1 00:00:00,150 --> 00:00:02,730 Glenn Harper: All right, welcome to another Empowering Entrepreneurs 2 00:00:02,730 --> 00:00:05,670 podcast. Glenn Harper here, Julie Smith What's up, Julie? 3 00:00:05,700 --> 00:00:06,240 Julie Smith: What's up? 4 00:00:06,390 --> 00:00:09,940 Glenn Harper: Not too much. Just another day making some doughnuts. 5 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,510 We've got a please to have a great guest today. 6 00:00:12,510 --> 00:00:17,310 A friend, colleague, client compadre, fellow wingman, bill 7 00:00:17,310 --> 00:00:20,820 Converse. He has a bunch of litany of companies that he 8 00:00:20,820 --> 00:00:23,220 owns, primarily in the marketing and scaling of one's 9 00:00:23,220 --> 00:00:26,040 business. But this guy is into everything. 10 00:00:26,190 --> 00:00:27,240 Bill, how are you doing? 11 00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:29,850 Bill Konves: Hey, good, good. 12 00:00:29,850 --> 00:00:31,170 Good to be here. Thank you, Julie. 13 00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:31,860 Thank you, Glenn. 14 00:00:31,980 --> 00:00:36,600 Glenn Harper: You bet. Your your bio or your email says chief of Staff Is 15 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,700 that like you're the head of a client's company or a part 16 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:40,110 of the Kansas City Chiefs? 17 00:00:41,770 --> 00:00:44,620 Bill Konves: I know that part of the Kansas City Chiefs, unfortunately. 18 00:00:44,710 --> 00:00:46,450 Glenn Harper: All right. What does that mean? 19 00:00:46,510 --> 00:00:47,620 Chief of Staff. 20 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,350 Bill Konves: I help business owners, successful business owners, scale 21 00:00:53,350 --> 00:00:56,470 their business, bring in the right players, mostly around 22 00:00:56,470 --> 00:01:00,940 marketing a lot of businesses that are trying to scale. 23 00:01:01,690 --> 00:01:03,820 They have a hard time finding the right marketing partners 24 00:01:03,820 --> 00:01:06,130 to help that without hiring full time staff. 25 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:08,320 And that's not always the best solution. 26 00:01:08,350 --> 00:01:10,600 You hire someone full time, then you have to manage that 27 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,590 person. You might only need them for a few months, and 28 00:01:14,590 --> 00:01:15,670 that's it. So. 29 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,780 So that's what we do. We bring in people to get jobs done 30 00:01:19,780 --> 00:01:21,550 and then those people move out. 31 00:01:21,820 --> 00:01:24,970 Glenn Harper: A lot of people say, you know that this part time CFO and 32 00:01:24,970 --> 00:01:26,710 these part time HR people. 33 00:01:27,090 --> 00:01:29,770 Would you like a kind of that kind of thing like an 34 00:01:29,770 --> 00:01:31,900 augmentation of marketing department? 35 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,930 Bill Konves: Yeah, that's that's exactly what it is. 36 00:01:35,970 --> 00:01:37,680 You could call outsourced CMO. 37 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,430 Ok. I do much more for many of my clients than just 38 00:01:41,430 --> 00:01:44,640 marketing. And so that's where the chief of staff comes in. 39 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,770 Glenn Harper: When you say more, what is more mean? 40 00:01:49,930 --> 00:01:52,960 Bill Konves: Hiring for production, for example, the e-commerce company, 41 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,740 we were building a great marketing plan for them and I 42 00:01:56,740 --> 00:02:00,100 said, why can you not get the product produced? 43 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,500 We're having all kinds of issues as well. 44 00:02:02,710 --> 00:02:05,410 This is actually where the chief of Staff's concept 45 00:02:05,410 --> 00:02:07,490 started. I said, I know people. 46 00:02:07,510 --> 00:02:08,650 Let me help you get that out. 47 00:02:08,650 --> 00:02:12,050 I called some colleagues x Victoria's Secret people. 48 00:02:12,100 --> 00:02:13,270 We got the production work. 49 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,520 I hired them on my staff. They came in, they did some 50 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,950 projects for us. Then they exited back out. 51 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:19,780 So that's an example. 52 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,300 A lot of times businesses are able to scale or we can scale 53 00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:24,070 marketing, but then they can't handle the marketing. 54 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:26,620 So what are the other issues in your company? 55 00:02:27,070 --> 00:02:28,610 What do you need? What do you need to do? 56 00:02:28,630 --> 00:02:29,940 Do you need more employees? 57 00:02:29,950 --> 00:02:31,960 Do you need a project done? 58 00:02:32,230 --> 00:02:33,820 That's the stuff that we look at. 59 00:02:34,150 --> 00:02:36,400 Julie Smith: So Bill, what I hear you saying, though, is that you've been 60 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,820 able to create all of these relationships to ultimately 61 00:02:39,820 --> 00:02:41,390 help others in their business. 62 00:02:41,410 --> 00:02:44,020 How were you able to cultivate and create those over your 63 00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:47,350 career? How did you figure out the key to that success? 64 00:02:50,060 --> 00:02:53,420 Bill Konves: Well, a lot of it starts with people like Glenn and 65 00:02:53,570 --> 00:02:54,720 networking with Glenn. 66 00:02:54,740 --> 00:02:57,920 Networking with other people in our group, mastermind 67 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:04,730 groups being open, being at conferences, just just being 68 00:03:04,730 --> 00:03:07,880 open to have these conversations with people and learn and 69 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,270 not shut down and think, you know what, I only do marketing 70 00:03:11,270 --> 00:03:14,360 in this what I am going to do, and it's only people I'm 71 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,410 going to talk to. 72 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,500 You really open up your your experiences when you talk to 73 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:19,790 people in other industries. 74 00:03:20,630 --> 00:03:23,210 I'm scheduled to go to a real estate conference next week. 75 00:03:23,300 --> 00:03:26,520 I help some real estate investors scale their business. 76 00:03:26,540 --> 00:03:28,670 I don't need to go learn more about real estate. 77 00:03:28,670 --> 00:03:31,700 I've done real estate myself, but I'm going to a real 78 00:03:31,700 --> 00:03:34,940 estate conference just to learn to hear what they say, and 79 00:03:34,940 --> 00:03:37,130 I'll probably meet a couple of people and make some 80 00:03:37,130 --> 00:03:38,210 connections through that. 81 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,480 Glenn Harper: So you're telling me you don't just sit around and just be 82 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,340 happy where you're at and be content, you're always 83 00:03:43,340 --> 00:03:44,420 questing for more. 84 00:03:45,490 --> 00:03:46,900 Bill Konves: I wish I could. 85 00:03:47,740 --> 00:03:49,190 That is correct, so. 86 00:03:49,190 --> 00:03:53,890 So I'm envious of people that can just sit and work their 87 00:03:53,890 --> 00:03:56,230 nine to five and come home and hang out with their kids, 88 00:03:56,230 --> 00:03:57,670 see their dog and go to sleep. 89 00:03:57,730 --> 00:03:59,200 Glenn Harper: Don't lie to us. That's not true. 90 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:00,790 And you know it. You love what you do. 91 00:04:01,180 --> 00:04:02,410 Bill Konves: Yeah, I do. 92 00:04:02,410 --> 00:04:04,080 But I am envious at times. 93 00:04:04,090 --> 00:04:08,440 Glenn Harper: Yes. So back in the day, I think you had some, you know, you 94 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,680 came out of college and you I think you got what's called a 95 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,710 real job and you work for the man. 96 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,950 And then at some point you decided to, you know, not work 97 00:04:17,950 --> 00:04:19,840 for a man and do the thing you're on your own. 98 00:04:19,870 --> 00:04:22,480 What what was your experience prior to becoming an 99 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:24,460 entrepreneur when you're working for someone? 100 00:04:26,580 --> 00:04:28,290 Bill Konves: It was it was a good experience. 101 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,250 Yeah, I worked at I worked for the man in Victoria's Secret 102 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:39,150 limited brands, Coles, Je Gap, several large companies and 103 00:04:40,290 --> 00:04:42,250 I was promoted. I moved through the ranks. 104 00:04:42,270 --> 00:04:44,460 It was. It was good, but I guess something was always 105 00:04:44,460 --> 00:04:50,250 missing because I once I hired a supplier once and we 106 00:04:50,250 --> 00:04:53,700 worked very closely together to build a loyalty program for 107 00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:55,950 Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy. 108 00:04:56,700 --> 00:04:58,020 And I liked his life. 109 00:04:58,030 --> 00:04:59,160 I liked what I saw. 110 00:04:59,610 --> 00:05:00,780 He was out signing deals. 111 00:05:00,790 --> 00:05:02,090 He was traveling all around. 112 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:03,510 He was doing some entertaining. 113 00:05:04,710 --> 00:05:08,820 He was he was capturing business and enjoying that life. 114 00:05:08,850 --> 00:05:10,350 And I thought, I'm never going to have that in the 115 00:05:10,350 --> 00:05:13,290 corporate world unless I get to the level of CEOs. 116 00:05:13,410 --> 00:05:15,750 And that's just not me and how many of them are there. 117 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,750 That's like high school trying to make a college athlete 118 00:05:18,750 --> 00:05:20,390 and then college trying to make it in the pros. 119 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:21,840 It's the same thing when you're going up through the 120 00:05:21,840 --> 00:05:25,560 corporate ranks. If you want freedom and you want something 121 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:29,280 big and you have to either be a CEO C-suite level. 