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Raising Leaders & Reaching Goals · The Spiro Podcast: Managing your Real Estate Photography & Videography Business

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Coming up on this episode of The Spiro podcast.
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when you empower people to grow
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as leaders in your organization, they feel a sense of ownership. Yes.
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Hi and welcome to the Spiro Podcast, managing your real estate, photography
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and videography business.
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Spiro is a software platform.
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If this is the first time you're watching, here's here's what Spiro is.
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It's a software platform.
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It's designed to help you run your day to day, real estate media business.
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And really ultimately, we want to help you grow and scale.
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If that's your goal.
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Welcome to, this week's episode.
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I'm your host, Craig Magrum
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And, normally our, our co-host and owner and founder of Spiro Todd Kivimaki.
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is with us. He is out today.
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So I have a very special guest.
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Actually, she's not a stranger.
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Probably to, to you.
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She's been on the podcast before.
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Jess Paxson, Director of operations at Wow video tours
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Welcome, Jess.
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Hi, Craig.
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Happy to be on, of course.
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Nervous as always, but excited to be here and talk about some stuff that,
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I really enjoy.
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If this face for radio can do the podcast, you can do the podcast.
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No reason to be nervous,
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Yeah.
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So normally we do Spiro updates.
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Obviously Todd handles that.
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So we're not we're going to forego that this week.
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But just keep your ideas coming.
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We do have a suggestion board in your Spiro portal,
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that you can, you know, if there's something, some sort of feature
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or, you know, some functionality that you would love to see in Spiro.
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You can put it on that, suggestion board and it can be upvoted by others.
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So we want to encourage you get into your Spiro portal and, you can do that.
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And, if you don't have a Spiro account, you can sign up for one for free.
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It doesn't cost you anything to have the account.
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It's just once you start processing orders and send those out
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is when those charges, eventually will will kick in.
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So anyway, just wanted to let you know about that.
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All right, so this week,
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if you recall the past couple of years, at the beginning of the year
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or the end of the year, depends usually I think we recorded
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at the end of the year and it was at the beginning,
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we talk about goals for the year and the importance of a goal setting.
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So we did that, you know, at the beginning of 2025.
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Well, we're we're actually now past the halfway point, but
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we wanted to do an episode, just to remind you, check in on the goals that you set.
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Back at the beginning of the year.
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Where are you at with those?
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How are you coming along?
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Do you do you need to tweak those a little bit?
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Do you have new goals?
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So just kind of a general reminder,
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check in on the goals that you'd set at the beginning of the year.
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And then we can do course corrections if,
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if we're not quite where we need to be, or maybe we're on track.
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That's fantastic.
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Or you have some new ones that you want to implement.
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So just to get a general reminder on that.
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But one of the we wanted to talk about one of our goals
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at our real estate media company called Wow Video Tours and,
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here to help us do that, Jess, who I've already introduced.
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And it's, it's, I think a challenging topic.
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Jess
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And that's the, the issue of raising leaders in your organization.
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And we had a goal this year,
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of raising some leaders in a very specific part of our business.
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You want to
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give just a real brief overview,
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and then we could talk about the history and, where we're at with that.
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Yeah, sure.
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So, this year, one of our major goals was raising up leaders
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for regional trainers, for our, for each of our regions.
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So we felt that it was a good opportunity for us and for them
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to come up within the company, do more of what they enjoy.
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You know, they're out there doing this every single day.
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You know, most of these photographers have been here
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3 to 4 to 5 to 6, two plus years now.
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So we have some that are just really good.
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Like really good leaders.
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They want to do more with us.
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So we we implemented the regional trainer program.
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We brought them all in.
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We had some long discussions on what they felt would be best.
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And then we put our best foot forward and implemented that program
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and have had I think we started off this year in February or March, hiring
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six new photographers for, you know, kind of spread out amongst the regions.
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And they each onboarded and trained these people up and,
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you know, took them through skill progression.
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And we found some gaps along the way that we had to address
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that we are working on still now, you know,
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we do kind of quarterly checkups with them.
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Actually, most of the time I'm talking to each of them weekly.
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So we're addressing those concerns and then like
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kind of just building that and building them as we go.
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So let's let's kind of go back to the beginning of all this.
