Podcast appearances and mentions of brad what

Summary: Today’s episode we’re diving into the various experiences of Agency culture with guest Taylor Watt, Marketing Manager at Metacake. After changing lanes from teaching to advertising, she began working for a large agency with a long history and big name. The experience wasn’t pleasant, to say the least, and after a tumultuous learning curve she found her place at Metacake. Today we’re talking about Taylor’s experience of working for two totally different companies doing somewhat similar work, the company culture has impacted her performance and life in general.   Top 3 Curtain Pulls in this episode:  Employees don’t have to feel fear in order to be productive! Give your employees a healthy, stable, respectful and encouraging environment and the results will come back to you tenfold.  Healthy Leadership is evident from the outside, and healthy culture is intentional. Everyone will feel the result- you, your employees, AND your clients! Human relationships should be the priority, with the work being secondary. If your team doesn’t feel respected by leadership at a basic level, feedback won’t be received in a way that is constructive and supportive.    About Our Guest:  Taylor Watt is the Marketing Manager at Metacake, running marketing both strategically for clients as well as Metacake’s internal marketing. She has her hands in every Metacake project- from content creation to strategy for Metacake’s YouTube channel. She is passionate, kind, funny, and incredible at her job, truly invaluable to the Metacake team- she also has a really cute dog and makes a mean stack of pancakes.    For more tips, discussion, and behind the scenes: Follow us on Instagram @AgencyPodcast Join our closed Facebook community for agency leaders   About The Guys:  Bob Hutchins: Founder of BuzzPlant, a digital agency that he ran from from 2000 -2017. He is also the author of 3 books. More on Bob:  Bob on LinkedIn twitter.com/BobHutchins instagram.com/bwhutchins Bob on Facebook Brad Ayres: Founder of Anthem Republic, an award-winning ad agency. Brad’s knowledge has led some of the biggest brands in the world. Originally from Detroit, Brad is an OG in the ad agency world and has the wisdom and scars to prove it. Currently that knowledge is being applied to his boutique agency. More on Brad: Brad on LinkedIn Anthem Republic twitter.com/bradayres instagram.com/therealbradayres facebook.com/Bradayres Ken Ott: Co-Founder and Chief Growth Rebel of Metacake, an Ecommerce Growth Team for some of the world’s most influential brands with a mission to Grow Brands That Matter. Ken is also an author, speaker, and was nominated for an Emmy for his acting on the Metacake Youtube Channel (not really). More on Ken:  Ken on LinkedIn Metacake - An Ecommerce Growth Team Growth Rebel TV twitter.com/iamKenOtt instagram.com/iamKenOtt facebook.com/iamKenOtt   Show Notes: [3:15] The Guys introduce Taylor Watt, Marketing Manager at Metacake.  [3:33] Taylor: “I grew up in Nashville, I went to a little Christian college called Lee University… My roommate was in advertising and I was always so envious that her work seemed exciting and more passionate… so I made the switch last minute and spent a little extra time at Lee and got my advertising degree.” She got a job right out of school at a big agency in Nashville and the experience was not great, but eventually moved on and found Metacake. “I’m so grateful I switched majors and that I get to do the work that I do.”  [5:28] Bob asks: “At the big agency, what was the expectation that was going on?”  [5:41] Taylor responds: In college, the expectation in advertising is that you’ll get a great job at a big agency, work hard and make big money. Fast paced, working with lots of clients, trendy office setting… those expectations were set and fulfilled by the agency life.  [6:30] Brad asks: “What was the first sign that made you say ‘Hey I’m not going to like this?’” [6:37] Taylor: “Well I didin’t really know what to expect, this is the first big girl job that I had, but you’d think that an agency that had been running for decades, that there would be some sort of formal training. There is no formal training.”  Taylor shares that there was zero guidance with extremely high expectations from your management. Long hours were expected, so she stayed late every day to try and keep up with the expectations.  She never made plans after work because of this, and the year and half of working there was made even more difficult as a result. [7:45] Brad: “What would happen if you just told them you had to leave? What if you had kids, were they flexible with that?” [7:57] Taylor: “The people with kids would just leave, but I think it’s like if you’re young and single, it’s kind of expected that you’ll stay. I’m very submissive by nature, so I would just keep my head down.” [8:20] Taylor that she had no trouble with trying hard, with working hard. The company didn’t provide laptops, so working late at home wasn’t an option. They offered laptops to check out but the technology was old, no cloud saving or easy access. This made the late night mandatory.  [10:00] Brad talks about it’s common for old agencies that have been around for a while to still be doing things the same way they’ve always done them. There is a culture that this is the way things are and they’re not going to change, are not possible to change, because this is the way it’s been for decades.  [11:15] Brad asks: “Do you feel like your coworkers had the same experiences?”  [11:30] Taylor: “Yes I think everyone else had the same experience and concerns… there were five of us all about the same experience level… I think everybody had the mindset that you just had to prove yourself and eventually work your way up.” She did confide in management and ask if things were normal, if this was the way things normally happened. Sick days weren’t really days off or sick days, you were still expected to work.  [12:15] Ken: Talks about how working hard and “paying your dues” isn’t necessarily a bad thing- there is a certain amount of experience necessary to be totally trusted. The process of going through fire is an experience and it’s good for you! But poor leadership through that process is what’s messed up and is more dysfunctional than it is intentionally difficult at certain stages.  [13:20] Taylor speaks about how a lack of kindness and respect breeds an environment of fear, and that’s not a healthy place for anybody to be.  [16:00] Brad discusses his experience as a single owner of his business. It’s challenging to not let the stress and fear of everything falling apart get to you and create more trouble than is necessary. He shares that he once had a boss tell him “Brad, it’s just advertising,” and that has stuck with him through times of stress and steep learning curves.  [18:33] Taylor talks about one pitfall at the big agency she worked for- “It was so big and the team is so big and there were no systems and processes.” When things went wrong she was very hard on herself but in reality she was sort of set up for failure and lack of guidance.  She speaks about how different it is at Metacake. There are systems and processes for everything, a project manager that everyone is in touch with and everyone is very transparent about their daily tasks and work. This provides accountability and gives peace of mind so everyone can know that no balls are going to be dropped.  Aside from that, “It’s just a pleasant place to be, also it’s an inspiring place to be.”  [22:30] Brad asks “If you need to take correction from a boss, what is the best way to correct without diminishing your confidence and spirit?” The Guys discuss previous experience of negative feedback from a boss, Taylor shares a story about a boss that spoke unkindly to her via the team Slack channel so everybody could see. When she confronted this boss, there was an aggressive response in return and it was very discouraging to her.  [37:21] Taylor speaks on receiving criticism or feedback- she always goes to the compliment sandwich. Start with the way they are doing something well, then give the criticism with suggestions on how to improve, and follow up with another soft compliment. That way the employee doesn’t feel attacked or discouraged, but lifted up and respected.  “I think young people need to learn how to take correction and not let it just destroy them. And you need to humble yourself and that’s how you learn.”  She speaks on corrections given by Ken. “It never hurts. It’s always like ‘Oh well I feel kind of dumb, but I’ll go fix it,’”  [39:25] Brad: “Is that because you know his heart and you know that no matter what he does, he’s for you?” It’s really about the intent and the care, the work relationship where you know you’re cared for and supported and that someone has your back.  [40:38] Bob speaks on how our work does not define us as human beings. This mindset and belief about life creates subtle difference in the way that we interact with each other, and the results of this environment are felt immediately  [42:00] The Guys talk about how the biggest pitfall for many agencies is the breakdown in the team relationship- in doing the work, it can be easy to forget the human element, which results in an environment of fear and high pressure with little reward.

