> 00:13:25,769 maybe you'll become a professional at. 261 00:13:26,339 --> 00:13:28,739 So this is all a compounding experience. 262 00:13:29,564 --> 00:13:34,499 I, I love it, man, because with that, yeah, that employable essence, I guess, 263 00:13:34,499 --> 00:13:38,399 and however you get in that mode, it changes something in us as well, and 264 00:13:38,399 --> 00:13:40,289 the way that we think things through. 265 00:13:40,289 --> 00:13:43,469 And obviously if you need to get paid, if you've got that cash flow coming 266 00:13:43,469 --> 00:13:47,729 in, you're feeling better, you're more, you're open to more opportunity. 267 00:13:47,729 --> 00:13:47,969 You. 268 00:13:48,479 --> 00:13:48,779 Yeah. 269 00:13:48,779 --> 00:13:53,009 Those dark corners that in your mind are now lit up to something quite 270 00:13:53,009 --> 00:13:56,579 different, you know, and, and things just show up and you're like, holy crap. 271 00:13:56,789 --> 00:13:57,269 It was just 272 00:13:57,404 --> 00:13:59,624 I'll give you, I'll, I'll give you another piece on it. 273 00:14:00,104 --> 00:14:03,644 I talk about this all the time, uh, in the, in the, in the 274 00:14:03,644 --> 00:14:05,954 lens that a lot of folks have. 275 00:14:06,509 --> 00:14:10,199 Something in the way, probably something that has to do with social anxiety. 276 00:14:10,319 --> 00:14:13,979 I, I had that for a long time in my career too, but I was like pushed off 277 00:14:13,979 --> 00:14:17,549 the cliff into networking and, and putting myself out there and being my own 278 00:14:17,549 --> 00:14:19,949 advocate and, and et cetera, et cetera. 279 00:14:21,389 --> 00:14:24,059 Getting a, getting a job, whatever the heck it is. 280 00:14:24,239 --> 00:14:26,849 Putting yourself in those uncomfortable situations, it 281 00:14:26,849 --> 00:14:28,709 increases the surface area for luck. 282 00:14:29,218 --> 00:14:29,698 So. 283 00:14:30,148 --> 00:14:32,098 By opening up that avenue for yourself. 284 00:14:32,098 --> 00:14:36,208 You may run into nobody, but you may run into the next thing that happens to you. 285 00:14:36,388 --> 00:14:37,258 Good or bad. 286 00:14:37,708 --> 00:14:39,538 Luck doesn't always have to be good. 287 00:14:39,538 --> 00:14:42,868 It could be bad luck on that day that you run into, but if you 288 00:14:42,868 --> 00:14:46,138 stay static, you can guarantee one thing is that momentum is cut off. 289 00:14:46,483 --> 00:14:50,593 And so for anybody that is pursuing opportunity or they're passionate about 290 00:14:50,593 --> 00:14:54,523 something and want to explore it a little bit deeper, again, I specialize 291 00:14:54,523 --> 00:14:57,493 in that zero to market, that zero to one, that getting that minimum 292 00:14:57,493 --> 00:15:03,103 imaginative product off the ground and like how can we figure out how to 293 00:15:03,103 --> 00:15:05,173 increase our surface area for luck? 294 00:15:05,563 --> 00:15:08,743 For young people, it's about getting a job, demonstrating talent, building 295 00:15:08,743 --> 00:15:12,223 your small network, getting referrals, taking the next coffee break. 296 00:15:12,523 --> 00:15:14,533 Just get out there and make a name for yourself. 297 00:15:15,478 --> 00:15:18,568 For the folks that are a little bit mature in their career, you 298 00:15:18,568 --> 00:15:22,918 have options now, you now you have experience, you have worldliness, 299 00:15:22,918 --> 00:15:24,208 you have a little bit of wisdom. 300 00:15:24,208 --> 00:15:25,858 You might, you have a network there. 301 00:15:25,948 --> 00:15:30,028 The options are just different, but we're all kind of in the same pursuit 302 00:15:30,058 --> 00:15:34,498 of where is the next opportunity coming from for me to say yes or no to? 303 00:15:34,858 --> 00:15:37,468 And that comes back to increasing the surface area for luck. 304 00:15:38,098 --> 00:15:41,338 That means like, yo, take the day off to go skiing. 305 00:15:41,983 --> 00:15:45,613 To treat yourself to the afternoon to go get your nails done or 306 00:15:45,613 --> 00:15:47,293 go go out with your friends. 307 00:15:47,443 --> 00:15:49,573 It's not really about enjoying the moment. 308 00:15:49,813 --> 00:15:52,393 If you're in pursuit of opportunity, you're hungry for it. 309 00:15:52,603 --> 00:15:54,913 Every one of those outlets is an opportunity to connect 310 00:15:54,913 --> 00:15:57,673 with a new individual, which opens up new opportunity. 311 00:15:58,151 --> 00:16:00,941 Dude, and there's a book I wanna recommend here. 312 00:16:00,941 --> 00:16:01,901 I think you'll love it. 313 00:16:01,901 --> 00:16:03,011 I highly recommend you. 314 00:16:03,071 --> 00:16:06,311 You grab it, I mean anyone, it's called Lucky You, and it's 315 00:16:06,311 --> 00:16:08,501 by this author, price Bridget. 316 00:16:09,071 --> 00:16:09,161 And. 317 00:16:10,076 --> 00:16:15,596 The reason why, so I it's, it's like a 50 page thing, fast read, but the whole point 318 00:16:15,596 --> 00:16:21,446 is it's, it's all about, well, it's called the psychological strategy for multiplying 319 00:16:21,446 --> 00:16:23,756 luck and achieving your big ambitions. 320 00:16:24,056 --> 00:16:25,556 So Lucky You is the name. 321 00:16:25,856 --> 00:16:26,816 It's not on Amazon. 322 00:16:26,816 --> 00:16:28,736 You actually have to buy it through his website. 323 00:16:28,736 --> 00:16:29,786 It's like a pamphlet style. 324 00:16:30,149 --> 00:16:34,362 So this, this book and also a series of other books was recommended 325 00:16:34,362 --> 00:16:36,702 by my friend, um, John Asraf. 326 00:16:36,762 --> 00:16:40,212 And he was in The Secret, the movie, and like he's a local buddy of mine 327 00:16:40,212 --> 00:16:43,422 here in San Diego Mastermind and he was like, Joe read this book. 328 00:16:43,452 --> 00:16:47,202 And then he also, years ago it was some other books, but his is latest one. 329 00:16:47,352 --> 00:16:48,732 It's exactly what you're saying, Justin. 330 00:16:48,822 --> 00:16:51,762 It's basically like the more you put yourself out there, the more you say 331 00:16:51,762 --> 00:16:54,222 yes, the more that you actually engineer. 332 00:16:54,807 --> 00:16:58,977 Opportune, like you have a choice to introduce more luck into your life. 333 00:16:59,217 --> 00:17:00,567 It's totally up to us. 334 00:17:00,627 --> 00:17:03,357 And I love the, the, the way that you say it, it's like, 335 00:17:03,357 --> 00:17:05,877 it's the surface area of luck. 336 00:17:05,877 --> 00:17:07,647 I'm like, it's, it's absolutely right. 337 00:17:07,647 --> 00:17:10,047 I don't think he actually framed it as that, praise Bridget 338 00:17:10,047 --> 00:17:12,957 in his book, but it's, you're speaking the same language, so, 339 00:17:13,764 --> 00:17:16,464 And let's just like, let's humanize it for a second. 340 00:17:16,464 --> 00:17:17,244 You know what I'm saying? 341 00:17:17,244 --> 00:17:21,474 Like folks probably look at you and me and think extrovert, and 342 00:17:21,474 --> 00:17:23,785 they think like, oh, well it's easy for you to walk outta the house. 