122 00:05:30,250 --> 00:05:32,440 Which is probably not going to happen then you have to make 123 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,170 it happen on your own. And so somewhere they're working 124 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:39,910 with that guy. Shifted my thought process and I actually 125 00:05:40,270 --> 00:05:42,760 went to work for that guy and left the corporate world and 126 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:44,230 went still working for the man. 127 00:05:44,230 --> 00:05:45,700 But it was a three million dollar company. 128 00:05:45,700 --> 00:05:48,940 Instead, we were working back in selling to all those 129 00:05:48,940 --> 00:05:50,170 retailers we worked with. 130 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,500 And so we took that business from three million to 20 131 00:05:53,500 --> 00:05:55,960 million over the course of three years. 132 00:05:56,980 --> 00:05:59,320 And I thought, Wow, maybe I could do this myself, and then 133 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,730 I took the next step out. 134 00:06:01,580 --> 00:06:03,260 To be fully on my own, 135 00:06:04,220 --> 00:06:07,880 Glenn Harper: Did you have a like when you're a kid, did you have, you 136 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,940 know, entrepreneurial tendencies or did you just listen? 137 00:06:10,940 --> 00:06:12,440 I just got to go up and go to work. 138 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:14,290 Do you think this did? 139 00:06:14,290 --> 00:06:17,390 Did that trigger you, those thoughts when you were young or 140 00:06:17,390 --> 00:06:19,580 did it trigger you when you saw this different kind of 141 00:06:19,580 --> 00:06:20,990 lifestyle dealing with this vendor? 142 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,150 Bill Konves: Yeah, that's that's hard to say. 143 00:06:25,570 --> 00:06:27,340 Not when I was young, because I grew up in a blue collar 144 00:06:27,340 --> 00:06:32,620 family. You know, my dad worked for the city and so it 145 00:06:32,620 --> 00:06:35,320 wasn't there. I wasn't even supposed to go to college, so I 146 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:36,940 got lucky and figured that out. 147 00:06:37,870 --> 00:06:39,220 It wasn't in college. 148 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:43,420 When I graduated college, I was always messing around with 149 00:06:43,420 --> 00:06:46,570 with side businesses, side hustles, trying to figure things 150 00:06:46,570 --> 00:06:48,730 out. So it's always been in me. 151 00:06:49,590 --> 00:06:52,650 And then when I saw that guy, that lifestyle and joined his 152 00:06:52,650 --> 00:06:56,100 company, that's when it probably hit me that, hey, there's 153 00:06:56,100 --> 00:06:58,620 more to this, but I can't identify where it happened. 154 00:06:58,650 --> 00:07:01,320 It definitely wasn't. When I was a kid, I did not have the 155 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,830 lemons. Lemonade stand was not shoveling too many walks, so 156 00:07:04,830 --> 00:07:06,030 it was not walking dogs. 157 00:07:06,510 --> 00:07:09,630 Julie Smith: Do you think that that supplier that ultimately helped you 158 00:07:09,630 --> 00:07:12,620 make that jump was ultimately your mentor? 159 00:07:12,630 --> 00:07:14,910 And do you still keep in contact with that person as 160 00:07:14,910 --> 00:07:17,700 you've, you know, turned into the entrepreneur yourself? 161 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,920 Bill Konves: I do not keep in contact with him, he's changed lifestyles 162 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:27,460 as well. He sold his businesses. 163 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,100 He was 15 years older than me. 164 00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:30,900 So he's moved on. 165 00:07:32,550 --> 00:07:34,980 I think there were people that worked with him inside his 166 00:07:34,980 --> 00:07:36,390 company. I liked his lifestyle. 167 00:07:36,390 --> 00:07:38,670 I liked how he saw it. I liked how he made things happen. 168 00:07:39,180 --> 00:07:43,290 I like some people, more of a mentor that were in his 169 00:07:43,290 --> 00:07:47,790 management team that I followed more closely and the 170 00:07:47,790 --> 00:07:50,790 entrepreneurs that I like have somewhat of a corporate 171 00:07:50,790 --> 00:07:55,380 experience. Everything I do in life, I run more in a 172 00:07:55,380 --> 00:07:58,680 corporate manner. But I like the freedom of the 173 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:00,540 entrepreneur, so I'm kind of a hybrid. 174 00:08:01,350 --> 00:08:03,480 You might be able to throw me back into the corporate 175 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,060 environment, and I might be able to do just fine. 176 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:07,610 I like to think I could. 177 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,070 A lot of entrepreneurs will say no way do I ever want to go 178 00:08:11,070 --> 00:08:12,930 back to the corporate world. I just can't handle it. 179 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,470 I don't. I don't look at it and mind it. 180 00:08:17,220 --> 00:08:20,260 So but again, I haven't been back in that world. 181 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,800 I have a few phone calls once in a while and I realize it's 182 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:23,250 tough. 183 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,180 Glenn Harper: Yeah, it's funny. The typical entrepreneur, when they leave 184 00:08:27,180 --> 00:08:30,570 a real job, they've successfully will never be employable 185 00:08:30,570 --> 00:08:31,640 by anybody else. 186 00:08:31,650 --> 00:08:32,810 That just is a rule. 187 00:08:32,820 --> 00:08:35,130 But you, you definitely have a little bit of tendencies 188 00:08:35,130 --> 00:08:37,200 that you, I guess. 189 00:08:37,470 --> 00:08:40,080 A Segway is you kind of like process. 190 00:08:40,110 --> 00:08:41,370 You like structure. 191 00:08:41,940 --> 00:08:43,660 You like that plan the the. 192 00:08:44,150 --> 00:08:45,780 I don't want to say a corporate game, but just 193 00:08:45,780 --> 00:08:48,150 understanding all the different pieces because you're not 194 00:08:48,150 --> 00:08:52,890 just doing one thing, you're doing multiple things. 195 00:08:52,890 --> 00:08:56,070 And most entrepreneurs only do one thing when they can do 196 00:08:56,070 --> 00:08:57,330 the other things. That brings a little bit of that 197 00:08:57,330 --> 00:08:59,850 corporate back into you and works on that. 198 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,570 Do you feel like, you know, that gave you a competitive 199 00:09:03,570 --> 00:09:06,600 advantage, being an entrepreneur, having that experience to 200 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,290 understand that you can't look at things in one dimension, 201 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:11,670 it's more of a, you know, all over the place looking at 202 00:09:11,670 --> 00:09:14,010 things like a spider monkey or do you feel like you went 203 00:09:14,010 --> 00:09:15,570 into this just doing one thing? 204 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:22,050 Bill Konves: I think the corporate background probably is a hindrance 205 00:09:22,050 --> 00:09:23,730 because it's a crutch. 206 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:27,380 I always think, Oh, I can always go back, I don't anymore. 207 00:09:27,390 --> 00:09:30,630 I've been out so long. But for the first seven, eight, nine 208 00:09:30,630 --> 00:09:33,270 years I kept thinking, Man, it'd be nice to have a paycheck 209 00:09:33,270 --> 00:09:34,770 every week, man. 210 00:09:34,770 --> 00:09:37,410 It'd be nice just to talk to people at the water cooler and 211 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:39,300 not work as hard as I'm out here working. 212 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:42,450 You know, eating what you kill is much different than 213 00:09:42,450 --> 00:09:44,160 getting that, that paycheck every week. 214 00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:49,970 So it's difficult to leave that and make that transition. 215 00:09:49,980 --> 00:09:54,150 But once you're once you're gone long enough, yes, I'm 216 00:09:54,150 --> 00:09:57,540 probably not employable because I would drive people insane 217 00:09:57,540 --> 00:09:58,600 with with. 218 00:09:58,710 --> 00:10:00,030 Let's get something done now. 219 00:10:00,030 --> 00:10:01,710 What are we doing? Why are we talking for an hour and a 220 00:10:01,710 --> 00:10:04,020 half about this category here? 221 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:05,460 Why is everyone here? 222 00:10:05,790 --> 00:10:07,770 You know, this is a marketing project. 223 00:10:08,430 --> 00:10:09,870 Let's just move this forward. 224 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:11,490 Let's take a baby step. 225 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:13,590 Let's test it. We don't have to. 226 00:10:13,620 --> 00:10:16,290 We don't have to have the whole committee agree that this 227 00:10:16,290 --> 00:10:19,950 is the way we're going. So yes, I would probably frustrate 228 00:10:19,950 --> 00:10:22,260 myself and frustrate others in a corporate environment at 229 00:10:22,260 --> 00:10:22,800 this point. 230 00:10:23,850 --> 00:10:26,520 Glenn Harper: Do you think the you know what I see a lot with 231 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:30,630 entrepreneurs? Is this the speed that things can get done 232 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,530 and the no hindrance of any have to worry about what 233 00:10:34,530 --> 00:10:37,560 anybody else thinks you can just say like, well, I just 234 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:40,200 want to go, do that. Let's get it done versus, well, I got 235 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:41,430 to go market it to this person. 236 00:10:41,430 --> 00:10:43,410 This person and this person figured out, get a budget for 237 00:10:43,410 --> 00:10:46,770 that and everything. As an entrepreneur, do you you? 238 00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:49,950 I mean, you just said that you really, really enjoy that. 239 00:10:49,950 --> 00:10:53,130 But can you imagine that if you had to deal with that in 240 00:10:53,130 --> 00:10:55,260 your business and have to go through committee to get 241 00:10:55,260 --> 00:10:58,050 something done, it'd be nauseating, would it not? 242 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,800 Bill Konves: Yes, it would be I was on a call last week where we were 243 00:11:01,800 --> 00:11:04,680 going through this with a corporate environment or a 244 00:11:04,680 --> 00:11:06,870 corporate client corporate environment. 