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So any anyone that's watched the podcast for a while who's probably,
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heard or seen that we had, position,
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that was basically like a director of training, was a director of production.
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And like any company and like any rules, rules
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change, they evolve, they morph into new things.
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So we had a little bit about the history of this.
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We had this position of director of training and director of production.
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So, so
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it's evolved now more into a regional trainer,
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type of model with you
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as our director of operations kind of heading that up,
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can you kind of explain what what was the genesis
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or what was the first steps in making that evolution
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from Director of Production to regional trainers?
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You know, how did the foundation for that get laid?
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Sure.
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So we saw, you know, having one person
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oversee all the different regions that were in,
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that can be difficult.
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So that's a huge task for anyone.
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I mean, that's coordinating so many different things,
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that's trying to be out and training in so many different regions.
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And when you're doing a bulk hiring at once to try and get these people
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up and ready in the field during busy season,
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I mean, it's a very, very difficult task to accomplish and get people move
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through the system in the amount of time that you need to do so.
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So if I'm here and I'm I'm the trainer and I have six different regions
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to get to, how quickly can I get these people up and running and making money?
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Well, that's a little difficult to do if there's only one of me, right?
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So we thought that there was a really good opportunity to take some people
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in the company that have been with us for, you know, quite a while and want to do
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more and want to prove, like the skill set that they have and teach others because,
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you know, each of these people in the region really care about
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the other photographers that they work with and the clients.
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They want the quality to be a good standard,
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amongst the regions.
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So like, you know, they go out and they shoot photo video and these are
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the guidelines that they want everyone to shoot because their skill sets so high.
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Right?
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So their, their care level is through the roof
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because they want that consistency across the board.
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So that way we can send any shooter out to any appointment.
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And everybody's getting pretty much the same quality.
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So these are people that we recognize and realize really wanted to take that
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skill set and to teach on and train on and do more, earn more.
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You know, just help more.
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Right.
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So there was there was kind of a step in between the,
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the director of training and the regional trainers that as we were
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looking at growing that position or evolving that position and recognizing
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that one person can't service, how many different markets do we have?
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Gosh, is it like six?
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Yeah, yeah, 6 or 7. Yeah.
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You kind of miss traveling, you know. It's quite a bit, but. Right.
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And and when your home base is it literally in the middle of a cornfield
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outside of, you know, outside of Lima, Ohio,
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which a lot of people have never even heard of for that one person to to travel
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to some of our major markets, including one multiple states away.
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Yeah, that was hard.
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So the first step was, wasn't it actually bringing on an assistant to
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because yes,
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it was very difficult like for that one person to manage to get everything
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coordinated and done, give feedback, call it, keep quality control up.
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So it was yeah, it was a lot.
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So we brought another one on for assistance of that.
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Yeah.
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So is you know you might have a situation where your business is growing
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maybe like when I was doing it this on my own,
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I was a one man show to begin with, eventually hired on another photographer.
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And I get to the point where the two of us,
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even we're kind of maxed out with what we could do.
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And you come to that point in your in your business
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where you have to make a decision.
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Do I remain a more of a boutique and smaller shop
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or do I you know, or do I take Todd's approach, which is
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I want to shoot as many listings as humanly possible,
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and grow it, and you remove yourself from the,
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the photographer position the photographer owner,
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and you start hiring a team to do that and grow.
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Well, then
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you've got that question of wanting to how do I train all of these people?
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And that's what Wow has faced over the years.
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So yeah. Yeah.
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So we went from director, director of training to hiring an assistant
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for that director of training to now recognizing, hey, how awesome
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would it be to have people in each market that we can designate?
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Yeah, as the trainers, I will say so as as you all are growing
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and you're bringing on more photographers and you're taking
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and removing yourself from that position, and you begin to train others.
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I think
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a really important foundation to have is and this is something that Wow has,
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and I think to
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the reason we're able to grow and be so successful with
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it is because of the training program that we have all the documents, we have
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all of the material that we have created for,
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the new photographers and the trainees to be able to,
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review and to train on and, you know, for them to be able to go into that
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and know exactly what our photo guidelines are, our video guidelines are.
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So if you are growing and if you are hiring and adding on new people,
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the documentation is so incredibly important because you want to be able to
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then eventually take yourself out of that position as well as a trainer,
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you want to be able to do what we're doing and bring someone in as a regional.
