Latest / Elevate Podcast: Powered by Braden / Elevate Podcast Ep 20 - Relationships Beat Resumes - Jimmy Rayford, CEO of Dealers Wholesale

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Elevate Podcast Ep 20 - Relationships Beat Resumes - Jimmy Rayford, CEO of Dealers Wholesale · Elevate Podcast: Powered by Braden

0:10
Welcome to the Elevate podcast powered
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elevate your leadership, hit subscribe
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and follow us on LinkedIn for updates
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and behind the scenes content. Now,
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let's dive in. Hey everybody, Jason here
0:43
with another episode of the Elevate
0:45
Podcast powered by great. All these
0:47
episodes have been awesome. I've had
0:49
great conversations with people
0:51
forprofit and nonprofit. And the guy
0:53
that I got with me today, not only is
0:55
the most stylish, not only looks the
0:57
best, not one of the best stories out
0:59
there, one of the coolest guys you're
1:01
going to hear from, but Jippy, man,
1:02
thanks for joining the studio.
1:04
>> My pleasure. Thanks for thanks for
1:05
having me and kind words to have you
1:08
just walking me with that style. Well,
1:12
>> all right. So, obviously, Jenny, you are
1:15
the what today? You're the CEO of
1:17
>> CEO of dealers with sale. Gotcha.
1:20
>> All right. So we'll get there in a part
1:21
of your story, but let's start back the
1:24
journey. Let's go all the way to the
1:25
beginning. Jin, where you from? I'm from
1:27
Whitmouth, South Carolina. I have no
1:29
idea where that is. I love South
1:32
is a small town about dead center
1:34
between Greenville and Colia. So we're
1:38
talking probably the round up, 1500
1:42
people. So So I guess like a old textile
1:45
textile town. Yeah.
1:46
>> Right. Okay. So 1500 people is about big
1:48
it was in New Town. It was a little
1:50
smaller.
1:51
>> Uh, it's actually gotten it's actually
1:53
got smaller. Okay. So, Jim Ben since
1:55
I've been there. Yeah.
1:56
>> All right. Okay. So, from South Carolina
1:58
rural um going through school going
2:01
through high school. Tell me a little
2:02
bit about that experience.
2:03
>> I'm assuming small school.
2:04
>> Yeah.
2:05
>> Yeah. It was a smallest. My uh my high
2:08
school graduating class was probably we
2:10
say 50, but that's probably was probably
2:13
rounding up.
2:14
>> Yeah. Yeah.
2:14
>> Also, it was a seven through quail high
2:18
school. Okay.
2:19
>> It was one of these towns where like my
2:22
high school gradu class probably three
2:26
quarters of that class if you go back
2:29
look at our kindergarten picture. Yeah.
2:31
>> Threearters of us we in kindergarten
2:33
together.
2:34
>> Okay. Yeah. So um it was a it was a real
2:37
prideful Okay. Pride for town. Yeah. So
2:40
I mean over the years there was always
2:43
there there'd be a referendum coming
2:44
here and there to try to combine us
2:47
Yeah. um into a county school, but we
2:49
sat in between uh some larger some
2:52
larger towns and I could just remember
2:55
that it would always be like a big town
2:59
meeting. Yeah. And a and a fight over
3:01
cook if they were small but we did not
3:03
want to to join.
3:04
>> So you finish up your four years at
3:06
smaller school. What comes next? What
3:08
are you thinking you got to do after
3:09
high school?
3:10
>> You know, um I was always a good
3:13
student. So my my parents um instilled
3:16
that inside of me. Uh my parents didn't
3:18
go to college but because I was a good
3:21
student and you know was naive you know
3:24
I assumed you know that I would go to
3:26
college didn't
3:28
>> know much hadn't visit hadn't visited
3:30
much uh for two summers. The summer
3:32
after my sophomore year of high school
3:34
or junior year of high school, uh uh me
3:37
and my best friend since the second
3:39
grade, we went to a um summer career
3:42
workshop at Crimson.
3:44
>> Okay. So, that was like my only exposure
3:46
really to a school and kind of fell in
3:49
love with it. So, by by default, uh we
3:52
both concluded that we were going to go
3:54
we're going to go to Clemson and it's
3:55
the only school.
3:56
>> Didn't check out any other school. I
3:58
mean I think I went to um I think at one
4:01
point I may have gone to Ferman you know
4:03
he reio South Carolina on a tour but
4:06
>> so somewhere close by. Yeah.
4:07
>> But you thought you wanted to stay in
4:09
South Carolina.
4:10
>> Yeah.
4:10
>> Stay close.
4:11
>> Yeah. Only because I mean really it's
4:13
just it's
4:14
>> Yeah, sure.
4:15
>> Yeah.
4:16
>> Okay. So you finish up, you decide
4:17
you're going to go to Clemson. Yeah.
4:18
>> What are you going to study? What are
4:19
you going to do there?
4:20
>> Um again, you know, I don't know much,
4:25
right? Uh good in math and science. So
4:28
engineering, we didn't really know what
4:31
a engineer did. So that that based off
4:34
of uh math and science. Yeah. Kind of
4:37
understanding, you know, they'll
4:39
position me for a good job coming out of
4:42
school. Went to Clemson and didn't know
4:44
what engineering discipline. Yeah, I
4:46
sure that much about about engineering.
4:49
So took that first year kind of got some
4:52
exposure to the disciplines and and
4:54
pretty quickly discover like industrial
4:56
engineering was the was the route that I
4:57
wanted to take.
4:58
>> Okay. So you go down that path. What's
5:00
that look for look like for you for four
5:02
years? Are you towards the end of your
5:04
four years? Is there internship that
5:06
you're looking at or what were you
5:08
thinking about when you finish up at
5:10
Clemson? You know, if you were to go do
5:12
something next, what did you think that
5:14
job might look like?
5:15
>> Yeah. Before I get there, I would say
5:17
like that first semester. Yeah. Clemson
5:19
was a was a shock I bear like was it cuz
5:22
so many people or was it
5:24
>> not my you know freshman the freshman
5:26
like chemistry chemistry class and we
5:29
there's more people in the class than in
5:30
my high school.
5:31
>> Oh wow. So so one class one class here
5:35
old school. Yeah.
5:36
>> Yeah.
5:36
>> Yes. Also this is a culture culture
5:38
shock. Um I mean fortunately I didn't go
5:41
through any of that um alone. So again I
5:44
mentioned this name Rottney saw her best
5:47
friend since second grade. both went
5:49
cloning, learned together, both majored
5:51
in industrial industrial engineering,
5:53
same major, same.
5:55
>> So, thank goodness she got we had that
5:58
each other to lean on. And I remember we
6:01
didn't take uh well, I didn't take I
6:04
don't think he did either. We didn't
6:06
take pre-calculus any high school. So,
6:09
we had we get a calculus and we were
6:12
close to Jordan in high school and like
6:14
no, we we never made a never made a
6:16
beat. Oh yeah.
6:18
>> Anything and we getting those first
6:19
couple test backings like
6:21
>> this heart
6:27
that was just I mean we for both of us
6:31
you know we didn't have like there was
6:33
no sick.
6:34
>> Yeah. Right. So it it's it's made this
6:37
work or the alternative is is back home.
6:40
Yeah. You get a job. So kind of had to
6:43
grind it out, figure it out, you know,
6:45
built some relationships and some other
6:47
people and and you kind of as we got
6:50
comfortable and I would say like like by
6:53
like sophomore year I'm kind of I'm
6:56
comfortable with okay and doing well and
6:58
kind of you kind of settled in. Uh after
7:02
my sophomore year uh there's a program
7:07
um called inroads.
