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The official podcast of Shoemaker Films. Every week we share content related to digital marketing, video production, and brand building; and frequently meet with local creatives, entrepreneurs, and business owners for in-depth conversations. Get to know local heavy hitters and influencers in the Greater Philadelphia region while picking up some tactical advice and tips on starting and running a business, being productive, creating content, and everything in between.
Hi. This is Dane Shoemaker with the Shoemaker Films podcast. I'm here with doctor David Wyman. Pleasure to be with you. How are you doing today?
Dr. David Weiman:I'm well.
Dane Shoemaker:Good. Executive coach, management consultant, doctorate of psychology, entrepreneur. Why don't you tell us a little bit about Wyman Consulting.
Dr. David Weiman:Not a heck bad baker Yeah. Of cookies. Wyman Consulting is a leadership consulting firm.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And that's sort of vague and and maybe intentionally, but there's 3 core services we provide.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And it's sometimes it's helpful to give an example of each as I go along Yeah. Which I can do. So Perfect. The first part is talent assessment. And, we have clients who are technically screening senior executives and senior staff who they're bringing on, but they wanna get a sense of how good a fit is this person for our culture, and the way that we work.
Dr. David Weiman:What are the strengths and the development needs they might lead in a leadership role that we can find out in advance? Yeah. So in an example of that might be a real estate investment firm is looking for a chief financial officer, and they have 3 finalists. And all of those 3 can do the job, but they're looking for the degree of fit with the firm, the culture, and what they've created. Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And and even saying real estate investment firm, now that I think about it, there could be 5 different firms that operate very differently. So we look
Dane Shoemaker:at Right.
Dr. David Weiman:The firm and the person and give them a sense of how good that fit would be. So that's an example of of the talent assessment service, and we do an assessment of the person using some structured questionnaires and interview, and then we feed that data back to the client, usually with a quick phone call, and then we have a full report
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:Of what we found. Okay. The second bucket is executive coaching. Okay. And there, this we could either be hired by a company to provide it for a leader, or sometimes we have leaders or people who own entrepreneurial businesses Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:Who are looking for that themselves. And we also have just private people who want coaching, usually for business, you know, business leadership or Right. You know, they're they're in a company, but they wanna pay for it privately. And in all of these examples, we're usually doing an assessment first and some interviewing to find out as much as we can about the person and the, like, various aspects of strength or maybe some development needs that they have Right. Prior experiences.
Dr. David Weiman:And then we give them some feedback, create a plan, and start the coaching. And the third area is leadership development, and that has two kind of subparts to it. 1 is an organization may want to develop an entire team.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And so we might assess that group and give some suggestions for how they could improve, or they might be looking for a seminar of some sort. And I enjoy doing them, but also they're very helpful for getting a team to have the same kind of information at the same time.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:So it might be a 90 minute seminar on conflict resolution as an example, or it could be a 3 day program on different leadership tools that a company wants all leaders at a certain level to have.
Dane Shoemaker:Right. Right. Okay. So out of those 3, I mean, are you focused more on one area? Is it kind of equal?
Dane Shoemaker:You know, where do you think
Dr. David Weiman:most of your question
Dane Shoemaker:is most of your time and energy goes towards?
Dr. David Weiman:It's almost evenly divided among those 3, and I think that some of these services lead to other services. So for example, if a company hires us to do a 360 degree assessment, which is sort of what it sounds like. It's an assessment that focuses on one person, but their boss, their peers, and their direct reports will be solicited for feedback, and that all goes into one report about them.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:It's very natural after that. We've already gotten all this data together and given them feedback. Coaching programs are a natural follow on to that. Or if we do a seminar on a topic around a certain kind of issue that might benefit a team, that might lead to us then doing talent assessment to make sure that they get the kind of people that they want on that team. So these we we get sort of I call them follow on services Right.
Dr. David Weiman:To a primary service that we offer, but even that's a super long way of saying, yes. But it's kind of evenly divided.
Dane Shoemaker:Yes. I mean, it makes sense if you've been able to build the trust
Dr. David Weiman:and Yep.
