PromoIndustry.Guru presents Candid Conversation with Adrienne Barker, MAS

John, so we were talking about being genuine and how— and I was telling you that I actually have gone to a lot of events and I have not actually ever, like, tell anyone who I am. So I'm at an event and I'm listening to everyone else and I walk away and I'm like, ooh, good thing I don't have to, like, show my boss me business cards. And I'm— but I'm okay with that because part of me, it's all about— okay, so especially when we both go to Tucson, so I move the summer, so I'm there August of 2016. When do you arrive?

I arrived exactly a year later in August of 2017. And before that I was in, before that I was in Seattle working for Boeing.

Wow. And then what brought you to Tucson?

At that point, I, I left my job. I was kind of, you know, I appreciate all I've learned there, but I was kind of ready to do my own thing, and one thing I've always loved is travel and the travel industry. So a friend of mine and I had a chance to start a new business called A to Z Travel where we would do travel concierge. And he— him and his wife lived in Tucson, and I was looking for a change, and I already knew people in Arizona, so I figured, you know what, let's take a risk and let's go down and see what we can do.

That's crazy. That's kind of my story too, leaving the family business and then making the decision to go to— I had a friend that was in Tucson that I thought would be a business partner. Actually, I went to China, um, you know, with, with him. Didn't end up working out because he made me a priority all the time, and then all of a sudden once we were in China, I was like not a priority. It was weird. But anyways, And, but the minute I remember going to Arizona and it was such a great, I mean, wow, I fell in love with the mountains and the community is incredible. So you, how did you even, do you remember how you heard about the Hispanic Chamber?

Well, both my business partner and I, we heard, I mean, we knew about it. I mean, he was in Tucson for a while, so he knew about it, but we didn't really have, he didn't really have a reason to join it. And when we were trying to promote our business, he said, "Hey, there's a big Latino population here in Southern Arizona. This would be a great market to tap into." And for me, I just wanted to go out and meet people. So gave me, you know, gave me a way to promote the business as well as meet new friends and just get out there and meet people.

So true. And it's so welcome. Well, I mean, I absolutely, I thought the Hispanic Chamber was really, one of the best chambers, how they promoted, like they would do that. They would, and I'm sure they probably still have it, but they would do that. Maybe it was 12 o'clock on Monday because sometimes I remember a food truck outside with delicious Mexican food. And then Leah, right, Leah would, would kind of, she, you'd have the president sit with you through this, but that was really brilliant on her part. And then she would, she would at times kind of like weave in what they're doing in their events. And I think that's what made them grow so much is they weren't afraid of having an open networking event that you did not have to be a member of, because most people felt like, oh, I want to be a member of this.

Yeah, I mean, that you go to a meeting or two, or you go to a mixer, you meet the people, and you're like, okay, cool. Oh, it's only, you know, it's less than $500 to join. Sure, you know, not only is it networking, but it's also a social outlet to meet people. And I think, I mean, you'd probably agree, Adrian, that You know, if you're a business owner or if you're in sales, you know, joining a networking club is something you definitely have to do.

So we have to shout out to Stacy at Tucson Business because then the second time I met you was at Tucson Business Networking. And I am, I just, I mean, I can't even, I can't, she's another person when I think of her, not that I want to cry, but I just, she's so delightful and so beautiful and There's just everything about her just is like, ah, she's the queen of Tucson. I feel like the queen of networking in Tucson, and she's so humble about it. Like, she and her events are incredible. So we saw you. I was there with Tracelyn, and I was having my— I'm so nervous, Tracelyn. And Tracelyn from the American Cancer Society is another— ah, it's a beautiful woman. And so we walk in together, and we notice the shrimp is like this big. We're like, What? And the food was delicious because I think it was a desert casino. And then I said, oh, there's John, and John wants to get involved. And so we walked over together because Tracy was doing the relay and climb a mountain, and I was doing the talent show. So we were like, what can we, you know, work with John? And we knew about your father, you had shared that. So we, um, we approached you. It was so nice. And I remember walking away and she's like, wow. He's really a nice guy. And I think I did say he's Jewish too. Jewish. But I remember thinking, cause there wasn't like, there's a, there was actually, I love the Jewish community. I shouldn't say that there was a strong Jewish community in Tucson, but I myself didn't put myself into that. What else were you doing? So you did the Hispanic and Tucson business networking and how, how was business for the travel? What did that look like? Cause I was always curious if it was a moneymaker.

