Latest / Elevate Podcast: Powered by Braden / Elevate Ep 56: From Employee to Business Owner, with Leticia Snoddy, Founder/Owner of MS-IL Staffing

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Elevate Ep 56: From Employee to Business Owner, with Leticia Snoddy, Founder/Owner of MS-IL Staffing · Elevate Podcast: Powered by Braden

• 0:02
  Welcome to the Elevate podcast, where
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  every leader has a story. We bring you
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  conversations with influential leaders
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  who are shaping our local communities.
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  Hear about their path to leadership and
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  experiences that define them and how
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  they're driving meaningful impact today.
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  Hey everybody, Jason here with another
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  episode of the Elevate Powered by Braden
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  podcast. And I've got a reasonably new
• 0:25
  friend in the studio with me today. And
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  I remember our conversation at Java
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  House. Terrific coffee also by the way.
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  And but the conversation was great. Not
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  not only around leadership and business
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  and community, but you know, backstory
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  and just kind of, you know, a navigation
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  to get to where she was today. I know
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  the conversation I thought was awesome.
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  And so I'm I'm uh grateful to have you
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  in the studio. But Lety, welcome to the
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  studio.
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  >> Thank you.
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  >> All right.
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  >> So let's say just real quickly, where
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  are you at today? What's the business
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  today? We are grow in growth mode.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> So we are in full power moving ahead
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  just like a train.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> And uh we're excited. Okay. Excited
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  about our future.
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  >> All right. So founder and owner of MSIL
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  Staffing and Packaging. We know that's
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  where you are today, but that's not
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  where you started. So let's go back to
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  the beginning. Where are you from
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  originally?
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  >> Originally from El Paso, Texas.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> I'm the oldest of five children. Uh
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  first generation born in the United
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  States. Mexican-American.
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  >> Okay. Um, so my parents were, my father
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  was in construction. My mother worked in
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  factories. Yeah. Sewing. Uh, she worked
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  for Farah. She worked for Levi Strauss.
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  So at age I think 14 or 15, I got to go
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  in one of the factories and work in
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  there, which I know you're not supposed
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  to at age,
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  >> but I was so tall for uh
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  Mexican-American even for my uh
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  background
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  >> and my heritage, right? Uh I'm 6'2,
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  >> which is unheard.
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  >> Yeah. So, so you were tall enough, you
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  were 14, they let you go.
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  >> I was at between the age of or between
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  school between sixth grade and seventh
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  grade, it seems like I I grew just like
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  a foot.
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  >> Oh, no kidding.
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  >> Oh, yeah. I was tall always, but I I
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  even grew even more.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> So, it was insane. But I got to uh
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  because I was so tall, I was the one
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  that handled all the threading the
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  threads. So, I was able everybody sat up
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  on, you know, platforms,
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  >> okay?
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  >> All the sewing machines, all the people.
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  So, I easily You're just
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  n
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  >> running around this whole factory.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> What? So that So your first role was in
• 2:32
  seventh grade, eighth grade, something
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  like that.
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  >> Something like that. But I used to
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  babysit at a very young age. You got 11
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  years old.
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  >> Both parents worked. I come home from
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  school with the kids, you know.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> And uh we'd all stay home. I would make
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  sure that they behaved, did their
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  homework, and we ate until both parents
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  got home.
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  >> What a great work ethic at a young age,
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  right?
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  >> Very. All of us have it. All of us.
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  >> Yes. But but you're but that was
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  modeled, right? You saw dad working
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  hard, you saw mom working hard, right?
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  Okay. So, oldest of five kiddos. As you
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  finish up with with school, where does
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  your journey go? Because obviously we
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  know you end up being the founder and
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  owner of an organization today, but I
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  know there is a pretty big journey
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  between that point and kind of high
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  school in El Paso.
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  >> There is. There is. So, I left home. Um
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  I really don't like to talk about this.
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  It is, you know, it is part of our
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  journey. So at 16 I left hall uh abusive
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  father but not towards us towards my mom
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  >> uh more so. So I left there a very young
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  age. Um I lived from any of my friends
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  that would take me in until I finished
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  high school.
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  >> Sure.
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  >> And then once I finished high school I
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  had met my ex-husband which he's from
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  Indiana and that's what got me to
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  Indiana.
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  >> All right. So that brings you to
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  Indiana.
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  >> Brushed me to Indiana. Once we got here,
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  um, he left about two weeks, four weeks
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  later after we got married, two weeks in
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  in Indiana, and then he he left two
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  weeks later to Germany.
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  >> I joined them five months later, you
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  know, uh, we were there for over about
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  nine months.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> So, I was pregnant at the time. Came
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  back right before I had my daughter.
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  >> Uh, got back to us, started working.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> Uh, worked in the automotive industry. I
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  worked at other places for sure now
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  trying to I also worked in the farm.
