Podcasts about cannabis board

On this week's show....He came from one state that pioneered the legal use of recreational cannabis -- Colorado -- to another pioneering state, Washington. Meet Will Lukela, the director of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

What’s Trending: The Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board canceled a training session that was slated to feature Kim Potter, the Minnesota police officer involved in the death of Daunte Wright. The Left continues to use inflammatory rhetoric about Donald Trump despite yet another attempt on his life. // CAIR Los Angeles is in opposition to a law that would prevent people from blocking synagogues. The Taylor Swift endorsement may have backfired on Kamala Harris. // There is a new food item at Arizona Cardinals games that is absolutely disgusting.

Survey: More young adults in Washington smoke weed on a daily basis. Members of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board were briefed Tuesday on the latest Young Adult Health Survey. https://tinyurl.com/25rc478c #TheCenterSquareWashington #WashingtonStateLiquorAndCannabisBoard #YoungAdultHealthSurvey #cannabis #alcohol #mentalhealth #youngadults #WashingtonState #weed #marijuanasales #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

On this week-in-review, Crystal is joined by metro news columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll! With two weeks left in the State legislative session, Crystal and Matt dig into several bills with potential for huge impact and needing public support to get across the finish line - HB 2114 (rent stabilization), HB 1932 (even-year elections), and SB 6105 (Stripper Bill of Rights). See the resources section for links to contact your legislators about each of these bills! Next, they discuss the promise of the City of Tacoma's detailed Anti-Displacement strategy, Mayor Bruce Harrell pledging no new taxes at his annual State of the City address, and no charges against the SPD officer who killed Jaahnavi Kandula. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today's co-host, Matt Driscoll, at @mattsdriscoll.   Resources Why Seattle's Proposed Surveillance Mash-Up is a Lose-Lose with Amy Sundberg and BJ Last of Solidarity Budget from Hacks & Wonks   “Pass bill limiting rent hikes to help stabilize households” by The Seattle Times Editorial Board   “Seattle's LGBTQ Communities Demand Rent Stabilization” by Rich Smith from The Stranger   HB 2114 - Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement.   HB 2114 - Send a comment to your legislators   “NPI's even year elections bill advances out of Senate State Government Committee” by Andrew Villeneuve from The Cascadia Advocate   HB 1932 - Shifting general elections for local governments to even-numbered years to increase voter participation.   HB 1932 - Send a comment to your legislators   “Why a dancer with Tacoma ties is fighting for WA's 'Stripper Bill of Rights'” by Matt Driscoll from The News Tribune   Strippers Are Workers Campaign   SB 6105 - Creating safer working conditions in adult entertainment establishments.   SB 6105 - Send a comment to your legislators   “Some Tacomans are being pushed out of their neighborhoods. The city wants to intervene” by Shea Johnson from The News Tribune   Anti-Displacement Strategy | City of Tacoma   “Mayor Bruce Harrell Promises to Deliver Bare Minimum at 2024 State of City Address” by Hannah Krieg from The Stranger   “$230 Million Deficit Hangs Over Annual Harrell Speech” by Doug Trumm from The Urbanist   “King County Prosecutors Decline to Charge SPD Officer for Killing Pedestrian” by Ashley Nerbovig from The Stranger   Find stories that Crystal is reading here   Listen on your favorite podcast app to all our episodes here   Transcript [00:00:00] Crystal Fincher: Welcome to Hacks & Wonks. I'm Crystal Fincher, and I'm a political consultant and your host. On this show, we talk with policy wonks and political hacks to gather insight into local politics and policy in Washington state through the lens of those doing the work with behind-the-scenes perspectives on what's happening, why it's happening, and what you can do about it. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get the full versions of our Tuesday topical show and our Friday week-in-review shows delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, the most helpful thing you can do is leave a review wherever you listen to Hacks & Wonks. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. If you missed our Tuesday topical show, our producer Shannon Cheng was guest host and welcomed back Amy Sundberg and BJ Last from Solidarity Budget to discuss how the City of Seattle is rushing to bring three surveillance technologies to the streets of Seattle with minimal public input. Make your voice heard at the final public meeting next week on Tuesday, February 27th at 6 p.m. Today, we're continuing our Friday week-in-review shows where we review the news of the week with a co-host. Welcome back to the program, friend of the show and today's co-host: Metro News columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll. [00:01:31] Matt Driscoll: Thank you for having me - it's always wonderful to be here. And of course, as luck would have it, hammering started in the background. Hopefully that's not too annoying, but yeah - it's great to be here. Thanks for having me. [00:01:42] Crystal Fincher: Excellent - love having you back. Well, we have a couple weeks left in this legislative session, which is scheduled to end on March 7th. Houses have already gotten done passing legislation that originated in their chambers, now the other chambers are taking up things. And there's a few bills that I wanted to talk about that are trying to make it through, that a lot of organizations have as policies, and that would be really impactful to residents throughout the state. The first one is one talking about rent stabilization - different than rent control - rent stabilization basically limits rent and fee increases during the year. So this is something that a lot of renters have been talking about. We've certainly covered the housing affordability crisis at length on this program, but it really is a challenge for renters facing seemingly endless rent hikes. And those rent hikes currently don't have any caps. We've seen instances of rent literally doubling in some places, but fees 20-30% increases annually, which is way beyond the cost of inflation, generally, and really challenging for people to be able to afford. This has been cited as contributing to income inequality, to our homelessness crisis, and to just regular affordability, to displacement. Really challenging, so one thing that has been in the works for over a year has been the effort to try and limit rent increases. This bill would limit rent increases to 7% during any 12-month period, which is still a pretty substantial increase for most people - but within the realm of reality and affordability and achievability for a lot of people. How do you see this bill? [00:03:38] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, I mean, it's really interesting and it is very similar to a citizens' ballot initiative that we covered here in Tacoma last election cycle, which did place some rent increase limits on local landlords and some caps on local fees. To me, it's kind of the other side of the coin - although this coin is probably not a coin, it has a bunch of sides. But we talk a lot about just the affordable housing crisis and the need to build more housing of all kinds, particularly affordable housing - being able to meet all sorts of different economic demographics with that. And this is another side of that, which is people faced with the crisis of housing, calling on lawmakers and policymakers to enact some protections and some regulations to keep them from just getting gouged and forced out financially. And particularly in this bill and in the initiative that ended up passing just barely in Tacoma, I mean, the rent increases and the fees that they still allow are not insignificant. And the fact that we see the pushback to it that we do, particularly from landlords' associations, and conservative lawmakers, really speaks to how out of whack the market is. If you can't get by by raising rent 7% annually, I think it raises questions. Now, there are, I think, some legitimate concerns about how far to crank that lever, because I personally believe at some point, if you do crank it too far, you are going to impact the "mom and pop" landlords who do exist, who are real providers of legitimate affordable housing to people and housing to people that they might not be able to get otherwise. So I do think you have to walk that balance. Certainly to me, this bill seems reasonable, but I'm sure for a lot of lawmakers, it comes down to that question of how much reach do you want the government to have in dictating what are supposed to be those free markets we love so much in this country. But really, this conversation is indicative to the crisis that's happening in cities across Washington and across certainly the West Coast, where the cost of housing is just greatly outpacing any income growth or job growth that we might have. People are freaked out, and rightly so. You talk about all the necessities, whether it's food or - there are safety nets for that. But I think the housing one is one that feels really close because there aren't safety nets. If you lose housing, you lose housing. If you need to go to a food bank, you can go to a food bank, but there's not a house bank. And so it'll be interesting to see what happens and then see where the momentum goes on this. [00:06:02] Crystal Fincher: It will be interesting to see where the momentum goes. And you raised a good point in talking about the Tacoma Renter Protection Initiative, which is similar to other renter protection initiatives and legislation we've seen in various cities throughout the state - whether it's Spokane, Bellingham, Tacoma, Federal Way, we've seen local communities across the state take action on this because this is plaguing communities. That housing expense is almost everyone's biggest expense and so if that is skyrocketing, that's taking families' available discretionary income, that's impacting the local economy, and obviously causing a lot of housing insecurity that is really putting a lot of people in tough positions, and communities in tough positions, and governments and how to deal with that. And it's so much more expensive to deal with once it gets to the crisis level - once someone is displaced or can't afford housing, loses their apartment. All of those are really, really expensive to deal with from a city and county perspective. So I am hopeful that this legislation passes. It's currently in the Senate and it faces an uncertain future, so this is going to be one where community feedback to all of your legislators is really going to make a difference on this - particularly your senators, because they're going to determine the fate of this. There are a number of people on the fence - some moderate to conservative Democrats who have voiced some concerns. Jamie Pedersen is working on this in the Senate - has expressed some reservations, but has certainly heard a lot of feedback from his constituents who overwhelmingly are renters in his district. We'll see how this turns out, but this is one where - for folks listening - if this is something that's a priority to you, reach out to your senators. Fortunately, we make it really simple in Washington to be able to send communications about legislation. We'll also put links in the show notes to make that easy. But they're going to need to hear from you on this - certainly would be a big step forward for the state in terms of renter protections here. Also want to talk about another bill, which we've certainly talked about before and recently in our conversation with Andrew Villeneuve in one of our Tuesday topical shows, that the Northwest Progressive Institute has been very active with. The even-year elections bill, which has advanced out of the House and then advanced out of the Senate State Government Committee. So it's looking fairly positive, but still has to go through some more hurdles. This would enable cities and towns to choose to hold their elections in even-numbered years instead of odd-numbered years. This is a big deal because turnout is much higher in even-numbered years. And as we've seen in the state of California, when we do put those other races - municipal races, local races - on the ballot with those national races, people still vote, still great turnout, even better turnout than they would see in those odd-year elections. We just got done with an election in November that had the lowest turnout since we've been keeping records here in Washington. It is a problem. We're deciding elections with sometimes close to only 20% of the residents participating in the election - that's not representative. I don't think that's doing anyone any favors. The more people who can participate, the better. I also sometimes hear - This is all a progressive conspiracy to turn things out because we see so many elections that trend progressive in the end. And one thing that I would remind people is Seattle is a very visible place. Seattle has more progressive voters than conservative ones, so certainly elections in Seattle and therefore King County do trend as ballots are counted in the final days - those late ballots certainly do trend in a progressive direction. That's not the case statewide. It really just depends on what the local population is. If we're looking at southwest Washington, for example, those often trend red in a lot of those swing districts there. It just really depends on what there is on the ground. And even in those situations, I still think it's better for more people to participate in elections, and voting, and deciding what their communities are going to look like. What do you think about this bill? [00:10:23] Matt Driscoll: First and foremost, Crystal, it's awfully generous of you to acknowledge that even where there are more conservative voters, it's better for more people to vote - that's very bipartisan of you, I appreciate that. This is one of those ones that makes me question myself - am I a super liberal hack? Because there really doesn't seem to be a good reason not to do this, in my mind. At the end of the day - participation in democracy, in our elections - the more people, the more registered voters we can get involved, the better. That's what we should all want. None of us should be afraid that our arguments should stand up and they don't - if they're in the minority, they're in the minority - that's the way it's supposed to work. I will say that there's also part of this that frustrates me because we do look at those even-year versus odd-year elections, and one of the reasons that this gets cast as perhaps a progressive-motivated thing or a progressive scheme is because in those odd-year elections, the voting demographic does skew older, whiter, landowner, property owner - that's real - and i guess the frustrating part about it is just progressives could vote. I just went through that election last November and it was brutal to go through the endorsements. I do think election burnout is real. It does feel like there's always an election. I think we got to be generous to the general public and realize that most people are just trying to get through their lives, and put food on the table, and get their kids to school, and all that. And I think we're asking a lot of them to constantly be kind of in election mode, which is certainly how it feels. But at the end of the day, if progressives are concerned about the disparity, they could just vote in odd-year elections and they just don't - historically - we talk about it every time until we're blue in the face, and then they don't. But full circle - this is about participation. Whether we like the reality or not, the reality is people don't vote in off-year elections nearly as much as they do in the even year. We have historical data backing this up. And I also think it's important to note that all this bill will do is give places the ability to do it. It doesn't dictate it. It's local control of it. If you want to make that change, you can. So to me, again, I don't see an argument against this. It seems like a no-brainer, but so little is a no-brainer when it comes to Olympia. [00:12:34] Crystal Fincher: I completely agree with what you're saying. And as this makes it through and follows the path that a lot of bills do, one of the things that happens is amendments are offered and sometimes accepted. So this passed the House. Once it did arrive in the Senate, it received some amendments that passed out of committee. I'm not in love with these amendments. One of them not only requires the city to basically opt-in legislatively and pass an ordinance to say we're going to do this, but now it requires a popular vote from the people. So the city has to both adopt an ordinance or policy by its legislative body- [00:13:10] Matt Driscoll: An odd year? Do they have to vote in an odd year? Is that part of the stipulation? [00:13:15] Crystal Fincher: You know, it probably is. And yeah, it would have to receive approval from its voters. Now, this is something where the voters vote for their city council or their town council - whatever their government legislative body is, usually a city council - who make decisions like this all the time. Putting this out to a public vote is a costly endeavor. Elections aren't free. You have to pay to administer them, it's costly, it's time-consuming. And as you say, this is probably going to be on another odd-year election ballot. This is pretty simple. I wish we would let people and the electeds that they selected make these decisions. I would love to see that amendment taken out before it does get to a final vote, but we'll see how it goes. It would be progress either way. Definitely better than nothing, but would love to see as much good as possible and not add another hurdle to this that is seemingly unnecessary and also costly at a time when a lot of cities and counties are dealing with budget deficits and are really trying to trim costs instead of add them. Another bill that you covered this week is about a proposed Strippers' Bill of Rights that's currently in Olympia. What is happening with this and what would it do? [00:14:29] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, I mean, I kind of became mildly fascinated with this over the last week because it was pretty new territory for me, to be honest with you. So basically, the background on it is adult dancers, strippers in Washington essentially lack a whole lot of protections that I was, for one, shocked to hear didn't exist - like requirements of clubs to have security. In recent years, there have been some slight upgrades, installations of panic buttons and stuff, but really it's kind of a Wild West out there in terms of staffing, and training requirements, and de-escalation requirements. And basically, whether you frequent strip clubs or not, just picture a strip club and think of all the things that you would assume would be in place to protect people and employees and the reality is that many of them don't exist currently. And so this bill would do a lot of that around training, de-escalation, that sort of thing - which all, to me, feel like no-brainers. And I think in the legislature's view - from the testimony that I've heard, at least in the House - it seems to be a shared sentiment. Where it gets tricky is this bill also opens the door for the legal sale of alcohol in strip clubs. And at least initially going into it, for me, it's a juxtaposition until you get into it. Because on one hand, you're talking about safety and regulations. And then - oh, yeah, we're going to add alcohol - and you're like, what the? that doesn't necessarily seem like that's about safety. But at the end of the day, as I learned and wrote about - and others have written about it plenty this session - essentially the deal for strippers is they pay a nightly rate, if you will, to work, to perform. They're independent contractors. They're not employees of the strip club. So you will end up owing $100, $200 just to start your shift. And then the money that you make in the process of your job, after you pay that back, that's what you make. One, that's clearly exploitative. It sets up bad situations, as you can imagine. But the reality of it is because there's no legal alcohol sales in Washington strip clubs, that's really the only financial model that exists for club owners. And so it puts pressure on them to exploit the dancers. And then that puts pressure on the dancers to maybe ignore warning signs about things that make them uncomfortable because they're all of a sudden in financial distress trying to pay what they owe just to work. So it just creates this whole set of tensions that I think - really a lot of the supporters of this bill would argue - really decrease the safety in these clubs. So this bill would do all of that - it made its way through the Senate, it's now over to the House, it's out of committee as of earlier this week. But the hang up is going to be around that alcohol point. I think most lawmakers seem to agree with the safety measures, but there's hang up around the alcohol and how that works. We could go into the weeds - some legislators think that the Liquor Cannabis Board already has the ability, they could just make a rule. Liquor Cannabis Board says - No, we need you to grant us the licensing authority, yada, yada, yada. It's all very complicated, but it's going to come down to the booze. [00:17:22] Crystal Fincher: Yeah, and this is really interesting - I personally am absolutely in support of this. Strippers are workers. They deserve protections that any worker deserves. Employers have an obligation to protect their employees, or in the case of independent contractors to protect the people who they are making money from when they work in their establishment. As you said, this does require adult entertainment establishments to provide dedicated security personnel during operating hours. It does establish restrictions on the leasing fees charged to not exceed what a dancer can make so they don't go into debt while they're dancing - that serves no one. It also requires adult entertainment establishments to provide mandatory training to their employees on first aid, conflict de-escalation, and identifying and preventing human trafficking, sexual harassment, discrimination, and assault. Expands certain safety requirements, including key padlocks for locker rooms, cleaning supplies, and certain safety signage. And then, as you said, it prohibits the Liquor and Cannabis Board from adopting or enforcing a rule that restricts the exposure of certain body parts or that restricts sexually-oriented conduct. That particular element, I believe, came out of the targeted enforcement of gay establishments in the City of Seattle - seemingly with these lewd laws - saying that those can't be in the proximity of alcohol, which just seemed really out of touch, antiquated, potentially a way to harass the LGBTQ+ community, and just not something that is consistent with the values - certainly that we hold in Seattle, but in Washington state, as we've shown. So I do hope this gets through. The alcohol issue - for me, I trust the strippers working in the establishment to know what's safe for them and if they're advocating for this and saying this is part of what we need to have a safe and sustainable environment, I trust them with that. There are plenty of situations where we allow alcohol where, if you take away the purity-attached issues to it, that seem to me to be dicey in a lot of situations. I'm also someone who it's just like - Wow, we have parking lots at bars. Doesn't that seem like it's setting up a very problematic thing? So that's a much broader conversation there. But if the strippers don't have a problem with it, I don't have a problem with it, really. They know the business and their environment much better than I do, certainly. [00:19:48] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, I just think the whole thing's fascinating because I was talking to Laurie Jinkins about this last week when I was reporting on it - and she comes from a public health background. And her basic reaction to it is the expansion of alcohol is not good - she points to health data. I think you can certainly make that argument, but it's very interesting what you hear from folks working in the industry, and they a lot of times will compare it to Oregon. And admittedly, I'm going to lose any Pierce County street cred here, but it's been a long time since I've been inside a strip club - but I've never been in one in Oregon. What they say is - Look, in Oregon, whether you agree with strip clubs or not, they're actually a place that legitimate people might want to hang out because you can get a drink and maybe you can get some food, and if that's what you're into - entertainment - it works for you. And guess what you have in Washington? Strip club, honestly, is almost the last place you would want to hang out unless you were really driven to go to a strip club. Door charges are insane, you're buying $15 Cokes, there's nothing to drink, there's nothing to eat, it's empty and kind of sad. And lo and behold, what do you get? You get the folks who are choosing to go to those establishments - and I'm trying not to paint with a broad brush here, but I think we can all imagine the scene that this creates. And then when you really talk about the fact that you've essentially created an economic model where the clubs in Washington rely on taking income straight from the dancers as opposed to everywhere else, where they make their income off the booze and the food - like every other sort of nightlife establishment. You can see how that would even out the relationship or the power dynamic between the dancer and the club, where here the club has all the incentive to suck as much as possible out of the dancer, and the dancers are in tough positions where they're trying to make it work. So I think it's fascinating. And again, this is not very satisfying, but it'll be very interesting to see where this goes in the coming days. [00:21:41] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely will be. And I agree, it will be very interesting to see where it goes. Moving on from legislation and where things stand there, there was something that I wanted to talk about that I found really interesting and perhaps a model that other cities may be able to look at, depending on how this turns out. And that is a plan from the City of Tacoma to prevent displacement in the city. And this is in addition to a housing affordability action plan that was adopted by the City that they seem to have been making positive progress on. But a specific anti-displacement strategy that consisted of 21 actions, including buying property to build affordable units in areas that have a high risk of displacement, requiring owners of subsidized properties to issue notices if they intend to sell, or opt-out, or refinance. But really saying it's as much of a problem that people are being economically displaced, forced out of neighborhoods - we're losing the culture and character of our neighborhoods, we're losing cohesive communities that are being displaced - and the fallout from that is undesirable. So often we hear in other conversations about zoning - maintaining the character of the neighborhood - well, the people are essential to the character of the neighborhood. And when the people are being lost, that's a problem that the City of Tacoma has recognized and is taking action on, which I think is very commendable. What do you see in this anti-displacement strategy? [00:23:12] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, I think it goes back to that multi-sided, not-a-coin thing I was talking about earlier. Well, we've got the need for housing and you've got policy pushing to place some regulations and protections for tenants. This is another part of that where cities, certainly in Tacoma, are recognizing that the economic realities and the housing realities in the city are, in fact, displacing untold number of people. We've been seeing it here for a long time. Hilltop is often painted, at least regionally, as the epicenter of it, where we've had Link Light Rail expansion and we've seen the housing going in, and if you see a lot of families that have been here for a long time getting pushed out. This is an acknowledgement of that from City leaders, and so I think it's commendable, they get credit. Of course, the cynic can me points out that cities, including Tacoma, are great at coming up with plans - we already had an affordable housing action strategy, and now we've got our anti-displacement strategy, and we passed our anti-racism legislation with 21 bullet points of what we commit to do. And at the end of the day, the proof's in the pudding and people are still getting pushed out. And so the hard part is the work of - is the city actually going to acquire land and do the sorts of things that it lays out as its vision? I've been here long enough to have seen lots of visions - very few of them have come to full fruition - it's usually you get pieces and then a crisis pops up or some other thing happens. And so we'll see what happens at the end of the day, but certainly if nothing less, it's an acknowledgement of those very same forces we started talking out with at the beginning of this show of just the crazy increases of the cost of living, particularly of the housing. I hear from Chamber of Commerce types sometimes who point out - You keep saying rents are skyrocketing and really it's raising similarly to everything else. Yes, everything's getting more expensive. And yes, in theory, there have been some income gains - although I think it's totally fair and accurate to say they have not kept pace with the cost of living. But I just think housing is that one that people feel just so closely and it feels so razor thin and desperate that lawmakers, city council - here in Tacoma - are hearing it loud and clear from their constituents who are actively being pushed out or just looking around and realizing that one wrong move and they would no longer be able to afford to live here. I don't take any shame in admitting that's certainly my family's situation - if we had not purchased our house when we purchased our house, we could absolutely not live where we live today. We would be in Parkland, somewhere other than that - and that's just the reality. And so again, we'll see what comes long-term, but it's an acknowledgement and it's an important one, and I think it's right. [00:25:40] Crystal Fincher: I also think it's right. This affects everybody. A lot of times I hear a lot of people say the same thing you did - Well, thank goodness we were able to buy our house at the time that we did because we certainly couldn't afford it now. This is an issue that is really affecting seniors in the community and whether they can age in place - whether they can remain in the communities that they have built their lives in, that they have relationships in, that is so important to maintaining their own safety net as perhaps their abilities evolve and change as they age. Lots of people need to downsize houses, need to have more accessible homes. And right now in many communities - certainly in Seattle and Tacoma, but also many of the suburbs - it is not possible to buy in the same area and get something similar that you would there. They're looking at a much different quality of life if they were to do that, or they need to move far away, basically, from perhaps family, support systems, the doctors that they've seen forever, the people who've been helping them in their lives for so long, and really lose touch with those things that keep them healthy and supported. And often their family too - and their families aren't able to afford to move in and live in the same area - it's really a problem that a lot of families are facing in this multi-generational way that is really, really troubling. And I'm glad this is being addressed. [00:27:05] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, it's just a subset of the folks being affected by this - you probably know the data better than I do - but if you want to be terrified at some point, look at the data about the number of people moving into retirement age and that age bracket in the next decade or more. It's a significant amount of people. And if we don't come to terms with the fact that our economy as it currently stands, particularly in relation to housing, is just cruel and out of whack right now - there are going to be countless people really with no flexibility, nowhere to move, creating those situations that you just described where you get stuck. You have a house you probably can't look after anymore. You can't afford to move anywhere else. You don't have whatever it would take to get into senior - I mean, it's terrifying. And so one small part of a bigger pie of the economic cruelty that we have, but it's a big one. And so I'm hopeful, but again, cities are great at the plans and the bullet points and the statements of great aspiration. The proof is in how it pans out. And so I think it's important for people to keep an eye on it and keep folks accountable, so it's more than just talk. [00:28:11] Crystal Fincher: Absolutely agree with that. Getting more into the details of this, there were a number of actions - I was happy to see that this was a pretty comprehensive report - there are metrics to track over the time. As plans from cities go, especially ones that we're seeing these days in major cities, it at least had a lot of detail - that they'll either follow or they won't - but certainly a lot less vague than some of the plans that we see elsewhere. Some of the other things included were expanding one-time cash assistance to keeping families housed, offering incentives for developers to build affordable housing in at-risk areas, prioritizing new units to be rented or sold to at-risk or displaced residents, focusing down payment homebuyer assistance in high-risk neighborhoods, or reducing the cost to build accessory dwelling units. In addition to proactive rental inspection programs or community land trust with the intention of preserving affordable housing, increasing funds to the City's tenant protection program and housing assistance contracts, or creating a property tax relief program. The strategy also called for the City to consider establishing a reparations committee that would research the possibility of reparations for historical racist policies, particularly because BIPOC communities have been disproportionately displaced. Those communities have been decimated - they're far less than half of what they initially were, and that percentage is still declining there. It is a challenge - they're being disproportionately displaced, and certainly reparations are being looked at in a variety of areas and is justified. We'll see how this does play out, but I'm excited. The plan excites me because it was quite detailed. We'll also link that in the show notes for people to read themselves and see the data behind the policies, the justifications behind them, the metrics that they'll continue to be tracking, and what their metrics for progress are. It'll be interesting to see, but we talk about affordability under a whole umbrella of a homelessness crisis, the housing crisis - but it is going to take addressing these discrete elements, each one by themselves, and a plan to address all of them. And I think Tacoma is certainly showing leadership so far in that area. Also want to talk this week about Mayor Bruce Harrell delivering his 2024 State of the City address. This is his third State of the City address since he has been elected, these addresses are annual. He touted some reductions in crime, which I'm sure everyone is happy to see. He talked about the CARE Department that they established, which has started with a small trial of a co-responder model during limited hours during the day. Hopefully we will see that expanded - certainly, to at least cover 24 hours throughout the day, and more than a handful of responders there - that would certainly be welcome. And I think polling continually shows that residents want to see this expanded and available at all times and in all areas. He also made news with basically a no new taxes pledge, which is very different than what he said before. He said that he'd be looking to implement progressive revenue. He convened a task force to look at different progressive revenue options because there's a $250 [million] budget shortfall that the City is going to have to deal with this year. And he basically said - Hey, we're not going to raise taxes. I'm not going to support any raising of taxes. Our challenges are much more fundamental to that. We need to basically look at every inch of the budget and re-examine what we're doing. This seems aligned with Council President Sara Nelson's pledge and op-ed where she said not only was she looking to not implement new taxes, but also cut taxes for business. This is also at a time when they're saying they're going to increase funding for public safety. So this seemingly indicates, particularly if they're looking at cutting taxes - but really either way, whether they do or don't cut any taxes - some pretty significant cuts for services and programs throughout the city that don't have to do with public safety. And this has a lot of people alarmed. How did you see the State of the City address? [00:32:31] Matt Driscoll: What I always enjoy about our conversations is I view all this stuff from afar, from Tacoma. I know what Tacoma and Pierce County budgets look like, and I know what Seattle and King County budgets look like -and there's part of me that looks at that, and if you guys can't figure it out with the resources you have already? But I also acknowledge that the challenges in a place like King County and Seattle are not insurmountable, but are sizable. And when you look at budgets and you look at the need for these services and potential of cuts, it's very real and it could be not good for a lot of people. From a broader perspective, I do think the dynamic and the shift that we've seen in Seattle is interesting - particularly as it relates to homeless response as an example of that, because there was a development where some funding appears like it's going to get taken back from the King County Regional Housing Authority. And I do think from the broad constituency that is now reflected in certainly the city council - and you could argue in Mayor Harrell's election as well - there's a dissatisfaction with the amount of money that we are spending towards trying to address some of these problems and the actual outcomes that we are seeing. And I think a lot of that is very natural because the positive outcomes of homeless response are difficult to track. People always want to break it down - we spent this much and we housed this many people. The reality is it's just not that simple. There's more human nature involved in that. But at the same time, I do believe - and I think Seattle in some ways can be the poster city for this - is it's understandable when people look at the more progressive side of homeless response and say - You're basically advocating that we can't sweep encampments, what we see around us is okay. But I think for most people, when they look around and the problems that they see and the suffering they see, it feels not okay. A lot of times, from one side of it, the solutions you get are really long-term. And because of the way these debates stick us into stupid corners, it starts sounding like you've got one side advocating for - Shut up about the encampment in front of your business, just deal with it. And I think that, at some extent, bleeds into the electorate where they start having pushback to that. And I feel like that's the tension point where Seattle's at - yes, it's a progressive city. Yes, people genuinely want humane responses to the homelessness crisis. They're not looking to criminalize people. They're not looking to make matters worse. They want to address the underlying root causes and the lack of housing and the lack of everything that we need. But at the same time, the status quo is unsustainable. I think you see that in some of this talk of re-evaluation of what we're doing, is it working? And those can be tricky evaluations because like I said, they're not always straightforward. And I think there's a lot of good work being done. And I think attempts to purely quantify it in hard data can be suspect. But at the same time, I don't think it's entirely wrong when people say we're spending a lot of money, we've been talking about this a lot, and all I see is it getting worse. And so that's a very rambly way of - my view on Seattle politics from 33 miles away. [00:35:33] Crystal Fincher: Well, there's a lot there to talk about. I absolutely agree that people see the problem getting worse and are frustrated by that. And hear the amounts of money that are being spent and are wondering if that's effective or not - because the amounts do sound big. With the budget in Seattle - Seattle is unique in the state, in the types of industry that it has and the types of companies that it has. And Seattle certainly gets a lot from those companies. But I also feel we absolutely need to talk about and acknowledge that those companies get a lot from Seattle. As of a few years ago, Amazon had more office space in the city of Seattle than any corporation in any other city in the country. So great - Amazon is hiring. But Amazon is also taxing our infrastructure. They're causing a lot of stress on the roads - people talk about potholes and trucks - and well, Amazon is impacting a lot of that. Amazon is a lot of the impacts on our transit network. Amazon is impacting just the use of our resources, right? And Amazon is benefiting from the great resources that the city of Seattle does provide. And again, this goes both ways. Certainly people benefit from being employed, but we can't say - And that's it, that's the end of the story. There's also the desire to have those corporations, some of the richest ones in the world in Seattle, pay their fair share. In our state - as we've talked about, our regressive state tax code without an income tax - I do think there's a very valid conversation, especially in a city that has as many high-earners and as many mega-corporations as the city of Seattle does, whether people are paying their fair share. And when you look at how residents in the city of Seattle vote, that answer continues to be - No, we don't feel like everyone's paying their fair share yet, and we need to move further in that direction. City government currently, both the council and the mayor, seems to feel differently. So that will be a continuing tension that carries on. We'll see what happens, but certainly looks to be a bumpy ride coming up. The last thing I wanted to talk about this week was the announcement that there are going to be no charges for the officer who killed a student, Jaahnavi Kandula, as he was driving 74 miles per hour down a city street - the speed limit is 25 miles per hour - responding to a call. This is the incident that a lot of people probably became familiar with because they heard another officer, who is also the vice-president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, mock her death - saying that her life didn't have value, basically laughing about it in just a really sick and sadistic way. No charges will be faced by that officer either. For the officer who was mocking, the rationale that the county prosecutor gave was that it's up to the Office of Police Accountability in Seattle to determine what, if any, discipline should be faced by that officer. And then for the officer who actually ran over this young woman, just saying there was not enough evidence to show that basically he was acting recklessly. And a lot of people's response to this has been if driving 74 miles per hour with no indication that it is in a different category of emergency, certainly - and really responding to a call that police are not needed at and that other cities don't have police responding to those calls, but that's a side issue - but hey, if that's not reckless, then what is? And so we're again in a situation where the law feels woefully inadequate. And we have the county prosecutor saying - Okay, but according to the law, this would be tough, if not impossible, to prosecute and get a guilty verdict. And people looking at the common sense of it and saying - But that just doesn't make sense. Can we drive 74 miles per hour on a city road and have no consequences for any actions, any harm that results from that? And so we're once again in a situation where our laws seemingly have endless loopholes or exceptions for people who work in public safety that don't seem to apply to the rest of us. How did you see this? [00:39:53] Matt Driscoll: Yeah, we're certainly tackling the big ones on today's show, aren't we? I mean, to me, and I realize that this is a difficult view to articulate fairly, and I'm going to try my best because people feel very passionate about it for a lot of reasons. But I think two things are true. One, creating the type of police force that we need does demand accountability. There has to be accountability. And I think right now, a lot of folks genuinely feel like there is no accountability. Attempts are made to hold police accountable for what many feel are reckless, or dangerous, or whatever behavior. The result we get is - well, it wasn't illegal, it was fine. And so accountability has to be part of that, but I don't think you can change police culture through accountability. I feel like what this situation represents is more the reflection of a police culture, particularly in the mocking comments. I don't know enough about the intricacies of this case to re-litigate it. I've read the same things you read - I know the speed, the lack of lights, I also know the prosecutor came back - the interviews with other people, that they heard it, that the student seemed distracted. I don't feel prepared to re-litigate that exact string of events. What I will say is when you're in an emergency or your family members in an emergency, you'd probably want the first responders driving 75 miles an hour - maybe not 75, but you get my point. I do think there has to be leeway in the law that gives first responders and cops the ability to do things that otherwise would be considered reckless. I think that needs to happen, but I think the problem we run into is that responsibility that we've given to a police force - the police force, their culture, doesn't reflect those values that are behind that. In a perfect world, if we had the police force we had, they would use these powers responsibly. But a lot of times what we see - and again, particularly in the commentary, that's what feels inhumane. The cop who was involved in the accident, it sounds like they were distraught at the scene - I don't know what's going on with them. But I know when people hear cops talking about this person's life in a way that assigns it no value, it feels like a reflection of police culture that feels above the law, and feels drunk on power, and feels reckless. So if this cop had been charged with this, I don't know what it would have changed. I do think accountability is necessary, but I think the bigger problem is the police culture we have. And maybe, best case scenario, we're in the process of slowly transforming our police forces to - hiring the type of people and weeding out the bad - I don't know if I have a lot of faith in that. But it's not going to happen overnight. My overarching point is - yes, you need accountability, but I don't think accountability can be your vehicle towards the change that we need, if that makes sense. [00:42:49] Crystal Fincher: It makes perfect sense. I completely agree with that. It's just a really, truly unfortunate situation. And this young woman deserved better - from everybody, at all points in time from this. And I hope we take this seriously as a community, both locally and statewide, and really do look at issues with culture and start to get to the root of that problem. And with that, I thank you for listening to Hacks & Wonks on this Friday, February 23rd, 2024. The producer of Hacks & Wonks is Shannon Cheng. Our insightful co-host today was Metro News columnist and opinion editor for The News Tribune in Tacoma, Matt Driscoll. You can find Matt on Twitter or X at @mattsdriscoll, with two L's at the end. You can follow Hacks & Wonks on Twitter at @HacksWonks. You can find me at @finchfrii, with two I's at the end, on all platforms. You can catch Hacks & Wonks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts - just type "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get the full versions of our Friday week-in-review shows and our Tuesday topical show delivered to your podcast feed. If you like us, leave a review wherever you listen. You can also get a full transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced in the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes. Thanks for tuning in - talk to you next time.

