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Speaker:Hey, this is Shaun with the GoTennis Podcast,
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Speaker:Today we have a special guest,
Speaker:RSPA Southern President Ken Andriano.
Speaker:We ask Ken why RSPA members should attend
Speaker:the upcoming conference.
Speaker:We talk about the power of networking,
Speaker:the long-lasting friendships that can be created,
Speaker:and that you can come see us,
Speaker:each morning at the breakfast networking sessions,
Speaker:since we will be there representing
Speaker:the American Racket Sports Association.
Speaker:Have a listen and let us know what you think.
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Speaker:- Ken Andriano, you were our very first podcast guest.
Speaker:- Yes.
Speaker:- Episode 001.
Speaker:(laughing)
Speaker:- Yeah, great, I was.
Speaker:- And you started low and built off.
Speaker:It was really good.
Speaker:- All of it.
Speaker:- Up to you again.
Speaker:So that, it comes full soon.
Speaker:But today I went about the RSPA formerly USPTA.
Speaker:I can't wait to stop saying that.
Speaker:Like, formerly Twitter, I like that to go with.
Speaker:- Oh gosh.
Speaker:- We've RSPA Southern Convention,
Speaker:which you directly involved in.
Speaker:We have confirmed recently
Speaker:that the American Racket Sports Association
Speaker:will be there and will be handing out coffee and donuts.
Speaker:The mornings of Friday and Saturday morning at eight o'clock.
Speaker:So everybody comes to see us of course.
Speaker:And I'm sure I'll over-mentioned that
Speaker:'cause that's what you got to come to these things.
Speaker:But I wanna ask you, tell us about the conference.
Speaker:Tell us to all the coach types and the industry types.
Speaker:I wanna convince everybody as to why they should be there.
Speaker:- Absolutely.
Speaker:Well, we're super excited about it this year.
Speaker:We have a great location in Greenville, South Carolina.
Speaker:So there's a lot to do there.
Speaker:We're gonna be at the, let me just make sure, right,
Speaker:the Embassy Suites Resort.
Speaker:So we again, change.
Speaker:A lot of years what we've done has been at clubs
Speaker:and they're great venues.
Speaker:But what we love about the world conference
Speaker:is a lot of times it's right there on site.
Speaker:We could do everything.
Speaker:So at the Embassy, great.
Speaker:It's, we got everything we need there.
Speaker:And including a golf course.
Speaker:So, one thing, we were talking about,
Speaker:before we started this, we're always excited about the Southern.
Speaker:Everyone we get to see.
Speaker:But we really found out a couple things.
Speaker:Location is something that's key.
Speaker:And we wanted to change with the times.
Speaker:I think education is always gonna be the point
Speaker:of what we do for a conference, right?
Speaker:People go there for education.
Speaker:But honestly, is it just for education?
Speaker:'Cause you can go online and get educated.
Speaker:So for me, the biggest part for me isn't the education,
Speaker:which I love the education to get me wrong.
Speaker:But it's a social aspect.
Speaker:It's a networking.
Speaker:And I said, I don't think we did a good enough job
Speaker:letting people know, why do we do this?
Speaker:Why am I going to take a day off of work to come
Speaker:and just see some drills and see some other things like that?
Speaker:It's not that.
Speaker:It's a lot about you and I sitting here
Speaker:in between sessions talking about something.
Speaker:Hey, what do you do in this situation?
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And yeah, I'm in Georgia.
Speaker:You might be in Tennessee, right?
Speaker:And then how do you do it in your club?
Speaker:Well, I can bring that to my club.
Speaker:I can do this.
Speaker:Oh, hey, let's hang out.
Speaker:Let's go to this next one.
Speaker:Yeah, so we're doing a lot of different things.
Speaker:Like you said, with the breakfast,
Speaker:we're doing a breakfast every day.
Speaker:And it's kind of like a round table discussion.
Speaker:So get up and do it.
Speaker:It's a lot of networking.
Speaker:Marcus Fretchi, the new director of Racket Sports
Speaker:in Atlanta, I thought a club, I signed them on
Speaker:for our social chair.
Speaker:I said, so we have Alan Jensen who's done a fantastic job
Speaker:getting the lineup.
Speaker:We have some really top-notch speakers.
Speaker:But I also wanted, we needed a form kind of a committee.
Speaker:So Marcus is heading up all of our social aspects.
Speaker:So on Thursday, golf with the legends.