7:08
>> Okay. So inroads is a program uh geared
7:12
towards uh minority students and they
7:15
had corporate partners. So inroads would
7:18
match up students with the corporate
7:19
partners. You would interview with the
7:21
with the companies and they would have
7:22
to hire you as interns. So I interned
7:24
with IBM
7:26
um after my after my sophomore year and
7:30
after my junior year kind of at the
7:33
conclusion of my junior year before the
7:35
internship was over. They u stated me an
7:39
offer to join them after after I
7:41
graduate.
7:42
>> Oh wow. So I went the whole senior year
7:44
already happening you so you do. So that
7:46
takes a load off right at the end of the
7:48
day takes a lot of stress off because
7:50
coming up school
7:51
>> you got to place the land with IBM
7:54
during those internship years. What were
7:56
you do with it? What was what was your
7:58
job? What was your role during that time
7:59
here in school?
8:00
>> Yeah. So it's industrial engineering. So
8:02
I was doing like a lot of time savings.
8:04
some that I'm going down to the to the
8:06
shop to the shop floor and you know
8:08
sitting with operators and like timing
8:12
them.
8:12
>> Oh, no kidding. While they're working,
8:14
which you know, from their perspective,
8:16
I mean,
8:16
>> yeah, you're they don't they actually
8:18
don't watch. They're not interested in
8:20
Right. interested in that. So, you kind
8:21
of got to build some rapport.
8:24
>> No. As you're going along, so you can
8:26
really get a sense of what the work is
8:28
and and how they're performing the work
8:29
and in some cases, you know, skill for
8:32
time. They actually don't even know. I
8:34
mean, bedroom that you're time. So, it
8:36
was a lot of time studying and analysis.
8:38
Man, you're a young kid though going in
8:40
there. Those folks don't want you
8:41
watching what they're doing, telling me
8:43
what they're doing, right? At the end of
8:44
the day, but that's probably a pretty
8:45
good experience.
8:46
>> It was. And and I think just um in some
8:50
ways got my personality helped cuz I was
8:53
driven, but I'm not out there, you know,
8:56
telling these professionals Yeah. what
8:59
to do. So, I kind of couch everything
9:01
and which was reality. and I'm here to
9:03
learn from what you own. You're the
9:05
expert at what you do. So that that
9:07
approach on how to on how to deal Yeah.
9:10
with the opo
9:12
and that's really your first time
9:13
probably like in a in a job like that
9:15
where you're interacting with folks.
9:16
>> Yeah.
9:17
>> Cool experience.
9:18
>> Loved it.
9:18
>> Right. Okay. So IBM So IBM comes in, you
9:21
work there a couple of intern years,
9:24
finish up your senior year. Okay. So you
9:26
finish up, you're going to go to IBM.
9:28
Yeah.
9:28
>> Where do they send you? And what do you
9:29
do? I I went I went to the exact same uh
9:33
operation where I entered
9:35
>> Oh, it was silver. So, I'm coming back
9:37
and just So, you kind of know what
9:38
you're doing.
9:39
>> No, I know the know the group. Uh
9:41
>> um same department. So, with the
9:44
industrial engineers before uh I was in
9:47
Charlotte.
9:48
>> Yeah.
9:48
>> Um loved Charlotte. I had Charlotte was
9:52
only an hour and a half from where I
9:53
grew up in South Carolina. And I had um
9:56
I had Cole Stanley County Charlotte. I
9:59
also had RTO's internships at Ry Macy
10:01
free ships. So, I'm I'm ready to start
10:04
with an assumption that this is the
10:07
beginning of my 30-year career. IBM's
10:11
got it. You're going to start there. So,
10:12
I I'm curious. One of the things I'm
10:14
always curious about is like training,
10:16
how we train people today. IBM big
10:19
company. Yeah.
10:20
>> Right. So, when you go into IBM, how was
10:22
the training program for you back then?
10:23
Was it was it pretty good? Back then it
10:25
was a lot of it was it was on the job.
10:29
Okay. So it was on the job. I had a uh I
10:32
had my office my office mate was was
10:35
pretty much like my assigned okay
10:37
mentors. I had a couple of assigned
10:39
mentors. So I'm I'm shadowing them. They
10:42
kind of also assigning me you know work
10:45
product leave me alone. So it was it was
10:47
it was much less formal training like
10:50
yeah more
10:51
>> pretty much on the on the job
10:53
particularly given that I had been there
10:56
a couple of summers a couple summers
10:58
anyway.
10:58
>> Okay.
10:58
>> All right. So before we progress there
11:00
I'm just curious. So your your second
11:02
grade buddy through high school goes to
11:05
Clemson. You're now going to IBM. Does
11:07
he follow the IBM?
11:08
>> It be he's probably I was probably doing
11:10
more following of him.
11:12
>> Okay.
11:12
>> Because he was like he was the extroer.
11:15
>> Oh okay. He never met a he never met a
11:17
stranger and I'm I'm the guy that that
11:21
once I get to know you then we're good.
11:24
But no, when we gradu we graduated like
11:27
when I say like we room together.
11:28
>> Yeah. You guys were buddies.
11:30
>> All four years we took
11:32
>> I can only remember it's probably we can
11:35
I can count on one hand the number of
11:37
classes that we did not have together
11:40
from second grade. No
11:42
>> through under through undergrad. That's
11:44
me. And um I went to Charlotte and he
11:46
went to uh you went to Georgia.
11:49
>> Okay. Yeah. All right. Yeah. Okay. So
11:51
you're at IBM as a young kid and you're
11:54
thinking this is the start of my three
11:57
years. I'll be here. I'm set. Corporate
11:59
job. I'll retire 55 60 whatever it's
12:02
going. Love the city.
12:03
>> Yep. I love where I'm at.
12:04
>> Beautiful. Okay. So So what changes?
12:07
Where you go first?
12:10
>> First stab me.
12:12
>> Yep.
12:12
>> When I start the job. All right.
12:14
>> Peers ask our manager if we should be
12:20
shopping our resumes.
12:22
>> Well,
12:24
first for for I'm I'm two weeks I'm two
12:27
weeks in and I'm two weeks in.
12:28
>> You're fresh out of college. Fresh out
12:29
of college. You should be a shot and
12:32
never never stepped foot in in Clemson's
12:35
career office. Yeah. So because I I had
12:38
my job and us all you we were doing all
12:40
of our friends getting the jobs and my
12:41
my always competitive with theirs. Um
12:44
come to find out I was pro that that
12:47
division of IBM was about to be sold.
12:50
>> Oh
12:51
it wouldn't surprise me if I was the
12:54
last like full-time hire.
12:56
>> Okay, in that division. So I'm literally
13:00
I'm literally like on the job market
13:04
right almost immediately. And so you now
13:08
okay you're an hour and a half from
13:09
home. You're two weeks into a job. They
13:12
you need to start shopping your resume.
13:14
So where do you shop to and where do you
13:16
go?
13:16
>> So I'm I'm I'm I'm
13:19
wanted ads. Yeah.
13:20
>> In the paper. Um
13:23
there was a recruiter older guy that
13:26
went to my uh on your uncle's church.
13:29
>> Okay.
13:30
>> So uh they introduced me to him. I had a
13:34
meeting with him. Gets me back was do
13:37
whatever you can to stay
13:38
>> to stay at IBM because that's a great
13:40
company. I'm like well
13:42
>> yeah would love to do that. and my man I
13:46
and this manager had been he had been my
13:49
manager the second year of my
13:52
internship. Okay. And he did what was a
13:56
big blessing. He arranged for me to take
14:00
a trip to IBM in the research triangle
14:03
rale bur area and in a single day I had
14:07
interviews from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
14:11
apartments functions and and
14:15
um and that's how one of those managers
14:19
um was the one that extended me an offer
14:21
and allowed me to um transfer uh from
14:25
Charlotte to to Riley Jurgen.