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Give them all of that documentation and all those guides to be able to follow.
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So just that's just one thing I recommend having as well.
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Like if and building that structure.
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Yeah for sure.
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Yeah.
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Having something written I mean it also gives the, the added
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benefit of consistency in the work and what clients can expect from you.
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And that's one of the thing that even with our training program,
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one of the challenges I've run into, like in the market that I,
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I shoot in, in and do business development and development for is
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agents who can be incredibly loyal.
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Realtors can be incredibly loyal.
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Sometimes they they shop at pro shop.
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We know that.
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But when a realtor really gets comfortable with you as part of their team,
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they don't want anyone else shooting for you.
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And even if another photographer has
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a really good eye and some good talent and really is
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there, providing the same quality that you are, is the photographer.
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Yeah.
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The agent
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somehow still in their mind says, no, you're you're photography is different.
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You just have a certain eye, which there might be
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a little bit of difference here and there, but it's negligible if.
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Yeah, I mean it's definitely a challenge.
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We all have our favorites and things like that that we go through.
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But yeah, to, to keep that, good consistency across the board,
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you have to have everything completely laid out and know, you know,
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what it is that each person's supposed to do when they're out there
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and how you're supposed to shoot and stuff like that.
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So. Right.
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So we've got this foundational,
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training program for the photographers
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now, Jess, as as we've been training regionals and bringing up leaders
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and in the Wow organization, what that is, is there documentation for the trainers?
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Yeah. So I'm glad you asked. That's okay.
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All right.
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That's something.
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So when we brought these regional trainers on, you know they've got experience
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in the field. They've been with us. And
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but as I'm doing these check ins and stuff like that with them
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and actually we just had it a new person as a trainer as well.
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He was one of the new shooters a few months back, but he's really soared
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and he's actually able to assist more now and help with training.
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So one of the things with him and I were chatting about was like, you know what?
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What do you need most from me to help you feel successful?
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And one of those things was just, well, knowing more like what
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I need to do on day one with this person, what do I need to do on day two?
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What do I need to do on day three?
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Like how many training appointments do they need to be on with me?
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You know, what skills do we start with?
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What do I start discussing with them first?
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So, you know, we've got the guides and the videos that are very extensive,
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but those are aimed more towards the new hire, not the trainee.
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So what I'm doing right now
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is I'm building that documentation for the training for day one checklist.
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Day two checklist, day three checklist.
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In order to get them by week two up and running to be successful.
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And for us to be a little more hands off.
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What does that progression for a trainer look like?
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So those are the guides and the things that we're working on right now.
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I've got about 70% of it done, but
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right now it's just been like, so this is going to help me.
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This is going to help me.
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Not only me but the the trainer, but the time that I'm spending
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on the phone doing these calls and things like that with the regionals,
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you know, checking like, did you do this today?
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Did you do this?
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Well, this will allow me to be a little,
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little more hands off as well for them to have that checklist.
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And, you know, one of the goals we always have in business is to be able
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to take ourself out of things so we can do other things right, to focus
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so we can grow and build well, this is just something that I saw.
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We have a gap for.
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And in order for me to be able to free up some of my time doing this, coordinating
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and making sure things are going smoothly, let's just create a checklist.
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We can they can check this, I can check in on it.
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They can submit it. They can submit it with feedback.
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It can be a form, whatever it is that we need it to be.
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It's being built out right now.
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And like we like to use Clickup and some other like Google Doc forms and stuff.
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So it'll probably be in that kind of format to where they can go to this link.
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They can submit the form, you know, put all their feedback in,
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and then it'll kick me an email.
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It'll be live feedback.
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They don't have to always call if I'm not available.
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I mean, that happens. We're all in meetings here and there, right?
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But we want to stay connected.
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So that was just one of the inefficiencies that we kind of found
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that we're building out right now.
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So then as we continue to grow, it's going to go much smoother.
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So let me let me shift gears a little bit, because I just had
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this thought up in my mind and we didn't talk about this.
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So I'm throwing a curveball.
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Okay, Craig, throwing a curveball is just off the cuff conversation.
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It is. It is.
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So a lot of times, you know, we talk about, retaining clients.