Speaker:So what we're doing is any of our hall,
Speaker:a famous or past presidents, I'm taking care of them
Speaker:going to golf.
Speaker:If anybody wants to golf, they get paired with them
Speaker:in a forcing.
Speaker:And you got a great opportunity for aching holes
Speaker:to golf to talk to people who have the most knowledge
Speaker:in this country about our industry, right?
Speaker:So we're doing that.
Speaker:And then we have my board meeting.
Speaker:So you guys get the fun.
Speaker:I'll be running that.
Speaker:But when we're done, usually we take the board out to dinner.
Speaker:So I said, hey, let's change things up.
Speaker:So Thursday night, instead of the board,
Speaker:we're having a happy hour with the Southern board.
Speaker:So anyone who comes in earlier, instead of asking
Speaker:on to dinner, we'll buy you a couple drinks.
Speaker:We'll hang out.
Speaker:Maybe we'll go to dinner afterwards.
Speaker:And we get to interact with those people that are coming.
Speaker:So those are just a few of the changes
Speaker:that we're doing.
Speaker:And again, I think networking, social aspects
Speaker:cannot be understated when you go to a convention.
Speaker:Because just meeting a new friend, most
Speaker:of my best friends now are in this organization, right?
Speaker:So those are just a small little peek
Speaker:of what we're doing in the schedule.
Speaker:We've also added-- we have a rocket sports.
Speaker:What does it-- I want to make sure it is a--
Speaker:we got it set up-- a master rocket technician, Jeff Browns,
Speaker:going to be running a certification on Saturday.
Speaker:That's something totally new.
Speaker:And then on Sunday, we're doing our pickleball certification
Speaker:for people who want to get involved in pickleball.
Speaker:And as you mentioned, formerly USPTA--
Speaker:they were not.
Speaker:I went to the next time meeting, and there
Speaker:were people that said USPTA a few times.
Speaker:So that'd be corrected.
Speaker:So RSPA-- but I'm super excited about it
Speaker:because we are involved in these.
Speaker:Why don't we change some things, right?
Speaker:I'm excited.
Speaker:We're going to have presentations on tennis,
Speaker:on pickleball, and pedale.
Speaker:So it's not just for one thing.
Speaker:So, hey, I don't know anything about pickleball.
Speaker:Why would I do pickleball?
Speaker:Well, here's how you can generate lesson revenue.
Speaker:Here's how you can add it into a program, right?
Speaker:And people have asked me, well, how do you build a program?
Speaker:How do you have a program?
Speaker:And no.
Speaker:As if for me, it's three simple steps.
Speaker:You need three components to have a program.
Speaker:You need to have a social aspect.
Speaker:You need to have a competition or leagues,
Speaker:and you have to have lessons.
Speaker:If you have those three things, you have a program.
Speaker:You have lessons to get better, leagues to compete,
Speaker:and then a social aspect to get people introduced.
Speaker:So those are some things that I think the RSPA now
Speaker:is really doing an excellent job of.
Speaker:I like it now.
Speaker:You've got somebody like me there,
Speaker:because I've got invested interest
Speaker:because of the American Ragnaracti Sports Association.
Speaker:How do you get Bobby to show up?
Speaker:So that's-- when you go, OK, we're going to poll our members
Speaker:and say, OK, everybody's busy.
Speaker:We're going to do it in mid-May, which is right in the middle
Speaker:of everything.
Speaker:And everybody's got a kid graduating from high school
Speaker:or college, and all these things happening, right?
Speaker:So Bobby, I'm going to switch this stuff on you, Ken.
Speaker:So how does Ken get you to go to a conference that's in--
Speaker:in this example, it's not this coming weekend or next.
Speaker:It's two weekends from now.
Speaker:As we record this, it's first couple of days in May.
Speaker:It's $150 for a member.
Speaker:Plus you've got to get a hotel room,
Speaker:and you've got to drive up there.
Speaker:We drive people from Atlanta.
Speaker:It's a couple hours.
Speaker:Bobby, what gets you to something like that?
Speaker:Ken fails to realize is if he wants me to go those things,
Speaker:he's got to not come to have lunch with me at Johnny's
Speaker:and he's calm, because I have access to Ken unfairly
Speaker:than most people do.
Speaker:So that's probably number one.
Speaker:Is that-- oh, Ken and I have-- we have these conversations.
Speaker:We just do it at a different venue.
Speaker:I love what he said.
Speaker:I think Greenville-- you got me.
Speaker:I mean, that's an interest.
Speaker:I love Greenville.