245 00:11:07,170 --> 00:11:12,900 And I was, I was I was not happy and I probably showed my 246 00:11:12,900 --> 00:11:16,710 frustration a little bit in the fall when you ask a 247 00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:18,210 question in the first five minutes of the call. 248 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:20,880 No, no, no, no, no. We'll get to that. 249 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:22,620 And then you go through an hour and a half. 250 00:11:22,860 --> 00:11:25,020 And then I said, you, by the way, remember that question? 251 00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:27,450 I ask, Oh yeah, that's what we are. 252 00:11:27,590 --> 00:11:28,980 That's what we can do. We can do that. 253 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,020 I ask that in the first five minutes. 254 00:11:31,430 --> 00:11:34,920 We wanted to do a dog and pony show for the entire, you 255 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,470 know, because you've you had a dog and pony show to present 256 00:11:37,470 --> 00:11:38,580 and you wanted to get it all out. 257 00:11:38,580 --> 00:11:40,710 Well, if you don't need to get it all out, then let's just 258 00:11:40,710 --> 00:11:42,030 get the job done and move forward. 259 00:11:42,060 --> 00:11:44,280 So, yes, that is one big difference. 260 00:11:45,390 --> 00:11:47,550 Glenn Harper: Do you enjoy working? 261 00:11:47,850 --> 00:11:51,990 I mean, in your career, you definitely being this chief of 262 00:11:51,990 --> 00:11:55,320 staff, you have to deal with different sizes of companies. 263 00:11:56,460 --> 00:12:00,240 Do you find it more rewarding working for somebody who's 264 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,520 little trying to get things started? 265 00:12:02,550 --> 00:12:06,090 Somebody who's kind of rolling or a company's already 266 00:12:06,090 --> 00:12:07,680 established and rocking and rolling? 267 00:12:07,770 --> 00:12:10,470 Do you have a preference of which level you like to enter 268 00:12:10,470 --> 00:12:13,140 in with a client and be their advisor for that? 269 00:12:13,650 --> 00:12:17,910 Bill Konves: Yeah, one hundred percent and I've done all three and I just 270 00:12:18,330 --> 00:12:20,700 I can't identify any longer with the first two you 271 00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:23,310 mentioned. You have to be rocking and rolling because my 272 00:12:23,310 --> 00:12:25,830 experience is too deep. 273 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:30,540 Startup's product launches all those things. 274 00:12:31,050 --> 00:12:34,650 One, the client looks at you in a much different light. 275 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:37,140 They're ready to fire you every second because they're 276 00:12:37,140 --> 00:12:38,720 like, Hey, we're small. We don't have a budget. 277 00:12:38,730 --> 00:12:40,800 This is it. You've got to go. 278 00:12:40,830 --> 00:12:43,800 And so if you don't perform very quickly, they're looking 279 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:47,190 at you to get to push you out the door. 280 00:12:47,190 --> 00:12:49,740 And that's and that's not the way to run a business. 281 00:12:49,740 --> 00:12:52,170 You have to be well invested and think this is, I mean, you 282 00:12:52,170 --> 00:12:54,990 know, if it's six months and we have to invest ten thousand 283 00:12:55,050 --> 00:12:57,360 dollars a month in this for six months, that's what we have 284 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:01,350 to do. So unfortunately, the ones in category that are just 285 00:13:01,350 --> 00:13:04,960 starting up. Not well-funded startup and even well-funded 286 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,090 startups. They have their challenges. 287 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:09,100 Everything is about the return on investment and then 288 00:13:09,100 --> 00:13:10,300 number two, the ones that are. 289 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:13,520 It have a product and it's starting to work, they just 290 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:17,570 don't typically have the hindsight or the foresight to say, 291 00:13:17,570 --> 00:13:19,190 Look, we've budgeted for this. 292 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:20,930 We're going to write it for six months. 293 00:13:20,930 --> 00:13:21,990 We're going to see what happens. 294 00:13:22,010 --> 00:13:23,690 We're going to analyze it and then we're going to make 295 00:13:23,690 --> 00:13:25,730 decisions from there. The guys that are rocking and 296 00:13:25,730 --> 00:13:29,720 rolling. They're fun to try to keep up with. 297 00:13:30,460 --> 00:13:32,410 They have the challenges because they're scaling their 298 00:13:32,410 --> 00:13:34,660 business, and we don't know who to put here, and we don't 299 00:13:34,660 --> 00:13:37,210 know who to put there. We don't know what marketing is 300 00:13:37,210 --> 00:13:39,370 going to work, but we're doing great right now. 301 00:13:39,370 --> 00:13:42,220 So I like to jump in with those owners and say, OK, where 302 00:13:42,220 --> 00:13:43,850 are your problems here and here? 303 00:13:43,870 --> 00:13:46,120 All right, let me go. Solve those two problems today to 304 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,550 knock those out of the way those roadblocks are done. 305 00:13:48,670 --> 00:13:54,190 So I definitely I actually I only now take clients and it's 306 00:13:54,190 --> 00:13:58,690 in my LinkedIn bio successful scaling businesses because 307 00:13:58,690 --> 00:14:02,860 it's much easier to take a business that's already scaling 308 00:14:02,860 --> 00:14:06,850 to a much higher level than it is to take a startup because 309 00:14:06,850 --> 00:14:08,110 a lot of startups fail. 310 00:14:08,770 --> 00:14:11,890 Julie Smith: So Bill, you're talking about where you are now, can you 311 00:14:11,890 --> 00:14:14,620 kind of take us, you know, you went with that supplier, you 312 00:14:14,620 --> 00:14:15,910 took that leap of faith. 313 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,780 You did that. Can you kind of walk us through what's 314 00:14:19,780 --> 00:14:22,750 happened in your journey to where you are now, where you 315 00:14:22,750 --> 00:14:24,970 just want to work with successful rock and roll and 316 00:14:24,970 --> 00:14:25,690 companies? 317 00:14:27,350 --> 00:14:31,100 Bill Konves: Um, yeah, it was it was an interesting journey, Glenn, being 318 00:14:31,100 --> 00:14:34,730 my tax advisor, knows the journey very well. 319 00:14:35,180 --> 00:14:36,280 Glenn Harper: I can't talk about everything. 320 00:14:36,290 --> 00:14:37,490 Maybe just some things. 321 00:14:37,820 --> 00:14:39,410 Bill Konves: Yes, exactly. 322 00:14:39,650 --> 00:14:42,470 Some of the during the journeys that happened here in Ohio, 323 00:14:43,730 --> 00:14:47,090 it's been tough because when I went out, I actually bought 324 00:14:47,090 --> 00:14:51,710 a concrete company. When I left the small company that we 325 00:14:51,710 --> 00:14:53,390 took from three to twenty five. 326 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,320 I bought a concrete company and I wanted to go out on my 327 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,770 own. I needed to make sure I had enough cash flow to 328 00:15:00,770 --> 00:15:03,170 support myself and my family and my wife because she she 329 00:15:03,170 --> 00:15:07,610 doesn't work. And so I was looking at different businesses 330 00:15:07,610 --> 00:15:11,600 that had certain cash flow that I could handle and would 331 00:15:11,610 --> 00:15:14,840 support us. And so we looked at probably five or six 332 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,210 businesses. I was in Glenn's office a few times looking at 333 00:15:17,210 --> 00:15:20,300 a couple of them. Some of them just don't pan out, which is 334 00:15:20,300 --> 00:15:22,550 a good piece of advice. Don't buy a business without 335 00:15:22,550 --> 00:15:26,870 getting your your your strategic partners involved, your 336 00:15:26,870 --> 00:15:30,220 attorneys and your accountants, tax advisers. 337 00:15:30,900 --> 00:15:34,640 Then we ended up with a concrete company purchase that then 338 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,880 at the same time, bridal company purchased that. 339 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:40,700 I had to repeat the shops at the same time. 340 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,380 And I had twenty eight rental properties. 341 00:15:42,500 --> 00:15:44,630 That was probably way too much to be doing at the same 342 00:15:44,630 --> 00:15:46,400 time. And so. 343 00:15:47,300 --> 00:15:51,440 Um, what happened there was concrete was we had more 344 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:52,650 business than we know what to do with. 345 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:53,750 Well, I'm a marketing guy. 346 00:15:54,290 --> 00:15:56,780 I needed a chief of staff and that's one of the things I 347 00:15:56,780 --> 00:16:01,420 learned in my experience is that we were scaling. 348 00:16:01,430 --> 00:16:03,560 We were growing. We had every builder in town, custom 349 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,590 builder. We just couldn't keep up and said, the pleasing 350 00:16:06,590 --> 00:16:08,780 guy I am, the marketing guy is let's find a way to do it. 351 00:16:08,780 --> 00:16:10,550 Let's find a way to do it. Let's find a way to do it. 352 00:16:11,180 --> 00:16:14,360 And we overcommitted, and it just was not a good situation. 353 00:16:15,230 --> 00:16:16,850 And I'm out there just marketing away. 354 00:16:16,850 --> 00:16:19,130 If I had that number two person, that was with me to say, 355 00:16:19,130 --> 00:16:20,690 Wait, stop, slow down. 356 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:23,000 You got issues here. You've got challenges here. 357 00:16:23,030 --> 00:16:26,000 Let's fix those because you have a great product. 358 00:16:26,030 --> 00:16:27,290 Don't get too quickly. 359 00:16:28,220 --> 00:16:32,360 So that was going on at the same thing happened in a few of 360 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,450 the other businesses. We're just scaling too quickly after 361 00:16:35,450 --> 00:16:39,500 it was all said and done, I was worn out being being the 362 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:40,850 owner operator. 363 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,080 And it made me realize that, wow, I really like being 364 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,590 number two. I want to be number two in all these companies 365 00:16:48,590 --> 00:16:49,610 and help people. 