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  That's where I learned how to, you know,
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  uh, pick corn and do all the things that
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  we didn't do in the city, right? You go
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  to the store, buy your groceries. Here,
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  I learned how to pick corn, make
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  strawberry jam, pies. I mean, I'm I
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  learned an American style.
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  >> Yeah. Sure.
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  >> Survival as well. And how to do that.
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  So,
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  >> these par these my best friend's parents
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  were amazing. They had a huge farm and
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  that's where I learned it.
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  >> That's awesome.
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  >> Oh, it was great.
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  >> All right. So, so work in some different
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  places, but you get into the automotive
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  industry. All right. So, what's that
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  look like and what are you doing?
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  >> So, I went into the automotive industry.
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  Uh, it was GCOM Corporation.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> I was one out of 1500 people at the time
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  that was hired on first. Uh, I think of
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  my number I still remember it is 105.
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  >> Okay. [laughter] So, pretty early. Early
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  on
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  >> and I worked there for about nine years.
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  Uh, I worked in inspection a lot with
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  them. So if there was issues with parts
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  or you know and there uh so we worked
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  for the OEM Honda at the time you know
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  did Toyota we get Chrysler
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  >> we did cylinder brackets door locks uh
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  anything to do with the cars in that
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  aspect they're all they're they grew
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  into metal also servicing making metal
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  parts uh in um
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  >> plastics as well injection molding.
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  >> Sure. So we did a lot. You did a little
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  bit.
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  >> Yeah, we did a lot of a little bit of
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  everything.
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  >> But being there for those nine years, I
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  ended up taking care of the service
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  parts.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> At one point, right at the end of my
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  journey that
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  >> Yep. Sure.
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  >> And uh I was able to go to Marsville,
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  Ohio, do inspection with them, and I
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  thought, what a you know, why why isn't
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  anybody doing this? You know, because we
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  they were pulling us off the line going
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  to Admirville, Ohio to the Honda plant
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  and weeds and we're getting over here.
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  We're left with 20 30 people spots that
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  are not being
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  >> Oh, interesting. So, so you're you're
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  you're identifying a gap, right? You're
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  seeing that you could somebody has to do
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  this. You have the experience, but
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  they're pulling you off the line.
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  >> Yes. Us. Yeah. All of us.
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  >> Which is which is slowing down the line,
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  right? Which slows down production.
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  >> Okay. Okay. So, is this kind of the
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  beginning of thinking about sort of
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  >> Yes. Okay. It is. It is. So, then I was
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  told that there was a gentleman who had
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  a business in the staffing there in
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  Greensburg and I went and met with him
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  and I made the decision. I was like,
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  okay, I left something very secure
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  having two little children. I was a
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  divorced at this time already.
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  >> Okay.
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  >> Um
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  and I decided to go ahead and do that
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  path, okay?
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  >> And get into the staffing path. And I
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  thought, man, I loved it. So I worked in
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  the front uh hiring people uh going and
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  opening offices doing all the sales.
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  >> I mean it was a small company but within
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  six years I opened six out of nine of
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  their offices.
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  >> No, no kidding. Okay, let's let's go
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  back just a bit here. Right. So two
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  kiddos at home,
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  >> you've got a stable job and you're going
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  to make the decision to change, right?
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  And you're going to do something else.
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  So during that time, that could be a
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  point in just about anybody's career out
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  there, right? to make that change. What
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  was kind of what were you thinking about
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  right in saying I'm going to go bet on
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  this or I'm going to do this? What was
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  that like? And and maybe just talk a
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  little bit about making that decision.
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  >> Making that decision is hoping that
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  there was something better out there.
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  Okay. Y
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  >> so to provide for my children.
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  >> Uh working the automotive was a big
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  experience for me. It opened a lot of
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  doors but didn't pay a lot.
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  >> Yep.
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  >> For a small town.
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  >> Okay. And I had two children and most of
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  my money at the time when I first
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  started at G Comp making 625 an hour.
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  >> Okay,
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  >> that's not a lot of G children,
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  >> right?
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  >> So I had to also have a second job and
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  then on the weekends I worked out in the
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  farm
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  >> and you know that's where I got the food
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  on the table. So you know you
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  >> do with what you have, right? That's one
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  of the things that I think has gone away
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  and we've lost as a as as society,
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  right?
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  >> Yeah. Agreeable. uh the fact that I h I
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  didn't know any better and this is the
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  way I have to survive to put food on my
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  table and provide for my children. So
• 8:31
  that's what I had to do.
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  >> Yeah. You know, a lot of folks don't
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  know this about my story, but I worked
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  third shift on Friday night and Saturday
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  night in an injection molding plant for
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  12 hours. So I was in sales, you know,
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  during the week and did that job, but
• 8:44
  then I would do that as a young kid, go
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  out and work on the weekends and and
• 8:48
  that that's kind of how we paid bills
• 8:49
  early on,
• 8:50
  >> right?