343 00:17:24,409 --> 00:17:28,844 I. But in reality, man, like I have crazy anxiety level conversations. 344 00:17:28,844 --> 00:17:30,794 I've battled with depression for years. 345 00:17:30,794 --> 00:17:35,264 I battle with body dysmorphia and my self image, my mind's eye of what I look 346 00:17:35,264 --> 00:17:38,834 like in public is quite a bit different from what you actually see on camera. 347 00:17:39,674 --> 00:17:40,814 I'm, I'm one of you. 348 00:17:40,904 --> 00:17:41,954 I'm one of us. 349 00:17:42,044 --> 00:17:46,064 I'm just a regular dude, but like, I refuse to just 350 00:17:46,064 --> 00:17:47,984 sit by and watch my life go. 351 00:17:48,404 --> 00:17:50,744 And so there's been many years where like. 352 00:17:51,254 --> 00:17:54,914 Cumulatively many years of just no action, no activity. 353 00:17:55,334 --> 00:17:59,354 I remember just like not feeling valuable, not feeling like I was worthy of any 354 00:17:59,354 --> 00:18:03,134 type of job or in pursuit, and I couldn't get an interview and like yada yada. 355 00:18:03,134 --> 00:18:04,904 Like I remember all of that. 356 00:18:05,594 --> 00:18:10,484 And now it's in this perspective of like, I eat what I kill. 357 00:18:11,429 --> 00:18:15,359 So if I don't get out, if I don't go and hit the pavement and figure out where my 358 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:19,379 next deal is coming from, I whole, I have a whole business that I have to make sure 359 00:18:19,379 --> 00:18:21,689 I can, I can put payroll through that. 360 00:18:21,689 --> 00:18:24,059 I, I gotta find, I, I have staff. 361 00:18:24,089 --> 00:18:25,409 I, I have a business partner. 362 00:18:25,409 --> 00:18:29,039 We both have families, like the stakes are high, my house is leveraged. 363 00:18:29,219 --> 00:18:29,789 You know what I'm saying? 364 00:18:29,789 --> 00:18:34,049 Like, there is no opportunity for me to sit, feel bad for myself and complacent, 365 00:18:34,439 --> 00:18:36,179 yet I battle with all of these things. 366 00:18:36,179 --> 00:18:38,999 That's just the reality of just being a man and being human. 367 00:18:39,329 --> 00:18:40,079 And so. 368 00:18:40,299 --> 00:18:42,039 I don't have some crazy formula. 369 00:18:42,724 --> 00:18:46,029 I I, I don't have like, you know, some spiritual coach that's 370 00:18:46,029 --> 00:18:47,319 taken me from left and right. 371 00:18:47,559 --> 00:18:53,439 Like I just have a ref, a refusal to just be regular and like I have 372 00:18:53,439 --> 00:18:56,739 this saying and my partner and I have this saying, which is like, I'd 373 00:18:56,739 --> 00:18:58,479 rather be canceled than irrelevant. 374 00:18:58,779 --> 00:19:01,449 And that's where like my personal brand comes from and like. 375 00:19:01,664 --> 00:19:03,614 Yeah, just, this is me, man. 376 00:19:03,614 --> 00:19:06,194 These are my battles and struggles and the things that I have for 377 00:19:06,194 --> 00:19:09,884 myself accomplished, and, and, and man, does it feel good when I 378 00:19:09,884 --> 00:19:12,944 can give a nugget to somebody and see the light bulb go off, but I'm 379 00:19:12,944 --> 00:19:14,474 just a regular Joe Schmo, you know? 380 00:19:14,909 --> 00:19:17,789 Was there like, 'cause I, I, I'm right there with you Justin. 381 00:19:17,789 --> 00:19:19,499 I've, I've, I very similar. 382 00:19:19,619 --> 00:19:20,549 We're a mirror, right? 383 00:19:20,579 --> 00:19:26,219 Like we're all mirrors and um, like I know physical activity for me, jujitsu for 384 00:19:26,219 --> 00:19:29,639 you, you do like, I mean, I do some other stuff, but you do like a whole my, of my, 385 00:19:30,419 --> 00:19:31,349 whatever that word is. 386 00:19:31,589 --> 00:19:35,099 Uh, do you think that helps you break out of that a little bit? 387 00:19:35,099 --> 00:19:39,419 Like to maybe not loosen me up, but at least open up a new layer and 388 00:19:39,419 --> 00:19:41,189 then also as you answer that, like. 389 00:19:41,759 --> 00:19:42,599 How do you get stuck? 390 00:19:42,629 --> 00:19:45,239 Like when you get stuck and when you got stuck in the past? 391 00:19:45,239 --> 00:19:48,059 Like how do you feel like you've shaken yourself outta that rut 392 00:19:48,459 --> 00:19:52,419 you know, I, I used to, I used to do my activities self servingly, 393 00:19:52,629 --> 00:19:55,419 and if you look at the activities that I do, they're all very much 394 00:19:55,419 --> 00:19:57,189 individual contributor activities. 395 00:19:57,834 --> 00:19:58,644 I'm a rock climber. 396 00:19:58,734 --> 00:20:01,554 If you climb on rope, you need one other person on the other end of the 397 00:20:01,554 --> 00:20:05,304 rope, and like, it's very much just like not a networking experience. 398 00:20:05,934 --> 00:20:06,774 I'm a CrossFitter. 399 00:20:06,804 --> 00:20:09,324 You can go to a class, keep your head down, do your exercise, 400 00:20:09,324 --> 00:20:10,314 and get out and go home. 401 00:20:11,004 --> 00:20:12,144 Uh, I'm a golfer. 402 00:20:12,204 --> 00:20:16,194 You, you could just join a foursome at your local municipal and like not make 403 00:20:16,194 --> 00:20:18,834 friends and not evangelize yourself and just play your round of golf. 404 00:20:18,834 --> 00:20:19,434 Keep your head down. 405 00:20:20,454 --> 00:20:21,564 So forth and so on. 406 00:20:21,564 --> 00:20:23,394 You can ask me about every one of my activities. 407 00:20:23,784 --> 00:20:28,224 I use my activities as an opportunity to let my hair down, be authentically 408 00:20:28,224 --> 00:20:33,174 myself and have unburied conversations that don't sound like sales pitches. 409 00:20:33,774 --> 00:20:37,764 So I show up to the gym and I prioritize the people that are standing around. 410 00:20:38,004 --> 00:20:42,144 I go outta my way to make that five second friend have an introduction. 411 00:20:42,384 --> 00:20:43,044 What do you do? 412 00:20:43,044 --> 00:20:43,824 What are you building? 413 00:20:43,824 --> 00:20:44,784 What do you care about? 414 00:20:45,474 --> 00:20:48,864 And what ends up happening again, it all comes back to increasing 415 00:20:48,864 --> 00:20:49,944 that surface area of luck. 416 00:20:49,944 --> 00:20:52,674 I can't tell you how many times I've been on the golf course that 417 00:20:52,674 --> 00:20:56,754 has turned into a lead opportunity for us and has turned into deals. 418 00:20:57,639 --> 00:21:01,989 And so then you figure out different ways of compounding your experience. 419 00:21:01,989 --> 00:21:05,589 For example, I, I believe that your first impression is your last 420 00:21:05,589 --> 00:21:08,289 impression, so I don't just give somebody a way to remember me. 421 00:21:08,289 --> 00:21:10,809 I give them something they'll never forget and throw away. 422 00:21:11,139 --> 00:21:15,699 And so this is my business card and I put a QR code on it, and I just, I have 423 00:21:15,699 --> 00:21:19,299 come up with little systems that make me the most memorable person of your day. 424 00:21:20,109 --> 00:21:23,229 And so when I leave the house to go do the things I really enjoy. 