Jay Schwedelson: We are back for the Do This, Not That podcast, and this is... I'm really excited about this episode. Most podcasts that you listen to, when they have a guest on, they're like, "Oh, we're trying to get the, the CEO of this, the CMO of that," some big person, and so that way you kind of bring everybody in. And we have a big person here, but for a very different reason. So, we have Russ Harp here. Now, who is Russ Harp? You may not know Russ, but you're gonna like Russ when we're all said and done. Russ is out there, and he's on the job hunt, he's on the career shift, because unfortunately, where he was working, he got let go. And this is something that happens to a lot of people every single day, but what Russ did to try to lift himself up and to try to create opportunities for him and his family is something I think that everybody can learn from. So I'll be very transparent. I didn't know Russ at all. It's not like we had some sort of relationship or whatever, and he didn't hit me up saying, "Hey, can I come on your podcast?" None of that's what happened. I was, um, on LinkedIn and I, uh, saw a post from, from Russ, and the post that Russ put out there was about the fact that he was just let go from his job, and this post then went on to talk about his family, his faith, about a positive attitude, and that taking this time to really, you know, better himself and reflect, and to not have this like, "Woe is me." And it was one of the most well-written things I've ever seen. He had pictures of his family there, and it really... It hit me. It hit me. And then, out of nowhere, I also then got, uh, uh, like one of these second-degree, uh, messages from Russ, um, messaging me about, uh, uh, maybe, uh, going on a podcast or something like that. And I was like, you know, this guy's out there. He's not just saying, "Hey, I'm gonna go on, on Indeed and submit 100 applications and hope for the best." He's trying to be vulnerable, be real, be a human, and connect with people, and it worked. And I said, "You know what? Let's have you come on the podcast, share what you're doing, share this..." It's not a playbook, but, "Share this playbook, 'cause I think people can learn from what you're doing, 'cause it's impacting your life, and I think it can impact other people's lives." So Russ, welcome to the show.

Russ Harp: Thank you so much, Jay. I've been a fan for a really long time. Your podcast is pinned at the top of my list, and so it is an honor to be talking to you today and excited to share my story

Jay Schwedelson: Well, uh, you have poor taste in podcasts, but we won't hold, hold that against you unfortunately. But I do appreciate that. All right, so for everybody, let's get the origin story. Before we get into how do you stay positive in difficult times and all the things that you do, um, how did Russ become Russ?

Russ Harp: Yeah. So I am from Garden City, Kansas, a small town in the southwest, southwest side of the state. Um, I went to Kansas State University, so got my, uh, business degree there and my master's there, and then, uh, met my wife while I was working at K State. So, um, was in Manhattan, Kansas, but ended up in Topeka, um, where she was. So all my roles, I've jumped around a few times, but all my roles have been marketing adjacent or focused on connecting brands to people, community building, um, and just storytelling. So, um, I'm... Like I said, I'm married, um, to my beautiful wife, Sarah. We have two boys, um, we're getting ready to adopt. We got the official adoption date of August 4th, so we're on the countdown there. Um, and yeah, it's been a journey along with the recent layoff and looking for work. Um, I'm making the most out of it and, um, looking forward to opportunities that can come from it

Jay Schwedelson: I, I wanna be very real for a second 'cause I, I like to be transparent. I deal with anxiety a lot. I get stressed out a lot, I freak out a lot, and I, I, I just wanna understand that m- that kinda period of time. Here you are, wife and kids, and you're gonna adopt. You're like the greatest human being of all time, and now you get, you know, laid off, and then you're able to take all of that and say, "Nope, I'm gonna have a positive attitude." If it was me, I'm being real, I would've been in a ball crying, be like, "I don't know what's gonna happen. Woe is me." Like, did, did you have to, like, start listening to, like, you know, motivational, uh, apps and tapes or whatever? Like, how did you in that moment say, "No, no, no, I'm not gonna let this weigh me down"?