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You know, in our business, we want we want that long term relationship
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with the realtor.
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We don't want them bouncing around.
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We're we're going to provide VIP care, you know, for our hire.
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About what?
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So in our business and or in our industry, collectively,
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when we start hiring other photographers, typically what the owner does
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is they'll make it a 1099 position, a contractor, right.
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It's more rare.
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It's not unheard of, but more rare to have photographers on as actual signs or
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here in the in the States
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or employees.
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So the in the back of my head, I've got this question is, is there a challenge
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in keeping contractors, as part of your team long term?
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Like we want to keep clients long term?
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Have we found over the years that it's been a challenge to
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to retain good photographers?
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Well.
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I mean, we've had people come and go, right?
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But these trainers, like,
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I guess, I mean, they've been with us a while now, like,
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we're building them up like everybody wants to grow, right?
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Typically when you start a profession, it's like, okay, what's my opportunity
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here?
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What's my what's my income potential and what's my growth potential.
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So yeah, it's not always easy to keep people
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if that third one like growth potential isn't there.
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You know, we offer great incentives and like yearly incentives
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for being here so long and like pay bumps and stuff like that just for me.
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I guess the
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longevity that that they're here, but, yeah, I mean, the regionals.
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So this regional program,
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they get an hour, they get a, they get a pay for training,
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and then they also get a pay bump for training for the loyalty of,
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you know, checking in on people or doing doing all the,
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like, client quality care that we provide with the clients.
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They're doing that with these trainees as well, checking in on them,
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building team bonds and stuff like that.
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You know,
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this only helps them and the team like, sorry, this is a
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when this is a little new to me, I'm trying to collect my thoughts on this,
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but this is great because it's helping them build team bonds
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with the people in their city as well.
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And they're responsible for that, like they're responsible for to go out,
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like to connect with these people, do some great group meetings.
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One of our Charlotte regional trainers, she likes to get people together.
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Pizza night, whatever it is,
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go over a few things like that people are struggling with.
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And, you know, there's a sense of ownership for her on that.
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And there it is.
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There it is.
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That was that was the exact word I was looking for.
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Yeah. You then you nailed it.
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Because I think, yeah, when you empower people to grow
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as leaders in your organization, they feel a sense of ownership. Yes.
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And obviously yes, increased pay.
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We all want to increase our pay,
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but that's not always someone's primary motivator.
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Sometimes it's just the pride of ownership or having a leadership role.
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And the pride, pride in a good way of of seeing,
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like being able to build up what you're doing is making a difference.
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That's yes, that's to a leader.
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Yeah, I know, at least for me.
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And I know for you like what we want most for the people that we're helping
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lead is for them to grow and for them
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to have a sense of belonging and stuff like that in a company and a voice.
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And that's what we are helping give these people and to in
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turn give the people that they are now leading.
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Right.
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Like, that's yeah, that's probably one of our main goals
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as a leader is, is to push that along.
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You know what I mean? Yeah.
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So that's yeah, that sense of ownership, the sense that their voice matters.
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Like, you know,
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another goal we'll have here soon in the off season is just
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let's do a deep dive into our processes for shooting.
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Like what can we do to improve and these regional trainers
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are going to be able to give all that input.
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That's going to make an impact on a difference on the company
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in a positive way.
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And, and then in turn go over and like go over into the clients,
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you know, so it's yeah, full circle.
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I think it's awesome that we can have
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contractors that are empowered to lead
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with, with a company and build that camaraderie,
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because I feel like in a lot of companies, probably independent contractors,
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they don't mix much with other contractors that they're working for.
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So to be able to build, like a team, culture,
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even with contractors, I mean, how cool is that?
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I mean, it's one of the most important things to me is that people feel like
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they belong in a group and that they have that family sense and culture.
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And like, it's something that, you know, with contractors
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and with everybody
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spread out in different regions and some of us in office, some of us,
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you know, across the world working virtually whatever it is like,
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you know, we try and bring some of that team culture
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together for everyone, and we know where we have some room for improvement.
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Those are some other things, goals and stuff that I'm working on right now.
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But yeah, we I mean, that's one of the reasons that we are able
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to keep people here is that team atmosphere that support that they get.
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We don't throw them out in the field and tell them to figure it out.
