Lunch & Learn - Session 18

Well, good afternoon. I'm Tom Powell, and this is the Lunch and Learn. Joining me today, Jackie Kuyper, general counsel at the Founder's Office and one of our original founders there as well. And joining me as well is Candice Powell, a founder through and through, as she would say, from birth, basically at this point. So together we are the start of the Founder's Office and we're happy to be bring in a marvelous guest on today. I'm coming to you from Jackson. I'm not coming to you from Jackson. They don't have any better. I'm at Whistler today. So I got to ski at Whistler for the last weekend. And the great part of that was the reason we live the lives we do is so we can go out and have the fun that we wish to have and ideally incorporate it all together. So as usual, this had a board meeting involved, which was not just wearing skis, but we were able to meet with some cool people. So, Candice, where you you are in the Tahoe area today, I can tell. And Jackie, you look like you're back in cold Minnesota.

Is it the lumberjack sweater for you that's giving Minnesota?

Were you out chopping wood? Did you chop the wood in my for my fireplace?

I didn't, but I could you could.

I believe in you?

Could you? I, I, I know that I didn't.

Chop this wood either. I bought it in a satchel.

Charles?

Well, hello. How are you guys?

Good.

How great.

Doing well. Doing well.

So, Charles, I'm up in, I'm up in Whistler country right now, so up in Canada and so kind of a little bit further north than you are. I've got to tell you, before we get started, I just want to say could you imagine if you were able to connect with that right person, the person that could help you leverage your business or the next thing that you're working on, whether it's a nonprofit for profit or it's something that is near and dear to you. And if you want to know the person who probably knows that person or at the very least knows somebody who knows that person, that is our guest today, Charles Byrd. And Charles has made a profession, and by that I mean truly, you know, I call myself a professional pizza maker because I was paid back when I was, you know, 18 years old to make pizzas. But Charles truly has made a profession out of being a catalyst and connecting people. I don't know anybody that does it better than him. And with both enthusiasm and integrity. And so, Charles Bird, welcome to our show, lunch and learn.

Well, thank you so much for having me. Good. Good to see everyone.

So, Charles, how. What does it mean to be a catalyst in your world? You have. You have these things. First of all, we'll talk about one of the pieces that we met you through was you had. You have these networking kind of conferences, but you call them something different. Right. It's where everybody shows up.

Yeah. So a few things. One, we do something called a referral party, and that is basically connecting with people who already have your ideal clients or partners or audience in their network. And you simply jump on a call with them and talk through two or three good connections for each other. I actually just did a talk at the Genius Network on Friday about that. I call them referral conveyor belts. And the mechanism there was teeing up the referral parties.

So what you do, I think, which is fabulous, is you listen to the people.

Crazy, huh?

I know it's crazy, but you really get to know the people, and then as you're listening to the next person, you're legitimately helping them solve the problem, if they can articulate what problem they're trying to solve. So it's like, we need this. So it could be customers that you introduced to. And in some cases, I think that's even where we've been. It's like, oh, this person may be able to use your service, but in more cases, it's like, we need to have a network of people who can help us. We really believe in a, you know, a bigger pond, a bigger pool theory. And how do we get more people in there that are able to help business professionals as they're going through that transition? So we want to expand our network. And so what you've been able to do is with, like, a number of people. I'll pick Ivan as an example. He's like, oh, these guys had a big exit. They're out of aerospace. And you guys would just instantly connect. Right. So how do you keep track of all of that in your head? Because you seem to do it magically, but it can't be just magic. You must have systems and structure.

Oh, yeah, definitely. So a couple of things. For one, it's. It's consciously connecting the dots for others. And to your point, the way that that's accomplished is by listening to what their needs and goals are, whether that's around growing their business, or maybe they're trying to solve a particular issue in their business, and. And they need a specific kind of resource, and then it's kind of just thinking through who do we know that is a fit for that? And maybe it was someone you know, maybe it's someone you've known for years, or maybe it's someone you met later that day and you're like, oh my goodness, you know who you need to talk to. So as an example of that, I just brought on a new client yesterday who does bookkeeping, fractional CFO and, and that kind of work. And the week before, I was in Miami and had a chat with one of my other clients, Nick Morgan, who's been growing very quickly, like 5xing this year from the deal flow system and partnerships. And he was like, man, I. I'm growing so fast, I can't keep up with the finances. I wish I had a cfo. And I'm like, dude, I know exactly who to introduce you to. And it was, it's a win for both parties when, when you do it right because Nick has that specific need and Rob's looking to grow and add those kind of partners. And I'll note too, simply by teeing up a warm connection like that to an ideal client, he then the next day signed up with me. It's like, if you can do that before I even hire you, then I'm going to hire you. So it's that way of thinking of value first, I think.