Learn about the latest in local public affairs in about the time it takes for a coffee break! Brian Callanan of Seattle Channel and David Kroman, City Hall reporter for the Seattle Times discuss Mayor Harrell's influence over a new City Council, the beginning of the Council's work at the committee level, a battle over "lewd conduct" for the Liquor and Cannabis Board, the reinstatement of Seattle's graffiti ordinance, and some answers to some city government questions from our patrons, too. If you like this podcast, please support it on Patreon!

This week…LGBTQ+ bars in the city are outraged after surprise inspections from the state's Liquor and Cannabis Board.Two local businesses are filling spaces vacated by Starbucks on Capitol Hill and in the Central District.And influencers are testing for lead in their Seattle-based Stanley cups… But don't worry, it's fine.Ticket Editor Chase Burns and Seattle Now Producer Clare McGrane are here to break down the week.Read The Stranger's coverage on Lewd Conduct Laws: https://www.thestranger.com/queer/2024/02/01/79367907/liquor-and-cannabis-board-pauses-enforcement-of-lewd-conduct-regulationsWe can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. You have the power! Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenowAnd we want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback online: https://www.kuow.org/feedback

What's Trending: activists in favor of a new rent control protested at the Washington State Capitol and the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board was accused of targeting gay bars for conduct violations. //  Longform: Dave Workman, a senior editor at TheGunMag.com, gives his thoughts about the new Washington bill requiring liability insurance for gun owners. // Quick Hit: Fani Willis fired a DA's office whistleblower who said that a campaign aide was mishandling funds.

WHAT'S NEW AT 10! GUEST: Mike Salk on the Seahawks coach // Pajama prowlers may be in police custody // KC Exec pushes back youth jail closure plans // GUEST: Matt Markovitch explains why the Liquor and Cannabis Board wants to change WA’s lewd laws // SCENARIOS!

The Washington State Legislature may consider legislation giving the State Liquor and Cannabis Board further rulemaking authority regarding the use of biometric age verification by private entities selling alcohol or cannabis products. “I think with the biometrics, it's just a matter of time before it's coming in,” Director of Policy and External Affairs Justin Nordhorn told the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee at its Monday meeting. “How we do that is important. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/washington-in-focus/support

The Washington State Legislature may consider legislation giving the State Liquor and Cannabis Board further rulemaking authority regarding the use of biometric age verification by private entities selling alcohol or cannabis products. https://tinyurl.com/m44nb2bs #TheCenterSquareWashington #WashingtonStateLegislature #legislation #StateLiquorandCannabisBoard #rulemakingauthority #biometricageverification #privateentitiessellingalcoholorcannabisproducts #fingerprintscan #facialanalysis #alcohol #cannabis #WashingtonState #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

Back after a month hiatus! On this week's show"Happy National Crayon DayLawmakers want requirements for county positionsThe Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D.Arts projects get a ton of fundingAmerican Precision MuseumJudevine Memorial LibraryGlo was totally wrong - person who donated the $ to build the library was "Malvina M. Jeudevine was born Malvina Maria Tuttle..."Former Burlington racial equity director to be auditedMaybe its okay to cancel the eugenics governor?82-year-old ATV rider falls through iceHouse passes higher THC billBad news for bubblegum vapersVT student band makes finals in intl songwriting contest(49:17) Break music: Kingdom All-Stars - “Willoughby Nights”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrk1TAPZNqE We're losing another egg farm - Shadow Cross FarmsThe Hinesburg highway foreman has had enoughBeloved drag performer passesJiu Jitsu comes to the Northeast KingdomAdam reveals his secretUpdate - Rutland deputy charged in NY Upstate New York shootoutFlorida man acquitted in killing at movie theater where popcorn was tossedAARP charged with gender discriminationCannabis grower gets fined Vermont cannabis grower Underground cheese cave beer makerBurlington has its own shady building(1:34:20) Break music:  Pancakes at Midnight - “Stoner”https://sheisalit.bandcamp.com/track/stoner Scumbag MapFormer Springfield cop faces allegations Father accused of assaulting one-year old childRutland murder suspect arrestedMan accused of wielding machete and stealing cop carIllegal laundry ringBolton construction murder fightMore off-leash spots in Burlington?This horse has one eye and paintsThanks for listening!Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/VermontCatchup Follow Matt on twitter: @MatthewBorden4 Contact the show: 24theroadshow@gmail.comIntro/Outro Music by B-Complex

Local tech start-ups and even the Washington wine industry had a few tense days following the Silicon Valley Bank failure.Now they're looking for answers right alongside the Fed who's stepped in to investigate.Seattle Times reporter Paul Roberts is here to talk about how SVB failed and what it means for local tech customers. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Make the show happen by making a gift to KUOW: https://www.kuow.org/donate/seattlenowAnd we want to hear from you! Follow us on Instagram at SeattleNowPod, or leave us feedback online: https://www.kuow.org/feedbackMarijuana Equity License Information: Cannabis Social Equity | Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

Washington is currently taking applications for business licenses to sell legal retail weed in the state through a special program that grants favor to people with certain experience: convicted drug dealers.The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board opened its "Social Equity Program" this week, which provides "a limited number of cannabis retail licenses to individuals disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws."The agency provides a scoring system that assigns points to determine how much an individual has been hurt by the state's previous ban on weed, and priority status for snapping up the more than 40 open licenses available will be given to those who have been incarcerated for a marijuana offense.Support the showSign Up For Exclusive Episodes At: https://reasonabletv.com/LIKE & SUBSCRIBE for new videos every day. https://www.youtube.com/c/NewsForReasonablePeople

So what happened?The state Liquor and Cannabis Board conducted a study on how to set up and operate a delivery system with an eye to ensuring cannabis doesn't wind up in the wrong hands.SignificanceEver since Washington voters legalized cannabis in 2012, people have been asking for home delivery, yet home delivery brings a new set of challenges.The Department of Health said the agency does not oppose a delivery system but “are concerned about diversion.”  Among issues the study must consider are how to verify authorization databases and what payment methods would be allowed.  With many transactions conducted with cash, the study must look at how to ensure “safe and secure” transporting of products, including delivery vehicle requirements, and how deliveries by retailers operating out of Indian reservations will be handled.  ImpactThe state of Washington was one of the first to legalize cannabis for adult consumers – but they are still working on legislation that will hopefully improve the industry.  Concerns mount with limited access in rural regions with bans or moratoriums already in place.  There also are patients who may live near a store but because of their mobility challenges cannot easily get there.About Weed Talk News:Weed Talk News is a weekly Cannabis news roundup published every Friday delivering the most current cannabis events with high visibility news contributors, including state by state cannabis news updates as well as Federal marijuana news!The #TalkingHedge…https://youtu.be/VHoGTC7hNds  

Are you working with a third-party company to deliver alcohol to your customers? Are you thinking about offering alcohol to-go sales? If so, you won't want to miss this podcast on alcohol to-go laws and regulations. This conversation and Q&A with representatives from Washington's Liquor & Cannabis Board answers your questions and highlights everything you need to know to ensure you are compliant with the state's alcohol requirements. Subscribe to Washington Hospitality Industry Podcast on Soundwise

Rico Lamitte Long Beach Cannabis Dispensary Sells for $11 MJason Beck Medicinal marijuana chains embrace ‘bud' sales as Minnesota relaxes regulationsPriscilla Agoncillo I smell marijuana': cops' warrantless searches targets poor, minority Tennessee communitiesChristopher Smith Cherokee Tribe Approves $15 Million Land Purchase to Grow Medical Cannabis in North CarolinaGretchen Gailey California Governor Proposes Marijuana Tax Cuts To Combat Illicit MarketBrandon Dorsky Lawsuit Accuses Jungle Boys of Gender Discrimination, Unpaid WagesDr. Felecia L Dawson MD Police: Cartels in Oregon are morphing their pot-growing opsLiz Rogan Seven In Ten Biden Voters Support National Marijuana Legalization, New Poll FindsChris Eggers State Liquor & Cannabis Board announces free, voluntary security assessments for pot shopsShalina K. Pannu, Esq. Cannaverse Technologies Launches Cannabis Metaverse - Cannaland

What's Trending: Two republicans battle for Spokane County Sheriff, Joy Behar and her staff are not funny, and locals react to Dr. Fauci.  Big Local: Cashless stores coming to a city near you, Pierce County could see record numbers in violent crimes, and City of Kent unfollowed Rantz on Twitter.  The State Liquor and Cannabis Board is keeping a list of cashless apps pot buyers can use-- so stores will be less of a target for robbers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Washington's new capital gain's tax survive the courts? We debate that question with two University of Washington law professors. And we check in with the chair of the Liquor and Cannabis Board on the State of Washington's cannabis industry.

Rico Lamitte Cannabis companies say their CBD products treat COVID, but FDA says they are wrongJason Beck Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board panelists want safe bankingLara DeCaro Medical cannabis patients wary as commercial sales begin in NMGretchen Gailey Pro-Legalization GOP Congressman's Office Explains Opposition To Marijuana BillEric Hiss Hawaii cannabis industry expands with additional Maui dispensaryJean Talleyrand Reggae artist Tabby Diamond killed in drive-by shooting in JamaicaNickolas Wildstar Tetra Lounge becomes one of the first cannabis consumption businessesBrandon Dorsky Pa. Health Dept. Sued Over Cannabis Vape Product Recall Shalina K. Pannu, Esq. Study: Secondhand smoke from marijuana bong generates high pollutant levelsSusan Soares Cannabis consumption is prohibited outdoors in Las Cruces, even on parts of your property

Washington pot shops call on the state to improve protection from violent robberies with a bill designed to lengthen sentences for pot shop robberies.Advocates told lawmakers that the swift uptick in robberies has put the industry in a crisis.Until federal legalization or the SAFE Banking Act passes, cannabis will remain a cash-only business, drawing added risks for local small business owners. There have been dozens of cannabis shop robberies in the last few months in western Washington alone. Some cannabis shop owners feel the state is not doing enough to protect their businesses.Since law enforcement agencies handle the robberies, the Liquor and Cannabis Board said it is not always notified when a crime happens.But rest easy because the state Liquor and Cannabis Board said it is communicating safety tips with cannabis retailers, including advice to:*Hire armed security guards*Make frequent cash deposit*Post signs that staff don't have access to much cash *Communicate safety guidelines with staff so they know what to do in the event of a robberyMy $.02 is that these violent robbers should be in prison, but if you're going to pass a bill, how about you lobby the state capital for better banking laws so you can actually protect these businesses? Episode 917 The #TalkingHedge looks at MJ Biz Daily's article...https://youtu.be/AR5Oc0yW_hM

Cannabis Quencher with VCC Brand founder Kenny Morrison today on Dazed And Infused with Latham Woodward only on Cannabis Radio. In 2006 Kenny co-founded two well-known medical cannabis collectives in West LA and Venice Beach, California. In 2008, Kenny founded Venice Cookie Company with the simple idea that cannabis edibles should be tasty, safe, and wellness-oriented. The company, now known as VCC Brands, is a manufacturer and distributor of infused products including the top-selling Cannabis Quencher. In 2012 he expanded to the state of Washington as Evergreen Herbal, assisting in the creation of regulations with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Evergreen Herbal built Washington state's first cannabis licensed hydrocarbon extraction facility and allowed local fire departments to use it as a training facility.

Video on BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/video/EfCY5b7GdkVr/ Video on Rumble: https://rumble.com/vott2h-current-events-comic-books-resisting-tyranny-cannabis-board-games-video-gam.html Video on Odysee: https://odysee.com/@chycho:6/Current_Events_Oct30_2021:5 Introduction Segment on CensorTube: https://youtu.be/NbRSHxWdurs ***SUPPORT*** ▶️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chycho ▶️ Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/chycho ▶️ Subscribe Star: https://www.subscribestar.com/chycho ▶️ Streamlabs at: https://streamlabs.com/chycholive ***FORUM*** ▶️ Discord: https://discord.gg/MXmS7B9 APPROXIMATE TIMESTAMPS: - Introduction and Salutations with CensorTube Intro (0:00-3:57) - Random Discussions - Update Regarding My Comic Book Pull List: Cutting Back on Comics While We Resist Fascism, Try to Save Canada (8:05:13:16) - Taiwan, The United States, China and Resist Centralized Power Tyranny: Global War and Asymmetric Warfare (14:43-20:21) - Board Game Care-package Unboxing: Axis & Allies Europe and Pacific, Global War [ASMR Haul] (20:22-49:04) - Some Car Talk - Cannabis Usage and Possible Addiction: Some Advice [ASMR] (54:06-57:47) - Some Random Discussion: F1, Fashion, Wikipedia and more... - Facebook Meta Name Change and Algorithms Brainwashing Their Users: Don't Be a Fool, Don't Lose Your Soul (1:09:32-1:13:00) - Some Random Discussion - Showing The Axis & Allies Care-package to Nardawg, a Member of Our Gaming Group [ASMR] (1:18:51-1:30:47) - Some of My All Time Favorite Video Games from the Last 40 Years [ASMR] (1:30:47-1:44:39) - More Random Discussion VIDEOS: Let Me Show You My Video Game Collection Part 1: https://www.bitchute.com/video/QMVGARjLtET1/ Part 2: https://www.bitchute.com/video/yVj5310b3DSj/ Part 3: https://www.bitchute.com/video/UKom0ISREjWr/ ***WEBSITE*** ▶️ Website: http://www.chycho.com ***LIVE STREAMING*** ▶️ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/chycholive ***VIDEO PLATFORMS*** ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chychochycho ▶️ BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/chycho ▶️ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/chycho ▶️ Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@chycho:6 ▶️ Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/chycholive Peace. chycho

Throwing darts is a classic pub game, but many Washingtonians prefer throwing something else: axes.Now the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is aiming to toss new rules at businesses that mix alcohol with axes.At its recent meeting the board set the process in motion to develop new rules for liquor-licensed businesses that want to offer axe throwing as entertainment.“For the record, I'm not a fan of axe throwing,” said board chair David Postman.Nonetheless, he voted to go through with a rulemaking process known as CR-101. In this inquiry phase, the board is considering new rules to address safety concerns when allowing a high risk activity.“The CR-101 does not commit us to any action in the future,” Postman said. “It allows the process to keep going and would not harm the timeline if, in fact, we end up going forward with this.”Join your host Sean Reynolds, owner of Summit Properties NW, and Reynolds & Kline Appraisal as he takes a look at this developing topic.https://www.kuow.org/stories/state-drafting-new-rules-so-patrons-can-safely-throw-axes-and-drink-alcoholSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/seattlerealestatepodcast)

VALUE-FOR-VALUE THANK YOU to our executive producers Fletcher of Hog Story;  the Brandons of the Itty Bitty Homestead on NoAgendaTube; AbleKirby of the AbleKraft podcast and Rare Encounter; and all the bowlers out there boosting and streaming sats to the Bowl! If you get value from listening to the Bowl After Bowl podcast, DON'T BE A MOOCH! Head over to our Donate page to send us some cuckbucks or crypto, or boost Bowl After Bowl on a Podcasting 2.0 compatible app.  And there's plenty of other ways to contribute value to the Bowl. Make some art. Send a clip. Leave a voicemail at (816) 607-3663 or, very simply, pass the bowl. HUGE thank you to  Fletcher for joining us in the bowl for another episode of Bowls with Buds last Friday. CRYPTO COGNIZANCE Here in the Bowl, we do not aim to be the pied pipers of Bitcoin but rather to share our journey exploring the crypto space.  "If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry!" -- Satoshi Nakamoto A crypto fraud suspect in Spain says he can repay his victims nearly $330,000,000 if released for three to four weeks. TOP THREE 33 NBC's Olympic opening ceremony had lowest viewers in 33 years Former Boy Scouts Leader sentenced to 33 years in prison for child exploitation offenses US Shipping Crisis is not going away as 33 cargo ships float off the coast of L.A. waiting to dock 33 people were shot in Chicago over the weekend, 7 fatally THE COOF CONTINUES 33-year-old New York man calls the non-vaccinated "idiots" and "morons," dead 14 weeks after COVID-19 "vaccine" 33-year-old fully vaccinated NOLA plus-size boutique owner died of COVID 33-year-old agoraphobic man died of COVID Lawrence County (Pennsylvania) COVID cases increased by 33 this week 33 new cases reported in Fresno WEED According to a study from Cambridge University, slacking stoners is a FALSE stereotype! But while weed is not linked to lack of motivation, greater use was associated with a lower perceived value of school by adolescents.  If you're flying into a New York airport, you'll be happy to find cops won't seize your secret stash. But if TSA stumbles across it, they are still required to alert the appropriate law enforcement. There's a new lawsuit over Utah's cannabiz licensing procedure claiming out-of-state companies were given preference during the application process. The state's Department of Agriculture and Food coached multistate growers, then changed the laws last minute to allow out-of-state companies to apply which potentially gave them a huge advantage thanks to the aforementioned networking opportunity. Listeners of No Agenda and Bowl After Bowl won't be surprised to hear Amazon is officially a registered cannabis lobbyist. Last year, the company spent $17.9 million on lobbying alone. Activists at DPA and NORML confirmed representatives met with them to discuss the best ways to free the weed. During discussion of the cocaine resentencing bill, the EQUAL Act, Representative Steve Cohen turned the House Judiciary Committee's attention to the failure of the War on Drugs, using Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic suspension as an example, saying, "Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug unless you're entered in the Coney Island hot dog eating contest on Fourth of July." After companies applying for medical marijuana licenses were allowed to redact their own applications, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of investigative journalist Wallace McKelvey of PennLive and The Patriot-News. The burden now falls on the Department of Health. Strawberry Fields became the first Denver dispensary approved to work with a social equity delivery service to bring their product straight to customers' doors. Turns out, they were the only company that even applied! Originally introduced in 2014 by Representative Dave Reichert, the Welfare for Needs Not Weed Act was reintroduced last Monday by Representative Tom Rice and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. An Interpretive Statement was released by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board saying licensed processors cannot convert CBD into delta-9 THC, which would undermine growers. Since this is not law, it remains to be seen whether it is actually enforced. The US House of Representatives could vote on the Blumenauer-McClintock-Norton-Lee amendment as soon as next week, removing the word "medical" from the current spending bill language maintaining that federal funds cannot be used to prevent states from "implementing their own state laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana." A Florida businessman was ordered to pay nearly $3 million to the SEC after scamming $5.5 million from more than 60 weed investors and spending it on himself. Standing Akimbo is once again asking the Supreme Court to hear their case against the IRS and Section 280E. Bowl After Bowl Episode 90 ★ Jimmy Geminis discussed the case in June when the justices refused to hear it after it lost in the appellate court last year. A Missouri attorney hopes to clarify whether his client can lawfully use medical marijuana with a valid medical card while on probation in the Show-Me State.  A New Mexico novelty gift shop is giving customer weed samples with their purchases of stickers ranging in cost from $15 to $90. Yesterday, (July 26, 2021) they received a cease and desist order. Although they are not a dispensary, Bowl After Bowl has discussed this gifting practice before in Episode 88 Think Horn when a New Jersey company gifted product by charging for bakery good add-ons to get around the state's purchase limit. Also in the Land of Enchantment, the New Mexico appellate court upheld a 2018 lower court ruling allowing the state's largest medical marijuana operator to open two new dispensaries. FIRST TIME I EVER... Bowlers called in on this Tokin' Tuesday to tell us about the first time they ever called someone by the wrong name. Next, week we want to hear from YOU about the first time you ever rode a rollercoaster. Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling. "Cake Boss" star Buddy Valastroregains 75% hand strength after mangling it in his home bowling alley's pin setter. A woman in France received 33 speeding tickets in three days The revolver used to kill Billy the Kid isgoing up for auction Man running on water inside 'bubble' washes up on Florida beach In Toronto, a Yorkie defended 10-year-old from coyote 9-foot sturgeon caught on video leaping from Fraser River in Chilliwack, BC A teen recently caught and released a 20-foot white sturgeon there too Surgeon, Miss Connecticut settle divorce amid claim she's a hooker NYPD cop saves stabbing victim with potato chip bag, tape Federal prosecutors sell Martin Shkreli's one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang album Tee Boi's Swinger Trailer Park is coming to Mamou, Louisiana

Dreary day, but we made the most of it. On this week's show:Two left feet, literallySpringstein vs PettyHot AF in VTVT Utilities trying to save (thousands) of dollarsEmergency housing runs outNo vax for the statehouseOne legislator is out of touch with realityMental health money to RutlandBurlington policing is sporadicSaint Albans resource officersRich guy real estate beef update - still beefinCanadians buying up all VT dispensaries(1:00:17) 1st break music: Zesty – Tarantino Flick More Zesty music here.New techniques to find drunk boatersPriests numbers plummetFL man obstructing VT justiceLong, terrible story about a bad Stowe cop (current fire chief)Weird spate of vandalismSugar jug shortageLawson's no-tipping cultureCenter for Cartoon Studies makes a healthcare comic for Congress(1:37:12) 2nd break music: The Couchsleeprs – Just a MinuteThe Couchsleepers Music: Instagram, Tiktok, and Spotify .Scumbag MapMatt's bar fight storiesBirds in troubleSecret to bird migration....maybeAnus fungusMonk saves 8,000 dogs....kindaChipotle is terribleAnisette National dive bar dayThanks for listening! Contact the show: 24theroadshow@gmail.com Intro/Outro Music by B-Complex

Curious about what exactly is going on with The Garden right now? This week Kijana and Ryan break down the outcome of last week's Cannabis Board hearing then open it up into a general discussion about where I & I Rose Garden is at on the journey to licensing. How close are you to getting Garden Goods in your local dispensary and when can you visit the bakery? Listen to find out! Ps, if you're new to the podcast this is a great one to jump in on - don't hesitate to recommend to a friend! Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, we'll be updating every Friday! As always leave us your reviews, thoughts, and suggestions. Follow us at @iandirosegarden on Instagram & thanks for listening and supporting the Garden!

Hour 1 * Guest: Larry Pratt – Discussion of All Things Liberty. * ‘Joints for Jabs' adds new incentive for shot – USAToday.com – “Joints for Jabs” is officially a thing in Washington state. The state's Liquor and Cannabis Board said it would allow state-licensed cannabis retailers to “provide one joint to adult consumers who receive COVID-19 vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic. * US District Judge Roger T. Benitez Rules California's 32-Year-Old ‘Assault Weapons' Ban is Unconstitutional. * Shocker: 2 days ago Republicans win two Texas mayoral races, including one in McAllen, TX which is 85% Hispanic. * Judge rules school board action unconstitutional, teacher reinstated! Loudoun County Public School teacher Byron “Tanner” Cross after the school board placed him on leave for saying he would refuse to recognize and sanction transgenderism by using pronouns that don't fit the biological make-up of students. “I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child, it's abuse to a child, and it's sinning against our God”. * Teen Rear-Ends Patrol Car, Makes a New Friend The sergeant even attended his graduation ceremony the next day. Hour 2 * The Internet Broke Yesterday, but Now It's Back after outage at Fastly – Dozens of high-traffic websites, including the New York Times , CNN, Amazon, Twitter, Target, Spotify, and the UK government's home page, couldn't be reached. * Guest: mary-margaret Stratton Author: KISS ADDICTION GOODBYE – The Twelve Step Diet to Aid Recovery and Help Heal Addictive or Compulsive Behaviors – 12stepdiet.com. * Bitcoin's value declined by over 10% Tuesday after the US government announced it had recovered $4.4 million worth of the cryptocurrency paid to hackers of Colonial Pipeline. This newly-discovered vulnerability of Bitcoin – which was believed to be beyond the reach of the government – caused a massive sell-out, driving the token's market value down. * Hacked CEO Joseph Blount: ‘It Was a Complicated Password' Colonial chief executive is grilled by Senate panel over last month's pipeline hack. * FBI app exposed Triads, cartels and Middle East crime syndicates – The operation dubbed “Trojan Shield” in the US duped criminals across the globe into buying cellphones that had pre-loaded FBI software on them. * “This was an unprecedented operation in terms of its massive scale, innovative strategy and technological and investigative achievement,” Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said. * The Missouri House passed legislation that would make Jan. 12 “Rush Limbaugh Day”. * Utah Jazz, $55 Standing Room Tickets. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/loving-liberty/support

* Guest: Larry Pratt - Discussion of All Things Liberty. * 'Joints for Jabs' adds new incentive for shot - USAToday.com - "Joints for Jabs" is officially a thing in Washington state. The state's Liquor and Cannabis Board said it would allow state-licensed cannabis retailers to "provide one joint to adult consumers who receive COVID-19 vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic. * US District Judge Roger T. Benitez Rules California's 32-Year-Old ‘Assault Weapons' Ban is Unconstitutional. * Shocker: 2 days ago Republicans win two Texas mayoral races, including one in McAllen, TX which is 85% Hispanic. * Judge rules school board action unconstitutional, teacher reinstated! Loudoun County Public School teacher Byron "Tanner" Cross after the school board placed him on leave for saying he would refuse to recognize and sanction transgenderism by using pronouns that don't fit the biological make-up of students. "I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child, it's abuse to a child, and it's sinning against our God". * Teen Rear-Ends Patrol Car, Makes a New Friend The sergeant even attended his graduation ceremony the next day.

This is Vaccine 411, the latest coronavirus vaccine information for June 8th, 2021.Increasing vaccinations in the U.S. from this point on may prove difficult. A Gallup survey shows 76% of U.S. adults say they've been vaccinated or plan to be, a number that hasn't moved much in three months. Among those not planning to be vaccinated, 78% say they won't reconsider. 53% of U.S. adults say they're worried about people choosing not to get vaccinated, and it's now the public's greatest worry about the virus by far. You still hear about breakthrough infections, but a CDC study shows vaccinated people, if they do get infected, have milder cases than the unvaccinated; 40% less virus in their bodies, 58% less likely to have a fever, and two fewer days spent in bed. They also appear less likely to spread the virus to others. The Delta variant is wreaking havoc in beautiful Fiji. It's another country that had good success in the first year but now it's struggling with a record surge in cases. Fiji only recorded 70 cases before April this year. It's now recorded 751. Three of the new cases are employees at the nation's Covid-19 management team. India is changing its approach. The government will provide free vaccine shots to any adult starting later this month and take back control of the country's vaccination effort, which has been hampered by delays and shortages. Up to now it was the states and private sector tasked with the vaccination rollout. My how times have changed. Not only is marijuana a legal recreational drug now, it's being used as bait to get people to take a vaccine for their health. The Liquor and Cannabis Board of Washington approved a temporary allowance for cannabis retailers to offer “Joints for Jabs.” One joint for every adult customer who gets a vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic.In the United States cases were down 45%, deaths are down 22%, and hospitalizations are down 22% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14. There are now 5,436,877 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and New York. The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Livingston, MO. Linn, MO. Moffat, CO. West Feliciana, LA. Dimmit, TX. Hutchinson, TX. Harrison, KY. Lamb, TX. Lincoln, WA. And Scott, KY.There have been 597,946 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.8%.The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: North Carolina 48. New York 45. Illinois 20. Alabama 19. Washington 17. Kansas 16. Texas 14. Colorado 13. Michigan 12. And California 10. The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that's had at least one dose, Vermont at 71.4%, and Hawaii and Massachusetts at 67.6%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi unchanged at 34.3%, and Alabama and Louisiana at 36.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that's been fully vaccinated is 41.9%.Globally, cases were down 22% and deaths down 16% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since May 28. There are now under 13 million active cases around the world, at 12,998,140.The five countries with the most new cases: India 87,345. Brazil 38,750. Argentina 22,195. Colombia 21,949. And the United States 12,283. There have now been 3,734,609 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Vaccine 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Vaccine 411 podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for June 8th, 2021.Increasing vaccinations in the U.S. from this point on may prove difficult. A Gallup survey shows 76% of U.S. adults say they've been vaccinated or plan to be, a number that hasn't moved much in three months. Among those not planning to be vaccinated, 78% say they won't reconsider. 53% of U.S. adults say they're worried about people choosing not to get vaccinated, and it's now the public's greatest worry about the virus by far. You still hear about breakthrough infections, but a CDC study shows vaccinated people, if they do get infected, have milder cases than the unvaccinated; 40% less virus in their bodies, 58% less likely to have a fever, and two fewer days spent in bed. They also appear less likely to spread the virus to others. The Delta variant is wreaking havoc in beautiful Fiji. It's another country that had good success in the first year but now it's struggling with a record surge in cases. Fiji only recorded 70 cases before April this year. It's now recorded 751. Three of the new cases are employees at the nation's Covid-19 management team. India is changing its approach. The government will provide free vaccine shots to any adult starting later this month and take back control of the country's vaccination effort, which has been hampered by delays and shortages. Up to now it was the states and private sector tasked with the vaccination rollout. My how times have changed. Not only is marijuana a legal recreational drug now, it's being used as bait to get people to take a vaccine for their health. The Liquor and Cannabis Board of Washington approved a temporary allowance for cannabis retailers to offer “Joints for Jabs.” One joint for every adult customer who gets a vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic.In the United States cases were down 45%, deaths are down 22%, and hospitalizations are down 22% over 14 days. The 7-day average of new cases has been trending down since April 14. There are now 5,436,877 active cases in the United States. The current top 5 states by number of active cases: California, Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and New York. The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Livingston, MO. Linn, MO. Moffat, CO. West Feliciana, LA. Dimmit, TX. Hutchinson, TX. Harrison, KY. Lamb, TX. Lincoln, WA. And Scott, KY.There have been 597,946 deaths in U.S. recorded as Covid-related, with a current national fatality rate of 1.8%.The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: North Carolina 48. New York 45. Illinois 20. Alabama 19. Washington 17. Kansas 16. Texas 14. Colorado 13. Michigan 12. And California 10. The top 3 vaccinating states by percentage of population that's had at least one dose, Vermont at 71.4%, and Hawaii and Massachusetts at 67.6%. The bottom 3 vaccinating states are Mississippi unchanged at 34.3%, and Alabama and Louisiana at 36.2%. The percentage of the U.S. that's been fully vaccinated is 41.9%.Globally, cases were down 22% and deaths down 16% over 14 days, with the 7-day average trending down since May 28. There are now under 13 million active cases around the world, at 12,998,140.The five countries with the most new cases: India 87,345. Brazil 38,750. Argentina 22,195. Colombia 21,949. And the United States 12,283. There have now been 3,734,609 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. For the latest updates, subscribe for free to Coronavirus 411 on your podcast app or ask your smart speaker to play the Coronavirus 411 podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We start off with some beefs and some rants, but then settle into our regular groove. On today's show:Vaccine beefsBIPOC eligibilityEasing restrictionsBad ideas for pension reformHomeless people need checks (and Turbo tax is awful)Vote Matt for Cannabis BoardFair Haven school shooter going free?Hoyt - alleged sex offender and the Streisand EffectBuprenorphine - let's just go full Portugal and legalize it allBarre and Montpelier - weird siblingsSome empty apologies from citiesOh yeah, St Joseph Orphanage was awfulState court clerk discrimination case - a ballsy lawyerShort-term rentals to be regulatedSome suicide possibilitiesHardwick police get the bootBrandon replaces maverick animal control officerWe can't handle muralsScumbag mapBrass knuckles and slingshots are illegalLet Montgomery have their ATVsBiden's dog updateVax your pet? Russia's got you, dawgBiggest dinosaur everMysterious blobs explained (spolier: squids rule)The Japanese continue to study/hate catsLil Nas X's Blood NikesThanks for listening!Contact the show: 24theroadshow@gmail.comIntro/Outro Music by B-Complex: http://www.bcomplexproductions.com/home.html 1st Break Music: The Young Love Scene – SUNNYCIDE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LWN2AjIVwY 2nd Break Music: Illu and Drive – U Had Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibO8g7Zdh0s 

Join Josh McDonald of the Washington Wine Institute, Anne McGrath of the Washington Brewers Guild, Samantha Louderback from the Washington Hospitality Association and representatives from the Liquor & Cannabis Board and the Department of Health as they discuss the latest open air guidance for restaurants, wineries and breweries. For more information: https://wahospitality.org/ Subscribe to Washington Hospitality Industry Podcast on Soundwise

Cannabis news and information. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Learn how to meet the temporary indoor dining requirements with the LCB, DOH, and Sysco With changing weather upon us, learn how to keep your doors open for business this fall and winter by meeting the new minimal dining requirements for indoor service. Representatives of the Liquor and Cannabis Board and State Department of Health discuss the new food requirements for indoor dining for wineries, breweries, and taverns under their existing licenses. A consultant from Sysco shared ideas on how to create a simple menu. Learn how to pivot your business for cold weather success.Subscribe to Washington Hospitality Industry Podcast on Soundwise

The Washington Hospitality Association will go over key points from the official reopening guidelines released by the state with the WA State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Presenters from the Liquor and Cannabis Board, Washington Wine Institute, and the Brewers Guild.Subscribe to Washington Hospitality Industry Podcast on Soundwise