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There's that support dynamic and team atmosphere and family atmosphere
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that I hope they feel most days that we're always here for them.
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So yeah.
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Do you do you have any any success stories that you know from some of the
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the people that we've raised up
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as regionals that might inspire an honor listening to this right now?
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I mean, I'm trying to think, Craig, but like
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so many of them, I mean, like, they're just loving and enjoying this role.
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Like the excitement I hear in their voice
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when they're checking in and like when these people are being brought up, like,
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I mean, things that used to take us months to get them approved on
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and skill sets, like, I think one of.
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I've heard them say
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that, you know, they it feels like I'm fast tracking this person.
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Well, it does feel like that because you're there
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and you're focusing with them and they are being fast tracked.
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And one of the, one of the things that they're proud of is of
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for that is that they're now providing this new person
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a fast track to income.
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You know, I mean, that's why we all work, right?
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Like, I mean, for the most part, like we all share,
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we all have to provide for our family.
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It's not the only reason.
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But this, like the financial goals that they can now set and help
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help this person achieve because they're kind of fast tracking them in a sense.
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I mean, that's something they're excited about.
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That's something that they are like, they're pumped that
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they're able to do that for someone else and earn income training in the, in the,
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you know, during the.
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Yeah.
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What what I love seeing is the regional trainers
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that want to see, you know, the other vidtogs
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vidtographers, we call them vidtographers on our team.
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Get more shoots. Yeah.
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And it reminds me of I just saw this clip and I'm horrible with sports.
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Some of you have probably seen this clip on YouTube.
22:33
Shorts or, you know, the reels on Facebook, but it's
22:36
he plays for the Philadelphia Eagles I believe it's the Eagles.
22:39
He was on the bench and one of the assistant coaches was talking to him
22:43
about getting him back in the game because
22:46
I'm guessing he was a he was a running back or something,
22:49
because it was something about getting a personal record of most yards in a game.
22:54
And he this coach wanted him to be able to do that.
22:57
Well, this guy was a veteran.
22:58
He said, no, let the young fellas eat.
23:02
So what he was
23:02
doing is he had a chance to get a goal for himself.
23:06
Right?
23:07
But he recognized that the young guys, the team
23:09
was far enough ahead in the score that they were comfortable.
23:13
They were probably going to win the game, that he didn't need to be in the game.
23:16
He wanted to see the young rookies, get in the game
23:20
because if they got in the game, they were guaranteed a certain amount of money
23:23
or something like that, and getting them the experience in their paycheck
23:27
and whatnot, and that kind of selfless ness is, is huge.
23:31
We definitely have regionals like that.
23:33
I was chatting with one yesterday and and, this morning
23:37
he had shot me a text and it was like,
23:39
hey, I'm going out with this person today to do a little bit more training.
23:43
And I've heard him say multiple times, like, just so selflessly, like,
23:46
hey, I'd rather this person get some work so we can
23:48
so he can work on his skill sets a little bit more.
23:51
And, you know, I'll just do some feedback hours and training hours and stuff
23:54
like that in the background.
23:55
He's like, but I would prefer that we give this person this.
23:58
So then that way they're not losing any income and stuff like that.
24:01
So yeah, yeah, we've had a lot of selfless acts like that, that it's just
24:07
it's nice to see them recognize those things.
24:10
I mean, that's why we selected the people we did.
24:12
They are true leaders in that aspect. Right?
24:15
You know, you want to get but let me think about how I want to phrase this.
24:20
You want to get your, your photographers, success.
24:24
You want to get the the realtors requesting them.
24:28
So we just hired a guy
24:30
in the last few months, Brandon, to our team.
24:34
And he he came out with me up in my market,
24:37
and I was just really impressed with, you know, young guy, very sharp.
24:41
And I'm like, I think this guy is going to go places.
24:44
So that just in, just last week, just we had a client
24:48
that was needing, a shoot and couldn't get in right away.
24:52
But we managed to make it work.
24:53
And I had gone into the orders to to look at her order
24:56
and see when this, you know, when the shoot day was and everything.
25:00
And we have a field in Spiro
25:02
that allows a realtor to request a certain photographer.
25:06
So my goal is, you know, when, when I get more help in my market
25:10
that the realtor will request somebody other than me
25:14
because I can't do it all myself, but b, I want that other photographer
25:18
to have income opportunities.