366 00:16:49,610 --> 00:16:51,170 I don't want to be the number one guy. 367 00:16:51,590 --> 00:16:57,110 So working with my coach, we developed that that scenario 368 00:16:57,110 --> 00:16:59,960 in that marketing plan of of how can I go out and help 369 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:03,230 other people? And so I ended up selling all the companies, 370 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,940 selling real estate and just focusing on being that true 371 00:17:07,940 --> 00:17:10,520 supporter of that founder in a business. 372 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,210 And so to keep me busy at the level that I need to be kept 373 00:17:14,210 --> 00:17:16,580 busy. Yet it has to be a company that's scaling that 374 00:17:16,590 --> 00:17:20,180 successful. That's moving quick because it gives me all the 375 00:17:20,180 --> 00:17:22,130 things that I want to get my fingers into. 376 00:17:22,730 --> 00:17:24,950 Julie Smith: So Bill, what it seems like you're saying, though, is you 377 00:17:24,950 --> 00:17:27,350 kind of took all the lessons you learned throughout your 378 00:17:27,350 --> 00:17:31,310 journey came to a conclusion through a lot of 379 00:17:31,310 --> 00:17:33,080 self-awareness, it sounds like. 380 00:17:33,110 --> 00:17:35,720 And then we're able to take a step back and use kind of 381 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,420 where you were able to pivot in your journey to help 382 00:17:38,420 --> 00:17:41,330 everybody else and still be able to succeed. 383 00:17:42,650 --> 00:17:46,460 Bill Konves: That is correct. And so that's that's continual analysis of 384 00:17:46,460 --> 00:17:49,400 yourself and where you're going helps because once someone 385 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,010 goes on the entrepreneurial journey, they don't really know 386 00:17:52,010 --> 00:17:55,280 where they're going to end up. But if you're too focused on 387 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,350 where you're going to end up, it could end bad. 388 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:00,470 And some of my business does not end up where I wanted them 389 00:18:00,470 --> 00:18:04,130 to go, but because I had a bigger awareness of myself, I 390 00:18:04,130 --> 00:18:05,780 knew where I wanted to take myself. 391 00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:08,150 So where I'm at today is perfect. 392 00:18:08,150 --> 00:18:11,630 All those lessons, the great lessons, the hard lessons they 393 00:18:11,630 --> 00:18:14,810 add up to where I want to be today and I'm close. 394 00:18:15,230 --> 00:18:17,840 You think I'd figured it out by now, but I'm close to being 395 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,600 exactly where I want to be, isn't everybody? 396 00:18:21,260 --> 00:18:22,490 Yes. Everyone. 397 00:18:22,670 --> 00:18:25,130 Everyone should be. Yes, they should not have had it 398 00:18:25,130 --> 00:18:26,030 figured out yet. 399 00:18:26,990 --> 00:18:29,030 Glenn Harper: The fun is actually figuring it out, right? 400 00:18:29,030 --> 00:18:32,300 I mean, we don't want to have catastrophic failure at any 401 00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:36,620 level, but the only way you can kind of develop and evolve 402 00:18:36,620 --> 00:18:38,330 is you have to go through the schnitzel. 403 00:18:38,600 --> 00:18:43,250 Is there anything prior to what you're doing now that you 404 00:18:43,250 --> 00:18:45,530 wish? You know, if an entrepreneur is listening to this 405 00:18:45,530 --> 00:18:47,960 podcast and trying to figure out what they're going to do 406 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:49,880 and where they're at and they may be on their journey at 407 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,640 the very beginning, having some challenging times, you 408 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,820 know, what is that one thing that you took from when you 409 00:18:55,820 --> 00:18:57,080 had to make all those changes? 410 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,020 That man, if I had just thought of that or if I had just 411 00:19:00,020 --> 00:19:02,210 did this, or if I had to cut the cord sooner here, if I had 412 00:19:02,210 --> 00:19:05,750 just got that advice, what would you advise fellow 413 00:19:05,750 --> 00:19:08,270 entrepreneurs that are struggling, perhaps or trying to get 414 00:19:08,270 --> 00:19:09,320 to the next level, 415 00:19:12,140 --> 00:19:14,870 Bill Konves: Rely on your network and ask a lot of questions? 416 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,770 When I look back, there were quite a few times I'd ask and 417 00:19:18,770 --> 00:19:19,970 listen to the questions. 418 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:22,160 I mean, I'm sorry. Listen to the answers that they give 419 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:27,640 you. In my in my most challenging times, some of the 420 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:31,390 answers that I had received from people like tax adviser 421 00:19:31,450 --> 00:19:34,870 plug for Glenn. There was some good advice. 422 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:36,270 Do you think about this and this? 423 00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:38,410 I mean, hey, but I don't worry about I got it. 424 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:39,790 I'm good. I'm going. 425 00:19:40,810 --> 00:19:44,440 Instead of stopping slowing down and thinking, Wow, what 426 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:47,330 did my attorney say or not even paid help? 427 00:19:47,350 --> 00:19:49,540 I mean, you just ask questions that my mastermind group 428 00:19:49,540 --> 00:19:50,710 joined mastermind groups. 429 00:19:50,740 --> 00:19:54,460 Be around people that have already been in your shoes that 430 00:19:54,460 --> 00:19:55,870 can give you that advice. 431 00:19:56,530 --> 00:19:59,800 Don't hang around the same friends and family and don't 432 00:19:59,830 --> 00:20:01,570 talk about your business with your friends and family 433 00:20:01,570 --> 00:20:03,820 because they're going to give you the wrong advice unless 434 00:20:03,820 --> 00:20:04,960 they've already been there. 435 00:20:05,230 --> 00:20:07,270 So listen to your advisors. 436 00:20:07,270 --> 00:20:09,430 Have a good, strong group of advisors. 437 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:11,300 Reach out to your network. 438 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:13,720 Free advice But people have already been. 439 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,170 There are people that are on the journey that you're on, so 440 00:20:17,170 --> 00:20:18,700 you can all share your experiences. 441 00:20:18,730 --> 00:20:19,750 I did not do that. 442 00:20:19,750 --> 00:20:20,980 I learned that too late. 443 00:20:21,310 --> 00:20:23,650 I went from the corporate world to the entrepreneurial 444 00:20:23,650 --> 00:20:26,440 world. I didn't know all these groups existed in mastermind 445 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,020 groups, and I didn't know to align myself with all those 446 00:20:29,020 --> 00:20:31,600 people. And I didn't know really to listen to my advisors 447 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:32,660 as closely as I should have. 448 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:34,270 So it is. 449 00:20:34,430 --> 00:20:36,310 I do it all over again. It's pretty simple. 450 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:40,690 Open up your network and listen to people and move a little 451 00:20:40,690 --> 00:20:41,230 slower. 452 00:20:41,260 --> 00:20:45,760 Glenn Harper: It it is kind of funny that a lot of entrepreneurs that are 453 00:20:46,120 --> 00:20:50,740 like industry specific or doing whatever they do, they 454 00:20:50,740 --> 00:20:55,810 generally feel like they know everything there is to know. 455 00:20:56,380 --> 00:21:00,310 And it's the second they realize that it's possible, just 456 00:21:00,310 --> 00:21:03,280 slightly possible that they don't know it all, and they 457 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,170 listen and try to learn. 458 00:21:05,530 --> 00:21:08,800 The light switch comes on, and all of a sudden things just 459 00:21:08,800 --> 00:21:11,560 happen. And it's the hardest thing is to get an 460 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,940 entrepreneur to understand that at some point, hopefully 461 00:21:15,940 --> 00:21:19,060 early on in their journey that they don't know it all and 462 00:21:19,060 --> 00:21:20,530 they should go out and get this information. 463 00:21:20,530 --> 00:21:23,530 Can you imagine being a entrepreneur? 464 00:21:23,770 --> 00:21:26,890 You know, twenty five years ago, 30 years ago before the 465 00:21:26,890 --> 00:21:30,190 internet existed, before all this stuff, you would have no 466 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:31,450 support structure. 467 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,690 I mean, the men and women that came prior that started 468 00:21:34,690 --> 00:21:37,660 businesses, how the heck did they do it without all these 469 00:21:37,660 --> 00:21:39,250 resources? You ever wonder about that? 470 00:21:40,610 --> 00:21:44,240 Bill Konves: I do. I also know that the competition wouldn't be as fierce 471 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:47,150 because it was harder to start a business then, so there 472 00:21:47,150 --> 00:21:49,100 were much. There were many fewer people starting 473 00:21:49,100 --> 00:21:53,060 businesses. So I think it's all relative. 474 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,850 There are so many resources now, but we all have access to 475 00:21:55,850 --> 00:21:58,520 those resources, so we take advantage of it. 476 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:00,290 But when you start, a business is probably other. 477 00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:03,050 Five other people start the same business in the same week, 478 00:22:03,530 --> 00:22:05,120 whereas 20 years ago there wasn't. 479 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,570 Glenn Harper: What do you think most entrepreneurs have, like we call it, 480 00:22:08,570 --> 00:22:11,660 a superpower like something that they're just they just 481 00:22:11,660 --> 00:22:14,270 can't figure it out other than the fact that they're just 482 00:22:14,270 --> 00:22:17,300 darn good at something, whatever that thing is. 483 00:22:17,300 --> 00:22:18,830 And they're just they're unique. 484 00:22:18,830 --> 00:22:23,300 They're they've got this special thing that can help other 485 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:25,880 people. It's very rewarding for the entrepreneur. 486 00:22:25,970 --> 00:22:28,070 What do you think your superpower is? 487 00:22:29,750 --> 00:22:31,880 Bill Konves: I think you're going to have to wait a few more years till I 488 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,400 figure it out, but if I had to answer today. 