Latest / Yes And Land / Lion King Leadership: Building Relationships That Matter | with Mayor Lorin Palmer

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Lion King Leadership: Building Relationships That Matter | with Mayor Lorin Palmer · Yes And Land

0:01
Welcome to Yes And Land, where we say yes to
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the reality of yesterday and today, and we say
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and to the possibility, growth, and imagination
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of tomorrow. Today, super excited because we
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have Mayor Lauren Palmer joining us. He is the
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mayor of Harriman, which is, I think it's the
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fastest growing city in Utah. If not the, it's
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one of the fastest growing cities in Utah, right?
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It has been yes. Yeah, it is just absolutely
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boom and you have so much going on there a great
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city And we're very excited for him to join us
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today and we're gonna be talking about a number
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of different things. We're gonna talk about leadership
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and building Relationships and and the importance
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of building those relationships and collaboration
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And we're also going to look at that through
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the lens of Lion King, right and we're talking
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specifically about Mufasa in Lion King and the
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kind of leader he was and what we can learn from
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both him and also from Mayor Palmer. So very
1:01
excited for the conversation today. Could be
1:03
fun. So as we kind of get kicked off, what I'd
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love to do is kind of talk about. Kind of your
1:09
backstory. What got you to where you are now?
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Because as I understand it, being in politics
1:16
was not necessarily the plan. That was something
1:19
that kind of happened as some different adventures
1:22
and experiences unfold in your life. But let's
1:25
roll it all the way back, right? Let's roll it
1:27
back to when you're from Price, a city that we
1:31
love and hold dear here, as my law partner is
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from Price and we know loads of people from Price.
1:37
So you, you grew up there and, and when do you
1:40
eventually like leave price and what was that
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like? So I was there through my mission. Okay.
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Right. Served an earliest mission. And what'd
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you serve? In Uruguay, South America. Uruguay.
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So speak, you speak Spanish. Yep. I kept up on
1:53
that. Which I'll bet is a little bit an asset
1:54
as a mayor. Absolutely. Yeah. Use it daily. Probably.
1:57
Really? Absolutely. I wouldn't have guessed that.
1:59
Amazing. Yep. Okay. Been a blessing. And then
2:02
served that mission, came home, did the typical,
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got married pretty quick. Yep. After. And then,
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you know, we were just talking out in the hall,
2:10
right? Which it was really not a lot of opportunity
2:13
there, unfortunately. Unfortunately. I wish there
2:15
would have been, right? But there just wasn't
2:16
at the time. And then so we left, got married
2:21
left, came up here, went to school. Actually
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didn't have any plans when we moved up here.
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Just tried to find a job, didn't know much about
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schooling options. I just didn't. My parents
2:29
didn't love my parents, but they didn't know
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how to guide me through the college experience
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even. So I came up here. was working and my friend
2:39
in my neighborhood put me under this job at a
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company called Avco House of Hoes and said, Hey,
2:44
you got to come work here. It's this industrial
2:47
space, but they'll put you you know, they'll
2:49
pay for your schooling. Oh, amazing. Absolutely.
2:52
I'll hop on that'll be do something. So I wanted
2:54
to do I'd always wanted to pre mad maybe do physical
2:57
therapy. But they said, Well, all we pay for
2:59
is business. I said, Well, I guess I'm gonna
3:01
be a business major business. So I didn't I don't
3:05
even know if I ever used that, because I just
3:07
stayed with that company for several years, even
3:09
after finishing. Where did you go to school?
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UVU. UVSC at the time, was it? It's so weird
3:16
for me, because I always think of it as UVSC,
3:18
kind of rolled off the tongue. And so when I
3:20
hear UVU, it always kind of takes me like a split
3:22
second, like, OK, that's the same place. Same
3:23
place, yes. So you're a business major there?
3:26
Business major. Was it like business administration?
3:29
Was it just general business management? Okay.
3:31
And again, but I stayed there for a while and
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I was doing management stuff within they moved
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me to St. George to open up a new branch of that
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when I was 27. I was pretty young moved down
3:40
there. But it wasn't like management. I didn't
3:43
love it, right? It wasn't my I didn't love managing
3:46
the people I just wasn't too close to people.
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I became a friend more than a manager. It was
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tricky, right? It is. But then I landed on the
3:53
sell side. They gave me a shot over on the sell
3:55
side. And that's what I just I found my passion
3:58
was cells and relationships. And that just took
4:01
off from there. And that became the rest of my
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career until I went through a divorce. And we
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talked, as you know, went through a divorce.
4:08
And then you had some kids with your ex, right?
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We had four. We had four. Two boys and then twins
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that are boy, girl. So they happened pretty fast.
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I think plans were three. When the third one
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is a twin, then you have four. Yep, you have
4:23
four. It is what it is. But it was amazing. Kids
4:27
are all grown, married now. All doing their thing.
4:30
Let me, I mean, as a divorce attorney, I won't
4:33
get into any details. We don't want to force
4:36
you to go anything down that path. But I have
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a couple of questions there, which is like, you're
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going through this and your kids are doing amazing.
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So y 'all must have done something right in co
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-parenting. And so walk me through like the emotions
4:48
after you get divorced. And then what you did
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to find a really healthy co -parenting relationship.
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Absolutely. So initially, I'll give all the credit
4:59
to my ex -wife. She was just... Because I struggled.
5:03
I went through a major depression. Because at
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the same time, when it started through to my
5:07
divorce, I actually left the host company for
5:10
a while and went and started another company
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with a friend. But it just wasn't... It wasn't
5:14
busy. I wasn't... you know, couldn't keep my
5:17
mind off of things all the time. I was doing
5:18
a lot of weekend work with this other company,
5:20
which was when you're doing the weekend warrior
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thing as a dad, it didn't, it wasn't working.
5:25
So I was, I was honestly in a dark place at one
5:27
point where I couldn't get out of bed in the
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morning. I was up all night worried about where
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I was failing. And then I was so tired, I couldn't
5:35
get up in the morning. So I had a business partner
5:37
that was patient with me as well, but really
5:39
it was my ex -wife just understanding this was
5:41
about the kids. It wasn't about her and I. There
5:44
was never anything awful there at all, right?
5:47
But it wasn't... I wasn't a very good... I tell
5:50
everybody I was not a good dad for a while because
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I was absent, I was stressed, I was depressed.
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And then, you know, it just clicked one day.
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I just, you know, started doing some therapy,
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started doing some other stuff, and finally was
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able to turn it around and then met my current
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wife, who actually did a lot to kind of pull
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me across the finish line, I told her, that she
6:08
kind of helped pull me across the finish line.
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And that... then I became... she was very willing
6:13
to be involved with the kids and that helped
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us because it's not easy to be a stepparent.
6:18
Being a stepparent, I tell my wife because I
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have some kids with an ex as well and she's a
6:23
stepparent to my two boys. A stepparent is a
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thankless job. It's really hard because you can
6:28
do all the right things and yet you're not the
6:30
biological parent and you might always still
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have that kind of stigma from the kids who just
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don't appreciate the stepparent, even if they're
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doing a lot for the kids. And so being a stepparent
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is really hard. Like you said, bankless almost
6:44
sometimes. But still, hats off to her. So I've
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had two very selfless women in my life, honestly.
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My ex -wife and now my current wife, who's been
6:54
good. And then it's interesting, my ex -wife
6:56
had with her, she remarried within a couple of
7:00
years, and they had their oldest one they had
7:02
together actually was diagnosed with leukemia.
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Oh, goodness. And when he was diagnosed with
7:07
leukemia, the four older ones were elementary
7:10
school, so they were busy. They had to spend
7:13
a lot of time at primary children's for treatment.
7:16
And then she was pregnant again with their second.