To be honest, it wasn't— I mean, we didn't really have— we were new to the community. We were able to book some travel, but we tried to put on a networking cruise and then a Cuba cruise, and we just didn't get the demand that we wanted to. We were hoping that we would have had, you know, at least a dozen or so cabins booked, and we only had a few, you know, we only had a few booked, and You know, going— looking back on things, I think I would have marketed differently and would have used some different tools that I didn't know at the time. So the last couple of years, I definitely— it was a good learning experience, but it just wasn't the right market for travel.

That's interesting. And I remember that I really wanted to do it, but the money was so tight for me. When you're working for a nonprofit, it was very, very tight. And my husband wasn't working. It just, it was just, I had to watch every penny. And so as much as I wanted to say yes, and I think I did was like, yes, then when it came down to it, I wasn't able to. And so that I was, I was, I love the idea now though. Imagine if this, if travel was your full-time job, this, I don't even know what to say.

If you could make it work, but, uh, it takes a lot of time. I mean, to really build yourself in the community, It takes years and it takes a lot of marketing and just going out and meeting people. So, you know, that's something— it was a really good learning experience for me that, you know, even to this day in my new business, I definitely consider.

You know, I'm candid, John, and I just—

you are, but I appreciate that.

I booked a cruise for Alana and I August 3rd. I'm very excited about it. And the other night I was thinking about it. Oh, You know, if the woman that was in our leads group that was booking cruises, if she sees this, she may be like, well, why didn't Adrienne book a cruise with me? But the reality is I haven't seen her or heard from her in like a few months. And so when it was time to book a cruise, she wasn't in my mind. And, and I'm actually sharing that now because I think that that's part of it too. It's all about being relevant, relevant, relevant. And part of my doing these candid conversations was You know, I wanted to be relevant, but I also wanted to share like-minded friends that I have. And so it really is important. So this example now wasn't a lot of money, and Carnival is easy to book, but I could have booked with her and she could have gotten a little commission. But she had it— there was no way staying in touch. So I don't know, maybe— I think that when we're in business, it's not up to, um, people to try to find us or to remember us as a salesperson. You have to make sure that you're out there. And I've got to do a better job myself of reaching out to people. But I, it's funny, I just wanted to share that because if she is watching, the only reason why I didn't book up with her is because I didn't think of her because she wasn't being relevant enough to be in my mind. And I would have been happy to book with her though, like there wouldn't have been a question. And so I think that's important to know. I just think that's important to state. But I want to ask you, so now people are really— the travel industry I think it's gonna be really busy once everyone feels comfortable and ready to go. Like now it's gonna be like, whew, out the gate.

Yeah, I, um, I know for at least a couple months, even once we reopen again, it's gonna be— it's gonna take a big hit, especially the airline industry and cruises, because a lot of people are gonna be— I think there's gonna be people who are like, I don't care where I go, you could send me to North Dakota and I just want to get out of the house. But other people are going to be, you know, until there's set vaccination for COVID-19, I think a lot of people are going to be afraid to go on cruises, to be in large crowds. And they might, you know, they might take a quick road trip, but I think some of these big trips, it could take months. So I'm hoping for the economy that things open up quickly and people start traveling again, but it could be, you know, a year or so until we return to normal.

Yeah, I don't know, 77, 76 days are supposedly we're supposed to leave. But Alana, I'm, you know, going with my daughter, so we're not going to go in bars. We're gonna, you know, we'll be what— we'll— I'm sure that they're— we're gonna be careful. And but I thought, you know, the word careful is so careless. Like, I think about it, and I was writing, uh, to Charity Gibson, a lovely woman in our promotional products industry and very, very smart, and she was writing yesterday and she wrote a post about, you know, the whole time. And, and I, I, it was just such a beautiful post because what she was saying was really that, um, you know, we all wonder like, why did we close? But maybe we closed because people needed time, time to understand, time to, you know, understand the seriousness, give the hospital time, like give everyone the time that they needed. And now it's up to us to go back. And then I'm thinking, I said, well, I'll be careful. But then I'm like, that word is so carelessly used because How careful can I really be? You know, and so, and I, and I'm, we didn't leave the house during all of this. We were really careful, but now I just feel so carelessly to say it. So what about you? Like, I think, did I see you out the other day? Did you go to a restaurant? Were you eating?

