Get Comfortable Being Different – Business Brain 568

Business Brain, episode 568 for Casual Friday, July 19, National Daiquiri Day. Boy, isn't it time? 2024. Greetings, folks, and welcome to Business brain, the show where we take a few ideas, we dissect them, and we use them to tune our business brains every single time we get together here in Durham, New Hampshire, with fast mail.com businessbrain where you get to go to try it for free for 30 days and then 10% off. That's our sponsor. I'm Dave Hamilton.

And I'm Shannon Jean out here in California. How are you, man?

I'm good. You know, the daiquiri is an interesting drink. During COVID lockdowns, we wound up doing a bunch of online. Like the bartending classes. Yeah, right.

Oh, that's cool.

It was fun. It was a fun family activity or whatever. And sometimes it would just be the four of us or whatever with our thing, and other times it would be like other groups of people in other areas of the world or whatever. There's this one bartender, we went and looked him up afterwards. He was like this prodigy bartender, the youngest guy ever hired at the American bar in. In London. And we did a rum class with him and he taught us something really interesting. He's like, if I go to a bar, the first drink I order is a daiquiri, because that tells me how good the bartender is.

Oh, wow.

Because a daiquiri is super simple. It's three ingredients. Not when you add all the other stuff to it, but, you know, it is rum, lime juice, and simple syrup.

Interesting.

And that's it. And then it, you know, you like, if they can't blend those so that there is an equal balance of it. He knows that his second drink is a beer.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I love it. Yeah. Vodka tonic.

Yeah, that's pretty fun. Yeah, that's right. Vodka tonic. Yeah, exactly.

Can't mess it up. It's only a mix. Oh, that's cool. That's great. Hey, you sent me a picture in Slack this week because you've been traveling doing a bunch of crazy stuff, and you said there was a great story behind it, and I'd love to hear it.

Yeah. So I was out at Max Stock conference in just north of Chicago, and that's where I was. We talked last week. I was flying our my friend's little Grumman tiger out, which we did, and it all worked out great. And we recorded an episode of MacGeek Gab there live. Yep. And it was after dinner. Right. So the conference ended like the Sessions for the day ended, Everybody broke for dinner. Then everybody came back and we did Matt Geek Gab in the same room. We kind of. Our group had the conference, that part of the conference center to do with as we pleased all weekend. It was great. Really. It was a nice way for this particular size conference to work. And we get back and we knew that they were gonna change the stage around and put, like a couple of chairs and a couch up there to make it less like a lectern. Yeah, yeah. More like what a podcast should be. And there were three paper bags on the couch. Like lunch size paper bags.

Okay.

On the couch. One with each of our names. It's Dave, Adam and Pete were the hosts of the show. And we got there, the three of us walked in and were like, we were there before most other people, but again, the space was just open, so it was fine. And obviously this was intentionally put there for us. And I thought, all right, well, this will be a gag in the middle of the show. Like, let's not open the bags yet. Let's just leave them here. And it can kind of be. We won't even acknowledge them until maybe halfway through the episode. So halfway through the episode, it's like, all right, it's time. We did Stump the Geeks. So, people, it was very interactive with the audience. They were literally asking us questions. We were doing tech support. Yeah, it's fun. So, you know, it was. It was a party vibe. Right. And so I say, all right, I got it. I have a question. You know, Stump the Geeks, there's three. Three paper bags. I explained what I just explained here. I gave the audience a vote. I said, do we want to find out who put them here first or should we open them first? And the audience overwhelmingly voted to have us open them first.

Okay, great.

So we each open them, and the contents of the bag are exactly the same. There is a plastic spoon and one of those little, like, single serving, rip off the top and eat it. Tubs of jello strawberry. Yep. And yep. This is the same, like, all three of the bags. So we're kind of looking at it like, I don't know that I get the joke. Like, what. What's going on here? And so we talked about it and we shared some ideas about what it might be that were preposterous and hopefully entertaining and almost certainly incorrect.

Yes.

And then we got the punchline. And this will be relevant and something you and I talked about on this show. Today, of course, is National Daiquiri Day. One of our I do this on every one of my podcasts. We, in fact, the. The Monday, which is the day that the show we did that night, that Monday was national, be like a dork day or something. Act like a dork day, which was fine, you know, but we do. I do this in every show that I do. One of our listeners said, well, you're recording this on Friday, the 12th, at which we were. And he said, and today is both National Jello Day and National Paper Bag Day.