7:18
He was 20 months old when he was diagnosed. But
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then we had to step in and really just... It
7:24
became this one big... As they were going through
7:26
their trial with their son with leukemia, we
7:29
all had to kind of come together and it... became
7:31
this big, that's where we realized it took a,
7:34
it took a village. Really they make that happen.
7:37
And so really that brought everybody together.
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It doesn't mean we're all best friends still.
7:41
We're very different paths, I guess a little
7:43
bit, but at the end of the day, it's been about
7:45
the kids and that's just been the focus. And
7:49
again, we stayed close to each other. Once, soon
7:51
as my old, the youngest hit graduated, she took
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off to Santaquin. We, you know, so we had to
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stay close. We both kind of agreed to stay close
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and both. times toyed with ideas of moving out,
8:01
but we knew that wasn't going to be best for
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the kids. Here we are. I mean, I think what it
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is, it's a testament to a number of things that
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we try to coach and educate people on, which
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is, you know, when you get divorced, obviously,
8:15
people see it as breaking up a family. But what
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I think talking with some marriage and family
8:20
therapists and look at the research, I think
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it's sometimes healthy to look at it in a way
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that's like, well, this is a different family.
8:27
It's different because you still have these kids
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in common. And so because of that, like for these
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kids, it's still their family. Might live in
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different homes, might look a little different,
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might end up being blended families and such,
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but it still is. And when that can function in
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a healthier way, then you see things like that.
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I mean, honestly, I think it took a lot from
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both you and your ex -wife and from your current
8:50
wife in humility. I mean, one of the things I
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just heard from you now, which is you're giving
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credit to other people, which is a really good
8:57
sign because it certainly took a lot of work
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for you to get to where you needed to be. But
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recognizing the contributions of others and being
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really humble about it, I think it's actually
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a really healthy thing because then you're recognizing
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like it functions better if we have humility,
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if we have kindness that, you know, I think people
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could really learn from when they're going through
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a divorce, when they're dealing with an ex. And
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sometimes it's a little bit hard. Keeping that
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in mind can be really healthy. And I also think
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it's it's a good sign for people to like there
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there's light on the other side you know that
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even if you're going through something really
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hard and you go through a dark time that you
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you'll you'll be able to pull through and it's
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going to take relying on some other people at
9:38
times even maybe unconventional people but that
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like that you can that there's we talk about
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it where we say like you know we try to help
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people navigate people through the heartbreak
9:48
of divorce to a better brighter future so you
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know we're we're trying to give them hope for
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the future but it means this you know it is we
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recognize it's it's heartbreak right it's hard
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it's dark but we want you know we want people
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to hopefully be able to build for something in
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the future and you certainly have done that and
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it's very i think it's very helpful for people
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to hear uh kind of that path so you uh you're
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you're doing sales and you're killing it you're
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finding like this is something that you're really
10:13
enjoying right tell me about the the pathway
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professionally for when you're doing that and
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then kind of what your wife is doing and then
10:19
kind of where you go from there absolutely so
10:21
Right out of the gate, as soon as we were married,
10:24
six months in, my, you know, with my current
10:26
wife, she loses her job. And we're kind of, when
10:29
you're paying child support and she loses her
10:31
job, I was still kind of ramping up my, I had
10:34
gone back into the sales space, but definitely
10:36
child support takes, you know, is expensive.
10:39
I'm not complaining, right? But it is, you almost
10:41
have to have two incomes or one very good income
10:44
to make it work. And so she loses her job right
10:47
away, but then luckily lands at a new company
10:50
pretty quick. and was there for years and was
10:53
kind of climbing her way through. She had been
10:58
single for a while. So she had put herself through
11:00
school and everything and got her master's degree
11:02
in finance. And so she's working her way up her
11:06
career ladder. And then I'm doing my, by the
11:09
time about eight years in, I was doing a national
11:13
sales role. I was traveling all over the country,
11:15
leaving every Monday, coming back every Thursday
11:17
or Friday. And it worked because she was busy
11:20
with her job, the kids. We saw them on the weekend,
11:22
so it worked for us. But then we get pregnant.
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And we have that discussion. Where do we do?
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Where do we go? We actually tried. I did quit
11:34
my job, my sales job. It was hard. But we were
11:37
going to take a shift, just a more local job.
11:40
But we even eventually had that conversation
11:42
of she was making more than I was. wasn't the
11:47
traditional roles we wanted to fill. She didn't
11:49
really want to be the stay -at -home mom. She
11:51
just wasn't her. And that's OK. I didn't expect
11:53
that. It was not any disappointment there. We
11:56
thought we'd do the nanny, try the nanny, try
11:58
daycare. So I did. Actually, none of that worked
12:03
out. So I ended up becoming a stay -at -home
12:05
dad, which was weird. I could go into the mental
12:10
challenges that that was as well, because I was
12:12
in a good spot. I was in a good space with my
12:14
career. I was progressing. I was this national
12:16
sales manager. I was an expert in my field. And
12:19
I had goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, and
12:22
then become a stay at home dad. And that's not
12:24
my lost my network. I gave up my everybody I
12:30
knew. Suddenly, they weren't friends. They were
12:33
acquaintances that you worked with. But that
12:35
network's gone. But I did it and absolutely would
12:39
never now looking back. I would never trade that
12:41
for anything What was that? What was that like
12:43
emotionally though when you do that where suddenly?
12:45
You're you you leave there you become a stay
12:48
-home dad all your acquaintances your network
12:50
all those connections Suddenly you don't have
12:53
those anymore on on a daily basis Emotionally
12:55
kind of what are you processing through at that
12:57
time? Oh my word so many things again It was
12:59
there was probably a little bit of depression
13:01
that came in again crept back in a little bit
13:03
It was hard. It was hard to get motivated some
13:05
days here hard to, you know, even though I, I
13:09
remember my wife coming home from work and I
13:10
just felt like I hadn't got anything done, right?
13:13
And she was just glad we, we were alive, right?
13:16
Like kind of in a way that we would survive the
13:18
day, right? But so it was interesting because
13:20
it was, it was hard, but rewarding. It was this
13:24
weird thing. I remember trying to set goals of,
13:27
you know, different room to clean in the house.
13:29
Like, cause I was trying to take on those roles
13:31
too. that stay -at -home mom type thing, too,
13:34
that we talk about, you know, the laundry, the
13:36
cleaning, and it just, even that, I just couldn't,
13:39
I couldn't create a, because there was no, I
13:42
don't know, there was no certain process, there
13:44
was no routine I could create with the newborn,
13:46
right? And so, I don't know, it was just weird,
13:52
you know, a few years, it was a weird few years,
13:54
and ended up trying to reach out to the community.
13:57
That's when I started my, I do this weekly lunch
13:59
now. Everybody thinks it's my... Lunch to meet
14:02
with the mayor this started actually because
14:03
I was I needed adult interaction as a stay -at
14:06
-home dad That's how I reached out to the community
14:08
and said like hey, I need adult interaction anybody
14:11
else in this situation Turned out there were
14:13
a lot of people in the community that were needing
14:15
that Once a week space. Yeah, I actually think
14:18
that's really smart I mean again, maybe it's
14:19
the non -traditional rule especially for Utah
14:21
but I think it's really helpful to think about
14:23
that like when somebody decides to You know take
14:26
on that role of providing that full -time care
14:28
for children That you still need to have adult
14:32
interaction. You still need to have a bit of
14:34
that. And being deliberate about saying, hey,
14:36
I'm going to do a weekly lunch. That's important.
14:39
I think more people could look at that and consider
14:42
things like that. I think that's really helpful.
14:43
It's smart. Yeah. I tried to do some of that.
14:45
There were some mom and me groups. And it just
14:47
didn't fit. It felt inappropriate sometimes to
14:52
hang out with these other moms and their kids.
