00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,960 Internet marketing is what that guy said right when I got in there. 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,440 That's been the running joke between you and I for 15 plus years. 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,200 It's been a while. 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,120 It's, it's a great story. 5 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,440 He said that Internet marketing is. 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:24,400 Now, mind you guys, I'm thinking I'm being set up here because I'm, that's what I'm providing. 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:25,280 I'm providing. 8 00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:32,740 Mike and John Internet marketing welcome to the Gain Traction Podcast, the official podcast for tire business. 9 00:00:32,740 --> 00:00:41,340 I am Mike Edge, your host and I have the privilege of interviewing the tire dealers, shop owners, counter sales reps, technicians, industry executives and other thought leaders of our industry. 10 00:00:41,420 --> 00:00:43,620 This episode is brought to you by Tread Partners. 11 00:00:43,620 --> 00:00:50,140 Tread Partners is the leading digital marketing agency that specializes in digital marketing for multi location tire and auto repair shops. 12 00:00:50,140 --> 00:00:54,220 Tread Partners works with clients that have hundreds of locations, down to five locations. 13 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:58,240 Get a professional unbiased opinion and let Tread Partners review what you're doing. 14 00:00:58,240 --> 00:00:59,880 It starts with a simple conversation. 15 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,880 To contact tread partners, visit treadpartners.com so let's get started. 16 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,200 Welcome to the Gain Traction podcast, the official podcast for tire business. 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:23,880 One of my all time favorite guys in the industry is my guest today, Mike Griffin with DNK Tire, AKA Dunlap and Kyle Tire in Birmingham, Alabama. 18 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:24,960 He's the sales manager. 19 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:29,810 And Mike, I'd say we've known each other at least 15 plus years now. 20 00:01:30,610 --> 00:01:31,650 How the heck are you? 21 00:01:32,130 --> 00:01:33,330 Everything is good, man. 22 00:01:33,330 --> 00:01:34,530 How, how about you? 23 00:01:34,530 --> 00:01:34,930 Re. 24 00:01:35,570 --> 00:01:36,730 That's fantastic. 25 00:01:36,730 --> 00:01:42,330 I, I was excited that you actually said you'd do podcasts with me because I don't have an agenda today. 26 00:01:42,330 --> 00:01:44,370 I'm not trying to accomplish anything with you. 27 00:01:44,530 --> 00:01:45,810 We laugh a lot together. 28 00:01:45,890 --> 00:01:54,430 So I figured, man, this is a great one to do with people that just, you know, want to listen to guys in the tire industry just tell some funny old stories maybe. 29 00:01:54,670 --> 00:01:57,310 Well, if you have no agenda, I'm the man for the job. 30 00:01:57,710 --> 00:01:58,910 I can assure you. 31 00:01:59,790 --> 00:02:01,870 I knew you checked that box for me. 32 00:02:02,510 --> 00:02:03,990 Well, let's take people down. 33 00:02:03,990 --> 00:02:04,750 Memory laid. 34 00:02:04,750 --> 00:02:09,870 When I first met you is when you were with SNS Tire, if I'm not mistaken. 35 00:02:10,270 --> 00:02:11,630 Yes, that's correct. 36 00:02:11,790 --> 00:02:13,950 And, and I was with Upright Communications. 37 00:02:13,950 --> 00:02:19,830 We did Internet marketing for you guys and I'm just gonna go ahead and get to it. 38 00:02:19,830 --> 00:02:28,950 You know what, I'm gonna get too because it's one of my all time favorite funny stories because it's so legitimate. 39 00:02:29,030 --> 00:02:30,710 But folks, let me prep you guys. 40 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:37,790 When I started with, when I met Mike, were doing Internet marketing for tire dealers. 41 00:02:37,790 --> 00:02:38,390 That was it. 42 00:02:38,390 --> 00:02:41,030 And were basically getting them up online. 43 00:02:41,190 --> 00:02:49,570 This was in the mid 2000s, early 2000s, and the company had contracted me to meet with their dealers. 44 00:02:49,650 --> 00:03:02,370 So I went all over the Southeast and met with different folks, met Mike and in Birmingham and he was taking me around to some of his dealers and went out to lunch with Mike and Joe, I'm not mistaken. 45 00:03:02,370 --> 00:03:02,610 Right. 46 00:03:02,610 --> 00:03:02,930 John. 47 00:03:03,010 --> 00:03:03,410 John. 48 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:04,450 To Mike and John. 49 00:03:05,010 --> 00:03:07,010 And I'll let you take it from there. 50 00:03:08,210 --> 00:03:09,890 Well, were. 51 00:03:10,290 --> 00:03:17,870 Went to meet with these, the two brothers and they had a tire store at that time in Chelsea, Alabama. 52 00:03:17,870 --> 00:03:20,790 They still have it and they have another one here in Birmingham now. 53 00:03:21,590 --> 00:03:28,630 So there was a newer restaurant in that community and they were wanting us to go and eat lunch there. 54 00:03:29,270 --> 00:03:35,150 So the owner of the restaurant and they were all for supporting community and small business and things. 55 00:03:35,150 --> 00:03:37,230 And he was kind of tell. 56 00:03:37,230 --> 00:03:43,000 He was having a little bit of struggles with all the things that were coming at him because they'd only been open for a few weeks. 57 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:52,400 And he's telling Mike and John as we're sitting there with them and telling us, said, you know, well, it's this and that and the other. 58 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,840 He said, but I want to tell you one thing, he said that Internet marketing is. 59 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,580 Now, mind you guys, I'm thinking I'm being set up here because I'm. 60 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:07,780 That's what I'm providing. 61 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:11,780 I'm providing Mike and John Internet marketing. 62 00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:14,740 And, and I think these guys are bait, man. 63 00:04:14,900 --> 00:04:16,579 They swear to this day they didn't. 64 00:04:17,380 --> 00:04:20,899 We, we fell out laughing for about five minutes straight. 65 00:04:20,899 --> 00:04:22,740 And that guy was really confused. 66 00:04:23,220 --> 00:04:23,580 Yeah. 67 00:04:23,580 --> 00:04:24,780 He could figure out why were laughing. 68 00:04:24,780 --> 00:04:25,180 Sorry. 69 00:04:25,180 --> 00:04:26,820 Because he had no idea what were doing. 70 00:04:27,540 --> 00:04:32,360 He was as baffled as Adam on Mother's. 71 00:04:32,990 --> 00:04:35,110 Anyway, the food was pretty good at that place. 72 00:04:35,110 --> 00:04:37,630 But that was one that really stuck with me. 73 00:04:37,630 --> 00:04:39,870 One of my favorite, all time favorite stories. 74 00:04:39,870 --> 00:04:41,990 Because I swear my jaw dropped. 