I went to, yeah, we went to pick up at a Mexican restaurant close by. So yeah, I'm not gonna lie. I've been careful. Like I've when we go out, I've been wearing masks. But yeah, I've been going, you know, shopping. I played golf. Um, I'll admit that there might be people who get upset at me, but, um, no, I live my life— I, I live my life how I am. I'm relatively healthy. I'm, like you say, careful. Um, but, you know, I'm not going to stay in and be a hermit. Um, for me, it's going out going out living my life. And yeah, that's, that's, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now I can understand. I think I was invited to a, like, a house party on Friday night, and the only thing is, lovely, lovely, lovely people, and I would love to go, but then I'm like, I have Alana and Alan, and I just don't want to, you know. And then, because this circle of friends, I have been going out more than I have. So then the, the risk is a little bit more. And I know that they don't wear masks and stuff, which I'm not complaining. I'm just feeling like I now have to be careful for Alan and Alana because it's not just me. If it was me and I was single, I'd be at every party I could, but I really can't. All right. So now you are living where?

Currently I'm still in Phoenix. Um, after Tucson, I moved to Phoenix where I got a job at FedEx in sales. So I've been here, wow, almost 2 years. But I will be moving to Florida once this pandemic kind of dies down a little bit to further my career at FedEx. So I'll be down in the Fort Lauderdale area.

It's beautiful. Oh yeah, so you might as well wait. The beaches are still closed. I think they're just opening up now. So you're right, they were big closed. So first of all, may I ask what side of Phoenix are you on? What part are you, where are you? Like the Scottsdale side?

South, so Chandler, the Chandler-Gilbert area. So just about 30 minutes south of Phoenix.

That's a beautiful area, wow.

Up and coming, it's up and coming.

Oh, what is the name of the community?

Chandler.

Oh, I love Chandler. Okay, so I've been to Chandler, that is really beautiful. Quiet, beautiful, but still only just 30 minutes to, delicious restaurants. Wow, do you do a lot of hiking?

Not as much as I want to. I definitely get out there, try and do walks around the community. But no, I mean, I go to Sedona occasionally, try and go up to North Scottsdale once a month or so. So yeah, I get some hiking in, but not enough.

Are you renting a house, apartment? Where are you?

Renting an apartment.

Nice. And is your community been open? Pool, clubhouse?

No, no, it's been— they've been closed the last 6, 7 weeks.

It's killing— I— ours is now— so now our gyms are open at 25%, so I'm like on the phone, you know, you need sanitizer, mask, like, please open up your pool. I'm like, just can't. It's so hard not to have the clubhouse, and that's part of the amenities that in essence you feel like you're paying for. So it's even harder to feel like, wait a second, like, I, I've been ripped off here. It's— they've given a little bit of a deal as far as, you know, some percentage off when you pay early. Has your community offered anything to you?

No, unfortunately not. Um, I mean, they're like a lot of other apartments. If you give them a notice, you know, they'll at least— you know, if you, if you have to pay late, um, they're okay with that as long as you give them a notice. But No, no percentage off.

Wow. And now, okay, so now when you go to leave, are you selling your furniture or are you bringing it with you? What are your plans to going across country?

I am bringing it with me. That's a nice thing with my company is they pay for the relocation.

That is lovely. And then will you fly or drive?

I will be flying and my furniture will be in, in, in a truck. The nice thing though is my— oh yeah, that's— they moved that also. So the nice thing is I have immediate family like my mom, my brother, my grand— you know, both my grandmas are still alive and they're in South Florida. So it'd be nice to be closer to the, you know, closer to them.

I love that FedEx really has been amazing, and I think that it's, you know, during this time of COVID-19, we're finding leaders are either shining and being the leaders that they should be. Companies are really stepping up and delivery companies are so essential. And that the fact that the drivers and how hard they work, and it's just a fabulous, fabulous, you know, and as in the promotional products industry, FedEx has been really just an amazing player in our field with the things that we need. So thank you, because that's great.