14:54
But again, nothing wrong with it. But I just
14:57
didn't feel. At home there, right? So it was
14:59
this tried to I got sick of waiting for that
15:02
space to come to me So I tried to create that
15:04
space I guess well, and it's it's smart I mean,
15:06
you know, we talked about a lot of times where
15:08
there's there's some core human needs and one
15:10
of those is the the need to have a sense of belonging
15:13
and When you had that sense of belonging in the
15:16
career that you were building and all these goals
15:18
you had and then suddenly that's not there You're
15:20
starting to lose that So being deliberate and
15:22
saying, I need to have that sense of belonging,
15:24
so I'm going to reach out. I'm not going to wait
15:26
for it to come to me. I'm going to be proactive,
15:28
is again, something that I think more people
15:29
could take the advice of. If you're having that
15:32
disconnection that you feel in your life, if
15:34
you're having like... Man, I'm just kind of in
15:36
this grind and I'm not connecting with people
15:38
and I don't feel like I belong. We'll be proactive.
15:41
Look for those opportunities. Absolutely. Have
15:43
those relationships, right? That's part of what
15:44
we're talking about today, right? Like build
15:46
those relationships. Those relationships are
15:47
huge. Absolutely. So you start doing that. You
15:50
start doing those lunches. You're doing the stay
15:52
home dad thing. How in the world do you end up
15:56
running for mayor? Right. Well, let me go back
15:58
again. I truly, everybody laughs when I say this,
16:01
I hated politics. Yeah. I like them a little
16:04
bit more today. Sure. still not Because I think
16:08
I turned out to be okay with this. Yeah, but
16:10
anyway, I didn't like politics I didn't want
16:12
to be in politics, but I've been involved in
16:14
the community a little bit We had done as a resident
16:16
group. We had created a resident group concerned
16:18
about some growth patterns in Harriman Honestly,
16:22
I look back. I don't know that we understood
16:23
everything what was happening out there, but
16:25
we got involved and then when The mayor thing
16:29
opened up. We knew the mayor I won't get into
16:31
why but everybody knew there was gonna be an
16:33
open seat for the mayoral And it wasn't even
16:36
a thought, but my wife and I sat down. Cohen
16:39
was my little guy. I was getting ready to go
16:40
into kindergarten. We had this discussion about,
16:43
do I go back to school? Because I'd always thought
16:45
about maybe I go get an MBA. I just want to do
16:47
something different. Do I go back to school,
16:49
get an MBA? Do I just go back to the sales space
16:54
I was doing? But that would require probably
16:56
sometimes in sales you have to travel to be gone
16:59
a lot to make the money. And so my wife, I remember
17:02
sitting me down and said, you know, she's financially,
17:04
because by then she was doing pretty well financially.
17:07
She could pay. She could provide at that point.
17:09
And she said, why don't you just find a way to
17:11
make a difference? And that's when it just hit.
17:13
I don't have to follow a traditional path. Again,
17:16
what can we do? And then a couple months later,
17:19
I started getting those whispers from the community
17:21
about, hey, this mayor thing is going to be open.
17:23
Why don't you take a look at it? I looked into
17:26
it. It's more about it's a nonpartisan race.
17:28
So I'd like that. It's more about community service.
17:31
I tell everybody if you have the like, not everybody
17:34
has the LDS background, but I told everybody
17:35
it's feels like being an elders quorum president
17:38
for a city. Right? It's just because I felt like
17:40
I was could look out for all the well being of
17:43
the community, the temporal well being the physical
17:45
well being, and then the emotional to bringing
17:48
people together. And so that's what I felt the
17:50
role I could serve in that. And that's how I
17:52
ran as for mayor and Here we are. Yeah. Well,
17:56
it's interesting and that you saying that reminds
17:58
me of something that I wrote down, which was
18:02
some quotes from Lion King, because that's what
18:03
we're talking about today, right? Absolutely.
18:06
And when Mufasa is teaching Simba, and you probably
18:11
had this in mind as well, but he says, Mufasa
18:15
says, look Simba, everything the light touches
18:17
is our kingdom. Young Simba says, wow. Mufasa
18:20
says, a king's time as ruler rises and falls
18:23
like the sun. One day Simba, the sun will set
18:25
on my time here and will rise with you as a new
18:26
king. Young Simba says, and this will all be
18:29
mine. Mufasa says, everything. Young Simba says,
18:32
everything the light touches. And so, you know,
18:34
when we think about when you're saying is like
18:36
there's ways that like the light touches so many
18:39
different aspects of Harriman, right? The community
18:42
that you're in. And that's kind of the, I think,
18:45
a responsibility and a stewardship that you take
18:48
on when you take on that role, right? Like, hey,
18:50
there's a lot of responsibility with this. Right.
18:52
Yeah. For you, when you kind of think about that,
18:56
you think about Mufasa teaching kind of as a
18:58
leader of his son, what do you think he was trying
19:01
to teach? And how do you think that maybe Simba
19:02
wasn't understanding that at that young stage
19:04
of his life? Right, absolutely. And I look back,
19:08
it's, you know, a lot of politicians sit in an
19:10
office and don't you know connect with their
19:13
community and I looked at a community as a whole
19:16
and I watched it wasn't about it wasn't about
19:20
the roads it wasn't about the water lines I mean
19:23
all that stuff is what we do right it wasn't
19:24
about that but I watched as a community we were
19:26
growing so fast like we talked about that at
19:29
the beginning we were I've been in Harriman now
19:31
almost 13 14 years and it wasn't 25 000 people
19:36
when we moved out there right and now we're knocking
19:38
on the door of 65 70 000 in Harriman But everybody
19:43
that moved out there seems to want this small
19:45
-town fill. That's still the pushback we get.
19:47
We came out here for the small -town fill. We
19:49
all did. But then we're getting so big. So if
19:53
we look out, my goal is to try to keep everybody
19:57
with that feeling. This is not my community.
20:02
It's everybody in the community. I want everybody
20:04
involved. I want people understanding that this
20:07
is their community. They can have a part in molding
20:10
the community. And I think some people don't
20:14
understand that, that they can play a role in
20:17
shaping our community. It's not me. I really
20:20
believe it's not the city council or the mayor
20:22
that affects the groups that step up, the volunteer
20:26
organizations that step up. They're the ones
20:28
that are impacting our community more than, absolutely
20:30
more than anything. If I play a small role in
20:34
bringing those people out of the woodworks to
20:35
get involved, that's, I'll be. thrilled with
20:38
that, but I think some people don't understand
20:40
still that they can be involved in a city, in
20:44
a community, and don't wait around for somebody
20:46
else to do it. I think that's what's informative
20:50
and educational about this idea of Mufasa is
20:54
obviously teaching about this animal kingdom
20:56
that they're going to be the rulers over. But
20:58
in reality, I think what Mufasa is teaching him
21:00
is exactly what you're saying. Like, hey, we
21:03
play a small role in this. In fact, you talked
21:04
earlier with Simba about the circle of life,
21:08
where the role that he's playing, like, maybe
21:11
he's the king, maybe he's the leader. And I think
21:14
Simba is taking that like, yeah, I'm going to
21:16
be the ruler. I'm going to tell everybody what
21:18
to do. Foster's like, that's not the charge here.
21:20
You have a responsibility, but it's got to be
21:23
the role that everybody's playing here, and that
21:26
you're just trying to help that. that circle
21:28
of life work and work effectively so that people
21:30
can work together, which is like the opposite
21:31
of what Scar was doing. Right. Yep. Scar wanted
21:33
to rule. Like I think Simba was thinking like
21:35
heavy hand. You do what I say. I'm going to dictate
21:38
everything. Uh, when in reality it's, it's much
21:41
more about what you're talking about, you know,
21:43
helping people find their voice, helping people
21:45
find what they can do and inspiring them to step
21:47
up because you do play a role in that. Right.