Dane Shoemaker:Show show the value of your services. It makes sense. So, that's it's interesting. How did you how did you get started in this? I mean, you know, what what does your career look like?
Dr. David Weiman:I never had a psychology class in high school or college.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, really? It was
Dr. David Weiman:a total career change for me. My undergraduate degree was in religion, and I was very interested in marketing. So the first jobs that I had were in marketing. And if you think about religion because I got this question a lot when I was interviewing to be a copywriter. They say, well, I see a 1,000 English majors.
Dr. David Weiman:You're the 1st religion major who's ever walked in here. And if you study like, religion is something that people make, in some cases, the most important thing in their lives. It's very central.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:But they don't get a guarantee for it. They can't possess it. They can't return it. So if you can understand how religious leaders convey that kind of importance to people, you kind of know a little bit about marketing. Right?
Dr. David Weiman:And so Sure. Started out as a copywriter, then began working for a publishing company right down the road here in Devon, and I became the vice president of marketing of that publishing company, but always had an emphatic desire to help other people. So my late twenties, went back to graduate school, got a master's degree from Penn in counseling psychology, and then another master's and a doctorate from Widener in clinical psychology. I was working part time the entire time I was in graduate school. I was still working at the publishing company.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. And I thought, are they eventually gonna say, like, what why do we have a psychologist as our marketing director? But it worked really well because the more I learned about psychology, the more I thought about how to reach people and connect with them over wants and needs that were important to them. Yeah. And eventually took the step that I think a lot of entrepreneurs have to deal with at some point, which is I had a full time job, then it was part time when I was at graduate school, then I started my own shop.
Dr. David Weiman:Okay.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. I mean, just going back to psychology and market I mean, marketing and sales is really all psychology if you
Dr. David Weiman:if you
Dane Shoemaker:if you if you look at it.
Dr. David Weiman:But our our entire lives were I I don't mean this like, a a great colleague of mine, Dave Fries, says, now we're sort of marketing all the time. So if if I was at a friend's house and they told their daughter she couldn't have dessert unless she finished her dinner. And at 6 years old, I saw her out negotiate these two people, one of whom was a Wharton graduate. Like, she didn't finish her meal, and I had brought dessert which these, like, giant brownies. And she totally negotiated her.
Dr. David Weiman:Like, she was a brilliant marketing salesperson because although she didn't conform to that request of theirs, she did wind up with dessert and probably had the biggest brownie of the 4 of us.
Dane Shoemaker:So Nice.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. But I think throughout life, we're doing that. You know, we're persuading, and so he doesn't mean Dave doesn't mean sales and marketing in a negative way at all. But Yeah. But we're persuading all the time.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. And I would say a 6 year old I have a 5 year old. He's very manipulative, you know, for better or for worse. So
Dr. David Weiman:But it's a if you think about it, it's a way of getting what we need from the environment. Mhmm. And so at that age, just sort of negotiating back and forth with adults, particularly in a in a home environment where you're safe, is a great way
Dane Shoemaker:to learn.
Dr. David Weiman:Like, yeah. What happens when I say this or that? Or what if I don't do something I'm asked to do?
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. We're all running little experiments all
Dr. David Weiman:the time
Dane Shoemaker:to see what the reactions are.
Dr. David Weiman:And I think the world of work is the same way. Yeah. You know? Yeah. So Yep.
Dane Shoemaker:Just the religion component. Were were are you a religious person? Were you did you have goals of
Dr. David Weiman:I think going into Yeah. I I liked
Dane Shoemaker:the I Gotta know that. Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. I liked, in in undergraduate, the study of what was ultimately important to people.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:Like, that felt important to me. And, so I I think I'm a spiritual person more than a religious person. K. But definitely what was of ultimate concern to people but it was very attractive to me to study that and, to sort of see how religions are similar all over the world and what kind of connects people potentially.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yep. One of the things that I noticed about you is I I think you're a really good storyteller. Would would you
Dr. David Weiman:agree with that? I I hope so.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. I I think just you know? And even just doing some research on this, I I went on your LinkedIn earlier this week, and a lot of people just have their resume with bullet points. And and you have a really nice intro to, you know, when you got a first got a phone call Yep. You know In college.