75 00:04:41,990 --> 00:04:42,990 I think y' all saw that. 76 00:04:42,990 --> 00:04:44,590 And I was just like, no way. 77 00:04:44,990 --> 00:04:47,910 You know, and it was just like, I mean, talking about a buzz kill. 78 00:04:47,910 --> 00:04:51,950 And I just met, I just, I mean I literally had just met Mike and John. 79 00:04:51,950 --> 00:04:56,350 I think went to their shop first, but we literally were just meeting for lunch and. 80 00:04:56,910 --> 00:04:57,390 Yes. 81 00:04:57,390 --> 00:04:57,870 Yeah. 82 00:04:58,180 --> 00:04:59,380 Oh, that was so funny. 83 00:04:59,540 --> 00:05:02,100 Internet marketing is what that guy said. 84 00:05:02,740 --> 00:05:03,140 Right. 85 00:05:03,300 --> 00:05:04,500 Right when I got in there. 86 00:05:04,740 --> 00:05:05,220 Yeah. 87 00:05:05,620 --> 00:05:08,020 That's been the running joke between you and I for. 88 00:05:08,580 --> 00:05:10,220 Oh yeah, 15 plus years. 89 00:05:10,220 --> 00:05:10,980 It's been a while. 90 00:05:10,980 --> 00:05:12,820 It's, it's a great story. 91 00:05:12,980 --> 00:05:18,260 I tell you another funny story that I had when I was at the Ballantrae. 92 00:05:18,340 --> 00:05:19,300 Is that the way you say it? 93 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:19,980 Ballantrae? 94 00:05:19,980 --> 00:05:21,020 Ballantrae, yes. 95 00:05:21,020 --> 00:05:21,340 Yeah. 96 00:05:21,340 --> 00:05:24,660 Golf club where you guys used to host that annual tournament. 97 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:26,600 That was a beautiful course, by the way. 98 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:30,000 But when I get down there, you know, everybody gets there about 7 o' clock in the morning. 99 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,240 I think TL's about 8. 100 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,520 Everybody's getting their coffee, donuts, whatever, meeting. 101 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:39,000 And it was funny because I meet this guy in the cart next to me. 102 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:39,680 I'm putting my. 103 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:49,760 My clubs on the back of the cart, and I don't know if I ever told you this story, but he goes, hey, you know, we just do the short exchange, introduction, whatever. 104 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:50,480 Where are you from? 105 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:51,080 Where are you from? 106 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:52,400 I said, owensboro, Kentucky. 107 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:53,520 And he goes, Owensboro. 108 00:05:54,470 --> 00:06:00,870 He looks to his right and he goes, hey, Joe, whatever his buddy's name was, he goes, owensboro, right here. 109 00:06:01,110 --> 00:06:04,070 And I'm like, inside joke. 110 00:06:04,070 --> 00:06:04,750 And I know what. 111 00:06:04,750 --> 00:06:05,470 What's going on here. 112 00:06:05,470 --> 00:06:11,790 And he goes, man, I don't know what it is, he said, but every time we travel anywhere, we run into one of you people, he goes, y'. 113 00:06:11,790 --> 00:06:11,990 All. 114 00:06:11,990 --> 00:06:15,110 He goes, you people travel better eva I've ever met. 115 00:06:16,230 --> 00:06:20,910 And then he was talking about mutual acquaintance of ours because they were Bridgestone. 116 00:06:20,910 --> 00:06:21,750 I know a guy out there. 117 00:06:21,750 --> 00:06:22,470 Bridgestone. 118 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:28,670 And anyway, he said when he goes to the airport with him, he says every time he goes to the airport, he runs into somebody from his hometown in Woodsboro, Kentucky. 119 00:06:28,670 --> 00:06:30,030 He goes, how big are you guys? 120 00:06:30,030 --> 00:06:32,270 I said, I mean, the county, about 106,000. 121 00:06:32,270 --> 00:06:32,710 That's it. 122 00:06:32,710 --> 00:06:34,270 And he goes, what's the deal? 123 00:06:34,270 --> 00:06:37,190 But he said, literally everywhere he goes, he runs into somebody. 124 00:06:37,190 --> 00:06:40,670 So you, him and the guy that were, I guess he was playing with, they. 125 00:06:40,990 --> 00:06:41,630 They had a. 126 00:06:41,630 --> 00:06:48,270 A running joke about running, where they were going to run into their Onesboro guy that day or whatever, but they did, so. 127 00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:49,500 I don't know. 128 00:06:50,700 --> 00:06:51,820 I did not know that. 129 00:06:52,060 --> 00:06:53,020 Yeah, so I was. 130 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:55,020 I. I completed the cycle for him. 131 00:06:55,020 --> 00:06:55,340 He. 132 00:06:55,420 --> 00:06:57,020 I was the guy that day for him. 133 00:06:57,980 --> 00:07:02,660 But anyway, no, I remember coming down there a lot, and I loved. 134 00:07:02,660 --> 00:07:04,140 I love playing in that golf tournament. 135 00:07:04,140 --> 00:07:04,940 Are you guys still. 136 00:07:05,820 --> 00:07:07,980 Do you still do any playing down there at all? 137 00:07:07,980 --> 00:07:11,580 Because I know you're not with the same company or anything, but you guys, we. 138 00:07:11,580 --> 00:07:12,260 We do not. 139 00:07:12,260 --> 00:07:15,260 We participate a lot with the Alabama Tire Diggers Association. 140 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,640 They'll have some scholarship fundraising tournaments. 141 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:25,560 They'll have usually one in the spring and one in the fall along with their convention. 142 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:25,840 But. 143 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:26,640 But we do that. 144 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:27,000 But. 145 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:32,520 But not so much like the customers coming in and us giving away all the door prizes and all the. 146 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:41,960 Yeah, it had some good stuff back in the day real quick at D and K, you know, on the, on the business side with passenger light truck. 147 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,060 Where do you know, where do you see the market right now? 148 00:07:45,060 --> 00:07:47,300 Especially like with tariffs and things like that? 149 00:07:47,460 --> 00:07:49,060 What are you guys seeing in Alabama? 150 00:07:49,940 --> 00:07:56,260 It's see a lot of people with just uncertainty and afraid to really make big purchases. 151 00:07:56,580 --> 00:07:57,140 Yeah. 152 00:07:57,540 --> 00:08:12,610 Not knowing like what happened, you know, four years ago, I guess, when all the tariffs and things went up and a lot of people got caught upside down with high cost and inventory from freight rates and tariffs and everything like that. 153 00:08:12,690 --> 00:08:24,690 So everybody's being a little more cautious and seems like there as the prices continue to rise on that stuff, the domestic product as well, that people are somewhat tearing down. 154 00:08:25,010 --> 00:08:44,800 And you know, I was Michelin and Bridgestone, you know, just the two of the top tier, top tires that people seem to be settling down to a, you know, maybe a Unirole and a Firestone instead of, you know, the top of the light gun. 155 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:51,680 Or do you see a lot of the, like the, even the tier three or what it maybe even call them tier fours? 