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Unlock the secrets to business success and gain valuable insights from local industry leaders. Join us as we delve into the strategies, triumphs, and lessons learned of thriving companies, empowering entrepreneurs to elevate their businesses to new heights.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:00:16] This morning, I have the honor of sitting down with someone I deeply admire, the one and only Mr. Dick Vokins from Image Press. Dick is the kind of person I hope to be in life. He doesn't chase the spotlight. Instead, he chooses to lift others up, to serve, and to give back without ever asking for recognition. My hope is by the end of this conversation, you'll learn from Dick, as I continue to do, about leadership, faith, integrity, humility, and building a life and business that truly matters. He is a reminder that doing things the right way still matters. So welcome, Dick, and thank you so much for joining me today.
Dick Vokins: [00:01:26] Pretty flowery, Sharon. Pretty flowery.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:01:29] Oh, you are amazing.
Dick Vokins: [00:01:31] If you only knew the truth.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:01:36] I should have added in there 'and extremely hilarious'. I missed that. Because you're always joking and making everyone laugh, so thank you.
Dick Vokins: [00:01:46] I love humor.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:01:47] Dick, you're someone who leads, I say, quietly because even though we lead the same circle in business, our paths never really crossed until recently. So I'd say quietly and powerfully because everybody knows you. No matter who I talk to, everybody knows Mr. Dick Vokins. Tell me, how have you approached leadership throughout your life and business career? What's your take on leadership?
Dick Vokins: [00:02:16] I'm not sure I like that term. I think to be a good leader, you need to be a good follower. If you don't have someone that you're following that has the highest standards, you can be easily led astray. You mentioned my faith, that's paramount in my life. My faith is paramount. If I'm following God and accountable to him, it allows me to be a leader with similar qualities to what I admire in the one I serve. And when I say God, I'm a Christian by faith, so I follow the teachings of Jesus. Jesus only really gave us two commands. Command one is to love God. Command number two is to love others. If you follow Christ's example and just follow him, I think others will be attracted to that style of quiet, gentle focus.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:03:23] Thank you, Dick. I have written down here, it says 'your faith seems to be woven into everything you do'. And it is. As I got to know you, and you just said it does, are you able to share how all that started, or how it has influenced your business decisions? Can you give us some examples?
Dick Vokins: [00:03:41] I grew up in a religious organization, but I didn't come to faith in God until I was 20. It was my boss at a printing company here in Lloydminster, Fred Bayton. You might know some of the Baytons, they were a name in Lloydminster. G.F. Bayton was the president of the rotary years and years ago. His son Fred led me to faith in God. Rod and Peg Bayton owned a business in town here. Doug Bayton, Fred's son, is the pastor at the Baptist church here in town. Wonderful, solid guy. He led me to faith in God through Christ and that changed everything, Sharon. And over the course of time, God never gets you to change things too rapidly in your life. He is the most gracious leader that you could ever follow. One with compassion and kindness, understanding our struggles, leading us quietly through, identifying with our pain, rejoicing when we rejoice, grieving when we grieve.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:04:51] One thing I've learned from you is your faith is strong, which is great, but you can have a conversation with anybody and there's zero judgment. You're not preaching to them. You walk in and that's just your belief and you can resonate with everybody, right?
Dick Vokins: [00:05:09] There's a saying, honey attracts more flies than vinegar. In the world you're going to find judgment. Let me give you an example. Jesus, he's a good example. He didn't sin once in his life. He loved people in all walks of life, and he was accused of eating and drinking with sinners. I want to be that guy. The religious leaders are the ones that actually condemned him.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:05:41] As a business owner, we get very stressed out, we get very busy, we've all been there and done that. How do you get through those times? Because it's been a lot of years, Dick. Tell me, what's your thought on those crazy times?
Dick Vokins: [00:06:03] It comes back to my faith again. I'm pretty single-focused. I believe God will never give me more than I can handle. Let me read a passage for you. Can I do this? This is your podcast.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:06:21] That's fine. Yeah, that's okay.