Michelle Oates: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." by Maya Angelou. I am Michelle Oates and I am a Tri-Cities Influencer. Paul Casey: When we live a little bit off, we actually reduce our chance of longevity in our job, we're closer to burnout when we do that and we just live an unfulfilled life. Michelle Oates: Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington. It's Tri-Cities Influencer podcast. Welcome to the TCI podcast, where local leadership and self leadership expert Paul Casey interviews, local CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services. Coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey: Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Brian Ace, the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club. "So Brian," I asked him, "what's something quirky about you, Brian?" And he said, "I better have to explain it myself." So Brian, tell us. Brian Ace: It's food. It's definitely food. So I view food as entertainment and so obviously we love to eat as a family and sit down with the kids and that's great. That works perfect for me. But if we're not doing a family meal and we're just watching a movie or playing a game, or I'm reading a book by myself, I actually don't like to eat until I start the activity. I would actually rather let my food get cold than start eating it before the movie starts. Or at movie theaters, it's the worst with popcorn. Trailers don't count. I can't eat that first bite until the movie begins. So my wife gives me lots of grief for this. Paul Casey: I'm going to be watching next time in the theater. What we're going to dive in after checking with our Tri-Cities influencers sponsors. Neal Taylor: Hello, my name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derek. Derek Johnson: Thanks Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington state simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam: That's true, thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com Paul Casey: Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Paul Casey: Well, welcome Brian. I was privileged to meet you. Boy, I want to say 12 to 15 years ago probably been now. I was working at a church, I think you were working at the chaplaincy, which was then called Tri-City Chaplaincy. Brian Ace: A little change there, since then. Paul Casey: Yes, yes. We were trying to figure out how churches can work with nonprofits together so that it would be volunteer labor helping good causes. That was a great first contact. Then through Leadership Tri-Cities, I'm class 11 you were class? Brian Ace: I was class 13. Paul Casey: I think I even came to your retreats maybe that year. So, and over the years, just really respect you and seeing what you've been able to accomplish and the teams you've created here in the Tri-Cities. Brian Ace: Well, it's been fun to watch your journey too. You've had some changes since when we first met. Paul Casey: Absolutely. Absolutely. We just run with those open doors. So tell us a little bit about your past positions that led you up to what you're doing now. Brian Ace: Yeah, it's not an overly complicated journey. So I actually went off to, I was born and raised here in Tri-Cities, but then headed off to school in Seattle at Seattle Pacific University. And I was going to be a pastor of all things. So my degree is actually in theology. I kind of felt this call and still do. My wife and I did care for widows and orphans, and widows and orphans look a little different today than they looked 2000 years ago. You know, orphans sometimes have two parents at home, but for a variety of reasons, they've lost a parent to addiction or to busy-ness or to divorce. Widows look different. Sometimes it's just that single mom that's struggling to make ends meet. But that's kind of the root passion for my wife and I and we were pursuing that through the church. Brian Ace: Then I got a job as a part time janitor and program person at the Boys and Girls Club in [Boward 00:05:19] And just fell in love with it and realized that I could serve widows and orphans, today's widows and orphans, through the Boys and Girls Club. And that's kind of been that journey since is doing nonprofit work, kind of focused on serving young people in the community that need that positive adult relationship, that additional connection point to really enhance what their families are doing. Paul Casey: Fantastic mission. What do you think was that a-ha moment that it's like this is what I want to be doing? Brian Ace: So I think it was, it's connecting with kids. I mean that's what it ultimately comes down to is some of those early experiences at the club in Seattle of getting to know families, getting to know their stories, getting to know kids, their challenges, what they've overcome, what trips them up, how to be a support is part of that. You build relationships that have value and longterm value and that hooks you on that. It's relationships are the hook. Paul Casey: And how many children does Boys and Girls Club here in Benton- Franklin counties do you serve? Brian Ace: So we have a annual membership of about 3,500 youth. However, lots of people have gym memberships. It doesn't mean they use them, so I think the real number to really track is average daily attendance on any given day. Today, how many kids are in a Boys and Girls Club throughout Benton-Franklin counties and that's close to 1700 youth any given day are at Boys and Girls Clubs in our community. Paul Casey: And how many locations? Brian Ace: So we're at 25 locations. Yes. So it keeps us a little busy. We've grown a lot the last couple of years with Kennewick Club and then some licensed childcare programs and early learning programs here in Richland. It's been a few years of a journey to be sure. Paul Casey: In your work, what are you very good at? Your talents, strengths, to get to brag on yourself here for a minute. How are you using those strengths to help those around you be successful? Brian Ace: It's always hard to identify your strengths. I think others usually identify those for you, but I think some of the feedback that I kind of hear on that and see is, is critical thinking and data. That's a piece that I was just wired to process data relatively quickly and that works great when you're looking at financials. It works great when you're looking at metrics, on kids and data and survey pieces and all those fun things. So that's a true strength I think. And I think also helping others to understand the underlying pieces of an issue. Sometimes when we're processing an issue, we get caught up in what we see in front of us. What's the immediate, what's the pressing? And it's a matter of kind of looking for what those foundational challenges are that's now bubbling to the surface in the current issue we're dealing with. And I can have a tendency to dig with people deep enough that we can really try to get to those core issues. Paul Casey: Micro and the macro. Brian Ace: It's both at the same time. Paul Casey: So the flip side, what's one of your biggest liabilities and how do you mitigate that weakness so it doesn't limit your influence? Brian Ace: Yeah, so I think you actually presented this topic to me, I believe, on A side B side, maybe it was somebody else, but you know, this is kind of stuck with me from years ago during Leadership Tri-Cities that oftentimes your strengths can have this counterside of this large weakness. And that's similar to me. Brian Ace: So from a data side, I get caught up in data and that's great. That's a great A side. But the B side of that is I have a tendency to go down those rabbit holes in a way that leave others behind. And I have to be really cautious as a leader in Boys and Girls Club in our community to make sure that I slow down on some of that data processing so that everybody becomes part of that process. And it's not just me disappearing by myself. So I think that's definitely a weakness that I have. Brian Ace: You know, another piece that actually came out of leadership Tri-Cities when we first met was in, you're going to have to remind me of this, the book at the time that we were doing in Leadership Tri-Cities was I think the- Paul Casey: The leadership challenge. Brian Ace: The leadership challenge. That's written by- Paul Casey: Kouzes and Posner. Brian Ace: Okay. So that really identified those five traits of an effective leader. One of those traits is encourage the heart. I'm terrible at this. This is where the assessments, the 360 feedback, everything is clear for the last 20 years in my life. Encouraging the heart is not good. My wife will be the first to tell you I am terrible at encouraging the heart. So that is by far one of my biggest weaknesses and the frustrating part for that is I've known it's my weakness for a lot of years. I've put different levels of energy towards that on a regular basis. And I have yet to find success. I'm still struggling to this day after 20 years of awareness that encouraging the heart is a challenge for me. Paul Casey: A weakness is a weakness for a reason, right? Because I mean it's just not a strength. So how do you ... do staff around that? Do you surround yourself with people who are good at that? Brian Ace: And I think that's the critical piece is when you're looking at building a team, your team ultimately needs to have people that compliment your weaknesses. I have some great team members that I work with that are encouragers and they can really kind of carry that flag, but that only goes so far. Ultimately what they have to do is they have to pull me along, they have to spoon feed me at times on what- Paul Casey: There's a thank you note Brian. Brian Ace: Exactly. Paul Casey: Sign it. Brian Ace: Put it on my desk and I'll need to set it off and I'm okay doing that. I can execute, but it's the initiate that is hard for me. So having those team members that do that is critical. Paul Casey: Sure. Yeah. For listeners, the A side B side activity very quickly is the, there used to be a thing called records, sorry, millennials- Brian Ace: They existed at one point. Paul Casey: You may not remember that. It's like a big CD, right? And so on one side was the A side, which was the hit and the B side was the filler. And so we use this as an illustration to say that we often look at others through our B side lens and say, because of their behavior there, they must not care and they're all about themselves, they're narcissistic, all that stuff. We look at ourselves through the A side lens and go, wow, all my intentions are pure. I was late today. But it's because of these other things which are noble causes and how we need to probably flip that a little bit and look at others through an A side, assume positive intent of others. Then sometimes you need to be a little bit more, not self critical but self evaluative of the B side and say, I'm really not good at this. I need help. Paul Casey: So in your opinion in leadership, what is one of the most difficult parts of leading a business? Leading a nonprofit, leading a team? Brian Ace: Employee performance. It's the piece that keeps me up at night. We all have those experiences. We have team members that are just not being successful for a variety of reasons. It might be the skill set that they have. It might be the clarity of expectations, but people not being successful. I find it very difficult in times when we have to separate from that team member, terminate that team member, go different direction every single time it hurts. I've had multiple examples where I've hired somebody and it's my fault. It was a bad hire. I looked past things that I should've paid attention to and it wasn't a good fit. And at the end of that I put somebody in a terrible position where they now don't have their job and they left something else that they were great at to come work for us and it didn't happen. And I get caught up and stay up at night. I'm thinking about those examples. Paul Casey: So what hiring advice would you give, because you've taken some punches on that one, like you said- Brian Ace: Sure, I failed multiple times. Paul Casey: You've ignored some red flags or whatever it is. What counsel would you give to leaders who are in the hiring process? Brian Ace: So it's this hard tension. Part of it is getting the perspective of others. That is critical. Don't make hiring decisions in a vacuum. And so you want to have a team of people that are part of that evaluation, that dialogue process. So that is incredibly important. However, at the end of the day you are making that decision. And so how do you set up that team dynamic in a way where people are giving input that you can listen to and it's they're given permission to tell you things that you don't want to hear, but you still have to make that ultimate decision at the tail end of that. Even if you have great feedback and a great team of people, I still make the wrong decision at times. Paul Casey: So then you also mentioned like when an employee fails or doesn't make it and you have to let them go, you feel some personal responsibility there along the way. What would you say are some slip ups that leaders make that they really are a partially responsible for that employee not succeeding? Brian Ace: So, I think it's making the assumption that the onboarding process, the team culture that's already in place, the great work that's been done before is going to provide enough of a foundation that a struggling person can take it to the next level. That's just usually not reality. Someone that's struggled in certain areas is going to continue to struggle in those areas. You can try to bolster them and build a support system around them and sometimes that will work. But to start a team relationship that way is a challenging way to start. But you're right, each one does hurt and there is a level of responsibility. Brian Ace: You know, I'll tell you a quick story that I think is funny on this. I go home and we have family dinners and when we do dinner as a family, which is important to the Ace family, it doesn't happen as much as we'd like it to, but it happens. We do a little round table sharing where we talk about our highs and our lows. And so each of the family members, the kids and the adults, get to share their low for the day and then they're high for the day. We always end on the high. Brian Ace: So one day I'm sharing the low and I was talking about having to fire a staff member that day, which hurts when you do it. We're talking about this a little bit around the dinner table and my daughter Juliana, who I think was probably like three or four at the time, starts to cry, hysterical crying. It was the hardest thing to see as a dad. We finally said, "Juliana, what's wrong? I don't understand. Why are you crying?" And she proceeded in her whup, whup voice to kind of say, "Dad, it's not okay to light people on fire." It gave me a great image of how painful that experience is for me and how kids can perceive that as well. It feels like that sometimes that you're just burning with guilt on making these hard decisions. Paul Casey: Let me keep following that rabbit trail. So how do you let somebody go in an honorable way? Brian Ace: So intentions matter, but ultimately people hear through the hurt that they experience. So I think it's a matter of affirming and apologizing as a piece of that while still being confident that the decision you're making is the right one for your organization. I think a lot of it is being willing to admit that you had a role in that. That might be a generous severance package. It might be a continuation of employment for a time so that they can find a way to land on their feet. But I think we oftentimes have to be willing to have it hurt us too, because we're part of that tough decision. I think employees feel that when it's done right, that it wasn't just them. It's also us as a team and we're willing to be hurt a bit through that process too. Paul Casey: Good stuff. So we want our people to be engaged. We don't want them to leave. We don't want to let them go. So how do you think leaders can value their people, even though you might not give yourself an A+, you've kept self-confessed that, but you would say you probably know employees that feel valued and others that don't. They feel devalued. So what can organizations and leaders do to make their people feel valued and stay engaged? Brian Ace: Yeah. I think ultimately it comes down to what are you willing to do to make their lives easier. I think some organizational leaders can fall in the trap of delegating to the point where all of this stuff that's not fun goes down and all this stuff that's enjoyable stays high. Paul Casey: I want to pass out the paychecks, but not the- Brian Ace: Not show up on a Saturday and work [crosstalk 00:17:29]. So I think some of it is we have to be willing to encourage people by doing for them what frees them up to do other things. That's not the glamorous stuff. It's the taking the van in for an oil change. It's the working a Saturday event. It's doing these evening meetings that no one wants to miss their family time for. Or in the case of the people I work with, the early morning meetings, they are glad to surrender those to the early riser that I am. But I think a lot of it for staff is being willing to do whatever it takes to support them even if it's inconvenient for you. I think people see that. Paul Casey: That's servant leadership isn't it? And it's enabling others to act, which is one of those five principles in the leadership challenge. Brian Ace: Just the appreciation, recognition, Encourage the heart that I'm not. Yes it is one of the five. Paul Casey: You get a four out of five. Well, before we asked Brian about his life hacks for success, let's check in with our sponsors. Paul Casey: The C12 group is a national organization focused on spiritual and professional development of Christian CEOs and business owners. Members participate in professionally facilitated monthly meetings during which 12 experienced Christian CEOs exchange ideas to solve business issues Biblically. Additionally, members receive a 90 minute personal coaching session each month. Information is available from Tom Walther at (715) 459-9611 or online at c12easternwa.com. Paul Casey: So Brian, what are a few of your life hacks that help you be successful on a daily basis? Brian Ace: So I have some that worked for me, but I don't want to pretend they work for everybody. The one that works best for me is I email myself regularly. So my email is my task list and that is good and bad. Sometimes I get so behind on email, I'm also behind on tasks. But nonetheless I will forget if I don't email myself. So I'll be driving and I'll think of something, email myself, I'll be in a conversation with somebody, I'll say, sorry, one second, I need to email myself. But emailing myself is absolutely a life hack that's worked for me and I see great value in that. Brian Ace: You know, another one is just getting up early and showing up before others arrive. When I'm at the Boys and Girls Club office or out at our club locations, I need to be accessible to people. They need to feel that if there's a question they have, a conversation they want to have that I'm approachable for that, but I also have stuff I have to get done. So if I can arrive early, beat everybody in, then I can get caught up on emails, phone calls, and kind of the day's plan before anybody else ever sets foot in the office. Paul Casey: So many leaders have that as a success strategy. Before the cumulative stress of the day overtakes you, you get ahead of it. And that's the only quiet time that most leaders have because they want to be available. Paul Casey: Well, how about decision making? That's huge for a leader because I think leaders are known by the decisions they make. So what process do you think through before making decisions generally? Brian Ace: Yeah, I think there's just some questions that I ask myself. You know, the first one is who will be impacted by this decision? And we have to look at it through the lens of each of those stakeholders. Kids, parents, community members, community partners, donors from a stewardship perspective, our staff are a critical part of who's impacted. So I think a lot of it is asking the question who is impacted by this decision and being willing to flush that out. Brian Ace: Then I think there's one that is that nonprofits have an advantage on that. I think a lot of for profit businesses maybe don't, and it comes down to whether you have clearly defined what your mission is. So we have the advantage at most nonprofits that our mission becomes a very key piece of who we are. And if we're wise enough to keep it at the forefront, to have it at top of agendas and starting each meeting, that becomes a real critical part of making decisions. Is it consistent with our mission and that mission consistency, that avoidance of mission drift is a great way for us to ensure that decisions are made for the right reasons. Paul Casey: I love both of those. The first one you described, I've heard it's called the View of Six, where you look at a decision through six different lenses and like you said, the student, the staff member, the community member of the donor, the board member, you're probably going to make a pretty good call if you have empathy and looking through each one of those lenses and not just one. So that is really good. Paul Casey: So who influences you, Brian? Who do you surround yourself with so you keep growing yourself? They can be live people or afar people. Brian Ace: Sure. Yeah. You know, I think there's some local ones and then there's kind of the thought leader part of that. I'm blessed with a great board and some of my most challenging people that challenged me from a leadership perspective that I work with are my board members. Not every nonprofit person can say that. Paul Casey: True. Brian Ace: But I have a great board and a board that I can be vulnerable with that can challenge me and can push me, but can also listen, advise and offer support. And so that's quite a blessing. I would encourage everybody to surround yourself with those people that you can be vulnerable with. And I can't do that with all my board members, but there's enough that I can, and that gives me an outlet that is incredibly helpful. So I think that's a key piece for that. Brian Ace: The other one are those thought leaders. Who are those people that you feel push the envelope for you? This is seasonal for me. You know, I'll go through a season where education is kind of a topic that I'm interested in. You know, I'll have Sal Khan is one of my favorites. That is the individual that developed Khan Academy. Wrote a great book that is just phenomenal to challenge educational assumptions. Or it might be leadership and you'll read a leadership person or fundraising and an individual that speaks to you there. But I think finding those authors, those industry thought leaders that for a season become almost your impersonal challenger, someone that you're engaging with, but just not necessarily through dialogue. Paul Casey: Yeah, you're mixing it up for a season on a theme. I really like that, I haven't heard anybody else to do that. That's pretty cool. And I think with your board, not everybody has a board, obviously if you're an entrepreneur out there, a leader, but you could set up your own personal board of directors. That's what one leader calls it. These are the folks that speak into your life. They love you for who you are. They are for your success. Some call them accountability partners, success partners. I think we all have to have those in our life. Brian Ace: Well, and I think one of the experiences I've had, because I work with a lot of donors in the community that have successful businesses, that they're in the process of transitioning to their children. One thing they do is they set up advisory boards for that business transition. A group of committed, dedicated people that their son or daughter can call and bounce ideas off of in a safe way. And I think that's a way of replicating that process in a business setting. Paul Casey: Yeah, so smart. So when you've lived your life, Brian, you look back and think back on your influence, how do you want to be remembered? Brian Ace: So I think I would love to be remembered through the lens my wife and I have established of kind of our personal mission that care for today's widows and today's orphans. I think that would be a key piece. Brian Ace: You know, I think the caution that I always have is what I don't want to be remembered for. You know, sometimes for folks that are super involved in the community, either as someone involved in a nonprofit, a business leader in the community, a political leader in the community, we forget that our number one service group should be our family and that is a piece I'm guilty of. I don't want to be remembered as that person that helped others, but sure didn't do a lot for his own wife and kids. And so that's a constant concern I have that I have to be cautious to, because my natural tendency is to say yes, yes, yes. And those that I love the most get a lot of nos. Paul Casey: Yeah. One author says if you have to cheat your work or cheat your family, don't cheat your family. Brian Ace: That's fair. And it might be easier to cheat them in the short run, but from a longterm perspective, it's better to give them your best. Paul Casey: Absolutely. And it's a good for Tri-City Influence listeners, it's good for you to do the eulogy activity, which sounds a little morbid, but it's really, who do you want to be there at your memorial service someday? What do you want them to say about you? What do you want your family to say about you especially? And then you live into that. Once you've established what you want your legacy to be. Paul Casey: So Brian, finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Brian Ace: So I think make time to learn. Schedule time to learn. I have seasons where I don't do this as well and I have seasons where this is a critical part of what my day looks like. But it might be books you're reading, podcasts you're listening to, people you're connecting with. Just sitting down with somebody over coffee, not with an agenda but just to bounce ideas and learn. But make time to learn. You have to schedule it and it's worth it when you can pull that off. Brian Ace: You know. I think another one is just work ethic. You're going to have to work harder than anybody else. Sometimes that can be compensated for by working smarter. And we all have those. We see that they make it look effortless. But for a lot of folks it's a matter of just putting in the hours, the focus, the dedication to push yourself to do better on behalf of those you serve and that's a great principle as well. Paul Casey: Wise words. So how can our listeners best connect with you? Brian Ace: Well, you know Boys and Girls Club is an organization that serves our community and website is probably the best way and that's greatclubs.org. With great information on programs but just reach out via email, phone. We're always glad to answer questions about our work but also I'm always glad to just share with people personally as well. I like to meet people, I like to be in relationship with people. I like to be challenged by people. Paul Casey: And you'll probably take a volunteer or a donor as well. Brian Ace: Volunteers and donors never hurt. Volunteers who are donors are the best. Paul Casey: Ding ding! Well thanks again Brian for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Brian Ace: Right. Thank you Paul. Paul Casey: Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. More of an organizational one, it's called Followupthen.com, so it's for email. You set it up for free and if you want to not use your inbox as a waiting for list for all the people that you've sent the emails to, what it will do, Follow Up Then, well you can set a time for it, sort of boomerang back into your email box so you can go, Oh yeah, I never heard back from so-and-so. It can be days later or just later in the day. There's another tool called Boomerang, so followupthen.com or Boomerang might help you in your email management. Paul Casey: Again, this is Paul Casey. I want to thank my guest, Brian Ace from the Boys and Girls Club of Benton and Franklin counties for being here today on the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast and we want to thank our TCI sponsors and invite you to support them. We appreciate you making this possible so we can collaborate to help inspire leaders in our community. Paul Casey: Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It's Mario Andretti. He says, "Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal, a commitment to excellence that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Until next time, KGF, keep growing forward. Michelle Oates: Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders by providing practical tools and strategies that reduce stress in your lives and on their teams so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. Michelle Oates: If you'd like more help from Paul in your leadership development connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org for consultation that can help you move past your current challenges and create a strategy for growing your life or your team forward. Paul would also like to help you restore sanity to your crazy schedule and get your priorities done every day by offering this free Control my Calendar Checklist. Go to Www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool or open text message to 72000 and type the word 'growing'. Tri-Cities Influencer podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies.

The OLCC talks pot. Marijuana regulations. What current and prospective licensees need to know to follow the laws and rules to operate in Oregon's regulated recreational marijuana market. Episode Eight is a special episode featuring Steve Marks, Executive Director of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Rick Garza, Director of the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board in conversation with Portland Business Journal reporter Pete Danko. The trio discussed the challenges of regulating hemp and aligning oversight of a commodity crop with few regulations versus regulating adult use marijuana. The conversation took place at the Hemp & CBD Connex conference in Portland in January 2020. A special thank you to the producers of the 2020 Hemp & CBD Connex Conference for sharing this recording with us – you can find them at www.connexhempevents.com Also thanks to Hood Collective – at www.hoodcollective.com which produced the recording at the Hemp & CBD Connex conference. Hosted by: Mark Pettinger Sound Engineer: Josh Fisher Theme song: "The Afterlife (Instrumental)" by YACHT is licensed under an Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Tara: Teamwork makes the dream work. John C. Maxwell, I'm Tara Jaraysi Kenning, and I'm a Tri-Cities Influencer. Paul Casey: When we live a little bit off, we actually reduce our chance of longevity in our job. We're closer to burnout when we do that and we just live an unfulfilled life. Speaker 7: Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast. Welcome to the TCI podcast. Where local leadership and self leadership expert Paul Casey interviews local CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey: Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Kat Lawrence. Kat is an organizational consultant and a good friend of mine. And a fun fact about her, she says she gives voices to her cats. Kat: Both of them. Paul Casey: Both of them, two cats. I sort of do that too, so we can laugh at our quirkiness together, you know? Well, before we dive in, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor: Hello. My name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derek. Derek Johnson: Thanks Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington State simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees, even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable, and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam: That's true, thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com. Paul Casey: thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Kat, I was privileged to meet you probably just a handful of years ago… Kat: Yeah. Paul Casey: ... Feels like it's been a longer. I was coaching a client in your building and she said you got to get to know the girl next door in the other office, Kathleen Lawrence. And I'm like, "Sure, I'd love to meet her." I made an appointment with you and we hit it off right away. Kat: We did. We did. Paul Casey: And so I got to hear all of your adventures and leadership development and I thought, "This is a kindred spirit." Kat: Yeah. Paul Casey: So I'm glad I get to interview you today. So that our Tri-City Influencers can get to know you. Take us through your past positions that led up to what you're doing now. Kat: Well, it's kind of a checkered past, a little bit. I started out law. I actually started out to become a police officer. Paul Casey: Did you? Kat: Yeah. And I found out that what I loved about it was the law, and I could just absorb statutes and cases and loved it. And so then went into law. I soon discovered that the learning and the application are two different things, and became frustrated fairly early and thought, "This is probably not for me." And so I then went into business, became an entrepreneur. Did a few startup companies and then did some syndications and securities of low-income housing projects. Did that for a couple of years until they changed the tax act. Then went on to do more startup companies, mostly escrow mortgage companies, construction company and a couple of others. And then came back to law in my forties thinking, "I think I'm ready to really settle down and not have the stress of a startup and all of that." Kat: I found out the second time around that it's not for me- Paul Casey: Had to be convinced of that twice. Kat: Twice--had to go through that twice. I think I was 47 when I went back to university, and did my graduate work in psychology because that had been a passion forever. And I became a marriage and family therapist when I was 50. Then in that work, during the process of that work, I also did a lot of mediation work, guardian ad litem negotiations and divorces, things like that. And someone asked me if I would work out or negotiate a successful conclusion to a company where the owners were fighting. So we set it up for negotiation and during the negotiation I stopped it because I didn't think that was the answer. I thought the communication was the primary problem, which it turned out to be they never did sell the company. They're very successful owners of that company now. Paul Casey: Yay. Kat: So I kind of looked at all of that decided maybe this is really what I'm supposed to do and I love it. So I consult with organizations and companies and management teams that are not working well. Paul Casey: So was that your aha moment, was that the experience that you just shared? Kat: It was the aha moment for what I currently do- Paul Casey: Yeah. Kat: ... To decide to go back to school, and psych was another aha moment. My husband is also an attorney, and I watched him argue in front of the appellate court, which very few attorneys in practice ever get to do, and he was absolutely brilliant at it. And the attorneys behind me kind of took a gasp when they heard him and said, "Who's that? Who's that?" And I was so proud of him in that moment and is appreciative of his brilliance and his passion. And I realized that what I wanted to do was something I was that passionate about- Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: ... And what I'm doing now is it? Paul Casey: Yeah. So if you had to pinpoint your strengths, your talents, that... Boy, all that variety of jobs. You said checkered past, that's makes it sound like it was like the black market. But it just means like, you did a ton of things. You have a ton of experience. What's been those strengths or talents you can brag on yourself for a minute here that you have used to help make others successful through that? Kat: I think creativity. One, I'm very creative. So creativity, empathy. I think that's a huge, huge, huge part of being a leader anywhere in any capacity. Listening, that's another strength. Listening with from the standpoint of curiosity, what I call listening from curiosity. Which is being curious to really listen and hear what the other one has to say rather than listening to the first 11 words of what someone says while I'm preparing my response. Paul Casey: That's right. Brain chatter- Kat: Yeah. Paul Casey: ... And then the empathy kicks in after that. Right? Kat: Yes. Paul Casey: Because you're in a position because you've really heard them to now identify with what they're saying. Kat: Yes. Paul Casey: How does someone develop more empathy? Kat: One, I would say develop listening because if... And listen from curiosity, it's really that curious part that for me was just innate. I think I came out of the womb curious about everything in the whole world and I still am. So for some people I think curiosity is easier for them for others. Paul Casey: Sure. Kat: But to come from a place of curiosity. So that when as I'm learning about you or learning about someone, I'm very curious, "How do you work? How do you think about that?" Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: What process brought you to that conclusion? So being curious and within that we all find the places where we identify with each other, where we resonate, and empathy is also one of those things where I caution people. Being empathetic means that I can identify with your experience, but I'm not going to go wading into it with you because then we're both lost. I have no hope of being able to be there to support you if I'm in it with you. Paul Casey: And that's sympathy right? Kat: Yes. Paul Casey: Not empathy? Kat: That's right. Paul Casey: So on the flip side, what's one of your biggest liabilities, and how do you mitigate that weakness so it doesn't limit your influence? Kat: One of my biggest liabilities I think is going to be one of my lifelong liabilities, and I'm still working on how to mitigate it. And that... Overcommitment, I have a tendency- Paul Casey: I don't understand what you're saying. Kat: Yeah, yeah. It's a tough one. And I deal with it daily, and sometimes I think I've really got it this time and I've got things pretty well managed. And then I wake up one morning and it seems like, "Oh my gosh! How did everything get so out of control? And I thought I was so under control." I think there's a life aspect to it. And then I still am struggling with how much is enough? When do I stop? Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). In that moment where an opportunity is staring you in the face, what is going through your head that you cave and say yes that yet one more time when the other angel on your shoulder is saying say no? Kat: Exactly. Here's the thing that always gets me, it sounds like fun, "Sounds like fun. Yeah. I can do that." Paul Casey: Creative side coming out. Kat: Exactly. That's it. Here's a place where I think I can really contribute something. Here's a place where I can really serve in some capacity, and it sounds like fun. And that one gets me every time, the one sitting on the other shoulder needs to have a louder voice. Stop! Paul Casey: Yeah. You see, I use these interviews as personal therapy- Kat: No! Paul Casey: ... So I was hoping you'd give me some kind of solution to that. What are the consequences of over commitment for those listeners that also struggle with this? Kat: My primary is that I can't do everything that I've committed to do. So now, it's I can't do everything I've committed to do or I end up kind of falling off the face of the planet where I'm out of contact with people because I just can't catch up enough and I don't have answers and I don't know what to say and I'm not going to stop and think about it in the moment because I've got so much to do. Which is a lack of empathy actually, because I know how I feel when that happens- Paul Casey: Yeah. Kat: ... When someone else drops off the face of the planet. I worry about them. Are they okay? Did I do or say something that was offensive at some point, and they don't know how to face me with it? There's all these kind of fantasy thoughts that go through my head about the possibilities of what could be going on. So I know I don't like that feeling- Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: ... And that's actually where I try and go to change it. Where I decide, today I'm going to change this and get back on the wagon to a more manageable life. Paul Casey: Yes. Our constant quest. There was a guy named Bob Goff, that he said he quit something every Thursday. That guy must have a million commitments to be able to quit something 52 Thursdays a year. But that's like a relentless paring down of his life and I just thought, "Okay, maybe I'll quit something annually to get back to the right... Right sizing my life. So let's talk leadership, in your opinion, what's the most difficult part of being a business leader or being a team leader and why? Kat: I think the most difficult part for me is dealing with other people's fear. So whether it's other people on my team, clients, whoever it is. In that because I deal so much in leadership and leadership from core values and I know how that can transform fear into courage. And it seems like I've practiced it now long enough, so it's a fairly simple step process for me, but it's not for everybody. And that's the toughest part because I will sit down with someone, I understand what your fears are. Do you want your fears running you or do you want to be ready in life? How do you want that to go? Because as long as you're in fear, fear is running the show. Kat: Once I work with someone and they have their aha moment, I expect that they're going to be putting it into practice immediately because who wants to be in fear? Paul Casey: Right! Kat: Yeah. And it doesn't always work that way. Paul Casey: Because fear is powerful. Kat: It's very powerful. So there is where I have to really work at patience and understanding all of us. We are just where we are in the moment. We can't be better than we are in the moment, while we're struggling through something. We can work toward being better and get better. But in that moment to be able to get him empathy, and to be able to stand with that person and accept that person is exactly where they are, and that's where it is. Paul Casey: So you went right to fear. Fear seems like an undiscussable topic outside of the therapist's office. Right? So how do leaders or those that want to have more influence here in the Tri-Cities still talk about topic without feeling like a failure or too vulnerable. What would you say? Kat: Fear is interesting from the standpoint that for the most part, it's not real. Whatever it is, the fear isn't real. It's the threat of the potential of it, or the possibility of it. But what happens when we're in fear is that we're living as if it's happening now, when it's not. I use the example frequently with people of a five-year-old waking up from a nightmare, and you see their faces and their lips are purple and they're shaking and they're scared about the monster under the bed. But is there a monster under the bed? And the answer to that is no, but they believe it. And that is true even with adults, whatever the fear is that's in front of you, that's a belief about something 99% of the time that is not real. Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: So the first thing is... And I talk about fear a lot because the program that I develop, leadership from core values, it's a lot about dealing with fear and how to get out of it, which is going to your own core values and finding your courage in the process of that, usually through your integrity. Paul Casey: So find your courage through your core values? Kat: Yeah. Paul Casey: That's one of the best ways to blast away fear. Kat: It is. If I am scared of something. My fear... I realize where I experience fear the most is when I believe I've made a mistake that could hurt someone else. And in that there's a lot of stuff that I'm dealing with, guilt or worried about other people, whatever it is. In the moment what I do is go, "What are my values? What values do I have that are acting here?" So there's the value that I care about other people and I'm compassionate, I'm empathetic. Those are all values. So I start counting those up. And then if that's the case, how do I use those values in my integrity? So how do I do the right thing from those core values? And when I find that, then it's beginning. There's your courage. That's the spot of courage to be able to... Courage is through your heart. It's not through your head. Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: So in that moment, to be able to face whatever that fear is but not just look at it, to be able to walk through it. Courage is an action. It's more than a thought. It's more than a realization. It's courageous action. So to be able to walk through. Paul Casey: I could see how that would play out. So if you're in a leadership position, you've got a direct report who's behaving below the line and every part of you is saying, "I don't want to confront that person, I don't want that. I fear the backlash. I fear that person's not going to like me. I fear, I may not say the right thing because I don't have enough tools in my tool belt." But if you have a core value of integrity or a core value of how we treat one another on this team, it would give you that courage to say, "I'm going to push through that fear and do the right thing in that moment."- Kat: Right. Paul Casey: ... Which is confront them and that's going to then raise the level up for everybody. Kat: It really does, including that person. That's an opportunity. When somebody is performing below the line and I confront them about it. And again there's caring and compassion and all of those things that are there, but it needs to be addressed. And the earlier, and the quicker, the better before it becomes a mountain when it's small. Because then it's much easier to move on when you address them early. But in that moment when I'm doing that, it's an opportunity for them as well as me. I've thought that also when I fired somebody, Paul Casey: Is a rough day. Kat: ... It's a rough day and it's an opportunity for everybody. Paul Casey: It is. And I remember that acrostic for FEAR:  fear is false evidence appearing real. Kat: Yep. Paul Casey: So that's a good one. Kat: That's one of my tools in my tool box. Paul Casey: So people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I think that's a John Maxwell ism. What would you say to leaders, to show their people that they're valued as a person, or whether they have clients or customers or staff? What would you say? Kat: I check in with them regularly. So I think if you're in an office where you have employees, then it's simply just checking it. If it's nothing more than good morning, it doesn't need to be a long one. You don't have to ask all about their weekend when you've got a full calendar, but to walk by and smile and say good morning, or get to see you in a day. If it's someone that is on my team that has a project that I know is a big responsibility, then I'll check in periodically with them. I won't ask if I can take over the project, I won't ask them, how are you doing with this aspect of whatever that project is, that's theirs to handle- Paul Casey: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Kat: ... And I'm going to let them do it- Paul Casey: You don't want to be a micromanager. Kat: Yep. Empower them to do it. At the same time, I will remind them because again, as a leader, you're also in... Anybody that thinks that as a leader you're not in service has a mistaken- Paul Casey: I agree. Kat: ... Idea of leadership because that's part of it. So usually it will be a check in something like, "How's it going? Is there anything I can do to help?" Paul Casey: Yep. I think that good morning thing, well it sounds so trite is that the research has shown that if a manager does that and just goes through all the hallways and says, "Good morning everybody." It puts a positive input into everyone's psyche for the whole day- Kat: It does. Paul Casey: ... And it's like, "Wow, just little thing is a boost in the morning for everyone." Kat: It does. I was thinking about when I had my therapy clinic, and people would come in and they'd be getting ready for the people that they were going to see for the day. And that can always be kind of a really heavy moment where you're going through charts, and how you're going to deal with issues that people are having and all of the things at work. And I would walk in the office, it'd be this really heavy quiet in there, and it was like, "Good morning. How are you doing today?" Get some energy going. Paul Casey: Well, Hey!, Before we head into our next question of Kat about her life hacks that help her be successful, a shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey: Are you running your business or is your business running you? With the challenges I'm facing in business, Where can I go for biblical business help? The C12 Group is a national organization focused on spiritual and professional development of Christian CEOs and business owners. Members participate in professionally facilitated monthly meetings, during which 12 experienced Christian CEOs exchange ideas to solve business issues biblically. Information is available from Tom Walther at (715) 459-9611 or online at c12easternwa.com. Paul Casey: So Kat, what are a few of your life hacks that help you be successful on a daily basis? Kat: I think work... The things that can organize me. So anything that can help me stay organized. I'm big on calendars, lists, apps on phones. I love my phone. So I have apps for lists and I have apps for all kinds of things to kind of work on the organizational pieces of it. I had thought of some ones earlier, I can't think of any other ones in the moment. Paul Casey: No worries, no worries. Before you make an important decision, what process do you think through? Kat: I actually do one of two depending on what's happening. So the one is kind of what we talked about before, where I look at where are my core values? What are my core values are at play here? Paul Casey: Use it as a filter? Kat: Right. As a filter. As guiding for direction. As a foundation. Can use it for all of that and then filter all of that through my integrity. And usually within that, I know what the right thing to do is. The other one that I use is the Rotary Four-Way Test. Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? And is it beneficial to all? Paul Casey: It's a good test. Kat: It is a good test. Paul Casey: So who influences you? Who do you surround yourself with to keep growing yourself? One of those people that are alive or afar? Kat: Maya Angelou has been a great influence. I just respect and love her so much in her work and thoughts and appreciation. Again, I have kind of an eclectic list. George Patton is a big hero of mine, and I love reading some of the stuff that he's written, quite an armchair philosopher. Aristotle would be another one. So those are from afar near, my Rotarians and my Rotary friends that I have, are huge support to me in my life, and just a great joy to have that. That support and that team. And people like you, Paul. Paul Casey: Hey! Kat: You are definitely one of those people. Paul Casey: Thank you. When you've lived your life and you think back on your influence at the end of your journey, how do you want to be remembered? Kat: As someone who cared. Someone who people felt like they were important in my presence. They felt valued in my presence. I think I couldn't ask for anything better than that. Paul Casey: That is pretty cool. So finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Kat: Create support, create a team. Have good friends... Get a mentor. Have good friends and mentors that you can bounce things off of. Volunteer, developing leaders volunteer. When you think about all the organizations that we have and that they all have a shortage of volunteers and people who will take a leadership role in whatever capacity. It's a wonderful way for leaders to expand, and try out some of their newer leadership skills or grow new leadership skills. It's also a good opportunity to have mentoring. So you can kind of get it on both sides. Paul Casey: You can put in a plug because I know you're on a few boards. So what are the organizations that you are on, working on your leadership at? Kat: Rotary International, so rotary definitely. I'm a past president... Just past president of Pasco-Kennewick Rotary. Three Rivers Foundation, which is an endowment fund that gives money out. Similar to what the United Way does. The difference is with Three Rivers Foundation, it all stays here in Tri-Cities, 100% of it. And again the staffing, it's a mostly volunteer organization. The largest percentage of money that I've ever heard with any organization actually, goes out to the people who need it. Elijah Homes is an organization that deals with people who need a leg up for housing, and there's some wraparound services within Elijah Homes. They do an excellent job in that, it's not just that they don't provide a place for you to live without you growing and being accountable even from the very, very start. Paul Casey: I understand. Kat: So that one's really good. I like them. And Columbia Industries, so it's probably one of the oldest in this area. Actually in this area, that's the one I've been on the board the longest. So, to help develop mentally disabled people to grow in their own lives. Paul Casey: Awesome opportunities. So how can our listeners best connect with you? Kat: Let's see, my website, which is kathleenlawrence.com, and my email is kat@kathleenlawrence.com and my phone number is on my website and whatnot. And I'm a big texter, it's probably the fastest way to get hold of me. Paul Casey: Awesome. Awesome. Well, thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Let me wrap up our podcast today with a resource to recommend. It's actually for those of us who need more hobbies in our life. So I found a website that's called, notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies. It's the longest list of hobbies that I've ever seen. Especially in the winter time, I needed a new hobby, so I went through this huge list and maybe you do too. Now you need to relax more in your life and find some avocation from your vocation. So, notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies. Maybe that's one that's going to be great for you. Paul Casey: Again, this is Paul Casey and I want to thank my guest Kat Lawrence for being here today on the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast. We want to thank our TCI sponsors and invite you to support them. We appreciate you both making this possible so that we can collaborate to help inspire leaders in our community. Finally one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It's Josh Heinz and he says, dare to dream, but even more importantly, dare to put action behind those dreams. Until next time, KGF. Keep growing forward. Speaker 7: Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders by providing practical tools and strategies that reduce stress in their lives and on their teams, so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. If you'd like more help from Paul in your leadership development, connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org. For a consultation that could help you move past your current challenges, and create a strategy for growing your life or your team forward. Paul would also like to help you restore sanity to your crazy schedule and get your priorities done every day by offering you his free Control My Calendar Checklist, go to www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool, or open a text message to 72000, and type the word, growing. Tara: Tri-Cities influencer podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies.  