156 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:53,600 Do you see a lot of those being sold more? 157 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:54,800 We do. 158 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:55,880 Yeah, we do. 159 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,400 And even the tier four and those prices continue to rise as well, so. 160 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,320 But not as significant, right? 161 00:09:03,050 --> 00:09:04,090 No, not as significant. 162 00:09:04,330 --> 00:09:18,530 But you know, just it seems like domestic manufacturers, they're going to keep a spread of a certain percentage in between what the import tires are and what their product is so they can, you know, take it. 163 00:09:18,530 --> 00:09:20,570 I think they take advantage of that just to be honest. 164 00:09:20,570 --> 00:09:21,770 So they're, they're. 165 00:09:21,850 --> 00:09:26,410 In other words, the tariff has allowed them to raise their price, but not by. 166 00:09:26,730 --> 00:09:35,010 They don't have to raise it as they can stay competitive underneath the whatever the tariff causes in regards to an increase. 167 00:09:35,570 --> 00:09:39,970 They can, they got the advantages of racing their price, but not as much. 168 00:09:40,450 --> 00:09:40,850 Right. 169 00:09:41,170 --> 00:09:42,090 Yeah, right. 170 00:09:42,090 --> 00:09:42,690 And they do. 171 00:09:42,690 --> 00:09:43,410 And I mean that. 172 00:09:43,490 --> 00:09:44,770 It's always been that way. 173 00:09:44,770 --> 00:09:45,570 That's not a. 174 00:09:45,810 --> 00:09:47,650 And I'm sure their costs go up as well. 175 00:09:47,650 --> 00:09:53,650 You know, I mean, I'm not, I don't want to make it sound like I they're gouging anybody. 176 00:09:53,650 --> 00:09:54,250 They're not. 177 00:09:54,250 --> 00:10:00,500 But I'm just saying there's going to mean maintain a spread between those two segments of the market. 178 00:10:01,220 --> 00:10:04,140 Well, I mean without going too deep down the rabbit hole. 179 00:10:04,140 --> 00:10:09,860 I mean it, you know, that they, they've been trying to say that inflation was under control. 180 00:10:10,020 --> 00:10:15,140 Inflation's, you know, it's only gone up by X amount or whatever. 181 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:18,900 I think last year I heard it had only gone up, but they said 9%. 182 00:10:18,980 --> 00:10:19,620 And I'm. 183 00:10:19,620 --> 00:10:21,700 I want to say, I just want to call B.S. 184 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:25,140 i mean, I know things that have doubled in price, you know what I'm saying? 185 00:10:25,140 --> 00:10:26,910 And I'm like, come on, guys. 186 00:10:26,910 --> 00:10:40,430 I mean, and all these little tricks they play, you know, in Washington for the last couple years about how to classify what's, you know, an increase or whatever, just come ask me. 187 00:10:40,430 --> 00:10:41,070 I can tell you. 188 00:10:41,070 --> 00:10:52,030 I mean, you look at the price of milk and eggs and anything else out there, I mean, just, you know, for instance, I told you we're doing this little remodel in our bathroom here at the house, man. 189 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:58,160 I can tell you when I had it originally quoted and when it's getting in now we're talking two different ball games, man. 190 00:10:58,480 --> 00:10:58,960 Wow. 191 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,640 You know, and I see it in the tire industry, too. 192 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,040 And it's unfortunately. 193 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:13,600 But, you know, everybody in the political sphere like to tell us what they think we can absorb. 194 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:15,120 As if we're not. 195 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,520 As if we're stupid, that we can't figure out that, no, it's a lot higher than 9%. 196 00:11:20,430 --> 00:11:20,750 Yes. 197 00:11:21,630 --> 00:11:28,070 And most of, the, most of our customers who are the independent tire dealers, you know, they're. 198 00:11:28,070 --> 00:11:28,750 They're really. 199 00:11:28,990 --> 00:11:32,190 Tire sales are flat, you know, at best. 200 00:11:33,470 --> 00:11:42,190 But their service work is really good, which is, you know, what is the lifeblood of the shop anyway? 201 00:11:42,750 --> 00:11:44,470 Yeah, well. 202 00:11:44,470 --> 00:11:47,550 And I think, obviously people aren't buying the new car right now. 203 00:11:47,630 --> 00:11:47,990 Right. 204 00:11:47,990 --> 00:11:49,550 So they're going to get it repaired longer. 205 00:11:50,190 --> 00:11:54,510 So that obviously helps the independent tire and auto repairs shop out. 206 00:11:54,590 --> 00:11:54,990 So. 207 00:11:55,310 --> 00:12:00,390 But at the same time, tire sales tend to go down to the. 208 00:12:00,390 --> 00:12:03,710 I mean, people just don't buy tires unless they absolutely need them now. 209 00:12:04,350 --> 00:12:05,070 That's right. 210 00:12:05,950 --> 00:12:06,990 That's exactly right. 211 00:12:06,990 --> 00:12:08,990 I mean, there are people telling us, you know, they. 212 00:12:08,990 --> 00:12:12,190 They run them to the wires or hanging out, you know, anymore. 213 00:12:12,670 --> 00:12:14,270 In a lot of cases. 214 00:12:15,270 --> 00:12:15,510 Yeah. 215 00:12:15,510 --> 00:12:18,150 I, I recently got a new set and I. 216 00:12:18,390 --> 00:12:19,470 For my wife, that is. 217 00:12:19,470 --> 00:12:21,830 But I don't play that game anymore, though. 218 00:12:21,830 --> 00:12:22,390 Or a guy. 219 00:12:22,390 --> 00:12:22,790 I. 220 00:12:23,190 --> 00:12:37,350 If you, if you've ever hydroplaned and done a real serious hydroplane, like not just a little, you know, through the water, but the one where you go, like, skidding for a hundred yards, feel like you're on ice, that changes your opinion about. 221 00:12:38,230 --> 00:12:44,880 I mean, I don't even Let them get down to the nub anymore, you know, right below the marker anymore. 222 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:45,760 The wear bars? 223 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,400 Yeah, yeah, the wear bar. 224 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,560 I, I just, I mean, I'm well before that now. 225 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:52,160 Well, that's good. 226 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:54,600 And, and we should all be that way. 227 00:12:54,600 --> 00:13:00,760 But, you know, especially people who are in the tire business, they're kind of like, they used to talk about painters. 228 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,400 You know, their house, they paint worse than any of them on the block. 229 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:10,920 You know, our tire guys tend to see how far they can push you sometimes, and that's not good either. 230 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:17,920 But, man, I gotta tell you something that you'll appreciate, and I don't know why this comes to mind, but my wife and I have this thing in Owensboro. 231 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,880 There's this is, I guess he's just a regular painter contractor. 