489 00:22:36,630 --> 00:22:40,800 It's definitely supporting a founder of a business and 490 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,660 being their trusted chief of staff. 491 00:22:43,450 --> 00:22:46,200 Most, most people, most founders don't have someone to go 492 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,770 to. They have their C-suite or they have their partner or 493 00:22:49,770 --> 00:22:53,490 they have someone that has a completely biased opinion. 494 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,590 They don't have someone to go to and say, Hey, this is my 495 00:22:55,590 --> 00:22:56,790 challenge. This is my struggle. 496 00:22:56,790 --> 00:22:58,980 What should I do? You know my business, your side by side 497 00:22:58,980 --> 00:23:02,310 with me and my job, much like the chief of staff for the 498 00:23:02,310 --> 00:23:04,650 president, is to serve at the pleasure of that founder. 499 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,000 I have no other. 500 00:23:06,420 --> 00:23:09,720 I have nothing else that I want out of life except to help 501 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:12,120 my client get the best results. 502 00:23:12,150 --> 00:23:15,690 So I think that's my superpower is that I can focus on 503 00:23:15,690 --> 00:23:17,250 that. I don't care about my results. 504 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:18,390 I love to spend money. 505 00:23:18,390 --> 00:23:21,210 I love to make money. But the money will come. 506 00:23:21,330 --> 00:23:22,860 I'm not looking for the dollars. 507 00:23:22,860 --> 00:23:24,350 I'm looking to take care of my client. 508 00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:26,820 And if the client gets taken care of, I'm going to find out 509 00:23:26,820 --> 00:23:27,930 how I'm going to make my money. 510 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,960 So I think that's unique. 511 00:23:30,990 --> 00:23:32,430 I love to be the number two. 512 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:36,990 Glenn Harper: I mean, who doesn't want to be Austin Powers number two guy? 513 00:23:37,830 --> 00:23:41,030 So when you're sitting there, you just said something too 514 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,850 that was kind of unique is the entrepreneurs they always 515 00:23:44,850 --> 00:23:47,940 start. Some of them start out like, I got to do it for the 516 00:23:47,940 --> 00:23:49,020 money. I'm doing it for the money. 517 00:23:49,230 --> 00:23:52,230 But we find the most successful ones ultimately really 518 00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:54,120 don't do it for the money. They do it because they like to 519 00:23:54,120 --> 00:23:56,130 build something like to do something. 520 00:23:56,130 --> 00:23:58,650 They like to exercise a skill set. 521 00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:01,200 And if they can figure it out quick enough, how to how to 522 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:06,840 scale and turn that into valuable process and systems and a 523 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,300 team, then the money will always come. 524 00:24:09,630 --> 00:24:11,910 You said something interesting, like you never did it for 525 00:24:11,910 --> 00:24:14,070 the money. You did it because you I mean, you had to get 526 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:15,470 the bare minimum to survive. 527 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,320 But it wasn't about, Oh, if I can make $100000 a year, I 528 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:21,690 can make $500 a year, make a million dollars a year. 529 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,450 I don't think you have a limit or a base on that, do you? 530 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:30,140 Bill Konves: No, I don't. My best earning years, very high earning years 531 00:24:30,140 --> 00:24:32,090 when Glenn, you said you need to do more of that and 532 00:24:32,090 --> 00:24:34,970 replicate, I'm like, I just I just don't like, I don't like 533 00:24:34,970 --> 00:24:36,140 that. I don't like what I'm doing. 534 00:24:36,140 --> 00:24:37,580 I don't like the person. I am doing it. 535 00:24:37,580 --> 00:24:38,870 And so I didn't. 536 00:24:39,140 --> 00:24:44,030 And I know where my base is and it's interesting right now. 537 00:24:44,060 --> 00:24:47,240 I'm having the discussions because I have four clients that 538 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,990 I really enjoy working with, and they pay me well enough to 539 00:24:50,990 --> 00:24:53,360 do everything I need to do in life and have a really nice 540 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:57,830 life. And I could do that and probably 30 hours a week. 541 00:24:58,670 --> 00:25:03,290 But here I am, building these other potential projects, 542 00:25:03,290 --> 00:25:06,260 building other potential revenue streams that I don't need 543 00:25:06,260 --> 00:25:09,320 and I have. I have a coach that I that I speak with every 544 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:12,300 Friday and we talk about this and why am I doing this? 545 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,140 It's because I like to build things. 546 00:25:14,150 --> 00:25:19,670 And you know, there are certain things that I haven't 547 00:25:19,670 --> 00:25:21,430 achieved yet, and I want to know what they are. 548 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:24,080 But I am in a position right now to pick and choose my 549 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:26,690 clients, pick and choose my work, pick and choose how much 550 00:25:26,690 --> 00:25:32,110 I work. And yet I'm working more because I don't know why 551 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:33,910 there's something I'd like to build, and there's a couple 552 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,770 exciting things in my life that I want to make happen. 553 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:40,460 Glenn Harper: So are you potentially off your meds and you're not staying 554 00:25:40,460 --> 00:25:42,230 focused? Is that why you keep doing this? 555 00:25:42,380 --> 00:25:43,430 Of course, I'm just kidding. 556 00:25:43,970 --> 00:25:45,500 Bill Konves: No, I know. No. 557 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:48,480 But that's that's the one thing that that's why I meet with 558 00:25:48,480 --> 00:25:50,690 the coach every Friday, we call it. 559 00:25:51,470 --> 00:25:54,050 I said, Will you call me like, it's not business coach, 560 00:25:54,230 --> 00:25:57,860 it's not life coach. It's just my clarity coach going, you 561 00:25:57,860 --> 00:25:59,910 know, I like to chase squirrels. 562 00:25:59,930 --> 00:26:01,490 I always have like to chase squirrels. 563 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,120 Me with someone every Friday to talk about squirrels that 564 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:08,420 you could chase and to make sure it's not a squirrel is 565 00:26:08,420 --> 00:26:12,550 very valuable. You have been with her for two years. 566 00:26:12,570 --> 00:26:13,990 She knows me very well. 567 00:26:14,010 --> 00:26:17,490 And if I bring up anything crazy that doesn't match with my 568 00:26:17,490 --> 00:26:21,090 personal mission, vision and values, she'll question it and 569 00:26:21,090 --> 00:26:22,280 say, Why are you looking at this? 570 00:26:22,290 --> 00:26:23,550 Where are we going with this? 571 00:26:23,940 --> 00:26:25,290 And then I talk through it. 572 00:26:25,290 --> 00:26:28,470 And most of the time before she even answers me, I've 573 00:26:28,470 --> 00:26:30,900 already talked through it and figured it out for myself. 574 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:34,880 Julie Smith: So has she become your number two essentially as you're 575 00:26:34,890 --> 00:26:37,860 being the number two to these four companies, has she 576 00:26:37,860 --> 00:26:39,060 become your number two? 577 00:26:39,950 --> 00:26:43,790 Bill Konves: No, she she's just simply a coach we meet every Friday. 578 00:26:43,850 --> 00:26:45,620 We talk. She gives me advice. 579 00:26:46,790 --> 00:26:49,580 By this good point of clarification, when I say, number 580 00:26:49,580 --> 00:26:54,770 two, I want to be a sounding board, but also I'm not simply 581 00:26:54,770 --> 00:26:56,600 a consultant. I want to get it done with them. 582 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,090 So, OK, these are your three problems. 583 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:01,230 I got it. I'm going to go solve it. 584 00:27:01,250 --> 00:27:02,930 Let's go figure it out. I'm going to bring it back to you. 585 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,600 We're going to make some decisions and go, whereas I call 586 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,250 her a coach because she is simply a coach, we meet. 587 00:27:08,270 --> 00:27:09,480 She gives me some advice. 588 00:27:09,500 --> 00:27:10,280 She goes away. 589 00:27:10,700 --> 00:27:14,250 Glenn Harper: You know, you've seen very most consultants in your space. 590 00:27:14,270 --> 00:27:17,210 They come in fire and brimstone. 591 00:27:17,630 --> 00:27:20,330 Go through chaos everywhere. 592 00:27:20,360 --> 00:27:21,650 Analyze everything. Do this. 593 00:27:21,650 --> 00:27:23,000 This is here's what you need to do. 594 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,400 And I'm going to charge you 50 grand for that. 595 00:27:25,610 --> 00:27:30,290 And then they walk out, and that company has to now figure 596 00:27:30,290 --> 00:27:31,560 out how to execute it. 597 00:27:31,580 --> 00:27:33,500 So you're telling me that you do some a little bit 598 00:27:33,500 --> 00:27:36,290 different, you not really get the plan, but you actually 599 00:27:36,470 --> 00:27:39,590 finish what you start and do what you say and assume that 600 00:27:39,590 --> 00:27:42,680 role very seriously and make sure things get done. 601 00:27:44,470 --> 00:27:47,710 Bill Konves: That is right. Good summary, you're right that on my right, 602 00:27:47,710 --> 00:27:51,040 that on your blog, if I had a website which I don't. 603 00:27:51,850 --> 00:27:55,390 Glenn Harper: Yeah, well, you want to stay on the down low so you know 604 00:27:55,390 --> 00:27:58,480 where you're at right now in your career and your journey 605 00:27:59,350 --> 00:28:03,880 is there every every entrepreneur generally will have some 606 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:08,140 sort of like dream deal or what they would like to be part 607 00:28:08,140 --> 00:28:10,870 of and be like, man, if I could just get in with that 608 00:28:10,870 --> 00:28:12,430 company or that person. 