Brandon A.:                        People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Simon Sinek. Brandon A.:                        I am Brandon Anderson and I'm a Tri-Cities influencer. Paul Casey:                         Remember, you're either owning your behavior or excusing your behavior. You can't do both. So it's always the mature thing to do, to own it. Announcer:                        Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the TCI Podcast, where local leadership and self-leadership expert, Paul Casey, interviews local CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives, to hear how they lead themselves and their teams, so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's episode with C.A. Hurst. C.A. is a youth advocate and a professed professional dot connector. So, we can't go any further, C.A., with you without you explaining that. C.A. Hurst:                           Okay well, hey first, thank you, Paul. I'm really happy to be here. And yeah, professional dot connector. What does that mean? What on earth am I talking about? What it means is, I see connections between resources and needs and also see connections between people and other people. And years ago, I started kind of developing this, not consciously, but it just kind of happened. And what I've learned over time is that, especially in our world today where we're all connected so much, that's really a cool skill to have. Paul Casey:                         It is, it is. Well, we'll dive in after checking with our Tri-City Influencer's sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello, my name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today, we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it, Derek. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks, Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington State simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees, even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable, and protective employee policies to protect our clients' business. Josh Bam:                            That's true. Thanks, Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today at www.GravisLaw.com. Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome again, C.A. I was privileged to meet you, we just figured it out, it was over 10 years ago at a young professionals networking event and neither of us were young at the young professionals event, which I think was pretty funny. C.A. Hurst:                           I think we were the two oldest guys there. Paul Casey:                         I think we were. And what was cool, even though they probably looked at us strange was that we both wanted to give back. And we were there to be, if anybody wanted any kind of mentoring or, we're just both learners too. So whoever was teaching whatever, we wanted to be in the room. So, that was a pretty cool connection. And to stay connected throughout the years via social media and books that we've read has been really a joy. So that our Tri-City influencers can get to know you, take us through your past positions that sort of led up to what you're doing now. C.A. Hurst:                           Oh, man. Okay. Well, I'll try to keep this short because I got like 40 years worth of stuff. Paul Casey:                         Sure, sure. Yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           So, in 1970... Paul Casey:                         I was born in a hospital. C.A. Hurst:                           Okay, so, in 1970, in July of that year, this is like the year, the summer before December, after I graduated from high school, before I started college, I had a massive born-again experience. There was a little church in, well, actually Washington, called Bethesda Christian Center. That was part of the Jesus people movement. They're just young people coming in. And they really didn't know what to do with us because we were just responding to their openness to loving us, right? Anyway, so I had this massive born-again experience in the summer of 1970. And then I spent my first year of college at Central Washington State College at that time, now a university. So that fall, I had dived into reading the Bible because I'd never read it before. And so I was hungry, hungry, hungry. I'd taken a study break. I was in one of the little parks near the dorms there at Ellensburg, sitting under a tree. C.A. Hurst:                           I'm not sure I could find the same tree, but I know I remember this because I was reading in Ephesians about, "And God gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers." I hit pastors and teachers and I got this little thing in my heart that said, "Yeah, that's you." I said, "Oh yeah, really? I don't think so." So I responded to that, though that's where that started. And finished out my year at Central. C.A. Hurst:                           Then the next year, I was doing Bible college stuff in Wenatchee. And I eventually, then when I graduated from there, as you and I were talking a little earlier, I ended up on staff at Faith Assembly here in the Tri-Cities, way back when, in the '70s when they were in the building that now houses the Hungry Generation Church. So, cool stuff there. But through a number of events, just life events, I ended up needing to reinvent myself. My ex-wife and I had ended up in Montana. We started a church there. Then we separated in 1990. And that began kind of an interesting roller coaster for me of reinventing myself and reinventing myself again and again and again in truth, figuring out how to take all the skills that I had learned as a youth pastor and a pastor and a founding pastor, taking those skills and interpreting them for the secular world, which is a huge challenge. C.A. Hurst:                           Eventually, I ended up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The highlights there is I was the program director for Residential Treatment Center, horribly damaged young people. Really cool experience because I was able... we as a team of, my guys and gals that work with me, we were really able to touch some of those lives and help them. And then I spent eight-and-a-half years as a counselor at the Albuquerque Job Corps Center. We had a capacity for over 400 students, 8 counselors on staff, so everybody had at least 50 students on our caseload at all times. Paul Casey:                         Wow. C.A. Hurst:                           If somebody got sick or was out for a while, at one point in time, we were down four of us. So we all had a hundred kids on our caseloads every day, all day, every day. And we got really good at what we did. I spent a year and a half as the counseling manager. The job of a counselor at the Job Corps Center is to actually protect a student from the bureaucracy. That's a government program. But then a counseling manager then, once you bump up, now you're protecting both the kids and the counselors. So I kind of rubbed everybody, I rubbed the upper management, the wrong way for too long. Paul Casey:                         You contrarian, you. C.A. Hurst:                           So, anyway, I need to brief this up. At this point in time, the last time I counted, I reinvented myself either in a small way or a large way about 37 times. Paul Casey:                         Wow. C.A. Hurst:                           But out of all of that, what I've learned to do is morph and to figure out how to function in our world today. So, it's been a weird ride but it's bearing good fruit. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Yeah. That reinvention is so critical. Some people go their whole lives without reinvention and you've done it 37 times. I did it for my first time following a divorce as well, over 13 years ago. And it sort of hits you in the face and you're just like, "Okay, I can stay down and wallow in this tragedy or I can reinvent myself." Every time you pick yourself back up and reinvent yourself, I tried, I did thirteen, no, it was 11 things. And it wasn't magic. 11, right? I don't know why, it's not even a round number. Paul Casey:                         But listeners, if you ever want those 11 things of how to recover from a traumatic experience in your life, I'd be happy to send those to you. But looking back, it's like I needed all of those habits, those new habits in my life. That's when I started playing golf. That's when I got more male friends. It was just like, there's just so many different things that happen on the other side of that. So, in your life, what do you feel like you're very good at, like what are your talents, your strengths, and how do you use those on a day-to-day basis to be successful and help others be successful? C.A. Hurst:                           Okay. So, when people ask me what I do, what I really do, my life calling, is working with young people. That's where I've been for the past, going on 50 years. I am so proud of that. On next year, 2020, that it will be 50 years since I actually started counseling with people and doing that kind of thing. And my specialty area has been young people. When I was working at Faith Assembly, we ended up doing a lot of outreach to young people here on the Tri-Cities, and of all different walks of life but especially the kids that nobody wants, and nobody wanted then and they still don't want them. I do. I do. I didn't have a clue what to do with them when I started, because I was like 20-something. And I would spend a lot of time praying about, "Hey, God, so what do we do with this guy?" And I don't have a clue. C.A. Hurst:                           And the answer was always the same, just love him. Or if it was a gal, just love her. Just accept them the way they are. So, that's the biggie for me. That's the undercurrent of everything that I do. That's what I do. So, that gives me context for everything else that I've studied over the past 40 years. See, you already know that I'm a huge reader. Paul Casey:                         Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           Right? And one of the coolest things that's happened in our world in the past 10, 15 years is that, because of social media, because of all of the high-tech communication stuff we've had, the people who write and people who are thought leaders have a much easier time sharing what it is that they know. So, I've still got that young person perspective, but because of my age and because I've had to reinvent myself 37 times and because I have been desperately scrambling for answers, I've read. Just read and read and read and read and read and read and read, and without trying to be proselytizing anybody, done a lot of praying like, "Hey, God, what's next? Where do I, where, where, where? And so, what I've learned is the most important person to learn how to lead is me. Paul Casey:                         Yep. C.A. Hurst:                           That I've had to learn how to lead myself from, "Okay, here's where I am. This is not working, so I need to do something else. Where do I go from here? Where do I go from here? Where do I go from here?" And honestly, that to me is probably the very most important thing that any adult could possibly learn in our world today. In fact, as a parent, I would encourage people to begin shifting our thinking and teaching their children that same kind of a thing. Just learning how to be self-reliant, learning how to be entrepreneurial, even if you're going to work for somebody else, still consider yourself an entrepreneur- Paul Casey:                         If anything, could be an intrepreneur, right? C.A. Hurst:                           An intrepreneur, whatever you want to call it. But really developing you, and your own unique abilities. So, I would say one of my unique abilities is communicating. I've always loved to write, and I've done more writing in the last, oh, five, no, six, seven, eight, eight years, about eight years with Facebook. Nobody's going to tell you you can't. You might get a couple of shots across the bow for what you write, but you can go ahead and write. So, I've been really having a lot of fun with that. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, you have. So, I'm hearing you're a lover, a learner, and a writer. C.A. Hurst:                           There we go. Thank you. That works. Paul Casey:                         Core value of love, core value of just constant personal and professional improvement. And then, the writing or adding value to others. So on the flip side, what would you consider one of your biggest liabilities? And how do you mitigate that so it doesn't limit your influence? C.A. Hurst:                           My greatest is, I've learned this in this last six months, that my greatest liability is, even though I've been a very strong advocate for others my entire adult life, I haven't done a very good job of advocating for myself. So, I've been learning a lot about that over the past six months. And I've also, oh, asking for help. Paul Casey:                         Asking for help. C.A. Hurst:                           Asking for help. Do you know who Brene Brown is? Paul Casey:                         Oh, yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           Okay. So, have you read Daring Greatly? Paul Casey:                         Yes and Dare to Lead, her newest one too. C.A. Hurst:                           Okay, yeah, we're reading Dare to Lead right now. So, Daring Greatly, I read that, oh, about eight months ago. And now here I am, I ended up, recently I'd had a little toe of my left foot amputated. It was in June of this year, and I needed help. I needed help from people that I've known for years and I've needed help from our community. And it's embarrassing to ask for help, especially as guys, it's embarrassing to ask for help because we're trained not to. Then yeah, "We want you to be in touch with your feminine side," Brene Brown. "We want you to be in touch with your feminine side." Go ahead, try that out. I dare you. Let's see what happens. Oh yeah, now you're really going to get beat up anyway. So that's what I've really learned over the past several months. I've just not been good at asking for help when I've needed it. Paul Casey:                         And yet it's a strength, not a weakness at its core, right? Because we're robbing other people of the blessing of what they've been wired to do, which could be to help us at this moment to get us unstuck or to that next opportunity. So when we go, no, I'm going to pull myself up with my bootstraps and be self-sufficient, we actually rob others of the opportunity to give. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah, there's that balance of being self-sufficient and then knowing when to ask for help. Paul Casey:                         Yes. C.A. Hurst:                           Not codependent. Nobody is truly independent. Paul Casey:                         Right. C.A. Hurst:                           What we need to be, interdependent. Paul Casey:                         Interdependent, I love that word. I love that word. Totally believe that and that's a core value for sure. And what I love is that as an amputee... Amputay? C.A. Hurst:                           Amputee. Paul Casey:                         Yes. You have not made that a liability in your life. You said you surrounded yourself with a community of others who have gone through that, that only you guys can really understand. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah, yep. Paul Casey:                         You're not letting that hold you back. I mean, it holds you back physically. You probably do way more if you could but you're not letting that hold you back from your influence. C.A. Hurst:                           You're right. And one of the biggest lessons I've learned, I've always known that the value of being quiet, I've learned that way back when, when I was going to Bible college, that kind of thing. Just one of those things that they taught us, sit down and shut up, sit down- Paul Casey:                         Seen and not heard. C.A. Hurst:                           And listen. God's trying to speak to you but you're so busy running around and you're making so much noise, you can't hear what he's saying because oh, when he speaks, it's with that little still small voice. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Yes. C.A. Hurst:                           So this last, actually, it's the last several years, I've ended up spending a lot more time being ultra-quiet than I ever wanted to, on the one hand. On the other hand, that has been yielding the coolest stuff I've ever learned in my entire life, that you know that. And also, the biggie has been, I got you. I got, I got you. You're okay. I got you. Because, so, I got my leg amputated, my right leg amputated below the knee when I was 59 years old. You get kind of attached to a leg after 59 years. Paul Casey:                         I would think so, yes. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, all of a sudden, it's not there and you are in another universe. There's just no way to describe it. It's like, where am I? Who am I? Honest to God is, who am I? I woke up from the surgery and it was gone. I don't even know who I am anymore. Paul Casey:                         It cuts your identity. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah, it does. It just... So I've ended up spending a lot more time being a lot more quiet than what I thought I should be. It's like, I need to be doing this and I need to be doing that. I need to be... And that's been part of what God has been speaking to me. It's like, no, no, I got you. Just shut up. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           Just chill out, dude. You know? I got you. It's okay. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. That reassurance is amazing. Also, I think the breakthrough has really happened in solitude. And because where we surround ourselves with our distractions and our noise and we get in the car and my last car, the radio just popped on automatically. It's just like we're just surrounded by so much noise and we can't be creative. We can't have those breakthroughs of what's next. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah, we do need to get quiet. In fact, one of the greatest concerns I've had over the past couple of years, and then actually over the past several months, is that with social media, everybody has a voice, which is really, really cool. However, extroverts being extroverted, I liken it to be in a band. I'm a bassist. My job is to be in the background. Okay, I'm not a lead guitarist. The lead guitarist's job is to be in the foreground or the vocalists or whatever, right? Oh, I liken it to the lead guitarist because the extroverts are lead guitarists, or vocalists, so they're always encouraging everybody to be a lead guitar. So it's like, "No, no, no, no, no. No, no, we just need one." Paul Casey:                         You wouldn't have a band. C.A. Hurst:                           We love you to pieces. And we love what, we love those riffs but we only need one of you. So we've thought, "Well, you're talking about all the noise. That's what I'm hearing out here on social media land is just that overwhelming, you got to be on 24-7, 365. You've got to hustle and grind 24-7, 365. It's totally unsustainable. I get it. I get it, I get it. Especially if you're in your 20s or 30s, you need to be out there hustling and you need to figure out what that's all about, and you need to be staying up late at night, reading, reading, reading, reading, reading- Paul Casey:                         Did you say reading? C.A. Hurst:                           Studying, digging, doing all of that stuff. But then as you get a little bit older, then you need to take all this stuff that you've been studying and you need to begin to mold something that's more sustainable, that you can teach to other people, that you can look to other people and say, "Listen, here's what happens when you do all of this study and all this reading." What you're doing is, you're growing roots. And you want to grow a strong, complex, sustainable root system so that when the storms of life come along, not if, but when, because it is going to happen, that then rather than that or that rather than breaking, you're going to bend and sway and you're actually going to become stronger through those storms. C.A. Hurst:                           But you have to take time to grow that root system. And that's what you do in your late teens, early 20s and to your 30s. But then you need to be able to start kind of mellowing out a little bit. And let me use Eric Clapton. Okay. So, if you listen to Eric Clapton playing with Cream, way back when, well, in the '60s, right? And you listened to him in the '90s, whatever. He just matured. And so he still plays brilliantly, but it's got a different flavor to it. It's like a fine wine. Paul Casey:                         There you go. C.A. Hurst:                           Mellows. Paul Casey:                         Yes. C.A. Hurst:                           That the taste mellows and that's what you want. Paul Casey:                         So you've got the root system metaphor. You've got the wine metaphor, Eric Clapton metaphor. Woo. C.A. Hurst:                           I got them all, man. I've been doing this a long time. Paul Casey:                         You came at it three different ways. Well, hey, before we head into our next question on a few of C.A.'s life hacks, let's shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey:                         The C12 Group is a national organization focused on spiritual and professional development of Christian CEOs and business owners. Members participate in professionally facilitated monthly meetings, during which 12 experienced Christian CEOs exchange ideas to solve business issues biblically. Additionally, members receive a 90-minute personal coaching session each month. Information is available from Tom Walther at (715) 459-9611 or online at C12EasternWa.com. Paul Casey:                         So, C.A., what are a few of your life hacks that help you be successful on a daily basis? C.A. Hurst:                           One of my buddies, online, is a guy by the name of Tim Sanders, who was Yahoo's chief solutions officer way back when, when they were the thing, right? He wrote a book called Love Is The Killer App, and a bestseller, and I got acquainted with Tim through Dan Pink, who's another best-selling author. And I connected with him. He wrote a book several years ago called, Today We Are Rich. So, number one life hack, feed your mind good stuff. He has an entire chapter. He opens with intros, it's a couple, three chapters of just kind of background stuff. Then his first main chapter is that feed your mind good stuff. And that life hack right there, that has literally saved my life over and over and over and over and over again. That's it. I mean it's so, it's not complicated. C.A. Hurst:                           We live in what's called a knowledge society. So, everybody is a professional whether they want to be or not. Everybody. It's like, guys, this is where we're at. So, if you pay attention to what you allow in your heart, your mind, your soul, your spirit, then you're going, whatever comes along, you're going to be able to fight back. You're going to be able to push back. Let me talk a little bit about being an amputee. Depression. You ain't lived until you're missing part of your body. You can't get away from it. You can't, you're depressed, and you can't get away from it. And you can either give up or you can get up, one or the other. What enables you to get up is what you've been feeding into your heart, your soul, your mind, your spirit. C.A. Hurst:                           So that's my number one life hack is that. Feed your mind good stuff. And then honestly, everything else just kind of flows out of that. I think in numbers. A number two life hack would be, stay connected with other people. Figure out how to keep those connections happening because we need each other. Even those times when we are just all grumped out and we want to be by ourselves. That's okay for a while. But then you got to get back in there and you need to reconnect with other people and let them, as you were saying earlier, let them give back into you. Paul Casey:                         Sure, sure. Yeah, I love that crucible moment that they give up or get up. The key thing that tips you to the getting up is feeding yourself that positive input every single day. C.A. Hurst:                           Well, yeah. Here's what's cool. I've been doing that for years now. Years and years and years and years, right? So, it runs on autopilot. Sometimes you have, when you started, when you start a good habit, you have to fight for it. Paul Casey:                         Yep. C.A. Hurst:                           Okay. But once you get it established, after whatever length of time it takes, it takes on a life of its own. Paul Casey:                         It does. It does. Yeah, there's four habits that I do every day. I get eight hours of sleep every day. These are all my wellness habits. I read the Bible every day. I read professionally every day, like you're saying, and I exercise every day. And I don't have to think about any of those four because they become so ingrained in my life that I'll feel like, if I go too long without that, something's missing. Right? C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. Yeah, and you... Paul Casey:                         That's like, I crave it. Yeah, I crave it so much because it's... But a new habit coming into your life, whether that's flossing or something else that you know is good for you, it does take work. And it's the 21 days, there's not a real thing. Sometimes it takes a long time to do that. So before you make an important decision, C.A., what process do you think through in your life so that you make more good calls than bad calls? C.A. Hurst:                           The reason I'm being all quiet and kind of thinking is that the last several years had been so crazy, and that I've had a lot of decisions made for me. It's super, I don't, I'm not going to say scary because it's not scary, it's terrifying. But in a more normal setting, the stuff that I am, essentially, like the feed your mind good stuff. I'm always thinking about, what's the best thing to do that's going to benefit the most people, the most beneficially? Paul Casey:                         Yeah, yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           That's the way that I'm made. And then I begin to work out from that. It's like, "Okay, what do I need to do? What's my..." And I think of it as kind of mental or emotional reading and I go way out and say, "Okay, this is where we could go with this. Okay, now let's come all the way back in. And let's figure out-" Paul Casey:                         What's that next step to get there, yeah. C.A. Hurst:                           What's the very first tiny little step that I can take right now? Right now in order to get that process happening, because once we make that first tiny little step, then we begin to... Then we see the next tiny little step. Until we make that step, we can't see the next step. Paul Casey:                         That's right. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "You can't see the whole staircase." C.A. Hurst:                           Exactly. Paul Casey:                         You just can only see that next step. C.A. Hurst:                           Exactly. Yeah. Well, and a young guy named Richie Norton, I was on the launch team for his book, The Power of Starting Something Stupid. His brother-in-law, Gavin passed away at the age of 21. A year or so later, he and his wife Natalie had a baby that they named Gavin after her brother. He caught whooping cough. They're living in Hawaii. He got whooping cough and he died at the age of 76 days. Paul Casey:                         Oh. C.A. Hurst:                           So, and what Richie has incorporated into his life is what he calls Gavin's law, that you live to start and start to live. And he said, "I can get anything done at 76 days." That's what he does. He gives himself, he'll create a project that takes 76 days. To live to start, start to live. Paul Casey:                         What a great motto. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. What's cool about Richie is that he lives it and he has been living it. And it works. Paul Casey:                         To take something traumatic and turn that into a mantra. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. Paul Casey:                         Or these 76-day chunks of life. Because sometimes, we underestimate how much we can get done in 76 days. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. Paul Casey:                         We overestimate how much we can get done in one day. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. Paul Casey:                         But in 76 days, you can make a lot of difference. C.A. Hurst:                           Oh yeah. You can, especially if you shift your mindset to that. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So when you've lived your life, C.A., and you think back on your influence, how do you want to be remembered? It's a legacy question. C.A. Hurst:                           Simple, a simple thing. "He made a difference." Paul Casey:                         "He made a difference." Love to see that on my tombstone too. C.A. Hurst:                           Yeah. Paul Casey:                         They used to have those Tombstone Pizza commercials. "What do you want on your tombstone?" I think that's actually a pretty profound slogan. C.A. Hurst:                           He made a difference. Paul Casey:                         He made a difference. Well, finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? C.A. Hurst:                           Read. Paul Casey:                         I sort of knew you were going to say that. C.A. Hurst:                           Well yeah, it's like at this point, because... My buddy, I call him my buddy, Lou is. Actually Lou Wen, Louie Wen, Ph.D., psychologist, whom I met at the Albuquerque Job Corps Center when I was on staff there. And he worked with one of my students one day. It was about six weeks after I'd been there. And he absolutely changed this young woman's life in 30 minutes, helped her see what was going on, and she wept cathartic tears. Walked out of my office, a changed young woman. So I looked at him, as soon as she closed the door, I looked at him and said, "Okay, what is it that you know that I don't know?" What he said was, "I have a book I want you to read." And his book called Warm Logic. C.A. Hurst:                           And then Lou and I are still close friends, but he was the center mental health consultant for the Albuquerque Job Corps Center. He was there, he'd be there usually two or three days a week. And every time he saw me, the very first thing he'd ask me is, "What are you reading?" What are you reading? And again, because of the world we live in today, that is, honestly, that is the very most important habit to develop as a leader. Another one of my author buddies, again, Tim Sanders, "Readers make the best leaders." Paul Casey:                         Amen. C.A. Hurst:                           You can go through history. Everybody that's been a great leader has been a reader. If you want to lead, there are certain things you have to do. Paul Casey:                         And that's one of them. C.A. Hurst:                           Reading is number one, not number two, I mean, seriously. That's number one. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. So, I'm just going to ask you this on the fly here. Would you be willing to write up your book list for our listeners that I could post on our Facebook page sometime? C.A. Hurst:                           Sure. Paul Casey:                         Now, that would be phenomenal. Because we can go a whole nuther half hour on just the books that we would recommend leaders to read. C.A. Hurst:                           Oh, yeah. Easily. Paul Casey:                         But how can our listeners best connect with you, C.A.? C.A. Hurst:                           They can, honestly, the best way to connect with me is on Facebook. I've used that. That's my primary social media platform. It works for me. I try to stay away from the ultra controversial stuff. And it's just a capital C, capital A squished together, no periods, because Facebook won't let me use them. And then H-U-R-S-T. If people know who I am, my picture is my profile picture. So, I'm pretty recognizable. That's the simplest way. Paul Casey:                         Okay. Very cool. C.A. Hurst:                           Or they can text me. (509) 420-3515. Paul Casey:                         Awesome. Well, thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place. C.A. Hurst:                           Well, thank you, sir. Paul Casey:                         Keep leading well. Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. It's QuoteInvestigator.com, QuoteInvestigator.com. And if you want to look for a cool mantra for your life, it's called Just For Today. And a gentleman wrote a, it's almost a little poem and there's about 10 to 12 lines of Just For Today. "I will try to live through this day only." And it talks about generosity and reaching out to others and putting yourself in that mental right state for the rest of the day. So, I found it through QuoteInvestigator.com and maybe that will be inspirational for you today. Again, this is Paul Casey and I want to thank my guest, C.A. Hurst, the dot connector, for being here today on the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. We want to thank our TCI sponsors and invite you to support them. We appreciate you making this possible so we can collaborate to help inspire leaders in our community. Paul Casey:                         Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It's Theodore Roosevelt. He says, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Until next time, KGF, keep growing forward. Announcer:                        Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders by providing practical tools and strategies that reduce stress in their lives and on their teams, so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. If you'd like more help for Paul in your leadership development, connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org, for a consultation that can help you move past your current challenges and create a strategy for growing your life or your team. Paul would also like to help you restore sanity to your crazy schedule and get your priorities done everyday by offering you his free Control My Calendar checklist. Go to www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool. Or open a text message to 72000 and type the word, growing. Paul Casey:                         The Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies.  