25:20
Well, when I looked at this order,
25:22
it was specifically requested Brandon shoot this.
25:25
I'm like yes, yes, yes, I would love to see that.
25:29
That is the best. Yeah, it was it first available.
25:32
It was Brendan, you know, he was chosen, as is the requested photographer.
25:36
And this is for an agent that does a lot of business in this guy.
25:39
What? Jess he’s been with us. What?
25:41
Maybe shooting actively three, two, three months? Yes.
25:46
Yep. I'm like, yeah, yeah, he's killed it.
25:49
And Craig, I mean, that's just another like,
25:53
the people we bring on, I mean, hiring is just a whole nother thing.
25:56
We shot another another podcast and stuff like that down the road.
25:59
But man, I, we could tell when we hired him on, he was motivated.
26:03
He was going to get this done. He seltzers.
26:05
He practices.
26:06
He does things in his off time to get better, to build his skill set.
26:09
And it's showing because you requested he's get.
26:13
I've had people email in about him specifically with his customer service
26:17
and how he shows up and yeah, just he does he shows up in so many different ways
26:22
and, and, you know, you
26:24
you as an owner, you might get lucky and find that fantastic person.
26:28
But to have trainers and mentors for that person that will keep them motivated
26:31
to pour into them, that's just that's just going to motivate them even more.
26:36
Yeah.
26:37
So it's just it's kind of a cascade effect when you know it just as you're pouring
26:41
into people that we've identified, as is people, we want to be regional trainers
26:46
that causes them to buy, and they get excited about their work.
26:50
And then that cascades down to the photographers
26:52
that they're training and mentoring, and they get excited and want to do more.
26:56
So it's just that there's nothing but good things about developing leaders
27:00
in your organization and letting go, being willing and trusting.
27:05
And that's a huge thing.
27:06
You got to be able to trust.
27:08
Yes you do.
27:09
And these these people we selected are people we trust.
27:12
That doesn't mean you don't check in. And sure, sure.
27:14
One of the big things I've learned here, and Steve always says that, you know,
27:19
what is it? Trust but verify.
27:20
Yeah Ronald Reagan right there. Yeah.
27:24
Trust but
27:24
verify that people verify make you they are.
27:27
And like most of them like Craig Craig in Cincinnati called this morning.
27:32
He was out yesterday just to do a check in and you know, and it's just nice
27:36
to hear the excitement in the voice
27:37
like, yes, I think this is because we just did another new hire in Cincy.
27:41
And so we're like, yep, we think this is a really good fit.
27:44
Like customer service skills are great.
27:46
Like like they're excited though.
27:47
They're excited to take these people under their wing.
27:49
They're excited to help more availability for the clients, and for them.
27:53
And just to build people like you can tell leaders just have that built in them.
27:59
They want to build people.
28:00
I think that's, you know, that's important to give that opportunity
28:04
Well that's awesome Jess, with,
28:06
you know, the regional, regional trainers, that being one of our major goals.
28:10
And so with this being the halfway point through the year,
28:14
and we've had this goal of raising up regional trainers, what what would you say
28:18
to the person that is maybe toying with with some new goals?
28:23
Or maybe they didn't set goals at the beginning of the year?
28:26
What what's the what's the starting point for for getting your goals in mind
28:31
and then keeping up with them kind of checking in?
28:34
Yeah.
28:35
I mean, so when you're setting your goals, you also have to ask yourself,
28:39
why am I setting this goal?
28:40
What's the reason behind this goal?
28:43
How long do I think it's going to take me to accomplish this goal?
28:46
And then typically breaking those things up in steps?
28:51
Because we all want the fast track, right?
28:52
We all want to get done with things like next day.
28:55
That's like, I don't know how many times I tell Todd and Steve,
28:59
you just can't go fast enough.
29:00
I don't feel like I just, I just want it done now.
29:02
But, like, that's not realistic.
29:04
That's not realistic for any of us. Hardly.
29:06
So, would you say step one is write it down? Yes.
29:10
Step one is write it down.
29:12
Okay. Write it down. Plan it out.
29:14
Hold yourself accountable.
29:15
Do you check in on your goals?
29:17
Like if not daily? Weekly for sure.