232 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:22,879 You're bringing up painters. 233 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:30,720 And he's got a sign out in his front yard that looks like it's stenciled on wood, like a plywood. 234 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:35,200 Like it's stenciled on plywood with two wood stakes that go in the ground. 235 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,790 And, and it says painting professionals or whatever. 236 00:13:38,790 --> 00:13:40,190 And it's got a phone number with it. 237 00:13:40,270 --> 00:13:43,310 But I mean, the board that it's on looks like crap, right? 238 00:13:43,550 --> 00:13:46,830 And the stencil they use looks like crap. 239 00:13:46,990 --> 00:13:48,990 And the paint, it just looks like crap. 240 00:13:49,310 --> 00:13:51,310 My wife and I, we can't. 241 00:13:52,830 --> 00:13:58,270 You know, the thing is, this guy might be a good painter, but his marketing is horrible. 242 00:13:58,270 --> 00:13:59,150 Like, he doesn't understand. 243 00:13:59,710 --> 00:14:02,350 No, you need a first class sign out here, pal. 244 00:14:02,510 --> 00:14:06,590 You don't need, you don't need to be painting plywood with two wooden stakes. 245 00:14:07,270 --> 00:14:17,990 Say you're a professional painter with stencil, and I'm like, you know, my mind works like marketing anyway, but I'm going, man, I, I can't imagine who's calling you. 246 00:14:18,870 --> 00:14:25,430 Well, our old industry saying, you know, that perception is reality. 247 00:14:25,590 --> 00:14:26,430 You know what I mean? 248 00:14:26,430 --> 00:14:30,990 If that's what you perceive, then it's, you know, that's whether it's that way or not. 249 00:14:30,990 --> 00:14:32,630 That's where that's in your mall. 250 00:14:33,060 --> 00:14:37,420 I, I, and you know, the thing is, the guy actually might be a pretty good painter. 251 00:14:37,420 --> 00:14:49,220 But I don't know, I feel like if you don't, if you can't catch this little detail right here, the sign you're putting in your yard, trying to catch us, you know, get our attention, it's just, that's bad mojo right there. 252 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:52,100 Yes, I agree with you on that. 253 00:14:52,980 --> 00:14:55,700 It's one of those things just I can't help myself. 254 00:14:56,260 --> 00:15:01,060 Hey, we said we go down several rabbit holes and I got one for us. 255 00:15:01,460 --> 00:15:01,860 Food. 256 00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:04,060 Do you still eat at Nikki's? 257 00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:05,900 Every chance I get. 258 00:15:06,140 --> 00:15:06,700 Do you? 259 00:15:06,860 --> 00:15:09,260 Yeah, we from where our office is. 260 00:15:09,260 --> 00:15:11,260 It's about 25 minutes. 261 00:15:11,740 --> 00:15:15,420 So it's not a spot that we can just run over for lunch. 262 00:15:15,420 --> 00:15:24,700 But when I'm out working with sales guys or on my own or whatever, you usually try to plan your day around being over there. 263 00:15:24,940 --> 00:15:26,300 You know, about lunchtime. 264 00:15:26,540 --> 00:15:28,860 Now, guys, this is to the audience. 265 00:15:28,940 --> 00:15:31,100 This is a place to eat in Birmingham. 266 00:15:31,100 --> 00:15:33,900 And if you ever go down Birmingham, you got to go to this place. 267 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:44,400 It's a massive place that sells great food and it's like a meet and three type place, but it's more, it's cafeteria style. 268 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:44,600 Right. 269 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:50,560 I mean, if I remember right, you, you walk up through there and you're waiting in this long line, but they serve your food. 270 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:55,560 It's like, it's like a buffet, but you're not the one holding the spoons and grabbing everything. 271 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,880 They do it on the other side like a cafeteria. 272 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:03,650 And you tell them what you want, but you get kicked to the back of the line if they catch you on your cell phone. 273 00:16:04,290 --> 00:16:05,170 Absolutely. 274 00:16:05,250 --> 00:16:07,090 They will not put up with it. 275 00:16:07,890 --> 00:16:10,450 It's almost like the suit Nazi. 276 00:16:10,770 --> 00:16:13,490 Yes, exactly what I was supposed to say. 277 00:16:14,210 --> 00:16:22,330 But it is so fascinating when you go to that place because you literally pull into the parking lot and I mean, it is full. 278 00:16:22,330 --> 00:16:27,500 You think, oh my gosh, we'll be here for a couple hours trying to get in and out of here. 279 00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:33,580 And you go in and like you said, you walk through just like you're on a ride at the amusement park. 280 00:16:34,060 --> 00:16:39,980 Go through the, you know, back and forth and get your tray and your silverware. 281 00:16:39,980 --> 00:16:54,150 And there's probably, I don't know an exact number, but I mean, just, there's probably, you know, 10, eight to 10 different type meats and there's probably 20 vegetables. 282 00:16:54,150 --> 00:16:54,790 There's. 283 00:16:55,190 --> 00:16:58,350 And this is like roast beef, green beans and potatoes. 284 00:16:58,350 --> 00:17:03,430 Everything that you can imagine, casserole type stuff, you know, broccoli and cheese or whatever. 285 00:17:03,430 --> 00:17:04,310 I mean, there's just. 286 00:17:05,109 --> 00:17:06,710 The variety is amazing. 287 00:17:07,030 --> 00:17:15,990 But the other thing I was, you know, I'm bringing up because it's not like a style of restaurant that I would think I'm going to go eat there and have good quality, but the quality is outstanding. 288 00:17:15,990 --> 00:17:22,250 And to your point about pulling up in that lot, you pull up in that lot, you're like, oh guys, we're gonna be here forever, and you're not. 289 00:17:22,569 --> 00:17:25,730 But you sit there and look at the factory they've created. 290 00:17:25,730 --> 00:17:30,290 I mean, it's a factory, but the quality of food is outstanding. 291 00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:35,650 And I think part of their quality too is they, you don't, you don't get to serve yourself. 292 00:17:35,650 --> 00:17:36,170 They're. 293 00:17:36,170 --> 00:17:37,050 They're serving you. 294 00:17:37,050 --> 00:17:44,090 You just pick and like you said, Greek chicken is always a big one of their items that they have every day. 295 00:17:44,090 --> 00:17:45,290 Tilapia, they'll have something. 296 00:17:46,010 --> 00:17:53,410 But when they're so dialed in and they know what they're doing so well that, you know, they're going, can I help you, please? 297 00:17:53,410 --> 00:17:54,290 Can I help you, please? 298 00:17:54,290 --> 00:18:00,570 And when they put your food up there, you're sliding it down in front of you where you have to walk down and get it. 299 00:18:00,570 --> 00:18:06,970 So they know how to keep the line moving and they know coming through the desserts and through all of it. 300 00:18:06,970 --> 00:18:12,810 And the time you're seated, you know how you're seated, they point you back and I mean well. 301 00:18:12,810 --> 00:18:14,090 And yeah, they got you. 302 00:18:14,090 --> 00:18:16,810 They've got people to tell you which, where you can find a seat. 303 00:18:16,890 --> 00:18:18,570 That's how busy this place is. 304 00:18:18,570 --> 00:18:20,210 It's like ushers in a church or. 305 00:18:20,210 --> 00:18:22,410 Something that it literally is. 306 00:18:23,050 --> 00:18:24,330 And you can go in there. 