Oh yeah, no, I appreciate them. I wouldn't— if the drivers weren't out there on the front line, I wouldn't have a job right now. So they do, they do a lot of hard work, and I know our CEO Fred Smith appreciates what, what they do.

That is really fantastic. And South Florida is such a beautiful area. I'm glad you have family there. And, you know, I'm sad that my parents are both passed and the galleries are no longer there. We had one in Coconut Creek and one in the Village. Those were the best times ever going down down there to visit them, and I loved Hollywood. Do you have an idea where you want to live?

Still in work. I was hoping to be— I was hoping to go there the last month to visit and check it out, but obviously we haven't allowed travel. So I've done everything, you know, looked remotely. I've been working remotely. I have an idea where I want to be, probably somewhere, somewhere west of Fort Lauderdale, like Sunrise or Pembroke Pines. So close enough to Fort Lauderdale, close enough to Miami, and then close to, you know, right where my, right where my field territory is.

Nice, good for you. You know what, pivoting and making changes is really smart. And actually, with all of this, you probably are really happy that you're not in the travel business. That would have been, uh, if it been this— so you think ahead and think to yourself, these changes that we've made in life just really— I don't know, we can't look ahead, but just to know that you've been making the right decisions must be a really great feeling.

Yeah.

And then you're friends all over the place. Do you know that my son is in Tucson? No.

Um, so he's been there for a long time?

Yeah, so Rudy moved, uh, 2017, so a year after I moved. He was, uh, going to school in Orlando, living in Windermere, and, uh, he— I— we got— we talked him into it And then for the first— he got there the heat of the summer and he was like, and then he is now— I don't think he'll leave. He's got a beautiful girlfriend. He works over at Earth's Healing, um, at dispensary, and he's the manager and he absolutely loves it and he's great at what he does. And so my heart is always Tucson, and I have a reason to visit. Of course, it is wonderful. It's just such a beautiful community. And maybe one day, I don't know, you know, I keep saying I miss But then I want to go to the ocean here. I'm like, yeah, I'm going to stay with Daytona Beach because it really is— there's a pull though. Do some—

did you get to go? Oh no, no. Did you know that I used to live in, uh, I, I lived in Daytona Beach. Um, I did. I went to Embry-Riddle for my master's. So yeah, I know that area very well.

Whoa, you got your master's degree from Embry-Riddle?

Yep. I'm actually wearing the, uh, shirt right my favorite polo.

What was your— I love that. What was you— what was your degree?

MBA. So MBA in finance. So that's how I got my job at Boeing is through my connections at Embry-Riddle.

Did you stay on campus?

No, I lived— my parents were closer to Orlando, so I lived there. It was about a 40-minute commute. They were north northwest of Orlando. So I had about a 40-minute commute to school.

Wow. Well, congratulations, because Embry-Riddle right now is a really beautiful school, expensive, hard to get into, and, you know, it's not considered Ivy League, but to me it's very close. Is it considered Ivy League? Because it's such a— it's just a fantastic school and it's beautiful.

Well, we are, we, we are the Harvard of aviation, so yeah, in that aspect, absolutely.

You know, it's funny because I miss in Tucson having the University of Arizona downtown. That is, that is beautiful. Wherever you go, you see the students and just, it's just, I don't know, because you absorb their energy. But I would say the same thing here. I've worked with Embry-Riddle students. I'm on a leadership program, Daytona Leadership, with some people that work. And I mean, the whole thing with Embry-Riddle is absolutely beautiful. And then the— I don't know if you've seen the new dorms. You'll have to make a visit. Because they have built it. It's one of the prettiest campuses that I have seen. And then I don't want to say anything against Daytona State College because that is a beautiful college too. Daytona State College has the most amazing culinary program and hospitality program. And my daughter's high school, Mainland— you probably remember Mainland right there on the, like, the International Speedway. Yep, beautiful school too. So that's another draw here. I have to say that Embry-Riddle, Daytona State College. The schools are great here. The beach, the people. I'm loving it here. You're going to love being back in South Florida because I also enjoyed all of the connections in South Florida. So will you network or like, how does that work for with what you're with your career path?