Dane Shoemaker:In college about going to, you know, do you know, the your first for the publisher was the marketing For Wendy's. Yeah. For Wendy's. Right. Right.
Dr. David Weiman:Sort of a child prodigy in marketing, and so I was the marketing director for all the Wendy's in South Jersey when I was still in college.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. That which that that must be an interesting story there as well. But, but you did it really well where, you know, kind of, you know, bring it back to what you're doing now and, you know, kinda looking at the pain points of what your clients are that you work with now, you know, I forget exactly how you worded it, but, you know, if you you know, I'll take your call, you know, for that. So I just think you're really good at writing.
Dr. David Weiman:Thank you.
Dane Shoemaker:And, the way you present yourself is great. So very much. So so when did you start Wyman Consulting? When did you know, you took that leap from, you know, into entrepreneurship. And what was that what was that experience like?
Dr. David Weiman:Even in graduate school, I wanted to be prepared when I left for what the business would look like. Mhmm. And I jotted down ideas for what I wanted to look what what what I wanted it to look like and kinda kept that in a file as I was going along. And as I was meeting other professionals, if I liked the way that their practice was set up or I liked the way that they did different things, I would keep notes about that. And so when I left, I was employed by the publishing company
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And I had a few part time jobs. And that gave me the time to sort of put together a business plan, and I showed it to colleagues in and outside of psychology. Okay. And I had one mentor in particular who I mentioned, Dave Fries, who said, like, eventually, you have to let go of the main part time job for the publishing company if you wanna move forward with that, business. So it was in January of 2,001 that I was ready at that point because I had talked to my boss at the publishing company and asked him if could I do this work instead of as a part time employee?
Dr. David Weiman:If I were to create my own business, would you be willing to be a client? And it made sense to him because the costs of having me as a part time employee would go away, but we'd still have this connection. And I at that point, I had worked there 12 years, I think
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:Full time and continued for 8 years. So understanding that they would become a client gave me the confidence to go out on my own in January of 2001, and it was really executing the plan that I had been creating for years prior to that. So this definitely wasn't like a sub moment where
Dane Shoemaker:I was
Dr. David Weiman:like, yeah. I'm mad as hell, and I can't take an hour or whatever the phrase is from the movie network. But I had all all and in fact, it was now that we're talking about this, it was a mentor of mine at Wendy's who asked me if I wanted to forego my senior year of college to work there full time, and I said no. And he said, I was asked to ask you that, but I'm glad you said no. And, also, I feel like in the future, you won't work for someone else.
Dr. David Weiman:You you'll work for yourself. And to be told that at 19 or 20 was really powerful because this was a super successful person.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And Julian Oskowitz was the name of that supervisor. So that kind of got the idea in my head, like, what is it like to be on your own to run your own business? I I also think that just in terms of style, I liked the idea of having my own thing, creating my own the you know, my own assignments and and serving my own clients.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. I certainly think that's a not a goal for everyone, but a lot of it's a human, desire to build something and then, you know, provide for people around you. So so that that, at that point, was that your first client? Did they move forward with you being a client, your former employer?
Dr. David Weiman:They did, and I had already prepared a a letter of agreement about that client relationship.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And I had it on my desk in my office. I went over to see the publisher, and he agreed. And the very first thing he said is, why don't you draw up a letter of agreement that explains what we just talked about? And I said, I think I can do that. So I walked back to my office.
Dr. David Weiman:I waited a couple of minutes, and then I brought in the letter that I had already prepared.
Dane Shoemaker:That was quick. Yeah. Yeah. So what I mean, what was that like, that relationship then, You know, because it's a different dynamic. It's less of, David, can you do this?