609 00:28:12,580 --> 00:28:15,790 And I think I can take that company to that person's their 610 00:28:15,790 --> 00:28:18,550 product service, whatever, to a whole different level. 611 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:21,110 What is that dream deal for you? 612 00:28:21,130 --> 00:28:22,300 Do you have you thought of that? 613 00:28:22,300 --> 00:28:23,320 You have one of those. 614 00:28:24,700 --> 00:28:28,660 Bill Konves: I do not have one, I have a I have a dream deal for each of 615 00:28:28,660 --> 00:28:32,920 my clients, and maybe that's how I look at things 616 00:28:32,920 --> 00:28:35,800 differently if I work with a client. 617 00:28:36,220 --> 00:28:39,760 Then they have to have long term potential for me and they 618 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:42,580 have to have something really, really unique that I can see 619 00:28:42,580 --> 00:28:43,880 and I can dream with them. 620 00:28:43,900 --> 00:28:48,370 So, for example, I'm working with a Saudi Arabian fashion 621 00:28:48,370 --> 00:28:53,500 luxury brand startup, which is not my rule, but this but 622 00:28:53,500 --> 00:28:56,620 this we've been working together for for 40 years now. 623 00:28:57,010 --> 00:28:59,020 So I didn't know that real then. 624 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,440 So we are we have a dream. 625 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:03,660 I know the founders dream. 626 00:29:03,670 --> 00:29:06,040 We're doing some great things with the Saudi government. 627 00:29:07,030 --> 00:29:09,820 They want to support us when involved in international 628 00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:13,460 consulting, and we're pushing this dream out. 629 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:14,890 I have the founder's dream. 630 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:16,540 I'm excited about the founder's dream. 631 00:29:16,540 --> 00:29:18,100 I want to be a part of that dream. 632 00:29:18,310 --> 00:29:19,860 So I'm connected. 633 00:29:19,870 --> 00:29:21,250 That's my dream as well. 634 00:29:21,460 --> 00:29:24,820 And I can say the same about all my clients that I work 635 00:29:24,820 --> 00:29:27,340 with. I know what they want to do, and I want to be a part 636 00:29:27,340 --> 00:29:29,110 of it. Long term? 637 00:29:30,070 --> 00:29:32,620 I don't know. I don't know if that answers your question. 638 00:29:32,620 --> 00:29:36,250 But for myself, you're probably asking for myself, do I 639 00:29:36,250 --> 00:29:38,110 have something that I really want to do? 640 00:29:38,150 --> 00:29:38,380 Yeah. 641 00:29:38,890 --> 00:29:41,350 Glenn Harper: Well, what I mean is like, you know what? 642 00:29:41,350 --> 00:29:44,050 What you're saying is that you really don't want to work 643 00:29:44,050 --> 00:29:45,730 for a client. 644 00:29:45,730 --> 00:29:50,380 You want to work with a client and be part of not on the 645 00:29:50,380 --> 00:29:53,920 outside looking in, which is really hard for a lot of 646 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,020 entrepreneurs to be fully vested like that because that 647 00:29:56,020 --> 00:29:58,810 takes a lot of emotional capital, a lot of because you're 648 00:29:58,810 --> 00:30:01,180 all in, you're not just on the outside kind of playing 649 00:30:01,180 --> 00:30:02,260 around, you're going deep. 650 00:30:02,260 --> 00:30:04,930 So that's why, like you said for clients, is probably more 651 00:30:04,930 --> 00:30:06,940 than enough to do that because that takes a lot of 652 00:30:06,940 --> 00:30:10,660 bandwidth. And so I guess what I was suggesting is that if 653 00:30:10,660 --> 00:30:13,170 you, you know, you listen to a lot of podcasts, you listen 654 00:30:13,180 --> 00:30:15,820 a lot of, you know, educational things, you read a lot, you 655 00:30:15,820 --> 00:30:19,870 travel a lot. Have you seen a company or individual out 656 00:30:19,870 --> 00:30:22,390 there that would be like, Man, I just know they're doing it 657 00:30:22,390 --> 00:30:25,330 wrong. And if they would just do this, I could take them 658 00:30:25,330 --> 00:30:27,640 from a to the Moon here. 659 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:29,890 It'd be an amazing journey for them if they would, if I 660 00:30:29,890 --> 00:30:31,120 could just get in front of them. 661 00:30:31,150 --> 00:30:34,000 Do you have anybody like that that you've kind of looked or 662 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,100 identified with and say, Man, if I could just get with 663 00:30:36,100 --> 00:30:36,610 them? 664 00:30:39,190 --> 00:30:41,830 Bill Konves: I do not I cannot think of one. 665 00:30:42,910 --> 00:30:45,550 Glenn Harper: Well, you've got to go read more Listen more, I guess is the 666 00:30:45,550 --> 00:30:46,340 take away from me. 667 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,090 Bill Konves: I know we're here. I'm invested, fully invested with the 668 00:30:49,090 --> 00:30:51,190 clients that I have now. 669 00:30:51,190 --> 00:30:53,020 I do. I will tell you this. 670 00:30:53,030 --> 00:30:54,490 I guess it has an industry. 671 00:30:54,490 --> 00:30:57,520 I guess we could talk about an industry if the industry. 672 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:01,360 So I've been pushed into the home services industry to help 673 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,120 with marketing and other things by a good friend of mine 674 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:11,530 that owns, operates by sells or services company, plumbing, 675 00:31:11,530 --> 00:31:13,480 heating, all these different things. 676 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,100 And we're doing some marketing work for him. 677 00:31:15,100 --> 00:31:17,290 So there are some really large agencies out there that 678 00:31:17,290 --> 00:31:20,490 charge a lot of money to do work for these guys. 679 00:31:20,500 --> 00:31:23,800 And once they get their claws in most home services 680 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:25,480 companies and founders, they're like, We don't know the 681 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:27,430 questions to ask. We're afraid to turn them off, but 682 00:31:27,430 --> 00:31:28,810 they're charging us with too much money. 683 00:31:29,020 --> 00:31:30,570 So he and I are working together. 684 00:31:30,580 --> 00:31:32,460 We fired his agency. 685 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:35,800 We're putting together a plan that helps those guys. 686 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,860 And so he said, Bill, I gave your information to another 687 00:31:38,860 --> 00:31:41,310 fellow in Denver. Twenty eight trucks. 688 00:31:41,650 --> 00:31:43,030 Really large company. 689 00:31:43,060 --> 00:31:44,350 Same problem. 690 00:31:44,530 --> 00:31:45,850 Wrong agency. 691 00:31:45,850 --> 00:31:47,290 Charging way too much. 692 00:31:47,290 --> 00:31:50,330 And I just did a free analysis for him. 693 00:31:50,330 --> 00:31:52,810 It's like three page report sent it to him a couple of days 694 00:31:52,810 --> 00:31:55,150 ago. Within an hour, he responded back, Hey, this thing's 695 00:31:55,150 --> 00:31:56,580 amazing. We've got to work together. 696 00:31:56,590 --> 00:31:59,590 What are we going to do? My other, my other agencies on 697 00:31:59,590 --> 00:32:01,570 contract until May. I'm ready to push them out. 698 00:32:01,930 --> 00:32:06,790 Let's go. And I said, Well, I appreciate that because all 699 00:32:06,790 --> 00:32:08,380 the home services companies are having these same 700 00:32:08,380 --> 00:32:11,380 challenges, but my job is not to come in and compete and 701 00:32:11,380 --> 00:32:14,530 push people out. My job is to come in and help you from a 702 00:32:14,530 --> 00:32:17,320 sea level perspective, look at your partners and say, Hey, 703 00:32:17,530 --> 00:32:19,900 maybe they can do this well, maybe they don't do that well, 704 00:32:19,900 --> 00:32:21,100 we don't need to throw them out. 705 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:26,400 And so that industry overall, it needs to outsource. 706 00:32:26,410 --> 00:32:28,930 Chief Marketing Officer, if there was a term for that 707 00:32:28,930 --> 00:32:32,770 because that industry and those in those business owners 708 00:32:32,770 --> 00:32:35,860 are being taken advantage of by a lot of different 709 00:32:35,860 --> 00:32:38,440 marketing agencies that charge way too much money for what 710 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:43,060 they're doing. So I'm aligning myself in that world since I 711 00:32:43,060 --> 00:32:44,920 know it. I owned a concrete company. 712 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,000 I know the struggles. 713 00:32:46,420 --> 00:32:50,320 So that might be my my dream challenge fixing industry. 714 00:32:50,650 --> 00:32:52,930 And if I do that, it would be very lucrative. 715 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:54,260 Glenn Harper: It would be. 716 00:32:54,260 --> 00:32:57,220 When you are, you know, working with clients, you know, 717 00:32:57,220 --> 00:32:59,860 there's definitely certain sizes that you want to work with 718 00:32:59,860 --> 00:33:04,090 and and challenges like we indicated you like the more 719 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,310 complex, sophisticated type ones. 720 00:33:06,310 --> 00:33:09,280 But again, when you describe your portfolio of clients, 721 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,310 you're kind of all over the board with that because I think 722 00:33:12,310 --> 00:33:15,070 the challenge is again, that was my initial thought or 723 00:33:15,070 --> 00:33:20,530 question was is it funner to take somebody that has nothing 724 00:33:20,530 --> 00:33:21,820 and bring them up? 725 00:33:21,850 --> 00:33:24,970 Or is it better to take somebody who has something and make 726 00:33:24,970 --> 00:33:26,000 them even better? 727 00:33:26,020 --> 00:33:29,380 Which one do you like more, which is more rewarding for 728 00:33:29,380 --> 00:33:29,800 you? 729 00:33:32,230 --> 00:33:33,340 Bill Konves: More rewarding. 730 00:33:34,450 --> 00:33:35,900 Well, yeah, that's a tough question. 731 00:33:35,930 --> 00:33:38,860 I know, because then it becomes a financial question 732 00:33:38,860 --> 00:33:41,080 because you do, everyone needs their base minimum, what 733 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:44,530 they're worth, what they feel, what they just, what they 734 00:33:44,530 --> 00:33:48,190 have to pay their bills. So if I could look and say this is 735 00:33:48,190 --> 00:33:51,100 a product that's amazing and it's a startup product and I 736 00:33:51,100 --> 00:33:52,570 know it's going to be amazing. 