21:50
I think people look to a mayor and, and there's
21:56
there's a certain level when somebody knows that
21:58
person is the mayor of like, okay, that person
22:00
is the mayor, like, maybe I should, you know,
22:03
listen to what they're saying, or, you know,
22:05
he's saying I could be involved, maybe I maybe
22:07
I can be involved, maybe there is something more
22:09
that I can do. But I think is really, he's really
22:13
inspiring, you know, and when we have leaders,
22:16
which I think we need more of, that are willing
22:18
to say like to be humble and say, I'm just playing
22:21
a small role here. But I need the community to
22:23
be involved. And I'm just trying to like play
22:25
a role in helping the community do it, which
22:27
I think is huge. What is the role for you of
22:33
building these relationships that you learned
22:35
for your career of being in sales and building
22:38
at your network? What role has that played in
22:41
allowing you to be an effective leader? Well,
22:43
I think the word you said in there was relationships.
22:46
It's 100 % been about relationships, not just
22:49
with within the community but without you know
22:51
outside the community with neighboring communities
22:53
with business partners with it's just there's
22:57
this whole network of people that we have to
22:59
bring together that play a role in our communities
23:02
and we just that's what that's where my strength
23:05
is it honestly i i hate even using but that's
23:08
my strength is bringing people together it's
23:09
relationships it's collaboration it's understanding
23:12
i don't have all the answers i don't i don't
23:14
have all the answers i'm not there's no training
23:16
how to be a mayor you don't go to school There's
23:19
no mayoral school. Sure, you can study political
23:22
science, but it's not the same. It's just not
23:24
the same. So for me, it's just relationships
23:28
and trying to bring people together in different
23:30
roles in every aspect I can. I try to be out
23:32
in the community as much as possible to be seen.
23:36
It's not about me. It's not, right? I don't go
23:40
to the store and hope people recognize me. I
23:41
don't. I actually hope I like to go to the store
23:43
and kind of be incognito, right? I just want
23:45
to go to the store and be a... regular guy sometimes
23:47
right, but it's it's just that it's a hundred
23:52
percent about relationships and Using those to
23:55
bring people together and for the better. Yeah,
23:58
so when we talk about those relationships the
24:00
importance of them I mean, what do you feel like
24:02
are the key? The key ways in which people can
24:05
effectively build those relationships. Like what's
24:07
the difference? What's the difference between
24:08
someone who you know is that classic? networker
24:13
that Kind of like make your skin crawl a little
24:16
bit, you know, you know kind I'm talking about
24:18
Oh, yeah, where's are the people where you're
24:19
like? Oh my nice. This person's just so great.
24:21
Like what's the difference? For me, I had somebody
24:24
tell me during even during this last campaign
24:26
I had never heard this before but somebody else
24:28
reached out during the campaign just last year
24:31
and basically Sent me a text and it was an endorsement
24:35
He was offering many endorsement, but he said
24:37
Lauren he said I I had never met you but I met
24:40
you at a meeting he says and you took the time
24:42
to walk up to me, say hi to me. And nobody else
24:46
exists. I mattered to you in that moment. I could
24:49
tell it wasn't, you just took the time. Nobody
24:53
else blocked out. You were focused on me and
24:55
what I was saying to you. You weren't distracted
24:57
by other things. So it's really, it has to be
25:01
a two -way relationship. I even look at it more,
25:03
I want it to be a one way, the other way. It's
25:06
give and take, right? But it has to be, sometimes
25:09
people want it. you know, a one -way relationship.
25:12
They want everybody to give one way. For me,
25:14
it's... You have to give. You have to be willing
25:17
to go both ways in a relationship. But it's really
25:20
just... At the end of the day, it's just listening.
25:22
I think people don't feel heard these days more
25:25
than ever. I think... It's trying... I get sick
25:29
of people that think they have all the answers,
25:32
that think they know. And there's just... If
25:35
we sat down and listened to other people and
25:37
understood other people... what they were going
25:39
through. We don't all live the same situation.
25:44
We're all living our lives in our own way. We
25:46
all have different life experiences that form
25:48
our value system, form our perception of life.
25:53
And I want to understand everybody's perception
25:55
on this. I want to understand that. I've changed
25:58
my perceptions on divorce. I remember thinking,
26:01
man, they went through a divorce. Man, that's
26:04
not good. It must be wrong. Something must be
26:07
wrong with them. So having been through it, it's
26:09
like, I'll never judge somebody else again in
26:12
that, or other similar situation. But it's just
26:15
listening and understanding. And you've got to
26:18
get rid of the judgment. You have to get rid
26:20
of judgment. I mean, I love what you're talking
26:23
about here, because what you're saying is part
26:26
of the reason why I wanted our podcast to be
26:28
called what it is, the idea of Yes And. Because
26:31
when you're trying to build a relationship, if
26:33
you will be curious to hear what their perspective
26:35
is, Part of that's validating that perspective
26:38
to say like yes, I hear you right. Mm -hmm not
26:41
saying no. No, I disagree or Yes, but where you're
26:44
you know, we've called the butt sweep right where
26:46
you're really sweeping away what they said Yep,
26:48
given your perspective, but it's the yes. Okay.
26:50
I understand where you're coming from I understand
26:52
what your perspective is and Here's my perspective.
26:55
Here's something that might might give a little
26:58
more color to the situation or also, you know
27:01
Here's something could could build for the future
27:03
built help to build this relationship. And so
27:05
You know, I think as we stay curious and are
27:08
willing to listen to people, it really does help
27:11
build those relationships. But it's also taking
27:14
the time. Like you said, it's taking the time
27:16
to talk to somebody and really listen, ask really
27:21
good questions that are curious questions to
27:24
try to understand them better. And that's not
27:27
always easy for people. I think sometimes it's
27:29
easy just to be lazy, you know? Hey, how's the
27:32
weather? How's your week? you know, that's kind
27:35
of what we all revert to and it's because it's
27:37
easier and it's comfortable. But really willing
27:40
to like find out and ask deeper questions can
27:42
really help to build those relationships. You
27:45
and I both know Dr. Godfrey, right? Superintendent
27:48
for Jordan School District. And we've had the
27:51
privilege the last couple of weeks of giving
27:54
out these educator of the year awards to schools
27:56
in the Jordan School District. And one of the
27:58
things that struck me about Dr. Godfrey, who
28:01
I've known since junior high school, I had him
28:03
as a teacher, is his ability to do that. Every
28:07
time he's given an award, he'll have done his
28:09
homework, he knows why the person's getting the
28:11
award, and he knows what the nominee said about
28:14
them. And so when he's talking to them, he mentions
28:16
it every time. And then when he sits and talks
28:19
with them after... all the pomp and circumstance
28:22
you can see that he's connecting with that person
28:24
and he's done the same thing with me again i
28:26
had him as a teacher like 30 years ago right
28:29
like it was a long time ago every time i've interacted
28:32
with him he acts like we've Stay in close touch
28:36
since then that he'd like makes me feel seen
28:39
right and it's such a gift and it's such a skill
28:41
It's the same thing of why you've been successful
28:44
as a mayor because of that ability in those moments
28:47
to Connect and have somebody feel like you really
28:49
care about them before we jump back in Can I
28:52
ask you a quick favor if you're enjoying the
28:55
journey so far? Will you like rate and subscribe
28:59
to our show it helps us reach more people like
29:01
you? We can design and create and build the most
29:05
wonderful place in the world, but it takes people
29:08
to make the dream a reality. So when we jump
29:12
back to this idea of the Lion King and some lessons
29:15
there, maybe set the stage for us. And I want
29:17
to hear more about the lessons that you learned
29:19
from Lion King. So even though probably most
29:21
people listening will have seen Lion King, set
29:24
the overarching kind of 30 ,000 foot view of
29:26
the storyline. And then I want to hear more about
29:28
the lessons that you learned from specifically
29:30
Mufasa and Lion King. Right. So for me, when
29:32
I watched Mufasa, you know, and I went back,
29:35
it was, for me, it's not even the whole, like,
29:37
I love that Lion King was one of my first, I
29:39
remember that was one of the first Disney movies
29:41
I saw. Early 90s? Yep. In the theater. Loved
29:45
it. Right. But Mufasa's always, there were a
29:47
few scenes I'd always seen in. some quotes from
29:49
Mufas over the years, right? In leadership trainings
29:52
or whatever, right? So just the way that Mufas,
29:54
I remember the first impact was as a dad, right?