Summary:  Fear - the most detrimental emotion. What’s worse is making decisions in this irrational state. Yet so many people live and operate in this state daily. In business and in life, there is no shortage of things to incite fear. As an agency leader, you know more than most about the dangers of fear-based decision making. Honestly, most days you probably feel like King Solomon… “cut the baby in half!”. Balancing demanding clients, financial challenges, personnel issues, taxes, accounting, market shifts, and about 1 million other situations while inspiring an encouraging and transparent office culture that inspires great work on a high level can seem impossible. Well, it turns out leadership is not for the faint of heart. It’s downright hard. This is no easy task, and there is A LOT of room for fear to sneak in and sabotage your decisions. How can you create the financial stability that your business needs without turning off clients or putting your personal finances in jeopardy? Where do you turn when your brain is stuck in a state of unreality? We get vulnerable about some of our fears. We dive into strategies we have learned for coping with this pressure and what has given us the most relief and encouragement through this process.    Resources Mentioned:  A 4 Step Leadership Framework for Making Healthy Decisions Keith Cunningham CPA Masterclass: https://keystothevault.com/   Top 3 Curtain Pulls in this episode: Fear is useless beyond the flag it raises about a potential threat and puts you in an irrational state not optimal for making sound decisions. Learning to control that fear and put it in its place means freedom. Health (physical, emotional, spiritual) and Preparation (planning) is the first step to clearer and more level-headed decision making. By recognizing fear and having the tools to manage it, you will be able to make better decisions and take healthier action that allow you to thrive rather than react in any situation in life and in business.   About The Guys:  Bob Hutchins: Founder of BuzzPlant, a digital agency that he ran from from 2000 -2017. He is also the author of 3 books. More on Bob:  Bob on LinkedIn twitter.com/BobHutchins instagram.com/bwhutchins Bob on Facebook Brad Ayres: Founder of Anthem Republic, an award-winning ad agency. Brad’s knowledge has led some of the biggest brands in the world. Originally from Detroit, Brad is an OG in the ad agency world and has the wisdom and scars to prove it. Currently that knowledge is being applied to his boutique agency. More on Brad: Brad on LinkedIn Anthem Republic twitter.com/bradayres instagram.com/therealbradayres facebook.com/Bradayres Ken Ott: Co-Founder and Chief Growth Rebel of Metacake, an Ecommerce Growth Team for some of the world’s most influential brands with a mission to Grow Brands That Matter. Ken is also an author, speaker, and was nominated for an Emmy for his acting on the Metacake Youtube Channel (not really). More on Ken:  Ken on LinkedIn Metacake - An Ecommerce Growth Team Growth Rebel TV twitter.com/iamKenOtt instagram.com/iamKenOtt facebook.com/iamKenOtt   Show Notes: [1:25] Bob: “We wanted to talk today about fear, anxiety, and not being controlled by it… How does it control you in the business situation, for those of us who are running agencies, work at agencies, engaged with agencies, whoever you are…” [2:06] Bob: I failed at this miserably in my business and I was driven by fear many times and made a lot of bad decisions that cost my business, myself, my people that work for me… I learned a ton, I am thankful for that… I know I was not alone, even though I felt like I was.” Fear-based decision making is something that “plagues and can wreak havoc… but can also be a really good way to shore up and protect your business.” [2:57] Brad relates fear in business with thinking about the unknown.  “For me personally, it’s not having clarity on my business that immediately brings me fear… I have to get to the point where I don’t have to know everything because I can’t control everything.”  [3:25] Brad: “I can’t control whether a client decides to do something different and no longer wants to work with us… or if the economy tanks and we go through a recession and people quit spending, I can’t control a lot of that… from the unknown.” Brad asks about things that others have done to be proactive instead of reactive based in fear. [4:10] Ken speaks about how not making fear-based decisions is a core personal value.  “Fear is a really detrimental emotion, right? When it pervades past the initial emotion of showing you that there’s a situation that needs your attention, that’s great but beyond that, if you’re not aware of it, it just takes over.”  [5:07] Ken asks: “Have you ever made a really good decision based in fear? Probably not… How many things have you NOT done out of fear? Because fear is one of those emotions that actually stops you- it’s used strategically sometimes in the marketplace to stop you from doing something.” “Getting a handle on fear, I think is one of the most practical things you can do as a business owner and a leader.” [5:50] Ken: “I don’t think anyone can control their fear… that’s a hard thing to do. What you can do is be aware of it and once you’re aware of it you can manage it appropriately. That takes a lot of conditioning… it’s like a muscle, not like a switch that you flip on an off, but a willpower that you build up over time.” [6:25] Bob: “I think we should talk briefly about some of the psychology around it… one of the most helpful things for me is understanding that your brain doesn’t know if something is really happening or not. It’s all about what your senses are, what you’re thinking and feeling, and then your brain acts accordingly. And so that’s where fear can paralyze us as business owners.” This is a state of unreality that your brain goes into, this world of possibility that anything could happen. But your brain doesn’t know it’s unreality- it thinks it’s happening.  [7:55] Bob tells us a story about a new VR game that simulates falling off of a building, and relates it to the idea that your brain doesn't know what’s real or not- you know you’re safe but your body still produces the adrenaline and sensation of falling.  “I really think if enough people could understand that small part of how fear affects us, it would be really helpful.” [8:54] Brad adds: “If you have fear, you’ve somehow experienced something similar in the past where it wasn’t a positive thing. So the more you can overcome the fear and go through experiences and see the positive outcome, the next time you go through that, it’s not going to be so fearful.” If you think about the things you deal with on a day to day basis that are rooted in fear, then take a totally opposite perspective of those things, think about what’s the worst that could happen.  [9:52] Brad: “If the worst were to happen, you might have to go through a little bit of hardship, but comparable to other people in this world, all three of us have it made. So it’s this attitude of gratefulness that we’re grateful for what we have and that we really don’t need all that much to be beautiful human beings.” [10:33] Brad continues: “For me, it’s a constant battle with myself of really, how should I react to this and how can I have a sound mind going into this so that I know I’ll be clear-headed through the process where I’m not owning that fear to the point where it becomes unrealistic.” [10:57] Ken: “I think that’s an important aspect of combating fear is identifying the source of information that’s creating the fear in you… Seeking truth is really important right? In business and in life… Can you trust opinion? Are your interests aligned with the people that are giving you those opinions?” Ultimately, your brain doesn’t know what is true and what isn't. So the worry that you allow yourself to have, the rabbit trails you go down actually tell your brain that these things ARE happening.  Step 1 is figuring out what the Truth is. [13:00] Bob adds: “The only person that has your best interest at heart concerning your mental wellbeing is you.”  OWNING this truth is the next step.  [13:53] Bob: “Don’t isolate yourself- talk about your fears… As a business owner you carry so much internally… those narratives can go to some pretty crazy places in your head… Sit down with trusted friends and advisors to talk them through.” [14:34] Brad speaks on when he feels the most fear. When there’s already a lot going on in your business and you’re already running on low fuel, the fear and anxiety can really take over. So it’s important to take a look at your calendar and start removing the things that aren’t necessary, to give yourself space to think clearly. He suggests first looking at the way you’re taking care of yourself and work from there.  [16:15] Ken speaks on how intentional you have to be with this- taking care of yourself and your body has to become an initiative in your life. [18:00] Ken: “Whether you like it or not, you're in that position where you need to come prepared, be conditioned to lead your organization appropriately. That’s just the role you’re in… and you have to accept that. And once you do, it’s like okay that means I have to live a life that has these qualities to it because I need to be conditioned.” [18:46] Brad: “It’s really hard to lead a company when you’re just reactive.” How do you become proactive so that you can prepare for these moments.  “How do you take that fear and flip it on its head and have it become an experience that’s positive?” [20:10] Brad speaks on the power a client has to put additional pressure on a team, and how important it is to communicate with the client early on to put more demands on how they will work with you.  “So it’s just being more clear, clarity is always key. Understanding what we will do and what we won’t do… so that in the case that their expectations are different, we can try to eliminate that.” [21:41] Bob asks the guys to speak on the “guard rails” that they keep in place to keep them on a healthy track.  