Dick Vokins: [00:06:23] It's the book of Solomon's wisdom, Proverbs Chapter 30. The week I opened Image Press back in September or early October of 1988, that's a long time ago, I ran across this passage. I highlighted it in my Bible. This was my prayer when I started Image Press. This is the basis of me brand new, never been in business before, bit of a wing nut. This is Proverbs Chapter 30, verses 7, 8 and 9. I'm reading out of the New International Version, it's my favorite version. 'Two things I ask of you, Lord, do not refuse me before I die. Keep falsehood and lies far from me.' What's he saying here? 'Give me truthfulness and integrity.' And then the second thing is 'give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, "who is the Lord?"' I've seen many people enter into business as people of faith and make a lot of money and lose their faith and their family and their friends and even their future, because the focus is not correct. So that's earning too much. Or he says here, 'I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God, so the prayers give me neither poverty nor riches, and keep falsehood and lies far from me.' That was my starting point. When I get to the point where I feel that there's just too much, I know that God will get me through it. He'll bring people to help. We have a gem working at our company now. I think you sent her our way, Haley.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:08:35] Yes, I could go back and retrace those steps. "I need help over here. Darn you!" "Here you go, Dick." Just kidding. It's good, I'm glad she worked out. She was a beautiful girl. I wouldn't have sent her over your way if I didn't think so.
Dick Vokins: [00:09:02] We're very happy with Haley. And thank you very much, Sharon. That was awesome.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:09:09] You're welcome, Dick. One thing about you, you've even come into my store, and as we've had previous discussions, I'm terrified of salespeople. They're up there with clowns for me. Vehicle salesmen scare me. I don't like pushy people and I'm too busy for pushy people. So one question I have for you, because you walk it and breathe it, I believe that when you're walking into a business, you're serving rather than selling. I think that's a whole different mindset for what you do. Can you explain the difference between those two and how it's impacted your business?
Dick Vokins: [00:09:51] Yes, I sure can. I hate salesmen too, Sharon. The salesman is there to sell you stuff. When I go out on sales, I don't want to sell anything to anybody. I don't want to sell a thing. What I want to do is I want to supply the things you need for your business. I don't want to sell you widgets and gadgets. I'll give you an example. I'm out on a sales call at a customer that wants to buy double pocket folders, but they can't. They got 5000 of them five years ago, they've used 500, they've got 4500 left. They can't bring themselves to buy double pocket folders because some salesman sold them 5000 folders because he could get the price down to a reasonable number. Well, you're going to throw 4500 folders out. What's the real cost of those folders for 500? Overselling. Should we get more? My answer is no. Get enough for a year. A year is the right amount, even with carbonless forms. What happens if I order 10,000? What happens if I order 100,000? They've got the money to buy 100,000, but carbonless forms change. In business, things change. I'm not there to sell you anything, I just want to help you get the things you need. And believe me, if I don't think you need it, and I'm convinced you don't need it, I don't want to print it. In fact, I've refused jobs from people because I didn't think they needed it. Well, I'm going to get it done anyway. Go somewhere else, sorry. That's terrible, right?
Sharon DeKoning: [00:11:47] No, it's so true. And I think that's one thing that I can definitely relate to you on, for sure. Another thing I feel, when you come in, you're very respectful of people's time, always. I feel that if somebody looks busy or is busy, you just know, and then you're very mindful because of your beliefs. You're always watching, you're always learning from other people so you are an inspiration to selling people.
Dick Vokins: [00:12:15] What about you? You hire salespeople, what do you look for when you hire a salesperson?