14:26
>> Okay. And and funny story with that is
14:29
so
14:31
one of the managers I was supposed to
14:33
interview with was the industrial
14:34
engineering manager but before I met
14:37
with him I met with his manager.
14:40
>> Okay.
14:41
>> And he told me you know you can meet
14:43
with you can meet with him should he
14:45
doesn't have any openings but the
14:48
manager of the manufacturing test
14:50
engineering department does. If you have
14:53
time I think you should jer him. Yep. So
14:57
yeah, that's all I had to do. So we put
14:59
So he was the last interview
15:02
since Dennis guy. Dennis becomes a
15:05
recurring thing through my whole whole
15:08
career. Out of all of those banders,
15:10
Dennis is the one that extended me and
15:13
all of
15:14
>> I start so I started working with Dennis
15:16
in January
15:18
of 1998.
15:21
>> Okay. and he and I worked together on
15:25
and off all the way up to me joining
15:29
Needless Wholesale 2020.
15:31
>> No kidding. So all with IBM?
15:34
>> No. No. So
15:35
>> Oh my gosh.
15:36
>> So Vince was was and I I say I mean my
15:40
experience is a different experience. So
15:43
uh Dennis was was African-American as
15:46
well about 10 years older.
15:49
>> Okay. Older than me. Yep. And so he was
15:52
like he saw in he saw talent in me like
15:57
before I knew
15:58
>> Yeah. how far I could go.
16:00
>> So he made it. So D was like I could
16:02
always believe that I can go do
16:04
something because generally Dennis had
16:07
>> Yeah.
16:07
>> Dennis had done it and and paid and
16:09
paved the way. So
16:10
>> Oh, great.
16:11
>> We went to IBM together. um IBM
16:17
Dan her Beldu
16:20
strategic materials. So over that course
16:22
the only time that we did work together
16:24
is he took a he took a role how that
16:26
public storage in California and we
16:30
talked about we talked about about that
16:32
it just could make I couldn't wrap my
16:34
head around going okay go that on that
16:36
wall.
16:37
>> Okay. All right. So so he starts to
16:39
invest in him. Yeah. Right. And and
16:41
you're also investing in him. You guys
16:43
are a partnership. Yep.
16:45
>> You're you're at IBM. The the next role,
16:49
does he leave and then bring you to the
16:51
next?
16:52
>> That that's generally how it worked.
16:54
>> Okay.
16:55
>> The entire time.
16:56
>> Okay. So, work work through those again.
16:58
Yeah. IBM to where?
17:00
>> So, I I I went from IBM actually my
17:04
division in IBM
17:06
was sold.
17:07
>> Okay. That's another kind. Uh this is
17:09
right around the time where where uh
17:12
Dale Computer came in and disrupted the
17:14
industry and just started piece by piece
17:17
that basically run IBM sure out of the
17:19
space. So I was in the PC manufacturing
17:22
group and they outsourced the
17:24
manufacturing to a contract
17:25
manufacturers um San Mina SDI. So I went
17:28
there first. Um this was I was there
17:33
along the time when Dennis went to
17:36
public storage. Okay. He left public
17:39
storage and went to Daner.
17:41
>> Yep. Uh we reconnected. So he brought me
17:45
into into Daner. Fantastic uh position
17:49
for six months. I was managing a
17:51
project, you know, bouncing back and
17:53
forth between Switzerland and India. No
17:57
kidding. Talk about that a little bit.
18:00
Yeah, but why does like to travel? I
18:01
mean, it was um I mean, it was time to
18:05
as I'm just walking around like like I
18:08
feel like I could not be further away
18:10
from what myself.
18:11
>> Yeah. Yeah.
18:12
>> Right. So, that always kind of, you
18:13
know, fills me up and instills some
18:15
pride and respons and responsibility.
18:19
>> Um but yeah, it was it was fantastic.
18:21
Yeah. Just kind of seeing like two
18:25
sharply
18:26
>> Yeah.
18:26
>> different dreams. Of course. Yeah. and
18:29
and how um
18:32
but it was easier it was actually easier
18:34
for me in India than it was in
18:37
Switzerland just because of the language
18:38
you know in Switzerland you
18:40
>> they don't speak it yeah and don't care
18:43
that but the experiencing India and
18:46
seeing like what global poverty
18:50
>> yeah look like
18:51
>> yeah was was eye opening um experience
18:54
experience for me also
18:56
>> so at this point you're Dan or her
18:58
travel around a little bit. And you met
19:00
your wife?
19:01
>> I met my wife actually
19:05
uh about 4 months after I graduated from
19:09
Clemson.
19:10
>> Okay. Yeah. All right.
19:11
>> I'm I'm again I'm I got all the stuff
19:13
mapped out, right? I'm a 30-year career.
19:15
I began I got a little bit of money.
19:17
>> All right. So, at this point, you're
19:20
young young newlyweds. You're traveling
19:23
yet are a terrible business traveler.
19:25
Yep.
19:25
>> Not see going around to see the world
19:27
but not seeing it. That's like a doggy
19:28
word.
19:30
>> So from Dan her you then go off to the
19:32
next place. Where's that? Where's that?
19:34
>> That was Belt. Okay. That's when I move.
19:37
So when uh after I did the travel Yeah.
19:40
>> I took a second role in Dana Herd. That
19:43
caused that's when we relocated from
19:45
Durham, North Carolina to Westchester,
19:48
Pennsylvania.
19:49
>> Okay. So Dan Herd moved me to
19:50
Westchester, Pennsylvania. We were there
19:52
for um for a couple of years. That's
19:54
kind of one of the the big roles of my
19:56
career. I was operations director of a
19:58
of a small plant there in Westchester.
20:01
So, at that point, you're really
20:02
starting to leave people.
20:03
>> Yeah, that was that was
20:07
that role was significant because this
20:08
was a role where where in the like
20:11
there's no one over me for lack of a
20:14
better term in the building.
20:16
>> So, so this was like this stops. Yeah.
20:20
Is that one of the first roles you had
20:21
where you were really like the leader of
20:23
a particular portfolio or
20:25
>> Yeah. I had done some you know
20:27
department leadership before that but
20:29
this is when you know there's there was
20:31
like real P&L
20:33
>> Yeah. Sure. respons responsibility at a
20:36
um a nononsense company and yeah in Dan
20:40
her good way.
20:42
>> Yeah. I I I tell people my few years at
20:45
Dan Herd was like I considered that to
20:47
be like my master's degree and yeah in
20:49
operations and the execution.
20:52
>> So you're in Pennsylvania. How do you
20:54
end up in Indiana? How'd you get here?
20:56
>> So um Dennis
21:00
left Danher
21:03
um went to Belden Corporation here.
21:06
>> Yep. in Indie. Um I'd say about
21:11
maybe around a year or so after after he
21:16
left uh we enga re-engaged again. Uh at
21:20
that point I had made a decision as
21:22
opposed to staying like on a pure
21:25
operations track. I wanted to be more of
21:28
a general manager's track just to see
21:30
the broader business as opposed to this
21:32
operations.
21:34
felt like I would get there that that
21:37
opportunity would be accelerated with
21:42
Beldon. Yeah. Ter joining joining Dennis
21:44
and we Beldon basically like the senior
21:47
executives of Beldor were all like
21:49
Dasher people.
21:51
>> Okay.
21:51
>> And that but that move was to Richmond.
21:54
Richmond.
21:55
>> Oh. So not not here to ESO.
21:58
We were in Richmond saying this was when
22:00
we moved to
22:03
Richmond.
22:05
We had just had our daughter.