Belong in 2 buckets: Financial guards for your business health, and then relational and client guards.  [22:24] Ken: “I believe the business world has some potentially fatal, or sort of toxic relationships that happen, or modes of operation…. They don’t come from a bad place, they’re almost accepted.”  [24:43] Ken speaks about the way Metacake approaches client relationships “Hey, we want to be able to serve your and over-deliver with the value that we create… we have to be extremely excited at the end of whatever we do. And the only way we can do that is if we can focus on that and not have to worry about being paid.” [25:45] Bob: “That comes down to processes right? So a clear statement of work, clear agreements… not just that you create them and your clients sign them, but that you go through a reading process and an understanding of what hours you work, when, how you communicate, what’s expected from them.” [28:02] Ken: “I think that it’s important to challenge traditions appropriately, to make sure they’re actually done in healthy ways.” [28:15] Bob asks Ken how Metacake figured out how to solve the billing issues that plague a lot of agencies.  [28:36] Ken was told by a mentor that the #1 threat to your existence is cash flow.  Oftentimes, cash in the bank is seen as a sort of nebulous thing that is always pushed off and away. You have clients that don’t pay in 60, 90, 120 days and so mentally you think there is a lot more cash in the bank than there actually is. And it can be devastating for small and large agencies alike. “The reality of what it is, that means you don’t get paid for 3 months, can you float everything for 3 months? Arguably, that’s more of a loan and you should be getting paid interest on it, right?” [31:15] Ken continues: We wanted to solve the cash flow issue… we went to electronic payments and split the payments appropriately over the months of the engagement. So whether that’s a retainer or whether that’s a project, we just spread it out sort of evenly.” [32:53] Bob asks Ken how long it took Metacake to transition away from the traditional pay structure of agencies. [34:15] Brad speaks on the pain of back and forth to get payment from some clients, and how much time, energy, and attention that this process that take/waste.  [35:00] Ken adds that when you’re in this back and forth with a client, it’s a big and important unknown detail that you’re not in control of- and THIS allows fear into the equation immediately.  “One of the things you can do to combat fear-based decisions is preparation… and one of the main areas where fear manifests is in finances… if you can find some security around that, it’s worth it… I shoot for having one year of operating capital in the bank. That is a lore more than most financial advisors say you need, but for us that’s one of the things that allows us to say ‘Hey I don't’ want to be hiring and firing staff all day long.’” [39:23  ] Bob asks Brad: “What about Anthem Republic? What are some key things that have eliminated fear and anxiety for you?”  [39:38] Brad responds: Service agreements that have more guidelines and guardrails, early communication.  “I’m making sure that that capital is being invested so it’s making money while it’s sitting there.” [42:50] Ken adds: “That’s one area I think most business owners may or may not be first in… but either you’re really versed in it or you have no clue… Should you have a financial advisor?” [43:09] Brad: “A business owner has to be financially healthy in order for the business to be healthy financially. [44:33] Ken: “You being healthy first is the only way that you can lead a company that makes everyone else healthy.” [44:37] Brad: “And that helps me as well with my fear personally. If I feel as a whole, I’m okay, for the time being, then even if my business feels like it’s struggling or you feel like you might be losing a client or some financial resources… it’s not 2 ships that are sinking, right? And that helps alleviate some of that pressure for me.” [45:14] Bob asks: “If you are working on yourself and you want that to permeate your atmosphere at work as well? Do you guys provide any opportunities for your staff? Because they might be internalizing a lot of this themselves, right?” [47:22]  Brad: “The challenge is how to you be transparent with employees so they understand.” [48:13] Ken responds: “I believe fear is spread so easily and it’s almost like as human beings, it’s like we want to spread it… for a lot of people it’s sorta like gossip or anything else, maybe it helps us feel better… but as a business leader, it’s not rational.” Ken invites a friend and local pastor as a counseling resource for his team, on a private basis.  Internally, Metacake has a culture of not spreading fear and anxiety. Not suppressing it, but dealing with it in mature and healthy ways. [51:07] Bob asks about the way The Guys deal with anxiety and fear personally. “I know for me, I’m learning how to be present and breathe in those situations… Do you realize how shallow your breathing becomes when you are doing this kind of stuff?” [52:21] Brad adds that turning back to scripture is incredibly helpful. That and “having a heart of gratefulness… to look at everything I do have and not what I will lose.” Sometimes our anxieties and fears actually revolve around things that are not that valuable in life. So returning to gratitude has really helped to relieve stress.  [53:55] Ken speaks on how there was fear in his formative years concerning immediate safety, so he realized early on that the only way to take control of that fear is through seeking health in every aspect of his life: mentally, spiritually, physically.  “To me, being a leader, in a family or a business or whatever, is a very high calling. If pro athletes train and condition for a game, how much more important is your own training and conditioning in life?”  [56:58] Ken: “I don’t think God has fear for you- I don’t think that comes from God… and you might even say that faith and fear can’t coexist.” Faith is a big component because, like we’ve discussed before, when your decisions are based on something that is greater than you, whether that’s a purpose or a mission or a connection to a higher power, that takes the pressure off you, and that can help balance out any fears that come.” [58:34] Bob speaks on how releasing responsibility can be freeing- “I’m only responsible for me, not my employee’s lives or clients lives. And I’m not responsible for the way my clients feel about me or how they respond to me. My job is to know that what I’m doing is the right thing to do.”

When successful author, entrepreneur and UK's #1 Motivational Speaker Brad Burton agreed to appear on the Get Real About Business Podcast I knew exactly what I wanted to ask him. Brad, if you don't know him, has had a very interesting story. He grew up in Manchester and financed his first business by delivering pizzas at £5.90 cash in hand. Since then he has built one of UK's largest and most successful networking organisations, 4Networking, written four books and built a solid reputation as one of the top speakers worldwide. As Brad will tell you, his journey was far from easy. Most of the people around Brad told him he'd never build a successful business. He had money trouble. He even had a mental health breakdown due to the pressures of starting his business. My ultimate question then was how the heck did he do it? How do you go from barely paying the bills to fast cars and speaking on stage to thousands? In today's podcast, I ask Brad: What does it take to really succeed in business? Why do so many people fail? What do you do if you're business is not where you want it to be? How do you build a powerful personal brand? How do you make good decisions in your business? As you can expect from Brad this is a fast-paced interview chock-full with great advice and inspiration to grow your business. Join the conversation As always, links mentioned in this episode such as Brad's books and website are available on our show notes page. If you'd like to continue the conversation about success in business or have something to say about today's podcast, join us on the Get Real About Business Podcast Community. This is our Facebook group. It's free to join and we'd love to welcome you there. Sponsored by This episode is sponsored by own programme, Slipstream. My goal is to help you develop a sales pipeline and generate leads through the use of inbound marketing and social selling techniques that are carefully targeted to your ideal customer. I'll show you how to build your brand awareness and position yourself as an expert through the use of video and digital content. In doing so you'll trigger sales conversations with highly relevant, qualified prospects who are excited to speak with you. You get: 1-2-1 coaching/strategy calls Business mastermind Help to put your marketing materials together (I even do some of it for you!) Plus, I guarantee you a 5x return on your investment so you can be confident I'm as committed to your success as you are. Visit https://getrealaboutbusiness.com/slipstream and set up a call today. Subscribe and Review on Apple Podcasts Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today so you never need to miss an episode. I have some world-class expert interviews coming up and there are more solo episodes from me. If you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click here to subscribe on Apple Podcasts! And if you’re feeling extra generous, I'd really appreciate it if you left me a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Each review helps other people find my podcast and I also LOVE reading them and finding out what you think about the show. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favourite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much in advance!