425 00:21:24,039 --> 00:21:27,879 I have a conversation with myself in the car while I'm having anxiety about getting 426 00:21:27,909 --> 00:21:32,049 out and doing that thing, which is, it's okay if you want to go and be quiet and 427 00:21:32,049 --> 00:21:35,949 put your head down today, but you'll probably kick yourself if you realize that 428 00:21:36,249 --> 00:21:40,149 the person that was gonna change your life was in that gym with you at that moment. 429 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,539 Was, was in that foursome with you while you were playing golf, 430 00:21:43,809 --> 00:21:48,069 was in the surf lineup with you, was at the campsite next over. 431 00:21:48,519 --> 00:21:50,769 So I just literally. 432 00:21:51,969 --> 00:21:55,419 Excuse my language mind, fuck myself into believing that this 433 00:21:55,419 --> 00:21:57,399 opportunity is the opportunity. 434 00:21:57,489 --> 00:21:58,899 And usually it's not. 435 00:21:59,259 --> 00:22:01,839 Like, usually it's not how many times you go out, you just strike out. 436 00:22:01,839 --> 00:22:03,099 It's just another casual day. 437 00:22:03,189 --> 00:22:05,709 It could just be a lame conversation at the, but you're fine. 438 00:22:05,709 --> 00:22:06,279 It's all good. 439 00:22:06,279 --> 00:22:06,909 You connected? 440 00:22:06,999 --> 00:22:07,509 fine. 441 00:22:07,779 --> 00:22:10,599 And my, my whole goal is to, is to give value. 442 00:22:10,599 --> 00:22:11,559 I give, give, give. 443 00:22:11,559 --> 00:22:13,899 Like I, I, I never ask for the order. 444 00:22:14,199 --> 00:22:15,519 It's part of my sales strategy. 445 00:22:15,519 --> 00:22:17,409 A customer has to ask me for the paperwork. 446 00:22:17,799 --> 00:22:18,249 So. 447 00:22:18,624 --> 00:22:23,124 For me, it's more about giving and, and, and, and connecting on conversation. 448 00:22:23,124 --> 00:22:26,784 And like if you get past those first few moments of like weird 449 00:22:26,784 --> 00:22:31,014 pleasantry introductions in American culture, you really unlock like a 450 00:22:31,014 --> 00:22:35,664 lot of uniqueness but also a lot of crazy similarities between people. 451 00:22:35,724 --> 00:22:39,324 And that's why you and I vibe because we got, we got over the hump of just 452 00:22:39,324 --> 00:22:42,594 simple introductions and we really got to unpack each other's story. 453 00:22:42,624 --> 00:22:47,574 And like here we are simpatico 3000 miles away, running in parallel. 454 00:22:47,877 --> 00:22:48,237 Right? 455 00:22:48,267 --> 00:22:51,567 true, man, because every, like you just start chip, chip away from 456 00:22:51,567 --> 00:22:54,267 those little, yeah, I don't know, western bears or whatever we set 457 00:22:54,267 --> 00:22:56,877 up for ourselves and I think that's probably part of the issues of 458 00:22:57,507 --> 00:22:57,987 social. 459 00:22:57,987 --> 00:22:58,437 I don't know. 460 00:22:58,587 --> 00:23:01,407 There's a greater thing happening with society I feel like right 461 00:23:01,407 --> 00:23:02,607 now, where we gotta figure out. 462 00:23:03,147 --> 00:23:07,377 How to get back to people and just communicating in person ideally, you 463 00:23:07,377 --> 00:23:12,177 know, um, that's why I love going to the, yeah, like the Jiujitsu gym. 464 00:23:12,237 --> 00:23:14,607 I freaking love it because like you get to connect with people 465 00:23:14,607 --> 00:23:15,657 on a whole different level. 466 00:23:15,657 --> 00:23:18,897 Obviously you're choking each other out too, so it's like Oh, absolutely. 467 00:23:18,897 --> 00:23:20,157 A whole different level, 468 00:23:20,457 --> 00:23:21,417 Do you trust me now? 469 00:23:21,987 --> 00:23:24,927 yeah, I'm like, actually I do, you know? 470 00:23:24,927 --> 00:23:26,097 So, yeah. 471 00:23:26,097 --> 00:23:26,457 I don't know. 472 00:23:26,457 --> 00:23:29,697 Like there's, I feel like we all need something like, but it's up to us 473 00:23:29,697 --> 00:23:31,917 to show up and engage in the moment. 474 00:23:32,632 --> 00:23:33,477 I I agree. 475 00:23:33,507 --> 00:23:34,077 a human bureau. 476 00:23:34,317 --> 00:23:34,977 It's okay. 477 00:23:35,847 --> 00:23:37,497 we went as far as. 478 00:23:37,887 --> 00:23:40,827 We created the Long Island Technologist Networking Group. 479 00:23:41,247 --> 00:23:44,397 So like I, I was a little bit burnt out after a career of 480 00:23:44,397 --> 00:23:45,777 traveling into New York City. 481 00:23:46,077 --> 00:23:51,357 My partner, same thing, but like I'm craving in person networking experiences. 482 00:23:51,357 --> 00:23:54,897 I'm, I'm part of all sorts of different membership related networking groups, 483 00:23:54,897 --> 00:23:57,897 executive round tables, leadership coaching and mentorship groups. 484 00:23:57,897 --> 00:24:02,697 Like I've pursued all of these things, the pursuit of wisdom and knowledge 485 00:24:02,697 --> 00:24:05,937 and make fewer mistakes as a business owner was the fuel behind that. 486 00:24:06,449 --> 00:24:09,629 But we found this moment in opportunity, which was, how can I increase the 487 00:24:09,629 --> 00:24:11,549 surface area for luck for everybody else? 488 00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:14,219 Again, it's part of like my giving mentality. 489 00:24:14,219 --> 00:24:16,559 So we created Long Island technologists.com. 490 00:24:16,769 --> 00:24:19,319 Not a, not the most beautiful website you'll ever see, but it 491 00:24:19,319 --> 00:24:22,679 is, it is an open source project if anybody wants to contribute to it. 492 00:24:23,219 --> 00:24:27,929 Uh, and the goal was every 45 days we meet at the origin location of cause 493 00:24:27,929 --> 00:24:30,779 of a Kind, which is a small coffee shop in a town called Farmingdale. 494 00:24:31,544 --> 00:24:36,344 And we bring together technologists, technology enthusiasts, brand 495 00:24:36,344 --> 00:24:40,334 developers, uh, if you're working in the soft skills within the technology 496 00:24:40,334 --> 00:24:44,954 arena, which is project sales, client services, revenue ops, whatever, hr, 497 00:24:45,434 --> 00:24:49,664 if you're related to tech in any way, we built our own networking event. 498 00:24:49,964 --> 00:24:54,734 So now what I, I, I'm literally do doing what I'm preaching, which is. 499 00:24:55,064 --> 00:24:56,984 I increased my own surface area for luck. 500 00:24:57,074 --> 00:24:59,894 Most folks are coming to see me and my partner. 501 00:24:59,894 --> 00:25:01,994 That's how they found out about it in the first place. 502 00:25:02,474 --> 00:25:04,244 Yet they leave with a Rolodex. 503 00:25:04,604 --> 00:25:06,704 They leave with a handshake and an opportunity. 504 00:25:06,884 --> 00:25:08,564 And I'm filling the room with business owners. 