Sharon DeKoning: [00:12:28] I just hired a salesperson, and you know Harland really well. I met with Harland, and I told him we've never had an outside salesperson. I told him what I don't want in a salesperson and that is, first of all, do not be annoying. But to be there, to be helpful, that's the only thing, that's all we want. I don't want to be pushy, I do not want to be scary, I just really want to help. What we find right now is everybody's busy. The whole world has gone crazy. A lot of our customers, they don't have a chance to even come in and see us. So what we're hoping is to eliminate that and to help people with their time frame. It's not like they don't want it. They do need it, but it's a matter of time so we're hoping to help them more than the opposite.
Dick Vokins: [00:13:46] That's the right attitude.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:13:48] Harland reminds me a lot of you, actually. I've told Harland that. He goes, "oh, that's a huge compliment." I think that's why I'm instant with him. It's an instant relationship with Harland, and I think it's because he reminds me a lot of you. I just have trust in him.
Dick Vokins: [00:14:15] That's a good thing. He's an awesome guy, I'd recommend Harland. The worst sales call I ever went on, and I'm not pushy or anything, I took a couple of notepads into a business in Wainwright, and the owner just about threw me out. You know me, I'm not obnoxious or anything. I left the notepads and out I went. I went back a month later, he almost threw me out physically. I went back a month later and I said to him, "I bet you thought you'd never see me again." And I left some notepads. He laughed, I laughed, I left. It got to the point where I would organize my day in Wainwright, and my last stop would be stopping to see Bob, and we'd stop and have coffee and laugh and talk. We became really good friends.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:15:19] That's awesome. That is the best.
Dick Vokins: [00:15:21] Most salespeople, if they have a bad experience, will leave and never go back. I'm not that guy.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:15:28] And even Harland says that. "It takes a few touches." I have a question for you. How do you hope your life and business will be remembered?
Dick Vokins: [00:15:37] Sharon, I don't ever care if I'm remembered or not.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:15:40] See, it boils down to everything that we just talked about. That is you to the tee.
Dick Vokins: [00:15:47] Here's the deal. I follow closely the teachings of my Lord Jesus. If you meet me and forget me, no big deal. But if you never meet Jesus, that's a huge deal. What I want you to remember is that God loves you with an everlasting love more than you will ever know. And God desires to have a personal relationship with you. So much so, that Jesus came and walked and lived and died to prepare a way for you to have a relationship with God through him. That gives eternal value. Meeting me, I'm going to die someday and that's going to be okay. But you're going to die someday, and where you spend eternity, that matters. So if you take one step closer to getting to know who God is through Christ, that's all that really matters in life.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:17:03] So what I'm picking up right now is, from your whole conversation, for our listeners, you got to be good today. Do the best that you can be today in business and in life. Believe, and that's really all that matters.
Dick Vokins: [00:17:24] I think so. The most important thing in your life is not your business. It is important, but it's not the most important. What's the most important? It would be your family. Your faith, your eternity, your friends.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:17:46] What the heck? See, you made me realize something again today. Because sometimes, as business owners, we get consumed. We get so busy and we forget about things like that. I have a question. Entrepreneurs just starting out or trying to build something meaningful, what advice would you give them?
Dick Vokins: [00:18:15] Don't take life too seriously.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:18:17] I like that.
Dick Vokins: [00:18:18] Make sure you focus on the things that are important. Don't lose touch with your family. Don't lose touch with your history or your heritage.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:18:30] Love it. And how can someone begin to embed faith, integrity, and community into their work? Practically, easily?
Dick Vokins: [00:18:42] You've done business with people that go to church on Sundays and live like the devil Monday through Saturday. Don't be that person. If you have faith, let it guide every aspect of your life. You may not be the richest person in the world, but you will be the most satisfied and joyful person in the world. Money does not bring happiness. Money can also bring a lot of grief. I know many people that have been solid in their marriage, go into business, earn a lot of money, and lose their marriage. I've seen it over and over and over again. You put the focus on the wrong thing, and always there's the temptation that defaces you every day and defaces me every day. Temptation to shortcut, higher profits, lower cost. All of those things are there. I had a pressman come to me one time over and over and over again when we first started. The press would say, is this good enough? Finally, I wrote out a big sign. Handwritten, big piece of bristle board. 'Good enough does not exist.' It's an illusion. It's either good, which is the best you can do, or it's not good which means you'll do it over. I said, "When you say to me, 'is this good enough?', this is literally what I hear, "I've lowered my standards to produce this subpar work." Do you think the customer will pay full price? The answer is no. It's the best you can do. You know that as well. You have a silk screener that works under the mushrooms, but does an awesome job.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:21:34] He's amazing.