Dane Shoemaker:Then it's more of consultative. I mean, you're now a contractor or a consultant. Right? So
Dr. David Weiman:I've it's funny now that we're talk a lot of things are occurring to me that haven't occurred to me before in talking about this from your questions. But one of the things that I think is a a way of feeling when I have a really good connection with a client now
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:Is like I'm part of that organization. And there are some clients where if I've worked with them enough, it's in order for me to have access to files or connect with other people, I might have an email address with that company or a way of accessing files or documents.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:I might go to their company events, and it feels like more collegial than client and provider of a service or consultant. So I think it just felt like an extension of that relationship, and I think that our job security is kind of a perception of our job security. Like Yeah. Because we can always be fired from a company. So in some ways, it felt a little more secure because I couldn't be I wouldn't be I wasn't worried about being fired, not that that's something that was on my mind all the time, but it felt like there were ways to enhance that relationship with what else I could provide beyond what my part time job was.
Dr. David Weiman:And that turned out to be the case. So it was a really good really good relationship.
Dane Shoemaker:And things that are more in your control, right, than if you were just working for them, you're kind of at the mercy of what their budget is or whatever is going on.
Dr. David Weiman:Right.
Dane Shoemaker:You know, macro. Yeah. That's great. What what were the next couple years like in building Wyman Consulting? I mean, did you have a next couple of critical clients or other milestones that
Dr. David Weiman:I I really believe strongly even now in the the kind of the social group that we're in as a source of referrals. So the very first thing that I did was I created 3 seminars that I offered to do at no charge, and I called them, like, lunch and learns or something like their lunch and seminars because I had so many friends in business, and I didn't wanna impose on them or market to them.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:But I said, I have these 3 programs that I'll do at at no charge, and they'll happen over lunch so your employees aren't gonna miss any time. But it was a way for me to get accustomed to meeting new people Yeah. Getting in front of a group and learning about what issues they were having. And so the very the next the second client, or the first one that I was getting outside of that publishing company, asked me to come in and do the one of the one of the seminars was on conflict resolution.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And I was asked to come in and do it, and as we were picking a date, she said, I really think we might need you to work with this team, not just talk with this team. Yeah. And can you do that? And that started a long term relationship. I mean, it's a 20 year relationship it turned into.
Dr. David Weiman:Mhmm. So the gateway project was helping that team, manage conflict in a more, sort of productive way. I mean, to a certain degree, you want diversity of thought and ideas, and you want people to debate in a team. Yeah. And this when it goes over the line from being constructive to destructive, that's where it could be helpful to have someone outside of all of that, come in and help with it.
Dr. David Weiman:But Yeah. That was the very next kind of that method of offering something of value without expecting any I did not expect anything in return. It was really helping me refine my public speaking skills, which were rusty at that point, and getting accustomed to doing seminars. But, at the publishing company, they also started having me get in front of groups. Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:So some of my programs were on the psychology of marketing and selling handcrafted jewelry, and that helped me kind of learn how to put together a program, deliver it, get feedback, and react to that feedback.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay. So that that jewelry marketing videos that are up on your YouTube, that was stemmed from the publishing. Got it. I was trying to figure out where that fit into your career a little bit. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. That is fascinating. And they're really interesting too.
Dr. David Weiman:Oh, thank you.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. So, that's great. And you mentioned, you know, just I would say that, you know, what you're what you did in those early days, doing doing free seminars, lunch and learns, providing value, that's really, you know, I just and from what I see in building my company, Schumacher Fellows, I mean, doing free stuff. We've done a lot of free work for to free videos for for companies, and that tends to come back, you know, you know, and we're doing this, you know, in a way that's I'm not expecting anything to come back.
Dane Shoemaker:Right? But the world kinda has a funny way of rewarding that in a way. So I'm building relationships, building referrals. Just from a, you know, marketing standpoint, I mean, what are some of the things that you're doing today? I mean, I imagine that, you know, you're in a very specialized field.
Dane Shoemaker:You know, you have probably a lot of referrals or business contacts. You know, what what do you do? You know, what does that flow of clients look like typically? I mean, are you working with a lot I I know I'm throwing a lot of questions at you now, but, like, how many clients are you working with at any given time? Is it really just, like, one engagement at a time, or is it multiple?