Oh.

And it warmed my heart because we talked about this as just a way of sort of identifying with our audience and kind of doing a thing that here has sometimes led to, like, us changing the entire topic of an episode because of what day it is. It's like, you know, national call somebody out for cheating on their taxes day or, you know, whatever.

That's great.

You know, that's awesome. Yeah, it was great. It was the engagement.

I love the engagement. Right? That's what you're looking for.

That's it.

That's. That's the energy you get back from your audience that they're paying attention to you, the little things you're mentioning, that kind of stuff. So I think that's terrific. Yes. That's awesome.

Yep. It's funny, once he said it, I knew what it was because of course, we released an episode on July 12, and so I had seen everything that was National Day of. For that day. But it, it had been like a week since I prepped it all. I had chosen National Simplicity Day for us on that one. So I just, I had lost the reference. But as soon as he said it, I'm like, oh, actually, you're right. I remember this.

That's very cool. Yeah, that's awesome.

That's great. It's. I. Yeah, like you said, the engagement, it's huge. All right, look, have you ever felt like your inbox is a chaotic jungle filled with ads, spam, and digital monkeys swinging from vine to vine? Well, prepare to be amazed because our sponsor, fastmail, is here to transform that jungle into a pristine oasis. I've been using fastmail as my primary email provider for over five years, and it's like having a personal assistant who's always on point. Fastmail is an independent, employee owned email provider that's been delivering a premium inbox experience for over 20 years. No ads, no creepy data sharing, just a clean, efficient email service that values my time. And they value yours too. For as little as five bucks a month, you can get a private inbox with fast mail. They've got new multi user plans that make it affordable for your household and your business. The duo plan is perfect for you and a partner for the family plan covers up to six people and their business plan. You get powerful admin controls for managing your empire. Fast Mail's productivity features are top notch. Customize your workflow with colors, custom swipes, night mode and more. Plus, you can now buy a domain through Fast Mail and they'll set it up for you instantly. Their human support team is available 24 7, ensuring you're never alone in the email wilderness. So if you're ready to make your email life better, try Fast mail free for 30 days and then get 10% off your first year@fastmail.com BusinessBrain Again, fast mail free 30 days then 10% off your first year@Fastmail.com BusinessBrain Fastmail because a charmed life deserves a charmed inbox and our thanks to Fastmail for sponsoring this episode. All right, you got one for us, Shannon?

I do.

All right.

I do. I read this comment. I thought it really resonated with me because recognizes a powerful part of, I think what we talk about a lot. But it also brings to light a challenge that. Or something that can be challenged. So challenging. So let me read this comment to you. It was posted online. I think it came from Alex Hermosi or somebody, but I'm not sure. I can't recall. But I stole it or I just copied it because I thought it was great. And that statement is if you want to have a different life than the majority of people, expect most people to disagree with you. Oh, and I thought, man, that really explains this concept that I talk about that I want to talk about more about it's getting comfortable being different than everybody else.

Yeah. Okay.

Maybe that's easier. That might have been actually. And maybe I don't know if it's true or not, but it seems to me you as a creative person in music business and different things like this, maybe that's easier for you than. How do I say it? Standardized Human.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I know.

You know what I mean?

Yeah. The. The more off the beaten path you live your life, the more different your life is going to be and the more different you're going to be perceived.

Yes. And that is at the older I've gotten, I realize that's power. It's a powerful. And it's powerful. It's one of my superpowers.

Yes. It can become that, can be, can become that.

And it has become that for me.

Y.

But for you know, a long time when I was younger, much younger, when I wasn't going along the same path and it seemed like everybody else had it figured out and everybody else was becoming more successful sooner than I was from the outside, but I didn't realize it from the inside. It wasn't that way. But anyway, it. It is. Was uncomfortable to be different and going out and doing things on our own. And not until I had, like, my first few successes.

Yep.

Did I get more comfortable with. I didn't take that path. I'm not doing that. I'm not. You know, I'm talking business primarily, but even in life in general. No, I. I get it that we do.

Yeah.

You know, I could. A few examples. You know, obviously starting companies and businesses and then going through those ups and downs and especially when you fail and make mistakes and, you know, I've made some big, big ones where I was just ashamed of, you know, making that mistake and not wanting to talk about it because you. You.