307 00:18:24,410 --> 00:18:39,690 And I've, I told you also, I said, you know, when we pass down in front of that line before we get in, you know, through this one little turn, you need to be looking because you'll end up with like two or three meats and five vegetables. 308 00:18:39,690 --> 00:18:41,370 And in the salad. 309 00:18:41,610 --> 00:18:44,410 I mean, you really can, because it's all very good. 310 00:18:44,810 --> 00:18:46,090 Yeah, no, it's. 311 00:18:46,250 --> 00:18:49,690 If you guys ever get a chance, go to Nikki's in Birmingham. 312 00:18:50,570 --> 00:18:51,850 I tell you another thing I'm. 313 00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:59,130 I'm fascinated by is the amount of people that get through at a lunchtime and the volume of. 314 00:18:59,210 --> 00:19:00,970 Because I mean, it ain't cheap. 315 00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:04,170 No, I mean, they charge you what, it's fair. 316 00:19:04,570 --> 00:19:09,990 But you know, you get in a high quality food, it's just, technically, it's just already prepared. 317 00:19:09,990 --> 00:19:11,030 You just get your choice. 318 00:19:11,910 --> 00:19:12,630 Well, you do. 319 00:19:12,630 --> 00:19:17,030 And I, if I remember correctly, because you and I asked the. 320 00:19:19,030 --> 00:19:23,070 I think the cashiers as were going out, I mean they even have that dialed in. 321 00:19:23,070 --> 00:19:23,350 It's. 322 00:19:23,350 --> 00:19:24,830 I mean, they got two and it's. 323 00:19:24,830 --> 00:19:25,430 Anyway. 324 00:19:25,510 --> 00:19:30,070 But I think they averaged about 1700 launches a day. 325 00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:33,350 Yes, it was something astronomical like that. 326 00:19:33,990 --> 00:19:38,810 Because to put that many people through and you and I were obviously doing the Numbers. 327 00:19:38,810 --> 00:19:40,090 Kind of being entrepreneurial there. 328 00:19:40,090 --> 00:19:42,290 And were like, gosh dang, dude. 329 00:19:42,290 --> 00:19:45,090 And if you make this margin as a food, you know, in the food business. 330 00:19:45,490 --> 00:19:47,330 Yeah, they've got, they got it dialed in. 331 00:19:47,410 --> 00:19:48,930 I couldn't remember, did they do a. 332 00:19:49,970 --> 00:19:52,090 Did they do a dinner or a breakfast or. 333 00:19:52,090 --> 00:19:53,090 They open all three. 334 00:19:53,410 --> 00:19:56,490 They, they did, but when Covid came along, they. 335 00:19:56,490 --> 00:19:58,530 They cut out breakfast and dinner. 336 00:19:58,530 --> 00:20:00,130 So they just didn't watch now. 337 00:20:00,450 --> 00:20:00,930 Wow. 338 00:20:02,540 --> 00:20:05,100 And if you remember also on that, were. 339 00:20:05,980 --> 00:20:09,180 I mean, were in and out in like 45 minutes. 340 00:20:09,420 --> 00:20:10,020 Oh, I know. 341 00:20:10,020 --> 00:20:11,020 It's shocked me. 342 00:20:11,740 --> 00:20:12,460 It's just. 343 00:20:12,460 --> 00:20:17,900 I mean, if anybody is ever in Birmingham, you need to ask where Nicky's west is. 344 00:20:18,380 --> 00:20:22,140 And it's a true experience with a good meal along with it. 345 00:20:22,620 --> 00:20:23,500 Well, that's the thing. 346 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:25,900 You get really good Southern cooking. 347 00:20:27,020 --> 00:20:29,180 It's just in an environment that it's be. 348 00:20:29,180 --> 00:20:31,610 It's the amount of volume they do. 349 00:20:31,610 --> 00:20:32,650 It's just crazy. 350 00:20:32,730 --> 00:20:34,090 Had to be that good. 351 00:20:35,210 --> 00:20:47,530 There's a lot of means you'll see on whatever outlet that you look at when they'll say, like, we have a part of interstates where they join together in Birmingham. 352 00:20:47,530 --> 00:20:49,290 It's called Malfunction Junction. 353 00:20:49,930 --> 00:20:50,570 Okay. 354 00:20:50,730 --> 00:20:54,650 So it's always backed up through there, you know, in rush hour type stuff. 355 00:20:54,650 --> 00:20:59,050 And they always say, if you want to get that straightened out, put Nicky's west in charge. 356 00:20:59,050 --> 00:20:59,610 They'll. 357 00:21:00,050 --> 00:21:02,050 They'll blow everybody through there in a herd. 358 00:21:02,370 --> 00:21:03,050 That's true. 359 00:21:03,050 --> 00:21:04,370 They know how to handle a crowd. 360 00:21:04,370 --> 00:21:06,130 Man, that's funny. 361 00:21:06,530 --> 00:21:07,970 Malfunction Junction. 362 00:21:08,290 --> 00:21:09,370 I know where you're talking about. 363 00:21:09,370 --> 00:21:11,770 I think I've been down through there plenty of times. 364 00:21:11,770 --> 00:21:13,730 Yes, yeah. 365 00:21:14,850 --> 00:21:16,810 Well, let's talk about something else. 366 00:21:16,810 --> 00:21:19,210 I mean, like I said, we're gonna go down all these little rabbit holes. 367 00:21:19,210 --> 00:21:20,130 What's your favorite. 368 00:21:20,130 --> 00:21:21,290 You mentioned sports movies. 369 00:21:21,290 --> 00:21:22,370 What's your favorite movie? 370 00:21:22,770 --> 00:21:23,730 Sports movie. 371 00:21:23,890 --> 00:21:26,540 I, you know, I mean, it just. 372 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:29,740 It kind of depends whether I'm kind of what mood I'm in. 373 00:21:29,740 --> 00:21:31,260 I love Caddyshack. 374 00:21:31,260 --> 00:21:31,740 I'm. 375 00:21:32,220 --> 00:21:33,740 You know those type movies. 376 00:21:33,820 --> 00:21:34,260 Yes. 377 00:21:34,260 --> 00:21:40,300 Things like that are just, you know, there's no real in depth thought process to it. 378 00:21:40,300 --> 00:21:41,340 It's just funny. 379 00:21:41,580 --> 00:21:43,020 Yes, but. 380 00:21:43,100 --> 00:21:44,860 But then you get into stuff like. 381 00:21:45,180 --> 00:21:46,380 Remember the Titans? 382 00:21:46,700 --> 00:21:47,180 Yes. 383 00:21:47,340 --> 00:21:50,700 You know, I love those, those type movies. 384 00:21:52,350 --> 00:21:55,270 Of course, with Robert, Richard, just passing, you know, the Natural. 385 00:21:55,270 --> 00:21:55,710 That's. 386 00:21:55,710 --> 00:21:56,790 Ooh, yeah. 387 00:21:56,790 --> 00:21:58,270 Really, really good one. 388 00:21:58,590 --> 00:22:02,670 I had one other guest over the last four years of doing this that brought up the Natural. 389 00:22:02,670 --> 00:22:03,790 You're the second one. 390 00:22:04,030 --> 00:22:04,950 That's an Overlook. 391 00:22:04,950 --> 00:22:06,270 That's an overlooked movie. 392 00:22:07,070 --> 00:22:07,829 Well, it is. 393 00:22:07,829 --> 00:22:09,710 And grew up. 394 00:22:09,710 --> 00:22:10,150 I did. 395 00:22:10,150 --> 00:22:11,630 Is in a baseball family. 396 00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:16,030 So I mean, anything with baseball where I'm gonna like it on where they go. 397 00:22:16,110 --> 00:22:19,840 But, but a lot of good ones. 398 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,000 I mean, even, you know, Happy Gilmore. 