29:58
It was how he, you know, when Simba and Nala,
30:02
you know, take off and leave the, you know, go
30:04
to the boneyard or whatever. Yeah, yeah. The
30:06
elephant graveyard. Yes. And, you know, probably
30:11
on the verge of dying, right? Of being, you know,
30:13
and so he shows up and the way he handles that,
30:14
you know, sends Nala home and... you know, and
30:17
then, you know, I'm disappointed, the typical,
30:18
I'm disappointed, but then he took it, took a
30:21
responsibility and that happening as well, letting
30:24
that happen and then immediately, like, you know,
30:28
he could tell, somebody you could tell he was
30:30
disappointed, but it wasn't this angry, it wasn't
30:33
this, it was just that leadership of, I'm disappointed,
30:36
son, but then instantly they started rolling
30:38
around and playing around again, right? And that's,
30:40
I remember my dad being that way and my dad was
30:42
just so, I never felt punished by my parents,
30:45
you know, it was You know that disappointed but
30:48
you can do better type of thing and that's led
30:50
into others You know all sorts of other things
30:52
just about his leadership role how it was about
30:55
I think too many people too many times a leader
30:58
wants to get to the top and be the gatekeeper
31:00
Yeah, right. I think Mufasa for me Mufasa saw
31:04
the bigger picture and his whole goal was to
31:05
elevate everybody around him and Create this,
31:09
you know bring people along it wasn't to As we've
31:12
said, dictate. It wasn't to tell people. It was
31:14
to bring everybody along together and bring that
31:17
whole kingdom together, elevate it all together.
31:20
And that's just some of those things with Mufasa.
31:24
I've looked back, and even I've watched it a
31:26
few more times getting ready for this. I've learned
31:28
more and more from those situations. Just his
31:30
leadership and quiet, just powerful leadership,
31:35
but quiet and just dignity and respect. Just
31:39
such a great movie about leadership. Honestly,
31:42
you know, I think I think we see in there that
31:43
he's showing the respect to the other animals
31:46
in the kingdom right and Obviously, that's the
31:50
example for us is like when we have other people
31:52
we interact with other People in our organization
31:56
our neighbors the people around us showing them
32:00
that respect and understanding the the role they
32:03
play and whatever it is we're doing is So key
32:06
because then we understand the value that they're
32:08
bringing especially when we think about like
32:09
in an organization if somebody is in an organization
32:12
if we understand the greater purpose if there's
32:15
mission clarity right for the organization and
32:18
Then we see the role that people are playing
32:20
in that mission the overall mission boy, it's
32:23
a lot easier to be like, oh, I really value that
32:25
person because I know the role they're playing
32:27
in the organization. Like, that's not something
32:29
that I can do. I don't have that skill. That's
32:31
not me. I can play my role here, but I want to
32:34
be supportive of what they're doing over there
32:36
and what this other person is doing in this other
32:38
place over here. And in a city, I think that's
32:43
also vitally important because like you talked
32:46
about, there's so many different things that
32:47
go into running a city. Like, it's crazy how
32:50
many different things there are. and you have
32:54
to interact with so many different roles, I'm
32:58
sure. What have you learned from that, where
33:01
you've taken these lessons from your past and
33:03
from different things you've learned from, sounds
33:04
like your dad and other things, how has that
33:06
helped you in building the quality relationships
33:10
with the different, even people that are working
33:13
in the city and that need to be able to function,
33:17
have confidence in what they're doing, even if
33:19
they've got problems and stuff? Tell me more
33:21
about the lessons you've learned as you started
33:22
doing that more. Well, one of the first things
33:24
I did when I took office was we were almost all
33:27
new at the time. We had a new management had
33:30
just come in, new city management had just come
33:32
in. We had a pretty new council at the time,
33:34
only a couple of holdovers, so we had some new
33:36
members on council. So really, I recognized that
33:40
we needed people around us as a city. We couldn't,
33:43
all the things we were getting hit up about,
33:45
more roads, more infrastructure. bus routes in
33:49
the city, just all the things I recognize that
33:51
the city can't provide buses, that has to be
33:54
UTA. So I need those relationships with UTA.
33:57
The state has funding sources, I needed those
34:00
relationships with our legislators, with our
34:02
partners. So it instantly became this outreach
34:05
to understanding where the partners were. And
34:09
I saw other leaders around, and of course I won't
34:11
say names, but I saw other leaders around that
34:13
would go into some of these meetings and... super
34:17
critical what they were doing and how they weren't
34:18
doing enough. These are just people, too, just
34:22
doing their best. There's limited resources.
34:25
There's limited money. There's limited time from
34:27
all of us, from all these partners around us.
34:30
And they're just humans, too. They make mistakes.
34:32
So it became this listening, understanding where
34:35
we could have good partners. And for me, it was
34:39
just about collaboration. It just had to be about
34:41
understanding where they were coming from, what
34:44
their role could be. And I watched from four
34:47
years ago when Harriman wasn't, truly this wasn't
34:50
a criticism to anybody before me, but we weren't
34:52
really at the table. Like Harriman wasn't in
34:54
many discussions as far as at the state level
34:56
or at the county level. We weren't getting a
34:58
lot of outside funding. Our staff was amazing
35:01
doing what they could, but for four years before
35:04
me, we had lacked a leader at the top. It was
35:05
kind of this, everybody was doing the best they
35:08
could, but there was this vacuum of leadership
35:10
in the city. And so really, My biggest accomplishment,
35:13
I feel, is four years later, we are at the table
35:15
in almost everything, right? And we don't get
35:17
everything we need out in Harriman. We don't
35:19
get everything we want. We don't agree with everything
35:21
that happens at the state level or at the county
35:23
level. But we're in a much better place in those
35:25
discussions to bring resources to our community.
35:29
That kind of stuff doesn't get seen by residents.
35:31
And I don't expect it to. I don't care, right?
35:33
I really don't. That's not what I'm doing it
35:35
for. But Harriman's now a player in the state.
35:38
We're the 14th biggest city in the state, which
35:41
It's crazy to me that little hair man from when
35:43
I moved out there is now a player But now we're
35:47
looked at we're respected in all the discussion.
35:49
I think one thing that's emblematic and it's
35:51
it's not the only Accomplishment by any stretch.
35:55
I actually just think it's emblematic of being
35:58
at the table, which is the Trader Joe's you got
36:00
Yeah, which sounds silly but like it's a big
36:03
deal. Mm -hmm every city wanted that like one
36:05
city doesn't want Trader Joe's right everyone
36:07
does right and Because because of what you guys
36:10
are building there you were a player at the table
36:13
where that was a possibility and you guys were
36:15
able to land it and That doesn't happen I don't
36:19
think if all those other things aren't happening
36:21
if you're not building those relationships across
36:23
the board To bring to that community the things
36:26
that they want and that they need to help those
36:29
The people in that community thrive. Yeah, I
36:32
look everybody you know, looks back at how did
36:35
you get Trader Joe's? Like honestly, I did not
36:37
talk to Trader Joe's one time. Like I didn't.