• 8:50
  >> Okay. Okay. So, you make you make the
• 8:51
  bet, you go over and now you're you've
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  opened six out of nine offices, which by
• 8:56
  the way is awesome. And you've worked
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  now in different areas of the business
• 9:00
  over the course of time.
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  >> Different uh cities within within uh
• 9:03
  Indiana.
• 9:04
  >> Okay.
• 9:04
  >> And different I did it different, you
• 9:06
  know, everything in within that
• 9:08
  organization. I did got so I did uh
• 9:11
  payroll, I would do the front of the
• 9:12
  office, hiring, HR, uh sales, opening,
• 9:16
  >> sure,
• 9:17
  >> brick and mortar. So, it was fun. It was
• 9:19
  never boring. is still not boring,
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  >> right?
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  >> So, we that's one thing that I love
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  about it,
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  >> you know, and the meeting the people and
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  and helping people,
• 9:28
  >> right?
• 9:28
  >> So, because it's hard
• 9:29
  >> when you have somebody and and you've
• 9:32
  been there. We've all have
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  >> you go into a location to ask for a job,
• 9:37
  >> that's frightening people. It's hard,
• 9:39
  right, to walk in the door. So, I always
• 9:41
  tell everybody, one thing you have to
• 9:43
  remember is we were all in their place.
• 9:45
  >> We were all in their in their shoes. You
• 9:48
  have to be compassionate and helpful to
• 9:50
  everybody walking in through that door.
• 9:52
  >> Gotcha. So, all right. So, you're
• 9:54
  working in this organization. You open
• 9:55
  these offices. You've kind of done a
• 9:57
  little bit of everything. At at some
• 9:59
  point, you end up becoming the founder
• 10:01
  and owner of a company,
• 10:03
  >> right?
• 10:03
  >> So, what how does that path where's that
• 10:07
  journey go? And and kind of the spark to
• 10:09
  say, "Hey, I'd like to open up my own
• 10:11
  business." Where's that come from?
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  >> So, it it Well, it started a long time
• 10:15
  ago.
• 10:15
  >> Okay. And I didn't know about it till
• 10:18
  maybe 15 years ago, maybe 10, 15 years
• 10:20
  ago. But my mom had we were walking
• 10:23
  somewhere and and she loves to walk.
• 10:25
  She's very healthy and she's very
• 10:27
  strong. Um for 86 years old, she's still
• 10:31
  we were playing volleyball in the pool
• 10:33
  the other day.
• 10:33
  >> That's perfect. That's awesome.
• 10:36
  >> She likes to hit, you know, she likes to
• 10:38
  pickle uh pit ball as well. Anything
• 10:40
  sporty go for walks in the evening. So
• 10:43
  it's terrific. Um, but sorry I lost
• 10:46
  track off that way.
• 10:47
  >> Sure.
• 10:48
  >> But, uh, I think what got me going was
• 10:51
  my mom said, "You know, when you were
• 10:54
  seven years old and we were walking, she
• 10:56
  said, we were we didn't grow up with
• 10:58
  much, you know, both parents worked a
• 11:00
  lot of hours, especially my mom.
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  >> Uh, sometimes there was days that we
• 11:05
  didn't see her."
• 11:06
  >> Yeah.
• 11:06
  >> So, we uh she said, "Someday when I grow
• 11:10
  up, Mom, I'm going to buy you your own
• 11:12
  house."
• 11:13
  >> Oh, no. is not going to take care of
• 11:14
  you. And ever since I started my own
• 11:17
  business, my mom has her house.
• 11:19
  >> Yeah.
• 11:19
  >> My first commission went to her house.
• 11:22
  So I bought her a house and I've taken
• 11:25
  care of her ever since. Now between all
• 11:27
  of us, we all put in our time.
• 11:29
  >> Sure.
• 11:29
  >> But the financially I've I've done.
• 11:32
  >> Yeah. That's awesome. All right. So it
• 11:34
  started kind of early and so you're at
• 11:36
  this organization. When do you get
• 11:38
  started with your business? When do you
• 11:40
  actually put it out there to go out on
• 11:42
  your own? So, I was in one of the
• 11:43
  offices in Indianapolis and a gentleman
• 11:45
  came in and approached and he said,
• 11:47
  "Have you ever thought about starting
• 11:48
  your business?" And I said, "Yeah, I
• 11:50
  have, but I don't have the financial,
• 11:54
  >> you know, so everything goes into the
• 11:56
  home, the house, the kids, you know, the
• 11:58
  raising them.
• 11:59
  >> Um,
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  >> I wasn't still making a lot of money,
• 12:02
  but I was making a lot of money
• 12:04
  >> for me and my children."
• 12:05
  >> Sure.
• 12:06
  >> So, I was able to build a house as well.