Speaker:I mean, that's a great little city.
Speaker:They have a Jack in the Box.
Speaker:And it's always Taco Tuesday at Jack in the Box.
Speaker:You get four of the worst tacos that tastes great.
Speaker:So that's intriguing right away.
Speaker:So you know, that is right or inconvenient factor, absolutely.
Speaker:And I think this is the energy level, too.
Speaker:Obviously, I know Ken, I'm a big fan.
Speaker:And I know that the energy he's going to put into it
Speaker:to make sure it's successful is also something that's
Speaker:going to get me to listen longer than most times.
Speaker:And the fact he's doing it early may and not affecting
Speaker:my Disney trip, which Ken also can relate to.
Speaker:He's smart scheduling, too, because enough
Speaker:for me got begun.
Speaker:So there's a chance I can get to this one.
Speaker:It's all about you, Bobby.
Speaker:You know I'm a big fan of Disney as well.
Speaker:I bet you're taking it.
Speaker:I know kids.
Speaker:I took my adult kids last year.
Speaker:We're into that.
Speaker:But I appreciate that.
Speaker:No, we appreciate that.
Speaker:True.
Speaker:No, our next Johnny's is canceled if you don't go.
Speaker:Oh, no.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I can't even know what to do it.
Speaker:So Ken, I bring up Bobby specifically,
Speaker:because there are just so many different--
Speaker:eight or three types, right?
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:Club types.
Speaker:Marcus has probably got his--
Speaker:he's got it paid for because his club can--
Speaker:Sure.
Speaker:--if we use him as an example.
Speaker:Plenty of people work for clubs.
Speaker:And they might actually have a budget for these things
Speaker:and send their coaches.
Speaker:The national one is tough because, OK, we tried to budget for that.
Speaker:We're going to Hawaii.
Speaker:Well, you know, that's a bigger ticket item.
Speaker:I think it sounds fantastic.
Speaker:But not everybody can afford it.
Speaker:So what's the draw as well?
Speaker:I love the fact that we've got racket technician certification.
Speaker:I can learn more about that.
Speaker:Love people.
Speaker:I think we've got quite a few people in Atlanta
Speaker:that have already done the pickle ball.
Speaker:If they're already going to do it.
Speaker:And Pedal doesn't have quite the draw here yet,
Speaker:because we just don't have enough courts
Speaker:really to say everybody needs to go get Pedal certified
Speaker:in the car area.
Speaker:So how do we hit all the different types of people,
Speaker:all the different types of industry coaches and directors
Speaker:to be able to get everybody there?
Speaker:That's a great question.
Speaker:For the years I've been part of the board,
Speaker:they were one of my biggest focuses has been--
Speaker:there are so many different pathways.
Speaker:You can go in the RSPA, formerly USPTA.
Speaker:It doesn't matter.
Speaker:And here in Bobby will tell you, you
Speaker:have an independent pro.
Speaker:And they can make a living here,
Speaker:because everyone wants to know tennis.
Speaker:You can have a Country Club Pro.
Speaker:You can have someone's at a public facility or a corporate.
Speaker:And then you have management companies who do bids
Speaker:and work there and can do things like that.
Speaker:There are people that are here, and we're working on all of them.
Speaker:I've been very careful not to go, OK,
Speaker:we're going to focus on the Country Club Pro.
Speaker:But that's not all.
Speaker:That's path I chose.
Speaker:And it took me a little bit to go,
Speaker:because I went from Academy route to that.
Speaker:But my skill sets fit best there.
Speaker:So what I like to do when I'm doing a conference
Speaker:is really try to find out what is your pathway, what's your skill
Speaker:set.
Speaker:So if anyone asks me, hey, where should I go?
Speaker:What should I do?
Speaker:Because usually people who want to be an Academy pro
Speaker:are going to struggle in a Country Club setting.
Speaker:People who are in a Country Club setting
Speaker:are going to struggle maybe being an independent contractor
Speaker:or run a management company.
Speaker:There's certain things that you get to do.
Speaker:And so you have to figure out, what does your skill set fit?
Speaker:I always say to my tennis players,
Speaker:I go, your skill set and your mindset
Speaker:need to match in order for you to reach your full potential.
Speaker:If your skill set is a serve and volunteer,
Speaker:but yet your mindset is a counter-puncture,
Speaker:you're not going to succeed.
Speaker:So if my skill set is an Academy pro,
Speaker:and that's what I want to work on, but yet,
Speaker:my mindset says I want to be in a Country Club Pro.