36:39
I never had a conversation with them. Like you
36:42
said, we had just created an environment in Harriman
36:44
where everybody wants to be in Harriman. We see
36:47
it with the growth. Everybody loves it out there
36:49
for the most part. There's a lot of, we're on
36:51
track with the businesses. We've been hyper focused
36:54
on supporting our local businesses and supporting
36:56
that. And I think people noticed, I think that's
36:59
what drove Target and Trader Joe's to come. Yeah,
37:02
they saw that excitement going on in our community
37:05
and for sure Absolutely, I think that's I hope
37:08
that that played a role in them. Yeah landing
37:10
in our city Yeah, it's it's just keeps coming
37:12
back to me as we continue to talk It's just so
37:14
much like for me the difference between the leadership
37:17
of Mufasa versus scar. Mm -hmm, right Mufasa
37:21
in helping the circle of life work. Well is what
37:25
helps all facets of their community Function
37:29
correctly right where everybody's striving the
37:31
circle of life's working same thing for Harriman
37:33
Whereas you look at scar and once he becomes
37:35
a leader like it all dies off like it's terrible.
37:38
It's all dark Right is this dominating thing
37:40
people are not valued for their roles and it's
37:43
just really bleak thing But but that's not it's
37:46
not just some story that actually happens in
37:49
in real life when when you have leaders that
37:52
just operate Without relationships that they
37:55
just want to dominate they don't value the other
37:57
component parts to what makes it work it will
38:00
eventually die off and It's very short -sighted
38:04
and it might feel good to somebody because they've
38:05
got power and they can exert that power and you
38:08
know We have this kind of natural man inside.
38:10
It's like oh, I'm powerful When in reality, it's
38:13
the humility of Mufasa It's the humility of leaders
38:16
like you like dr. Godfrey that really helped
38:19
those relationships get built that really helped
38:21
the overall entity function the way that it needs
38:24
to through the collaboration of leadership. One
38:27
more quote I want to read to you. I want to get
38:28
your take on it. Yes, love it. So I think for
38:31
me, one of the most famous quotes in this is
38:35
actually after Mufasa's dead, after Simba goes
38:39
through his exploration, right? Hakuna Matata,
38:43
right? No worries. And then suddenly Rafiki appears
38:46
and leads him to the water where he has this
38:49
interaction with Mufasa's ghost. And then he
38:53
looks up in the sky and Mufasa's go says Simba
38:56
you have forgotten me No, how could I you've
38:59
forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me
39:02
look inside yourself Simba You are more than
39:04
what you have become. You must take your place
39:06
in the circle of life. How can I go back? I'm
39:09
not who I used to be Remember who you are. You
39:12
are my son and the one true king Remember who
39:15
you are It's such a good It's just such a good
39:20
line. Give me your take on that Oh my gosh, right.
39:23
That's a tough one because I go, I don't even
39:25
go to my leadership role in that, you know, in
39:27
the city, in that space. I go back to, you know,
39:30
even going, and maybe this isn't where you were
39:32
going with this, but I look back and where, you
39:35
know, I remember going after going through my
39:36
divorce and then even when I did the stay at
39:39
home dad thing, I thought, well, this is kind
39:41
of, I've plateaued, I've hit, this is going to
39:43
be my life, right? This is, and again, nothing.
39:46
Nothing wrong with it right absolutely nothing
39:48
wrong with it, but it was this acceptance that
39:50
okay life wasn't what I Thought it was gonna
39:53
be and that's we're still happy like we're still
39:56
happy very fortunate very you know blessed in
39:58
every way materially everything so there's no
40:01
want or need there, but it was just this kind
40:03
of acceptance and then as I've grown into this
40:06
role and seeing what we can do as a city like
40:10
Like we can do like there's something more like
40:13
I've realized this new. I don't think I Without
40:15
going through that, I don't think I'm where I
40:17
am today. Yeah. Right. I don't think that now
40:19
I'm still every day I have to look around and
40:22
I do I look around and think we're onto something
40:25
here. We are onto something. Personally, I feel
40:27
like I'm onto something. Our council's onto something.
40:29
Our staff is onto something. Just every day is
40:32
a wind around our city right now, just constantly
40:34
full of winds right now. And it's we've got this
40:37
momentum and this like we are we're seeing ourselves
40:39
in that reflection right now, right? Herman always
40:43
the people out there have always been amazing
40:45
and you know resourceful and Just desire to serve
40:50
and now we're all recognizing it as a community.
40:52
We're all realizing this and so it's just it's
40:55
just that realization that Man, we can do this,
40:59
you know, I can do this Right. It's I still have
41:02
those days, you know, there's still those social
41:03
media comments. Oh sure yesterday I had one just
41:06
even yesterday's, you know Got a this I got my
41:09
first gubernatorial appointment from the governor
41:11
reached out and appointed me to a statewide board
41:12
That that's my first for me kind of a big deal
41:14
for me. Yeah, what board is that? It's called
41:16
the air quality board. Okay, so it's kind of
41:18
a comp, you know Again, some people sure sure,
41:21
you know, it's a why it for me. It's not a partisan
41:25
thing that to me It's I think we look around
41:27
we know that we need yeah to improve our air
41:30
around here But for some winter time our air
41:31
quality is bad in this county, right? But I've
41:34
had pushback about you know, taking this you
41:36
know, liberal role, right? And it's just, anyways,
41:39
so I had somebody pipe up, I did an announcement
41:42
about it, and somebody replied back yesterday,
41:44
said, your voice is polluting the air. Why don't
41:46
you just shut the hell up, right? I'm like, oh,
41:48
goodness. So these, I mean, those are still the
41:50
moments I kind of shudder and think, well, maybe
41:52
I should. But then I have to step back and think,
41:55
no, I've used my voice for too much good. I've
41:58
used my skills for too much good. I can't. I
42:02
think there's a couple of ways to look at this.
42:05
I love your take on that. And I wanted to get
42:06
your take not going and having any kind of preconceived
42:08
notions. I wanted to hear what you had to say
42:10
from it. And I love what you're saying. I mean,
42:13
part of it is the journey we all face much like
42:15
Simba, where sometimes we do forget who we are.
42:19
But we also then start to realize how those experiences
42:22
shape us. I would submit that your experiences
42:27
from Being divorced and co -parenting, your experiences
42:30
from having a career and having it really take
42:33
off and then stepping aside and being a stay
42:35
-at -home dad, right? And then stepping into
42:37
a role. You understand more members of your community
42:41
than someone who had just stayed married the
42:44
entire time, never was a stay -at -home dad,
42:46
never had those experiences, who wouldn't necessarily
42:49
be able to relate to all the people that you
42:51
can. Because experiences doesn't mean that we
42:54
wish a divorce on anybody, right? I said that
42:56
time. Oh, yeah, I got divorced, right? It was
42:58
hard as a divorce attorney. Am I a better divorce
43:01
attorney? So went through a divorce. I actually
43:03
am. Absolutely. I understand it better. I understand
43:05
people going through better. And so you have
43:07
these experiences where now you can understand
43:08
your community and how all the things in your
43:10
community affect the different people in their
43:12
roles. We're in Utah. There's still lots to stay
43:15
home moms. Right? This is still still a thing.
43:17
And so you understanding what that was like?
43:20
what it's like to set aside a career where you
43:23
could have been going for a while there and the
43:24
emotions you went through and what it's like
43:26
to be a stay -at -home parent I think really
43:29
helps to inform and make you a better leader
43:31
and so remembering who you are at the core of
43:34
like I've had these experiences and I was able
43:36
to learn from these experiences that's part of
43:38
it the other component that I love here too is
43:41
also looking at it from the perspective of Mufasa
43:45
in guiding his son to that. You know, when anytime
43:49
we are privileged to have a leadership position
43:51
or leadership role, how are we choosing to guide
43:54
somebody? And can we remind them about their
43:57
value? Because you talked about that earlier.