399 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:23,880 Yeah. 400 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:26,320 Is you get a lot of one line. 401 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,200 Did you, did you see the second one? 402 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:29,960 I did it. 403 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,160 I mean, it's good, but it's not like I. 404 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:34,680 It's like it's. 405 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:35,200 It's good. 406 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,560 It's just, it's just the whole thing's kind of interesting concept of what they're doing and all that. 407 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:44,430 But my favorite line by far was, don't forget to feed John Daly. 408 00:22:47,460 --> 00:22:47,940 He put. 409 00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:49,620 Yeah, he was great in that. 410 00:22:49,620 --> 00:22:52,260 He just lived in their garage, remember? 411 00:22:52,420 --> 00:22:56,660 Yeah, Happy's got the kids, they're all grown, but they all still stay at home. 412 00:22:56,820 --> 00:22:57,820 And then, and then. 413 00:22:57,820 --> 00:23:03,220 And John Daly lived in their garage and he goes, listen, don't forget to feed John. 414 00:23:03,940 --> 00:23:04,820 Exactly. 415 00:23:05,220 --> 00:23:06,940 But it was, you know, and they. 416 00:23:06,940 --> 00:23:13,610 I like that one because they didn't really try to, you know, take it a whole nother direction. 417 00:23:13,610 --> 00:23:16,890 They just basically redid it at an older age, you know. 418 00:23:16,890 --> 00:23:17,450 That's it. 419 00:23:17,450 --> 00:23:18,010 That's it. 420 00:23:18,090 --> 00:23:18,490 Yeah. 421 00:23:18,490 --> 00:23:21,130 No, and they tried to get a lot of different celebrities in there too. 422 00:23:21,130 --> 00:23:23,930 It was funny with all that, but the whole. 423 00:23:23,930 --> 00:23:27,210 The fact that John Daly got to be himself was just funny to me. 424 00:23:27,370 --> 00:23:29,050 Yeah, that was me as well. 425 00:23:29,530 --> 00:23:30,170 And just. 426 00:23:30,330 --> 00:23:31,370 I don't know, there's. 427 00:23:31,370 --> 00:23:34,890 It like you said, I mean, it was the great movie, but it was. 428 00:23:34,890 --> 00:23:36,810 It just had some good one liners. 429 00:23:37,770 --> 00:23:38,890 Yeah, I. 430 00:23:38,970 --> 00:23:41,170 It's, it's so for everybody listening out there. 431 00:23:41,170 --> 00:23:43,770 Yeah, you got to watch it, but you won't watch it again. 432 00:23:43,850 --> 00:23:44,810 It's not one of those. 433 00:23:45,290 --> 00:23:46,370 Yeah, yeah. 434 00:23:46,370 --> 00:23:47,530 I mean, it's like I said. 435 00:23:47,530 --> 00:23:56,570 I mean, it's just some, you know, if you just want to take an hour and a half and kick back, have some laughs and not have to engage in a deep thought. 436 00:23:56,970 --> 00:23:58,890 You know what I tell the younger generation? 437 00:23:58,970 --> 00:24:07,770 And it's weird to say it to people because I always assume everybody just has seen the movie growing up or at least every man the Rockies. 438 00:24:07,930 --> 00:24:09,850 I mean, especially Rocky 1 and 2. 439 00:24:09,850 --> 00:24:12,490 I mean, do you know, because Rocky 1 has so much. 440 00:24:12,490 --> 00:24:18,850 But it's funny because I got these son in laws now that one of them I don't think had ever seen it. 441 00:24:18,850 --> 00:24:20,090 And I'm like, gosh dang. 442 00:24:20,090 --> 00:24:25,850 I was like, man, that should have been a. I didn't realize That I should have asked you that before I gave you permission to marry my daughter. 443 00:24:26,170 --> 00:24:26,650 Yes. 444 00:24:26,810 --> 00:24:31,490 You know, and I didn't have that on the agenda that day or whatever. 445 00:24:31,490 --> 00:24:45,460 But it's funny because I'm like every guy's to see Rocky 1 because the story of Rocky 1 is so cool with the fact that just teaches you to don't quit, you know, and remember his goal wasn't necessarily to win. 446 00:24:45,860 --> 00:24:52,300 His goal was once he realized he couldn't beat the champion, his goal was just, can I go the distance with him? 447 00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:57,060 It's one of those movies where I think everybody should have seen that. 448 00:24:57,060 --> 00:24:58,180 Every man should have. 449 00:24:58,180 --> 00:25:06,430 And like I said about my son in laws, I, I should have made that a prerequisite because I, you know, they're young, they, their daddies didn't make them watch it. 450 00:25:06,430 --> 00:25:12,830 I made my sons just because I love number one is where, you know, his, he realizes he's not going to beat the guy. 451 00:25:12,830 --> 00:25:16,550 So his goal was, man, I just want to go the distance and then I'll be somebody. 452 00:25:16,950 --> 00:25:19,830 Because he goes, I just don't want to be another bum from the neighborhood. 453 00:25:20,150 --> 00:25:20,710 Yeah. 454 00:25:20,950 --> 00:25:36,200 And I kind of, for my boys growing up there, I had two that I would make them watch and I would just, you know, when they were feeling sorry for their self or something, I would make them watch Rudy, which is a great, you know. 455 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:36,560 Yes. 456 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,360 You, you just got to keep going, you got to keep fighting. 457 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:41,600 Just don't lose sight of your dreams. 458 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:44,240 And the other was Hoosiers. 459 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:45,440 Oh yeah. 460 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:52,650 With, with the basketball and how disciplined you got to be and listening to your coaches and things like that. 461 00:25:52,730 --> 00:25:57,410 So I think there's a lot of life lessons in a lot. 462 00:25:57,410 --> 00:26:04,010 And you know, a lot of those movies that parallel with sports that, you know, that come to life. 463 00:26:04,090 --> 00:26:09,050 But there's something about sports that translate well into industry and business. 464 00:26:09,690 --> 00:26:29,490 And especially if you've had to play on a team sport, and especially if it's a high pressure because you learn how that you have to work together and you know, in the tire business it can be high pressure when you're trying to get things turned over, get things out the door and everything hits at once and then the truck goes down and you know, just anything can happen. 465 00:26:29,490 --> 00:26:33,010 It's all about how does the team rally around itself. 466 00:26:33,810 --> 00:26:37,010 Not point fingers or anything else, but just get the job done. 467 00:26:37,730 --> 00:26:38,770 Exactly right. 468 00:26:39,010 --> 00:26:39,410 It's. 469 00:26:39,410 --> 00:26:43,890 And at the end of the day, I think sports matter in that regard. 470 00:26:44,770 --> 00:26:45,930 It's Interesting to me. 471 00:26:45,930 --> 00:26:48,010 Like, you know, I've been around a lot and with. 472 00:26:48,010 --> 00:26:56,940 I got these sons and whatnot and I see these parents that, you know, they're always nagging on their kid and then I, and then, and like they're always trying to coach them up or something. 