So with my career path, it never hurts to obviously get involved with the community. Especially because my customers, you know, I got a couple hundred customers within a 20-mile radius of the, you know, West Fort Lauderdale. But I also have a side— I also have a side business where I'm working in financial services. And for me, you know, I studied finance with my MBA, so I understand the industry. And, you know, as you know, being a part of the American Cancer Society, my dad my dad had cancer and, you know, unfortunately he passed away a few years ago, but he did have a very good life insurance policy, which, uh, which helped out my family a lot. So I'm a big firm believer in insuring, you know, protecting families as well as preparing them for retirement. So, um, it's just something I really enjoy doing on the side besides my job with FedEx.

So John and I, we've been friends for a few years, so I'm proud to say that For some reason, my parents told me to let my— not to pay. I don't even understand why, but they felt that we— they had the ability to self-insure us with, you know, what they had for property in the business. And, you know, times have changed. And so I need to make sure that my children are protected. And I use John. So I'm just saying this because if you know John, then it's nice to know someone that you're going with, someone that you know and that understands. And I love that. I don't know if I remember that you had the MBA from Embry-Riddle. So that is That's really exciting. So I think that you've got a great— what you're doing is so smart, but of course it makes sense. I can't wait to have you on the East Coast too. That'll be fun. So at least, you know what, they'll be— we'll be connecting soon. My dad is— my parents, not my dad, my mom and dad are buried in Hollywood, and they have a mausoleum that they built, but they're unveiling— the unveiling, what should have been actually in April. My dad passed away April 3rd of 2000, and 19th. So we're waiting for everything and then, um, go to the unveiling for my, for my father. So, and I think we have to add the date gets added if I'm correct. Um, but anyways, I really look forward to going actually because I love our, uh, Rabbi Keivman, who is the most amazing rabbi out of the Aventura market area. It's just, I love him. But anyway, so I'll have to meet him when I get down there. Oh, he's such— there's so many such great places. Aventura, Turnberry. I just I love it all. I really do. My dad— a couple of sad things. I mean, you're going to go down and see businesses that you love probably have closed and, you know, not able to make it. So that's depressing. But on the other hand, you know what, you're going to go and have experience that is great. And are you going alone?

That is in question, right? You know, that is, um, in question, right? You know, that's in question right now.

So very exciting that you just, you know, and you're gonna enjoy— you know what else you're gonna enjoy? I hate to say this, so sorry everyone in Phoenix, but The breeze is really different. So when we were in Tucson, yes, it's dry, but the summer— and I've never spent a summer in Tucson, I've always traveled— but I will tell you, being by the ocean where it's hot in Orlando, I went out, walked outside, I'm only about 5 minutes from— 5 miles from the ocean, and you feel that breeze. It's beautiful. So you're gonna love— you'll be cool down there. Actually, it's not even that hot.

Florida, humid, humid, but, uh, not, not quite 110 like it is in Phoenix.

It's not, and it's not even— it's hotter in Orlando than it is in, in South Florida. It really isn't that bad. So have a great rest of the day. Thank you for coming on. It's so nice to— I feel like I blabbed this whole way and I didn't mean to do that, but you're so easy to talk to. That's the thing, John, you should do this. You would be excellent. And you know what? The only reason why I started this is I did a Show Off Your Friends because I wanted— I knew I have like-minded friends, so I wanted people to know them. But you should do this. And there's a few people that are doing this. That have spun off on this idea. So think about it, do it after hours.

No, that's great. I mean, that's something that's really interesting. And yeah, you know, Adrian, given your personality, this is perfect for you. But I think you need to, I think you need to have hope right now, given everything going on and just having a fun conversation and catching up with your friends through Zoom or through a show, whether it's informal, you're just, conversing with your friends or you're doing it professionally, it's a blast. And, um, no, I appreciate you having me on here, Adrian, and, um, you know, providing hope and also laughter for people.

You know, I've always wanted to be the proverbial fly on the wall, so I guess that's why I'm doing this. All right, have a great rest of the day. Thank you for helping me with my life insurance for my husband and I appreciate it. I probably should look at Alana too after, actually. Because so she has a policy that works for her. It's not expensive when she gets older. So we— can we do that next? Actually, I forgot about that. And thank you.

Well, thank you. Thank you, Adrienne. Have a wonderful day and let's catch up soon.

Bye. This is fabulous. Fabulous.