Speaker:I will not succeed in that.
Speaker:And I think we can help with that.
Speaker:We have enough people on our board.
Speaker:We have enough people around.
Speaker:So if I don't know the person, I know someone who does.
Speaker:And we can help you succeed and reach your potential.
Speaker:And that sounds more like networking
Speaker:and maybe some career advice, which I think is good.
Speaker:Because when I was a young pro, and I will probably
Speaker:see Darryl Lewis at this thing, to have him--
Speaker:That's true.
Speaker:--all of the stories.
Speaker:When I was a young pro, I didn't get it.
Speaker:I didn't understand.
Speaker:Now, maybe I was like many.
Speaker:I know a couple right now.
Speaker:They're like, yeah, I'm teaching tennis right now,
Speaker:but I don't think I'm going to stay long.
Speaker:I don't think this is going to be my career.
Speaker:I think that happens more than we want to admit.
Speaker:I certainly was planning on getting out.
Speaker:So I was like, well, why am I going to go have somebody else
Speaker:tell me where I should do with my career.
Speaker:And this is a little reason I'm excited to have
Speaker:the American Racket Sports Association involved
Speaker:is because that is what we do.
Speaker:That is the working side that says, OK, let's figure out
Speaker:who here knows about skill sets combined with mindset.
Speaker:I like how you go to two things together,
Speaker:because Bobby talks a lot.
Speaker:His phrase is, a head pro does not a good director make.
Speaker:I think it may not be-- that's probably terrible
Speaker:with saying if Bobby-- I'm sorry.
Speaker:Bobby uses more articles and pronouns than that.
Speaker:Just use a color now.
Speaker:Use a color that you want.
Speaker:You're your best sales guy to manage your all of a sudden.
Speaker:It may not work.
Speaker:So in this case, I'm trying to get to the point
Speaker:where we can convince the younger coaches and the independence.
Speaker:I think those might be the ones that are making people say,
Speaker:how do we get the guys in our-- in the Go Tennis Orbit?
Speaker:Let's take the association out of it.
Speaker:In the Go Tennis Orbit, it says, you guys are independent.
Speaker:You're on your own.
Speaker:You're looking for support.
Speaker:You're not necessarily climbing any corporate ladder,
Speaker:but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get some career
Speaker:advice and some education.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:No, I absolutely agree with you.
Speaker:I just hired a young pro, who's 28 years old, Luke Blackman.
Speaker:And I'm super excited to have him here.
Speaker:He was doing some independent work.
Speaker:He has a lot of entrepreneurial side
Speaker:where he's really go getter and doing things.
Speaker:Now he's learning how to fit into a team.
Speaker:So there's three of us that I teach.
Speaker:And the great thing about him is he's open.
Speaker:I want to know, what do I need to do?
Speaker:Oh, yeah, I see what you're saying there.
Speaker:I see what you're saying here.
Speaker:And I think a lot with the younger generation
Speaker:is, what am I getting now?
Speaker:What can I have right the second?
Speaker:And not thinking as much in long-term.
Speaker:Now, again, that's a generalization that is not for everybody.
Speaker:I know some other pros that are really
Speaker:wanting to build their pathway.
Speaker:But I think we got to figure out,
Speaker:can you make this a profession?
Speaker:Because I'm a tennis professional.
Speaker:I'm not just a coach.
Speaker:There's a big difference to me.
Speaker:I take pride in that.
Speaker:I've done a lot of education.
Speaker:I learn.
Speaker:And the one thing I learn is I don't know it all.
Speaker:I got to learn from other people.
Speaker:I can always learn more from anyone.
Speaker:I can learn from the pro I just hired.
Speaker:And I already have.
Speaker:And if I'm not open to say that, if I'm not open to learn that,
Speaker:then I'm never going to reach anything.
Speaker:So I think the other thing-- we talked about it.
Speaker:We had our annual meeting with the USTA Southern Board.
Speaker:And Brian Dumman was able to come as well.
Speaker:And we were kind of talking about that.
Speaker:What do you do for numbers?
Speaker:What are you doing this?
Speaker:It said, you know what?
Speaker:We need to get into colleges.
Speaker:And not only college, we need to get into high schools.
Speaker:We need to let high schoolers know, hey, you know what?
Speaker:You can have fun.
Speaker:You can be outside.
Speaker:And you can make a living.
Speaker:You can make money.
Speaker:But I think a lot of people, like you said, get out of college.