• 12:08
  Okay. for them and I have five acres so
• 12:11
  I you know I provide for them
• 12:13
  >> but that's one thing that our parents
• 12:15
  instilled in us especially my mom
• 12:18
  >> she worked
• 12:19
  >> yep
• 12:20
  >> you know till she bled her you know her
• 12:22
  out of fingers and stuff because she was
• 12:24
  sewing
• 12:25
  >> sure things
• 12:26
  >> but we didn't know any better that's how
• 12:28
  we were raised
• 12:29
  >> you know we weren't raised with here you
• 12:31
  go take this
• 12:32
  >> and I think that's where we've lost that
• 12:34
  and
• 12:35
  >> yeah agreed I I 100% give to our
• 12:38
  children thinking that's going to help
• 12:39
  and it really doesn't.
• 12:41
  >> I'm a dad of five and I I scrapped,
• 12:44
  right? I worked hard and was able to go
• 12:46
  out and do some things over the years
• 12:48
  and and I always I think about the
• 12:50
  opportunities I had because I had to go
• 12:52
  do that,
• 12:53
  >> right?
• 12:53
  >> And then you think about how do you
• 12:54
  create opportunities for your kids now?
• 12:56
  They don't have to do those things,
• 12:59
  right?
• 12:59
  >> And so it's it's very difficult. All
• 13:01
  right. So
• 13:02
  >> So you you start your own company,
• 13:04
  >> right? So I'm there with this gentleman
• 13:06
  and I thought, you know what? He said,
• 13:07
  "What if we start this business
• 13:09
  together?" And I'm like,
• 13:10
  >> "Okay,
• 13:11
  >> there's another one."
• 13:12
  >> Okay.
• 13:12
  >> I'm like, "Okay,
• 13:14
  >> I don't know any better."
• 13:15
  >> Yeah.
• 13:16
  >> I'm just going to go into it.
• 13:17
  >> Yeah.
• 13:17
  >> You know, whether it's blinded or
• 13:19
  whatever, but I do have now the
• 13:20
  knowledge at least about six years.
• 13:22
  >> Sure.
• 13:23
  >> And then I worked in the automotive for
• 13:24
  not. And then after that, we decided to
• 13:26
  go into business together. And that's
• 13:28
  where we started the business.
• 13:30
  >> Okay. So, you started the business
• 13:31
  there. What's what's the business? Who
• 13:34
  are you helping? What are you guys
• 13:36
  doing? Tell me about
• 13:37
  >> So we started uh when we started the
• 13:40
  business there was a transition because
• 13:43
  obviously the other company that I
• 13:45
  worked for they did have a non-compete.
• 13:47
  >> Sure.
• 13:47
  >> So I had other people I had to hire
• 13:49
  which is my partner now. Uh my daughter
• 13:52
  worked for me as well. She would get out
• 13:54
  of school at her junior year and come
• 13:57
  home and do payroll
• 13:59
  >> in our basement.
• 14:00
  >> Okay.
• 14:01
  >> For about 200 people. So we worked at
• 14:03
  the uh all the venues downtown. Yeah. I
• 14:06
  also worked for the Colts, the stadium,
• 14:08
  the convention center, uh the uh Pacers.
• 14:11
  Yeah. And the Indians as well. Okay.
• 14:13
  >> So that was one of them. And then we had
• 14:15
  packaging that we did for another
• 14:17
  company. So when I do package, what I
• 14:19
  mean by that is we provided the labor.
• 14:21
  >> Yeah.
• 14:22
  >> So we provided people, right, to do the
• 14:23
  work and we provided the jobs the
• 14:25
  opportunities.
• 14:26
  >> So what was the name of the company back
• 14:27
  then? Same as it is today. Okay. So
• 14:29
  >> yeah, it's it started with other names
• 14:31
  as well. I think it was global at the
• 14:32
  time that we started broke global
• 14:34
  >> and then we changed it.
• 14:36
  >> Gotcha.
• 14:36
  >> And it went to uh it actually went to
• 14:40
  Minority Solutions Inspections
• 14:42
  Logistics.
• 14:44
  >> That's where that came from.
• 14:45
  >> Okay.
• 14:46
  >> And then being you know I went ahead and
• 14:48
  signed up for an MBE WBE.
• 14:50
  >> Y
• 14:51
  >> and we went down to Alabama because we
• 14:53
  started in the automotive industry
• 14:54
  because I brought that plan in too.
• 14:56
  Sure. Right.
• 14:56
  >> Inspection. So not just providing you
• 14:59
  know people for opportunities for jobs
• 15:01
  right with our customers but then we
• 15:04
  started with the uh with the u
• 15:07
  inspection services okay as well. So we
• 15:09
  got an opportunity with Navastar. Do you
• 15:10
  remember when they were in town?
• 15:12
  >> No kidding.
• 15:13
  >> So so no kidding. So all right. So let's
• 15:16
  let's break this down for right. So you
• 15:18
  start the business
• 15:19
  >> you're helping individuals find jobs.