Dane Shoemaker:It's multiple. Finding clients,
Dr. David Weiman:I guess. It can be multiple engagements at a time. We have some long term work that we've done with clients over years and some individual projects where we're brought in to do one thing. We do that thing, and then that project stops.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Dr. David Weiman:Coaching engagements, excuse me, tend to be they start out often as a 6 month engagement that can be renewed. And so that's an example of a situation where we might coach someone for 2 years
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, wow.
Dr. David Weiman:But it started out as a 6 month engagement. The talent assessment, it we're like, in my field, there's no way to plan ahead for that because people call us when they need that.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Dr. David Weiman:And for the clients who use us regularly for talent assessment, they've used us for years. So we have a system set up when we get that call. There's usually some urgency around it.
Dane Shoemaker:Right.
Dr. David Weiman:We have we're ready to go within, you know, a short time of getting that email and get that started.
Dane Shoemaker:Oh, that's great.
Dr. David Weiman:So the the overall picture, like we were talking about at the beginning, tends to be about a third talent assessment, a third executive coaching, and a third leadership development. But, what's you know, in any given time, what what pops up we respond to. And Yeah. And I like being when I say we, I have a colleague, part time colleague, Lauren Schechter, who's been with me 5 years and just does a phenomenal job. So we work on these projects together, and as things come in, we have a system for moving them along together, and that works out really well.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. With regard to the marketing piece, we have the sort of, like, the big chunks are a monthly newsletter we do called leadership update.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And that has a quote that I like and why it's relevant for leaders. A book I'm reading might be a piece of fiction, but I try to relate it to leadership. Mhmm. Lauren does a section on lifestyle, which is actually in when we track the clicks, most of the clicks come from Lauren's lifestyle section. And those could be holiday related, fall cocktails, or, things to do.
Dr. David Weiman:I think one last year was what to do with the Halloween pumpkins that you might have. It was, like, 24 things to do with pumpkins. And then I have a feature piece
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:That's usually we try to keep it, like, under a 5 minute read because our clients and readers are busy. Sure. So that's one main thing, and that goes out by email usually the 1st weekend of the month.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:The second so that's for our mailing list. We also do a quarterly physical, marketing piece
Dane Shoemaker:on a
Dr. David Weiman:different topic. We want people to have something in their hands. I'm a little old school that way, and, also, we don't wanna use one method of marketing everything. And we have a weekly video called Rise and Whine. Mhmm.
Dr. David Weiman:And that has a specific purpose attached to it that's reaching out to people who may haven't been to a seminar of mine. And it's a way of them recalling what it was like for me to just talk to them, if that makes any sense. Yeah. So it really had a specific niche, but, which is on LinkedIn primarily. Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:But we get a lot of feedback about it from Facebook and Twitter also
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:Because those are the other platforms that we use. And then we have weekly quote picks or blog. We have a weekly blog that Lauren You
Dane Shoemaker:do have a blog post. Yep.
Dr. David Weiman:So it's it's fair there's a steady pulse across these different channels. The key to all of this to me is reaching out to people 1 on 1
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And making phone calls just to check-in and see how someone's doing. Yep. So that's another component to it because you don't know what's happening when you put something out into the universe, whether it's social media or otherwise. But picking up the phone to call somebody and connect with them with the real intention of just seeing how they're doing is impactful. And so my the best outcome from one of those calls is that someone felt listened to.
Dr. David Weiman:Not that I sold them something. It's like what you were saying before. Not that I got something out of it other than they felt better afterwards just from someone listening
Dane Shoemaker:to it. I think people people appreciate that human connection, you know, and being even being face to face as well, is really great. You mentioned also the the the mailing. I mean, I I actually I really like that. You know, we're in digital marketing these days, but having something physical in your hands really that's something that people don't do a lot now.
Dane Shoemaker:You know? So it kinda cuts through the noise
Dr. David Weiman:a little bit. In the
Dane Shoemaker:at least in your space, I think, you know, you know, you're you get these window contractors in your mail every day or, you know, landscaping or whatever it is. But I think, you know, something like that is is definitely unique.