505 00:25:08,564 --> 00:25:09,914 I'm filling the room with thought leaders. 506 00:25:09,914 --> 00:25:11,354 I'm filling the room with juniors. 507 00:25:11,474 --> 00:25:13,904 And the whole idea is get these people together. 508 00:25:13,904 --> 00:25:16,964 If you're having trouble in the job market, I'll bring the job market to you. 509 00:25:17,539 --> 00:25:21,194 And so now that has grown into like a significant passion project for 510 00:25:21,194 --> 00:25:23,054 us, but it's all based on this. 511 00:25:23,729 --> 00:25:26,309 Increased my surface area for luck, self servingly. 512 00:25:26,879 --> 00:25:30,719 And if I can do that at scale for everybody else, maybe the next great 513 00:25:30,719 --> 00:25:32,129 opportunity comes along for me too. 514 00:25:32,654 --> 00:25:36,399 Dude, it will and it, I'm sure it does every single time more than you 515 00:25:36,399 --> 00:25:38,239 can ever even imagine or handle even. 516 00:25:39,158 --> 00:25:43,748 more, more than I think I can record and things now, and we're 517 00:25:43,748 --> 00:25:45,548 in a nice position of that. 518 00:25:45,638 --> 00:25:46,508 That sounds great. 519 00:25:46,853 --> 00:25:50,123 Probably not best for me and what I'm trying to build, and I wish you luck. 520 00:25:50,363 --> 00:25:53,273 And so now it's a really cool opportunity of distilling what's the 521 00:25:53,273 --> 00:25:54,833 right opportunity for us to pursue. 522 00:25:55,358 --> 00:25:58,298 Or Yeah, that, and then you could pass it off to maybe someone in that 523 00:25:58,298 --> 00:25:59,618 network and be like, you know what? 524 00:25:59,618 --> 00:26:00,278 I know Jim over 525 00:26:00,323 --> 00:26:03,773 Uh, at the end of the day, I, I'm just the plug, I'm just the plug. 526 00:26:03,773 --> 00:26:05,903 I, I just wanna connect two resources together. 527 00:26:05,903 --> 00:26:07,793 That's like, so satisfying to me. 528 00:26:07,793 --> 00:26:08,903 I get like, I get. 529 00:26:09,578 --> 00:26:13,958 I get so much out of that man, like just fuels me. 530 00:26:13,958 --> 00:26:17,348 I don't even have to be part of the extended discussion, but like 531 00:26:17,348 --> 00:26:18,848 connecting two individuals together. 532 00:26:18,848 --> 00:26:20,258 Let them watch 'em make some magic. 533 00:26:20,738 --> 00:26:23,438 Man, I, I could just do, if you can get paid for that just to be the 534 00:26:23,438 --> 00:26:24,998 connector, that would be my jam. 535 00:26:25,553 --> 00:26:28,253 I mean, you probably are in some ways. 536 00:26:28,253 --> 00:26:31,733 I know I have been because I, I, I find myself in the same role, and 537 00:26:31,733 --> 00:26:35,183 when you do it naturally, I mean, you're not expecting anything, but 538 00:26:35,423 --> 00:26:36,503 you might get some more referrals. 539 00:26:36,503 --> 00:26:39,023 Like that's how I'm saying, you probably gotten paid for it and you're like, boom. 540 00:26:39,083 --> 00:26:39,503 All right. 541 00:26:39,563 --> 00:26:39,983 That's right. 542 00:26:40,013 --> 00:26:40,493 Yeah. 543 00:26:40,493 --> 00:26:41,363 It's not direct. 544 00:26:41,819 --> 00:26:46,319 tell me, uh, or walk me through this whole minimum imaginative product, 545 00:26:46,319 --> 00:26:52,199 because this is the MIP we dubbed it on your podcast, I think, but, uh, 546 00:26:52,229 --> 00:26:55,919 you, you break it down because you're the man going from a zero, this idea 547 00:26:55,949 --> 00:27:00,479 of nothing or maybe something a little bit of something to doing something. 548 00:27:00,828 --> 00:27:05,023 Uh, I think it's a great opportunity also to kind of just weave in modern 549 00:27:05,023 --> 00:27:07,723 tooling and a little bit of ai and like, how, how does this work? 550 00:27:07,723 --> 00:27:09,463 So let, let's give a full thought on this. 551 00:27:10,603 --> 00:27:14,143 Um, I build software Cause of a Kind builds software and web 552 00:27:14,143 --> 00:27:17,113 experience for cause back mission driven and innovating businesses. 553 00:27:17,143 --> 00:27:18,313 I, I build software. 554 00:27:18,958 --> 00:27:22,558 So you can imagine that I've hear, I've heard every acronym that 555 00:27:22,558 --> 00:27:26,368 you could possibly imagine about building first software or or 556 00:27:26,368 --> 00:27:31,168 second beta release software, or my minimum viable product or yada yada. 557 00:27:31,648 --> 00:27:35,668 So I went down this like rabbit hole of trying to catalog all the minimums. 558 00:27:35,938 --> 00:27:37,768 You have like a minimum marketable product. 559 00:27:38,218 --> 00:27:41,608 You have a minimum viable product, minimum revenue generating product. 560 00:27:41,998 --> 00:27:44,848 There's all these minimums, but there was never anything 561 00:27:44,848 --> 00:27:46,618 that had to do with the, the. 562 00:27:47,323 --> 00:27:52,093 The minimum idea, and this is like a Steve Jobs concept like this. 563 00:27:52,093 --> 00:27:55,153 This goes back to some of the greatest founders and like this is a, this 564 00:27:55,153 --> 00:27:57,253 is like a, a Ben Franklin concept. 565 00:27:57,253 --> 00:27:57,883 You know what I'm saying? 566 00:27:57,883 --> 00:28:03,493 It's like what is the minimum imaginative product doesn't have to 567 00:28:03,493 --> 00:28:07,453 be like your minimum viable, which which means it lives and breathes. 568 00:28:07,453 --> 00:28:08,653 I can interact with it. 569 00:28:08,653 --> 00:28:11,383 Maybe I can generate revenue, maybe it can get users, maybe it 570 00:28:11,383 --> 00:28:12,763 can sell something, et cetera. 571 00:28:13,633 --> 00:28:14,743 This has to do with. 572 00:28:15,898 --> 00:28:19,138 Your shower moment, your traffic moment. 573 00:28:19,828 --> 00:28:22,948 This has to do with like you're on a call and like it comes to you and 574 00:28:22,948 --> 00:28:26,848 you wrote it down and like, what is the next series of steps that you 575 00:28:26,848 --> 00:28:29,308 take to see if something has a pulse? 576 00:28:29,848 --> 00:28:30,778 It's not a heartbeat. 577 00:28:31,089 --> 00:28:34,449 This is not really about can this live and breathe on its own. 578 00:28:34,689 --> 00:28:37,389 This isn't about does it have blood supply and brain power. 579 00:28:37,839 --> 00:28:41,709 This is about inception and so. 580 00:28:42,324 --> 00:28:43,614 I built this whole program. 581 00:28:43,614 --> 00:28:45,744 It's on YouTube should anybody really care about it. 582 00:28:45,744 --> 00:28:46,974 It's called Inception Marketing. 583 00:28:46,974 --> 00:28:51,984 And it really has to do with the earliest possible marketing motion 584 00:28:51,984 --> 00:28:54,414 to prove viability for an idea. 585 00:28:54,954 --> 00:28:58,224 And so we always talk about, especially with building softwares, I see a 586 00:28:58,224 --> 00:29:01,464 lot of fresh founders and startups I that are, that are bootstrapped, 587 00:29:01,524 --> 00:29:04,524 and you have to be very delicate with the bootstrapping entrepreneur. 