Russ Harp: Yeah. So it was a lot that all happened at once. It really felt like the, the ground was taken from underneath me. Um, I think I went through all the phases of grief and, um, was really in a hard place and had to do a lot of reflecting. Um, but the timing of everything was pretty crazy. So the next day, so the, um, layoff happened on a Friday. It impacted 40 employees that they no longer had positions, um, with the company. Um, over 50% of that was the marketing team. And so, um, it wasn't based on, um, anything that I had done. It was just the situation of the company, so a business decision there. And so I was, um, pretty down, but the next day, um, we had our, uh, son's naming ceremony. So they are part of a Native American tribe, and so something really special is that they would go through, um, this two-day event and by the end of it be welcomed into, um, the Prairie Band Tribe. And so I was surprised. I found that I had put so much identity into my career and how that would support my family. But by the end of the ceremony that included prayers, drumming, dancing, motivational speaking, um, I can't think of a time that I've spent two days, you know, just straight up praying and giving thanks for everything that I have. Um, it made me reflect and think about, well, you know, the job was one thing, but there is so much more that I have to be thankful for. That includes my wife, my health, my boys, um, my faith and everything there. And so it just gave me the motivator to move forward and, um, put everything in the past. Um, I'm gonna stay positive and do what I can to make, you know, what is lemons into lemonade

Jay Schwedelson: Let me tell you something. That is inspiring. It's inspiring to me because to feel a sense of gratitude at a very difficult point is something that I think everybody on this planet can take something from. So, so that fires me up. All right, now let's get into some practical stuff. So LinkedIn to me is a place of very positive vibes. I would say 90% positive vibes. It's like the last social network on earth I think is like positive vibes. Is, i- is that, was that your plan? You're like, "Okay, uh, I'm now gonna try to get new opportunities. Here is my plan. I'm gonna do a post on LinkedIn." Or what, what did you do to get the ball rolling?

Russ Harp: Mm-hmm. So timing was a little crazy here too. So we went into the weekend, it was the boys' ceremony, Mother's Day, and then straight into my birthday, and a thought popped into my head. Instead of getting, you know, the 20 to 50, um, generic happy birthday messages that pop up on Facebook, why don't I go ahead and tell everybody what my experience is, what I'm actually going through, and see if it can be a connector? And I left a, um, call to action like any good marketer would to really ask for people to share memories or positive things, um, they see strengths. Um, and I was flooded with more than I ever expected. I think I listed everything out and I was able to get, um, messages, text calls from over 130 people, um, which has led to phone call conversations, um, coffees, and, um, speaking to you. So the turnout has been unreal and, um, I'm moving forward, um, based on those relationships instead of resumes that I'm throwing out there

Jay Schwedelson: So, so along those lines, would you say to somebody... I mean, we're in this age of AI slop, we're in this age of sameness, where when somebody's looking for a new job, what do they do? They go on LinkedIn, they put that little green circle around their head, and they say, "Hey, I'm open to opportunities," or whatever it is. Would you say that being a- as much of a human, being super vulnerable, doing the uncomfortable thing of saying, "Hey, this is my situation. What do you think I'm good at? What do you like about me? Here's what I'm trying to do. This is what I think I'm good at," is it that vulnerability that allowed you to connect and really create these opportunities for yourself? Is that the difference?

Russ Harp: I think so. I've, in the past, been afraid to put myself out there like that. I think I'm... Since I work so much in digital media, I maybe give life updates, you know, two or three times a year and don't really expand on what's actually going on. Um, but I hope I was able to, um, connect with people, and from that, I think there's this realness during a time where there is, like you said, the AI slop and just garbage out there

Jay Schwedelson: Yeah. And so now let's fast-forward. You... So, uh, Russ put out this incredible post, and then he networked with everybody that liked and commented, and he DM'd people. And to everybody out there, if you think that you're trying to get a job, that you're making an effort, and what you're doing is just submitting resumes and you're, you're going on, you know, a, a ZipRecruiter, an Indeed, and LinkedIn, and you're just submitting stuff and that's enough, you're not doing it. You need to connect at a human level, and Russ did that. Now you have opportunities. You have job interviews coming up, and now you're also... You're taking it a step further. You're like, "You know what? Maybe this is my moment in my life where I should consider my own business." How did you... That's a big thing to consider. So w- w- did you con- Are you considering launching this new agency business because your lack of options, or are you doing it because you feel like this is your moment, you wanna take advantage of that?