29:20
See the progress you made?
29:21
I like to write everything down, whether it's on my whiteboard or I read.
29:25
I keep a checklist of my of the goals that I'm setting on
29:28
Trello and break any breaking it down in steps.
29:32
That's how I hold myself accountable.
29:34
So if you are not holding yourself accountable, sometimes an accountability
29:38
buddy helps or verbally saying your goals to someone.
29:42
So then that way someone else knows what your goal is
29:45
to help you hold yourself accountable for it.
29:47
But those are all really, really key steps in achieving your goals.
29:52
Writing them down, knowing the reason why that you have this goal,
29:57
doing your check ins on it and breaking it up.
30:00
If it's something that's going to take a while to do for sure,
30:03
know how long it's going to take you at least at least a good,
30:07
guess you need to know that, because then in your mind you're like,
30:11
okay, well, if this is going to take me three months,
30:13
then I need to start making progress in
30:15
on it now, because otherwise I'm never going
30:17
to get there by month three if I don't start breaking it up.
30:20
So breaking things up, holding yourself accountable, writing things down
30:24
and then celebrating the wins when you when you hit things like that's
30:28
really important to like you in order like as humans,
30:32
we all want to do good, right?
30:33
Like we want to feel successful in the goals that we've set.
30:37
So when you do reach like, you know, step one
30:41
or step two out of step ten, you need to celebrate those wins.
30:45
Like those little steps. It's just going to help.
30:50
Feel that joy.
30:51
Keep the morale up.
30:53
Yep. Keep the morale up.
30:54
And if you're setting team goals, that's another big one too.
30:57
These are all just goals for yourself.
30:59
But celebrate the wins with the team too.
31:02
When you have things that you've set for them
31:04
and they've achieved those don't just don't do not just brush them off.
31:08
If it's a team goal, that's the biggest way to set yourself up
31:12
for failure at a company is by not not celebrating the wins.
31:16
You got to celebrate the wins. Even the little ones.
31:18
So, I've been reading a book that Todd mentioned.
31:22
I've been trying to finish it for the last year.
31:24
I was horrible, I didn't read for a while.
31:26
But it's called soundtracks by, John John Acuff.
31:29
Yeah.
31:30
And he
31:31
there was a section of the book
31:32
where he was talking about this horrible boss he had and, you know,
31:35
the time track every little thing when he went to the bathroom,
31:39
when he would pour himself a cup of coffee.
31:41
And this boss was just relentless.
31:43
And even if he hit goals, it was like, well, it should have been this,
31:46
you know, you should have hit this, and nothing was ever good enough.
31:49
Well,
31:51
he ends it by basically saying I was a terrible boss to myself.
31:54
It was his.
31:55
He wasn't celebrating his wins. Yeah.
31:57
And when it was only looking at the negative
32:00
and that's a broken soundtrack.
32:02
And yeah, celebrating
32:05
those soundtracks are so incredibly important to Craig.
32:08
Like, and if you guys haven't read this book, this is a really good book.
32:11
John has an amazing podcast podcast as well,
32:14
and weekly weekly newsletter that he sends out.
32:17
If you guys don't subscribe to those things, I definitely urge you
32:20
to check it out.
32:21
It's free that cost anything for that, for that newsletter, and then podcast.
32:25
But the book is great. And he's right.
32:28
Like the things that you tell yourself daily, they need to be positive.
32:32
If you're constantly saying, man, I can't do this.
32:34
It's like me being on this podcast.
32:35
Well, that's just me telling myself I can't do it.
32:38
That doesn't mean I can't do it.
32:39
Like I can do anything if I tell myself I can do any, you know what I mean?
32:44
Within reason, I can do anything.
32:48
But anyhow, you have to.
32:50
You have to have those positive mind,
32:52
those positive soundtracks in order to reach your goals.
32:54
Like if I go in every day and I'm just like,
32:57
oh man. Like, I don't think that I can do this.
33:00
Like, you know, can I do that all the time?
33:03
Guess what?
33:03
Like, I'm not going to want to do it because I don't think I can do it
33:06
and I'm just setting myself up for failure.
33:08
So yeah, those those soundtracks are in credibly important to to achieving goals.
33:14
It takes one step.
33:15
The first step is the hardest.