Dick Vokins: [00:21:35] You have Sam that runs your vinyl.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:21:40] I find when you hire new staff as you grow, because that's what's happened with us, we're growing, so we're hiring more, but we have at Its Time a very high standard of what we produce. Very proud of what we send out the doors. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get your team up to recognize that there is no 'good enough'. We do not allow 'good enough'. It has to be the best or good. Do you believe it's good, like what you had mentioned. It's hugely important. But we're forever training that, even with our new staff. It's forever and ever. If it's not up to our standard, it's not up to our standard.
Dick Vokins: [00:22:48] It's constant, even with your veterans. They'll have a bad day and they won't be doing things just quite right. It's just a constant effort.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:22:59] On that note, that's a good topic too. For example, Image Press has been around for a long time. Everybody relies on you for help. How quickly do things go out that's 'good enough'?
Dick Vokins: [00:23:14] Quick. My wife uses the expression, 'Your reputation is like glass. Hard to make, easy to break.' And it happens. You have work go out that's subpar. Yesterday, our proofreader missed something and the customer caught it after the job was printed. What's our response? We're doing it over.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:23:38] And that's the trust that they get. But mistakes happen. That's huge. But to own it and adjust it and fix it, that's so important. Even all that kind of stuff, it goes back to believing in your product, believing in the people and doing the right thing. Integrity. Yes, integrity is huge. I find the word integrity, and you could probably simplify it for me, is a big word. The only way, in my mind, to make it simple is 'doing the right thing when nobody's watching'. That's how I decipher integrity. What's your take on integrity?
Dick Vokins: [00:24:40] Do the right thing all the time.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:24:44] Even when no one's watching.
Dick Vokins: [00:24:48] Even when you know that no one will ever find out, just do the right thing. I'll give you an example. This comes from a good friend of mine, one of my best friends. He was tragically killed years ago. He worked at a print shop in Yellowknife. One of the pressmen at Yellowknife printed an extra ticket to the policeman's ball. There were a thousand tickets to the policeman's ball, he printed an extra ticket. Ticket number 801, I'll just use it as a random number. So that he could go to the policeman's ball without paying the price. No one would ever find out. Well, they had a draw for the grand prize that night. Ticket number 801 was pulled and it was his ticket. And he could not go and pick up the prize because there was another 801 there at the event. When they put the tickets together to match them, they didn't match.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:25:48] Oh, no. That is awesome.
Dick Vokins: [00:25:55] There's a story for you.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:25:57] See? Do the right thing. Are there any words of advice to any of our young entrepreneurs, current entrepreneurs that you have that you would like to share before we sign off?
Dick Vokins: [00:26:11] Nobody likes to be sold, we like to be helped. If you go into business with the idea to help people, eventually you'll be helped yourself.
Sharon DeKoning: [00:26:24] Love it. That goes back to our BNI motto, givers gain. I'm going to sign off here now, so thank you for joining us today. You're an inspiration to many of us. Your BNI and rotary, I've got to know you over the years and it's fantastic. I could listen to you all day. For those tuning in, I hope that you feel what I feel after every conversation with Dick. A little bit more grounded, a little more thoughtful, of course, and a whole lot more inspired to lead with purpose, faith and kindness. Until next time, everyone, thank you for joining us. We ask that you subscribe to our channel and share this podcast with anyone that you feel can relate to it. Bye for now.