588 00:29:04,524 --> 00:29:05,814 It's typically life savings. 589 00:29:05,814 --> 00:29:07,494 It could be retirement count account. 590 00:29:08,439 --> 00:29:11,529 Y and, and it's somebody's emotional passion project that they've 591 00:29:11,529 --> 00:29:13,059 been thinking about for years. 592 00:29:13,329 --> 00:29:17,679 And lots of times they come with like this big baked product, this roadmap, 593 00:29:18,009 --> 00:29:20,439 this big design package, like this big 594 00:29:20,499 --> 00:29:21,459 out Proma. 595 00:29:21,489 --> 00:29:21,729 Yeah. 596 00:29:22,240 --> 00:29:23,109 all this stuff. 597 00:29:23,109 --> 00:29:27,699 And I'm like, Hey, the most expensive piece of this comes in twofold. 598 00:29:28,029 --> 00:29:28,959 One is building it. 599 00:29:29,619 --> 00:29:32,469 The other one is marketing it, and those are your two major 600 00:29:32,469 --> 00:29:33,879 expenses that you're up against. 601 00:29:33,879 --> 00:29:35,709 Of course, you can bloat in any other avenue. 602 00:29:35,709 --> 00:29:37,179 You can get super bloated in design. 603 00:29:37,179 --> 00:29:40,389 You can get super bloated in branding, and I've seen all of those things happen. 604 00:29:40,989 --> 00:29:44,859 But my fiduciary responsibility without having a license on the line, my 605 00:29:44,859 --> 00:29:50,799 fiduciary responsibility from founder to founder is to make sure that if I 606 00:29:50,799 --> 00:29:56,319 build your idea, it fucking works and that you're successful from that idea. 607 00:29:56,904 --> 00:30:01,764 And so the minimum imaginative product and my inception marketing strategy is to test 608 00:30:01,764 --> 00:30:05,424 whether your idea has legs, has a pulse. 609 00:30:06,264 --> 00:30:11,184 And so I created this formula that gives folks the opportunity 610 00:30:11,184 --> 00:30:12,414 to use modern tooling. 611 00:30:12,444 --> 00:30:14,214 This is nothing outta the ordinary. 612 00:30:14,214 --> 00:30:20,514 This is like, uh, go on Instagram and figure out the keyword or hashtag strategy 613 00:30:20,514 --> 00:30:22,944 for like the atomic pieces of your idea. 614 00:30:22,944 --> 00:30:25,854 And is anybody having a conversation about that topic? 615 00:30:26,649 --> 00:30:28,539 And then categorize the signal. 616 00:30:28,539 --> 00:30:32,259 If nobody's having a conversation about it, that's a red flag. 617 00:30:32,799 --> 00:30:35,409 Like is it so unique and so original that there's no 618 00:30:35,409 --> 00:30:37,089 consumer market available for it? 619 00:30:37,539 --> 00:30:42,849 Or the opposite is it so saturated that like you'll just be one of a million, in 620 00:30:42,849 --> 00:30:44,589 which case there's a formula for that. 621 00:30:44,589 --> 00:30:47,769 If that's the category you want to get into, especially for CPG and 622 00:30:47,769 --> 00:30:51,639 for food and for beauty and cool, like there's formulas for all that. 623 00:30:52,045 --> 00:30:54,205 This can be like utilizing tooling. 624 00:30:54,205 --> 00:30:57,145 So I'm, I'm a big proponent for leveraging AI for right now. 625 00:30:57,295 --> 00:31:00,865 This is, this is a perfect example for, for, you know, your open AI 626 00:31:00,865 --> 00:31:04,405 chat GPT scenario or, or Gemini or whatever you're gonna interact with. 627 00:31:04,405 --> 00:31:09,145 Grok is great for this type of thing, which is build, build me a small 628 00:31:09,145 --> 00:31:14,738 inception product for X idea and I wanna see what it would take to 629 00:31:14,738 --> 00:31:17,438 get it from, from zero to market. 630 00:31:18,188 --> 00:31:23,618 Not necessarily zero to built, not to revenue, not to user adoption, not 631 00:31:23,618 --> 00:31:27,188 to fundraising, like whatever your milestones are that you're categorizing. 632 00:31:27,968 --> 00:31:33,398 To get it to the ini, the initial blip of light, that initial pulse, is it possible. 633 00:31:33,698 --> 00:31:37,358 And so leveraging tools, especially chat agents that can just help us to kind of 634 00:31:37,358 --> 00:31:40,898 just take our gibberish thought, even a voice note or something when you're 635 00:31:40,898 --> 00:31:44,138 in the car and speak that idea to life. 636 00:31:44,678 --> 00:31:47,888 But the way that you interact with the AI agent isn't, Hey, build 637 00:31:47,888 --> 00:31:49,148 me a business plan for this idea. 638 00:31:49,148 --> 00:31:50,378 'cause it'll just execute. 639 00:31:51,038 --> 00:31:53,018 It's break. 640 00:31:53,018 --> 00:31:55,358 My idea, does it exist? 641 00:31:55,688 --> 00:31:57,998 Is there anybody else in the market that currently has it? 642 00:31:58,328 --> 00:32:00,047 Do you see any other conversations? 643 00:32:00,428 --> 00:32:02,948 Is there any user feedback from this problem? 644 00:32:03,398 --> 00:32:07,088 Can you take a look at forums like a Reddit, like a Quora can? 645 00:32:07,118 --> 00:32:11,078 Can you take a look and see and build me a case as to why I should take the next 646 00:32:11,078 --> 00:32:12,608 step and make an investment in this? 647 00:32:12,968 --> 00:32:18,698 And so I'm using the tooling in a way which is helping me to protect myself. 648 00:32:18,698 --> 00:32:23,169 Am I going down a path that I. Should anticipate failure, in which case I need 649 00:32:23,228 --> 00:32:28,328 a different set of skills and body armor to protect myself along the way versus 650 00:32:29,618 --> 00:32:31,628 how I built Long Island Technologists. 651 00:32:31,628 --> 00:32:35,288 For example, I ran this program through Long Island Technologists. 652 00:32:35,288 --> 00:32:36,938 I said, is there an appetite? 653 00:32:37,388 --> 00:32:41,318 So I used platforms like Eventbrite to see is there a local appetite? 654 00:32:41,798 --> 00:32:46,358 And sure enough, you find that the historical technology focused networking 655 00:32:46,358 --> 00:32:50,438 groups that have taken place are few and far between, but they all have sold out. 656 00:32:51,158 --> 00:32:54,008 Every time one of those come into play, they sell out. 657 00:32:54,368 --> 00:32:57,158 So hey, that's a super good signal for me to say, Hey, if 658 00:32:57,158 --> 00:32:58,628 I create one, it will sell out. 659 00:32:59,108 --> 00:33:00,548 So why don't we create one? 660 00:33:01,238 --> 00:33:04,688 If it doesn't sell out, I'll cancel the event. 661 00:33:04,778 --> 00:33:06,608 Like protect myself from the public shame, 662 00:33:06,713 --> 00:33:07,913 Not that difficult to do. 663 00:33:08,003 --> 00:33:08,273 Yeah. 664 00:33:08,558 --> 00:33:11,738 Right, but, but sure enough, as you go through this formula 665 00:33:11,978 --> 00:33:14,858 and you figure out like, Hey, okay, there's a market for this. 666 00:33:15,008 --> 00:33:16,598 It's not a saturated market. 667 00:33:16,598 --> 00:33:17,618 There's an opportunity here. 668 00:33:17,618 --> 00:33:19,088 I could put my wrinkle on this thing. 