33:16
It is, you know, like this morning, I have not been exercising
33:20
the way I need to.
33:20
And it's like I'm getting older.
33:23
Jess and I,
33:24
I used to be a super early morning person, and I'm finding more and more.
33:27
I don't want to get out of bed as early as I used to.
33:31
And this morning, like, dang it, I know I have to go to the doctor this morning.
33:35
He's going to read me out because I haven't been doing what I'm supposed to.
33:38
Okay, Craig started this morning.
33:40
Yeah, it's cramming.
33:41
It's not going to do anything
33:43
for the doctor's appointment, but I drag myself out of bed.
33:46
I took my brisk walk.
33:47
You know, I think I was out there maybe 25 minutes.
33:49
You got to start somewhere.
33:51
But as I was walking, I started feeling better.
33:54
I wasn't as achy.
33:55
The blood started flowing.
33:56
So fixing that soundtrack and taking the first step of the
34:00
goal that you've got set,
34:03
if you can get
34:04
that to that, the goal gets easier.
34:07
And, I know we were talking about this recently,
34:10
just how the things that I don't like to do
34:14
is what I start my day with, because I don't want to to exercise.
34:18
So I get up and walk on my treadmill for 2 to 3 miles every morning.
34:21
I do the dishes because I don't like doing them at night.
34:25
I'm not going to do them at night. I'm tired.
34:27
I want to sit down after a long day.
34:30
I sweep and they're I mean, those are three of them.
34:34
And, you know, there's a few others, but, like, she records a podcast
34:37
at 9:45 in the morning, she gets that out of the way.
34:41
I know I do, but
34:43
I start my day with the things that I feel are very challenging for me
34:48
because then when I can check those off my list, I'm
34:50
like, heck yes, I got this done, I can do this, I can do anything.
34:54
Now my mindset is fresh and ready for work,
34:56
and when I come home, I know I don't have to do dishes.
34:59
I know I got to get on that treadmill unless I feel like it.
35:02
I'm just getting some of the the hardest parts out of the day.
35:04
It's the same way when I come in here.
35:06
I like to get my really good productivity things done in the morning
35:10
when my mind is fresh and like I'm not dragged down, I'm
35:13
not hitting that 2:00 crash or whatever it is.
35:16
And so, yeah, setting those goals and just holding yourself accountable
35:19
for them every day.
35:21
Yeah, you're going to see that progress.
35:23
Our guest, Jess Paxson, Director of operations
35:25
at Wow Video Tours, for talking about goals.
35:28
The halfway point through the year one of our goals being raise
35:31
regional trainers, to invest in our photographer team.
35:35
And maybe that's a goal that you have as well.
35:37
So hopefully this is giving you some great ideas.
35:39
Jess thank you so much. Appreciate you taking the time.
35:41
I know your your plate is full.
35:42
So thanks for taking time on the podcast.
35:44
It's my pleasure.
35:45
It's been, fun being on with you today. Craig.
35:48
Yeah. If you've got some goals, we'd love to hear them.
35:50
And and we can check in with you as well.
35:53
Feel free to leave a comment on the YouTube channel.
35:55
If you want to drop us an email, you can email us at.
35:58
hello@spiro.media and we would love to hear from you.
36:02
Maybe you hit, maybe you didn't get some goals written down this year.
36:07
Well,
36:08
today is the best day to
36:09
do that, so write down the goals you got six.
36:13
Now let's call it five and a half more months to the end of the year.
36:16
Man. Time is flying, Jess.
36:17
Yes, yes it is.
36:20
Well in the world.
36:20
Anyway,
36:22
Start today.
36:23
Write down that goal and we want to celebrate the win with you.
36:26
When you hit that goal, drop us again.
36:28
Drop us an email. In the email. Todd. Night.
36:30
hello@spiro.media
36:32
We would love to celebrate this with you.
36:33
So hope that was a good check in for you guys.
36:36
Again just thank you so much. Appreciate it.
36:38
Yeah you're welcome.
36:39
And I will let you get to the rest of your day.
36:42
For the rest of you, make sure you take some time
36:44
to be thankful for the blessings in your life.
36:46
It takes some time to breathe as well.
36:48
Celebrate the win during that time of breath
36:51
All right, you have a great week. Take care.