Russ Harp: Mm-hmm. Well, uh, first I wanna take the opportunity to plug your book. Um, this met me at the right time, exactly what I needed, and my biggest takeaway is, um, the regret of not starting is worse than failure. So, um, that's something that really hit me. Um, I've had a thought in the past of starting my own business, but never really had the courage to do it. Um, but also saw a need in, uh, Topeka and the surrounding areas. Um, so I am going through an eight-week course right now through Omni Circle, a resource in Topeka, um, and really going to, by the end of it, have, um, my digital media agency launched, um, with the focus on helping small businesses. I think that's a gap out there when there are hardworking businesses that need, uh, marketing expertise, um, but they aren't really willing or able to invest in that big agency, um, expense or invoice. And so I'm so excited to meet that need, um, create this path for myself, and then at the same time seeing what other opportunities are out there. Um, in the background of the video, I have just first looks at the branding for Russ Harp Media, but I also wanted to highlight the communities I'm a part of, and I didn't realize what I was doing when I invested in those communities. Um, I never thought that it would pay back in a time of help. I always thought I was helping others or being involved to help, um, but when it comes to K State or my alumni, uh, fraternity connections, um, Forge Young Talent, which I'm the marketing chair for, um, a men's church group, uh, Topeka, the flag is up there, a startup community, um, those communities have paid off more than I ever expected, and those relationships mean so much to me

Jay Schwedelson: Well, I think that's so important. You know, oftentimes I'll talk to people and I'll say to them, you know, uh, uh, wh- what, what are you involved with? You know, in your industry or whatever, or do you have a newsletter or whatever? And then people say, "Well, no, I, I, I don't know what I'd get out of a newsletter right now," or, "I don't, I don't have time to do that right now, join this group," whatever. And I'm a big believer it's not about today, it's about you start the investment today and the time, writing a newsletter, doing a podcast, going to a group, joining a group, and then two or three years from now you, you've built something, these relationship, this network, this, this newsletter that you can then leverage. It takes time. And so you shouldn't be making investments in things that are transactional that you think that you'll get something out of today. It's for what you don't know you're gonna need it for down the road, and, and you're a prime example. I mean, those communities and those groups that you're a part of is probably at the s- at the core of your confidence to, to do what it is that you're about to do. A- a- so, so let me ask you a question. So everybody out there, we're now gonna find out what Russ is really good at. I went deep on his LinkedIn. The dude is... He's like a digital marketing dude. He knows what's going on, and I hope his new agency takes off. But there is a, a, a universe out there where somebody calls him and say, "No, Russ, I need you to be the, uh, senior director of our digital content strategy," and Russ is like, "You know what? That sounds pretty good to me." Uh, I'm gonna put Russ Harp on the back here for a minute. So, so that way we flood you with opportunities. What are you good at? What do you want to do?

Russ Harp: Thank you. Uh, yeah, thank you so much. I, um, really, like you said, thrive, um, in the digital marketing world. So when it comes to, uh, media management, um, ad and content creation, um, that really gets me exciting- excited and telling, um, the story of brands, connecting brands to people. Um, I've spent many years, um, working on campaigns, whether it's for statewide or nationwide initiatives, um, and have been able to not only, you know, have the, um, creative work out there in, in the world, but I love being able to show the results and being able to show the conversions and the click-through rates and everything that's happening on the websites and nerding out so that we can see everything our team put together was worth it because we can show the results

Jay Schwedelson: Well, let me tell you why you want Russ on your team. And I'm not related to Russ, I'm just getting to know Russ, but I'm gonna tell you why you want Russ on your team, whatever company you are out there. Because we're in a world right now, a very cynical planet. We're in a world where there's a lot of negativity. Everyone's like very negative, "AI is gonna take my job," or, uh, "We don't have enough budgets," or all these negative vibes that are out there, and this dude has every right to be frustrated, annoyed, uh, uh, and have a negative outlook, and he's more positive than I am. He's just got this strong, positive mindset that I don't think there's a team on this planet that couldn't benefit from him. So we're gonna put his information in the show notes. It's Russ Harp, H-A-R-P. You gotta grab this dude before somebody else does. And Russ, I don't know if you have any other thoughts or wisdom or anything you wanna share for everybody out there that's going through the same thing that you're going through, trying to figure out life's next chapter, but lay it on us