Cynthia Marquez:            "Sometimes to begin a new story, you have to let the old one end." Author unknown. I am Cynthia Marquez and I am a Tri-City influencer. Paul Casey:                         Keep reinforcing that everyone must place the common good of the team above their own agenda. If one area wins, the whole team wins. Speaker 3:                           Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the TCI podcast, where local leadership and self leadership expert, Paul Casey interviews local CEO's, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so we can all benefit from their wisdom and experience. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Bob Wilkinson. He's the president of Mission Support Alliance and fun fact about you Bob is? Bob W.:                                Let's see,, I'll go with I'm a big fan of candy corn. So some people love that, some people hate it. I got requested to have some desserts from my family, so I brought some cupcakes that are candy corn cupcakes, much to the demise of my daughters, who were very unhappy with that. Paul Casey:                         I too am a candy corn fan. So we unite over that. Well we'll dive in after checking in with our Tri-City influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello, my name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's Commercial Transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derek. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington state simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees, even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fire someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Neal Taylor:                        That's true. Thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today www.gravislaw.com. Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your support of leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well welcome Bob. I was privileged to meet you at a Leadership Tri-Cities conclusion. You had come in, you had mentioned Mission Support Alliance had supported Leadership Tri-Cities and the class and you came in on the last day and you shared some leadership tidbits. I'm like, I want to interview that guy. So I remember that day. Bob W.:                                I must have had some good notes given to me. Paul Casey:                         Yeah so take us back a little bit. What did you aspire to be when you grow up? What's been your journey along the way to the positions that you're in right now? Bob W.:                                It's interesting, I think my journey was a little bit by happenstance, but as I look back on it, it kind of ultimately fit where I really wanted to go in life. So my original career aspirations, like most kids my age at that time frame, was to play professional sports. And so- Paul Casey:                         Of course. Bob W.:                                Started off wanting to be a professional basketball player and height was a problem and had a significant influence in my life early by a high school football coach in a local community at Troxell, who really turned me on to football. And football became my passion. I went on to play collegiately and while I was in college, I was given the choice when I went from a scholarship to Montana State University, I met with the counselors about what career path to go and I said, "Oh I think I want to be an engineer." Bob W.:                                And they proceeded to write down on a piece of paper how much it would take, time to take to be an engineer, plus go to practice, plus do all those things. And summed me up to 26 hours in a 24 hour day and I hadn't slept yet. So ultimately I went into general studies and started general studies, went to business, took a couple of business classes, thought I wanted to be an educator. Started to take a couple of engineering courses and ultimately ended up getting an electrical engineering degree. But in that process, and one of the things that... The second part of that, that I really always wanted to do was coach. I wanted to be a football coach, wanted to be a basketball coach, wanted to coach at high school and maybe even on a college level. Bob W.:                                And ultimately I decided that money was more important to me than coaching at that time. Right, wrong, or indifferent. So my career started off in electrical engineering as a construction engineer. And slowly but surely kind of went from construction engineering, got thrown to the wolves right out of the gate, joined a group that had five or six project engineers that were running construction jobs and they all left in the first three months. So I was fresh out of college in charge of about $50 million in work scope that I really didn't know what I was doing. So I learned very quickly to rely upon a lot of people around me to be able to help me through that process, which was a big influence for the rest of my career to this point. And influenced a little bit from my dad. Bob W.:                                So long story short is, that went into operations management and supervising and then eventually becoming more of a little bit of in the management and general management. And at the core, the thing that I probably enjoy most about what I do is I've come to the conclusion I really like building teams. And allowing teams of individuals, whether those are engineers or managers, or anything else for that matter, kind of centered around a common focus and executing to that common focus. Paul Casey:                         The building teams part, was that from the sports or did you have some other lessons that sports sort of stayed with you and you bring to now leadership? Bob W.:                                I think it's a little bit of both. I take a great deal of pride in watching people succeed at whatever they're succeeding at. Not everybody has the same trajectory or wants in their lives and not everybody brings the same talents to the table. The nice thing is when you can put them together. And I'll use it in a football analogy, when you have linemen, defensive players, offensive players, quarterbacks, receivers, but everybody's working to a common goal, it's truly impressive to watch. And I take joy out of that and I take joy in watching people do things. Bob W.:                                It stems a little bit from me, my father told me when I was young and it has resonated with me for the rest of my life, is always try to get those around you that are smarter than you and more capable than you and let them be successful at what they are. And take every opportunity you can to learn from them. And so I've always attempted as best I can, no matter who I'm working with, for, or peers, or they report to me, to be able to find the highest, most talented people I can and help encourage them. And in the second time and then try to learn from them. Right? Paul Casey:                         Yeah that's fantastic. Along your journey, were you sort of summoned into positions or to did you aspire to be promoted as you made your way up the ladder? Bob W.:                                I would say I had interest in attaining the next level. I'm a highly hyper competitive person, so when I roll into a new role or opportunity, I'm always evaluating what it would take to be the person above me's role. I think that helps me provide them the service that they need to help manage up. But embedded in that, my opportunities in many cases stem from I've been a little bit young in my career in many cases into roles that I've moved into. And most of the roles I moved into for a period of time were roles that nobody else would take. They were troubled spots. I've had a couple of... One of my first plant manager roles that I was offered to take, the exiting plant manager that I was replacing, that he'd hired me into, told me I would be fired within a year. Not because I wasn't capable, because anybody that was in that role was not going to be successful. Bob W.:                                So part of my journey has always been along the roles of we have a problem here and this is going to be nasty. And I was more than willing I guess to kind of step into it to try and make a difference. And really that difference in many cases just had to do with, back to the point of I've been very fortunate to have a lot of very capable people around me that I either reported to, that worked for me, or that I worked with. Right? Paul Casey:                         I love that principle leading up that you said that you were always watching to see what does it take to do that job above you. And that's a great principle leading up for those that want to move up the ladder. Bob W.:                                Yeah. For me, it wasn't so much necessarily to move up the ladder, but in order for me... If your boss isn't successful, you're probably not going to be successful. Paul Casey:                         Very true. Bob W.:                                At the same time, in order to make sure that I could meet my expectations, part of what I always try to analyze is how do I give my boss whatever they need? And or, how do I help my boss in their weak areas in some cases, right? Everybody's got weaknesses and how do I supplement those weaknesses to where they're not weaknesses for them? They're strengths. And so that's just something that I've kind of always attempted to do. Sometimes better than others, but it's something I've always attempted. Paul Casey:                         Bosses love that. Bob W.:                                Yeah. Sometimes. Paul Casey:                         Well when you got in this position at MSA, what was your original vision and how has that morphed along your journey at the company? Bob W.:                                Well my current position as the president at MSA has been interesting. I've been there almost now two years and so a couple of years before that I was offered to become the COO and at the same time was with my predecessor, the president of the company, Bill Johnson at that time and came into Mission Support Alliance. The reason, frankly why I was selected for the COO role was I was there to supplement his weakness area in that he hadn't been a long-term Hanford person, so he didn't know the Hanford landscape. But he was considered to be a very good leader and he is and was and one of the best individuals I ever worked for. So together, really what we came in to do was Mission Support Alliance is there to really to enable the other Hanford contractors. We're the supporting role to do all the things behind the scenes to really to allow the other contractors that are doing that critical high risk work to do that. Bob W.:                                Being on the other side and being one of those other contractors at that time, one of the things that I think Mission Support Alliance was always struggling with was an understanding of truly what was needed on the other side to really truly enable them and be a true service provider. And what I mean by true service provider is not only give a service, but give a service in a way that they actually help them enable to do that. And so that was really what I aspired to initially as the COO and together as the president. And we made some adjustments, we brought some balance I think to people that actually spent time in the field and other venues with what I'll say, a kind of a commercialized approach to how to do that business and tried to meld those two together. Bob W.:                                And I think we had some success with that. So when I became the president, it was really to kind of continue the journey of really enabling and streamline in that part of the process and continue with some of that momentum that we built. I was able to bring in a lady by the name of Amy Basche that I've worked with before, that's from the business side of the house, where I'm really heavily strong in ops, back to pick the right person for the role around you. And she's been an incredible talent that we brought on that's helped us really start to shift into the next phases of this larger Hanford landscape as the mission continues to now kind of shift focus into eventually doing vitrification. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I met Bill. Before I started doing this podcast, I did an old John Maxwell thing, which was take a leader to lunch and so I would do the same thing I'm doing now, asking questions to learn and grow myself. And Bill was the last one I think I had done that before I started the podcast and then the next month, he announced that he was leaving. And you were in that position of COO at that time. And he showed me in his office the... Was it an assessment that you guys took to what everybody's personality and strengths and weaknesses? Do you remember that? Bob W.:                                Yep. Oh yeah. We use an individual by the name of Luther Johnson that kind of came in and really kind of did an assessment that really told you, basically from about two years, two on, what you really are as an individual at your root base. So when you're on your high, high stress, you go back to that root base. It really is the phase you're acting in now, but also the base. And so it was interesting. So there's the thinker, the harmonizer, a rebel, and a couple of other ones. And it was interesting. So the harmonizer is one that's really highly tied to emotions. And the video they show is basically a couple of people up on screen crying. And sure enough, I'm a harmonizer. So I'm sitting there watching this thinking, wow, that doesn't look like me. I don't remember crying like that. Bob W.:                                But then we got into a little bit more depth about it's really about your emotions being kind of how you feel and what you do. And so anyways, Bill... Coupled with Bill, who's a strong thinker, who's a very logically based individual. And they start talking about the dynamics of how people interact when they have those different perspectives and they go on under stress. And so Bill and I were able to compliment each other very well there and it helped us give us insight on how to do that. Because Bill is very logical, very, very thinking, very smart. And of course I'm passionate about certain things, so we balance each other sometimes. And then sometimes we rotate it. So he'd always commonly joke that says, I just want everybody in the room to know that I'm the harmonizer today, not Bob. Right? So when he was being the nice guy in the room. Paul Casey:                         That's funny. Yeah. I'll still never forget the answer when I asked him, "How do you achieve work life balance?" And he said, "It's the team I put around me." Which it sounds like that's your philosophy too, from what you've already said a couple of times today, is I know that when I leave work I can shut off. Obviously I can get an emergency call or whatever, but for the most part I know all my people are carrying out the mission. And that is my best secret to work life balance. Bob W.:                                Yeah. And I think he's 100% right. I think in society we have a tendency to want to overload and within America, it's work till you drop. I think at some point you lose productivity if you don't have a fine balance of literally working and then having a balance of whatever your life is, to a degree, right? Whether it's your family, whether it's a hobby or whether there's having a balance. And I think a leader's responsibility is to ensure that they instill that culture by having the right amount of people and the right people in the right situations. And then making sure that you stay true to that. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Well let's go there. You mentioned culture, you mentioned teams. So when you build a team, you create a culture. I know that starts with getting the right people on the bus. So what are you looking for when you're hiring? How do you assess everyone's on the right seat on the bus? What are the values you try to instill? All that stuff. Bob W.:                                Yeah so for me, I think it starts with when you go to hire somebody, you obviously need to make sure that somebody checks the blocks and has the skills that you're looking for. If it's an engineer, that they're an engineer. But that's really just I think a check in the blocks. For me, it's finding the right personality, the right type of individual that can interact and establish relationships and work in different cultures and climates and different people. And so to me, it's more the person, is who the person is, is more of a factor on whether they're going to succeed or not. From there I think it's when you get them on the bus, whatever the bus is that you're on. We all bring, even if we are a good relationship builders or good at working with other people and have a good skill set, we all have our natural tendencies, right? Bob W.:                                Some people are really hard pushers, some people really need to digest information for a period of time before they can do that. And then it's really identifying that and taking advantage of that from a team perspective that allows that person to be the most successful that they can in that environment. I once had an individual work for me that was a strong thinker, super, super intelligent guy, and I got frustrated when I first started working with him because when I was younger in my career because I'd ask him for something and I'm a quick decision maker. I make decisions pretty rapidly, but he's not. He's one of those ones that really had to digest information and it took me a little while to figure that out. Bob W.:                                But after I figured out that, okay, I can't give him something and ask him to give me an answer back in three seconds. It's not fair. He's not cut from that cloth. But if I give him something in advance and let him digest it and bring it back, usually what he always brought back to me was far better than anything I could have ever thought of. And so back to having the right people and then use them in the right situations. And that was a way to identify how to do that. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, studying your people so you know how to custom communicate with them. That's good. That's good. How do you keep your people affirmed, inspired over the long haul? Bob W.:                                That's a great question. I think that never ends. I think that's always ongoing. And I think that to a degree, it has to do with instilling value and purpose for everybody. Constantly evaluating that value and purpose, giving people a voice and allowing them to actually execute on that voice. So if you don't ask people for his opinions and don't allow people to act upon those opinions when you ask them and allow them to be successful, even though it might not be exactly what you wanted to do, you're probably not going to inspire them in a longer period of time to go off and achieve. And I think that is kind of an ever ongoing evolution that your kind of constantly evolving and constantly giving people opportunities and allow them to succeed in those opportunities. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. So Tri-City Influencer, it sounds like giving people a voice really is critical for their full engagement. No one wants to get stale in their leadership. So Bob, how do you stay relevant and on the cutting edge in your industry and how do you foster innovation in your organization? Bob W.:                                A couple of ways. That's a pretty round question or pretty large question. So I'll try to hit it in a couple of different areas. I'll start with the innovations. So we are in an ever evolving world right now that technology almost can't keep up with. We work in an industry that I work in with the department of energy industry that's highly regulated for a lot of reasons, right? There's a lot of hazards and you want to make sure to protect people. And those high regulations sometimes comes with a lot of hoops that you've got to jump through. Bob W.:                                So part of ours for innovations is to make sure that we have identified the right innovation that we need to bring to the table that has the right purpose because the effort to go put that innovation in place is quite a large lift. But if you've got high talented people, which we have some very, very innovative people, we just need to let them, once again, tell them what's the right one... Or ask them what the right one was and let them tell us and then give them the backing to actually go do it. And so that helps them with the inspiration part. Paul Casey:                         Yes. Bob W.:                                Right? So that was the first part of the question. I don't remember what the second part of the question was. Paul Casey:                         Staying relevant. Bob W.:                                Staying relevant for me, from a leadership perspective and to me is I have always... I do a lot of reflecting on myself, probably to the detriment of myself. So I do a lot of reflecting and look at myself and then try to adapt or modify myself to continue to enhance my capabilities. But I don't look for radical changes. I think at the core is you got to know who you are as an individual and stay true to that, who you are as an individual. And then I take obviously leadership opportunities. I take some leadership classes and from those you get something, right? There's a little bit of something. So I always just try to find that little something, then maybe I can go make a change. Bob W.:                                And then been back to the people around me, I learn a lot from those that I work around, watching how they do what they do well. Because frankly, I have leaders that work for me that are better leaders than me and in certain aspects and maybe all aspects. I have a great boss that I work with and I learn a lot from. So I take a lot of opportunity to try to learn from others and watch what they do well, as well as what they don't do well. Paul Casey:                         That was fantastic. Every person and every opportunity is a learning experience. I used to be a school principal in another life and I visited 52 other schools for that exact reason because there was something to learn in each one of those schools that I... What is it? The R and D, rip off and duplicate? I think that's what it's called. A little R and D on those visits to make my school the best it could be. So yeah, learning is awesome. Bob W.:                                The one thing I'd just like to add to that is I once went to a leadership seminar, it was women talking about leadership, inspiring leadership. And it was Carol Johnson from the local community that used to be a president of WCH back in the... Seven, eight years ago. And she said something that really resonated with me, is she said that she struggled to be a leader for a part of her career because she was trying to emulate her bosses. And her bosses were strong minded, strong willed- Paul Casey:                         Totally different style. Yeah. Bob W.:                                Yeah totally different style. And she just wasn't doing very well as a leader in that. And she finally realized that in order for her to be successful as a leader, she needed to be who she was. Which she's a very empathetic person, makes you feel very comfortable, very good with relationships. And she finally shifted to that. And she said that then she finally realized who she was and what her strengths were and stayed true to her strengths and tried not being somebody that she wasn't. And it worked well for her. She had a very good career and she was a really good leader and so that resonated with me a lot. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, authenticity and staying true to your strengths. Well hey, before we head into our next question, asking Bob what a good day is for him, a shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey:                         When you purchase a new car, you hope that the warranty will be there if there are any problems. When men and women choose a life partner, there is no warranty and we're essentially committing to a relationship on an as is basis. That's great when the romance is high and the challenges are few. 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If communicating has become difficult, if trying to solve the smallest problem is leading to arguing or not speaking to one another or the challenges of parenting are driving each of you into different corners, be willing to seek help to get your relationship back on track. You know it can help you with that? Lynn Stedman, marriage and family therapist. Call (509) 366-1023. Paul Casey:                         So Bob, what makes it a good day for you personally? When you look back at the end of the day and you go, it was a good day. What kinds of things went on in that day to make it a good day for you? Bob W.:                                To me it was a good day is feeling like progress was made. I'm a very progress oriented person that I got to see something move forward. Sometimes that's a little nebulous on moving forward so and obviously finishing a project, making a progress on it. But to me, even more so is watching the excitement and folks being proud about what they do to deliver whatever that is. Watching the individual complete their task and in many cases watching a leader be successful with their group to show growth, to show accomplishment, back to that almost that coaching and that kind of that coaching, that teamwork part of it. Those are really important to me. Bob W.:                                And then probably one of my best days is finding out well after something's gone a long time ago to talk about legacy and leaving legacy, about seeing somebody be successful that you had some positive influence on that may have been years and years past that now you're watching them in their career and in their role do well. Or acknowledge, hey, I just did something that you told me I could have done a while ago and look, I just did it right there. That is... It's almost- Paul Casey:                         Like a proud papa. Bob W.:                                It's almost like a proud papa kind of to a degree, But it happens a lot. Right? And so you just never know the legacy that you leave behind with you. And I think to me, that's an important part is to make sure you left things better than when you came in. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Because leadership is hard. So those moments where you get to relish in seeing someone in their sweet spot rock something with their team, is a very fulfilling leadership. Bob W.:                                Leadership is a very up and down heartbeat type of a role, right? There are highs and there are lows and there are everything in between. And so you got to focus on the highs when you have them and try to minimize those lows, whatever they happen. Paul Casey:                         All right, let's go behind the scenes in your life. Here are your best habits and your worst habits. Mr introspection. Bob W.:                                I don't know that I have a good habit. I'm not so sure. So I think my good habit is probably that I recognize to a degree that I am average. So I don't mean that in a bad way. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I didn't get the best grades in school. I'd call myself a mediocre leader when it comes top to bottom. And I think I share the fact that I recognize that and use that to my leverage to allow other people to be better in those areas is something that I try to resonate and be proud of. Be humble about, to recognize that I'm not better than somebody else. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I was going to say humility is what you're trying to define. Bob W.:                                Yeah. Yeah. And so my bad habits, some of my bad habits are... Geez, I've got a lot of them, right? I like to eat too much. I still eat like I'm a football player in college. I struggle with my weight. So my wife reminds me that I'm... She would define it as passionate about certain subjects that sometimes I really dig into and am hard to get off that subject. And I have a great wife and great daughters and great friends that remind me when I'm off center on something. With a baseball bat sometimes across the head to remind me that I should not be that way. So that's probably my worst habit I would say, minus my eating. Paul Casey:                         So since you're introspective, do you have your own personal growth plan that every year you either re-up or modify or anything like that? Bob W.:                                I don't know that I do. I don't have a written personal growth plan. I clearly have items that I am always striving to decide where I need to improve upon and evaluate. Being the reflective person that you called introspective, I think I drive my wife crazy in that I have a tendency when I know I have a big conversation coming up the next day with somebody that's going to be a potentially a controversial one, a hard conversation, I will play that conversation out in my mind before the conversation 55,000 different ways. Paul Casey:                         That's called rehearsing. Bob W.:                                It is to a degree. If this happens, this individual might react this way. I mean do they do that? And then on the backend of it is... And I drive some of my team nuts sometimes too is... And I'll do it off today too, is when I walk out of here after this podcast and this conversation with you, I will process this podcast and I will dissect it six ways to Sunday about where I did good, where I didn't do good, where I could've done something, said something different. I should've done that right. Oh I did this pretty well. And so my reflection is almost real time and never ending, which is I guess maybe a bad thing. Sometimes it's hard to get out of my own head when it becomes that. But that's just how I've always been. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. The good thing is everything's worth evaluating. Anything worth doing is worth evaluating. So that's the good part. The bad part is that rehearsing in your head- Bob W.:                                Stop the evaluation. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. At what point do you just go, all right, it's over? How about a favorite quote? Do you have a favorite quote? Bob W.:                                No, I don't know that I have quite a favorite quote. But I have up on my wall, one of the presidents, and I can't remember off the top of my head which one it is now, that really talked about the man in the arena. It's called the man in the arena if you look it up, right? Paul Casey:                         Roosevelt I think. Bob W.:                                Yeah I think it was Roosevelt. And in summary, it kind of goes along the lines of there is always those that are on the periphery of things, but not willing to step in the fight. But the man or in this case woman or person that's willing to step in the fight and have that move forward is really the true winner. And so to me is and it stems back to these roles that I've taken is, there are always those that are willing to sit on the periphery and throw rocks and stones at everything you do. But the people that I really admire are the ones that are willing to step in the middle of that arena and attempt to make it a difference. Right? To go off and try to do something to make things better. And so for me that's important and that quote resonates with me a lot. So I can't... It's about three paragraphs. Paul Casey:                         I think it's whose face is marred with dust and blood or something in that one. I'll have to put that in the show notes. I'll dig it up. How about a book that every leader should read? Bob W.:                                I like Maxwell books just because they're simple to read. Paul Casey:                         Me too. Bob W.:                                I like the 21 laws. Paul Casey:                         Classic. Bob W.:                                To me, I'm a simple digestive information and if you get things too technical, it just goes right on top of my head. And that one you can pick up, you can easy to resonate with, you can get your mind wrapped around it. For me, that one resonates well with me. I think every one of them you can learn from. It just really depends on what you like. Right now I got the General Mattis books, right? The Call to Chaos and I'm just getting into that. But I find him to be an incredible individual and somebody that I've always seen to be very forthright in how he talks to the point of being blunt, but in a way that doesn't offend. And so I think that establishing trust with people is willing to have a hard conversation and a hard dialogue to tell them the honest truth, which in society right now, today, in some cases people don't like, don't want to have honest truth conversations. Paul Casey:                         True. Bob W.:                                Or they can't have it in a way that doesn't completely offend the other person. Right? And so I'm kind of finding that one pretty intriguing and pretty interesting right now. Paul Casey:                         So if you left a letter on your desk for the leader who came after you, there's going to be a day. All of these contract renewal things, right? There's going to be a leader that comes after you. What would you put in that letter to that person? Bob W.:                                I think it would start with just trust yourself and trust the people around you. We in society sometimes have a tendency to not want to trust people around you or think that people are doing something with ill intentions. And I've said this and I say this to our company a lot and to our folks in leadership, that nobody comes to work or nobody does anything on a day with intentions of causing ill harm. Paul Casey:                         Right. Bob W.:                                They come to be successful and do something successful. So trust those around you, that they have a noble intention. Paul Casey:                         Some positive intent. Yeah I love that. Bob W.:                                Yeah they have a noble intention and then encourage them to attain that and give them the backing to allow them to do it and stand back and watch them do it. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative) any other advice you'd give to new leaders or anyone that wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Bob W.:                                I don't know that there's ever a new leader. I think you always in your life are always leading in some way or another. Whether you're trying to lead your sibling into a game or lead your parents into making a decision to give you McDonald's or whatever the case is. So my thing to new leaders is don't be afraid to be a leader. Don't be afraid to step up and take the assignments and don't be afraid to take the hard assignments. And then take every opportunity you can to learn. Paul Casey:                         Good stuff. How can our listeners best connect with you? Bob W.:                                Oh boy. Well I obviously am a Tri-Citian and I've been here most of my life. I work out at Mission Support Alliance. We're in both the Hanford system as well as in the Tri-Cities. You can hook up with me on Facebook or on LinkedIn. I'm a lot more active on LinkedIn than I am on Facebook. My wife, I let them do the Facebook stuff for me. I should probably do it more often, but I'm in both those LinkedIn and Facebook space. Paul Casey:                         Yes. Love LinkedIn. Well thanks Bob for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. Started a new aspect of my business called leader launcher. Leader launcher is for emerging leaders and young professionals who want to go on a leadership development journey. And so it's a monthly, two hour workshop on one leadership proficiency and then in between the months seminars is a mastermind group where you get to apply what you have learned with other leaders here in the community. So you can go to leader-launcher.com to sign up and hope you'll be a part of that community. Paul Casey:                         Again, this is Paul Casey. You want to thank my guest, Bob Wilkinson from Mission Support Alliance for being here today on the Tri-City Influencer Podcast. We want to thank our TCI sponsors and invite you to support them. We appreciate you both making this possible so we can collaborate to help inspire leaders in our community. Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It's an Albert Einstein quote. "Try not to become a man or woman of success, but rather try to become a man or woman of value." KGF, keep growing forward. Speaker 3:                           Thank you to our listeners for tuning in to today's show. Paul Casey is on a mission to add value to leaders by providing practical tools and strategies that reduce stress in their lives and on their teams so that they can enjoy life and leadership and experience their key desired results. If you'd like more help from Paul in your leadership development, connect with him at growingforward@paulcasey.org. for a consultation that can help you move past your current challenges and create a strategy for growing your life or your team forward. Speaker 3:                           Paul would also like to help you restore sanity to your crazy schedule and get your priorities done every day by offering you his free control mind calendar checklist. Go to www.takebackmycalendar.com for that productivity tool. Or open a text message to 72000 and type the word growing. Paul Casey:                         Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast was recorded at Fuse SPC by Bill Wagner of Safe Strategies.  