Because it's embarrassing.

It's embarrassing. It's embarrassing. And so. But I believe that if. If I could give a younger. I had a great young guy on a call today that's trying to get beyond his W2 and grow and do things. Loves his job, but he wants to do more. Get comfortable with being different and finding. However you need to spin it to where you can talk about it. I think it's important.

I can't believe I'm about to tell this story on the podcast. Shannon.

All right, here we go.

It supports everything that you are saying here. I mentioned I was at Max Doc. Right. This past weekend. Obviously, we were staying in a hotel and the conference center was in the hotel. It was the first time they did it that way, which is a great way to do a conference. You don't have to travel between them. You just get to all be there. You're all there all the time. It's important for this story to share that I sleep naked.

Okay.

The story doesn't work without you knowing that this is a thing. So I get back to my room on Saturday.

Sharing your room.

Nope. My own room. Okay.

Okay. Just want to make sure.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, this isn't. It's just how I like to sleep. It doesn't. You know, it's fine. Whatever. Yeah, of course.

Nothing wrong with that. I feel the same way when it's hot.

Sure. Yeah. So I get back to my room. This would have been Thursday. Friday. I think it was Friday night. We had done Mac Geek Gab. We'd gone out, kind of hung out for a little bit after that. And I go up to my room and I go to get ready for bed. I do all the things that I'm going to do to get ready. The brushing my teeth, the changing or removing of my clothing. And I'm about to get into bed and I think, crap. There were those two emails that I need to address. So I, I, I've been there and I was tired. Like, we had flown in the day before. I didn't sleep all that great the night before. I'm exhausted, like. But I gotta do these two emails. So I sit down and I'm five minutes into the first one, like, processing the things that I need to do, and I'm like, dang. It's like I'm cold now because I'm not in my bed. Like, I'm just, you know, naked in the room. I had put a towel down on the chair. So I wasn't sitting, like, on the chair or whatever.

Yeah, sure, sure.

And so I grabbed my sweatshirt, I grabbed my hoodie, and I put it on because it was right next to me. Okay, great. So I get through the first email. I'm cooking, I'm cooking. And halfway. It must have been, based on the evidence that I have, halfway through the second email, I fell asleep, you know, I was that exhausted.

Wow.

I fell asleep in my chair and slept for like 90 minutes in the chair there.

Yeah.

I woke up super disoriented. Like, I was just like, yeah, right.

Somebody stole my kidney.

Yeah, right. Yeah, exactly. Super disoriented. And I get up and I go to the bathroom, you know? Cause I figure I'll pee and I'll go back to bed.

Yeah, yeah.

And where I really came, like, fully online, I remember all of these things that I'm telling you, but it's only in, like, the movie. In my head, I wasn't engaged with this, but I was aware that these things, that I was doing these things. And where I came online, Shannon was as I watched my hotel room door close as I was standing in the hallway. Right. So.

And you wouldn't have any pockets?

Oh, I had, I had the pocket.

Of my hoodie pocket.

Yeah. But I did not have a key in it.

Yeah. That's awesome. That's awesome.

Years ago, I used to get an extra key and put it somewhere on the floor that I stayed on. You know, it doesn't have your room number on it or anything, so it just, I would just hide it somewhere. And so I'd have it not for scenarios like this. But if I had left the key in the room, I didn't want to have to go all the way back downstairs to get it.

Whatever. Smart.

This was 2:36 in the morning, I can tell you, based on information that I was able to gather once I got back to my room. And so I stood outside of the door and. And panicked, obviously.

Yeah. Yes, I would panic because you're in.

A hoodie and nothing in a hoodie. That's it. Right. But so it was like, okay. So I tried, you know, spoiler alert, the do not disturb sign is not enough to jimmy the hotel room door open, so.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And I knew that, but I figured I need to try, and so I stretched the hoodie low.

I was just gonna ask that. How long of a hoodie was.

This was long enough, my friend.

Oh, nice.

N. So I figured I could have just wrapped it around my waist.

Oh, that's true.

You know, But I only thought about that afterwards. I did not think about that in the moment. I just, like, stretched it down. I was like, okay, well, this is how it's going to be. And so I. And I know that they have experienced this and worse in the middle of the night in a hotel.

So you go down to the front desk.

I sure did. Because there's no phones in the elevator lobby. I was hoping I would encounter.