737 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:55,810 I want to ride that journey, then that would be extremely 738 00:33:55,810 --> 00:33:57,700 fun and fulfilling. 739 00:33:58,510 --> 00:34:03,070 However, those are unicorns for every hundred products. 740 00:34:04,210 --> 00:34:05,980 Ninety nine of them just aren't going to make it. 741 00:34:06,310 --> 00:34:10,000 And so you can hit your your wagon to a lot of tough 742 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:11,380 emotional rides. 743 00:34:11,530 --> 00:34:13,120 Those are also the most emotional. 744 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:15,190 You alluded earlier to the emotion. 745 00:34:15,190 --> 00:34:18,160 When you're all in with a team, you're not playing on the 746 00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:19,900 outside, you're like, Yeah, hey, here's my bill. 747 00:34:19,900 --> 00:34:23,230 This is why I think you should do cool paying my bill and 748 00:34:23,230 --> 00:34:25,420 you walk away when you're inside, you're worried about 749 00:34:25,420 --> 00:34:28,660 every penny. I mean, you cut your own pace sometimes when 750 00:34:28,660 --> 00:34:30,040 the client's not doing well. 751 00:34:30,070 --> 00:34:32,650 I've cut my own pay in half like, Look, I'm still here, but 752 00:34:32,650 --> 00:34:34,690 I'm cutting my own pay. We're going to make this happen. 753 00:34:34,690 --> 00:34:39,430 It's going to work. It's very emotional to be in that 754 00:34:39,430 --> 00:34:40,280 situation. 755 00:34:40,300 --> 00:34:41,760 Glenn Harper: Wasn't that like what they always say? 756 00:34:41,770 --> 00:34:43,120 Don't get emotional in business. 757 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:44,770 So how how do you balance that? 758 00:34:45,720 --> 00:34:50,640 Bill Konves: I well, yeah, well, I think you need to be emotion in terms 759 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,010 of passion, you have to have passion about your product to 760 00:34:53,010 --> 00:34:54,870 push it forward. If you don't have emotion about it, you're 761 00:34:54,870 --> 00:34:56,010 not going to have much of a product. 762 00:34:56,010 --> 00:34:59,130 You're not going to wake up every morning and be jumping 763 00:34:59,130 --> 00:35:00,720 out of bed, say, I'm going to make it happen. 764 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:01,980 I'm going to take over the world today. 765 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:04,980 But don't be emotional about the day to day decisions. 766 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:09,210 That's where a lot of entrepreneurs get caught up. 767 00:35:09,750 --> 00:35:11,850 They're emotional about every single decision that's 768 00:35:11,850 --> 00:35:14,610 happening, instead of even the passion and the emotion for 769 00:35:14,610 --> 00:35:15,450 the big picture. 770 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,040 Glenn Harper: Perilous by analysis, right? 771 00:35:17,050 --> 00:35:18,750 They just can't get out of their own way. 772 00:35:19,230 --> 00:35:19,820 Bill Konves: Yes. 773 00:35:19,830 --> 00:35:24,660 Glenn Harper: So as an entrepreneur, you are out there, you know, making 774 00:35:24,660 --> 00:35:28,110 the donuts, slaying the dragons, doing what you do at some 775 00:35:28,110 --> 00:35:30,510 point when you're identifying a client that you want to 776 00:35:30,510 --> 00:35:36,270 work with. Do you feel like today versus 20 years ago? 777 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:38,070 I can't remember how long you been doing this as an 778 00:35:38,070 --> 00:35:39,930 entrepreneur, but it seems like since I've known you. 779 00:35:40,020 --> 00:35:45,660 But do you feel like you have a good, I don't know, gut 780 00:35:45,660 --> 00:35:49,320 instinct to recognizing your client if they've got that 781 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,190 quote it factor like you like, whoa. 782 00:35:52,230 --> 00:35:54,750 They know they they got it figured out. 783 00:35:54,750 --> 00:35:57,030 If I can just get in with them, we'll take it to the next 784 00:35:57,030 --> 00:36:01,170 level. Do you feel like you have to have that gut check and 785 00:36:01,170 --> 00:36:03,270 kind of just recognize that up front, if we're working with 786 00:36:03,270 --> 00:36:04,770 them? Because if somebody comes up to you and say, Hey, I 787 00:36:04,770 --> 00:36:06,300 need to scale, let's rock and roll. 788 00:36:06,900 --> 00:36:08,760 Are you going to just jump in with them or are you going to 789 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,460 say, you know, that got to when you said successful 790 00:36:11,460 --> 00:36:14,220 entrepreneurs and you said, you know, ones that really got 791 00:36:14,220 --> 00:36:16,500 it figured out, how do you know that they could say it? 792 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:18,690 But you have this gut instinct with them that you can just 793 00:36:18,690 --> 00:36:21,120 recognize the type of character they have and that they if 794 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:21,810 they have it. 795 00:36:22,650 --> 00:36:24,900 Bill Konves: Yeah, you can definitely tell people that are already doing 796 00:36:24,900 --> 00:36:27,720 well and just ready the conversations you're having with 797 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:29,100 them. But I mean, the 798 00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:32,010 Glenn Harper: People that aren't aren't doing well, like like you just 799 00:36:32,010 --> 00:36:32,210 like 800 00:36:32,230 --> 00:36:37,140 Bill Konves: I won't. Yeah, well, I will only work with well, I shouldn't 801 00:36:37,140 --> 00:36:42,990 say that. I know at least busted my target customer right 802 00:36:42,990 --> 00:36:46,020 now today, and it's happened over the last three months. 803 00:36:46,030 --> 00:36:47,520 Yeah, actually, in the last two weeks I've had people 804 00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:50,340 referred to me. A startup was referred to me and I said, 805 00:36:50,340 --> 00:36:53,550 You know what? It's just not who I work with, but I'm going 806 00:36:53,550 --> 00:36:55,590 to talk with them and chat with them. 807 00:36:55,710 --> 00:36:59,940 We'll put them through my my initial survey fill out a 808 00:36:59,940 --> 00:37:01,950 survey. One of the things I have to do is fill out a 809 00:37:01,950 --> 00:37:04,020 survey. If they're not willing to fill out this survey, 810 00:37:04,020 --> 00:37:09,240 which is kind of complex, then it qualifies them away the 811 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:12,810 opposite way. So I still have conversations with people 812 00:37:12,810 --> 00:37:14,400 because maybe there is something there. 813 00:37:14,430 --> 00:37:17,970 But when we talked with this plumber, I looked at his 814 00:37:17,970 --> 00:37:19,620 business. I saw he had twenty eight trucks. 815 00:37:19,620 --> 00:37:20,840 I saw he's spending. 816 00:37:22,040 --> 00:37:24,230 An ungodly amount of money in a marketing budget every 817 00:37:24,230 --> 00:37:27,410 month that tells me there's a lot of money in that company 818 00:37:27,410 --> 00:37:31,220 somewhere. And if he's seeing it or not, that's my job to 819 00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:33,590 figure it out and make it better. 820 00:37:33,590 --> 00:37:36,110 So you can ask questions to say, Oh, you're twenty eight 821 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:40,250 trucks. Wow, you have an x amount marketing budget. 822 00:37:40,250 --> 00:37:44,030 Wow. There is a lot of cash flow in your business, so 823 00:37:44,030 --> 00:37:45,500 someone is making money in there. 824 00:37:45,500 --> 00:37:47,990 It might not be the owner, as we know in many cases, but I 825 00:37:47,990 --> 00:37:50,540 can help you figure that out so you can ask questions and 826 00:37:50,540 --> 00:37:52,420 figure out how successful people are. 827 00:37:52,430 --> 00:37:54,650 And yeah, I think I'm getting close and what? 828 00:37:54,650 --> 00:37:57,380 I'm not close. I bring it to my coach every Friday and we 829 00:37:57,380 --> 00:37:59,240 talk about it like, is this a client for me? 830 00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:03,200 Is this is this something that matches my values and where 831 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:03,620 I want to go? 832 00:38:04,010 --> 00:38:06,200 Glenn Harper: So your coach definitely talks you off the ledge, which is 833 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:08,450 which is good because most entrepreneurs are on the ledge 834 00:38:08,450 --> 00:38:11,420 all the time. And it's not only just a ledge or literally 835 00:38:11,420 --> 00:38:15,020 walking on the top of the peak on that ridge, and they 836 00:38:15,020 --> 00:38:16,520 could slip either way and fall off. 837 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,620 And it's over, right? I mean, that's a real thing. 838 00:38:19,310 --> 00:38:21,260 Bill Konves: I lived that life for many years. 839 00:38:21,380 --> 00:38:23,510 Glenn Harper: It's the best to make you feel alive, doesn't it? 840 00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:26,660 Bill Konves: Yes. Until you hit 50, 841 00:38:26,990 --> 00:38:28,880 Glenn Harper: I was something bad happened at 50. 842 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:30,170 I thought, that's when we have all the wisdom. 843 00:38:30,170 --> 00:38:30,620 No. 844 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:32,390 Bill Konves: Well, yeah, exactly. 845 00:38:32,660 --> 00:38:34,550 You don't want to live that life when you're 50, you're 846 00:38:34,550 --> 00:38:36,320 supposed to have the wisdom. So that's good. 847 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,580 Glenn Harper: So one thing you said and and I and I applaud that because I 848 00:38:40,580 --> 00:38:44,690 find a lot of entrepreneurs that, you know, we work with 849 00:38:44,690 --> 00:38:47,510 that they hit the point where they have their. 850 00:38:48,970 --> 00:38:52,060 They're not satisfied, but and they're not content, but 851 00:38:52,060 --> 00:38:53,470 they're they're doing fine. 852 00:38:53,660 --> 00:38:54,790 They're doing OK. 853 00:38:54,820 --> 00:38:57,970 And they still have a lot more to give. 854 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:02,500 But they don't want to give in like all in to give to 855 00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:05,740 somebody, and they end up turning into these mentors and 856 00:39:05,740 --> 00:39:08,200 part of these mastermind groups and just give away some 857 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:11,620 free advice and just sharing those experiences to kind of 858 00:39:11,620 --> 00:39:14,410 help other people. And you kind of, I guess, alluded to 859 00:39:14,410 --> 00:39:16,550 that with this one. You just said you've got to fill out 860 00:39:16,550 --> 00:39:19,750 the survey and even though you will probably not work with 861 00:39:19,750 --> 00:39:22,150 them, you may be in a situation we want to mentor them. 862 00:39:22,300 --> 00:39:25,660 Do you find that that mentoring is a rewarding thing? 