22:07
>> I guess so cuz Reese was born in
22:10
Pennsylvania.
22:11
>> Okay.
22:12
>> And then but she was she wasn't even one
22:14
years old before we moved to um moved to
22:17
Richmond.
22:17
>> Gotcha.
22:18
>> And uh but we were in Richmond for we we
22:21
thought you know I need to go check a
22:23
box.
22:24
>> Yep. Um, so we were there for about a
22:26
year and then we're able to transfer
22:29
you.
22:29
>> Okay. So you get over to Indie, move up
22:31
here from from Beldon. Is that your next
22:34
role is landing in Dealers Wholesale?
22:37
>> No. No. I was at Beldon for I was at
22:40
Beldon for five years. Okay. U Belden
22:45
paid for me uh to get my MBA from no
22:48
from Notre Dame.
22:49
>> Oh, terrific.
22:50
>> Yeah. So that was been fantastic.
22:52
>> What a what a great
22:53
>> Yeah. I bet. Yeah. So that and then I
22:56
think coming out of that I just started
22:58
thinking a little bit about you know
23:00
just seeing
23:02
diverse people in terms of professional
23:04
background.
23:05
>> Yeah. Sure.
23:06
>> Hearing more maybe for the first time
23:08
about you know profit and
23:10
entrepreneurship and just that kind of
23:12
plant seed for me on like what what's
23:15
life like? What's the difference between
23:18
you know a big public company
23:20
>> and a and a private equity
23:22
>> that company. So I was already thinking
23:24
about that and then had the opportunity
23:28
to join Dennis again at um strategic
23:32
materials. It's a glass. It's like North
23:34
America's largest glass recycling
23:36
company.
23:37
>> Gotcha.
23:37
>> Headquartered in um in Houston.
23:40
>> Okay.
23:41
>> Um but I was able to just stay here and
23:44
just travel as I needed needed to
23:46
travel. It was PE only. They had hired
23:50
Dennis
23:52
get it in shape. It's a sale.
23:54
>> Yep.
23:55
>> Um so when I when I eventually went
23:58
there so I was we kind of knew what the
24:01
what the client what the Sure. So I did
24:03
everything from you know strategy
24:07
business development chief commercial
24:09
officer and orderizing put processes in
24:13
in in place with the end goal of u
24:17
selling the company. So from the time I
24:20
got there, we did that in about three
24:22
years.
24:22
>> Oh, okay.
24:23
>> And then I stayed around um for another
24:28
I guess maybe it took us four years, but
24:30
I think I stayed around for like another
24:32
year, year and a half before I found out
24:36
about the opportunity.
24:38
>> Okay. So, but that that opportunity that
24:41
you've now had a couple of places where
24:43
you've been kind of operations manager,
24:46
then general manager, now you position
24:48
yourself for three, four years to get in
24:51
business to sell. You got your NBA at
24:53
this point.
24:54
>> You're now really well-rounded. Yeah.
24:56
From a leadership, right?
24:58
>> Yeah.
24:58
>> So, I'm curious as you gone through that
25:00
journey before you get into dealers,
25:03
what what did you like? If you you think
25:05
about it, you know, a lot of times
25:07
leaders are really good in one area,
25:09
maybe they're not they like this area
25:11
over here, but was it people management?
25:13
Was it operations? Was it growth in
25:17
sales? What what what did you really
25:18
enjoy about some of those roles?
25:20
>> I I've always had because I came up
25:23
through operations, I always have a
25:25
affinity,
25:26
>> okay,
25:27
>> for the operations uh operation side of
25:30
of the business. Um but what I like more
25:34
um just the opportunity to just play a
25:37
role in in all the parts. Okay. In all
25:41
the parts of the business, which is a
25:42
reason why I wanted to build the GM
25:44
route as opposed to the to the operation
25:47
to the operations operations route.
25:49
>> Yeah. So you like the operations, but
25:51
you also wanted to make sure you had a
25:52
hands everywhere else, right? So without
25:55
maybe thinking about it, you're thinking
25:56
like, hey, maybe someday I might be a
25:58
CEO because you like all that stuff. You
26:00
know, I didn't
26:01
There was a time where I had convinced I
26:04
had convinced myself that maybe, you
26:06
know, the number two guy, okay, the
26:09
right-hand man to the to the CEO.
26:13
I'm not not at all a bad place to be.
26:16
And yeah, maybe that's more suitable for
26:18
me. I tend to I don't have to be in the
26:21
foreground. Just I'm just comfortable
26:23
being in the background trying to figure
26:25
out, you know, what pieces need to need
26:27
to move need to move. So I hadn't really
26:30
convinced myself that that that was
26:32
probably more suitable for for my
26:34
personality and skill set.
26:36
>> So you would put a ceiling on yourself,
26:38
right, at the end of the day that that
26:40
Yeah. CEO, but but maybe if I was a COO
26:43
or something like you're helping him
26:44
run.
26:45
>> Yep.
26:45
>> All right. So, but now you're finishing
26:48
up. You sell the PE, right? So that
26:50
organization now has been sold and you
26:53
learn about the dealer's opportunity.
26:55
Yeah.
26:56
>> How'd you learn about it? how did you
26:57
get in running and what it look like
26:59
>> before I learned about it? So, probably
27:02
a year before I learned about it. Um,
27:06
and at that point, you know, I've been
27:09
at Strategic Materials for four years.
27:14
>> Um,
27:15
I didn't really have if I was I didn't
27:18
really have a desire to run strategic
27:22
strategic materials. It had octed
27:25
itself. But I started to think like I've
27:28
checked I've checked all the boxes.
27:31
>> Yeah,
27:32
>> there are to check. So that was when I
27:36
said, you know, I think I'm I think I'm
27:39
ready,
27:39
>> okay,
27:40
>> to position myself for for a CEO.
27:43
Um, I had a real uh good friend of mine
27:47
and in YP YO together. It's a real
27:50
thoughtful guy named named Tony. and
27:53
Tony and I were talking and and he just
27:56
worked with me. I mean, we did a couple
27:59
of things. Um, you know, he helped me
28:02
define like just three or four key
28:04
characteristics of first time CEO. It's
28:09
important just to have clarity on what's
28:13
attractive, what's attractive to you
28:15
because because uh Tony believed to be
28:17
too and his perspective was with your
28:20
with my background once you put yourself
28:23
out there, you're not going to lack of
28:25
opportunities.
28:27
>> So before those opportunities present
28:29
themselves and you just get attracted
28:32
>> by gown, we need to have a filter that
28:34
you can bring those opportunities
28:35
through.
28:36
>> Sounds great. pretty well.
28:37
>> Yeah.
28:38
>> And we worked on that. And the second
28:39
thing we worked on was he helped me um
28:43
he helped me really create like like my
28:46
story
28:47
>> and and the way the way he defined it
28:50
was like let's focus in on your on your
28:53
three uniques. What are the three
28:56
things? A combination of these three
28:58
these three things will make you a
29:01
unique candidate for the CEO role that
29:05
matches your real criteria. And then and
29:08
then he said once we do that then we'll
29:10
orchestrate everything else around that.
29:13
We'll make sure that your resume speaks
29:14
to that. Yeah.
29:15
>> As you prepare everything is going to
29:17
come back to experiences and proof
29:20
points on those on those three uniques
29:22
just
29:23
>> or any of that. Um well they take a
29:26
couple blow inside you getting that
29:27
information. I'm curious those three
29:29
things. Do you remember kind of what you
29:30
were thinking about back then? What were
29:32
>> it was uh manufacturing expertise.
29:36
>> Okay.
29:36
>> It was culture architect
29:40
>> and it was
29:43
commercial down creative.