669 00:33:19,478 --> 00:33:20,438 Let's have the first one. 670 00:33:20,978 --> 00:33:24,068 And so that minimum imagination puts you down this pathway 671 00:33:24,068 --> 00:33:28,088 of just proving or disproving whether the problem is solvable. 672 00:33:28,823 --> 00:33:33,743 And then from there, you can then determine what's the next step that I 673 00:33:33,743 --> 00:33:36,053 need to take to make it a viable solution. 674 00:33:36,413 --> 00:33:40,763 And so this really came out of, I've heard every acronym under the sun for people 675 00:33:40,763 --> 00:33:43,583 building software and building businesses and companies and all these things. 676 00:33:43,673 --> 00:33:46,343 And I was like, Hey, there has to be something that takes place 677 00:33:46,343 --> 00:33:50,663 prior to the minimum viable product because most people are so far 678 00:33:50,663 --> 00:33:52,253 away from minimum viable product. 679 00:33:52,778 --> 00:33:52,928 You. 680 00:33:52,928 --> 00:33:53,708 You have you. 681 00:33:53,708 --> 00:33:56,138 I'm sure you know, but I'll say it just for theatrics. 682 00:33:56,228 --> 00:34:00,488 You have no idea how many people come across my desk that wanna rebuild Uber. 683 00:34:00,743 --> 00:34:05,123 Or rebuild Etsy, and I'm like, you realize that the minimum viable product 684 00:34:05,123 --> 00:34:08,543 has to be at parody of one of these platforms, and these are billion 685 00:34:08,543 --> 00:34:09,889 dollar publicly traded companies. 686 00:34:10,373 --> 00:34:14,513 So we're not talking minimum viable because I know what viability looks 687 00:34:14,513 --> 00:34:15,863 like to compete in that arena. 688 00:34:16,433 --> 00:34:17,928 I. We're talking minimum imaginative. 689 00:34:18,138 --> 00:34:20,088 We're talking minimum marketable. 690 00:34:20,088 --> 00:34:22,338 Can you get people to drive to a landing page? 691 00:34:22,338 --> 00:34:23,868 We're talking minimum buyable. 692 00:34:23,868 --> 00:34:26,418 Can you have your first product that you sell for a fraction of 693 00:34:26,418 --> 00:34:29,448 what you anticipate, just to see if there's throughput in generating 694 00:34:29,448 --> 00:34:31,338 revenue, and so forth and so on. 695 00:34:31,338 --> 00:34:34,788 There's this whole, this whole list of things that happen 696 00:34:34,788 --> 00:34:37,158 before minimum viability. 697 00:34:37,853 --> 00:34:39,038 See, this is why. 698 00:34:40,208 --> 00:34:44,198 This is probably why you could sell so many, uh, and not sell because pe 699 00:34:44,648 --> 00:34:49,508 people are inviting themselves to work with you as, uh, an agency of your own. 700 00:34:49,508 --> 00:34:52,688 That that helps bring people's, uh, web applications to life, you know, 701 00:34:52,688 --> 00:34:54,188 their web properties, whatever it is. 702 00:34:54,548 --> 00:34:57,998 'cause you're literally getting, you're building trust through this process. 703 00:34:58,583 --> 00:34:59,903 It's, it's rational. 704 00:34:59,933 --> 00:35:02,663 It's when you start to think about it, you're like, oh yeah, duh. 705 00:35:02,813 --> 00:35:07,073 I should probably prove out my idea in the smallest little bit possible. 706 00:35:07,073 --> 00:35:10,373 First, uh, using next to no cash. 707 00:35:10,403 --> 00:35:14,273 Maybe, uh, you know, platforms we're already on, like Instagram or 708 00:35:14,273 --> 00:35:16,523 Eventbrite or these free platforms. 709 00:35:16,703 --> 00:35:21,623 You don't have to drop 10 a hundred k or whatever it is to go build out your MVP. 710 00:35:22,076 --> 00:35:25,376 and then if you really take a look at a, at a. Uh, a little 711 00:35:25,376 --> 00:35:28,766 bit of a dark side of building, especially in the technology arena. 712 00:35:30,056 --> 00:35:33,176 It's fashionable these days to pursue profitability. 713 00:35:34,076 --> 00:35:37,736 For the last 10, 15, 20 years of building software, it was 714 00:35:37,736 --> 00:35:40,016 unfashionable to be profitable. 715 00:35:40,796 --> 00:35:45,086 And so it depends on where you're at in the stage of your life. 716 00:35:45,086 --> 00:35:47,966 But if you're a bootstrapping founder with a big idea. 717 00:35:48,326 --> 00:35:51,926 You, you, I implore you to pursue profitability. 718 00:35:52,106 --> 00:35:56,666 And so if the idea that you're thinking about sinking your life savings into does 719 00:35:56,666 --> 00:36:00,086 not have a path to profitability, hold on. 720 00:36:00,236 --> 00:36:02,036 Like sa, save the nest egg. 721 00:36:02,306 --> 00:36:05,456 Put, put in a savings account, high yield with four point a half 722 00:36:05,456 --> 00:36:08,966 percent interest, like compound the cash in some creative way. 723 00:36:08,966 --> 00:36:11,936 Deploy it in a way that'll make your income some other way. 724 00:36:12,326 --> 00:36:15,476 But if you can prove before you ever spent a dollar on development 725 00:36:15,776 --> 00:36:17,096 that it's not gonna work. 726 00:36:18,026 --> 00:36:21,536 That's also a very sobering experience to go through as well. 727 00:36:21,746 --> 00:36:26,306 And there are not very many founders out there that failed wisely. 728 00:36:26,606 --> 00:36:31,136 They, they fail having done the thing with the wisdom, having failed through 729 00:36:31,136 --> 00:36:35,936 the moment, having burned the cash pile, having burned the relationship with the 730 00:36:35,936 --> 00:36:40,526 engineer, having shipped it overseas and spent 160,000 where they thought it would 731 00:36:40,526 --> 00:36:43,496 be at a fraction of what they spent here locally, but they couldn't articulate the 732 00:36:43,496 --> 00:36:46,076 problem or whatever, whatever, whatever. 733 00:36:46,706 --> 00:36:51,506 So there had to be this life that occurs before you break ground. 734 00:36:52,106 --> 00:36:59,366 And so I wish that more, um, I wish that more service providers would take a 735 00:36:59,366 --> 00:37:03,626 little bit more of a, a, a trust based, I call it fiduciary responsibility. 736 00:37:03,626 --> 00:37:07,556 I, I have a financial and compliance background, uh, a fiduciary 737 00:37:07,556 --> 00:37:10,616 responsibility in the various stages that they contribute to. 738 00:37:11,111 --> 00:37:15,341 For example, if I was, if I was a, a, a brand designer, if that was like my thing 739 00:37:15,341 --> 00:37:19,541 and that's what people are coming to me for, I would take, I would take them 740 00:37:19,541 --> 00:37:24,611 through a process that determines whether their brand can live in that arena or not. 741 00:37:25,451 --> 00:37:29,651 And so I, I just don't know if service providers, there's probably 742 00:37:29,651 --> 00:37:31,661 a panic to acquire new customers. 743 00:37:31,931 --> 00:37:35,471 There probably isn't uncertain economically, like all sorts of 744 00:37:35,471 --> 00:37:39,131 different reasons that, that prevent people from taking that extra step. 745 00:37:40,301 --> 00:37:41,231 For me. 746 00:37:41,621 --> 00:37:43,871 I'm trying to build an investible business. 