473 00:26:56,940 --> 00:27:16,700 And then you find out the sport that the kids playing, the dad's never even played and yet he's dogging his kid, you know, and it's like, dude, let them have fun things and let them make mistakes and let them figure it out, it's okay, you know, and. 474 00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:29,650 Let them be coached and learn that someday you're going to have a boss that's going to, he may coach you hard and love you harder, you know, And I mean, that's kind of the way it's got to be sometimes. 475 00:27:29,970 --> 00:27:38,130 Well, it, One of the best examples, one of the best decisions I ever made in my life was when I let my son, he was playing on an. 476 00:27:38,130 --> 00:27:39,570 It was nine year old baseball. 477 00:27:39,570 --> 00:27:42,050 It's the first year you start pitching and all that stuff. 478 00:27:42,050 --> 00:27:43,010 And it was horrible. 479 00:27:43,820 --> 00:27:50,780 And we had a coach that was, you know, morally and ethically one of the nicest guys in the world. 480 00:27:50,780 --> 00:27:52,380 Just a good, upstanding man. 481 00:27:52,780 --> 00:27:56,220 But in regards to baseball knowledge and the way he coached, he was awful. 482 00:27:56,860 --> 00:28:05,940 And he would put kids that couldn't play first base at first place just because he wanted everybody to rotate and get a feel for every position on the field. 483 00:28:05,940 --> 00:28:10,860 So like the worst player could be at first base, where he's going to have to catch the ball every time. 484 00:28:11,290 --> 00:28:14,450 Best player could be out in right field or nowhere. 485 00:28:14,450 --> 00:28:15,850 You know, he could just be moon. 486 00:28:16,010 --> 00:28:20,210 And the bad thing was he didn't understand that hurts a kid's confidence. 487 00:28:20,210 --> 00:28:20,490 Right? 488 00:28:20,490 --> 00:28:26,330 You know, the kid that can't catch the ball, you're just sinking him lower, you know, he's not getting the chance to build up. 489 00:28:26,410 --> 00:28:31,450 I understand his mindset was some form of equality like everybody but you. 490 00:28:31,450 --> 00:28:36,090 You weren't helping the bad kid because he wasn't being able to step into that confidence zone. 491 00:28:36,170 --> 00:28:46,280 He just stepping at first base and getting drilled, you know, and then you're just ticking off the kid with talent that wants to contribute because you're sticking him and hiding him somewhere. 492 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,000 It was just a mess, okay? 493 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:49,320 But he was a nice guy. 494 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:56,120 And I remember my son getting in the car with me and he goes, dad, I think I know more baseball than my coach. 495 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:04,040 And I said, and honestly, I couldn't deny, I go, well, you're probably right. 496 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,800 I said, but there's a big difference. 497 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:07,520 He goes, what? 498 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:08,560 You know, he's all bad. 499 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:11,680 He goes, why don't you just take me off this team and let's go play in another league? 500 00:29:11,680 --> 00:29:14,920 He wanted, you know, all this stuff, said that would be the norm. 501 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:17,760 That would be like, a lot of, what are your friends, dads do? 502 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:23,000 And people have done that we know, and they didn't get drawn into the right draft at the right team, all that stuff. 503 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 I said, this is a good life lesson for you. 504 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:27,280 I said, you're gonna have a boss one day that you're not gonna like. 505 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,640 I said, but he may make bad decisions, but guess what? 506 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:35,650 He's the guy in charge, and somebody has to make the decisions, you know? 507 00:29:35,650 --> 00:29:36,810 And I said, your coach. 508 00:29:37,130 --> 00:29:40,570 This isn't life or death, and we're not dealing with a moral issue here. 509 00:29:41,210 --> 00:29:44,330 Yeah, he's making some poor decisions, but he's the coach. 510 00:29:44,810 --> 00:29:47,010 And he goes, but we stink. 511 00:29:47,010 --> 00:29:50,930 You know, he's, like, upset, and he's 9, and I feel bad for him. 512 00:29:50,930 --> 00:29:51,130 Right. 513 00:29:51,130 --> 00:29:54,650 I'm feeling the pressure myself, thinking, yeah, should I take him somewhere? 514 00:29:54,810 --> 00:29:59,970 Then I just, you know, I was like, all right, look, I said, don't you have a couple of good buddies on this team? 515 00:29:59,970 --> 00:30:01,720 He did, and I knew that. 516 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:02,280 He said, yeah. 517 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,080 And I said, why don't y' all just have fun and make the most of it? 518 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,000 Just figure out how to have the most fun you can. 519 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:08,800 That's all I can tell you. 520 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:09,320 Yeah. 521 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:09,680 And. 522 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:11,400 And ended up being a really good. 523 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,200 I'm glad I. I'm glad I went through that process. 524 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,160 It was painful, Mike. 525 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,240 I mean, when I say painful, I don't know if we won a ball game. 526 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:19,880 Okay. 527 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:23,440 But it was a good life lesson. 528 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:23,800 Yeah. 529 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,800 You know, and he learned a lot that year, and it. 530 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:28,600 Did it hurt his career or his life? 531 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:29,880 No, actually, it taught him. 532 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,010 Probably taught him the most, you know? 533 00:30:32,010 --> 00:30:32,490 Yeah. 534 00:30:32,730 --> 00:30:37,090 That you got to figure it out, you know, and dad. 535 00:30:37,090 --> 00:30:43,610 And I'm glad I didn't cave, you know, to think, oh, I got to make sure my kid gets on a better team and a better experience and all that stuff. 536 00:30:44,090 --> 00:30:49,450 No, sometimes it's best just to suck it up and let them figure their way through it. 537 00:30:49,530 --> 00:30:50,130 That's right. 538 00:30:50,130 --> 00:30:53,930 Just take your lumps and, like you said, learn from it and. 539 00:30:54,090 --> 00:30:54,490 And. 540 00:30:54,810 --> 00:30:55,770 And move on. 541 00:30:56,810 --> 00:30:57,930 Hey, I was going to ask you. 542 00:30:57,930 --> 00:31:06,480 I know we're probably coming up on our stop here, but what about, like, a mantra, a quote, something you live by? 543 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,640 Anything come to mind, really? 