Richa Sigdel:                       The chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken. I'm Richa Sigdel, and I'm Tri-City Influencer. Paul Casey:                         Great team leaders notice an imbalance in the team and have the ability to adjust to it, but again, don't attack the person, attack the problem. Speaker 3:                           Raising the water level of leadership in Tri-Cities at Eastern Washington. It's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast, where Paul Casey interviews local leaders like CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams, so that we can all benefit from their experiences. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark the breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Matt Sweezea. Matt is an independent financial advisor, and when asking him something interesting about his past, even though he's such a snappy dresser, he said he's got a lot in the farm background, and one time, he drove halfway across the country to Kansas City to pick up a cow. That's pretty interesting, Matt. Matt Sweezea:                 That's right, that's right. It is. Paul Casey:                         Well, before we learn more about Matt, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello, my name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's Commercial Transactions Team. The CT Team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today, we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it, Derek. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks, Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington state simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We've built strong, predictable, and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam:                            That's true. Thanks, Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com. Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome, Matt. I was privileged to meet you--I feel like it's been about 10 years now at Young Professionals of the Tri-Cities, YPTC. Matt Sweezea:                 That's right, that's right. Paul Casey:                         No longer exists, but before we aired today I heard the whole story of how it began, and within three months, you were the president of that organization. Paul Casey:                         And you did that for like four-and-a-half years as the president. Matt Sweezea:                 Yes. Paul Casey:                         So thanks for all you did to add to the young professional community here. Matt Sweezea:                 Absolutely, absolutely. Thanks for having me on. Paul Casey:                         Well, what did you aspire to be when you grew up, man? How did that morph then throughout the years until you got to where you are today? Matt Sweezea:                 Kind of by chance. I have always been somewhat drawn, obviously, on the financial side. I mean, I think growing up in a lower middle income household, neither of my parents were college educated, and we really operated... As kids, we didn't really see what was going on in the financial side of things. But now looking back, I mean you realize how often we were living paycheck to paycheck and some other stories I won't get into today. But just seeing that growing up. Matt Sweezea:                 The other side of it too is that my parents did keep us involved and engaged in the community growing up. We were, as you mentioned earlier, we were in 4-H as early as eight, nine, ten years old. Showing animals, being engaged. We had a hobby farm, and so we always had animals to take care of. We were always up early. Had to feed the animals before we went to school. Get home from school, and sometimes the animals were out. So we had to go chase the animals around. And so then moving into junior high and high school, my first jobs were kind of morphed into making some money so I could do some fun stuff with friends and get out and have some fun in the summer. Matt Sweezea:                 And that was, naturally, growing in a small ag community in the Yakima Valley, that was kind of the aspect there. Then fast forward, and started as an adult going through college and struggling with, "Do I get student loans? Do I pay for college? How do I manage this?" And so I ended up getting a full-time job right out of high school due to family conditions and worked full-time, paid for college around my full-time job. Went to night school, went first thing in the morning. Did all those types of things. Matt Sweezea:                 Money was always kind of that, "How do I get ahead? How do I stop struggling? How do I figure things out?" And a couple of years out of high school, finishing up my AA, I was approached to take a look at the industry, and that was kind of the start there. I was motivated to make sure that the things that, somewhat shaped me obviously, but some of those things I didn't want to see my own family, as I was becoming an adult, getting married, having kids have to deal with. And then seeing just extended family too, going through lot of the financial challenges. So that really drew me to the finance side of figuring out, how do I help people around me, and how do I make a difference? So that sense of community and that sense of drive has always been ingrained in me, I would say, from an early age in one way or another. Paul Casey:                         What core values were driven into you through all that hard work of growing up and all the farm work and some of the struggles it sounds like with family? What things just sort of got anchored in you? Matt Sweezea:                 Mainly the core values, I would say, that I would lean towards is really just being self reliant and knowing that if I wanted it, I had to go to work for it. No one was going to get it for me. No one was going to just hand it over. And then that really, again, came full circle as I was heading out of high school. I had some partial scholarships to a four-year university and financially was not in a place where it was going to work out. Both sides were kind of struggling as far as financial aid and being able to go out and try to get private loans to cover the difference, and put me in a position to where I was just on my own, and so I had to figure it out. Matt Sweezea:                 So that shifted me into a different gear, and I got exposed to some industries that I knew and some positions going out of high school, working really hard labor type things, just to pay for college. And knew that this was definitely not a route I wanted to be in, knowing where my parents were, and both of them coming from the blue collar backgrounds and whatnot. As far as core values that would go, I mean, I think it's just that discipline and drive to get after it and to be focused on always scaling up. I use that word a lot nowadays when I'm talking with students at CBC, or at some of my community outreach and stuff, but really focused on scaling up all the time. Matt Sweezea:                 I've always put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure that I excel in everything that I do. And really try not to stretch myself into a bunch of different things. I know that, again, the more I'm spread out doing a lot of different things, the less value I'm going to be able to provide to those specific areas. So I think really it's just being focused on what's most important and going after it. And just continuing to know that I'm in control of where I want to go in life. Paul Casey:                         That scaling up is so the opposite of entitlement, right? Matt Sweezea:                 Absolutely. Absolutely. Paul Casey:                         You had to grow up pretty fast. Matt Sweezea:                 Yes, yes. Paul Casey:                         Who've been your mentors, advisors, in your leadership journey? How did you find them? What did they do in your life? Matt Sweezea:                 Moving back through my early exposure, I would say to leadership and influence and understanding that I had the responsibility to, again, map out my own goals and set my own things, was really when I got into high school. Being challenged at that time by my ag advisor, really pushing me and believing in me and knowing that I could move up in terms of leadership within the organization that I was plugged into back then was FFA, right. So similar to a lot of other programs, just with an ag focus on the vocational side. But I quickly moved up. I was chapter president and ran for state and all those different things back in the day. Matt Sweezea:                 But that was one of my bigger influencers initially, and he pushed me to at that time, really dive into some individuals like John Maxwell, and so I've had a lot of mentors that I've never actually met. I've met John Maxwell one time. This is probably, yeah, several years ago. I want to age myself now, but met him several years ago. I've had spent a lot of time studying Napoleon Hill. A lot of the great kind of leaders from the industrial revolution and so a lot of my mentors really haven't been necessarily local people. Matt Sweezea:                 I feed off of local leaders, but I feel like I've been able to tap in more to some of the bigger influencers. And so in my professional career now, as I got started, one of the main individuals that I was introduced was Art Williams, who really took on the industry back in the 70's and made a huge impact on righting wrongs and educating families and households. Matt Sweezea:                 And he's been able to extend his influence really across a lot of different platforms. Dave Ramsey gives him a lot of praise for what he did to help Dave early on. And so that's shaped a lot of Dave's values around personal finance, which continues to spread throughout what we do as well with our clients. And so, he would be another big one. And then I have several other influencers too that have been there for me as far as mentors and whatnot. But I would say those were probably a few of the biggest ones that I've had over my life. Paul Casey:                         Now, mentoring from afar... If you don't have someone right in front of you that you can go to, you can have these mentors from afar. I would say John Maxwell's my mentor from afar as well. Been to a lot of his LIVE stuff, but never really had a conversation with the man. But he's influenced my life in a big way. Would you tell other Tri-Cities Influencers to take leadership positions if there was an opportunity? Because it sounds like you sort of lean into those, you don't shy... I mean, obviously you probably evaluate your boundaries and what you could take and what you can't. You're married, you have a family, but it doesn't seem like you've shied from those over time. Would you encourage people if you want to gain more influence to step up? Matt Sweezea:                 For sure, for sure. I believe that we all have different skills and traits and values. There are opportunities out there that we all believe in passionately about, and we have to utilize our skillsets that we do have to help those organizations or help those causes move forward. Whether that'd be through volunteering or putting yourself in a position to take on a leadership role in a new endeavor or whatever you have it. Matt Sweezea:                 There's a huge need, I think even more today than ever, for leaders. Not just here in the community but across the world. I mean, I think that that's something that we're lacking in a lot of different areas. Whether it's in the household, whether it's in the community or across the globe. It's always going to be a need. It's going to continue to be a need for there to be true leadership, stepping up into positions and casting that vision and getting people to follow and make things happen and diving into it full force and not being hesitant, not waiting for approval from a hundred different people before you take that first leap and you go after it. If it's in your heart, then you need to go after it and you need to make things happen. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, in an age where people don't want to commit, that's really going to make you stand out. Matt Sweezea:                 Yes. Paul Casey:                         Love it. So you're an independent financial advisor, but you also probably are on a team as well. What's the best team you've ever been on, and what made that special, and what does it teach you about leading a team? Matt Sweezea:                 Sure. In my current role, I do oversee a team, as well, of independent advisors across the Northwest. And so I've been at my professional career now for well over a decade. We'll leave it at that. I'm not quite knocking on two, but the team aspect of how I operate is really for an independent standpoint. It is from a true leadership standpoint. There is no management in the role that I play. Matt Sweezea:                 There is a little bit of supervisory aspect to it, but the biggest takeaway that I've had over the last several years is really to make sure that you lead with your heart, that you lead with making sure that you're taking care of your people first. And that if you take care of your people first, then your people will take care of your customers. I've seen that go the opposite way so many different times on different teams that I've been on prior to diving into my professional career, and that was really... I think those early jobs that I had coming out of high school, seeing that dynamic and just no true leader within the organizations that I was in early on are the companies I worked for, while I was in college. It made a very unstable environment, and that ended up leading to that specific company that I worked for actually closing about three years after I left, and in selling and downsizing and those types of things. Matt Sweezea:                 So I would say, I think the number one thing that I've always focused on with my team is really understanding their goals, understanding where they, what they are wanting out of the position that they're in, what they're looking for, and making sure that we lead with that when it comes to influencing them to move forward on their specific goals and tasks and delivering. Making sure that they understand obviously the bigger vision of what the company is focused on, but that they're also feeling a complete satisfaction and praise in terms of what they're doing day in and day out. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, so you were just alluding to a situation where something fell apart. What was the dynamic there that just made it fall apart? Matt Sweezea:                 Really, the dynamic there was that there really wasn't local leadership within that team. It was more of a position where it was a younger manager who came from a family business, didn't have a lot of, I think, leadership influence beyond just working in the company. I think that's sometimes where smaller companies... And even advising smaller companies nowadays, I see that when you have these family dynamics, a lot of times you get into second generation, third generation. And there isn't the emphasis on the leadership side in understanding that it takes a team to keep that company running and a team to keep that company not just running, but growing successfully and being a positive impact in the community. Matt Sweezea:                 I think that, sometimes you'll get... and it's not this case every time, but that was the specific dynamic in this place at this time. It wasn't necessarily on the manager's... it wasn't his fault. It was really kind of up the ladder, as far as putting them in that position and not giving him the training and experience that he truly needed to lead that office or lead that location at the time. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I'm totally into the show Restaurant: Impossible right now, Robert Irvine. A lot of these are family businesses, like you said, and zero leadership training or development. And he'll just come and get in their face and go, "You're the problem." He sort of yells at them, but they have not been developed. They just put their head down and keep doing things the way they've always been done. I think a lot of people that are great in their technical ability get promoted to leader, and it falls apart. And then everybody below them is hurt by that because they don't know how to care for their people or affirm their people or show them the vision. So it's always a sad thing to view. Paul Casey:                         How would you describe leadership, Matt? Give me three words, in a nutshell, that you would say leadership is and why? Matt Sweezea:                 That's a good question. I would obviously say, I mean, I mentioned it here just a few minutes ago. But number one is leadership is jumping first. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yep. Matt Sweezea:                 For sure. And making sure you're leading with heart, and that you're focused on pushing people up around you. As far as just three kind of talking points. But I would say, definitely, yeah. Paul Casey:                         What does, "Leadership is heart," mean to you? Or, "Lead with the heart."? Matt Sweezea:                 Right, leading with the heart. So many managers today lead logically. And they focus on the specific task getting done and delegating. And, "This is what needs to be done because it needs to be done," instead of really making sure that they understand where the team dynamic is coming into play, where that specific employee maybe is that day. The expectation of routine, I think sets in a lot of times with companies where people will just simply, "Hey, clock in, go do your work, clock out." And it becomes kind of this... And a lot of times, it's more as you get bigger as a company and you have multiple managers and multiple positions, and you lose a little bit of that communication. Matt Sweezea:                 I think a lot of it stems back to, again, companies and even universities and those types of things, where they will focus on, it's, "Don't connect to your people. Don't get to know your people because they may not be here. They may move on." And so there's... I might butcher this up a little bit, but there's that saying that, if you train your people well, they might leave. But worst thing that could happen is if you don't train them- Paul Casey:                         Don't train them and they stay. Matt Sweezea:                 ... and they stay. Paul Casey:                         That's right. Matt Sweezea:                 But you got to have a heart connection with the people on your team. You've got to have the ability to identify when things are off. And be able to have that kind of conversation with them, rather than just jumping on them and saying, "You'll going to figure it out, or figure it out," kind of a thing. It's got to be beyond that. So I think that's really the leading with the heart. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative). Matt Sweezea:                 And it kind of morphs into a little bit of the pushing up people aspect too, of really knowing where they're coming from and what their ultimate goals are. And making sure that they truly are going to be a productive piece of the overall organization, or what potential part they could play in the overall organization long term, not just short term. And making sure that their goals, their focuses, do truly align with your long term goals as a manager, leader, in the organization. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah, I like that because I think that people do gravitate toward leaders who make a heart connection with them. I think that's magnetic, it's attractive. People will stay with that manager or that leader long term because of that, and people will leave one that's just sterile, cold, task. Of course, managers are a little more task, leaders are a little bit more people, and you need both sides of the coin. But if you have to err one way or the other, I think we're going to lean towards the leader. Well, leaders also have to see around corners. Paul Casey:                         What do you do to look ahead for your business and envision that future? Matt Sweezea:                 I spend, I shouldn't say I spend, I invest a lot of time. Paul Casey:                         Good word, good word. Matt Sweezea:                 I invest a lot of time beyond the normal scope of a day. Really taking a look at what other companies are doing inside and outside of my industry. I plug into a significant amount of continuing education. If there are national conference calls from some of the largest companies in my industry, being product base or what have it. As they're on the leading edge, you take some of the biggest names that you can think of in the world. As far as global financial companies, I do have access... because of the way my platform is set up, I have access to jump on conference calls, literally three, four, five days a week if I wanted to. Matt Sweezea:                 I don't do that just because of time, but I am able to listen to replays. I'm able to listen to all that, and I feel like that gives me a competitive advantage to not just better lead my team, but better lead my clients with their goals and their dreams. And so, really, I mean, that's the other side of this too, is my clients are a part of my team as well. And their success is my success, just as much as my team's success is my success. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, so find people who are doing what you want to do, who are where you want to be. Plug into that. Utilize all continuing education possible, and, Tri-City influencers, so you can go to that next level. You can service your clients better because you're on the cutting edge. I always love it when a doctor says, "I've been reading lately." Not every doctor says that, but I really like it when mine does because it's like, "Wow. He's still learning." Matt Sweezea:                 Right. Paul Casey:                         That's good. Well, before we head into our next question on Matt's leadership rhythm, let's shout out to our sponsor. Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Jason, what is the biggest pushback you get about life insurance? Jason Hogue:                     Hey, Paul. Yeah, one of the biggest pushbacks I get from a life insurance is from folks that are single. They usually ask me, "Why do I even need this? I don't have kids. I don't have any dependents or a spouse. Why do I need this?" Ultimately, whenever you pass on, there's going to be somebody there to pick up the pieces. There's going to be somebody to deal with your affairs. I would say it's your responsibility to make sure that there is funds, that there's money there so that person can take the time needed to go through it properly, and not make it their responsibility. Paul Casey:                         Awesome, Jason, so tell us, how can our listeners get in touch with you? Jason Hogue:                     You can swing by our office on Road 68 in Pasco, or give us a call at 509-547-0540. Paul Casey:                         So, Matt, let's talk about your leadership rhythm. What is your ideal day look like? You may not hit it every day, but you're shooting for that. Matt Sweezea:                 So my day is... Most people may call me a workaholic when I tell you what my day is, and my wife might agree with you too, but we do get a lot of quality time in as well. But I typically am up early, and early being 5:00 AM, and hitting professional development right away. As soon as I'm up, I'm writing goals. I'm identifying my short term long term and hitting the gym most days. And getting my day started. Matt Sweezea:                 So I'm usually up two to three hours before my real day starts and focused on engaging my mind and getting myself ready for the day and then getting after it. And so usually by 8:30, 9:00, I do take time to drop off the kids at school most mornings if I'm in town. And so make sure that I get my quality time in with my kids. My family is super important to me, so I do that. Matt Sweezea:                 And then it's hitting it for the day after that. So from nine until... some days it could be 9:00 AM until 9:00, 10:00 at night. Some days where I'm on the phone with clients, I'm working with my team. There's a lot of different aspects day-to-day for sure. Luckily, calendars and reminders and those types of things come into play. And then we definitely do a schedule in our blocks of time to take, again, make sure that we're investing time in our kids, and with my relationship, obviously, with my wife and doing those types of things. Matt Sweezea:                 But the morning is really the biggest aspect, I would say, for me to make sure that I'm getting myself moving in the right direction and focused on where I need to go. And then at the end of the day, I do the same thing. I actually write my goals out again at the end of the day before I shut it down for the night and feel that I'm not going to be restless all night thinking about what I need to do the next day. So I've already got the next day mapped out. The next several days typically are mapped out for me, and I know exactly what I'm doing every hour of every day. Paul Casey:                         I'm glad it's not just me that works till 9:00 or 10:00 at night once in a while. That entrepreneurial lifestyle, not proud of it sometimes, but I love how you start your day two to three hours early with mind and body preparation. I mean, they have books on what successful people do before breakfast, and you maximize that so you're not running to work with your hair on fire. You are completely grounded as you go into your day, and even though you're working beaucoup hours, sometimes, you have intentionally carved out your family blocks of time. I have date night with my wife on Friday nights, and I want to be at my kids' open house, and we have the flexibility in our schedules to be able to do that, which is awesome. Matt Sweezea:                 Right. Paul Casey:                         And then I love the double goals to start the day, end the day with goals, so you can go to sleep, have a hard stop, and know tomorrow's plan. Matt Sweezea:                 Right, absolutely. It was one time brought up to me that if you write your goals morning and night, that's 730 times that you'll write your goals throughout the year. Whereas someone who sets their goals on January 1st and never looks at them again, right? Paul Casey:                         The odds? Yeah. Matt Sweezea:                 The odds, yes. Yeah, that's why New Year's resolutions are not goals, but it's true. Just the writing of the goals, they say, you start leaning into them, and there's better chance for you to accomplish them. So if you write them twice, you're doubling that impact. Matt Sweezea:                 Yes, yes. Paul Casey:                         So you have to recharge your batteries. You mentioned exercise. What else so you do on a regular basis to pump you up? Matt Sweezea:                 I focus on plugging into conferences when I can. Some of these conferences, I definitely mix in some fun. I also, my family, we do travel a couple of times a year. We try to get out of town and get away and recharge the bodies, and do that type of thing. And then I have a few hobbies here and there, try to get out and golf and play a little basketball, and do those types of things when I can. So definitely keeping the physical game as up as much as possible. Paul Casey:                         I see Matt Sweezea at Mariner and Seahawks games on Facebook. So I think you're there a little bit too. Matt Sweezea:                 Yes, we do try to sneak away as a family from time to time and have fun when we can. Yeah, it's just working hard and making things happen. Paul Casey:                         As leaders, we have to change in order to keep growing. What's your view of change? How do you handle that? How do you help others maybe handle change, whether those are clients or team members? Matt Sweezea:                 The fundamentals, I think, of all businesses and fundamental structures, I don't believe those change a whole lot. But definitely the climate, the environment, the economic climate, I should say, and the environment is always changing. It's changing every day. We try to stay away from the 24/7 news. But the reality is it creeps in. And if you are not focused and writing your goals out all the time, then it's easy to drift, and it's easy to find idle time, and it's easy to get yourself in a position where you can be unfocused. Matt Sweezea:                 And that's, I think where the problems start to kind of seep into leaders' lives, and managers' lives, is if they allow that drifting or slowing down of not looking at ways to... It's not necessarily that you've got to continually look at ways to change every single thing. There shouldn't be a flavor of the month when it comes to your leadership. You should always... I think a lot of it is going back and revisiting the foundational things that you were really driven by when you first started, whatever it was that you started, whatever you're pursuing, whatever you were chasing. Matt Sweezea:                 Those are never going to change. If they change, then I think part of it too is that are you still doing the thing that you should be doing? As far as change goes, I think sometimes that comes into play, more often than not, when you get to that point where you start drifting a little bit or you get off track with what it is that your main purpose was. Obviously, your business model may need to change as time goes on. Technology and regulatory, and there are a lot of different things that come into play when you're running a business or running a team that can influence how big your team is. Matt Sweezea:                 There are certain companies that are streamlining and so you maybe have a leaner team trying to do the same things that you were doing, three years ago, five years ago, 10 years ago with a bigger team. And so those adaptations are... You have to adapt, obviously, to those scenarios as they come your way. I think those can be the most challenging things that come a leader's way, is as you're maneuvering around those. It's really, again, I think making sure that you're keeping the main thing, the main thing. And the Eisenhower Matrix, actually sent that to a client of mine today as they were having a challenge with what's most important, what's least important. And to kind of help them with deciphering, what they need to handle. And so I think that's a great way too, to kind of identify as you're moving through change. Are these things most important, least important? Where do they fall in that scale? Are they really something you need to worry about or not. Paul Casey:                         I love how you said the writing of the goals prevents drift, and that's a good quote. That's a tweetable moment there for Matt Sweezea. Paul Casey:                         Well, Matt, let's wrap up with some advice that you would give to new leaders and emerging leaders, or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence. What would you tell them? Matt Sweezea:                 For younger leaders, new leaders, I really emphasize on scaling up daily and making that a part of your goals. When I write out my goals, it's not just financial goals or kind of the general, it's really a full scale. I encourage new leaders to get out there and really dive into some goals that are... or some books that are designed around goal setting, or taking a look at resources around, "How do I stretch that? How do I look at these specific areas of my life and really focused on scaling up?" Matt Sweezea:                 I think that's the biggest area for new leaders is to continue to grow, continue to get better, to continue to refine their skillsets. And it's more so the soft skillsets than the technical skillsets that I see in that area. So I would say that's one of the biggest recommendations I would throw out for leaders is to continually look at, "How can I improve?" And really my communication skills with my team... that would be the biggest area that I would recommend for newer leaders or leaders that are moving up the scale, that are jumping into new positions. That maybe they've worked for a company for a bunch of years, and they've been great at their skillset, and now they're leading a team. Matt Sweezea:                 They may need to learn to adapt that. There are other ways to do their job than the way they've done it for the last 20 years. And that they've got to be able to learn to communicate in a way that isn't overbearing or overzealous in terms of, "You're not doing it the right way." Instead of figuring out how to ask questions and create dialogue to help this team that they are now leading, actually become the type of person that they are. Paul Casey:                         Fantastic. Matt, how can our listeners best connect with you? Matt Sweezea:                 The best way to connect with be would be through social media for the most part. You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, Twitter, it's @Matt Sweezea and- Paul Casey:                         Spell your name. Matt Sweezea:                 M-A-T-T S-W-E-E-Z-E-A, and so @MattSweezea on Twitter, on Instagram, on whatever social media platform is out there. Paul Casey:                         You're on it. Matt Sweezea:                 You'll find me @MattSweezea. So that would be the easiest way to reach me. Paul Casey:                         Well, thanks again, Matt, for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Paul Casey:                         Let me wrap up our podcast today with the Tri-Cities resource to recommend, usually it's a leadership one, but you might have seen some people around town here in the Tri-Cities with a Love The Tri shirt or hat. I'm like, "Hey, I want one of those. I'm proud of my community." So I have ordered one. If you want to look that up, it's lovethetri.com. They have hats and shirts for men and women, and if you want to show you're proud of the Tri-Cities, look it up. Paul Casey:                         Don't forget to consider patronizing our sponsors of Tri-City Influencer: Gravis Law, and Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Paul Casey:                         Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It's simple advice from William Blake. He says, "Think in the morning, act in the noon, eat in the evening, and sleep in the night." Keep growing forward. Speaker 3:                           If you enjoyed this podcast or it piqued your interest in learning more about leadership and self-leadership, you can continue to glean from Paul and his Growing Forward Services. Check out Paul's blog and the products, tips, and tools on his website at www.paulcasey.org, and opt into his Target Practice inspirational E-newsletter. You'll get his 33 top tips for becoming a time management rockstar when you subscribe. And consider buying one of his three books, the most recent one being: Leading the Team You've Always Wanted. Paul Casey:                         This podcast has been produced by Bonsai Audio at FUSE Coworking Space.  

Tara Kenning:  "Teamwork makes the dream work," John C. Maxwell. I'm Tara Jaraysi Kenning and I'm a Tri-Cities Influencer. Paul:  Most people fail because of broken focus. Broken focus is one of those things that actually hurt us, so complete your tasks before you move on to another one. The ancient proverb is if you chase two rabbits, you'll catch neither Speaker 3: Raising the water level of leadership and the Tri-Cities at Eastern Washington. It's a Tri-Cities Influencer podcast. Welcome to the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast where Paul Casey interviews the local leaders like CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so that we can all benefit from their experiences. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul: Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Renee Adams. She is the executive director of the arts center task force, and she's the director of programs and outreach for the Mid-Columbia Ballet. And a fun fact about Renee is she said she has this coffee cup with a picture of a cactus on it that says, "Can't touch this." Tell me about that. Renee: Hey Paul. It's really great to be here. Okay, so the story of the coffee mug. On good mornings when I wake up and open the cupboard and pull out the coffee cup, it sometimes says, "Can't touch this," and I get out my little MC Hammer moves and I do my little dance in the kitchen before getting my coffee and you know that's going to be a good day. Paul: Before we begin, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencers sponsors. Neal Taylor:  Hello, my name is Neil Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CTT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derrick. Derrick:   Thanks Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington state simply don't have handbooks, employee policies or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees even if the employee isn't properly performing or causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh:   That's true. Thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policy, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com. Paul:  Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Renee. I was privileged to meet you last year. Leadership Tri-Cities Class of '24 at the retreat. Renee:  I think I'm supposed to say the best class ever here, yeah best class ever. Paul: All right, you can get away with that here. And you came strutting in with a smile on your face. And I'm like, I like this gal already. And you ended up getting elected president of your class. Renee:  I did. Paul:  So way to go for that. Renee: Thank you, it was a great experience. Paul:  So our Tri-City Influencers can get to know you. Take us through your past positions that led up to what you're doing now. Renee:  Yeah, well I've had a lot of different experiences in my career. I grew up as a ballet dancer and so I spent the majority of my teen years training in pre-professional ballet and I got my first job as a dancer right out of high school in Seattle with a company called Spectrum Dance Theater. And I was one of their apprentice dancers. And so I spent 12 years as a professional dancer. Primarily, I performed with contemporary dance companies in Seattle, Portland, and Chicago. And some time while I was in Portland, I realized I had an interest not just in teaching, but also in the administrative component of building outreach programs that go out into schools, community centers, and bring dance to people, one-on-one. And so those were the types of programs that I did when I wasn't on stage or in the studio. Renee:   And by the time I left Chicago, which was in about 2013, I had amassed a good experience as education specialist, education director, outreach coordinator type positions for dance companies. I made the connection with the ballet company here in Tri-Cities, Mid-Columbia Ballet actually through a friend in Chicago. And they said, "We have this company in Washington that is looking for help, and so give them a call." So I did, I called up Deborah and Joel Rogo and they hired me as their assistant artistic director. Renee:  And there was some moving around, but I eventually landed here in that position of director of programs and outreach. And then through that position, I realized I really had an interest and skill in the administrative component of arts organizations. And not just dance, but looking at how the arts as a whole benefits our community and thinking about how as an administrator of the arts, I can have a really great impact on individuals in the community through the arts, Paul:  Which not everyone in the arts or in ballet has that same wiring like you do. Renee:  Right. No, actually it's true that it's a special ... I think it's a special thing to have that. Paul:  Who are some influencers along the way in that journey that maybe were mentors to you or you picked up leadership tidbits from? Renee:  Yeah, so I think that in the beginning of my artistic journey was my ballet teacher, as most dancers would tell you, and her name was Phyllis Sear. By the time I met Phyllis, she was in her mid-80s. She was still a young-hearted woman even as she aged. And she really taught me a lot about life skills and the value of humility, the value of having grit and tenacity and following through and being patient and compassionate. And those were things that we talked about a lot in the context of performing and teaching, but they turned out to be very relevant as an administrator and as a leader. Renee:  So I've really valued those lessons. And then, as I danced through my career, I was always enamored by the company managers that I worked with. And watching them run all of the behind the scenes thing and calling the production manager and getting the tech crew there and making sure that we had funding for all of the employees to get their paycheck in time and just really watching them and listening to the tidbits of gold that they dropped. Paul: Fantastic. So when you got into these two positions, what was your original vision and then how has that morphed along your leadership journey? Renee:  That's a great question. And it's a little bit complicated because they are two different organizations that each have their own type of vision. But I think if I could summarize in both positions, my vision was sort of small. It was, what can I do with the resources I have right now to make a difference today? And maybe that was by taking an outreach program out to a senior living facility or by attending a board meeting, but over time, and I've been with Art Center Task Force as their executive director for a year, and over the course of that year, I've realized the vision is much broader and it's actually in the arts, it's about how do we bring people into our shared vision? How do we get them on the boat and show them that their vision aligns with ours? And I think the vision is more of, how do we show our community the value of the arts in their everyday lives? Paul:   Love that. So inspire a shared vision, one of the five principles- Renee: That's right. Paul:  That we learned in leadership Tri-Cities. Renee:  I learned something, Paul. Paul: You did, you did. Why is it so important to share that vision? Because you could just keep that vision, it could bubble you up every day and it's fantastic to keep you motivated, but why does it have to be a shared vision? Renee:  Well, I think that especially in the arts, nothing happens without collaboration. I think that's probably true in many industries. But as artists, we are very, very passionate and we tend to believe that our way is usually the right way. And without that element of collaboration and being able to see how our way can align with those next to us, that we all have the same kind of goals, then we really just fall into fighting and chaos. And that's something that I noticed about the Tri-Cities arts community as soon as I got here. That is not the case. This is the Tri-Cities arts community is one that its core value is collaboration, and so it was really easy to slide into that. Paul:  Are you the only staff in those roles? Is it all volunteer-based? Tell us a little bit about how you evangelize arts? Renee: Yeah. At Mid-Columbia Ballet, there are a variety of staff members. There are three key staff members, the artistic director, the company manager and myself, director of programs and outreach. And so we coordinate a lot of the day-to-day activities, each in our own sort of departments I guess. And then there are some other staff members that come on and do project-type activities. So one staff member runs our include program, which serves people with special needs and so on and so forth. So there's a lot of staff support at Mid-Columbia Ballet. There's also a lot of volunteer support there for things like the Nutcracker, which most people in the community have probably been to. What they might not realize is the Nutcracker takes about 100 volunteers every night to run the backstage components. And so certainly we can't have a staff of 100 volunteers, that would break the budget and we would not be able to share the art at art. Renee: At Art Center Task Force, it's a much different situation with a lot different mission. And so I am the only staff member. I am the first staff member of the organization. And this is an organization that was incorporated in the mid-90s, and since then it has been run on the passion and tenacity of volunteers in the community. So it is so inspiring to go to work and see that there's all these volunteers who've put in all these hours before me and be able to follow in those footsteps. Paul:  Well, what are you most passionate about? You've used the word inspire a few times already, so what are you most passionate about in these organizations right now and why? Rene: I'm really excited and passionate about the idea of finding connections between people. And a friend of mine actually at the ballet the company administrator said when I first started working on coordinating events and thinking about these bigger visions that my job was kind of like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. You me throw the puzzle out and all the pieces are there. And to be able to find the connection between two or three or four puzzle pieces that makes the whole picture, that's really exciting. That's the thing that makes me do my MC Hammer dance a little more actively in the morning. I love to see those connections. And not just with people in the arts community, I love to see how people in the sports community, in our city government, in business leadership positions throughout the community have those connections to the arts, those personal emotional connections. Paul: So you must have some type of networking strategy to make those connections. How do you prioritize your time or these people and influencers in town? Renee:  I wish I could tell you I had a perfect template for my networking strategy, but I don't. But one of the things that I realized early on is how important it is to keep on my calendar time to do my work, whether that is administrative work or phone calls or networking opportunities. And so, I just try to look at my calendar each week as a balanced meal and then each month as a balanced meal to make sure that I'm talking to the right people, to go through my database or my email list and see who is it that I haven't touched base within a while? And try to spread it out that way. Paul: Awesome. So talk to me about building a team and creating a culture. So you've got some staff in the ballet, you also have lots of volunteers and whether our listeners are a nonprofit or for-profit organizations, what do you look for when you're trying to bring someone on board, make sure they're on the right seat on the bus, the values you're trying to instill, all that? Renee:  The single biggest quality that we look for in volunteers or staff members is are you a team player? Because we really appreciate people who offer opposite views or who offer different views. And so we're not necessarily looking for somebody who just agrees with all of our pragmatic choices, but we're looking for people who can sit around the table and also be that team. The other thing we're generally looking for is people who have follow-through. And so whether that's a staff or a volunteer member, especially for volunteers, it's hard to not over commit yourself. And so- Paul:  What? Renee:  What I've realized as a leader in this position that I am starting to get a sense of volunteers who really have so much passion, but maybe they're a little over-committed and how can I get them involved and how can I keep them in the family, so to speak, of the arts community and help them feel successful as well as get what we need from the project? Paul: I really liked that. I read a book last year called The New Breed of Volunteers, and it's talking about both the eldest generation and also the youngest generation that want to volunteer and how it's really a new breed nowadays that they want to do it on their time, they want to do it in nuggets, they don't want long-term commitments. And we have to, as leaders, maybe meld our volunteer opportunities to fit. So like you said, they can all be included. And I think that's a great way to do so. I love that team player is number one. And you mentioned about diversity of thought, so sometimes diversity of thought can be divisive, other times it can be a real asset. How do you see the difference when it becomes an asset? Renee:  Yeah, I think that the diversity of thought that's an asset is the one that can listen and not just hear what you're saying and respond, but really slow down and listen and absorb the other point of view. Because they still may have a dissenting view or a disagreeing view, but a lot of times we find that those individuals who maybe aren't ready to be a team player in our setting, they're just not quite ready to listen to whatever the opportunity is. Paul:  Yeah. They might have a little personal agenda that they are ... Or they're entrenched there and they're not doing the old Stephen Covey-ism, "Seek first to understand then be understood," which I still love that one. Let's stay on that topic of personnel, how do you keep them inspired and affirmed? Because volunteers could walk away tomorrow, so how do you keep them pumped up? Renee:  Paul, I have to say that I learned a lot from you in our leadership sessions during Leadership Tri-Cities. And one of the things that I really took from me in those sessions was this idea of small wins. And I've been trying it out in small doses throughout the year. And this is something that in our industry, in the arts, things rarely move quickly. Nonprofits rarely move quickly. And so there's a lot of waiting around, even when you're in the middle of the production and the show has to happen, there's still a lot of waiting around. Things just don't move quickly sometimes. And so, it's easy for people to get frustrated and to feel that pull of impatience. And I've been doing my best to find these moments of small wins and celebrate, whether it's send an email to the board and say, "We have this great connection. Please give me any feedback or let me know if you have a connection to this connection." Renee: And the other way we try to celebrate small wins is through a lot of gratitude. Thank you so much to this person for this activity, et cetera. And yeah, that small wins thing is really valuable for us. Paul: I was listening to another podcast the other day that says, "Make sure that it's clear what a win actually is in your organization because what you might as the leader think a win is and what your people think is win might be totally different things. So give them this view of what a win actually is or what done looks like when you delegate something to people so that they really get it." So let's turn to you a little bit. No one wants to get stale in leadership, so how do you stay relevant and on the cutting edge yourself? And then how does that build innovation for your organization? Renee: I thought a lot about this question and I realized the reason it was hard for me to process and answer was that it's changed a lot for me personally. As my career has changed from specific arts programming in the field of dance to a broader perspective of arts administration, that thing of not being stale has changed. And what I realize it is now is looking more globally and maybe that is for example here the state of Washington, at leaders who are doing similar things as us in this community and literally calling them up and saying, "Hi, my name is Renee and I'm from the Tri-Cities and we're working on this idea here," whether it's a joint fundraiser or an art center or a unique program, "I'd like to pick your brain a little bit." And that is very inspiring for me, because there are not a lot of other arts staff leaders in this community. The ones that there are, are amazing and we have a great network with each other, but it's so wonderful to be able to reach out to other people in other communities and find parallels. Paul:  Yeah, I just got back from the National Speakers Association conference and it's sort the same thing. If you don't have a lot of people doing exactly what you do around you, you've got to go find them and strike up those conversations and it just pumps you up because they really get what you do and they've got also some ideas, because they're a little further down the road than you in some ways and who knows? Maybe you've got some wisdom to share with them. Renee:  Right. Paul:  Well, before we get to our next question to ask Renee what makes a good day for her, let's give a shout out to our sponsors. Paul:  Jason Hoke, American Family Insurance. Jason, what is the biggest pushback you get about life insurance? Jason Hoke:  Hey Paul. One of the biggest push backs I get from life insurance is from folks that are single. They usually ask me, "Why do I even need this? I don't have kids, I don't have any dependents or a spouse, why do I need this?" Ultimately, whenever you pass on, there's going to be somebody there to pick up the pieces, there's going to be somebody to deal with your affairs and I would say it's your responsibility to make sure that there are funds, that there's money there so that person can take the time needed to go through it properly and not make it their responsibility. Paul:  Awesome, Jason, so tell us how can our listeners get in touch with you? Jason Hoke: You can swing by our office on Road 68 in Pasco, or give us a call at (509) 547-0540. Paul:  So Renee, what makes it a good day for you personally? You look back at the end of the day and you go, "Man, that was a really good day," both personally and as you just look at your workday? Renee:  I wish there was a simple way to answer this question because every day in my world looks absolutely different. I'm not sure if one day has ever looked the same. So I think I have to be a little more abstract here. For me, when I leave the 'office' which is rarely an actual office and it's rarely five o'clock, it's that feeling of yes, I communicated with all the people I needed to communicate with today. Yes, everyone feels like they got to speak their mind and share their perspective and they felt heard and I felt heard. And so it's those kind of more abstract communication-focused things that make it a good day because our journey is a long one and we have a lot of work to do to enrich our community with the arts. And so we look for that type of feeling. Paul:  So you probably use different communication methods. What are the most effective for you that you use? Renee:  Oddly enough, the most effective communication method for us is written. And we spend a lot of time writing down our ideas and writing down our thoughts, whether in emails or, for example, reports, the board that we can save in our Dropbox files. And the reason for that is because people change, board members change, volunteers change. And so to have that written communication in place of the work we've already done helps us create an archive of all of our progress. And that's really valuable. And the other thing is it's so valuable for us to be able to get in front of the community and actually talk about what we're doing, whether that's on a news clip or in podcasts or at the farmer's market or whatever it is, just getting out there and talking to people is so very important for us. And then of course the obvious one is the arts are very visual. Whether you're looking at them on a sculpture, a painting or on a stage, they are a visual thing. Paul:  So it sounds like if there are people looking for speakers for their organizations in town, you guys are game. Renee:  Absolutely. Paul: Listen for that contact information in just a few minutes. So take us behind the scenes of your life. What's your best habit, what's your worst habit? Renee:  Oh dear. Well, I have to say that my best habit is something that's a carryover from my dance career, which is just to really start every day with some physical activity. Whether that's going to the yoga studio around the corner from my house or walking my dog or maybe getting a quick jaunt weeding my garden in the morning. But what I find when I don't do those things, I get to the point where I can't focus on my day. One of my worst habits is that I tend to be a workhorse, and so sometimes that means I get stuck in the weeds. Sometimes that means even though I can see the big picture, I drill down on something too specific and I go down that windy path that's not helpful. And without a lot of other staff support around on a daily basis, sometimes it's easy to do that. And so that can be one of my worst habits, is not slowing down enough to look at the big picture consistently. Paul:  So if our listeners had that same malady and they got stuck down in the weeds and realize, we're in the bottom of a hole, what advice would you give them to pull out of that once they're self-aware enough to realize, wow, I'm way down deep? Renee:  Yeah, I'm at the bottom of the hole. My recommendation is to surround yourself with people who are not necessarily better than you, but have different skills and characteristics than you. And I really rely on the supportive committees in our organizations to bounce ideas off and, "Hey, don't let me get too far on this idea if it's a bad one." Paul:  A favorite quote that you have. Renee: Paul, I wrote this quote for you because it is my very favorite quote. It's actually a mission statement of a theater company in Chicago. It's called The Looking Glass Theater. And the quote says, "Fire the imagination with love. Celebrate the human capacity to taste and smell, weep and laugh, create and destroy. And wake up where we first fell, changed, charged and empowered". Paul:  Well it's pretty obvious why you would choose that, but what does that mean to you? Renee:  To me that means that each day is an opportunity to be creative and to welcome the day with this fiery energy that I find is really important in my work. It helps people connect to me, it helps me connect to them. And this quote reminds me that it's okay to cry and it's okay to destroy and it's okay to have these moments that aren't always beautiful, that it's about the journey. Paul: Let me follow up on that. So if someone says, "I'm not really creative," I mean you are naturally, and what would you say? How can they stoke their creativity? Is there a habit that people can do to do that better? Renee:  I love the idea of thinking about our daily lives as creativity, and how is it that we ... What are the things we find joy in that are sort of mundane, like cleaning the counter and putting away the dishes. And it's not necessarily that we do those things artistically, so to speak, but creativity is often something that's born out of routine. And so finding the joy in those routines I think often allows us to be creative. Paul: I love that. Finding the joy in the routine. How about your favorite book that you think all of our listeners should read? Renee: So I recently read a book by Brené Brown called Daring Greatly, and I'm sure many people have read that book. And I love the idea of thinking about vulnerability and thinking about ourselves as whole people, not just as people that go to work and then people who go home to our families and then people who go to the grocery store, but that all of our experiences summarize us at each moment in each day. Paul:  Daring Greatly, Brené Brown. And she wrote one recently, Dare to Lead as well that I read. How about an influencer in town that every Tri-Citian should meet? Renee:  Now, I may be biased from my arts perspective, but if you have not met Deborah and Joel Rogo who own the Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet, and Debra is the artistic director of Mid-Columbia Ballet, then you are missing out. These are really influential people, their history and their past is rich and they bring so much experience and professionalism to the community here in Tri-Cities. And we're just so grateful to have them here. Paul:  Sound like cool people. Renee:  They are very cool people. Paul: Now let's talk your legacy. If you left a letter on your desk for the leader who came after you, what would it say? Renee: So I think today that I've spent a lot of time talking about the connections and who are the people, as you said, on the bus or in the room. And for me, that letter or that legacy for future leaders is really think about who you have surrounding you. And for me, that's always about finding people to surround me that I want to look up to, that I want to emulate. They have qualities that are ... Have more experience than me, they have different experience than me. And so, to me, that's really important in any position in our life, but also as a leader, that we're looking for people who are better than us so that we can continue to grow. Paul:  Fantastic. I got to hear John Maxwell live at this conference I went to recently and he got the Influencer of the Year award from the National Speakers Association, and he has the law of the inner circle, which says, "Your success is determined by those you surround yourself with." So that really backs up what you just said. Renee:   Yes. Paul:  Finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Renee:  Yeah, I wrote down the word gems in my notes, as in sparkly stones. And I don't think that the path is always obvious as we go on in our career and our lives and search for leadership opportunities. I think that we walk a path and we have a choice, the right path or the left path, and neither is wrong and we just take one and then we look for the gems along the way. And when we look at it that way, we don't get stunted by fear. We don't stop because we can't be perfect, and it's more about the journey and the exploration and the experience than it is about the perfection. Paul:  Tri-City listeners, look for the gyms along the way. So Renee, how can our listeners best connect with you? Renee:  Probably the best way to connect with me is over email at artscentertaskforce@gmail.com or through a phone call at (509) 6019-98546. Paul:  Well, thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Renee:  Thanks for having me, Paul. Paul:  Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. It is the emotional index quiz. You go over to lifecoach.com and you go into the free quizzes section and this emotional index quiz is 100 questions, takes about 20 to 30 minutes to do and it's to figure out the underlying needs that drive your behavior. This is essential for each of us to identify because there might be some changes that need to be made to get a little bit more emotionally healthy. Again, lifecoach.com, free quizzes. Paul:  And don't forget to consider patronizing our sponsors of Tri-City Influencer Gravis Law And Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence, it's a quote by former Dallas Cowboys coach, Tom Landry, "A winner never stops trying." Keep growing forward. Speaker 3:  If you enjoy this podcast or it piqued your interest in learning more about leadership and self-leadership, you can continue to glean from Paul and his growing forward services. Check out Paul's blog and the products, tips and tools on his website at www.paulcasey.org and opt into his target practice inspirational E-newsletter. You'll get his 33 top tips for becoming a time management rock star when you subscribe and consider buying one of his three books. The most recent one being Leading the Team You've Always Wanted. Paul:  This podcast has been produced by Bonsai Audio at Fuse Coworking Space.  