747 00:37:43,871 --> 00:37:48,041 I'm trying to build a business, uh, that has incredible retention for 748 00:37:48,041 --> 00:37:49,841 the talent density that we acquire. 749 00:37:49,991 --> 00:37:53,141 I'm trying to build a business that has a portfolio of true, 750 00:37:53,141 --> 00:37:54,521 full on success stories. 751 00:37:54,701 --> 00:37:58,391 I'm trying to build my accelerator into an incubator that eventually can 752 00:37:58,391 --> 00:38:01,211 feed the venture capital community and private equity community. 753 00:38:01,451 --> 00:38:05,201 So my goals of building this business are a little bit different than just 754 00:38:05,201 --> 00:38:08,261 taking a mon, taking the money and running and being a little bit, you 755 00:38:08,261 --> 00:38:10,211 know, negligent of somebody's goals. 756 00:38:10,896 --> 00:38:14,736 I have a responsibility to me, my team and Cause of a Kind as a brand 757 00:38:14,736 --> 00:38:18,576 to make sure that the partners that we bring on a, have an appetite 758 00:38:18,576 --> 00:38:19,956 for the type of model that we have. 759 00:38:19,956 --> 00:38:23,916 Because I'm di I'm very different from, from most businesses that we come across 760 00:38:23,916 --> 00:38:26,676 in the way that we engage, but also like. 761 00:38:27,071 --> 00:38:28,691 Is the ride appropriate? 762 00:38:28,871 --> 00:38:30,311 Is the mission there? 763 00:38:30,641 --> 00:38:32,621 Is it a cause back focused business? 764 00:38:32,621 --> 00:38:34,181 Are they innovating appropriately? 765 00:38:34,181 --> 00:38:37,511 Do they have realistic expectations of what the technology can do for them? 766 00:38:37,511 --> 00:38:39,611 Is the timeline practical? 767 00:38:39,761 --> 00:38:40,841 And, and so forth. 768 00:38:40,841 --> 00:38:45,641 And so my sales process is more of a disqualification experience than it 769 00:38:45,641 --> 00:38:47,606 is trying to sell you on something. 770 00:38:47,906 --> 00:38:49,376 That's trust based right there. 771 00:38:49,406 --> 00:38:52,076 And like, who doesn't want to have, who doesn't wanna 772 00:38:52,076 --> 00:38:53,336 engage with someone like that? 773 00:38:53,366 --> 00:38:57,506 And you're, it's not gonna be a quick, quick in, out kind of project. 774 00:38:57,506 --> 00:39:01,346 You're, you're in it for the life of that relationship, ideally. 775 00:39:01,406 --> 00:39:04,526 I mean, shouldn't we all, like we're gonna Yeah. 776 00:39:04,526 --> 00:39:06,746 It goes for any kinda relationship in person too. 777 00:39:06,746 --> 00:39:08,906 So like extend that here in business. 778 00:39:08,906 --> 00:39:10,256 And I freaking love it. 779 00:39:10,256 --> 00:39:10,646 Justin. 780 00:39:10,856 --> 00:39:15,056 Um, I mean this, the whole, the whole process, what you just described 781 00:39:15,056 --> 00:39:16,466 can be applied in so many ways. 782 00:39:16,841 --> 00:39:21,011 Both ai, not ai, but like what you said, there's so many tools where you can take 783 00:39:21,011 --> 00:39:26,201 what you just said to chat t to, you know, you could vibe code, even though vibe code 784 00:39:26,201 --> 00:39:28,421 is riddled with all sorts of issues too. 785 00:39:28,451 --> 00:39:31,991 But it can get an idea out at least, you know, 786 00:39:32,741 --> 00:39:34,631 just don't think that's gonna be your go-to market 787 00:39:34,631 --> 00:39:36,071 strategy against Lyft or Uber. 788 00:39:36,341 --> 00:39:36,911 But, um, 789 00:39:37,511 --> 00:39:38,321 Right, right, right. 790 00:39:38,321 --> 00:39:38,591 Right. 791 00:39:38,861 --> 00:39:42,911 But, uh, dude, I mean the, you got my brain spinning in so many ways 792 00:39:42,971 --> 00:39:46,271 and, um, I just, I just love the, the perspective you bring, man. 793 00:39:46,271 --> 00:39:46,691 So 794 00:39:47,696 --> 00:39:48,176 Thanks, Joe. 795 00:39:48,281 --> 00:39:52,061 I wanna wrap it up right here, but, uh, what is, I guess, what's one 796 00:39:53,501 --> 00:39:56,651 always kind of thinking like, what's, what are you most excited for in, I 797 00:39:56,651 --> 00:39:59,591 mean, obviously I think I know on a personal level what you're excited for. 798 00:40:00,401 --> 00:40:04,301 Like maybe you can, you can say that too, but anything else, like in terms of. 799 00:40:05,126 --> 00:40:07,586 Just what we talked about, like your Yeah. 800 00:40:07,586 --> 00:40:08,276 Growth. 801 00:40:08,306 --> 00:40:11,426 I, I would say in your next like five years, how do you think you're gonna 802 00:40:11,426 --> 00:40:16,676 evolve into a whole different version of you, you know, just in, I don't know, it's 803 00:40:16,676 --> 00:40:19,466 probably 10.0 at this point or, or beyond. 804 00:40:20,246 --> 00:40:20,936 Anything else? 805 00:40:21,056 --> 00:40:23,126 Anything on your radar you think you're gonna do to uplevel? 806 00:40:23,963 --> 00:40:28,073 I'll, I'll, I'll go as far as, I have never said my daughter's name out loud. 807 00:40:28,313 --> 00:40:34,403 I'm expecting a daughter in the next three weeks, which is an interesting, um, it's 808 00:40:34,403 --> 00:40:37,043 an interesting measurement of time, right. 809 00:40:37,043 --> 00:40:39,953 So like my, I, I have a son, he's four, what I've accomplished 810 00:40:39,953 --> 00:40:41,003 in the last four years. 811 00:40:41,003 --> 00:40:43,673 He was born with $4 and 7 cents in my bank account. 812 00:40:44,528 --> 00:40:48,368 And like I was not sure if we were coming or going or what 813 00:40:48,368 --> 00:40:49,838 the hell the situation was. 814 00:40:50,168 --> 00:40:56,018 And so what has been accomplished over the last four years is a, a true testament. 815 00:40:56,108 --> 00:41:01,448 And I heard a very interesting, um, quote, probably from, from Instagram, 816 00:41:01,448 --> 00:41:03,968 I think it was either LinkedIn or Instagram, and it was an image. 817 00:41:03,968 --> 00:41:07,118 And it said on the day you were born, a tree was planted somewhere in the world. 818 00:41:07,118 --> 00:41:09,908 And that tree has been growing alongside of you for your entire journey. 819 00:41:10,568 --> 00:41:13,568 And so I'll, I'll dedicate this episode to my daughter. 820 00:41:13,568 --> 00:41:15,938 Her name will be Story True Abrams. 821 00:41:16,088 --> 00:41:20,198 And you know, we had a little, uh, uh, we had a short conversation before this 822 00:41:20,198 --> 00:41:25,418 podcast of, of our journey and trying to achieve story, and it has been a 823 00:41:25,418 --> 00:41:29,558 hell of a story, and maybe one day I'll record it, so I'll dedicate this to her. 824 00:41:29,558 --> 00:41:33,308 But the reason why I bring this up is because I will use her as 825 00:41:33,308 --> 00:41:35,018 the next measurement of time. 826 00:41:35,588 --> 00:41:39,008 For the next four years, and I just say four years because my son is 827 00:41:39,008 --> 00:41:40,268 four in the next couple of weeks. 