Summary: Bob Hutchins, Brad Ayres, and Ken Ott talk about (the struggle) of getting new business in episode #2 of Agency Exposed. They talk about their own pain points within their businesses, tools they can’t live without when it comes to new client acquisition, and maintaining balanced relationships with clients as a young agency.    Top 3 Curtain Pulls in this episode:  Referrals are always going to be the most powerful customer acquisition tools- the Power of Word of Mouth. No one client should make up too much of your overall revenue- work to balance out this trend in the early years of your business. Long-term, deep business relationships will ALWAYS be your best advocates.    About The Guys:  Bob Hutchins: Founder of BuzzPlant, a digital agency that he ran from from 2000 -2017. He is also the author of 3 books. More on Bob:  Bob on LinkedIn twitter.com/BobHutchins instagram.com/bwhutchins Bob on Facebook   Brad Ayres: Founder of Anthem Republic, an award-winning ad agency. Brad’s knowledge has led some of the biggest brands in the world. Originally from Detroit, Brad is an OG in the ad agency world and has the wisdom and scars to prove it. Currently that knowledge is being applied to his boutique agency. More on Brad: Brad on LinkedIn Anthem Republic twitter.com/bradayres instagram.com/therealbradayres facebook.com/Bradayres   Ken Ott: Co-Founder and Chief Growth Rebel of Metacake, an Ecommerce Growth Team for some of the world’s most influential brands with a mission to Grow Brands That Matter. Ken is also an author, speaker, and was nominated for an Emmy for his acting on the Metacake Youtube Channel (not really). More on Ken:  Ken on LinkedIn Metacake - An Ecommerce Growth Team Growth Rebel TV twitter.com/iamKenOtt instagram.com/iamKenOtt facebook.com/iamKenOtt   Show Notes: [0:34] Bob on Getting New Business “Reality of an agency owner is keeping enough biz in pipeline to keep up with overhead first of all, to keep your team busy, and ultimately to be profitable.” [1:14] What are your specific pain points?  Other than salespeople, what are other tools and methods you use to drum up business?  [1:43] Ken: Metacake is constantly trying and testing new ways to get business Ultimately “building some sort of relationship at scale with people” where people associate you with expertise in your field. Create authority in their minds when they think of you.   [3:32] Brad: At Anthem, the difficulty is “Communicating to potential clients exactly what will benefit them.”  More services = more complexity when explaining what Anthem can do for any given potential client.  [6:25] From high level, what is the best way to get clients? [6:50] Ken: Metacake has 3 main channels: cold leads, partners, & referrals.  Referrals are not good to rely on completely, they are not repeatable, scalable, and consistent. Instead create a sales ENGINE that can be maintained and kept up regularly, with a combination of all 3.  [10:29] Bob: Write a book!  And market the heck out of it. This will create a built-in lead mechanism thats perpetual long-term because someone is going to pass that book on to somebody. [13:40] Brad: Take note of where your current or past clients found you- and follow up.  “I always look back at the clients we get and try to analyze where they first came from, where they first heard of us- I always ask them those questions… how they heard about us, what they thought about us, how that perspective changed after working with us…” [14:18] Bob: Is there a tool in your tool box that you absolutely cannot do without? A tool that your business would be nothing without?  [14:35] Brad: Word of Mouth. Be bold enough to start asking those questions! 1st person referrals are GOLD. *Hubspot mentioned, link?* [15:35] Ken: Highest quality lead sources are referrals.  First you have to be really really good at something and being specialized.  Second, you have to be able to apply it to client’s needs. Use word of mouth to show off that proof. Speak, get on stage, market yourself and your knowledge.  [17:56] Bob: Create content about your work.  Press releases about projects you’ve launched will let the industry know what you’re doing. Those projects will be searchable online forever! [18:56] Content Creation: How to do it, what types, how to use it [19:10] Brad: Planting seeds of content creation along the way is a great way to sow seeds for the future.  Sometimes it might feel like a press release for a project is not worth it, but you may just be too close to the content to recognize the value.  Press releases aren’t really to get into the news, but to be juice for the Google algorithm. Do this often and the likelihood of someone coming across your content increases. Doing more written articles that are being published on LinkedIn and other channels to drive traffic further. Articles aren’t necessarily about the work you’re doing, but maybe even about your client’s industry to draw new perspectives. Getting a “seat at the table” in an industry that you specialize in gets you recognition and helps you promote yourself as a thought leader.  [25:09] Ken: Let’s talk RFP’s. (Requests for Proposal) Do you do these things and is it worth it?  [25:49] Brad: RFP’s come by word of mouth for Anthem, and usually we only take those.  Helps to compare cost/time expense vs reward/returns from that project.  [27:31] Bob: RFP model is at one end of spectrum, versus charging for a proposal.  “We will create an RFP and it will cost you. Value to you is that even if you don’t hire us, you can use our detailed plan to do it all yourself.” [29:25] Ken: My #1 goal is financial independence. From a business standpoint that means… having operating capital in the bank at any given time. We don’t want any 1 client to be so big that they dictate everything we do…so that we can make healthy decisions”  [30:40] Bob: As a young agency, how do you maintain healthy boundaries with clients without putting 1 above the others because they are paying your bills?  Ken: “No 1 client can be more than 10 percent of our revenue”  WHEN this does happen, it’s a challenge to intentionally increase revenue everywhere else and be aware of not allowing 1 client to dominate the work of every other.  [33:40] Brad: The way many agencies pop up: Often freelancers start agencies with a big client that they use to create a business around. Adding new clients quickly becomes necessary, so they’re not in a compromised position if that big client becomes unhappy.  [38:00] What tool/s do you use to aid client management?  [38:33] Hubspot Bob: Making your business your #1 client and changing your mindset around internal marketing is necessary to grow your business and get the clients that you want.  Ken: “Any business needs to grow its business and grow it’s brand.” Discusses blocking out time to work on internal marketing plans and building the business.  Brad: Uses Calendly to book meetings with clients or co-workers. Allows people to set up appointments based on your free time and schedules time to invest in biz dev.  [49:36] Bob’s #1: “Spend more time with your current/existing clients- take them to lunch and continuously educate them. Create case studies about other clients doing different things.” [51:00] Brad: “Send existing clients a newsletter to let them know what we’re doing for other clients.” Discusses letting clients know that you’re experts in other services, let them know what you’re up to so that they don’t go somewhere else for a service that you offer! [52:58] Ken on the Real Value of an Experienced Agency: “Being able to tell clients ‘We know this works this way because we’ve done it here and here… maybe think about doing it this way?”  Be INTENTIONAL about flipping typical perspective that agencies only have 1 client and should be afraid to let clients know about others.  [54:00] The power of LinkedIn Ken: “The percent of the population that is an ideal client… is extremely small. So finding those pockets of people… on these consumer-based social network would take forever… LinkedIn is a much smaller pool that’s much more specialized.” Metacake FB strategy is brand building and brand recognition. Content there is created for those who are interested in starting their own business.  [58:35] Brad: What is your #1 thing for generating new clients Bob: Build good relationships in person and online. Long-term and Deep relationships will be your biggest advocates.  Brad: “Serve someone well and if they change jobs or move, the odds of them bringing you into new biz is high.” Ken: “Important but not urgent things that will make you successful include truly finding your voice and what you’re good at, then creating content through that, for the sake of telling the world your perspective on things… in terms of tactics, maintaining our high-quality partner network is 100% our focus… peers that always generate high-quality leads.”