• 15:23
  But I if I didn't know anything about
• 15:26
  your organization, it might be good just
• 15:28
  to share what it is you guys do.
• 15:31
  >> Okay.
• 15:31
  >> And and how is it that individuals might
• 15:34
  find you, right? Or or maybe who it is
• 15:37
  you're servicing as well. Those types of
• 15:39
  things.
• 15:40
  >> Well, we're servicing different uh
• 15:42
  companies. Okay.
• 15:43
  >> And it's all e-commerce because it's big
• 15:45
  here in Indiana.
• 15:46
  >> Okay.
• 15:47
  >> Packaging companies, food manufacturing,
• 15:50
  automotive. So and then professional
• 15:53
  services we have as well.
• 15:55
  >> Okay.
• 15:55
  >> So we have a division on the
• 15:56
  professional we have another division
• 15:58
  which is PTG. It's called pro talent
• 16:00
  group.
• 16:01
  >> John soul more skilled labor uh direct
• 16:04
  hire.
• 16:05
  >> Y
• 16:05
  >> um and then we have CIS which is
• 16:07
  certified inspection services and that's
• 16:09
  where the inspection comes from.
• 16:11
  >> Okay.
• 16:11
  >> And do we do have inspection services
• 16:13
  that we work with with our clients in
• 16:15
  the automotive industry. So all under
• 16:17
  that umbrella and you're working with
• 16:19
  organizations that need labor that need
• 16:22
  help right need skilled individuals and
• 16:26
  you're helping bring those people into
• 16:28
  right those organizations. Okay.
• 16:31
  >> How are people finding you?
• 16:33
  >> So they find us in social media, Indeed,
• 16:36
  uh the website.
• 16:38
  >> Okay.
• 16:38
  >> Uh there's so many avenues that we have.
• 16:41
  We have a great She's in here, but we
• 16:44
  have a great marketing. Uh she's over
• 16:46
  all our marketing and she's incredible.
• 16:48
  Blah blah blah.
• 16:49
  >> Yeah. She's awesome.
• 16:50
  >> Yeah. It's great when we get folks in
• 16:51
  here to sit with us as well. You don't
• 16:53
  see them on camera, but they're aimless
• 16:54
  and they take a picture. It's always so
• 16:56
  much fun.
• 16:56
  >> Yeah.
• 16:57
  >> Uh
• 16:57
  >> she pushes me to do this. [laughter]
• 17:00
  >> Well, you're doing great, by the way.
• 17:02
  And so the the business obviously has
• 17:05
  grown. Are you servicing just clients in
• 17:07
  Indiana or
• 17:08
  >> we're No, we're around other states as
• 17:11
  well. When we first started it and we
• 17:12
  got it to the automotive, we grew it so
• 17:15
  fast. In nine years, we went to 13
• 17:17
  states.
• 17:17
  >> No kidding.
• 17:18
  >> And provided inspection services and
• 17:20
  labor because no matter what it is,
• 17:23
  right, in this organizations and this
• 17:26
  company and the states and everywhere,
• 17:29
  everybody needs people,
• 17:31
  >> right? Whether it's skilled labor,
• 17:33
  whether it's uh light industrial or
• 17:35
  whatever it is, management positions, we
• 17:38
  they still need people.
• 17:39
  >> That's right.
• 17:40
  >> So that's how that other grew
• 17:42
  >> to inspection services because we had
• 17:45
  the knowledge of labor,
• 17:46
  >> right? Of course.
• 17:47
  >> So and with your background, you had six
• 17:49
  years over there opening different
• 17:51
  locations and mean the beautiful thing
• 17:53
  about that is you said you got a chance
• 17:55
  to kind of do
• 17:57
  >> a little bit of everything.
• 17:58
  >> All the roles,
• 17:59
  >> right? All the roles. So now you've seen
• 18:01
  it kind of inside and out. So being now
• 18:04
  on your own and working with a partner
• 18:06
  and and driving this business forward,
• 18:07
  you've got a lot of experience there.
• 18:09
  >> You know, one of the things that always
• 18:12
  is interesting to me is the difference
• 18:13
  between wantreneurs, people that want to
• 18:16
  do something and entrepreneurs, people
• 18:18
  that actually went out and kind of
• 18:20
  started something. Looking back, if you
• 18:23
  were to give somebody advice, if they
• 18:24
  had an idea, if they were thinking about
• 18:26
  starting their own business, what advice
• 18:28
  might you give them if they were
• 18:29
  thinking about that?
• 18:31
  >> I think it'd be it would be so different
• 18:33
  now, right? Don't just go out and do it.
• 18:35
  Do your research,
• 18:36
  >> okay?