Cynthia Marquez:            Sometimes to begin a new story, you have to let the old one in. Author unknown. I am Cynthia Marquez and I am a Tri-Cities influencer. Paul Casey:                         Keep reinforcing that everyone must place the common good of the team above their own agenda. If one area wins, the whole team wins. Announcer:                        Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast. Welcome to the Tri-Cities Influencer podcast where Paul Casey interviews, local leaders like CEOs, entrepreneurs and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so that we can all benefit from their experiences. Announcer:                        Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's the episode with Ana Ruiz. She is the director of public relations and marketing for Fiesta foods. She's also the board chair for Tri-Cities Community Health and a board member for the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce. And a fun fact about her is she confessed that she watches Real Housewives. Yes, it is her guilty pleasure. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. Paul Casey:                         So most of us have a Netflix vice show and that one's yours. So thanks for being real. All righty, right off the bat. Ana Ruiz:                             Well, yes, I like it. I confess. Well now everybody knows, I guess. Paul Casey:                         Now we know. Ana Ruiz:                             Yeah. But I was listening to NPR and one of the psychologists from Harvard, she was just doing a study on the phenomenon why successful women like the Real Housewives you would think, it's a brainless show. Paul Casey:                         Right, right. And what'd they say? Ana Ruiz:                             Well, they couldn't figure out, so apparently it is true that successful women that love it. And then I found out some other really, really good friends, they are amazing ladies, we watch it together so we are texting each other. Paul Casey:                         Sounds like a social thing. Ana Ruiz:                             It's a social thing, but there's nothing that... Anyway, so we won't dive into it. It's going to be cut off from this. Paul Casey:                         Edit that out. Well, before we begin, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello, my name is Neal Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derrick. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks Neal. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington State simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees, even if the employee isn't properly performing or are causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. Derek Johnson:                 We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam :                           That's true. Thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.GravisLaw.com Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your support of leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Ana. I was privileged to meet you. It's been three or four years ago, maybe it's been longer where, I was at a chamber of commerce meeting and I had heard, if you know someone's going to be at a meeting and you want to get to know that person, contact them in advance and say, "Hey, can you save me a seat at the event?" So I've done this a couple of times- Ana Ruiz:                             That's the strategy, huh? Paul Casey:                         And that was my strategy. Ana Ruiz:                             Oh, there you- Paul Casey:                         So I'm like, "Can we hang out?" You're like, "Absolutely. I'm sitting right over there," and we were networking with other people and then we ended up sitting next to each other. I think we talked throughout the whole program, which was disrespectful, but we had a good time. And I learned that you were a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities, which I am as well. Your class- Ana Ruiz:                             What class? Paul Casey:                         I'm class '11. Ana Ruiz:                             I'm class '18. Paul Casey:                         We did a little like '11 thing gang symbol Ana Ruiz:                             '18, and then we have our recent graduate over there too. Paul Casey:                         Yes, Brandon, our producer, Class 24. Ana Ruiz:                             Brandon, yeah. Paul Casey:                         So that was cool to make that connection as well. We've been friends ever since. So that's been awesome. Ana Ruiz:                             And he is the one... You are my business coach, and you are the one that I blame for all of the turmoil that I went through these last two years. This whole... I don't know, probably that development, that growth and that transformation. With you as my business coach, the questions you were asking me was like being... Sitting on a chair with charcoal, it was torturous. Ana Ruiz:                             So when I go, "I need," that made me just realize, "Okay, I need to put a break here and then really think through what I want to do." Paul Casey:                         Yes. Ana Ruiz:                             You had all these accomplishments and awards and that stuff, but I knew there was more. And you got that out of me, so thank you. Paul Casey:                         Absolutely. Yes, we're whole people, right? So this professional face that everyone sees, there's this personal thing. We're all having a hard journey. We're all going through struggles. And I just love my job to be able to coach people and help them, and pull out what was already inside you. Just pulling that out of you, so that you could grow forward. So that was a pleasure. Ana Ruiz:                             Oh, it was you. Thank you. Paul Casey:                         So our Tri-Cities influencers can get to know you a little bit better, take us through your past positions that led up to you're doing now. Ana Ruiz:                             Well, I already gave a little intro into what led up to what I'm doing right now. So I am director of PR and Marketing for Fiesta Foods, and this was kind of again, one of those job offers at the beginning. My boss, I've had offered that job like two times before and I would sharply say, every time, like, I'm not going to work for you. I will not work for you." Ana Ruiz:                             But then again, he's like, "Okay," I see he was serious obviously. He asked me this is what I need you for. And it was just perfect. So, but before that, what got me there, I took a break and I was listening. We were at The Women In Business Conference and the keynote speaker said... She was very successful in through sports career since she was little. Ana Ruiz:                             And then when she was ready to retire, she didn't know what she was going to do after that and to her about 18 months to find what was next for her. And then it clicked on me as well, so like, Well, it's nothing too foreign or there's not necessarily a timeline or time limit on how long is it going to take you to find what's going to be next." Ana Ruiz:                             So it took me about 18 months also. A little bit less than 18 months to find what was next, what I wanted to do. So I went to school. It took about that time. But what I'm really passionate about is showing people what I see through my eyes, highlighting and supporting people. Paul Casey:                         Fantastic. When you got in this position, what was your original vision? Have you created this position sort of from the ground up? Did it exist before you and then how has that sort of morphed since you've been on board? Ana Ruiz:                             Yes, this is a new position, so I am creating it as I go. Paul Casey:                         That's fun. Ana Ruiz:                             Especially with any independent grocer. Fiesta Foods is an independent grocer. We're not your Winco, your Walmart, we are a local grocer. This is a small chain, so it's hard to compete in that bigger world with those bigger grocers, so how do we position ourselves for growth and for sustainability? Ana Ruiz:                             So redoing all the marketing and now digital marketing. And so having that and how do we carry ourselves into the future? And also not only for Fiesta Foods, but also helping other grocers as well. Paul Casey:                         Wow. Okay. Ana Ruiz:                             Yeah. Paul Casey:                         Well, what are you most passionate about in the business right now? Ana Ruiz:                             So I wear many hats. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, that's fun too. Ana Ruiz:                             I wear many hats. Again, like I told you hanging out with producers, with vendors, which they are entrepreneurs. I'm hearing their stories and their dreams. It's always very inspiring with our workers, with our team members it's to hear their stories. I love it. I tell them, "My job is super fun because I just get to highlight the good that we're already doing." We get to highlight, "You are the star of the show. I just put the spotlight on you. You come every morning, you make us better." And that's my job. And how do we wear that on? How do we communicate that? It's also very important. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I do. I do wedding officiating off to the side. I don't know if he knew that. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. Paul Casey:                         But I feel that same way when I get to showcase that couple, and just be sort of in the background. But setting them up for their happy day. So I'm sure in a way you have that same feeling when you get to showcase all the wonderful people that contribute to your business. Ana Ruiz:                             Yep, and position us for growth, so that's something kind of the work the job that I'm doing behind the scenes. Getting ready to grow, keep growing. Paul Casey:                         Well, talk to me about the team there at Fiesta, maybe what your role or your boss's role as there trying to create a culture that is really distinctive. Ana Ruiz:                             It is so interesting because he's funny grocer, but if you look at the team members, there's Anglos and Latinos and just about everything there. So it's very nice to see how we all know this is who we are. We cater to the Hispanic community, the Hispanic market, so learning about the culture. Everybody has to learn about the culture, whether like getting, talking about the tortilla pressers or the fresh made bakery pasteles or el pan. Ana Ruiz:                             So all those things, it's really nice to see that. I've been in this position for five months, fairly new. So traditionally and probably this is something that many do when you're starting a new position, you are more quiet and you're listening and you're learning. This is a new industry, completely new industry for me, so I'm learning a lot about the grocery industry. Ana Ruiz:                             So right now I'm on the absorption mode mode and just trying to get to know everybody, team members, and every position. I'm learning about the codes when you are a four zero one one that's bananas. So learning about every position is something that is really important for me. I get to see like a mile in their shoes of every position there. Ana Ruiz:                             So right now I'm more quiet. I'm listening as far as the culture goes. Later there will be other things that will be coming up and how do we continue improving the culture? Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I like that. Listening when you're new so Tri-City influencers, if you're listening to this, you want to come in, you want to enact change, you want to do stuff. And it's like, no, actually the wisdom is to sit back and listen for a while and develop the relationships. Paul Casey:                         I had a boss say that once that, "If I could write a 90 day plan for you, Paul, and your first 90 days it'd be relationships, relationships." I mean he made the font style bigger for all three, like, relationships and then relationships. And then it was like 72 font with relationships, and that sort of took the pressure off of having to do stuff right away. But it's like, no learn. Like you said, absorption mode. That's pretty cool because that's exactly what it takes. Ana Ruiz:                             So for these positions, that's where I am. In other positions that I do or leadership positions, I've been on Tri-Cities Community Health. You ask me, in your volunteer capacity, what makes you more proud of. And it takes years. It takes time. Ana Ruiz:                             So I am board chair for Tri-Cities Community Health. It is a nonprofit. We are a community health center. We have around 125,000 visits a year. We have close to 27,000 patients that we serve, so and it is a community health center. So it took years for me to learn and now to guide it and to have a vision again, just being patient. Ana Ruiz:                             I have to learn to be patient and I had a vision before, so it took years for that. We just completed our strategic priorities. Now we have that. We have our new CEO who's amazing. We have a brand new leadership team. It took years to get to where we are right now. So setting us for the future and especially in healthcare, which needs transformation, healthcare transformation is the way of the future right now. So making sure that we're positioned there. Ana Ruiz:                             It took also many years, so it's not uncommon to probably be in listening mode more than speaking mode. Paul Casey:                         And what values stayed the same there at Tri-Cities Community Health even through all the different CEOs or different... While you're listening, you probably saw some current themes. I mean some common themes along the way. What do you say what those values are? Ana Ruiz:                             Compassion. We take care of people when they are hurting medically or emotionally. So compassion is something that if when I talk to doctors and all of our teams and from leadership top down, everybody is very passionate and in compassion. Right? So that's something that stands out there. Paul Casey:                         And it's so important to know what those core values are because all your decisions and how you treat one another are based on those core values. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. Paul Casey:                         Well talk to me about staff or employees. How does the organizations you've been in keep people inspired and affirmed? Ana Ruiz:                             I think you have to lead by example, and I remind everybody, be a customer service expert. And not only that, but when you go there, you meet people just with a smile and with a genuine smile. And when we talk to our team members, reminding them, I mean we are here to provide an experience, right? When we're dealing with other people, regardless of what your job is or your position or the industry, you work, I mean, just having a good customer service, a good smile is so important. Makes it a lot easier. Ana Ruiz:                             It makes your job easier. It makes your day easier. It makes everything so much fun. Right? So I think that's something that is very big at Fiesta. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. The smile is contagious. I know it's a Little thing, but it makes a big difference. People then reflect your smile back. They feel better, and we have to remind our team what those core values are. Those things that will make a difference with customers and clients. Ana Ruiz:                             That's is true. Paul Casey:                         Well, Ana, no one wants to get stale in leadership, so how do you stay relevant? How do you stay on the cutting edge of now it's marketing, public relations in your volunteer role with healthcare? How do you foster innovation in those organizations? Tell me about that. Ana Ruiz:                             Well as I said, you're developing, you're evolving and knowing what's happening in the industry, what's going to keep you again relevant. And not only that, but afloat and thriving. It is very important. Ana Ruiz:                             So as you are leading an organization you need to stop and you need to understand that. And make sure that you know you are well versed on your industry. So education. Paul Casey:                         Is that through reading or is that through hanging out with different people or is that going to conferences? How do you that? Ana Ruiz:                             It's a combination of all of them. Going to conferences, the group of consultants that are friends that you have. I do have a group of close consultants that if I have a question I go to them and mentors. Paul Casey:                         Awesome. We all definitely need mentors. And I interviewed one of the top leaders in the Tri-Cities a few years ago before I started doing the podcast and he said, mentoring was the thing that at each time of his life when there was an uptick, when it was a high, there was a mentor in his life at that point. And he's able to look back now over four or five of those and say, "Oh there was always a mentor there that helped that high point in my life." Ana Ruiz:                             Definitely. I mean, I couldn't be where I am if I didn't have the mentors that I've had throughout the years and have helped me and guided me through some concerns or questions that I've had. That I kind of make a phone call, "Hey, are you ready? Can I still by and just have a glass of wine or two?" And then two in the morning later... Ana Ruiz:                             That they do have an effort and that you appoint on helping. I've been mentored. So I also like to mentor. If anybody needs anything or help, I have made myself available for that. So yeah, Paul Casey:                         That's fantastic. And I think a lot of influencers have that same servant/leader attitude of, "If I were asked, I would mentor." But it's sometimes scary to ask someone to be your mentor and you don't even have to use that word. You could probably just, "Hey, can I pick your brain? Can I ask for some advice?" So we need to not be scared about that, but to just be willing to ask for help. Paul Casey:                         So before we head into our next question on what makes a good day for Ana, let's shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey:                         Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Jason, what is the biggest pushback you'd get about life insurance? Jason Hogue:                     Hey, Paul. Yeah, one of the biggest pushbacks I get from life insurance is from folks that are single. They're usually usually ask me, "Why do I even need this? I don't have kids, I don't have any dependents or a spouse. Why do I need this?" Jason Hogue:                     Ultimately whenever you pass on, there's going to be somebody there to pick up the pieces. There's going to be somebody to deal with your affairs. And I would say it's your responsibility to make sure that there is funds, that there's money there so that person can take the time needed to go through it properly. And not make it their responsibility. Paul Casey:                         Awesome, Jason. So tell us, how can our listeners get in touch with you? Jason Hogue:                     You can swing by our office on Road 68 in Pasco or give us a call at (509) 547-0540. Paul Casey:                         So Ana, what makes it a good day for you personally? When you go at the end of the day, you put your head on your pillow and you think back and go, "It was a good day today," what's going on in that day to make it good? Ana Ruiz:                             I have a list of things that I want to accomplish and they used to be really long. So it made me be a little frustrated with myself when I wasn't able to get that list done. So I just narrowed it down to three things. Paul Casey:                         Yes, three things. I teach that. I love that. Ana Ruiz:                             Three things. If I get those three things done, is is amazing. Plus, I am a... I mean and you are that too. You're a person of faith and a spiritual person, so "God, this is your day. You are the driver. Let it be your will be done. And let me see what you have in store for me." Ana Ruiz:                             So to see that, yes, and then to know that my three things were accomplished and then some extra fun things along the way. It is so nice. I mean just to see all His creation of the things that he has. How He sparkles a day. It feels so good. Ana Ruiz:                             And then see having a nice dinner. I love eating outside. Yeah, so having a nice dinner. I love having dinners with my kids as a family. It's a little more challenging because they're growing and especially right now with the transition that we're going through, it's a little bit more challenging, but that makes it work for a fun and good way of finishing the day. Paul Casey:                         So we can find you in a patio at a restaurant somewhere around the Tri-Cities. Ana Ruiz:                             Oh, yes. I like that. Paul Casey:                         No, I love what you said how God will sparkle the day. That is really cool because you're entering the day with an anticipation of what's the cool thing that's going to happen today? And that sort of just kick starts you into a day when you might be tired of waking up. Like "No, something cool is going to happen today." Ana Ruiz:                             Every day, every day. And then you look back and like, "God, you are amazing. You're just too much!" Paul Casey:                         I know. I know. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. Paul Casey:                         And the three things, it's not five, it's not seven, it's not 12 because then you get discouraged when you don't get the whole list done, so you said, "I'm going to chop it down." We call them the big rocks, right? Ana Ruiz:                             Yeah. Paul Casey:                         The three big rocks to get done. If you do that earlier in the day, then you're probably going to get more than three things done. But at least you got your three priorities done. Ana Ruiz:                             And everybody has their own, the times where you're more most productive. For me is in the morning. Like at five my brain starts working, and I start texting people, calling people, emailing people. So I- Paul Casey:                         5:00 in the AM. Ana Ruiz:                             Oh dear Lord. Yes. Well, and that's changing lately. That has changed lately, but most of the time is early. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I found on this podcast, as I interview more and more influencers, the morning people are the ones that get a lot done. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. And then if I think I'll have something at the end of the day, like seven, eight, nine, sorry. I do. A quick email or text message. Paul Casey:                         Yep. to wrap it up. Ana Ruiz:                             Yeah. Paul Casey:                         Well take us behind the scenes of your life a little bit more. What is your best habit and what is your worst habit? So the thing that kick starts you and makes you even most productive, and then that thing that's sort of you sabotage yourself a little bit once in a while with that thing. How about your best habit first? Ana Ruiz:                             My best and my worst it would be probably the same because that's the one that I haven't... It's been a little weak lately. I miss it so much, so prayer is something that is really important. And I haven't done that lately, but I know when I do it, it makes the day super productive. Ana Ruiz:                             And right now it's not a very good habit because I am not following that much, so- Paul Casey:                         So when you are doing it, it gives you that power. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes. Like yesterday I went to... I haven't gone to confession for sometime, and I went to visit the Blessed Sacrament. ] Like, "Oh my God. I miss him so much." And then I went to confessions, so yeah. It does- Paul Casey:                         Well, it connects with that key core value in your own life, and when you're living on track with that, things are going great and when you realize, "Oh, something's missing," then you got to get back to it. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes, yes, yes, yes. Paul Casey:                         Whatever that is. Ana Ruiz:                             And in the morning I like to read the newspaper. Right now, with the digital thing now, everything's an app. So reading the newspaper in the morning, is something that keeps me connected. And I don't watch much TV, but reading the news is something that I like. And keeping myself informed is something that I like too. Paul Casey:                         Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you or a motto or a theme for your life? Ana Ruiz:                             Many, but I can't remember anything right now. All of them went away. Paul Casey:                         No worries. Ana Ruiz:                             But if you look through my Facebook, on the wall, I go through, there is a Facebook page. The Jesuits, Midwest Jesuits. So they have quotes all the time. So I go through them and the one that inspires me is the one that I put there. So you can see kind of the evolution of what is moving me and what's inspiring me and things. Yeah, so there's a lot of good nuggets there. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. How about a book, a favorite book that everybody should read? Is there any book that's been really inspirational for you? Ana Ruiz:                             Well, it just makes you dream and disconnects you a little bit. That one. I like it. It's just soothing for me. Paul Casey:                         Who would you say in town is an influencer that Tri-City-ians should meet? Who do you see at many events and you sort of look up to that person. And go, "Wow, that person has great influence in the Tri-Cities." Ana Ruiz:                             Oh, there are many. I mean when I moved here to Tri-Cities first, when we got invited to come to Pasco, and I'm like, "What's Pasco? What's that anyway?" And then I got here and I was looking at the city as a recent immigrant. Then I looking at the school district, the school system, government, and I was like, "There's something really special about this community. I want to get to know and help." Ana Ruiz:                             So the decisions where we have right now, it's based on decisions that were made 30, 40, 50 years ago. So to get to know some of those people and the vision they have is just pretty awesome. And so there are many. Ana Ruiz:                             For the school district, I know she retired recently, school Superintendent, Sandra Hill. She's an amazing lady and amazing visionary. Also Jean Ryckman. She is the Port of Pasco Board President. So those are two wonderful... Kris Watkins, she just retired and getting to know and see all the work that she's done. Like "Oh,"- Paul Casey:                         Visit Tri-Cities, yeah. Ana Ruiz:                             Visit Tri-Cities. She was leadership Tri-Cities also. She she had that vision and she was... So all that story is just amazing. Getting to know now Sue Frost is a great lady. I was, well I just thought- Paul Casey:                         Well it seems like the common thread of those, you said the word vision a few times. So you look up to people that have that snapshot of the future. Ana Ruiz:                             Yes, and it takes years. It takes years. So it gave me some more patience because I by nature, I'm very impatient. So I think through seeing that, that it takes years to see things come to fruition. And sometimes you might not see them and somebody else will, but doesn't matter. The vision that I had of creating a sisterhood with Colima and that was 20 years. Paul Casey:                         Really? 20 years. Ana Ruiz:                             It took 20 years, so now that's something that is on the works and learning how to make it solid and happen, right? So just working on that. It took many years. Paul Casey:                         Now leaders are action oriented people. So I think we do get more impatient because we want to see that vision come to reality, and it's good wisdom to say we've got to slow down and follow the process. And it's going to be really great. We can't rush greatness. Ana Ruiz:                             You have to find their right people, the right time, you want something to be solid. So again, finding the right team to drive- Paul Casey:                         The team and time. Yep. Ana Ruiz:                             And time. It's is key for that. So patience. Paul Casey:                         So if you left a letter on your desk for the leader at Tri-Cities Community Health or the leader at Fiesta who comes after you, what would that letter say? What advice would you give to that person that comes after you? Ana Ruiz:                             So for a business or a for-profit is different a little bit than a nonprofit, but I think, listen, listen and listen some more. I think that is something that I would tell everybody. Just be a good listener. And that that applies to both to business, even though on business, you need to be quicker with your feet to react to changes. So that's one. Ana Ruiz:                             But for Tri-Cities Community Health, be a good listener, be compassionate always. Paul Casey:                         Awesome advice. Any other advice you would give to influencers here in the Tri-Cities that are listening? Ana Ruiz:                             You have to be, again, I think the recurring theme is you have to be patient. And when you were talking to people, we're dealing with humans, right? When you are in front of somebody, that other person has their story, ups and downs. So being mindful of that. Sometimes we might make mistakes, and we have to also have that in mind that we are all humans. And we make mistakes, and we also have to be ready to forgive. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Full of grace. Full of grace. Well, how can our listeners best connect to you if they want to get in touch with you? Ana Ruiz:                             So my email... They can get ahold of me by email. I don't know if I need to say it here? Paul Casey:                         Yeah, go ahead and say it all. Ana Ruiz:                             So Ana, A-N-A @fiesta-foods.com. You can get a hold of me there or Facebook, you can send me a message there or a phone number. Maybe give me a call as well yeah. Paul Casey:                         Awesome. Well thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Ana Ruiz:                             Thank you. It takes a village, right? Paul Casey:                         Sure does. Ana Ruiz:                             Nobody can do it alone. Thank you. Paul Casey:                         Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend. It's the Disc Survey. So you might've heard of Disc. A lot of our guests have talked about it D-I-S-C, and you can get a free version from this at Tony Robbins website. Tony Robbins with two Bs .com/disc. And you can take a free version. It won't give you all the bells and whistles, but it will identify which are your top-rated personality traits, D, I, S or C. Whether you're more of a dominant person, more of an influential, a steady or a conscientious person, so again, TonyRobbins.com/disc. Paul Casey:                         And don't forget to consider patronizing our sponsors of Tri-City Influencer, Gravis Law and Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Paul Casey:                         Finally, one more leadership tidbit for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. It goes on that compassion theme that Ana was talking about. It's by Henry Drummond. He said, "You will find as you look back upon your life, that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." Keep growing forward. Announcer:                        If you enjoyed this podcast or piqued your interest in learning more about leadership and self-leadership, you can continue to glean from Paul and his Growing Forward Services. Check out Paul's blog and the products, tips and tools on his website at www.PaulCasey.org, and opt into his Target Practice, inspirational e-newsletter. You'll get his 33 top tips for becoming a time management rock star when you subscribe and consider buying one of his three books. The most recent one being Leaving The Team You've Always Wanted. Paul Casey:                         This podcast has been produced by Bonsai Audio at Fuse Coworking Space.  