Speaker:You go, hey, you know, I can wear a short story.
Speaker:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker:Love that.
Speaker:Love that.
Speaker:I can wear a short story.
Speaker:I can make a quick buck.
Speaker:But this is just something to type me
Speaker:over until I find a real job.
Speaker:And my thing is, this is a real job.
Speaker:If you make it a career, you can make it a career.
Speaker:But you have to find your pathway.
Speaker:We said mindset, skill set.
Speaker:You can be very successful.
Speaker:I had a conversation on a men's night, pick up all.
Speaker:And I had a member who brought a friend to his who
Speaker:just happens to be someone who does part time with Yola.
Speaker:You know, it does a few things, maybe a little bit of sales.
Speaker:Coaches just a little bit, doubles, and that.
Speaker:And that has a real job.
Speaker:And my member just kind of joking.
Speaker:It's like, yeah, like most of you.
Speaker:And I said, please don't come to life that when I'm here 55 hours
Speaker:a week, since he's a week.
Speaker:I say, he goes, oh, because most people on our profession,
Speaker:and I know Bobby will say the same thing,
Speaker:is there's two responses.
Speaker:What else do you do?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Or do you ever see your family?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's really not a thing between it.
Speaker:It's hard to find that work-life balance.
Speaker:And I think that is something over the last five years.
Speaker:And Bobby, correct me if I'm wrong, that's changing.
Speaker:I worked six days a week my whole life.
Speaker:And I still do.
Speaker:My pros do not.
Speaker:I don't want them to have to work six days.
Speaker:I want to give them two days off in a row.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's a hey, if you want to come in and make a little extra money
Speaker:to do that, do it.
Speaker:But there's got to be a work-life balance.
Speaker:I've missed a lot of things in my life with my children.
Speaker:Part of that was because I had to work
Speaker:and had to pay my bills.
Speaker:Other parts of what I thought I had to do.
Speaker:So we need to do a better job.
Speaker:I think our regime of changing a little bit the way we're
Speaker:thinking, but also bringing the new wave up
Speaker:and saying it's OK to do this.
Speaker:And I agree.
Speaker:I mean, I think that to me, that's one of the big differences
Speaker:from when we started.
Speaker:And even though we're older than Sean,
Speaker:I know when Sean started because we were in the same certification
Speaker:class is that you weren't supposed to run in to get
Speaker:certified.
Speaker:It was spend five years being independent.
Speaker:You go work for somebody to side whether or not
Speaker:you saw yourself as this being a career.
Speaker:Explore more options.
Speaker:See the whole picture.
Speaker:See where you fit.
Speaker:Again, and I think that's huge.
Speaker:And then you would go on today.
Speaker:And I will say this.
Speaker:I come from a different background.
Speaker:I say this about tennis where my trepidation is across the board.
Speaker:I was a poor kid.
Speaker:So I never felt like I was overly welcomed playing tennis.
Speaker:I was poor.
Speaker:I didn't look like everybody else.
Speaker:I didn't have Editas.
Speaker:I get excited about the three strides.
Speaker:Because as a kid, I couldn't afford the three strides.
Speaker:I played other sports.
Speaker:So I came from-- and I was athletic.
Speaker:So I look at tennis players and say, Jesus, any other sport,
Speaker:I beat these guys in my hands tied and kick in my butt,
Speaker:because I just don't have the reps.
Speaker:So I come from it as an outsider position, never feeling
Speaker:like tennis.
Speaker:I love, absolutely, love the game.
Speaker:I think it's an amazing game that can be sold because it
Speaker:encompasses-- and then you get into this organization,
Speaker:as you said, when you're getting into it,
Speaker:and you don't know where you're fit to begin with,
Speaker:those conferences are intimidating
Speaker:because you're getting the elite of the elite.
Speaker:Where I think what you just said should be standard viewing
Speaker:for new people who come in.
Speaker:I said, Tom Douglas a couple of years ago,
Speaker:did an amazing presentation at a GPTA.
Speaker:Just a meeting.
Speaker:It was at Fieldstone.
Speaker:I'll never forget it.
Speaker:And I walked up to Tom after I said, Tom,
Speaker:I know you're involved.
Speaker:Why don't you go to the USPTA and say, this has to be--
Speaker:whatever we do, when we welcome new members,
Speaker:they have to sit here and listen to this 45 minute presentation
Speaker:you just made to get a feel for, like you said,
Speaker:this is not something that you're always
Speaker:looking for a door.