29:45
>> Okay. So you picked some bullets that
29:47
would be unique to you and then in them
29:49
like you said you made the your your p
29:51
your profile or resume kind of speak to
29:53
that.
29:54
>> And even more than that is is like for
29:56
each one of those three things
29:58
regardless of the the chronology of the
30:01
of the roles like each one of those like
30:04
what are the experiences that backs up
30:06
you're a manufacturing expert?
30:09
>> Oh I see. What are the experiences that
30:11
that prove out that that you a
30:14
self-defined culture culture art
30:16
architect? So, so when I went eventually
30:19
into like the dealers wholesaler
30:20
interview, I went into the interview
30:22
almost from a perspective of I don't
30:25
know how they're going to conduct the
30:26
interview. I don't know what they're
30:28
going to ask you, but I know that some
30:32
way somehow this part of me
30:34
>> Yeah. I have to figure out how to convey
30:38
this in the in the
30:39
>> you know I think that that's some great
30:41
advice for people out there whether I
30:42
mean obviously you were going to go sit
30:44
for a CEO role but people interview for
30:46
roles every day
30:48
>> this advice like I literally
30:51
two weeks ago uh a fellow Clemson grad
30:54
reached out to me on being she was a few
30:57
years um younger than me and thinking
31:00
about career change and we started
31:02
talking about it and literally what I
31:04
just
31:05
>> told you that's what I shared.
31:07
>> Yeah,
31:08
>> that's what I shared for her on her on
31:11
her approach before she had a tremendous
31:13
pedigree. So I was like I people don't
31:16
want you there. It's not people like you
31:17
just walking around every day. So let's
31:19
just get ready before those those uh
31:22
options present themselves. That's
31:24
awesome. That's some great advice.
31:25
That's one right there that's going to
31:26
show up in the bullets for this.
31:29
>> That's good. All right. So you learn
31:30
about the dealer's wholesale
31:32
opportunity. you're going through the
31:35
process ultimately you get selected
31:37
right and so um tell me a little bit
31:41
about you know kind of the role what
31:43
you're doing and then you know dealers
31:45
wholesale for people that don't know and
31:47
this is great opportunity to share and
31:49
merge how what you guys do you guess sir
31:51
>> yeah you don't mind before I get there
31:52
because I think I think the story of how
31:54
it presented itself is there's some
31:56
nuggets in that
31:57
>> oh that'd be great to go back how do you
31:59
found out yeah so you sit in
32:02
I'm sitting in Houston one day because
32:05
that's what New Jersey says. We're at
32:07
it, right? I'm down there. I was I was
32:09
traveling about 50% of the time back and
32:12
all of a sudden I get I get a text from
32:15
um a fellow liber.
32:17
>> Okay. um just kind of out of the blue,
32:19
Tim Tim text me and he he kind of
32:22
started with uh he's in the um insurance
32:26
space, you know, whether or not I can
32:27
make an introduction to the right people
32:30
at um at Strategic. No problem. Yeah.
32:33
>> And then he asked me um
32:37
are you are you open to considering new
32:40
opportunities? How things how things are
32:41
going for you? And you know um
32:46
when people when someone askked me
32:47
something like that there's almost like
32:49
an auto an auto response that says that
32:52
you know
32:53
>> things are great.
32:54
>> Yeah. Right. And and and I kind of
32:56
preface it by you know you know things
32:58
are going things are going fine but I
33:01
have been considering you know looking
33:03
for new opportunities. So so yeah so two
33:06
things like the power of relation the
33:07
power of relationships. It is very clear
33:10
to me that the only way that I find out
33:14
about this opportunity is him.
33:17
>> Yeah.
33:17
>> It doesn't come through any other path.
33:20
>> Yeah.
33:21
>> Except except for him. So the power of
33:24
relation of relationships and you know
33:26
making impressions on people when you
33:28
don't even know that you're making an
33:30
impression on people. was not like Tim
33:32
and I had spent
33:34
>> that much time
33:35
>> together, but I had made enough of a
33:37
positive impression on him for him to be
33:39
willing to to extent couldn't my name
33:42
associated with with his name on it
33:45
being just being vulnerable enough to
33:47
say like
33:48
>> Yeah, I wouldn't like to take a look at
33:49
a at a different opportunity as opposed
33:51
to feel like you got to be all all
33:54
prideful. Yeah, sure. And all this jazz.
33:56
So, so Tim introduces me to um David man
34:02
from the the Firefly group, one of the
34:04
managing partners. Um I had a I think I
34:07
may have had a phone phone call with
34:09
with David just so you can get some
34:11
basics on me and I understand the role.
34:14
Soon as I've understood the role, I
34:17
matched it up to my criteria.
34:19
>> Yeah.
34:19
>> That Tony and I worked on. Check. Check.
34:22
Check.
34:23
>> Yeah. Like, yes. Yes. This is this is on
34:25
everything that I wanted that was I
34:28
wanted something that had manufacturing
34:30
>> component makes sense
34:31
>> do it so I could you know leverage my
34:33
manufacturing experience. I wanted it to
34:36
be on the on the really on the smaller
34:39
side of what I had been responsible for
34:41
my career so that well I'm trying to
34:44
figure out what I'm supposed to be
34:45
doing. If I got to just brute force yeah
34:47
some things I can I can do I can do
34:49
that. And I really wanted to be like a
34:52
local I didn't wanna be I didn't want to
34:55
travel. Yeah. Much no. Um u just coming
34:59
off of you know four or five years of
35:01
30% 30% career and check check hit all
35:06
hit all those things. Um that initial
35:08
conversation with David went well. He
35:10
introduced me um to the recruiter.
35:13
>> Yeah.
35:14
>> And uh it was a good time. they had
35:18
initiated the search but um but they
35:20
were still looking for for qualified uh
35:23
candidates and was often went. So, I'm
35:26
so glad we went back to that, right?
35:28
Because you're right, there's some
35:29
nuggets and you mentioned a relationship
35:32
of Tim insurance industry, right? So,
35:35
somebody that that knew you, but you
35:37
weren't you weren't like best friends,
35:39
right? Yep.
35:40
>> But knew of you and obviously had
35:42
thought enough of you to make a call.
35:45
>> And that's one side of it, right? One
35:46
side is for somebody to call up, reach
35:48
out. The other is, and I think this is
35:50
one of the most important things I've
35:52
heard, and we haven't talked about this
35:53
a lot in the show, and I think this
35:54
would be a good point for people to
35:56
think about. You know, you didn't really
35:57
know Tim, Rick, he was part of a group
35:59
that you were part of. You had a level
36:02
of trust, right? And you you through the
36:05
relationships of other people, you
36:07
trusted him and you were open enough to
36:10
say, "Yeah, I would be open to having a
36:12
conversation."
36:13
>> Y
36:14
>> and and that's that's important. People
36:16
should hear that, right? when somebody
36:18
reaches out to you and they ask you that
36:21
question, um, they'll just do that to
36:24
anybody.
36:24
>> Yeah.
36:25
>> Right. They're reaching out because I
36:26
think they believe in their mind that
36:29
they may know something that could be
36:30
helpful to you.
36:32
>> And I think a lot of times what we you
36:33
mentioned pride.
36:34
>> Yeah. A lot of people will just, you
36:36
know, kind of push that away because I
36:38
don't want anybody to know I'm looking.
36:39
I want everybody to think it's great. I
36:40
need to put this facade on everything be
36:43
perfect.
36:43
>> Yep. At the end of the day, it was okay
36:44
to say, "No, it's cool. I'll be happy to
36:46
talk to you." Hey. Yeah.
36:47
>> And look at what it opened up for you.
36:49
>> I think the other part of that
36:50
relationship part is is
36:53
um my relationship with Tony.