What’s In This Episode: We told you to always raise your prices last week... but how high is TOO high?  "Which is the bigger risk? That your prices are too high or that they're too low?" - Brad What someone says about your pricing has nothing to do with whether your prices are too high or too low. And if no one's complaining - you're priced too low. Pricing is based on two things: how much value you can establish in the customer's mind. Some people will say no. That's okay. Why waste your time trying to explain the value to them? Accept that you're not the right fit and move on. the confidence you have in the price you're offering.  "There's always going to be someone complaining about your pricing." - Jill Jill thinks that that confidence depends on what you're selling and that it's different for product- and service-based businesses. And that there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. But overall, you need to know that what you're offering is worth many times what the value is. People want to know that you're going to make a big difference in their life if you're asking for a larger amount. And something will shift in your brain when you get a yes to a higher price. Jill and Brad discuss putting yourself out there with confidence, and what to do if your clients can't afford the higher prices (good news: there are reasonable options!). What do you think? How high is too high?

I introduce listeners to my good buddies because they’re studs. My guest on the podcast today is Michael D’Albor. In this discussion, I learned things about my longtime friend that I didn’t know. Consequently, my respect for him has only grown. A deeply personal chat, Michael talks about the moment he found out his wife was a lesbian after 13 years together (7 years married). He also shares what it was like going through an unexpected and tough divorce. We discuss the split-second of lifelessness that forever changed Michael’s life. He tells me how later that day, doctors told him there was a 98% chance his daughter wouldn’t develop the mental capacity of a little girl beyond 3 years old. He’s now a single father of a special needs child and  shares a day-in-the-life.    Michael & I became fast friends as baseball teammates at Nicholls State University. When his playing career was over, he earned an MBA and went into commercial banking. We talk about his career, finances, love and money. Also, what he’s learned traveling to places most Americans will never get to see. Other topics we cover: Perception of time when traveling Comparing Asheville, NC & Salzburg, Austria Bradley’s attempt to run track in college Whether Michael can beat Bradley D in a race His unexpected divorce  Finding out what his wife was doing behind his back Sexual curiosity: men vs. women Doing everything he could to save his marriage Personal growth through divorce Michael’s Education & Career: How Michael paid for college The scholarship Michael received His love/hate relationship with sales & finance What he would tell a younger brother who was considering an MBA  6 years in consumer lending His income in 2008-2009 A talk he gave recently to his alma mater Importance of budgeting & managing credit NFL players’ financial stress Checking email while on a vacation Career goals His Daughter Jolie: Michael’s profound love for his daughter (his Lil’ Doo-Bop) Specifics of Jolie’s condition  Raising a special needs child Doctors warned of the severity of mental challenges Setting up a will & trust for her His ex-wife’s new bride joining “Team Jolie” Mental Toughness: How divorce and raising a special needs child aided his mental toughness Whether Michael wants more kids What most drives you now? Are you excited to get out of bed every morning? His favorite quote is from 2006 Rocky Balboa movie Finances: How he invests his money Are you a budgeter? Living on less than what he earns Investing in travel – expanded his horizons Fun Questions: If someone dropped a million dollars in your lap, what would you do with it? Do you have a favorite book? Do you have a favorite quote? If you could go to the moon tomorrow and it would only cost $20K, but you had to be gone for six months, would you go? Question for Brad: What are the top three notes in your phone? Is there a travel experience that you learned the most from? What are you most grateful for?

My guest on the podcast is Nicholas Hutchison of BookThinkers, a fast-growing Instagram platform for book lovers. Nick is from Boston, Massachusetts, and works full-time as a sales professional.  We discovered on the podcast we have a lot in common. In addition to books, Nick and I share a passion for self-development & travel. We discuss the value of reading, traveling, and creating a path to financial freedom when you're young. Nick's end-game is what he calls "total freedom." In this episode, he details how he plans to achieve total freedom. A few books we discuss at length are The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss & Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. Other topics we discuss: From Boston Nick lives in North Easton, Massachusetts (20 miles south of Boston) Spent 5 years in New Hampshire  Living close to Fenway Park Benefits of living in small community + close to big city Book Thinkers How BookThinkers started Has 30K followers on IG and growing Time-management Setting priorities Using a journal Self-Development Software sales career Having flexibility in your job 80-20 rule (The Pareto principle) Self-assessment / activity tracker Multi-family real estate investing Learning to say "no" Setting life goals Monetizing Instagram: Automating & scaling a business BookThinkers mobile app Creating a network Partnering with authors Keeping strict accounts Public Speaking: Learning to speak confidently  Overcoming anxiety Speaking tricks & tips Taking constructive criticism Vagabonding:  The value of traveling His first solo travel (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Travel as a spiritual experience The personal sacrifice involved in travel Experiencing different cultures of the past Traveling to places not possible 30 years ago Fun Questions: Why does it feel so wrong to only read half a book? Do you think it's better to read (over the next two years) 100 books twice, or 200 books? Do you think books should be remade for modern audiences? Do you think new writers should write covers the way new musicians do covers? If someone dropped $1 million in your lap what would you do with it? If you were given an opportunity to shadow Xander Bogaerts for three days, would you pay $5,000 to do it? Would you pay $25,000 to shadow Tom Brady for three days? Which is the one book you wish everyone would read?  Questions for Brad: Questions for Brad: What is the number one book that you would recommend for someone just starting out in the self-development space? Question for Brad: What book has had the biggest impact on your life?