Right.

No, not in this hotel.

Yeah.

So I took the elevator. The glass elevator down, of course. Yep. I walked across the lobby, which was devoid of all humans, thankfully. Yep. And got the attention of the person at the desk before I even got there. I was just telling them, you know, I went to pee and wrong door. And, you know, I told them my room number and my name because I knew they would need to feel as though they authenticated me somehow by the. I. I don't even think I stopped walking. I walked up. She handed me the key. It was very kind. She's like, you don't have anything to worry about. I'm the only one here. There's no one else in the lobby, so you're good to go. And I was like, thank you so much. You're great. And I went back up to my room, and. And that was that. But that's a great story. I then. Well, but then I. I and she were the only ones that knew this information. And I was like, to your point? And the reason I'm telling this, I was like, I can tell no one this for the rest of my life, let alone the rest of the weekend. Like, I don't have to tell the people at the conference, don't have to tell my family, certainly don't have to tell all the listeners. A business brain. And as I woke up the next morning, I was sort of resigned to I'm not going to tell anybody. And then as the, as the, as the first hour of being awake sort of, you know, allowed me to sort of wake up and process, it was like, nope, I'm going to own this. Like this is going to be, I'm going to tell this story because it's a funny story.

It's a funny story.

It's a funny story. And I knew I was amongst people that were like, like minded and would appreciate it. And so it became the thing that we talked about for the weekend. And you know, I, I posted a picture on like the group for the conference of me the following night. As I went to sleep, I teetered a room key on like the door latch. So if I were to hit it, it might, I might become alerted to this.

Well, Dave, this is not where I expected the conversation to go. I know, but I'm very. Yeah, but it, I, I do, I do think it is good to embrace your, you know, our, our quote, weirdness. Yes, our, our difference. And I think people as you get more comfortable with it and talk about it and you know, kind of. Yeah, you just kind of embrace, you embrace it.

Yep.

Yeah.

And it becomes part of your law. It can become part of your story.

I suggest that it does because you've done something different than everyone else. Yep. You know, and, and I finally got.

To saying to people, you know, you haven't lived until you've walked in a hoodie at 2:36am you know, like, why not like embrace it and make it part of your story?

Yeah, absolutely. I think that stuff's great. It's just like it, you know, it took me about five years to be able to talk about, you know, my lost a million bucks.

Million dollar mistake. Yes.

Because I felt so, you know, embarrassed and ashamed and this kind of thing as I made that mistake. But then I realized I could flip the script on it and talk about over, you know, how it almost destroyed me. But we, you know, fought back and learned from it and everything else. But you know, sometimes you need to get some, some distance.

Yes. But for me it was, it was the rest of my night's sleep plus an hour. But I, but I, but at first I was, I was resolute in the fact that no one was ever gonna know about this. Not my Family, not my. You know. Because it's embarrassing, obviously. Yeah. But then it was like, well, wait, how embarrassing is this, really? Like, this is just a thing, you know, and.

Just a thing. It's not embarrassing. Yeah.

And perhaps another piece of the lesson is not only does it become part of your story because it is, I don't want to say unique to you, but it's rare that this happens, so you can make it your own, but it also is the opportunity to realize that we are our own worst critics. And however we define the things that happen to us is how other people will generally perceive them. And so I said in the last episode, I'm not a PR expert. Maybe I'm better at it than I think. Right.

When it comes to your life.

When it comes to me. Right, Exactly.

That's an interesting concept, is that you have to be your own PR agent.

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

You have to control the message, control the narrative, control the message and not let it just happen to you. You get to turn it into something positive or funny or whatever story. Because. Because everybody loves a story. You could tell that story in front of a conference or a meeting you're having, and everybody would laugh out loud and they would all connect with you on a much deeper emotional level. And your talk or whatever you're doing would be incredibly powerful.

Yes, I agree.

Much more.

I agree.

I love it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's great.

So, yeah, if you have. If you have your take on it, or if you have some nude hotel story you want to share. Feedback BusinessBrain Show. We'd love to hear from you and embrace your diff.

Embrace that which makes you different. Yes.

Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Thanks for listening.

Because otherwise we're all the same, and that's boring. Yeah, super boring. Tell us your story. Feedback businessbrain show. I want to hear it. Have a good weekend. Keep living that charmed life, and we'll see you next week later.