36:56
>> Yeah.
36:56
>> Cuz not only did Tony help me before the
36:59
opportunity presented itself.
37:01
>> Yeah.
37:02
>> Tony was my cheat code
37:03
>> all the way through. All the way.
37:05
>> I I've never felt so prepared.
37:10
>> Yeah.
37:10
>> As I was going through the deal process.
37:14
No kidding. because I I just I went into
37:17
not having I mean I haven't done that
37:20
many cold interviews,
37:22
>> right? Because a lot of the time I'm not
37:24
feeling this. Oh yeah. Yeah.
37:26
>> Yeah. So So this is like like you said
37:29
new and because I went each one of the
37:32
plan here's here's here's how I'm
37:34
positioning myself.
37:35
>> Yeah.
37:36
>> Here the examples I got to figure out
37:38
how to get in here. Here are the stories
37:40
>> I want to tell. So when I got to the end
37:42
of the process, I was at peace that if I
37:46
don't get it, it's because they just
37:48
determined that there was someone more
37:50
suited for the role. But it is not
37:52
because I left anything on the table in
37:55
terms of how I wanted to communicate who
37:58
I was. And I contrast that with
38:02
I would say maybe um let's just say
38:05
three or four years.
38:06
>> Okay.
38:07
>> Prior to this,
38:08
>> I had an opportunity with a uh
38:12
a private equity a private equity
38:14
company is one of the is one of the few
38:17
um blackowned and black run private
38:20
equity company. We know big office.
38:23
>> Okay.
38:23
>> New war. Yeah. Recruiter reaches out to
38:25
me. I go through the interview process.
38:28
as I make it to like the final three and
38:31
they're looking for two. Okay. Yeah. And
38:34
that was three,000 in the third floor.
38:36
Yeah. Also call outside looking in.
38:39
Yeah. Yeah. And this was I didn't know
38:43
I didn't this is this is about pure
38:45
private. This isn't this isn't working
38:47
for a primary back company. This is
38:49
working for the private Oh, I see you.
38:51
Okay. All right. And Tony is still
38:54
you know he's still our guy.
38:56
>> Yeah. And Tony knows that space inside
39:00
>> and he never I never had a conversation
39:04
with Tony in that opportunity.
39:06
>> Oh, no kid.
39:07
>> And all the advantages that I got from
39:09
using Tony later on.
39:11
>> Yeah.
39:12
>> I I did not have I did not take
39:14
advantage of of any of that. So there
39:16
were questions that I was getting going
39:18
through that process that I'm literally
39:21
flunks.
39:21
>> Yeah. Because you're Yeah. You're not
39:23
Yeah. No, I just No, all all just none
39:26
of that. Yeah. And I and I put that on
39:28
on me. So, the lesson is
39:30
>> Yeah.
39:31
>> When you have people in your life
39:34
>> Yeah.
39:34
>> that you know are are with you and
39:38
they're they're just there to help you
39:41
be the best you can be and you don't
39:45
reach out to them. Like,
39:46
>> yeah,
39:47
>> it's foolish.
39:48
>> It is foolish. They basically why why
39:50
have why why develop relationships and
39:53
have relationships with people that care
39:55
about you and you care about with with
39:59
they have something to offer and they
40:01
real offering and you never
40:02
>> and you never ask. So fortunately for me
40:05
I did not I did not make that state but
40:08
the deal was wholesale opportunity.
40:10
>> Yeah. You know when you think about it
40:11
right because I mean you know you over
40:13
the years you're a helper. Somebody
40:15
calls you and you're going to be their
40:17
help. Yeah. And and you feel good. You
40:19
feel good when he helps make you so did
40:22
your friend. You feel good helping. Yep.
40:24
Right. When you won, when you got this
40:26
job, not only did you celebrate, so did
40:29
he. Yeah.
40:30
>> Right. Because he was along the journey.
40:31
>> Yep.
40:32
>> And that's awesome. I I'm so glad you
40:34
went back to talk about that because
40:35
those two kind of things around
40:38
relationship. There's a lot of
40:39
information in there that somebody's
40:41
going to pick up and hopefully next time
40:42
somebody might answer the phone. Yeah.
40:44
Mark, you open this up. The other side
40:46
of it is and you is I love like when
40:50
people like ask for some time for a man.
40:53
This is happening clearly like a few
40:56
times over the last six months. I met
40:58
you one earlier or call certain times
41:00
where people um striking out you know on
41:03
their own kind of doing the
41:04
entrepreneurial thing. Just wanted to
41:07
pick my brain. I love like over the
41:11
>> Yeah. like like like be wild by like I
41:15
never dre I never thought you were going
41:17
to spend this much time with me. I never
41:18
thought that you would make the
41:19
introductions but you made for me just
41:22
just overd delivery on the expectations
41:25
when people come to me for yeah for
41:28
stuff that's like my theme now. It's
41:30
like I'm I'm going to blow them away
41:31
with how much help that they're going to
41:33
get from me over above what they what
41:35
they expect.
41:35
>> Jerry, that's awesome. Love I love it.
41:38
All right,
41:39
>> so let's talk a little wholesale. I'm
41:41
going to go back. All right. What you
41:42
got? The day I accept it, I'll bring it
41:44
back. Yeah. So, we're negotiating. Yeah.
41:48
And forth. Um, I was making I was making
41:51
rip money at estate estate material.
41:54
Said, "Yep." Yep. And it was
42:01
maybe it was a lateral
42:03
it's going to be like a lateral route.
42:05
>> Okay. And maybe maybe from a total comp
42:08
perspective uh maybe even a little a
42:11
little less more responsibility
42:14
>> more responsibility but it's a smaller
42:17
>> it's a smaller company some kind we were
42:19
negotiating they came up and we kind of
42:21
reached a point where it was it was
42:24
pretty clear that the offer the latest
42:26
offer was was the was the offer
42:28
>> the offer is yeah
42:30
>> and um somehow another right around that
42:34
Um,
42:36
I came across a picture of my granddad's
42:41
tombstone
42:42
and I don't remember why I would have
42:45
even seen
42:46
>> Yeah.
42:46
>> the picture.
42:47
>> And it was essentially from the day he
42:52
was born, the year he was born
42:55
>> to like right around this time when I
42:57
was making this decision. Uh, when I
43:01
would have started, you're not like a
43:03
100 years.
43:05
Uh
43:06
my granddad, you know, was born in the
43:10
south.
43:11
>> Yep.
43:11
>> Small town for systemic for systemic
43:15
reasons. Didn't have an education.
43:18
Um never learned never learn.
43:22
>> I'm like a hundred years. I could start
43:25
at this company. A hundred years for me.
43:28
My grandfather was Born, you know,
43:32
>> his grandson is going is has this
43:36
opportunity because of the work that he
43:41
because growing up there were times
43:42
where we had to to live
43:45
>> with my with my grandparents and that
43:47
was like a sign for me like this is this
43:51
is the one. David and I had a meeting
43:53
said I'm going to think about it. Came
43:55
back downstairs, never left the parking
43:57
lot. Yeah. Yeah.
43:58
>> Called Bailey from the parking lot. I
44:00
kind of
44:02
talking about it and and she was like,
44:06
>> "This is you already know that this is
44:08
the right opportunity."
44:09
>> Yeah.
44:10
>> I go back
44:13
here like, "What are you doing now?"
44:16
>> And and accept accepted right here.
44:18
>> All right. That would have been This
44:20
would have been right around
44:21
Thanksgiving
44:23
2019.
44:24
>> 2019.
44:25
>> Yeah.
44:26
>> But think about that. 100 years on a
44:28
tombstone to where you are today,
44:31
>> right? Which grandpa laying the
44:32
foundation, you know, all that kind of
44:34
stuff. Man, that's that's chill story.