Cobie Rutherford and Dr. John Long welcome guest and MSU Extension’s ATV Safety expert, Brad Staton. Transcript: Announcer: This is 4H4U2, a podcast from the Mississippi State University Extension Service, promoting 4-H programs and positive youth development. Here now your hosts, Dr. John Long and Cobie Rutherford. John Long: Alright man. Welcome to yet a, another, a podcast of 4H4U2. How is everybody doing today? Cobie Rutherford: Man? It's a lovely day outside. I'm so happy to be here today. John. John Long: We are so glad to have a, I don't know if you want to call it fellow, well coworker, fellow beard brother. Uh, even though I call it, Cobie Rutherford: I feel a little left out without the beard. John Long: Right. You know, Hey, I'm, I'm losing it on top. Big time. Hey can, it's not too late. He's got a good head of hair. So, you know, I'm jealous. I'm jealous of Cobie. Um, but Brad with ATV safety is here. And um, Brad and well all of us kind of work in kind of the corner, I guess I'm the outsider. My office is a little bit further away from everybody else's, but Brad's going to talk to us about ATV safety and that's something extremely important as we all know. Um, and I guess we just want to start out by saying brand. Tell us a little bit about yourself, uh, where you come from and, and, uh, how you got involved with the, the 4-H ATV safety. Brad Staton: Oh, that's a good question. Yeah, let's see if I can answer. Um, well, uh, I'm from Alabama originally. Um, went to school at Auburn university. My wife got a professorship at Mississippi State, and here we are. Um, I just kind of looked into the 4-H, uh, position and I guess I like what I'm doing so I'm still here. John Long: Good, good. And kids. Brad Staton: Yep. Yeah. Love worked with kids. John Long: And have some yourself? Brad Staton: Yeah, I have some myself. I've got two... John Long: You love 'em so much, you had two. Brad Staton: Yeah, I had two of them and we're not getting anymore. I don't like them that much. John Long: You're like Leanne, she said if we had had our boy first, she wouldn't have had another one. Brad Staton: Well, see, I said the opposite. If we'd have had our girl first, we probably wouldn't have had another one... John Long: Oh, right. Okay. Okay, cool. Cool. But you do like working with kids? Brad Staton: Oh yes, I like working with kids. They're lots of fun and then can be stressful sometimes, but it's worth it in the end. Yeah. Cobie Rutherford: Now Brad, your education training, formal education is in fisheries, right? Brad Staton: Fisheries and wildlife. Cobie Rutherford: Fisheries and wildlife. So it kind of makes sense that ATV kind of goes hand in hand with the hunting and outdoors and kind of seems like a good fit to me. Brad Staton: Yeah. A lot of the jobs I had in the past, you know, required me to, to ride ATVs, you know, through the woods or are on the fish farm, whatever. So, you know, that was kind of my selling point when I applied for the job that, you know, I've, I've driven ATVs, you know, professionally, so to speak, for, for several years before I had this job, John Long: I don't, I don't know. I don't know if any of y'all had three wheelers. Anybody have a three wheeler? Brad Staton: I didn't own one, but I've riden one several times when I was younger. John Long: I had one, I think mine was a 1982 model. It was a 1-10, it was a three wheeler. And I'm going to tell a quick story about my experience. You know, I wanted one bad. Well, I came home and for my birthday there was one sitting in my front yard. I jumped on that thing and took off, you know, no helmet or anything. Right. And, uh, my dad and mom were sitting on the front porch and I took off and I made a loop around the house. Well, I didn't, I couldn't make the turn and I slammed into my dad's truck and I jumped off of it. And I didn't ride it for like probably a day or so. But safety standards are so much different now, uh, and they finally wised up and realized four wheels were better than three, I guess. Brad Staton: Yes. Uh, I don't, I don't know what took them so long to decide that. It kind of seems, you know, obvious now, but it wasn't a thing that was thought of, you know, back in the 80s. John Long: and we had no, no rider safety courses that I was aware of. How old is this program or how young and... Brad Staton: uh, approximately 10 years old I would say. Uh, and I guess we're kind of unique in Mississippi. Uh, many States don't require, you know, various or, many States have different laws. Uh, Mississippi is kind of unique in the fact that we require, you know, riders under 16 to have a safety card through one of the ASI approved, ATV safety Institute approved courses. And we also require riders under 16 to have a helmet on public land. John Long: That's cool. That's cool. Cobie Rutherford: And does that a certification, does that apply to only public land or is that private as well? Brad Staton: Well, the way the law is written, it's only the laws only written for public land. Of course, it's my recommendation, you should have a helmet anytime you get on an ATV. Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, I know. There are times that when, so my story, I had a Kawasaki Bayou 2-10 growing up and that thing would go, it would fearly fly. And of course, uh, John Long: Is that one fairly jacked up, kind of high. Cobie Rutherford: It kind of was, but it wasn't racing one, we used it on the farm and, uh, I would just take off and full speed ahead and, uh, one time I flipped it and, uh, I actually cracked a couple ribs, but, uh, you know, I just, I didn't have on a helmet and it could have been a lot worse, but it's something we didn't think about growing up. John Long: Yeah, we didn't, we definitely didn't think about it. You know, when riding and all, I don't, I guess the term of limitations is going out on right, getting a ticket. But I mean, we rode them all over public roads, too, and didn't think anything about it, you know, and, the funny thing was, is our parents let us do it, you know? Cobie Rutherford: Right. John Long: It's just strange, you know, looking, like Brad said, I don't know why, but looking back... Brad Staton: ...just never crossed our mind. John Long: Right. Brad Staton: You know, to jump in with the, the wrecking stories, I think, I think was my goal in life to wreck in every possible way when I was growing up, we, I, I got one stuck in a tree and we had to cut the tree down to get the four wheeler out. That's a long story. I won't go over it right now. John Long: I want to hear that one, when we're off air. Announcer: One day y. John Long: May not be suitable for air. I don't know. Um, so how large is the ATV safety course in the United States? It's a large... Brad Staton: Yeah, it's large. Uh, you know, based on, you know, when I got trained, I had to go out to Oklahoma for a week to get trained, you know, to teach these classes. And we had people from all over the United States, you know, uh, we had a guy from Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas, you know, I can't remember where all everybody was from, but I think everybody in the class was from a different state. John Long: Right. Brad Staton: So, you know, in every state kinda varies in their, their methods of, you know, their, uh, programming. John Long: Right, right. And you and I were talking this morning about, um, the, the length of that course and it being a week long. And I asked you if it was much classroom time and you said... Brad Staton: ...no, we didn't spend much time in the classroom. Uh, we'd meet in the class every morning, you know, kind of go over some non-writing top things, you know, how to go into schools and, and get our message across. But now most of the, most of the 40-hour a week or they advertise 40 hours is actually about 60 hours a week. John Long: Right. Brad Staton: But, uh, most of that week was riding four wheelers. We either taught classes or we were the Guinea pigs while other instructors were teaching classes. John Long: And that goes back to like 4-H to learn by doing. Brad Staton: Right. Yeah, that's exactly what that was. The model. No, teach the teachers. John Long: Exactly. Exactly. So with the certification, could you kind of walk us through like your, how you do courses? I know there's kinda like maybe two different type courses you do. I'm talking about as far as the, I know you were telling that doing like a rider course and then being certified to teach or, ... talk about that. Brad Staton: The two main courses that ASI provides, which like I said, that's the ATV safety Institute. It's all the big manufacturers, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, whatnot. They all went together and formed this entity that you know, uh, promotes ATV safety across the nation. Uh, basically they have two levels of courses. Uh, there's the e-course, which is an online computer, uh, course it takes about two hours to complete, uh, that gets you familiar with just the basics of ATV safety and you know, what an ATV is and that kind of thing. And then after you complete the eCourse, you can take the rider course, which is a, a hands-on, you know, half-day class where we put you on an obstacle course with an ATV, and we teach you how to, how to ride it safely and have fun at the same time. John Long: I took, I think I took mine, the rider course, about 11 years ago, and I won't tell you what that was. I don't know how long we were out there, but I had dirt all over me, and I was worn out. I mean, it was, it was very physically taxing on me. Brad Staton: Yeah. People don't go ahead. Announcer: From an adult standpoint, did you take something away from that course, that training? I mean, what did you learn new? John Long: Well, I can tell you this, that, um, I learned that there was a lot of things that I weren't, but I was not doing that I needed to be doing. Normally. And