• 18:37
  >> Get mentors,
• 18:38
  >> read up on what you really want to do
• 18:40
  and understand what you're really going
• 18:42
  to get into. Um, but the biggest part is
• 18:46
  if you have the drive, if you have the
• 18:48
  heart,
• 18:49
  >> and there's no stopping you or there's
• 18:53
  no reason why, right? There's it's a
• 18:56
  challenge. It's going to be a challenge,
• 18:58
  >> but it's that passion that you have to
• 19:01
  have
• 19:02
  >> to really go after what you want.
• 19:04
  >> That's right. I And it's difficult, I
• 19:06
  think, in some cases for people to have
• 19:08
  that because they don't they're going to
• 19:10
  be okay.
• 19:12
  >> Yeah.
• 19:12
  >> Right. in a lot of cases, but they they
• 19:15
  may not be able to go to where they want
• 19:16
  to go, which is which is great.
• 19:19
  >> And so, but I always think that the
• 19:20
  encouragement would be very similar to
• 19:22
  what you said. Do the research, find
• 19:25
  mentors, ask people that have been
• 19:27
  there, right? Don't be afraid of
• 19:28
  failing, but but you know, don't just
• 19:30
  jump in.
• 19:31
  >> Right.
• 19:32
  >> Right. Um, but maybe go find a few
• 19:34
  things out, but then I would encourage
• 19:36
  them, you know, if you think you've got
• 19:37
  an opportunity here, go for it.
• 19:38
  >> Go for it.
• 19:39
  >> Right. I mean, what the the worst that
• 19:41
  could happen is you may not do well.
• 19:42
  I've seen I've had friends that have
• 19:44
  failed.
• 19:44
  >> Yeah.
• 19:45
  >> Something you did it,
• 19:46
  >> but you did it
• 19:47
  >> right. It's the not doing it.
• 19:51
  >> Yeah.
• 19:52
  >> That you don't want to be what? 68 60
• 19:55
  year old.
• 19:57
  [laughter]
• 19:58
  But, uh, you don't want to be down
• 20:00
  looking back and saying, I wish I should
• 20:03
  or should have done that.
• 20:04
  >> Yes. Give it a shot. Agreed. Okay. All
• 20:06
  right. So the business you guys when did
• 20:08
  you guys officially get started?
• 20:10
  >> So this month is the month that we are
• 20:13
  celebrating 25 years is the what made my
• 20:17
  decision to say you know what let's do
• 20:19
  this
• 20:19
  >> 25 years.
• 20:20
  >> Congrat.
• 20:22
  That's amazing. And so just thinking
• 20:24
  about all the stories that you've heard
• 20:26
  and all the individuals that you've
• 20:27
  helped and the families that you've
• 20:29
  helped by going out and and and betting
• 20:32
  on yourself with a partner creating this
• 20:34
  organization. All of the people over 25
• 20:37
  years that you guys have helped support.
• 20:39
  That's awesome. By the way,
• 20:40
  >> you see, I think of that differently.
• 20:42
  >> Okay.
• 20:42
  >> I think of that. They helped me.
• 20:46
  >> Yeah. Yeah. They have helped you.
• 20:47
  >> Yeah.
• 20:48
  >> Yeah. And and ultimately, by the way,
• 20:50
  it's probably very symbiotic.
• 20:52
  >> Yeah.
• 20:52
  >> Right. It ultimately you you've been
• 20:54
  helped and they have as well.
• 20:56
  >> Yeah. Because I have a a huge group of
• 20:59
  people in our organization. There's
• 21:01
  about 40 of us, but the original seven
• 21:03
  are still here today. That's awesome.
• 21:06
  >> So, and which includes my daughter, my
• 21:08
  son, my best friend, Eli, who's also my
• 21:10
  business partner. My daughter, she's my
• 21:12
  business partner as well. Um, and and
• 21:15
  you know, there's I can name them all.
• 21:17
  >> Yeah.
• 21:18
  >> But they're all wonderful. They're all
• 21:19
  big part of my family.
• 21:20
  >> Yeah. The original seven, by the way.
• 21:22
  >> Original seven.
• 21:22
  >> 25 years. Seven people. That is terrific
• 21:25
  >> to be able to say that. All right. So,
• 21:28
  as you've evolved, 25 years in this
• 21:30
  business, six years before that, doing
• 21:32
  some things in staffing. How's
• 21:34
  technology changed?
• 21:35
  >> Oh gosh.
• 21:37
  >> And and and and obviously I know it's
• 21:39
  evolving quickly.
• 21:40
  >> Yes.
• 21:41
  >> But maybe your thoughts on where's it
• 21:43
  going in the near future in your
• 21:44
  business.
• 21:45
  >> You know, it's growing so fast that if
• 21:47
  you don't stay on top of it, you're
• 21:49
  going to be behind. And everybody says
• 21:50
  that, right? But it is so true because
• 21:52
  in our organization,
• 21:55
  take me back 25 years. We were doing
• 21:58
  everything by paper.