43:59
You talked about that you just have this small
44:01
role. People need to be able to do their roles
44:04
in the city. And can we elevate them to remind
44:07
them? of what their true worth is, to remind
44:10
them of what the overall mission we're trying
44:12
to accomplish is that they can feel empowered
44:14
to step in to their best self. I said, I think
44:18
it's huge. And it's a great example of both sides
44:22
of that, both Mufasa and Simba, and what that
44:25
together can look like and how that can impact
44:27
people. I love that. OK, so now let's take you
44:31
to a fun section. We're going to do a quick what
44:35
we call this or that. Okay, so you know your
44:39
opinion might be controversial And you're gonna
44:42
have to defend it if it is. Okay, so here we
44:45
go. Okay, Simba or Mufasa? Oh my Mufasa. Yeah,
44:49
I'm figures right at the beginning of the conversation.
44:51
I was like, okay This is probably a softball
44:52
for him because it's gonna be Mufasa, right?
44:54
Okay scar or Hades. Oh my god from Hercules.
45:00
Oh Man Scar I don't know He's a good villain.
45:07
He is. He's tricky. He's conniving. His song,
45:10
Be Prepared, is also like a pretty classic Disney
45:13
villain song. Absolutely. If it could. And just,
45:16
I mean, yeah. Anyway, he stills to show in a
45:18
lot of ways. Sometimes that whole middle section
45:20
of that movie. Anyway. Oh yeah. It's some great
45:22
humor that's laced into it as well. Absolutely.
45:25
Okay. I don't know if you're a big Disneyland
45:27
guy or not, but I threw this question in here.
45:29
We're going to say Disneyland or California Adventure.
45:32
Oh man. You know, it's changed as the, as my,
45:36
I think Disneyland is great for the younger,
45:38
but then as we got, they became teenagers, California
45:41
Adventure was, cause it was the classics over
45:44
in Disneyland. Now it's Midway Mania and, you
45:47
know, and, and Credit Coaster, right? It's, so
45:50
it changed, right? It's morphed over the years.
45:53
So, yeah, it's totally true. I've had that same
45:54
experience. I still got a little, she's still
45:57
five. So there's definitely things in Disneyland
45:58
we still want to do for her, but the rest of
46:01
the kids, oh, it's Disney California Adventure.
46:03
For sure. Like the Spider -Man ride is amazing.
46:07
The Guardians of the Galaxy ride is incredible.
46:10
And we have, so we have a ton of fun over at
46:12
Disney. Soarin'. Soarin'. I could do Soarin'.
46:13
Soarin' is so good. I could ride that every day.
46:15
And apparently, the big news is they're going
46:18
to do an adjustment for the 250th celebration
46:23
of America. And there's going to be a new Soarin'
46:26
over America. Which i'm still to see and i'm
46:30
disappointed because we're going to california
46:31
for spring break in a few weeks Oh, you are and
46:33
we're not doing disney. Oh, you're not my little
46:36
guy wants to do universal So where I feel like
46:38
i'm going to be cheating on disney by being at
46:40
universal, but uh this opportunity to see this
46:43
but Anyway, this is like harry potter. That's
46:46
why he wants to go harry potter and super mario.
46:49
Yeah Oh, and you know what that super mario land
46:51
is great. Have you been there yet? Not yet We
46:54
went like a month after it opened. So there was
46:55
still some kinks and yet It was phenomenal. They
46:59
actually did a great job with it. And then have
47:01
you been to the Harry Potter area in Universal?
47:03
Yep. The butter beer there? Unreal. Get out of
47:05
town. It's so good. Yes. And like, it's not,
47:08
I've had it in some other places and it's not
47:09
the same. We went to the, what is it? The Cursed
47:13
Child, the play in New York City. And so they
47:16
have butter beer. They serve there in a bottle.
47:18
Oh no. Like, it was terrible. Horrible. Give
47:22
me that Butterbeer Universal. That was amazing.
47:24
And they had the regular and the frozen version,
47:28
right? Like the slushy version. And you got me
47:31
wanting to go to Universal now. Love that. Okay,
47:35
zoo or aquarium? Oh, man. Depends on the kind
47:40
of time of year. Totally true. Like, aquarium
47:42
is a winter thing for us. And then the zoo is
47:44
the summer thing. Have you been to the new section
47:46
of the aquarium here? That they just opened up?
47:50
Oh, man. It's really cool. Fun area. It is fun.
47:53
I'm still impressed that with this addition they
47:56
did fifth largest aquarium in the United States
47:59
in a landlocked state in Utah. It's like, are
48:02
you serious? That's amazing. And I remember where
48:04
they started in that old grocery store over in
48:06
Sandy. Well, and in fact, where they actually
48:08
started was out of the back of his van. Oh, I
48:11
heard that. I've heard that story. Out of the
48:12
back of his van, he just was passionate about
48:15
taking animals to students. and would drive all
48:18
over the state doing it. And then that's like,
48:21
it just blows my mind that that's where it came.
48:23
Talk about having like a mission clarity, right?
48:25
And be able to build from there. He's a great
48:28
leader. Beach or forest? Oh, beach. I love the
48:33
beach. I love me a beach. Okay, now this next
48:35
question is based off of our experience a couple
48:38
of days ago. So I threw this one in, also knowing
48:40
that you speak Spanish. Tacos or enchiladas?
48:44
Oh. Enchiladas, I'm a okay. Let's go on a guy
48:47
covered Covered in cheese and enchilada sauce
48:50
and yeah, I'm not a come not a I'm a picky eater
48:54
in some way So I don't do lettuce and tomato.
48:55
I I can do lettuce and tomato separate Okay,
48:58
but not on a brewer not on a taco. So my tacos
49:00
just a plain Yeah, not just a hard shell and
49:03
yeah, so my enchilada. Okay, isn't you have to
49:05
worry about that? Yes, and he's got a dream.
49:06
She's a bunch of goodness a lot of oh, yeah Yes,
49:09
it's yeah. Yes, Angela's one when I have her
49:11
lunch today. I can already tell I love it. Okay.
49:14
Here's our rapid fire Okay, so first thing that
49:16
comes to mind. Okay, okay favorite Disney movie
49:21
Mighty Ducks. Oh Such a good one. Oh and when
49:25
we were growing up Mighty Ducks was Incredible
49:29
all we talked like I just want I wanted to play
49:31
hockey. Yep. I was like, yeah, let me do the
49:32
flying V I want to be on that one to be scoring
49:34
that goal, right? Great movie. Yep favorite Disney
49:38
song Oh my gosh. Hakuna Matata is up there, honestly.
49:42
It's a good one. But man, they're so singable.
49:45
Aladdin. Some Aladdin songs. And then Pocahontas,
49:49
The Color of the Wind. I heard that the other
49:51
day again. I don't know. It resonated the other
49:53
day. It's a very good song. It was about what?
49:56
A lot going on. Anyways. Yeah. So great songs.
49:59
Favorite Disney princess. Oh my gosh. Boy. Jasmine.
50:06
Jasmine's great. Jasmine. Look, when we were
50:08
growing up, yeah, I mean, Aladdin and Jasmine,
50:10
dude, they were cool. And she was cute, right?