Dr. David Weiman:In the pandemic, we sent out in a packet, a tea bag, coffee that was in a, like, a little slim pouch that you could use instant coffee and a packet of hot chocolate.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And the appeal was nobody's meeting in person, but why don't we have a virtual cup of coffee to your hot chocolate together?
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And a lot of people contacted me and not only set up those meetings, but made the coffee, the tea, or the hot chocolate, and and we talked over that. So I think that it's you know, the the more novel ways and senses that we engage people Mhmm. That physical thing matters. Being able to take something out of a out of a 6 by 9 envelope, padded envelope that has coffee, tea, and hot chocolate in it. Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:I think that appealing to these multiple senses really matters. So that's another part of the strategy is Rise and Wine is something you can listen to. Mhmm. Transcripts of Rise and Wine are blog posts, so peep because some people prefer to read than to watch something.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:We have audio things that people can listen to, and we have the physical, the the marketing pieces that go up quarterly that they can physically think that it's a tangible thing.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. It's really about being there when people need you as well. Marketing is kind of just a a constant thing. As soon as you stop doing it, though, it can be you'll just you know, people might forget about you or something like that.
Dane Shoemaker:The the rise and wine piece is very interesting to me. I'm I'm very impressed. You know, it's it's, you know, tell me a little bit more about that. I mean, it's weekly. I I see them on YouTube all the time.
Dane Shoemaker:So when they pop up
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. A lot
Dane Shoemaker:of times, they're just like, you know, they're, you know, they're short, a minute and a half, 2 minutes long. Where do you find the inspiration for the things that you talk about in the Rise and Wine?
Dr. David Weiman:The way that it started is we were not doing anything on video. And a colleague of mine who still works with us, Kendra Prescott, said, hey. You know, like, when you're walking around the office and you say, I I just remember this scene from The Princess Bride, and it talks about going back to the beginning. And and sometimes in life, I think if we're just, like, not really sure where we should go, maybe going back to the beginning matter. Like, maybe like like, what's our foundational purpose in life?
Dane Shoemaker:And Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And she said, you know, when you do that, you should record that. Because a lot of times, they were just spontaneous thoughts that I had. And if Kendra was around, I would share it with Kendra, or we would talk we worked together in the same office for a while. And I said, oh, well, should I have a tie you know, a title and credits? And she says, no.
Dr. David Weiman:She said some of the most popular videos right now coming from people like you are they're talking about something as if there's another person there. Yeah. And I said, so no captions? She said, no. And no music and no.
Dr. David Weiman:She said, just the way you do it in the office where you just start talking about something. That's it. And I had a mug that's over there on my desk that was given to me as a Secret Santa gift by the publisher who was my first client,
Dane Shoemaker:Joe Red. Wow.
Dr. David Weiman:And Joe, it was he thought it was funny because it said Rise and Wine, w h I n e, on it. And I had it for years. I loved the mug. And I thought, I'm just gonna call it Rise and Wine, and I'll hold that mug up at the beginning of each video. Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And it's paradoxical because I'm not a whiner. I'm a super optimistic person. But other than that, it there was no reason for that title. Yeah. And the very first one, I noticed something on the back of a coffee packet that said it was nutty and bold.
Dr. David Weiman:And I thought, well, that's a great way to be in life. And so the very first video was me talking about that that thing, the back of that coffee packet.
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And I remember showing it to my mother who passed away 2 years ago, and my mother was an actress her entire life. And she was pretty critical, and she looked at that video and she said, I don't know. Like, the camera's pointing up at your face. That's not a very, you know, good angle. But she gave me a lot of good constructive criticism for it or feedback.
Dr. David Weiman:And so I just raised the camera up, and I showed her the next video. She said, that's it. And so with the support of your mom, particularly Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Let's see mom. Some action.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. And, up until the, you know, the the the the end of her life, I would show her rise and whine on my phone each week. And she was a good gauge for me of, was it interesting? Would it create questions in someone's mind? Did it have the impact, that I was looking for?