828 00:41:40,268 --> 00:41:44,498 And like I can fully measure the success and all the tribulations and everything 829 00:41:44,498 --> 00:41:45,998 that's happened over the last four years. 830 00:41:46,509 --> 00:41:47,589 I don't know what's gonna happen. 831 00:41:47,589 --> 00:41:52,539 But I do have hopes, and I don't even necessarily label them as goals, but I, 832 00:41:52,599 --> 00:41:57,219 I do have hopes and their, their hopes for me and my nuclear family of course, 833 00:41:57,369 --> 00:41:59,799 but it's really hopes for my impact. 834 00:42:00,519 --> 00:42:06,399 And so I, I. I was fortunate enough to listen to a presentation not too long 835 00:42:06,399 --> 00:42:10,089 ago at the Long Island Technologists Meetup, where the presentation was 836 00:42:10,089 --> 00:42:12,879 about, um, what are the two words? 837 00:42:12,939 --> 00:42:16,569 If you had to summarize your personal brand into two words, what would it be? 838 00:42:16,569 --> 00:42:21,009 And shout out to Carolina Luna and my home girl, and she gave an amazing presentation 839 00:42:21,009 --> 00:42:22,384 on distilling your personal brand. 840 00:42:22,539 --> 00:42:27,189 And if you have one second with somebody, what do you tell them is your purpose? 841 00:42:27,309 --> 00:42:31,059 And so for me, I distilled my two words into drive impact. 842 00:42:31,569 --> 00:42:34,779 And so I don't really know what I'm gonna get myself into. 843 00:42:34,929 --> 00:42:36,159 I'm a chronic entrepreneur. 844 00:42:36,189 --> 00:42:37,962 We didn't really get into my seven generations 845 00:42:38,064 --> 00:42:38,754 No, I know. 846 00:42:38,829 --> 00:42:41,109 story, but I'm a chronic entrepreneur. 847 00:42:41,499 --> 00:42:45,774 Um, I run multiple businesses at this point, so in various stages of, of, of, 848 00:42:45,779 --> 00:42:49,419 of, uh, in various stages of, of maturity. 849 00:42:50,139 --> 00:42:54,789 And so my entire goal comes back to how we kind of started this 850 00:42:54,819 --> 00:42:58,509 conversation, which is about increasing my own surface area for luck. 851 00:42:58,959 --> 00:43:00,189 But I don't want to do that. 852 00:43:00,549 --> 00:43:05,949 Without knowing that what I am doing with my time is driving impact to others. 853 00:43:06,309 --> 00:43:08,979 And so this comes back to a real childhood pursuit of mine. 854 00:43:08,979 --> 00:43:12,729 Like when I was four years old, like my kid, I wanted to be a doctor. 855 00:43:13,059 --> 00:43:17,589 I went to medical school or tried to go to medical school and you know, 856 00:43:17,675 --> 00:43:22,269 my old, my whole pursuit was for patient care and not so much patient 857 00:43:22,269 --> 00:43:27,069 care, but family care and, and being a really stable bedside opportunity 858 00:43:27,069 --> 00:43:28,839 for folks that are in challenging. 859 00:43:29,364 --> 00:43:30,414 Moments of their life. 860 00:43:30,594 --> 00:43:33,624 And so I've carried that all throughout my experience and it's 861 00:43:33,624 --> 00:43:38,004 what's made me a very good ambassador from a client services perspective 862 00:43:38,004 --> 00:43:39,354 for the companies that I work for. 863 00:43:39,534 --> 00:43:42,414 It's what makes me a trusted advisor through a sales process. 864 00:43:42,624 --> 00:43:45,684 It's what allows me to be a successful entrepreneur and pursue 865 00:43:45,684 --> 00:43:50,274 new businesses and be a great partner for strangers that come along my way. 866 00:43:50,994 --> 00:43:54,084 And so my, my real goal and my hope and what's gonna happen 867 00:43:54,084 --> 00:43:55,374 for the next couple of years. 868 00:43:56,709 --> 00:43:59,709 Probably a lot of compounding of what currently is going on. 869 00:43:59,859 --> 00:44:00,879 A lot of growth. 870 00:44:00,939 --> 00:44:02,799 You inspire the heck outta me, man. 871 00:44:02,889 --> 00:44:07,119 Like your, your podcast Hustle and Flow chart, the volume of, of, of episodes that 872 00:44:07,119 --> 00:44:11,829 you've recorded, the extent of the network people that you're a household memory for. 873 00:44:12,339 --> 00:44:17,544 You know, I, I believe that we are, are chronicling with, with our 874 00:44:17,549 --> 00:44:19,539 podcast the journey of our life. 875 00:44:19,689 --> 00:44:24,429 And so I'm super bullish and passionate about my own podcast and I can't wait. 876 00:44:24,819 --> 00:44:29,649 For some of the folks that I emulate, you know, like I have this vision of 877 00:44:29,649 --> 00:44:34,719 having Steven Bartlett, diary of a CEO aren't strictly from nowhere and like 878 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:39,489 stand toe to toe with a titan and like, I just like, man, the, the, the, the 879 00:44:39,489 --> 00:44:42,699 opportunity to drive impact to people. 880 00:44:43,689 --> 00:44:47,259 Those are the, those are the types of guys like the, you, you could 881 00:44:47,259 --> 00:44:50,019 be a chronic entrepreneur and have your hat in 50 different things. 882 00:44:50,019 --> 00:44:52,059 You can have a full on family and lifestyle. 883 00:44:52,059 --> 00:44:53,799 You can have a public forum where. 884 00:44:54,084 --> 00:44:59,334 You're not only finding the blend of creativity, but also of, of philanthropy 885 00:44:59,364 --> 00:45:02,784 and activity and meaning in this life. 886 00:45:02,844 --> 00:45:07,344 And so, so my goal is to, you know, get to the end and look back and 887 00:45:07,344 --> 00:45:08,724 be like, yo, that kid killed it. 888 00:45:09,804 --> 00:45:11,484 You didn't leave anything out there, man. 889 00:45:11,514 --> 00:45:13,464 You, you did it all, man. 890 00:45:14,079 --> 00:45:15,579 Uh, it's gonna happen. 891 00:45:15,579 --> 00:45:18,219 You'll have Steven on and we're gonna keep chronicling 892 00:45:18,339 --> 00:45:21,699 by the way, like, yes, you will strictly from nowhere. 893 00:45:21,699 --> 00:45:23,709 Go check out Justin's podcast. 894 00:45:23,709 --> 00:45:26,349 It's over at cause of a kind.com. 895 00:45:26,379 --> 00:45:29,739 And, and seriously, man, I, I love everything you bring to the table 896 00:45:29,739 --> 00:45:33,429 and you literally bring it all to the table, wear it on your sleeve. 897 00:45:33,429 --> 00:45:36,999 So I appreciate you for being you here and literally everywhere. 898 00:45:37,719 --> 00:45:38,169 So, 899 00:45:38,709 --> 00:45:41,559 I have one version I talked to, I talked to my wife about this. 900 00:45:41,559 --> 00:45:42,819 I got one version. 901 00:45:43,179 --> 00:45:43,929 Come and meet me, 902 00:45:44,244 --> 00:45:45,594 It's a great version, man. 903 00:45:45,594 --> 00:45:47,514 So appreciate you, man. 904 00:45:47,514 --> 00:45:50,034 And you're gonna be meeting story very soon too. 905 00:45:50,034 --> 00:45:50,514 I'm stoked 906 00:45:50,544 --> 00:45:51,594 Thank you so much, man. 907 00:45:51,714 --> 00:45:52,614 You're a blessing to me. 908 00:45:52,674 --> 00:45:54,354 I, I wish you forward to extraordinary, man. 909 00:45:54,354 --> 00:45:55,224 Thank you so much.