544 00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:15,200 You know, I just, every morning get up and. 545 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,360 And just pray that I can be a blessing to somebody in some form or fashion. 546 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:20,720 I. 547 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,440 There's a Dr. Kevin Elko, and that's where I got that from. 548 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:26,240 He works with. 549 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:38,780 He's kind of a sports psychologist at me being an Auburn fan, he worked for Mick Saban in Alabama during all these past years, and I'd heard him speak through some of that. 550 00:31:38,780 --> 00:31:42,140 And I. I mean, that's where I get that from. 551 00:31:43,660 --> 00:31:44,300 He's. 552 00:31:44,379 --> 00:31:46,340 If y' all don't know him, he's phenomenal. 553 00:31:46,340 --> 00:31:57,080 If you could get on YouTube and he's got, you know, different links of podcasts or videos, but he really does good, and I. I really do try to do that. 554 00:31:58,520 --> 00:31:59,480 What's his name again? 555 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:02,600 Dr. Kevin Elko. 556 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,280 E L K O. 557 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:07,560 He. 558 00:32:07,560 --> 00:32:09,080 He has so much good stuff. 559 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:09,960 It's. 560 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:26,630 It speaks to me, and I. I can feel it in one of his sayings also that he preaches is, you know, treat everybody you meet like they're hurting because you won't miss by much, you know, because all these. 561 00:32:26,630 --> 00:32:26,990 These. 562 00:32:26,990 --> 00:32:29,310 Your co workers and people that you're. 563 00:32:29,710 --> 00:32:32,750 That you see, you know, and you wonder. 564 00:32:33,150 --> 00:32:45,150 You don't really know what they're going through with their home life or they're just different situations that maybe they just need somebody to pull them aside and just, you know, ask them. 565 00:32:45,150 --> 00:32:45,790 I will do. 566 00:32:46,510 --> 00:32:56,060 That's so interesting because, you know, the reality is when you do talk to people, everybody's got something they're fighting or struggling with or whatever. 567 00:32:56,140 --> 00:32:58,820 And so he's just saying, go ahead and make that assumption. 568 00:32:58,820 --> 00:32:59,580 Everybody's. 569 00:33:00,700 --> 00:33:02,540 Everybody's already in some. 570 00:33:02,940 --> 00:33:07,460 In some painful moment and treat them from that point like just. 571 00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:12,460 Even if you don't know what it is, you're just saying, he's saying, or he's saying, just treat them nice. 572 00:33:12,460 --> 00:33:14,460 Help them out by making their day better. 573 00:33:14,700 --> 00:33:15,980 You won't miss by much. 574 00:33:15,980 --> 00:33:17,740 That's what he says, you know, and they. 575 00:33:18,050 --> 00:33:18,930 And that's the truth. 576 00:33:19,490 --> 00:33:24,690 Another thing here at work, I guess, also one thing that we. 577 00:33:25,170 --> 00:33:32,850 That I keep trying to rewire some of our thought process through our sales guys and everybody. 578 00:33:33,810 --> 00:33:46,810 But is intentionality, you know, come in and be intentional about what we do and about what we're going to do today and just, you know, ownership, all of those type things. 579 00:33:47,210 --> 00:33:49,770 I'll text these guys every morning. 580 00:33:50,090 --> 00:33:56,690 I'll text them something and just trying to keep it and replant and replant. 581 00:33:56,690 --> 00:34:00,490 That positive thought process of, hey, I got to. 582 00:34:00,810 --> 00:34:02,850 I got to take control of this. 583 00:34:02,850 --> 00:34:04,010 And I got to decide. 584 00:34:04,650 --> 00:34:05,650 That's the other thing. 585 00:34:05,650 --> 00:34:11,659 Decide, you know, you want to hear I go again with Dr. Kevin Nilco? 586 00:34:11,659 --> 00:34:14,179 But, you know, there's two top people in this world. 587 00:34:14,340 --> 00:34:16,179 There's lines and greyhounds. 588 00:34:17,540 --> 00:34:24,739 You know, the greyhound is going to run when he's hungry, you know, then they'll get him. 589 00:34:24,739 --> 00:34:31,420 But the line, you know, he'll eat on Monday, he'll eat on Tuesday, he'll eat on Wednesday, you all got there. 590 00:34:31,420 --> 00:34:32,420 Thursday, he'll eat. 591 00:34:32,659 --> 00:34:39,739 So, you know, you got to be hungry and be the line and go, want to eat every single day and not the gray hand. 592 00:34:39,739 --> 00:34:41,139 Just do it when you feel like it. 593 00:34:42,020 --> 00:34:43,060 That's interesting. 594 00:34:43,380 --> 00:34:45,300 So, no, it's all good stuff. 595 00:34:45,699 --> 00:34:50,179 Well, Mike, I tell you're one of my favorite peeps in the industry. 596 00:34:50,179 --> 00:34:55,219 I'm glad you came on the show, and I'm glad we just went down different rabbit holes, and I hope everybody enjoyed it. 597 00:34:56,020 --> 00:34:56,739 Same here. 598 00:34:56,820 --> 00:34:59,420 I appreciate you as well. 599 00:34:59,420 --> 00:35:04,140 And like I said, I've, you know, you just get that text from me out of the. 600 00:35:04,140 --> 00:35:07,620 Out of the blue saying, hey, Internet marketing is B.S. 601 00:35:09,220 --> 00:35:10,260 you know, every. 602 00:35:10,660 --> 00:35:14,900 Just every now and then, it's really good to catch up with you and I as well. 603 00:35:14,900 --> 00:35:20,020 You're one of my favorites, and that's why I've always tried to keep tabs on you and what you had going on. 604 00:35:20,340 --> 00:35:21,100 Well, thank you. 605 00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:22,340 You've always been a good support. 606 00:35:23,220 --> 00:35:25,100 Well, we'll have you on here again someday. 607 00:35:25,100 --> 00:35:28,340 And don't be shy and make it up to Winsboro sometime. 608 00:35:28,580 --> 00:35:29,140 Okay? 609 00:35:30,100 --> 00:35:32,340 And if I get back down there, I want to go to Nicky's West. 610 00:35:32,660 --> 00:35:35,780 Hey, I. I guarantee that'll happen. 611 00:35:36,340 --> 00:35:37,140 All right, brother. 612 00:35:37,300 --> 00:35:39,020 Thank you to all our guests out there. 613 00:35:39,020 --> 00:35:40,340 Listeners out there, thank you. 614 00:35:40,420 --> 00:35:41,300 You know, we love you. 615 00:35:41,300 --> 00:35:43,540 Till next time, we'll see you here at Gain Traction. 616 00:35:44,500 --> 00:35:47,780 To all our listeners, thank you for being part of the Gain Traction podcast. 617 00:35:47,780 --> 00:35:48,820 We are grateful for you. 618 00:35:48,820 --> 00:36:06,150 If you'd like to find more podcasts like this, please visit gaintractionpodcast.com if you'd like to make a guest recommendation, please email me@mikereadpartners.com this episode has been powered by TREAD partners, the leader in digital marketing for multilocation tire and auto repair shops. 619 00:36:06,150 --> 00:36:08,830 To learn more about Tread Partners, visit treadpartners. 620 00:36:08,990 --> 00:36:09,390 Com.