I think Brad, we'll touch on the equipment in a minute. I had probably never worn probably 90% of the, the stuff that, that we were required to wear during the course. And the, I liked the mechanical issues, you know, how are you talking about check this and this every time you got on. That was something I'd never, never done either. So, but it was, it was a lot of um, maneuvering and just kind of experiencing, you know, it was just a different experience for sure. Interesting. What about Brad? What, tell him about equipment. Tell us, tell us about the equipment that's required when you go do the rider course. Brad Staton: Okay. So for my rider course, I require all my students to have, you know, proper gear and then we start off with a helmet and you know, I won't let anybody on a four Wheeler without a helmet. Right. Um, you know, it needs to be a DOT-approved helmet. So like I joke around with my, my kids when I do safety days, you know, bicycle helmets, football helmets, they're just not good enough. You need a real DOT-approved helmet. You know, it's approved for the crash that you potentially could have in the speeds that you'd be traveling on the forehead. John Long: Right. And I am going to just stop right here. We had advisory ATV advisory council. This, this last week one was it, Brad Staton: It was Monday. John Long: I'm telling you, this is crazy. It's been a long week... but anyway, um, and it's for good reason too, I guess, right? Uh, with Congress coming up. But anyway, we had an ATV advisory council, and I found out a very fascinating fact that I never knew before. Cobie, let me ask you this. Yeah. How many times can you drop a helmet on the ground before it becomes ineffective or are that you should not wear it anymore? Cobie Rutherford: Well, John Long: I mean high, Cobie Rutherford: I would say several times, but my, my gut tells me that if you drop it once, it's probably compromised the integrity of it... John Long: That's correct. And Brad, and tell us why that is. I could not believe that Brad Staton: It's not necessarily you look for cracks on the outside of the shell. You know, that's what most people would think if you drop it, and it didn't crack, it should be good. But it's the internal components of the helmet, the foam and whatnot, uh, that could get out of out of line or compressed and never, never really gain that. Uh, foaminess back John Long: Or protective. Protecting your, your uh egg there. Brad Staton: Exactly. So yeah, if you drop your helmet once or you know, especially if you have a crash, you should replace that helmet. That's the recommendation. John Long: That is that, that really, like I said, surprised me because, and it re..., And I'll tell you another thing is it teaches if you're gonna have your kids on an ATV, you need to be careful that they understand that, you know, cause here I am, I'm old and I never knew that. So yeah. Cobie Rutherford: I mean, how many people were tell us in their helmets, in the backs of the trucks are. John Long: exactly. Cobie Rutherford: on the concrete when they get home. Just toss it in the garage. John Long: Yeah, exactly. So what else, what else did you have there? We talk helmet and then I'm a, I'm sorry, I interrupted. Brad Staton: So like I said, helmets, the number one most important piece of equipment. Uh, I preach that all the time. Uh, and then, you know, we go into eye protection next. Uh, you know, if you can't see, you can't drive. John Long: Right. Brad Staton: So, you know, they make goggles that slip over the helmets or you know, even safety glasses will work and you know, shatterproof safety glasses. Just something to protect your eyes from the bugs, you know, dirt, whatever that that may make cause you not to be able to see while you're riding. John Long: People don't think about that, but you just think about like if you're riding whatever, and it's like going down the road and you hit a bug with the windshield, you know, it makes a big splat and you imagine if that hit your eye that you could probably blind you. Brad Staton: Well, I'll, I'll tell you a real quick story about why I'm a believer in eye protection. We were actually riding four wheelers up in Alabama in the mountains of Alabama, so to speak. Uh, and the guy in front of me broke a chain on his four wheeler. John Long: Oh. Brad Staton: And I ended up getting hot sparks in my eye and I had to go to the doctor and have them removed. John Long: Oh goodness. Right. So yeah. Brad Staton: Ever since then, I'm a firm believer in, you know, eye protection, right. John Long: Guarantee you. It's what I say in a 4-H safety. Uh, you only got two and you got to take care of them so you don't get you don't get another one. So, all right. So, uh, we talked about that and then what else? Brad Staton: Okay. Um, and I'll be a little quicker on these other ones. Um, you know, you've got your head protection, your eye protection, the next thing you want to protect is your hands. Uh, you know, wear a good pair of gloves that gives you a good grip on the, on the ATV in case your hands get sweaty or whatever it's wet. And it also, you know, will protect you from briars or you know, branches or stuff like that, if you're driving through, you know, uh, some vegetation or whatnot, right? And then, uh, go on along, I would say long sleeves and long pants both for, you know, protection from limbs, briars, that kind of thing. Or if you did fall off, it's gonna protect you, you know, keep you from getting that road rash type injuries. John Long: Right..; Brad Staton: And then, uh, you know, another thing about the long pants, you know, you're sitting on top of the motor. So if you've got short's on, and you barely touched that muffler or the motor on either side, you know, that's an instant burn. John Long: Right. Brad Staton: But then you think, well, what if I flipped and I've got short's on, and I'm stuck under this for even 30 seconds. It could be, you know, go from just a little burn to a pretty severe burn, pretty quick. John Long: Major, major. Brad Staton: And then the last thing I recommend is where, you know, over the ankle, closed-toed shoes. And that's basically the same reason you want to protect your feet. Uh, you know, both from being burned and from, you know, abrasion type injuries, John Long: Right. Right. Well with, um, with all of that and you know, some people saying, Oh, well, I don't want to wear that because it's so hot and you know, and all this stuff and, you know, I can drive and I don't hear a lot, you know, people say, well, I've been driving my whole life, you know. Well, it's just like anything, if you lose respect for it can hurt you. So, Cobie Rutherford: ...that's right. John Long: Um, I actually, uh, have come up on, in my life, we've come up on two, uh, ATV accidents where fatalities occurred. Both of those were when they were riding them on paved roads and both of them had multiple riders. So what do we preach in, in, uh, in your course Brad? Brad Staton: So, in my view, both of those are, a no-no, uh, ATVs are not designed to ride on the road. Uh, you know, the way that, the way they're set up the tires and whatnot, they don't handle as good on the road. It's really easy to flip, especially at higher speeds. And then I'll, you know, on top of that you've got cars, trucks, 18 wheelers on the roads as well. They're not looking for ATVs, they're too small. And by the time they see you it's usually too late. And then, um, as far as multiple passengers, you know, 99% of the ATVs out there are designed for one person only. If you look at the stickers, there'll be two or three, four stickers on, on one ATV that, that says something to the effect of no passengers. And the reason behind that, you know, the seat is really big. Everybody thinks, you know, let's just pile as many people on here. But to truly be in control of your ATV, you need to be able to move around on that seed and shift your weight, you know, depending on where the turn is or if there's a hill or, or whatnot. Right. So that, that whole seat is yours. You don't have enough room to share it with someone else. John Long: Right. And you, you may not realize it until it's too late. Brad Staton: Right. And you know, when I talked to the kids about riding double like that, uh, you know, so you've got somebody on the back, what are they going to hold on to? Well, most likely they're going to hold onto the driver. So if the person on the back falls off, guess who's going with them? Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that's a good point. John Long: Person controlling the thing. Cobie Rutherford: Right. I never thought about that. John Long: Well, I, I'm fascinated by the fact that, um, the program or, uh, that your classes are open to a wide audience. So how, how wide open I, how old do you have to be, I guess in order to take the rider course? Brad Staton: To take the rider course. Uh, you need to be six years old and up. You know, we can do classes with families or we can do classes with, you know, similarly-aged kids. I don't like to, you know, have a six year old and a 16 year old in the same class. You know, you just teach differently and you know, their, their levels of control on the ATVs are different, are different too. So, uh, you know, I like to keep my classes kind of the same age range, but we go, you know, like I said, ages six and up. John Long: Even into adult. Brad Staton: Yeah. Even into adults. Yeah. I've done several classes where, you know, a whole family comes out. We do mom, dad, you know, brother, sister, cousin, whatever, you know, everybody in the same class. John Long: That's cool. Cobie Rutherford: And do these families that participate bring their own ATV? Brad Staton: Uh, I have had people bring their own. Uh, we're lucky enough right now to where I've got several different sized ATVs that are, that are owned by Mississippi State and 4-H, so if you don't have one that you can bring, then you know, a lot of times we can supply it. Uh, like I said, I've got different, different sizes for different aged kids, so I'll make sure every person is on an ATV that fits them. Uh, now should you want to bring your own, that's perfectly fine. Uh, I would just have to inspect at first, I want to make sure you got, you've got working breaks and whatnot before I'd let you, you know, participate in the obstacle course. John Long: You don't want to bring your six year old up there and it's got like a 16 and older sticker on it. Brad Staton: Exactly. Exactly. It's gotta be an age appropriate ATV. That was a good point. Cobie Rutherford: Gotcha. Well that's a, it makes it pretty inclusive for anybody that wants to participate in this program. They have a chance to do that. John Long: And it's, it's so cool cause it goes right along again because it is 4-H, it's youth development because we don't, it's just like in 4-H S.A.F.E.T.Y., you don't put a shotgun in hands of an eight-year-old. So you put, you put it in the appropriate size, even the physical ability that, that the young individual has. Brad Staton: And along with that youth development note, we also, you know, when we teach the class, we're not just talking about riding ATVs, John Long: Right. Brad Staton: We're talking about respect the environment, respect, you know, the local laws, other people that may be on the trails, other people's property, that kind of thing as well. So we, you know, it's, it's not just driving, we're, we're trying to do a holistic approach, I guess. John Long: Right. What was the, I think I saw one time, it was one of the slides and said mud holes don't ride through them or something. Rather tempting to... Brad Staton: It kinda just depends, you know, if you're on a public trail, John Long: Right, right. Brad Staton: You know, you're not supposed to leave that trail to make your own mud hole. If you're on somebody's private property and they don't mind you making a mud hole. Hey, have fun. John Long: Yeah. Knock yourself out. That's right. That's funny man. Well, all right. I think like we've about wrapped it up and, Cobie, you got anything else? Cobie Rutherford: No, I sure appreciate Brad taking his time out to educate us some of ATV safety. John Long: It's awesome to have you again sometimes. Brad Staton: Yeah, it'd be fun. Um, if you do want some more information about our rider course or our e-course, just contact your local Extension agent. Uh, they can help you. And you know, kind of what we do is I do classes on demand. When I have enough people in one county that's, that want to take a class, I'll, I'll load my trailer up and come on down, and we'll do a class. So just co contact your local Extension agent for more information. John Long: Yeah. And you can also go to, uh, extension.msstate.edu. I think I said that right. Cobie Rutherford: Yeah, that's right. John Long: And go to click on 4-H, and then if you scroll down, you'll see 4-H Safety. And then when you open that up, you'll see ATV safety, and then you'll see 4-H S.A.F.E.T.Y, which AKA shooting sports. So Brad and I kind of share the safety safety. Right? Brad Staton: That's right. John Long: So anyway. Well, good. Well, thank you so much Brad, and we appreciate you coming in and uh, y'all remember to get out and have fun and ride safe. Keep it 4-H. Brad Staton: yep, sounds good. Cobie Rutherford: Until next time. John Long: Alright, that's right. We'll see you next time. Announcer: Thanks for joining us for 4H4U2. For more information, please visit extension.msstate.edu, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast. 4H4U2 is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, Office of Agricultural Communications.

Show notes:An interview with: Ray (@ten.against) / Cam (@notcamdamage) / Brad (@eatyourkids)First, the confusing semantics of relationship labels: triad / not triad / polycule / ???What is each person’s role in the relationship? Whose dominant or sub and when / how?Is your relationship a BDSM relationship?What are the logistics of your polyamory, i.e., who sleeps and plays with whom? What are the challenges?What is the purpose of rope play for each of you? Is it therapeutic? Sexual? Spiritual?How often does your fetish play lead to sex?What else gets you off sexually?Do the roles in your relationship affect how you communicate with each other?How do you communicate about sex stuff versus life stuff?What do you think generated your interest in kink / BDSM / bondage?How did your relationship come to be?What is the purpose of marriage between Cam & Brad?What projects do you have coming up?Bondage Expo DallasF.I.R.E. OrlandoCheck out Brad’s chef skills at the John Brown General and Butchery in MarylandIs Brad ever a cuckhold?Oh yeah! Ray and Cam have promised to record some audio of impact play for our listening enjoyment - stay tuned for that!

This week's podcast is live from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association conference in Tampa, Florida, and Liz Loza is joined by both Scott Pianowski and Brad Evans to break down what's to come in 2019 fantasy football.But first, Liz, Scott, and Brad talk about the big Super Bowl matchup on the horizon between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams — who ya got?Earlier this year, Liz spoke to Matt Harmon and Dalton Del Don to ask them about their 2018 fantasy season. This time, she poses the same questions to Scott and Brad: What went wrong, what went right, and what are they looking to do differently as analysts in 2019?Our experts also break down their way-too-early 2019 fantasy running back rankings, discussing everyone from Le'Veon Bell and Nick Chubb, as well as Todd Gurley's not-set-in-stone status as being the first RB off the board this upcoming season (20:00).Please remember to rate, review and subscribe on your podcast provider of choice and send us your questions for future episodes on Twitter @YahooFantasy.Follow Liz @LizLoza_FFFollow Scott @scott_pianowskiFollow Brad @YahooNoise See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What’s In This Episode: It's that time of year... How do you feel about holiday gifts? Do you love them or hate them? Jill LOVES handwritten thank-you notes because they're so thoughtful! But Brad thinks that all the pens and mugs and all the logo stuff... that can go away. If you're going to give gifts to your clients,  stay away from blanket, generic gifts where you can and think about what might be heartfelt and/or truly valuable to them.  "Put an angle on your personal brand." - Jill Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur, host of the Problem Solversand Pessimist Archivepodcasts, and co-author of the recently released Mr. Nice Guy, has a problem related to his book. All of the firepower was concentrated on the launch of the book, so now what does he do? How can he keep the momentum going? Jill wants to know what his goal is for the book, and ideally, he'd like this one to sell well so that he and his wife can write another. Brad suggests that he does the podcast circuit for sex and relationships in order to promote the book further. Jill says that if he finds an angle (maybe as a sex entrepreneur?) that's much more memorable, and therefore will encourage people to evangelize the brand and his book. He can also attain longevity with an email list or building a community. "People listen to podcasts long after they first come out, so they have an evergreen effect." - Brad What do you do about holiday gifts?

Brad Stone - Amazon.com has revolutionized the way humans around the world shop AND read.  From teapots to toilet bowls and everything in between, anything you want is now just a click away.  But how did they do it? Many say that amazon.com is a bully, utilizing unfair practices and harsh working conditions to create an advantage, while others tout their genius.  This week on the show, Brad Stone provides us with a behind the scenes view of this mammoth on-line retailer. Brad is the author of the highly controversial best-selling book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon.  With this book, Brad utilizes his unprecedented access to current and former Amazon employees and Bezos family members, in order to give readers the first in-depth account of life at Amazon. Brad is a senior writer for Bloomberg Businessweek and best-selling author. "Select carefully the topic you devote your life to.  Make sure it's a topic where the interest scales proportionally to the time you invest in it." - Brad Stone Quotes from Brad: What we learn in this episode: How did Amazon change the world in even MORE ways than just shopping and reading? Who is Jeff Bezos and what makes him a fantastic leader and innovator? Why did Brad hunt down Jeff Bezos's biological father? Spolier alert - the father didn't even KNOW his son was the CEO of Amazon! Resources: The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon http://www.businessweek.com/authors/411-brad-stone Twitter: @bradstone This episode is brought to you by: Stamps.com: Anything you can do at the Post Office, you can now do right from your desk with Stamps.com. Buy and print official U.S. postage for ANY letter or package using your own computer & printer. Use our promo code smart for this SPECIAL OFFER: A no-risk trial & a $110 Bonus Offer – includes a digital scale and up to $55 FREE postage! Remember, go to Stamps.com and use promo code smart. Harry's: Harry's was built out of respect for quality craftsmanship, simple design, modern convenience and most importantly for guys who know they shouldn't have to overpay for a great shave. For $5 off your first purchase, go to harrys.com and use promo code smartpeople.

Which "Grey's Anatomy" star is preggo? What's the truth behind Angelina and Brad? What does Gwyneth Paltrow think of celeb gossip? All this in today's Celebrity Buzz.