• 21:59
  >> Applications,
• 22:01
  you know, information. uh write down
• 22:04
  somebody got hurt. God forbid anybody
• 22:05
  got hurt, you know, on the job.
• 22:07
  Everything was paper trail. Every we had
• 22:09
  one computer,
• 22:11
  >> right?
• 22:12
  >> And now, you know, as we evolve, we got
• 22:15
  more computers, but that was sure as for
• 22:17
  HR and for the back of the office, which
• 22:19
  is the payroll.
• 22:20
  >> Yeah. Of course. Yeah.
• 22:21
  >> And one of the things that I always
• 22:23
  said, I I never wanted to outsource too
• 22:25
  much of our of our uh product, of our
• 22:29
  business.
• 22:30
  >> Yep. And one of the things for me was
• 22:32
  very important was the payroll
• 22:34
  >> because so many working with so many
• 22:36
  people
• 22:37
  >> in different organizations, all your
• 22:40
  clients work individually, right?
• 22:42
  >> Yeah.
• 22:42
  >> So they all have their own systems,
• 22:44
  their own processes, their own
• 22:45
  procedures. And if one of your people
• 22:48
  does not get paid because somebody
• 22:50
  didn't clock in
• 22:51
  >> or
• 22:52
  >> something happened in or you know
• 22:54
  customer forgot somebody to send it in.
• 22:57
  >> I wanted to have the ability to turn
• 22:59
  around that check immediately or you
• 23:01
  know direct deposit. Now it's different.
• 23:04
  >> Yeah. Of course
• 23:04
  >> everything was paper back then. Now it's
• 23:06
  direct deposit check cards.
• 23:08
  >> It's all automated.
• 23:09
  >> Yeah.
• 23:09
  >> And we have the ability to turn
• 23:11
  somebody's check within two hours that
• 23:13
  payroll.
• 23:14
  >> You know that's it's interesting, right?
• 23:16
  Because most folks would think I want to
• 23:18
  go towards the efficiency, have somebody
• 23:20
  do this, it's maybe a little bit lower
• 23:22
  cost or whatever the case is. But
• 23:24
  ultimately that paycheck
• 23:26
  >> for that individual and for that
• 23:27
  individual's family and their was the
• 23:30
  most important thing, right?
• 23:31
  >> It is.
• 23:32
  >> Because if you don't take care of those
• 23:33
  people Yeah.
• 23:34
  >> Right. That that's it's interesting
• 23:36
  >> that word of mouth gets around faster
• 23:37
  than any social media you'll have.
• 23:39
  >> Yeah. So for me it was so important
• 23:41
  because those people like you said they
• 23:44
  need that to put that on the table to
• 23:46
  provide for their families. But if in in
• 23:50
  that turnaround time I heard one time in
• 23:53
  my organization only one time I said
• 23:55
  well they can get paid in two weeks when
• 23:57
  we pay. So I went back and that stopped
• 24:00
  me in my tracks.
• 24:01
  >> Yeah. Right.
• 24:02
  >> And I said they are the reason we have
• 24:05
  jobs here.
• 24:06
  >> Yep. and we have opportunity and we have
• 24:08
  clients and we have you know would you
• 24:10
  like me to hold your chair for two
• 24:12
  weeks?
• 24:13
  >> Yeah.
• 24:14
  >> Immediately that changed.
• 24:16
  >> Of course it right because it's going to
• 24:18
  affect that.
• 24:19
  >> Yeah. So it's very important for me
• 24:20
  because the people that work for us are
• 24:23
  our bread and butter. That's right.
• 24:24
  >> They are that the ones that help us put
• 24:26
  food on the table for everybody.
• 24:28
  >> Yeah. What a great business. And so
• 24:30
  terrific. And I like the idea of the
• 24:32
  thoughts of technology evolving from
• 24:34
  basically no computers now to to
• 24:36
  computers, but just, you know, things
• 24:38
  are evolving quickly and it'll be
• 24:40
  interesting to see how it continues to
• 24:42
  evolve in your space.
• 24:44
  >> You know, in your story, we've talked a
• 24:46
  lot about different maybe communities
• 24:48
  and people and just over time. But when
• 24:51
  you think about community, what's
• 24:53
  community mean to you?
• 24:55
  >> My organization, my people that work
• 24:56
  with me, you know, they're my team,
• 24:59
  they're my family. So they are they
• 25:02
  what's the saying that uh uh charity
• 25:06
  begins at home or you know you help the
• 25:08
  people that are around you right? So
• 25:10
  I've helped everybody within our
• 25:11
  organization doesn't matter somebody's
• 25:13
  had ship or whatever.
• 25:15
  >> I mean I'm not that strict.
• 25:17
  >> You have a lot of organizations that oh
• 25:19
  you're going to miss three days you're
• 25:20
  out.