Speaker:I mean, my mentor, who I loved at that,
Speaker:was always the same way.
Speaker:He was like, if you don't get out by 35, you're not getting out.
Speaker:So there was a time clock.
Speaker:And you know, Big Greg, you know, Casha.
Speaker:He had Greg convinced.
Speaker:And Greg got out for 15 years.
Speaker:He sees back now.
Speaker:And we laughed.
Speaker:But at 35, he was absolutely convinced.
Speaker:I got to get out of tennis because if I don't,
Speaker:nobody's going to take me seriously.
Speaker:So I-- you know, that's kind of what we're trying to do here.
Speaker:And as we're listening, I think,
Speaker:showing that something that we really can do
Speaker:as far as organization is really push
Speaker:to get the people to go.
Speaker:Because I, like I said, I felt like an outsider.
Speaker:One of the best things I did, I went to a Southern conference
Speaker:years ago that was held in Atlanta.
Speaker:For whatever reason, I sat next to Howard Her.
Speaker:Now Howard Her was one of the best players in Atlanta, South
Speaker:African.
Speaker:Here I am thinking, OK, I'm going to have nothing in common with him.
Speaker:But I just-- and I made some wise-ass comment
Speaker:at Howard, under my breath at Howard Her, Herd, and started laughing.
Speaker:And he just became my best friend.
Speaker:He was like, I like this wise-ass.
Speaker:You know, who's this guy?
Speaker:And I felt like, through an impromptu meeting,
Speaker:here I am, I had a contact that I would have never had,
Speaker:because I would have never approached him otherwise.
Speaker:So how do we make it where it doesn't feel so formal
Speaker:that I can get access to Ken and go to Johnny's as well?
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Ken, if I can take that one, because I
Speaker:think of the thing-- one of the things I'm
Speaker:trying to do now and why I send messages to people,
Speaker:sometimes I use the phrase skipping the line.
Speaker:Now we're all of an age that we've been networking for 20,
Speaker:30 years.
Speaker:And maybe we can just go ahead and make that phone call and say,
Speaker:oh, I know the guy we need to talk to, right?
Speaker:But the young guys in the organization don't necessarily
Speaker:have that.
Speaker:So this is a way you can potentially skip the line,
Speaker:because you're the young person in the industry.
Speaker:And you start going to these things.
Speaker:If it costs you $150, so you can get your boss to pay for it
Speaker:even better.
Speaker:But you can go and start meeting these people
Speaker:that are really well connected, one that
Speaker:mean a lot for your next job.
Speaker:But also, even from the independent types,
Speaker:it's networking of somebody else to help you
Speaker:when you want to go big on an event.
Speaker:But you could just skip the line a little bit,
Speaker:rather than doing what I did, which is wait in the years,
Speaker:and then start going to these things.
Speaker:I mean, you've hit the nail in the head.
Speaker:I mean, that's the thing.
Speaker:I mean, two of my best friends are--
Speaker:I met through this.
Speaker:One person that I was going to--
Speaker:do you remember this?
Speaker:When the World Conference in Diplomat Hotel
Speaker:in Hollywood, Florida, it was when liquid metal was popping out
Speaker:with the head, because head was our main sponsor.
Speaker:And liquid metal man was there.
Speaker:And one of my best brands from high school,
Speaker:Chris Stevens, who's in Maine, he's
Speaker:in New Hampshire there.
Speaker:He had the rental car.
Speaker:Where I'm going, he goes, you know,
Speaker:I'm going to be late.
Speaker:I can't make it.
Speaker:You're going to have to meet with Frank.
Speaker:I'm like, well, who's Frank?
Speaker:Frank Morris it, right?
Speaker:I'm like, OK, who's Frank?
Speaker:He goes, well, you meet him at the airport.
Speaker:You'll see me.
Speaker:He's got a done-luck bag, a little pronounce chin.
Speaker:I'm like, OK, I'm not going to--
Speaker:I'm going to airport in Florida.
Speaker:I'm never going to find this guy.
Speaker:I walked around.
Speaker:I picked him out of like 50 people.
Speaker:I walked up, I go, Frank.
Speaker:He's like, can?
Speaker:I'm like, yeah.
Speaker:We had to wait for about an hour and a half
Speaker:before Chris got there.
Speaker:Well, Chris got there, finally.
Speaker:Frank and I, I felt like we had known each other for 15 years.
Speaker:Literally, I was supposed to room with Chris.
Speaker:I ended up rooming with Frank.