44:36
That's cool.
44:37
>> Yeah.
44:37
>> So, you finally take the job,
44:39
>> you're going to do it, put your heart
44:40
into it. 2019, you're now 20 26. So,
44:44
you're seven years in.
44:45
>> Six six years.
44:47
>> Yeah. Okay. And uh enjoying it.
44:50
>> Best six years of my career. Not even
44:52
close.
44:52
>> No kidding.
44:53
>> Not Not e but close. So before we've
44:55
been talking about what dealers does,
44:57
tell me why why why six years culture
44:59
what's going on is is I mean one of the
45:02
the reasons why like in addition to me
45:05
feeling like I had checked the boxes
45:08
that to be qualified um to be something
45:10
CEO uh I also thought like that's the
45:15
seat that I need to sit in
45:18
>> to drive culture.
45:20
>> Yeah. We have one drive one drive
45:22
culture. That was intentional for me.
45:25
But this six years, it's um the culture
45:29
that we built um the the results that
45:34
that culture has led to and it is like
45:40
my like I know that I have impacted this
45:44
organization in a meaningful way. Yeah.
45:46
you know, as opposed to you you have to
45:48
get to like the top of the top and you
45:52
know, a fortune 250 company
45:56
making that impact otherwise I mean you
45:58
kind of you kind of
46:00
>> so just the the impact um that I made
46:03
the the culture and the culture that I
46:06
built
46:10
>> culture love the people what is it you
46:12
guys do
46:13
>> we're a builder products building
46:15
products company So fund fundamentally
46:19
um on one side of the business we
46:22
distribute and install fireplaces
46:25
um outdoor deep grills outdoor kitchens
46:28
primarily to new single family homes and
46:32
central central EV
46:34
that's about a third of the business
46:36
give the table uh the other twoirds we
46:39
assemble uh distribute install doors
46:42
frames hardware
46:44
>> access control products to
46:48
primarily what we call living the living
46:51
segment multif family senior living
46:54
student student.
46:56
>> Okay.
46:56
>> Um uh we have
47:00
call it 85 90 people
47:02
>> here locally. We have another 15 or so
47:06
in Kawi Wisconsin right outside of
47:08
Milwaukee. It was coming to require
47:10
about four years ago. Okay. another 15
47:13
or so um in Wooddale, Illinois, right
47:16
outside Chicago. We we acquired that
47:18
team about a year ago.
47:20
>> Okay. Yeah. Awesome. Cool business.
47:22
Yeah.
47:23
>> So, let's let's let's shift. Let's talk
47:25
a little bit as you're evolving the
47:27
business. You made some acquisitions.
47:29
Let's talk a little technology,
47:31
>> right? So in your business, how is tech
47:33
moving, shaping, like what what's going
47:36
on and what's going to is there any tech
47:39
that you think is going to change or
47:40
maybe helps support clients better,
47:42
maybe help your team better? What's
47:43
going on with technology?
47:45
>> You know, you know, the construction
47:46
industry isn't necessarily
47:49
known to be at at a forefront of of of
47:53
technology. So um so I'm trying I want
47:57
to create some competitive advantage.
48:00
Yeah, for us to to to get there for sure
48:04
to be a fast adopter adopter in our
48:07
space. Uh I think it's going to be
48:10
primarily initially we primarily
48:13
uh internal efficiencies.
48:16
>> Yeah, it gives me some time back to your
48:17
team taking so many
48:19
>> manual disconnected
48:22
um processes using automate using
48:24
automation to connect them. Yeah. and
48:27
gain efficiencies from them so that you
48:29
know as we continue to grow and we've
48:33
doubled the business in the last handful
48:34
of years I believe we'll double it again
48:36
the next handful of years and pick up
48:39
that um efficiency so that as we grow uh
48:43
we'll have a team that's fully capable
48:45
of doing even more because we made the
48:47
we made the jobs less less manual and
48:49
easier. Um, so that's that's really the
48:52
the focus right now on how we can use
48:55
automation tools to to drive fishes.
48:58
>> Yeah. Thank you. What's interesting, you
48:59
can tell by your leadership style that
49:01
what you're trying to do is the the
49:03
people in the business have unique
49:05
talents for your clients. There are
49:07
tasks they have to do that if they could
49:09
have those tasks take care of, they
49:11
could be more human in their job,
49:12
>> right? I I ultimately want everyone to
49:15
be working at the the highest value of
49:19
impact that they can deliver
49:22
>> and and just sitting at a keyboard just
49:28
manually entering something from this
49:30
system to this system.
49:32
>> We have people that have to do that
49:34
today that I know for a fact they have
49:37
capabilities right
49:38
>> of a of of a higher value w content. So
49:41
I want them to get to that higher value
49:44
or content.
49:45
>> Love the mindset. Love the mindset. So
49:48
kind of shifting a little bit from the
49:50
business. Let's go community.
49:53
>> So community takes the shape of clients.
49:56
You're serving your internal your
49:58
internal clients your 120 13 folks that
50:01
work for you. But it also takes a little
50:03
bit of community when it comes to that.
50:05
>> So when you think of community, Jimmy,
50:07
what's community mean to you? Where are
50:09
you focusing some of your time? You
50:10
know, I was intentional when I joined
50:13
dealers in in 2020 of getting more
50:16
involved in the community. Prior to
50:18
that, you know, Fox travel schedule. I
50:21
didn't really do much of anything
50:23
because I would feel like I would always
50:25
I wouldn't be I wouldn't be present,
50:26
right? If I was present, that even be
50:29
the time. Um, so now I swung the
50:33
pendulum pretty hard the other way and
50:36
got involved in quite a number of
50:38
things. Um right now I am the uh I'm on
50:42
the board of of Kip Indy Charter School.
50:45
>> Yeah.
50:46
>> Uh it is it is the it's the public
50:49
charter. It is the public charter
50:52
school. Uh it's the public school of the
50:54
Martinale Bratwood.
50:55
>> Yeah.
50:56
>> So um I've been on that board for six
51:00
years. I get a lot of uh a lot of value.
51:04
>> Yeah. I mean it's a underresourced
51:07
underserved
51:09
community. Lots of um um systemic um
51:14
issues that just make you know education
51:18
harder. Yeah. Right. In that in that in
51:20
the community and I look at it as um if
51:24
I would have grown up here, you know,
51:28
>> it stands to reason that that's where I
51:31
would have lived from a socioeconomic
51:34
perspective. Okay.
51:35
>> So, even though I'm from small town
51:36
rural South Carolina, when I look at the
51:39
young people at at Kip, I see younger
51:42
versions of of me.
51:43
>> Yeah. Sure.
51:44
>> And um uh and I know that, you know,
51:48
education doesn't solve everything, but
51:50
I know that I wouldn't be sitting here
51:52
with you today if I didn't get a quality
51:55
education from from small with my high
51:57
school that allowed me to go to Clemson
51:59
and go to Notre Dame. So, I know that of
52:02
the impact that it can have and and I'm
52:06
in it to to kind of help help the school
52:08
deliver that that same uh impact to the
52:12
young people of the Martin Debor
52:13
community.
52:14
>> It's awesome that they the kids are
52:16
awesome. I've had a chance to visit the
52:18
school too. beautiful facility that they
52:21
built like in 2018 or 2019 to the high
52:23
school and if I remember correctly maybe
52:26
a top 10 IPS school right there
52:29
>> by high school and so terrific that
52:32
you're doing that right so community
52:34
there and then also just I want to talk
52:36
a little bit because you've got a couple
52:38
of remote offices right
52:41
>> main headquarters here around
52:43
Indianaapolis
52:45
how are you maybe getting the team you
52:47
know how do you build community the
52:49
folks that are sitting in your office
52:50
here, how are you doing?