• 25:21
  >> Yeah. you know, and I've tried to uh
• 25:23
  change that mindset
• 25:25
  >> because maybe they don't fit in that
• 25:28
  spot, but maybe they would do great
• 25:30
  somewhere else.
• 25:31
  >> Y
• 25:31
  >> So serving our community is also
• 25:33
  education.
• 25:34
  >> Yeah. Right.
• 25:34
  >> You know, and trying to provide that
• 25:36
  information to our clients from, hey,
• 25:38
  you know, you guys are paying great, but
• 25:41
  this is happening over here. And because
• 25:42
  of the systems and the information that
• 25:45
  we have now
• 25:46
  >> through technology,
• 25:48
  >> y
• 25:48
  >> we can narrow it down to,
• 25:50
  >> hey, all these people in this one
• 25:52
  company,
• 25:54
  >> you're having issues. You're having a
• 25:55
  big turnover on maybe let's say third
• 25:57
  shift.
• 25:58
  >> Mhm.
• 25:58
  >> There [clears throat] might be something
• 25:59
  going on with either it could be the
• 26:01
  supervisor, could be somebody in that
• 26:03
  organization working there and people
• 26:06
  are even.
• 26:06
  >> Yeah.
• 26:07
  >> So we have that technology now
• 26:09
  >> of course
• 26:10
  >> where we did before. Yeah. You know,
• 26:12
  when you think about community, it it's
• 26:14
  it's interesting the way that you've
• 26:16
  talked about leadership. You said, "I'm
• 26:19
  not I'm not that strict is what you
• 26:20
  said."
• 26:21
  >> Ultimately, you're you're leading with a
• 26:23
  servant's heart.
• 26:24
  >> Yeah.
• 26:25
  >> Right. And you understand that the
• 26:27
  individuals that are out there
• 26:30
  supporting uh the clients that you have,
• 26:33
  those those are the people that if you
• 26:35
  don't take care of them, you don't have
• 26:37
  a business. Right. Ultimately, you're
• 26:39
  really in the people business. Yes.
• 26:41
  which really you could really say that
• 26:42
  about your organization. You are 100% in
• 26:44
  the people business and taking care of
• 26:46
  them and you can hear some things that
• 26:48
  you just don't hear much in leadership
• 26:50
  today. And one of the things when you
• 26:53
  when you talked about your team about 40
• 26:55
  people 25 years later, the original
• 26:58
  seven and still being there with you,
• 27:00
  your face lit up, you smiled thinking
• 27:02
  about them and thinking about their
• 27:04
  family.
• 27:04
  >> You know, you can tell community to you
• 27:06
  means a lot. you know, as you think
• 27:08
  about your story growing up in El Paso
• 27:11
  and and kind of leaving home early and
• 27:13
  coming to Indiana and learning how to
• 27:15
  farm and do different things here and
• 27:17
  then getting into the automotive
• 27:19
  industry and then kind of getting into
• 27:21
  staffing and doing that for six years
• 27:23
  and and seeing all the different phases
• 27:25
  of that business and then deciding 25
• 27:28
  years ago with a partner to start your
• 27:30
  own company. When you think through that
• 27:32
  journey, what a wonderful journey to be
• 27:36
  able to look back and say, you know,
• 27:38
  I've been able to do this, this, and
• 27:39
  this because I've been able to go out
• 27:41
  and do things. I could do hard things. I
• 27:44
  bet on myself with others and helped
• 27:46
  other people along the way. And and now
• 27:49
  you've got a thriving business, which is
• 27:51
  terrific to hear. I I I know things will
• 27:54
  continue to go forward for you guys. And
• 27:56
  so from a a business perspective, wow,
• 27:58
  what a story. So, my last question is a
• 28:01
  pretty easy one. If you're not working,
• 28:03
  what are you doing for fun?
• 28:05
  >> Hanging out with my grandkids.
• 28:06
  >> Yeah. All right. How many grandkids?
• 28:08
  >> I have four.
• 28:09
  >> Okay.
• 28:09
  >> That's awesome. And so, are they around
• 28:11
  here?
• 28:11
  >> They are. Okay. They are. They're close.
• 28:13
  >> Okay. And with an 80ome year old mom
• 28:16
  who's still playing volleyball in the
• 28:18
  pool and going out playing uh pickle
• 28:20
  ball.
• 28:20
  >> Pickle ball. I know.
• 28:22
  >> How awesome is that?
• 28:23
  >> I know. She's incredible.
• 28:24
  >> Congrats. Last thing I'll say is go back
• 28:26
  and high-five the seven-year-old you for
• 28:28
  picking up a house for your mom and
• 28:30
  taking care of her. Congrats on all the
• 28:32
  success. Thanks for being on the show.
• 28:34
  >> Thank you.
• 28:34
  >> I appreciate it.
• 28:36
  >> Thank you for listening to the Elevate
• 28:38
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