Speaker:Because he had another-- because Chris had someone else
Speaker:that would come in it.
Speaker:And we've been friends ever since.
Speaker:And Frank was supposed to go to a conference
Speaker:he couldn't make it and his buddy Tom went.
Speaker:Well, Tom Parks is the past Southern president.
Speaker:And again, one of my dearest friends.
Speaker:The thing about this is we're all heading
Speaker:in a similar direction.
Speaker:Not the same exact club or independent pro or management
Speaker:company.
Speaker:But we all have a similar view.
Speaker:We all love the game of tennis.
Speaker:Now, whether you love the game of pickleball,
Speaker:whether you love the game of pedel, whether it's the best thing
Speaker:for you, I don't judge that.
Speaker:I said, it's just part of what our society is now.
Speaker:But who do you tend to have as good friends?
Speaker:People who have mutual interest in.
Speaker:What better place to find your best friends in here?
Speaker:I said, I'm going to date myself.
Speaker:I love through this.
Speaker:I have a great Rolex.
Speaker:And then I want to head back on an oil.
Speaker:I can pick up my phone.
Speaker:And if I need something, I can scroll down
Speaker:to figure out who I need to call.
Speaker:I know I got.
Speaker:Bobby, I know I can give you a call.
Speaker:Say, I'm struggling with something.
Speaker:Would you help me?
Speaker:And I know you'd help me in heartbeat.
Speaker:Would me question you?
Speaker:You'd still call me.
Speaker:And I would do the same thing.
Speaker:It's just the more those people you have,
Speaker:the better off you're going to be in life in general.
Speaker:And so much of that is lucky.
Speaker:But so much of it is just who you are, too, Ken.
Speaker:And I mean, and I think there's a degree of,
Speaker:especially when you're young and coming up, don't fight it.
Speaker:Be humble.
Speaker:Take it like I was very lucky to meet Howard.
Speaker:I was very lucky to be Dennis Horde,
Speaker:who was just brought down here by two Davis Cup captains.
Speaker:I was very lucky to be John Hanna and, you know, have Tom.
Speaker:Anyway.
Speaker:So, you know, you sit there and go.
Speaker:So through all this, you know, very lucky to go to graduate school
Speaker:with Billy Payt, who introduces me to the Atlanta Thunder,
Speaker:who just happens to have Jeff Benton sitting there working
Speaker:at Wendy Hill Athletic Club, because he doesn't want to follow
Speaker:in his dad's co-tales until the next year when he decides
Speaker:to follow through it.
Speaker:But now I know Jeff.
Speaker:So now I'm involved with the senior tour.
Speaker:So I, you know, extraordinarily lucky in so many ways
Speaker:to have the cat, you know, South East and Cadillac rep
Speaker:as a member of Windom Year.
Speaker:So we go, you know, we sponsor tournaments unbelievably lucky.
Speaker:So, you know, and I'll never get, so that's why, you know,
Speaker:I feel the need to give back somewhat,
Speaker:but so much of it is just the ability to sit down
Speaker:and have an iced tea with us, have a piece of pizza with us
Speaker:and see us, like you said, without the same hat on.
Speaker:You know, we have a country club hat,
Speaker:but we also have a hat that we're going to see.
Speaker:And it's fun to talk about the business side of it
Speaker:when we're alone because we have shared experiences.
Speaker:A lot of things don't need to be said, you know.
Speaker:- Oh man.
Speaker:- And we just have to, we get a pick-a-ball event
Speaker:at Windom Year this past weekend
Speaker:and there was a young pick-a-ball pro
Speaker:and the kid was just infectious.
Speaker:And I'm like, wow, this kid is good.
Speaker:Now he's a puppy.
Speaker:So you're going to go through some,
Speaker:he's going to wet the car for the couple of times.
Speaker:- Yeah.
Speaker:- And in your heart and heart, you sit there looking at this kid
Speaker:and say, there's not a mean bone in this body.
Speaker:So if he screws up, it's not malicious, it's too excitement.
Speaker:But you know, that's, you got to get excited about that
Speaker:'cause we had that passion.
Speaker:We had that passion.
Speaker:- I want that energy.
Speaker:- You want the energy.
Speaker:I want it around me.
Speaker:Hey, I'm getting older.
Speaker:That kid can bring me some energy.
Speaker:I'm all about it.
Speaker:And you know, that's why, again, come back to the events,
Speaker:making a more friendly user-friendly in an environment
Speaker:that you don't feel like, oh, I'm a, you know, I'm norming nobody.