863 00:39:25,660 --> 00:39:26,770 Is it backfire? 864 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:29,170 Is it a good thing or is it a way to give back? 865 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:31,120 I mean, somebody had to mentor you at some point to help 866 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:32,170 you get where you are? 867 00:39:32,410 --> 00:39:34,300 Do you do you feel like you're at that point where you're 868 00:39:34,300 --> 00:39:35,080 giving back? 869 00:39:36,430 --> 00:39:39,100 Bill Konves: I don't I think I would be. 870 00:39:40,010 --> 00:39:41,990 And currently, I am not a good mentor. 871 00:39:42,740 --> 00:39:43,880 I can give advice. 872 00:39:44,630 --> 00:39:46,290 And that's where I'm at right now. 873 00:39:46,310 --> 00:39:49,250 I love giving advice, but I don't have any long term mentor 874 00:39:49,250 --> 00:39:51,890 shifts and that I'm mentoring people. 875 00:39:51,920 --> 00:39:52,940 I just don't right now. 876 00:39:52,940 --> 00:39:54,830 I don't think it fits my personality. 877 00:39:54,830 --> 00:39:57,560 I'm still driven to, you know, when you're mentoring, 878 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:00,380 you're giving advice, you're not helping them take action 879 00:40:00,380 --> 00:40:01,670 in a lot of times. 880 00:40:02,730 --> 00:40:05,640 They don't take action, and it really frustrates you. 881 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,300 So if I find someone that takes every bit of action, then I 882 00:40:09,300 --> 00:40:11,730 give them, then I'd be all in and probably be excited about 883 00:40:11,730 --> 00:40:13,990 it. But I'm not actively mentoring anyone. 884 00:40:14,010 --> 00:40:16,740 I don't have anybody, really. 885 00:40:17,950 --> 00:40:21,870 That I'm looking to mentor, but that would be the key if 886 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:23,420 I'm going to work with you and give you some advice. 887 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:27,680 You better take it. Because what's the point? 888 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,370 Glenn Harper: Correct? I've got a list of like 300 people that would like 889 00:40:31,370 --> 00:40:33,920 to hire you right now and maybe not even hire, just mentor 890 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:35,150 you. You want that list. 891 00:40:37,390 --> 00:40:41,590 Absolutely not. You know, you've got a scarcity of of 892 00:40:41,740 --> 00:40:45,610 product, a scarcity of mindset, and it's very valuable and 893 00:40:45,610 --> 00:40:49,330 it's to the point where why waste that on somebody who's 894 00:40:49,330 --> 00:40:51,220 not going to do anything valuable with it? 895 00:40:51,220 --> 00:40:54,700 It's hard to screen that as an entrepreneur about all those 896 00:40:54,730 --> 00:40:58,510 opportunities in front of you, of how you get engaged with 897 00:40:58,510 --> 00:41:01,960 them. Because just because it's a perfect situation, if 898 00:41:01,960 --> 00:41:04,240 they aren't going to do what you tell them, then why even 899 00:41:04,240 --> 00:41:06,550 waste that emotional capital and all those things to get it 900 00:41:06,550 --> 00:41:08,560 set up? A true statement? 901 00:41:09,280 --> 00:41:11,420 Bill Konves: True. And then that's the emotional part. 902 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:14,830 Some people really get mentors can can bounce away from 903 00:41:14,830 --> 00:41:16,480 that. I get very frustrated. 904 00:41:17,470 --> 00:41:19,210 There's money sitting on the table here. 905 00:41:19,210 --> 00:41:20,340 There's a product on the table. 906 00:41:20,350 --> 00:41:21,940 There's this problem in your life. 907 00:41:21,940 --> 00:41:23,320 You've got to take care of it. I'll take care of it. 908 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:24,790 Let me let me do it for you. 909 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:25,930 So I can't. 910 00:41:25,930 --> 00:41:27,520 That's why I can't be a consultant. 911 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:31,870 I need to be involved inside of businesses and work with 912 00:41:31,870 --> 00:41:33,580 the founders to say, Look, I got it. 913 00:41:33,580 --> 00:41:35,250 Let me do this. Go do what you're doing. 914 00:41:35,260 --> 00:41:37,240 I'm going to take care of this. We have a better week next 915 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:37,510 week. 916 00:41:37,990 --> 00:41:42,520 Glenn Harper: So I think there's a you're in a unique space because a lot 917 00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:45,670 of times an entrepreneur is going to either say, Hey, I'm 918 00:41:45,670 --> 00:41:48,850 going to do business and I do all the work and I'm in 919 00:41:48,850 --> 00:41:51,220 charge of all those things and make a great career doing 920 00:41:51,220 --> 00:41:53,500 that. And you've got a great job to do that. 921 00:41:53,500 --> 00:41:55,840 And that's one school of thought. 922 00:41:55,840 --> 00:41:57,910 And there's nothing. It's a great, great model. 923 00:41:57,940 --> 00:42:00,310 Then there's another set of entrepreneurs that say, Look, 924 00:42:00,310 --> 00:42:03,190 I'm tired of being on the hamster wheel and I want to build 925 00:42:03,190 --> 00:42:05,920 a business and I'm going to scale this and other people 926 00:42:06,010 --> 00:42:10,660 help me do achieve this huge business where I'm not really 927 00:42:10,660 --> 00:42:12,550 actively involved and I'm still getting paid. 928 00:42:12,910 --> 00:42:15,970 You have a very unique situation because you kind of have 929 00:42:15,970 --> 00:42:17,590 like a a hybrid thing. 930 00:42:17,590 --> 00:42:21,670 You have this job that you do as doing business for 931 00:42:21,670 --> 00:42:25,240 clients, but you are actually helping them build a business 932 00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:26,260 and you're part of it. 933 00:42:26,740 --> 00:42:30,340 That is very unique in this industry as an entrepreneur. 934 00:42:31,390 --> 00:42:32,890 If you looked at it like that before, 935 00:42:33,310 --> 00:42:36,460 Bill Konves: I have and I struggle with it sometimes because I'm not 936 00:42:36,460 --> 00:42:41,350 doing anything myself and as a builder, I want to build 937 00:42:41,350 --> 00:42:44,740 something and that's a conversation that I go through every 938 00:42:44,740 --> 00:42:49,530 Friday. With with again, with my coach, it's like, am I 939 00:42:49,530 --> 00:42:51,160 ready to build something? 940 00:42:51,180 --> 00:42:53,280 Do I want to build something? Or am I satisfied just 941 00:42:53,280 --> 00:42:56,460 building these clients businesses with them? 942 00:42:56,460 --> 00:42:57,480 And that's all I need. 943 00:42:57,870 --> 00:43:00,630 So that's why I do have these other small projects sitting 944 00:43:00,630 --> 00:43:02,760 out there. You know what might work? 945 00:43:02,760 --> 00:43:06,990 What might take off? What might I get passionate about over 946 00:43:06,990 --> 00:43:09,180 the next 15, 20 years? 947 00:43:09,180 --> 00:43:10,860 Because people are like, Oh, you're going to retire? 948 00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:14,550 Oh no, I'm looking for that thing that I can retire and 949 00:43:14,550 --> 00:43:17,100 work 20 to 30 hours a week because that's what I like to 950 00:43:17,100 --> 00:43:18,390 do. I don't like to golf. 951 00:43:19,380 --> 00:43:21,960 Glenn Harper: What that's that doesn't sound normal. 952 00:43:22,410 --> 00:43:25,580 Yeah. What do you like to do if you're not going? 953 00:43:27,170 --> 00:43:30,890 Bill Konves: I like to go to kids sports, probably for kids and travel 954 00:43:30,890 --> 00:43:32,750 sports, you know, that life, so that's fun. 955 00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,650 In about seven years, that's going to be done gone out the 956 00:43:36,650 --> 00:43:38,960 door. So do I want to still be helping clients build their 957 00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:40,590 businesses or do I want to build my own? 958 00:43:40,610 --> 00:43:42,140 And so that's where I'm at in life. 959 00:43:42,140 --> 00:43:45,590 Like, do I want to build something for myself that's going 960 00:43:45,590 --> 00:43:48,920 to take me into retirement and let me have something? 961 00:43:49,010 --> 00:43:52,700 My wife doesn't kill me sitting home all day, something 962 00:43:52,700 --> 00:43:55,070 maybe for my kids to get involved in something like, you 963 00:43:55,070 --> 00:43:57,050 know, just something bigger out there. 964 00:43:57,860 --> 00:44:01,820 Glenn Harper: So I think that's the final thought today is the fact that 965 00:44:02,510 --> 00:44:05,330 all the entrepreneurs out there, you think you have to have 966 00:44:05,330 --> 00:44:08,270 it all figured out and you're really don't because it's 967 00:44:08,270 --> 00:44:10,340 ever evolving, ever changing. 968 00:44:11,210 --> 00:44:14,090 But try to focus on one thing at a time. 969 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:16,400 Dominate the space before you go to the next thing. 970 00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,100 Don't run amuck and do a shotgun approach and shoot out of 971 00:44:19,100 --> 00:44:20,960 everything. Stay focused. 972 00:44:21,110 --> 00:44:23,040 And then you can always pivot and change. 973 00:44:23,060 --> 00:44:24,150 Don't try to do everything. 974 00:44:24,170 --> 00:44:26,510 Try to do one thing at a time and work through it. 975 00:44:26,990 --> 00:44:28,730 Do you think that's a fair assessment bill? 976 00:44:29,330 --> 00:44:30,560 Bill Konves: That's a great assessment. 977 00:44:30,570 --> 00:44:34,100 And don't forget to expand your network and listen to your 978 00:44:34,100 --> 00:44:35,300 board of advisors. 979 00:44:35,540 --> 00:44:37,550 Glenn Harper: Awesome. Well, thanks for joining us today and taking time 980 00:44:37,550 --> 00:44:38,570 out of your busy day. 981 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:41,960 Good luck out there trying to figure it out, but darn it 982 00:44:41,960 --> 00:44:43,100 sure is fun, isn't it? 983 00:44:43,790 --> 00:44:45,350 Bill Konves: It is, yeah. Thank you, Glenn. 984 00:44:45,350 --> 00:44:46,070 Thank you, Julie. 985 00:44:46,730 --> 00:44:47,840 Glenn Harper: All right, Bill, take care. 986 00:44:48,470 --> 00:44:49,520 This is Glenn Harper. 987 00:44:49,550 --> 00:44:50,390 Julie Smith: And Julie Smith. 988 00:44:50,390 --> 00:44:51,860 Glenn Harper: Signing off, talk to you guys soon. 989 00:44:51,860 --> 00:44:54,140 I hope you find some value on this podcast.