52:52
>> You know, um, technology clearly helps
52:55
there. I mean, the prior to 2020,
52:59
none of us use Zoom and Teams the way I
53:01
right way that we use it now. So, that
53:04
can that can help with the leadership
53:06
team there because they we see each
53:09
other.
53:09
>> Yeah.
53:09
>> Acers a lot. Um, but, you know, that's
53:13
really no no substitute. Yeah. for for
53:16
in person and you know candidly that's
53:19
something that that I need to do better
53:22
better as a leader because you know I
53:25
have a 17 17 year old daughter 10
53:29
yearear-old son and I'm someone that
53:31
that I don't need business travel my
53:34
family fortunately for me don't need for
53:37
me to be a house I born on business
53:40
travel so um uh one of the commitments
53:44
that I made really twofold is uh to go
53:47
to those locations more often and to
53:50
make sure that you know each one of
53:53
those locations can have you know some
53:55
local
53:56
>> culture will have some local customs
53:59
local traditions but we also need to
54:02
have those opportunities to have
54:05
everybody in a central location and we
54:07
do some unique things um you know about
54:11
two months ago I started uh I stole this
54:15
up there. It's called personal growth
54:17
Mondays.
54:18
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah.
54:19
>> So, every Monday morning at 8:30 in in
54:23
Indie and at 10:00 virtually, anyone who
54:27
wants to join joins and we have this
54:30
this this book called the 365 questions
54:34
book.
54:35
>> And these are
54:37
deep questions.
54:39
>> There are no what's your favorite food,
54:42
what's your what's your hop? There's
54:43
none of that. There's none of that
54:45
stuff. These are uh deeply personal
54:48
personal questions and everyone picks
54:51
everyone picks a question and and we
54:54
pair up.
54:55
>> Yep. and you or your partner
54:58
talk about your question and then at the
55:01
end we'll I'll save a few minutes at the
55:03
end if there's anyone that wants to
55:06
share out to the group they share out
55:08
their share out to the group and in
55:12
those in conference room in the birth
55:14
room there's people in those rooms that
55:18
don't naturally work together you know
55:21
and so it provides um
55:24
teamwork for people who who aren't
55:26
naturally on the same work teams um
55:30
self-reflection because you got to say
55:32
you got to think about it is still a
55:34
deep quad dream about this thing and
55:36
then the opportunity just to learn from
55:37
someone else experiences so yeah I
55:39
didn't get your question but when I hear
55:42
the answer to your question
55:44
>> yeah then yeah and it makes me think
55:46
about it so like two weeks ago
55:50
um we had on our virtual Paul, you know,
55:53
one of the guys just kind of talked
55:55
about uh No, I think I I brought up
55:57
something about my 10-year-old son being
56:00
autistic
56:01
>> and he said, you know, I had I think a
56:04
fouryear-old was autistic. And then as
56:08
we're talking about it, you know, our
56:09
our um our session, our breakout session
56:13
ended and I said, "No, we're going to
56:15
I'll give you a call later on this
56:16
week." He and I got it was a Monday. He
56:18
and I jumped on the phone on Friday.
56:19
>> Yeah. And we talked 45 minutes.
56:23
>> That's right.
56:24
>> Just like my my son is six years older.
56:27
Yeah. With his son. So I can say like
56:30
I'm not giving you advice, but I'm just
56:32
telling you just things that I did. All
56:35
right. If my kid was four years old, I
56:37
probably would have done it done it
56:39
differently. And this is, you know, um a
56:43
tech one of my technicians in the in the
56:46
Wisconsin Yeah.
56:47
>> In the Wisconsin office. So just kind of
56:49
creating that thing so we can get your
56:52
community um going going that way also.
56:55
>> Love it. I mean that's a great idea by
56:57
the way you're doing it once a week.
56:59
It's not taking a 30 30 minutes. It's 30
57:02
minutes. You're building teams putting
57:04
people together. They're thinking about
57:05
the questions. You're building culture.
57:08
That's cool. Yeah. Yeah.
57:09
>> So you talk a couple kids. So you got a
57:12
17-year-old and a 10year-old. You have
57:14
17-y old daughter 2-y old son. All
57:15
right. 17-year-old I think before we get
57:18
into what's fun outside of work. A
57:19
17-year-old's DJing, right?
57:21
>> Yeah. She's a um she's a junior at Park
57:24
Tutor and
57:25
>> she started DJing. This is maybe been
57:28
three years ago. Okay.
57:29
>> Now, it started out as as
57:32
>> I it just hit me one day like one
57:34
summer. I was like, you know, let's take
57:35
a DJ class together. Yeah. So, so that I
57:39
can do something with her where I have
57:41
no more experience. You got too there.
57:44
She does. We had we're up learning at
57:45
the same at the same point of entry.
57:49
>> The place we selected, it was it was
57:52
>> okay.
57:52
>> Okay.
57:53
>> Uh my wife uh found a a local a local DJ
57:59
that was willing to to teach Ree and
58:01
kind of became a mentor.
58:03
Ree cast me aside and and properly
58:06
positioned me as the as the equipment as
58:08
the equipment guy.
58:10
Um, she's played at uh she's played at
58:14
at Newfield. She's played at Gamebridge.
58:17
>> No kidding.
58:18
>> And the coolest thing that she does for
58:20
the last two years, she's been the uh
58:23
the home basketball uh house house DJ
58:26
for
58:27
>> No kidding. Yeah. What a cool
58:29
experience.
58:29
>> I love it. That's awesome, dude. Like it
58:31
gives me a chance to like introduce her.
58:34
Yes. Music that she wouldn't otherwise
58:36
listen to. So when she's, you know,
58:38
mixing things together, people are like
58:40
surprised. Like, how's the 17year-old
58:43
kid playing this? Yeah. L green song.
58:46
>> Yeah. It's cool, dude. I dig that. You
58:49
know, but the the one thing he said
58:51
there before we do have fun is you had a
58:54
chance to do something with your
58:55
daughter where you didn't have any more
58:57
experience yet, right? So that's that's
59:00
actually kind of an interesting thing to
59:02
do. So you learn the same pace. You guys
59:04
are kind of on the same team doing all
59:05
that kind of stuff. Jimmy, that's
59:07
awesome there. Um, so before we get into
59:10
what's far outside of work, but just
59:12
thinking through, you know, your career,
59:14
small town, end up at Clemson, you know,
59:17
kind of follow a leader for a few years
59:21
and then really get into a relationship
59:24
to be able to to, you know, build a
59:27
relationship with somebody that helped
59:28
you kind of coach you along. Yeah.
59:30
>> Right. To get you into the role at
59:32
dealers now and how you're building
59:34
community, growing the company. you
59:36
double in the last couple years that
59:37
you're going to double again. I mean,
59:39
just such a cool story and a lot of the
59:41
things you dropped about relationships
59:43
and those things. I love that. So,
59:47
outside of work, right? Couple of kids,
59:49
the wife, what do you guys do for fun?
59:52
>> The kids keep us the kids keep us keep
59:55
us keep us going. So, um uh I mean,
59:59
we're we're movie people. We like to go
1:00:01
to We like to go to like to go to show a
1:00:03
lot of shows and and and concerts. Um my
1:00:08
son um loves swim.
1:00:11
>> Okay.
1:00:11
>> So we're always pond for him to go and
1:00:15
go to the swim uh and like travel a
1:00:17
little too.
1:00:18
>> Yeah. Awesome. N I appreciate you. Thank
1:00:22
you my friend for being on the show. I
1:00:23
appreciate her. Appreciate you.
1:00:26
Thanks. Bye.