Brian Anderson:               The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. Ralph Nader. I am Brandon Anderson and I'm a Tri-Cities influencer. Paul Casey:                         And if we must assume the only thing I would say is to assume positive intent. So if there's a gap between why that person behaved as they did and you don't know the answer, fill in that gap with positive intent and check it out. Speaker 3:                           Raising the water level of leadership in the Tri-Cities in Eastern Washington, it's the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast. Welcome to the Tri-Cities Influencer Podcast where Paul Casey interviews local leaders like CEOs, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit executives to hear how they lead themselves and their teams so that we can all benefit from their experiences. Here's your host, Paul Casey of Growing Forward Services, coaching and equipping individuals and teams to spark breakthrough success. Paul Casey:                         Thanks for joining me for today's episode with Jane Winslow. She is the creative director and brand strategist of WinSome, Inc. And a fun fact about Jane, she said, if we really get her laughing, we might get a snort. Well, before we begin, let's check in with our Tri-City Influencer sponsors. Neal Taylor:                        Hello. My name is Neil Taylor. I am the managing attorney for Gravis Law's commercial transactions team. The CT team helps business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs accelerate and protect their business value. Today we're talking about employment law and alcohol and cannabis licensing. Josh Bam and Derek Johnson are both here with me now to describe those practice areas. Take it Derek. Derek Johnson:                 Thanks Neil. I'm Derek Johnson, partner at Gravis Law. We find that many employers in Washington State simply don't have handbooks, employee policies, or any other written materials to protect themselves and their employees. Without having these types of policies in place, an employer can run into trouble by firing employees even if the employee isn't properly performing or causing issues at work. Even if an employer fires someone for performance issues, for example, but fails to take the proper steps, they may run into trouble by inadvertently exposing themselves to a wrongful termination suit. We build strong, predictable and protective employee policies to protect our client's business. Josh Bam:                            That's true. Thanks Derek. And having employment policies in place when you're dealing with cannabis or alcohol licensing is especially important. We know that clean employment policies, clean corporate structure, and having an attorney that can work with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board is critically important to protecting your business through licensing. The attorneys at Gravis Law have this experience. Visit us today, www.gravislaw.com Paul Casey:                         Thank you for your supportive leadership development in the Tri-Cities. Well, welcome Jane. I was privileged to meet you... Boy, how many years ago has that been now? Maybe like eight, seven or eight years ago. Jane Winslow:                   I don't do dates well, so probably. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I was doing these events called The Edge, where a guy named Preston House who was one of our very first podcast guests. He said, "Let's combine pizza and professional development." And I went, wow, I've never thought of that. But he goes, "I want to platform you and the good stuff you're doing." I thought, wow, I'm just so humbled that you'd be, that sacrificial about it. And we had Edge number one, I think there ended up being 15 of them and Edge number one, he introduced you to me and me to you. Jane Winslow:                   Yes he did. Paul Casey:                         We've been friends ever since. Jane Winslow:                   Yes absolutely. Paul Casey:                         Very cool. Well let's help our Tri-City influencers get to know you. So take us through your past positions that led up to where you are right now. Jane Winslow:                   All right. Well I think my very first job was I had a coloring job at home. I would color pictures for my dad and we would have meetings when he got home from work. My sister was my secretary. I used to file them under the cushions in the couch, but that was my first job. And then he would check in with me at the end of my day. How was your day? And I would, you know, I would ask my dad, how was your day Raymond, because I think I was three possibly at the time. So I have always worked with a lot of different entrepreneurs. Jane Winslow:                   So when I got started working, you know, my dad owned a small business. It was a small family owned insurance company. They've been in business over 110 years now. It's still in the family. I think we're on generation five. And so I'd hear my dad talk about working with small businesses and some of the challenges and things. And as I grew one of my first jobs kind of in my field because I've done a lot of things. I worked for a glass and ceramic decorator, I worked for a truck driving school in the textbook printing division. And when I moved to the Tri-Cities I worked for Eagle Printing. So I kind of came up through print and my degrees in graphic design, and at the time, before Al Gore invented the internet, print was the thing. Paul Casey:                         What did you learn from influencers along the way at some of those positions? Were you associated with some people who became like mentors to you or gave you good advice? Jane Winslow:                   I was really fortunate in my opinion, really fortunate to work with pretty much all small businesses. And when you work in a small business you have the opportunity to work directly with the owner and you get a real sense for what's happening in the business. They share things with you, and they make sure a lot of times, at least the ones that I worked with, they make sure that you understand why what they've asked you to do is important. You know, it may be go clean the conference room table and reset the chairs before this meeting. Why? Why can't somebody else do that? Well, because it makes a difference to make a great first impression. Jane Winslow:                   You know, why should I send this proof to them again? Because they said they needed this by a certain date and that they don't sign off on the artwork, we can't get it ready in time. That's why. So really great communication and all through the way. When I moved to the tri cities and I worked for Dude Bodie and Dave Henry who owned Eagle Printing, worked a lot with Dude Bodie and he said to me, "I want you to treat this division, this department," which was graphic design and fairly new for them, "I want you to run it like it's your own business. You make the decisions, you work with the customers, you send the invoices and you get to collect the money." That part I didn't like so much, but I learned how to do it and he said, "I trust you and when you run into a problem you come to me." Paul Casey:                         I love how you shared a leadership principle there of giving people the why, because if you just bark out orders, people are wondering in their head why anyways, so give them that upfront. That answer, which again creates more of the purpose. It's also like delegating vision where if you just delegate a task, well they might just bang that out, but they're going to be going, "Why am I doing this?" Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Exactly. And you know, without telling me as you know, this minimum wage employee with absolutely no skill, not at Eagle, but in Indianapolis when I started working, you know, it gave me a bit of a sense of purpose. I felt that the job I was doing was important, that if I wasn't there, there was a noticeable difference. Paul Casey:                         Yeah. Connect tasks to the greater purpose. And that's why people stay engaged at work. And when they're disengaged at work, that's usually a disconnect there. Jane Winslow:                   It's pretty much always the boss' fault. Paul Casey:                         That's right. People keep leaving their bosses, not their companies. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Paul Casey:                         Well, when you created this business, what was your original vision and then how has that sort of morphed along the journey? Jane Winslow:                   You know, it's been interesting. So I quit my job at Eagle Printing and I quit because I wanted to do more design work, the kind of design and the kind of printing that Eagle wasn't doing in house, but that the customers were asking for. So I saw a need that they couldn't actually fulfill. So I left and I thought, well, this will be great. Maybe I'll start a family, you know, I'll do all these things. Well, inside 10 months, I had a few clients that followed me, and inside 10 months we were so busy, I had hired five people. We were working in an eight by eight, I'm bad with measurements, could have been 10 by 10, bedroom in my house. Jane Winslow:                   When one person had to get up and leave the room, everybody had to get up and leave the room in single file. It was really that hilarious. But I thought start a family. So we finally had to move out. Eagle Printing actually came to me and offered me my old space to run my business because the person they hired to replace me was leaving and they knew I was looking for space. So they actually let me come back and run my business in my old office, which was kind of cool. Little did I know I was pregnant. Had no idea. Jane Winslow:                   So it's really morphed into something completely different. You know, we've been very fortunate that our clients have come to us over 22 years through other client referrals and things that they've seen people, people have seen us doing in the community. So we haven't had to do a lot to drive business. And a lot of times I really feel like I'm holding onto the tail of a wild animal that is dragging me. And sometimes it's really nice when it slows down enough that I can say, "Okay dog, we're going this way." You know, and kind of make a few more strategy plans where you say more, I want more of this kind of customer and less of this kind of customer and so you start navigating. But it has been quite the whirlwind, which is funny because it's been 22 years of whirlwind. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, that's a great way to describe the entrepreneur journey. Holding onto the tail of a wild animal. We're along for this ride. But that's what makes it fun too, right? Every day is different. Jane Winslow:                   Every day is different. Every day is a new challenge. Every day is a new adventure and I'm the kind of person that I love challenges. I'm not somebody that is afraid of change or challenges. I love challenges. Let's solve a problem. I love puzzles. Paul Casey:                         What are you most passionate about in your business right now and why? Jane Winslow:                   My team. I have the absolute best people surrounding me. They're multi talented, hardworking, they care about each other, they care about me, they care about the business, they care about the client, they care to be engaged with the client. Every one of my people treats the business as though it is their own. In fact, frequently I have been introduced by a client to someone else who introduces my staff member as the owner because they think that they're working with the owner when it's- Paul Casey:                         That's cool. Jane Winslow:                   One of my staff members and it just, and it's awesome. And I don't usually correct them, plus it's important and somebody had to sign a check. But you know, I think it's fantastic. I get such incredible reviews from my people. Different people lead different projects and I get so much great feedback from them. They love each other, they love the company, they love me, they love the clients. And that creates an incredible atmosphere to work in. Paul Casey:                         It does. And how did you get such great people? I mean what did you look for in the hiring process? And we're not going to say their names because then they're going to get poached away. No, no, just kidding. Just kidding. Just kidding. Jane Winslow:                   Stay off my website. Paul Casey:                         But what do you look for to create a culture that you have this wonderful team right now? Jane Winslow:                   Well, I can tell you I've done it wrong a lot of times. Frequently I have hired for resume experience or the look in their portfolio and those things. But what I have found is that if I hire for fit and I know they have the skills, everything else falls into play. You know, I need people that feel the way that I do about them, that feel the way that we all feel about each other and that feel good about coming to work and putting their skills to the best possible use for the client. Because we've got a culture and I don't know, a work environment of everybody is willing to pitch in at any time. Jane Winslow:                   If somebody finds themselves with kind of a lack of things to do in the afternoon because so many things are out with clients waiting bids, they visit every single person. "Do you have anything that I can help you with?" Every single day. It's awesome. It's really an awesome experience and I haven't always had that. You know, I've had people that are secretive, that are undermining, that allow their personal life to come in and dominate the workplace and it's just... It pulls everybody down. Paul Casey:                         So those people were not in the right seat on the bus as Jim Collins would say. Jane Winslow:                   True. Paul Casey:                         And so how did that come to your attention where you realize this is not a good fit? This does not fit the culture I'm trying to create here? Jane Winslow:                   Well, when I start seeing my staff struggle to tell me something because you know, I do have an office, it is an environment, I am the boss. And so sometimes they struggle with, do I really want to tell her she made a bad decision here, you know? And I have always encouraged them to be open and honest with me and I've told them sometimes I'm going to do what I want to do anyway. But just like I tell my clients when I advise them and they say, "I'm going to do the thing you told me not to do anyway." When it blows up, they come back to me and say, "You were right." Well, same thing in the office. So if I make a bad call, they find sudden... Well subtle ways to let me know that this isn't working. And if they're very concerned, they come out and tell me and we can either try to work with that person or that person needs to go. I've gotten a lot better about pulling the trigger on the person just needs go. Paul Casey:                         Mm-hmm (affirmative). Very difficult day to let somebody go. Jane Winslow:                   It is. It is. But I can tell you that most of the time when I have let someone go, they have come back and thanked me for it, which is a weird position to be in, but it's nice. Because I don't, not an angry fire person. I'm not. It's just not the right fit. It's not working for what we need at this time. And you know, we try to mitigate some of those things beforehand, but if it just isn't going to work, it isn't going to work. And ultimately people spend most of their life at work. You need to be doing the things that make you happy. You need to be doing the things that you're good at and you need to feel valuable and you need to feel part of a team. Jane Winslow:                   And if you don't feel that way, if you're not happy going to work, you don't really want to be there anyway. It's not about the paycheck. It's really about cultivating a life that you want to live. So you're dragging me down and we're dragging you down. This isn't working. You know, I know you need a job, we all need a job. I would be happy to give you a great recommendation and a great reference and I'll help you find something if I can. Paul Casey:                         Yeah, that probably means you did it well. If they come back and thank you after getting let go. Jane Winslow:                   Hopefully. We're all learning, we're always learning. Paul Casey:                         Well I'll take that rabbit trail. So then there's people on your team that do fit the culture. But they might be in the wrong seat on the bus. In other words, you've probably had to move people into different roles, responsibilities. Talk to me about maybe situations where that happens. Jane Winslow:                   So one of the tools that my coach gave me- Paul Casey:                         Who's that? Jane Winslow:                   Who may or may not be Paul Casey. So one of the tools that you recommended a long time ago was the StrengthsFinder test and a long time ago was probably a year ago. So you recommended that we do that. And so my whole team did it and we found it really, really cool. We're all nerds at heart, we love data, we love compare, contrast, those kinds of things. I mean we're designers so a little bit of friction is good, right? So we came up with our top five strengths, excuse me, we put them all out on a board. We looked at where people matched and where people were standing alone in a strength. Alysha, who's my office manager, printed out top five strengths for every single person with a picture and our name on it. And it sits on everybody's desk every single day and we've all learned what all those strengths mean and so it's been really, really nice to figure out and apply to our work what skills are needed for this type of project. Jane Winslow:                   Why when I say Lynette thinks differently than I do, how awesome that is because I don't want people that think exactly like me on a creative team. I want more ideas because more ideas is better options for the client and better results, right? So we've got more things to choose from. So it has really helped. And then conversely, if I've tried to ask an employee who seem to have more time or bandwidth to do something that I needed to delegate and then comes back to me and says, "I'm really not strong in this area, I want to help tell me which pieces I should do and then when to hand it off, because I think that Vanessa would be better than this, or Michael or Nathan." And it's been great. It's been really great. It's been a great communication tool and a great learning tool. Paul Casey:                         Let's stay on that staff topic. How do you keep your staff inspired and affirmed? Jane Winslow:                   So one thing is, two of the people on my team decided to make themselves into the sunshine committee, which is awesome because everybody needs a little joy or a lot. And so they plan monthly events for staff. Now, depending on where we are and how busy we are or what budget is, you know, sometimes they're office potlucks and they'll have a theme or sometimes we go out, we'll go to a movie, we're all nerds. So we all went and saw the Spider-Man movie together. We also saw the Men in Black movie together, you know, we also seen Avengers: Endgame. We had to see that in stages. But you know, we go out and we do things, we go to the Americans game and we go out to dinner and we do things together. Jane Winslow:                   We all really like each other, which we have been told, I've been told numerous times by clients and vendors both, it's really weird how much you all actually get along. I'm so used to going into offices where everybody's super happy and then they're dissing each other, you know, on the back. And that doesn't happen with these people. That doesn't happen with my team and that's reiterated with clients. The other thing is transparency. I am overly open and honest with my team about exactly what's going on in the business. Good, bad, ugly, all of it. They know. I personally believe because I have been on the receiving end of this as a staff person, when the boss is really upset, the boss is in a bad mood, the boss is constantly locking themselves in their office or storming in and out and it doesn't have time for anybody. You're short with people. I don't ever want to be that person. Jane Winslow:                   I've worked for horrible managers, none of whom I've talked about today, so don't go looking. I've worked for those people and I don't like it. I don't like the culture. I don't like going into work scared every day. I don't want to be afraid for my job. I want people to know. And what's great about this is that when my team knows, my team all pulls together to help every way they can. And when it's a great thing, they are all on board with celebrating. Everybody loves to party. But they get it and they get that work comes first and they get that this is how we have fun and we have lots of opportunities and we want to do something that everybody will enjoy. But we also want to push people to try new things. So, it's good. Paul Casey:                         A spirit of celebration. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Paul Casey:                         Well no one wants to get stale in their leadership. So how do you stay relevant? How do you stay on the cutting edge yourself and how do you foster innovation in a creative company? Jane Winslow:                   So as I said, we're all nerds, so we all are looking and trying to develop new skills, looking into other uses for software. We all love to look at different marketing trends and we all kind of do that in our own way. Look at different creative tools, look at different drawing tools. You know, what are the trends and not that I care really what the trends are because I would rather be different. You know, but looking at what's going on and even different industries because we do a lot of work in healthcare, we do a lot of work in construction, we do a lot of work in arts and in education. So looking at what things are going on there, so in terms of research and just being aware. I'm in your mastermind group, the small business mastermind, which I absolutely love. I'm in a BNI chapter, I'm in the dream team right now, but I know and network with several of the other chapters as well. Jane Winslow:                   I'm in several different Facebook groups that are groups for entrepreneurial women or local business owners or graphic designers or restaurant groups because we've got a product that's specifically for restaurants and entertainment venues. I do some of the more laid back networking events like chamber and Link and just some different things. And then I've got a network with my clients. I talk to my clients. I love to learn what's going on in their industries and how it can apply to my industry or how I can put that client with another client and come up with something new. And then I've got a really great group of fellow business owners that I call brain trust and it's good to just really look, and I use the mastermind group that way as well, as these people that are leaders in their fields who are seeing different things that I'm seeing. We look at trends, we look at, you know, buying habits. We look at all kinds of different things, but they're just great resources. Paul Casey:                         People, people, people. I mean you just really- Jane Winslow:                   Yeah there's always people. Paul Casey:                         I mean you just mentioned dozens of people in your life that you surround yourself with to grow from. Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Yes. I am an active learner. I am a hands on, active learner. I love to read, but I don't make time for it anymore because I would rather be able to ask questions back because that's how I process information. I process it best that way. My brain is already engaged and I want to know why. And so instead of writing a thousand questions in the margins of a book as I go through it or talking to the air or my dog on a podcast, I am an active, engaged networker. Paul Casey:                         Extrovert, you. Jane Winslow:                   Yes, maybe a little. Paul Casey:                         Well, before we head to our next question on what makes a great day at work and at home for Jane, let's shout out to our sponsors. Paul Casey:                         Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Jason, what is the biggest pushback you get about life insurance? Jason Hogue:                     Hey Paul. Yeah. One of the biggest push backs I get from life insurance is from folks that are single. They usually ask me, "Why do I even need this? I don't have kids. I don't have, you know, any dependents or a spouse. Why do I need this?" Ultimately whenever you pass on, there's going to be somebody there to pick up the pieces. There's going to be somebody to deal with your affairs and I would say it's your responsibility to make sure that there is funds, that there's money there so that person can take the time needed to go through it properly and not make it their responsibility. Paul Casey:                         Awesome, Jason. So tell us how can our listeners get in touch with you? Jason Hogue:                     You can swing by our office on Road 68 and Pasco, or give us a call. (509) 547-0540. Paul Casey:                         So Jane, what makes it a good day? Just overall for you personally and on a good day at work, you look back at the end of the day and you go, "It was really a good day today." What happened in that day? Jane Winslow:                   I love new client meetings, absolutely love new client meetings. I love to learn about a business. I don't care if I have five clients or 10 clients that do the same thing. I love to learn about a business. I love to learn their story. I love to learn their why, because those are the things that truly make marketing a unique experience for them. You know, we work with a lot of real estate agents and I asked them what makes you different? And they all tell me exactly the same thing. Exactly. Well, excellent service and I'm very attentive to detail. And they are. They are. So I don't want to belittle that, but that's not what makes them different. Jane Winslow:                   What makes different is why they chose real estate. What is their passion? Give me some stories of your favorite customers because now we get back to the why. You know, in the mortgage industry and the banking industry and the insurance industry, in education, it doesn't matter what it is. We all believe the brochure copy that we're doing, all the script, not the copy I wrote, by the way, we all believe we're doing this great service. But at the end of the day, your passion for why you do what you do is what makes you unique. It is what makes you special. And it is the thing that people respond to. Paul Casey:                         It's not that I've been in business since 1985? Jane Winslow:                   It is actually not. In fact, if you have a meeting with me, and you give me that information as something you'd like in your brochure. What are the words I will say to you, Paul? Paul Casey:                         Nobody cares. Jane Winslow:                   Nobody cares but you. Paul Casey:                         So that's a great reminder. It's the why. Jane Winslow:                   It's the why. Paul Casey:                         It's the why. So it makes it a good day for you when you get to meet with those clients and brainstorm and attack their challenge and- Jane Winslow:                   Yes. Yes. And it's energizing. I absolutely love it. That's my favorite part of it. Paul Casey:                         Well, take us behind the scenes of your life a little bit. What's your best habit and what's your worst habits? Jane Winslow:                   All right. Personally or professionally? Paul Casey:                         Yes. Jane Winslow:                   Oh no. Okay. So personal best habits, I drink a ton of water, I eat clean, I take my vitamins and I have a wicked awesome skin care regimen. So those are good things. You know the things every woman is supposed to do. But my worst habits, I'm a pack rat, not hoarder level, but I do have all of my projects from college. I graduated a thousand years ago and I still have all of them there. Yeah, it's kind of ridiculous. I'm not hoarder level, but it could get that way. Paul Casey:                         You've given stuff to Goodwill, I know this. Jane Winslow:                   I have, I have, I've gotten rid of a lot of clothes. So professionally I am very honest. I'm very honest with clients and I do, I can usually tell when they kind of are not ready for the truth but they're asking me my honest opinion and I tell them, "You are paying me for my advice and my recommendations. This is what I see, this is what I recommend." And if they come back at me and say, "Yeah, no, I really want to do it this way." That is okay. You're the client, it's your budget. We're going to do the best we can in that direction. Jane Winslow:                   And then if it doesn't work and they come back and, "You were right, we should probably do the other thing instead." And sometimes I'm wrong. It has happened a couple of times. Not totally wrong, but kind of a, well this was pretty amazing that this works. Let's try that again and let's grow this way now because we saw some increase in revenue, let's add this other strategy and see what happens. And 11 times out of 10, the second strategy takes off way better than the first one. But it's important that the business owner is engaged. They know more about their business than I ever will. And that's important. I only want to work with people that are engaged in their businesses and care about the direction it goes and their why. It is their why. And that's important. And if their big why is that we've been in business since 1920, I will work with it. I can absolutely work with it. Paul Casey:                         But you found the direct approach is the best approach. You're not going to schmooze them, you're not going to try to sell them other stuff. You're going to shoot straight with them. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Paul Casey:                         This is what I think is going to make you successful. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. And I'm really good at leaving money on the table quite frankly. I would rather somebody come to me with a realistic budget and then we say, in fact, I had a client meeting today and she gave me her budget and I said, "I know you can do a lot of the pieces, the execution work that I'm going to recommend and what I would like to do is factor that into my proposal to say, you'll handle this once I give you the tools to do it and use your budget for these other things that I know you can't do. But I don't want to just take all this for you and have you at the end of the day say I could have done 75% of that myself." So trying to help people use their budget and hire the experts for the pieces that they can't do or don't want to do or just have me make it easier for you to deploy it. That's what I want. Paul Casey:                         Those are three good outsourcing rules of thumb. You said can't do, don't want to do and was the third one? Jane Winslow:                   Well, it takes too long. I mean, I like to make it easier for them. It's like, let's just tighten this up and make it easier for you so that it is super easy for you to create that brochure within these tools that I've given you. Paul Casey:                         How about a favorite quote, Jane? Jane Winslow:                   Favorite quote? Well, this is on my screen at my office is, "Empowered women empower women." And I am, not that I have anything against you guys out there, I totally don't. I have a lot of male clients too so, and colleagues, but women business owners are a very strong vertical who don't believe enough in themselves. And as a female entrepreneur doing far more than I ever thought that I would as far as growth in my business. And, and I mean sideways and vertically because I mean, you know, I've got a lot of different pieces going on. But we all struggle, men and women actually, with this self doubt and we need each other to hold each other up and support each other and learn from each other and network with each other. And I think women in particular don't want to be seen as vulnerable or failing or anything else. Jane Winslow:                   Men don't either, but it's a little bit different because women an awful lot of the times, you know, we have to be successful mom, we have to be successful wife, we have to be successful boss, business owner, networker, colleague, vendor, salesperson, all the things. And I think that our ownership of all the things as a woman is different than the ownership of all the things for men. I think that men see them as different size responsibilities and women see them all as huge and full-time. Paul Casey:                         And that can be overwhelming. Jane Winslow:                   Yeah, absolutely. So I mean I know I struggle with it and I've got a great team of people around me and that is the secret. Paul Casey:                         And that's why we have to keep pumping each other up because who knows that that positive comment, "You can do this," is going to take that person and push past that obstacle. Jane Winslow:                   Exactly. Exactly. Paul Casey:                         How about favorite book that everybody should read? Jane Winslow:                   So my favorite book or the one that has I think impacted my style first and foremost is Eat That Frog, which is what, 12 pages? Paul Casey:                         Oh yeah. Jane Winslow:                   I think it's maybe, you know. It's a super fast read, but of course the gist is, do the hard, awful thing first. You know, if you get up every day and eat the frog and just do the worst possible thing, the thing you're dreading first and get it out of the way, the rest of the day is so much easier. And it's hard because sometimes that eating the frog thing, it's the really long thing that you can't make time for and you have made it up into this giant thing in your head. And if you just get through it, everything else is so much easier. Paul Casey:                         Yup. I'd rather cross off all those little things that give us the endorphin rush. But if we get the one big thing done, oh. Then we get so much more done after that. Jane Winslow:                   That's true. Paul Casey:                         It's just like a snowball effect in a good way. How about an influencer in town that Tri-Citians should meet? Jane Winslow:                   So I don't spend a lot of time looking at other business people and what they're doing and how they're doing it and try to figure it out and modeling myself after that. I'm just not that person. I've never been that person. And I try to not get externally competitive. I'm very competitive with myself. So I asked some friends, you know, it's like, okay, I know Paul's going to ask me this question, what should I say? And four out of five of them said, "You, it's you." Okay, so we're just going to answer this way. Well, thanks. But why? I'm like, okay, really? It's like, yeah, why me? Jane Winslow:                   They said, "Well, you're a power networker and you see solutions that other people can't see. And your ability to collaborate and put people together to make something completely different happen is unlike anybody else in the Tri-Cities. What you do with your clients and your friends and your power groups is completely different. And it sends businesses in a completely different direction and elevates them in a way that traditional marketing can't do and doesn't do or hasn't done." Paul Casey:                         Yeah, I would totally describe you as a connector. Totally. Jane Winslow:                   Thank you. Paul Casey:                         Totally. This person, I know this person over here. And of course that's how BNI is built. Givers gain. Jane Winslow:                   It is. Well, and that's what attracted me to BNI. Dana Mundy and I started BNI in the Tri-Cities, so a thousand years ago. I'm bad with dates, so I don't know however long it's been in the Tri-Cities, Dana and I started it. And really Dana started it. She researched networking groups and she came to me and called me and said, "Hey, would you join this?" I'm like, yeah, sure. I'll come and check it out. I didn't realize I was the second call and that we were doing this together, so I- Paul Casey:                         And nine chapters later or whatever it's at now- Jane Winslow:                   I don't know how many there are now. But it was a natural fit for me. It was just a natural fit because that's how I work anyway. So yeah, I would be a power connector in BNI. Paul Casey:                         If you left a letter on your desk for the leader who comes after you at WinSome, Inc., what would it say? Jane Winslow:                   Run! No. Seriously, if I were to leave my desk tomorrow, with the current team in place, I would tell the new me to love these people, trust them, encourage them and be honest with them that they will push this company to new heights and you just get to enjoy the view and ride the wave. Paul Casey:                         Great letter. All right. Finally, what advice would you give to new leaders or anyone who wants to keep growing and gaining more influence? Jane Winslow:                   Well, I think it's kind of been the theme of this podcast and that would be network. Get out of your own head. I frequently when in our masterminds, we've got a couple of people in the masterminds that are really good at telling me that I am the one in my own way. And it's really hard as a business owner because we're responsible for everything. We're product, we're development, we're staff, we're office, we're bills, we're management, we're vision, we're mission, we're everything. We're absolutely everything. We are the lifeline. Jane Winslow:                   So get out of your own head to get out of your way. Surround yourself with people that you trust, who look at things differently than you do and have a different skillset. There's no business that can succeed by itself in a vacuum. You can't be successful personally and professionally doing everything yourself, you know? So create that brain trust. When I worked for Eagle Printing, my boss said to me, you know, "You need to surround yourself with people who can do things that you can't do." You know, ask them questions and let them ask you questions because you are an expert in your field. Ask them questions. Work together. Don't be afraid of the competition. Learn how to work with the competition. Jane Winslow:                   We all have our own whys. I have a lot of competition in the Tri-Cities, but I do things differently than they do even though we technically, just like a real estate agent, offer exactly the same services. You know, why work with me? You've got to understand who your brain trust people are and they'll be honest with you, especially if you're sharing with them and they're sharing with you. Be honest with me. Tell me when I'm in my own way and I've got some great people that are really good at that. Paul Casey:                         Fantastic. Well, how can our listeners best connect with you? Jane Winslow:                   So you can find, let's see. I don't even know the answer to that question. So we've got a website winsomedesign.com W-I-N-S-O-M-E design.com. We've got a Facebook page, WinSome, Inc., and my phone numbers are on there. My office is at 1201 Jadwin in Richland. There. Paul Casey:                         Excellent. Well thanks again for all you do to make the Tri-Cities a great place and keep leading well. Jane Winslow:                   Thank you. Paul Casey:                         Let me wrap up our podcast today with a leadership resource to recommend, actually it's more of a personal resource to recommend and some of the clients I have are thinking about, well I just need a hobby. You know, I just need something to lighten up my life. And so I found a website that's called notsoboringlife.com. notsoboringlife.com/list-of-hobbies. List of hobbies. And it's like 308 hobbies. If you're just thinking, I have got to try something new, I've got to stop working, not be a workaholic anymore. I need a new hobby. Check out notsoboringlife.com, list of hobbies. And don't forget to consider patronizing our sponsors of Tri-City influencer, Gravis Law and Jason Hogue, American Family Insurance. Finally, one more leadership ticket for the road to help you make a difference in your circle of influence. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." Keep growing forward. Speaker 3:                           If you enjoyed this podcast or it piqued your interest in learning more about leadership and self leadership, you can continue to glean from Paul and his Growing Forward Services. Check out Paul's blog and the products, tips and tools on his website at www.paulcasey.org and opt in to his Target Practice inspirational e-newsletter. You'll get his 33 top tips for becoming a time management rockstar when you subscribe and consider buying one of his three books. The most recent one being Leading the Team You've Always Wanted. Paul Casey:                        This podcast has been produced by Bonsai Audio at Fuse Coworking Space.  

Washington state officials are considering changes to the state's cannabis system seven years after voters legalized recreational use. We hear from the director of the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board about what the board calls "Cannabis 2.0." We hear from the board’s director, Rick Garza.

The World's biggest Protestival, Seattle Hempfest, deserves an enormous amount of credit for the progress towards legalization that we enjoy today. Founded in 1991, this annual gathering of activists, enthusiasts, and casual users as well as non-users, has captured the attention of this cultural movement from people around the globe. In today's politicized landscape of Cannabis, the event is more important than ever, representing an homage to the rights we citizens have gained, as well as a triumphant display of unity in the face of progress that remains to be made toward full Cannabis normalization. Presently, the city of Seattle and the Liquor and Cannabis Board are actively attempting to silence the right to publicly celebrate this controversial plant. Please join the Leaf Life team as we touch on the amazing journey of legendary co-founder Vivian McPeak while he reminisces about the early struggles and shares his outlook on the battle for the future of Hempfest. GUESTS: Vivian McPeakCo-founder of Seattle Hempfest, former rock star hopeful, all-around badass. SUBJECT DISCUSSED IN SEGMENT 1: The World’s First Cannabis Profestival SUBJECT DISCUSSED IN SEGMENT 2: Maintaining Relevance GREG THE GUINEA PIG: Dave Sloan Co-owner of Herb’s House Cannabis retail shop SPONSORS:Herb's House Avitas American Extracts Acme DieselDabstars HypeHerbally STONEY BALONEY EPISODE:PEOPLE AND THEIR ANNOYING KIDS Don't Forget to Subscribe to the Show!

International - High flying: Canada to let airline passengers pack cannabis https://www.malaymail.com/s/1679563/high-flying-canada-to-let-airline-passengers-pack-cannabis Health - Synthetic cannabis a 'public health emergency' - NZ Drug Foundation https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/10/synthetic-cannabis-a-public-health-emergency-nz-drug-foundation.html Science - National News - Congress Is Getting Frustrated With the White House’s Pot Policy https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/weed-pot-policy-white-house-congress-trump-733285/ Stock News - Molson Exec To Head Cannabis Drinks Arm; New Age Readies CBD Drinks https://www.investors.com/news/marijuana-stocks-molson-new-age-cbd-drinks/ Midterm Election 2018 - 7 Important Cannabis Narratives in the 2018 Midterm Elections http://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/article/cannabis-issues-november-midterm-elections/ Nevada - “UNLV Offers Cannabis Class To Certify Budtenders” https://knpr.org/knpr/2018-09/unlv-offers-cannabis-class-certify-budtenders Colorado - Colorado Cannabis Laws Too Loose, US Attorney Says https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/colorado-cannabis-laws-too-loose-us-attorney-says Oregon - Oregon pot growers want to export excess weed https://katu.com/news/local/oregon-pot-growers-want-to-export-excess-weed Washington - State Liquor and Cannabis Board to re-evaluate pot edibles https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/state/washington/article219608610.html California - New California Law Bans Bars, Liquor Stores from Selling Marijuana-Infused Drinks https://reason.com/blog/2018/10/05/new-california-law-bans-mixing-marijuana Massachusetts - Massachusetts Issues Cannabis Retail Licenses in Northampton, Leicester https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/massachusetts-issues-cannabis-retail-licenses-in-northampton-leicester Michigan - Many businesses see green in Michigan's upcoming vote on recreational marijuana http://www.michiganradio.org/post/many-businesses-see-green-michigans-upcoming-vote-recreational-marijuana Maryland - “Maryland adds 4 dispensaries, 1 processor to list of Ok'd cannabis businesses” https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2018/10/03/maryland-adds-4-dispensaries-1-processor-to-list.html New York - Pennsylvania - New Jersey - New Jersey Governor: Recreational marijuana will be legal 'sooner than later' https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/news/2018/10/03/nj-governor-recreational-marijuana-be-legal-soon.html Illinois - Pot Topics: Medical weed use up 80% in Illinois; Mormons back Utah pot plan https://chicago.suntimes.com/cannabis/medical-marijuana-cannabis-pot-infused-drinks/ Florida - “Cannabis ice cream shows promise for Florida patients” http://www.fox35orlando.com/news/local-news/cannabis-ice-cream-shows-promise-for-florida-patients Hawaii - Oklahoma - Oklahoma has OK’d more than 1,000 medical marijuana businesses https://mjbizdaily.com/oklahoma-has-okd-more-than-1000-medical-marijuana-businesses/

Rick Garza Marijuana, What Can We Learn from Washington State?   On October 17, 2018, Canada will become the second nation, after Uruguay, to legalize marijuana. In doing so we have stepped outside of our commitment to the United Nations to restrict the use of Schedule 1 controlled substances. To date, the UN and other nations have not responded negatively to our new legislation.   Perhaps they are waiting and watching before determining if a response is required. Perhaps we can establish national protocols that will become an international standard. But where do we turn to for insights into the path from prohibition to legalization?   The first state in the United States to legalize marijuana was Washington State, what lessons can we learn from its experience with legalization?   Does marijuana use increase? Do DUI’s rise, how do you measure, monitor and ensure the highest standards? And how do you ensure use among teens does not increase? The issues are many and they cover everything from policing to public health, growing, producing, quality, retail and tax collection.   Will banks allow marijuana producers, processors and retailers to open bank accounts? Without them how are taxes paid? In Washington State, the national banks all said they were not going to launder drug money. The state had to pass a bill that allowed local banks to accept money from registered marijuana retailers and producers. Do we have to do the same here in Canada? These are just some of the many issues that will arise and need to be addressed.   We invited Rick Garza, the Director of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the lessons our neighbour to the south has learned since legalizing marijuana in 2012.   Simon Fraser University’s Centre for Dialogue presents Conversations That Matter. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for an important and engaging Conversation about the issues shaping our future.   Please become a Patreon subscriber and support the production of this program, with a $1 pledge https://goo.gl/ypXyDs

Baked and Awake Podcast Season 2, Episode 01 January 7, 2018   Legal Cannabis Updates and Other News   Old Business- Welcome to the first Episode of the Baked and Awake Podcast for 2018!! Holy Moly you Guys, we recorded 22 Episodes in 2017, having started this little project back in late August, almost September. In that time we have had well over 1000 downloads in total, with a one day record of 99 downloads! That just happened in December, with our Mars Hill Episodes One and Two! Thanks to everyone who participated in the MH episodes discussion and offline conversations. You all know who you are.. Looking forward to even more of that in the future, for sure, and I thoroughly enjoyed making those episodes, so please do check them out! What an honor it has been to spend time with you all and talk about all sorts of things we are not just “curious” about, but inspired to actively seek out and better understand them. That we may feel and appreciate esoteric topics more fully as our knowledge and comfort with them grows. But at its baseline, and for the purposes of this podcast there is one overriding and continuous theme we will devote ourselves to here, and it’s the plant. If you still are here with me by now, I’m gonna go ahead and take it for a given that you do too. Cannabis is a special gift, an embattled ally to millions, and perhaps the single greatest panacea against general pain, mental and physical suffering, and indeed grave diseases- to ever take the stage alongside we poor, fragile, fleshy humans in this short, brutally painful adventure that holds for each and every one of us but one possible conclusion. Is it such a wonder then, that some (most) folks in certain (many) industries and the halls of power don’t like it so much! But I digress!   We have goals to set for 2018. The Royal “We”, LOL- meaning me of course. But hey- these can perhaps be shared goals. Let’s see how we do- you tell me.   Record and publish once a week all year Visit as many shops, grows, kitchens, and labs as possible, and share them with you Raise awareness and funds for projects such as The Sentencing Project, NORML, and others that support and actively seek the end of mass incarceration in the US and particularly for non violent drug offenders. Support and raise awareness for National movements to legalize and reschedule Cannabis and Hemp in all their varieties.   Continue to create more robust episode notes for reference purposes Pursue the above while respecting my Guests, Audience, and my Family at all times   Baked and Awake Minifesto: Basically, the world I would like to live in would provide robust access to medical cannabis for patients in need. This world would also formally invest in heavy mainstream research into applications by western medical minds (Don’t fear it, it’s happening if we like it or not). Finally, this world will have decriminalized and de stigmatized, or rehabilitated- the Adult Casual Cannabis user as a normal member of society. One in fact that is recognizably more safe, productive, and healthy to be or be around, than say- heavy lifelong users of tobacco or alcohol.     Reminder that we do have a Patreon page with super modest buy ins for supporting the show, and I have just ordered my first run of stickers to be made as thank you gifts for my early loyal supporters and subscribers- check the page out at: https://www.patreon.com/bakedandawakeshow, where you can learn more about exclusive content as well as bigger field trips planned for 2018!   Perhaps even more exciting than some awkward crowdfunding page (sorry Patreon!), how about I tell you instead about our new Teepublic shop, where you can find ALL SORTS of sweet Baked and Awake swag like Stickers, T Shirts, Hoodies, Ladies T’s, Mugs, Totes, Banners for your smoking lair, and more! (Sorry, no kids sizes available because this is a show for Grown Folks. This is something I am genuinely excited about since I have started collecting AH-MAZING Radass (my own word, patented) logo designs from my good buddies T. Selin of Crimson Graphics and Robbo, AKA ZAEOS who is a local legend around here in the Graffitti community. This new shop is a way you can really, seriously support the show, because every time you take a sip from your  Baked and Awake Coffee mug during your morning standup meeting at Amazon, everyone will know you are a fascinating and mysterious individual, with interests of which they know almost nothing. They will pine vaguely for your attention, as they wonder “what IS that strange but compelling logo on their mug? What does it mean? I wonder if I can Google it?”  -sentiments to that effect. Go and see what I mean, visit the shop, and be among the first to begin spreading the word about Baked and Awake to the unwashed masses, of which there are kabillions who still need to hear the Good News! https://www.teepublic.com/user/bakedandawake   By the way, if you have been listening, but perhaps have been lollygagging and haven’t managed to do this yet- PLEASE review us favorably on iTunes or wherever you see a chance to log feedback about the show! It really does help, and is just as sure to put a smile on my face as ordering a T shirt or joining me on Patreon!   And now, the News: (Get Safe)   California finally opens the biggest legal cannabis market in North America, January 1st 2018. Let’s have a look at the ins and outs of how it will work for californians looking to make their first legal recreational Pot score. http://www.politifact.com/california/article/2018/jan/05/pot-101-facts-you-should-know-about-californias-le/   Only three days after California celebrated legal Pot, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions the fifth, or whatever his name is- rescinded the famous and influential Obama era “Cole Memorandum” which gently but famously advised then President Obama to forego applying any federal funds to pursuing cases against States or Business entities in good standing within States that had moved to implement legal medical or recreational cannabis sales. This announcement on the part of the famously hard line Anti-Drug Lawmaker has many in nascent weed industries feeling suddlenly nervous about the future of their exciting anf profitable new enterprise. One prominent reaction came from the Chairman of Alaska’s Cannabis Board, who resigned specifically and immediately over this change in policy from the Justice Department.   Analysis of the threat: WA Cannabis Sales Numbers from 502Data.com   Oregon’s Sales in 2017, highlights (85 Million Dollars in 8 months)   Colorado Cannabis Sales Figures for 2017   List of States with Medical or Recreational Cannabis   Population of WA: 7.2 Million  Oregon: 4.1 million, California: 39.2 million   The Cannabist agrees with me, in that we both believe this will only pave the way for a meaningful and well funded national campaign to give this issue to the States once and for all. Federal re-sceduling should be next, and the final victory would be the freeing of hundreds of thousands of non violent drug offenders currently serving time for cannabis related crimes.   Colorado Lawmakers already making moves to protect Cannabis industry - Time Magazine Stories to Watch:   -Will the Governments of the world or Shadowy Globalists engineer a major financial meltdown and then blame it on Crypto currencies? (Before it’s News)   -Phones and Computers wide open to Security Vulnerabilities   -Alpha Zero Chess AI Bests former champ in just four hours, demonstrating tactics never before seen in the history of the game   -FCC moves to re define what Broadband is   -Trump to pardon Julian Assange?   Pods of the Week:   The Rogue Muslim Podcast- Intelligent talk about being Muslim in America today. Such a rare opportunity to sit and feel connected to well spoken and thoughtful Young Muslims who are themselves earnestly seeking meaningful dialogue with fellow members of their faith and non muslims alike.   The Come to the Table Podcast Host and Pastor Sean McCoy single handedly rehabilitates modern Evangelical Christianity to a diverse audience at Come to the Table. Race, Gender issues, Spirituality and the challenges of keeping a strong faith in the modern world are all part of the discussion. It’s good stuff, and as I like to point out- even easier than going to church!   Unpopular Culture Podcast  Brilliant analysis of True Crime stories that you thought you’d heard everything you could know about. Host Michael Drane is a Licensed Psychotherapist with, as he says- a background in forensics. Basically, some version of a profiler, and this podcast is an absolute must listen for fans of true crime pods.   Strain of the Week: 9Lb Hammer in a 2.5g Party Pre Roll Joint from Lucky Devil Cannabis, purchased at Urban Bud in Tacoma WA- Thanks Alondra and Crew for the great service as always!   Events: If you live in Western WA and wish to join us in person to network and connect with other Cannabis Industry Professionals, join us next Wednesday in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle for a monthly gathering of the Cannabis Influencers Northwest.  We are the newest and most exciting Cannabis focused group in the region, and big things are afoot for the coming year! You can find us on Meetup.com to RSVP, or gate crash the event on Wednesday evening at 6pm at Counterbalance Brewing .   FINALLY:   I’ll leave you with one last Holiday minded sentiment: If you’re the “New Year’s Resolution” type, or maybe if you’re not- a suggestion, something to consider trying, perhaps:   Set a big huge scary goal for yourself. Start working towards it right away. Tell NO ONE Achieve said Big Huge Scary Goal. Tell NO ONE Profit   And as always, I leave you with my possibly annoying tagline- #smokeindicadoshitanyway   Royalty Free Music for this episode by Antti’s Instrumentals

Libby Haines describes her legal battle with the WA state Liquor & Cannabis Board. She is due a retail store license but LCB has ruled against her because of her husband though she's done everything by the book.

Brian Smith from the Liquor & Cannabis Board in Washington State discusses the fact that the state is in fact regulating cannabis like alcohol.  We discuss the initial lottery and the ensuing HB 5052. Finally, Brian takes us through the post July 1, 2016 reality. Nevada native Andrew Jolley then joins us and discusses his family’s history in the state which harkens back further than most. He takes us through the overall economic picture and then dives in to the cannabis economy in Nevada.  Andrew lets us know about some of the qualifying conditions as well as how reciprocity is in fact working regarding out of state cards and recommendations.

According to data from the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board, since legal marijuana entered the market in July 2014, prices have dropped from $25 to $30 per gram to about $10 a gram now,