Dr. David Weiman:But but the origin of it was Kentra suggesting it. The market was the people who had seen me in seminars, but I hadn't been in touch with a while. Okay. And the purpose was was to remind them of what it was like to have a conversation like this. Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And we get a lot of feedback through email of or messages from people saying, I loved it, and I'm not the kind of person who publicly comments on things, but here's what it meant to me. That whatever that particular topic is. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Now it's really great. I mean, I you know, it's just the fact that, you know, it's every week you're consistent about it. It's not high quality, you know, but it's like, it's something is better than nothing. And honestly, for a lot of people, you know, I it's always cameras and mics and lights. It's kinda overwhelming and, like, that can be an impediment because Right.
Dane Shoemaker:You know, if you think you need to have a nice mic and a camera and all this stuff, it kinda becomes, oh, I don't feel like setting all that stuff up. And and you're and really, at the end of the day, it's more about the content and the and the substance of what's in a video. And, you know, so I I saw it. I just kudos
Dr. David Weiman:to you. Oh, thank you. And Yeah. Kendra was really the main the driver behind it. And I remember saying to her, well, when I do like, when when we take one of my seminar videos and create a product out of it, it's edited, and we use a production house like yourself Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:To do that. She said, no. No. And I said, well, what if I make a mistake? She said, well, then you made a mistake.
Dr. David Weiman:Yeah. And she gave me the example of somebody she really liked who would do these impromptu informal videos, and she said, like, if his cat walks on the sofa you know, the top of the sofa behind him, that's in there. So I'm like, so I don't edit like, I still was having trouble getting my head around it. She showed me an example of what she was talking about. But but to your point, it's not normal for people to never make a mistake or say or say the wrong word.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:So to some degree, her instincts were right about connecting with people without it being a a a a edited product Yeah. Because that takes away the kind of the informal connection to it.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. And I think, you know, authenticity has become kind of a buzzword lately, I think. But but really, that's it's authentic because it's it's you. It's talking to you know? And even, you know, we all have we all have cameras in our pockets now.
Dane Shoemaker:So, you know, just it's a matter of just doing it and rather than not doing it. Right? And just getting your thoughts out when it when it when it's timely.
Dr. David Weiman:It helps that it's on a schedule. And Yeah. I actually use a separate video camera for it
Dane Shoemaker:Okay.
Dr. David Weiman:And a tripod set up with the exact height every time. And, but other than that, when I sit down to record it, what I do is what goes out. And I really appreciate from your awesome professional background feedback because it's it's helpful.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. I think more more more business owners, especially service providers, consultants, they could take a page out of out of your business. So, so I guess, you know, just a couple closing thoughts. I mean, you know, in your career, I mean, what are some what are some key, I guess, advice that you would give to, you know, just specific to your your niche, you know, and and talent assessment, leadership coaches?
Dane Shoemaker:What are some common things that you've come across, that maybe, you know, you can help with or, people can just find out on their own?
Dr. David Weiman:I think that in terms of what I feel is a big value that we provide, oftentimes, people are at work every day like the owner of a business, and they're getting the job done, and they're working hard to do that. And they might not realize a noble I call it a noble quality they have Mhmm. That, like, always taking care of people. You know, when they spot an employee who needs something and hasn't asked for it, but they notice it offering something to that person. Maybe it's a day off, like, hey.
Dr. David Weiman:I know, you know, your your kid's not feeling well. Take tomorrow off on us and and just handle that. I see that as noble, and sometimes the person at the top isn't getting feedback from other places in the organization. So I try to notice the noble things about our clients
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah.
Dr. David Weiman:And share that feedback with them because I think they're they might not have been they might not see it as noble because to them, it's just part of getting the job done, or they might not have heard that before. Like, nobody pointed it out, but when you do, they go, woah. Like, I do that, and that is important to me. Yeah. So I think sometimes focusing on those values that even they might not be aware of is something that's a particular thing I try to do.
Dr. David Weiman:I know Lauren tries to do the same thing in our work with clients. We're really there to help people who are good get better. Yeah. So for example, we don't work with somebody. If it if somebody if if an organization says this person isn't a good fit, they're not performing well, we're having trouble motivating them, and but for coaching, we would fire them.