Russ Harp: Yeah. Thank you so much for, um, your kind words. That means so much to me. I think, um, what I have to say is if you're in a similar situation, um, take a step back and collect the things you're thankful for. Um, collect everything you do have, um, going for you because, um, I think that's where the perspective, um, shift happened for me. So, um, I'm really leaning into a lot of the things you said in your book. Um, but I'm also leaning into, um, things I've learned from my family, especially I'm thinking about how resilient my two boys are. Um, they went into foster care at two and six, and now they're four and eight, and just reflecting more, you know, they were abandoned. They went from family to family, um, couch surfing. Um, we weren't their first placement. They were told that they were too much, um, before, um, coming into our home, and just thinking about their transition and how they've had to change and adapt, that's nothing to what the average adult has experienced. That's nothing to what I've had to experience. And so I have learned so much from my boys. Um, I know that others can be resilient in that way too.

Jay Schwedelson: Dude, I told you, he's a great dude, right? Did I lie? The guy's a great, great human being. Um, and stay on the lookout for the Russ Harp Agency. It's gonna be incredible. If I ever get to Topeka, Kansas, if I can even find it on a map, I'm gonna find you. Um, and, uh, just appreciate you being here, Russ, and, uh, we gotta make sure we stay in touch.

Russ Harp: Yeah. Is it okay before we sign off if I give a few shout-outs? Okay. Thank you so much, Jay. So, um, yeah, like he said, uh, everything is consistent. It's @russharpmedia, so, um, Instagram, my website, Gmail, um, LinkedIn. Um, please connect with me or if you just wanna talk, um, or I'd love to get advice or connect even on other things like the foster care adoption journey. Um, but the people closest, um, to me right now and that I'm not, um, ever gonna forget is, um, the team that's bonded, um, that has been let go. Um, they are continuing to be in my prayers as they figure out next steps. So, um, if I can say by name, um, I'm thinking about Olivia, Katie, Maggie, um, and I'm also thinking about Sarah. So, um, those were our core five. We stay together with a book club. Um, and then the sixth

Jay Schwedelson: You're here We'll edit, so don't worry. You can keep on rolling. We hear you

Russ Harp: Okay, I'll start with shout-outs. Yeah. Uh, a YouTube ad just popped up, so I apologize for that. Um, so a big shout-out I just wanna give is those who are in the same boat as me, um, specifically Olivia, Sarah, Katie, and Maggie. We have a book club going on, um, and we've just been a good support system. They are so talented, and I know they're gonna land on their feet, along with, um, everyone at our Crossroads location. So Topeka, uh, not that far from Kansas City. Um, we had some talented people over there, um, that are experiencing this transition as well. Also wanted to shout out, um, just my friends and family, especially my wife, Sarah. She's been my rock, my best friend, um, and I couldn't imagine going through this, um, with anybody else. Um, it's been unreal, um, how she's been there for me. Um, and then my mentors, Kat Lopez, um, she is a good friend and someone that helped me, um, really prep for, um, a podcast that I've never podcasted before, along with, um, my go-to, uh, for, um, me launching this agency, along with, um, Ronnie Murphy, who's a past supervisor, incredible copywriter and leader, and Zach Beckman, who is doing my graphics. Um, and he's just such a creative mind, one of the best in the business. And so, um, if you follow along, it's gonna be an underdog story on my part, but I think there's a lot to look forward to, and me partnering with others, um, it's gonna be great. So again, Jay, thank you so much for this opportunity

Jay Schwedelson: No, awesome. Love it all. Love all those people. Shout out to all the peeps. And, uh, Russ Harp, can't wait to watch what happens. It's gonna be, it's gonna be awesome. And, uh, thanks again for being here

Russ Harp: Yeah. Thank you

One thing worth a quick human check before publish: the seven first-names in the flagged list (colleagues, mentors, and his wife) were kept exactly as heard, so confirm those spellings against Russ if you want them airtight.