50:13
I'm admitting it. When I was a kid, I was like,
50:14
oh, Jasmine. Yes, and I had a sister who was
50:17
12 years younger than me to the day. And what
50:18
I remember is she won another princess. So I
50:20
remember that was the first one I bought her,
50:21
was the little figurine. Oh, that's cute. That
50:23
was the first one I bought her. So that will
50:25
always be something. Oh, absolutely. Have a special
50:27
place, for sure. It's the nostalgia, right? Favorite
50:30
Disney hero or heroine? Oh, my word. Whoo, man,
50:36
these are good. I love Buzz Lightyear. I go to
50:39
the Toy Story. That's my year. My that was a
50:41
different Pixar came that was a whole other You
50:44
know the Buzz Lightyear Woody like Woody probably
50:46
actually Woody and that actually more than buzz
50:48
Oh, you know Woody Woody goes through a really
50:50
good like hero's journey. Mm -hmm now he really
50:53
does where he has to grow because he is the leader
50:55
he's the undisputed leader and Yet he has to
50:59
grow to be able to appreciate What everybody
51:02
else can contribute and how he can lead more
51:04
effectively? Yeah Yep, and he does too, right?
51:08
Yep. Okay last two And this is not Disney related
51:12
favorite book. Oh my word favorite book Honestly,
51:18
it's da Vinci code like I go back I'm a kind
51:21
of a history that way I like that kind of history
51:24
but with the mystery like I don't know that book
51:26
I've read several times. Love it Super good.
51:29
Did you read angels and demons? Love that book,
51:31
too So I'd read I had read Da Vinci Code and
51:33
loved it and loved the movie and then when I
51:36
was driving back from law school at Waco Cuz
51:40
I had to drive back when law school was done
51:42
with all of our stuff Technically we got wise
51:45
in the way back which is we had 18 wheeler take
51:48
this stuff back to his head rubber car, right?
51:50
It was a long drive and my ex -wife at the time.
51:52
She did not love driving. Mm -hmm. And so I had
51:55
to drive the whole way and I put Angels and Demons
51:58
on audio CD and the drive was a breeze because
52:02
I was so into it the whole drive. It's a long
52:05
drive but it made it go so much better because
52:07
Dan Brown's a very good writer. You just get
52:10
sucked right in that story and then you just
52:11
can't edge your seat can't wait till it's happening
52:13
next. We'd stop for like gas or something like
52:15
couldn't wait to get back in the car. Oh I love
52:19
that. Okay and the last one ultimate dinner guest
52:21
dead or alive. Oh my word. You know again I didn't
52:25
I wasn't a big politics guy, but I always wanted
52:29
to hear the perspective of, I don't know why,
52:32
but John F. Kennedy. I look back and I wish it
52:37
kills me hard that he lost his life so young.
52:40
I think he had so much, but just I would love
52:43
to have understood his, I love his early life.
52:45
I love his story. I've always wanted to hear
52:48
more about him and wish he would have been around
52:50
more to tell more of his story. We went to Arlington.
52:56
cemetery on a way back from a Disney cruise,
52:58
wouldn't you know? Right. And we flew through
53:01
DC, but we had a layover about 10 hours. And
53:04
so we took the kids because they'd never been
53:06
there just to a few things in time we had and
53:07
one of them was Arlington Cemetery where he's
53:09
buried. And I was kind of explaining to them
53:11
like, you know, this was the present we had and
53:13
he got killed in his office. And it was cool
53:16
for my kids to be like, you know, kind of be
53:17
very respectful of what that was and all the
53:19
other things that were there. We saw the tomb
53:21
of the unknown soldier. um the thing that they
53:24
do there it was just this really sobering experience
53:26
but also like a great experience for my kids
53:27
to have that surprisingly they really liked and
53:30
appreciated that's really good um okay so to
53:34
kind of kind of wrap up here i mean what i what
53:35
i love about our conversation uh mayor is is
53:38
just how i think you've really highlighted well
53:41
the importance of building the relationships
53:45
in a way that helps people feel heard and seen
53:47
that helps people feel validated that You get
53:50
really curious about what they've got going on
53:52
and what their lives are like and what their
53:54
experiences are like. And when you do that, that's
53:57
where I think is the difference in being able
53:59
to build relationships. People who are those
54:01
networkers that we all kind of cringe at are
54:03
people who are not curious. You know they want
54:05
something from you. You know they're going to
54:07
be a taker. And takers are tough. And the way
54:11
that we can effectively build relationships is
54:13
don't be a taker. Just, you know, be curious.
54:16
You know, want to look at the contributions that
54:17
we're making. much like Ken Mufasa did, where
54:20
he understood the circle of life. He understood
54:22
how all the component parts work together, and
54:25
then was able to effectively have conversations,
54:27
you know, where he still had a hold to a standard,
54:30
like with somebody had a hold of standard, they
54:32
showed an increase in love and kindness afterwards,
54:35
right? I think was really key. Yep. So if you
54:36
were to give people three actionable takeaways
54:40
based on some of the things we were talking about,
54:41
three things that they could put into practice
54:44
today, or this week to build better relationships,
54:49
to be able to have better influence in the positions
54:51
they have, to have a greater sense of belonging.
54:54
What would those three things be? Love that.
54:58
First one for me is have a conversation with
55:01
somebody you don't agree with. Like just have
55:04
a conversation with, because it's hard, it's
55:06
absolutely hard, but have that conversation and
55:09
do your, use your, I love your little intro,
55:12
your yes and. Don't blow it off, listen. Just
55:15
try to understand what their perspective is.
55:19
If you have one of those a week, honestly, I
55:21
try to put myself in one of those situations
55:22
once a week. So have those. Sit down with somebody
55:25
you don't necessarily agree with. Two is just
55:28
live outside yourself. You just have to live
55:30
outside yourself. Constantly serve. It goes back
55:33
to my mission. I remember when I was on the mission.
55:36
If you have a companion you don't agree with
55:38
or struggle with, serve somebody. Just get outside
55:41
yourself. If you're going through something hard,
55:44
Don't focus on yourself. Like I think it's easy
55:46
when we're going through something hard. Don't
55:47
focus on yourself Serve get outside yourself
55:50
and realize that somebody else is going through
55:52
something Probably even harder than you and I
55:54
think that puts in a perspective so perspective
55:56
and then it's just Being real. What's the word?
55:59
There was a genuine being genuine Just anybody
56:03
can tell when you're not being genuine with them.
56:04
I believe that you got to be real You got to
56:07
be genuine and if you're don't be fake because
56:09
people will see through that You've got to be
56:12
genuine when you're meeting with somebody, when
56:13
you're talking to somebody, when they're bringing
56:15
something up. They're coming from a place of
56:18
their perspective. They're coming from a place
56:20
that we laugh that sometimes somebody is concerned
56:23
about a pothole in their city. For us, we deal
56:26
with those all day, every day. But for them,
56:28
if it's in their neighborhood, that's a real
56:30
issue for that person. That's their life every
56:33
day. So you've got to be real with people. And
56:35
you've got to just understand that's their reality.
56:39
And that's what you've got to try to help with
56:42
their situation. Fantastic. Oh, it's been such
56:44
a great conversation, Mayor. I really appreciate
56:46
you taking the time. I know you've got a lot
56:48
going and you're probably have a whole lot more
56:50
today as you're doing a lot of things and preparing
56:52
things. But I really appreciate your perspective
56:56
and you know what I've learned through the conversation
56:58
today about how I can. Be more genuine in in
57:03
the relationships that I have and that I'm trying
57:04
to build and how I can try to Connect better
57:07
and really focusing on that person and letting
57:09
that conversation when I am be really with them
57:11
I think it's really easy for me to sometimes
57:13
get distracted with a lot of things that I got
57:15
going But just taking those moments like really
57:18
focus on on those individuals and build those
57:20
relationships and collaborate So really appreciate
57:22
your time today. Thank you. It's been fun As
57:26
you lead this conversation remember that yes
57:29
the past can hurt and you can either run from
57:32
it or you can learn from it. So here's to learning
57:35
and finding joy in the journey. See you real
57:38
soon.