Dr. David Weiman:That's not a good role for us because we're not. It's possible that it's just not a good fit between that person and the organization. Yeah. And we don't help companies fire people. That's not what we do.
Dr. David Weiman:Right. Right. But if somebody I guess it's like the old joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? And the answer is 1, but the light bulb has to want to change. If somebody wants to change, if they wanna get better, if they're open to feedback, that's an excellent fit for us for coaching and leadership development.
Dr. David Weiman:Mhmm. If a company says, I've been telling this person for 5 years, whatever it is they've been telling them, and I we need someone else to tell them, we're not really the right Right. For that because we're we're very much about helping people identify and capitalize on strengths, not not criticize or make people feel cruddy.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. They're not you're they're not checking a box, an HR box when they're hiring. Yes. Yep. However, Just kind of in general to, you know, your entrepreneurial journey starting Wyman Consulting, anything any particular things that you were able to overcome or think that, you know, you might have advice for people thinking about going out on their own or
Dr. David Weiman:There is a it it can be lonely doing an entrepreneurial role. When you're in an organization, even if it's a smaller one, there is a sense that there's backup and there's systems and there's processes. And those things, that kind of structure helps somebody feel psychologically safe and comfortable within the organization. Know your the degree to which you need structure and things like that and strategy, because for me, having a business plan really mattered. Having a method of managing projects, like project management method, really helped.
Dr. David Weiman:I benefit from that structure. A little more kind of loose in some ways. Lauren is much more detail oriented. So having somebody in the business who has qualities we're both empathic people. We both wanna help people.
Dr. David Weiman:We're skilled at that. But having somebody whose style complements yours or who talents and gives whose talents and gives complement yours helps. And the other thing and I mentioned and I mentioned this because it came up also, in a recent podcast that you did with Glenn Amoral, who's a mutual friend and colleague of ours, is having kind of your personal board of directors. Yeah. So I mentioned Dave Frias, who was a mentor.
Dr. David Weiman:He was one of the people who was helping me with the move from working for someone else to going out on my own. I also had an accountant who I talked to about the financial piece of it. My cousin is a business attorney. I had her help me with understanding what's the structure of this going to look like. With that, even though I'm one person in the business at that time, having that personal board of directors, and Glenn mentioned this in in the prior conversation, helped me feel less alone, and it helped me have people to bounce ideas off of and to pressure test things.
Dr. David Weiman:Maybe, I had this wonderful idea that somebody would say, yeah. That's probably not an idea you do right away as an entrepreneur. Why don't you use your time in a different way or focus on something else? So, those that was super helpful.
Dane Shoemaker:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, both things you bring up is just really about identifying where your strengths and weaknesses are and figuring out how to Yep. You know, complement that through people, through systems. Yeah.
Dane Shoemaker:Well, this is a lot of fun. I I really appreciate it.
Dr. David Weiman:I'm really glad we got together today. This was awesome.
Dane Shoemaker:Ton of ton of value here, you know, for organizations or individuals looking to learn more about leadership coaching, executive coaching, leadership development, you know, talent assessment. How how can they find you?
Dr. David Weiman:Wyman Consulting, weimanconsulting.com, has service list, has blog posts, has ways to contact us, by emails and frequently asked questions. There's video frequently asked questions there. Although those, I am wondering how they would pass muster with you, but that one website, WymanConsulting.com, is the best way to find out how to get in touch with us.
Dane Shoemaker:Perfect. Or
Dr. David Weiman:to get in touch with us.
Dane Shoemaker:Yep. Absolutely. Great. Well, doctor Wyman, thank
Dr. David Weiman:you very much. Thanks for having me.
Dane Shoemaker:Thanks for listening today. Shoemaker Lab is an original production by Shoemaker Films LLC. If you enjoyed today's content, please consider subscribing on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your content. Follow us on Instagram at shoemaker.films. And if you're a business that's either interested in our video production services or would like to be a guest on the show, get in touch by using the contact form on our website, shoemakerfilms.com.