Speaker:Thank you Patricia Chenson for that line.
Speaker:You know, and why am I here?
Speaker:You don't have to be somebody.
Speaker:Just listen, listen and get some,
Speaker:and if something strikes and nerve-rhythm,
Speaker:you have something to say, stay in.
Speaker:Because if you hit home, you'll probably say it well.
Speaker:So don't be afraid.
Speaker:So, you know, again, I think the Greenville location,
Speaker:and great obviously leadership in creating that environment
Speaker:is so important.
Speaker:And good time of year.
Speaker:Good time of year to do it.
Speaker:- Absolutely.
Speaker:And we normally do have it a few weeks later,
Speaker:but that was the one thing.
Speaker:We really love the location.
Speaker:We did scout it out a few times.
Speaker:And you know, Marcus was big on that.
Speaker:Did a lot of legwork and then Pat drove out there to check it out.
Speaker:But, you know, it's like the reason we didn't have it on the week
Speaker:was really just because, you know,
Speaker:we couldn't have certain venues.
Speaker:So we were in an off to look at some other areas.
Speaker:And we were looking at another club that was local,
Speaker:but we just couldn't use a lot of the amenities.
Speaker:And it's like, well, we're gonna go here and there.
Speaker:And my this is a one-stop shop.
Speaker:I mean, literally, if you're flying in,
Speaker:there's shuttle service to the embassy suite.
Speaker:I don't know if people know that.
Speaker:It's also, it's walking distance to downtown, right?
Speaker:It's not a short, it's a nice little weapon, not that much.
Speaker:There's also shuttle service there.
Speaker:We're gonna do that, you know, from the happy hour.
Speaker:Like if we go downtown, we're gonna take care of that.
Speaker:You know, so I think there's just a lot of different things
Speaker:that we're trying to do, but the mentorship, I think,
Speaker:is good.
Speaker:And Sean, great point, skip the line, right?
Speaker:I want our younger pros to be able to skip the line
Speaker:and some of the things.
Speaker:I tell people all the time, I know what I know
Speaker:'cause I messed up a lot and I learned from it.
Speaker:I don't know what I want.
Speaker:I don't know what I know 'cause I'm perfect.
Speaker:I had a lot of people that I was willing to learn from
Speaker:that were willing to teach me.
Speaker:And I was willing to fail forward.
Speaker:And then I think that's a hard thing.
Speaker:You gotta be, I spent some part of my career
Speaker:not getting much done because I was so scared to fail.
Speaker:And I had one of my bosses, I'll never forget it.
Speaker:He goes, you're so worried about doing something wrong
Speaker:that you're not doing anything.
Speaker:I'd rather you do something to fail and get something done
Speaker:and we could fix it than just being worried
Speaker:about making it perfect.
Speaker:Some of the best advice I ever got.
Speaker:- Take some chances, I don't like it, Bob.
Speaker:- You got anything else for Ken?
Speaker:- No, I'll see him next Thursday.
Speaker:(laughing)
Speaker:- All right, brother, you will, I want to see you.
Speaker:I want to see you.
Speaker:- He's not even getting in line, he's just,
Speaker:no, he's driving the dang bus.
Speaker:I said, Bob, he's there, it's like, whoa, whoa.
Speaker:- Exactly, I'm a big Hamilton fan.
Speaker:I just want to be in the room where it happened.
Speaker:I don't have to be George Washington.
Speaker:I just want to be where in the room where it happened.
Speaker:That's it.
Speaker:- I'm gonna try to make you agree, Bob.
Speaker:- I don't know.
Speaker:- Ken, I appreciate your time, thank you so much
Speaker:and we will get this out as quickly as possible
Speaker:and I will at least my wife and I and our son
Speaker:will be in South Carolina in a couple of weeks
Speaker:and I'll try to talk Bobby into it,
Speaker:but like you said, you got everything he needs.
Speaker:- You know, we got happy hours,
Speaker:you get a couple drinks each day.
Speaker:I know you get your Coca-Cola's there, Bob.
Speaker:- That guy's your Michael.
Speaker:- You got my co-op.
Speaker:- You getcha, you can getcha, yeah,
Speaker:but here's the thing, that's what I love about this place
Speaker:that has a few little different things that we can do
Speaker:that are helping people get together
Speaker:and want to be together.
Speaker:- Well, there you have it.
Speaker:We want to thank reGeovinate.com for use of the studio
Speaker:and Signature Tennis for their support
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