And you are sorry, the way you introduce. Because I think there's a lot of times people make connections. It's kind of part of the human element, right? Like, oh, we. The way you do it though, is exactly what you just said is like you connect on value sets and you do such a great job of making that introduction that almost like skips the awkward part of the first meeting. Sometimes when you're like so and so said we should talk, and then you're trying to figure out why. You do a really wonderful job of connecting people and somehow getting to the core of why you're connecting them. Can you talk through a little bit about how you came up with that methodology? I think it's in theory seems so great and of course we should all be doing that, but rarely have I been introduced to somebody in that way.

Got it. So to your point, I think beyond simply matching up the right person and for, for the need or outcome that you're seeking, which by the way, that's very dependent on what someone's seeking in the moment. But that alignment. And then really the key which is, is relatively simple is just ensure you're providing the context for the. The intro. So I'll give you Just a couple examples of that. Some people, they. They do feel like, oh, these two people should talk. There could be some opportunity there. But without putting your finger on what that exactly is, you're just hoping that these two people figure it out themselves. And. And I can assure you, it doesn't matter how high someone is in their career. I'm sure with plenty of exceptions. But people will walk straight past an opportunity all day because if they're not told what to be looking for, they literally will just, okay, well, it's nice meeting you. And there was nothing that came of it other than, you know, meeting someone new. So when doing those types of events, and again, it's based on the need and alignment, it's being very specific. Like, Candace, you've got to meet Thomas because he can help you with xyz. He can help you get that Series A and B round. And. Or, like, being clear like this, this person would be a great fit for your product or service. What you do could help them a lot, and they would be an excellent guest on your podcast. So these would be two things I'd invite you guys to a, just get to know each other, learn what each other does, and those would be specific things to talk about. And once people know what they're there to talk about, the odds of something good happening are dramatically higher.

I'm going to jump out here because there's just so many things I want to make sure and share with about Charles. But I've known people that were those quintessential networkers, right? And I've never felt like I was a good networker. I don't want to walk into a room. And you and I are both members of Genius, right? And I walk into those rooms, and I'm not trying to meet everybody in the room. There's not even a reason for me to meet. I'm going to trying to meet, like, one or two people while I'm there. And the great thing is, is over time, you get to know a lot of people through Genius, right? And it's a group that does that. But you talk about that. Jackie and I are down at the annual event for Genius, and you're in the room texting us, we need to meet so and so, right? And we've been walking past each other the whole time, right? And they're in the midst of a capital raise, and you're like, hey, you really need. Hey, here you go. And we keep walking past each other. And finally, you just made sure we got to see each other before we Ended and left.

Yeah. Actually, in my genius talk I just did, that was one of the topics. I. I call it having wingmen and wing women in the room where we're looking out for each other. In fact, Thomas, you were featured in my presentation because you and I did three events in a row together.

Yeah.

Just as you said. I came across that gentleman who was doing a big round and so forth, and I. I am your eyes and ears in that room. I'm, of course, also looking out for opportunities for me, but if I hear one for you, I'm going to guide them right to you. And then, conversely, we were out at different dinners at these events, and someone would go, charles, what do you do? And I wouldn't say a damn thing. I would point at you, and you would go off. And this is kind of. The point is, when we talk each other up, it's 10 times more valuable than us doing it ourselves, because you look at the caliber of your career when you tell someone something that has weight and gravity to it. And so my best move is to just sit there quietly and vice versa. And so that was one of the key things. And when you have wingmen and wing women in the room, these are to define that these would be people, that maybe you've worked with them and you've seen firsthand what they can do. And even if you haven't worked with them, if you've been close enough to see the track record and positive results and good reputation, you can be an advocate for people. And it's as simple as having a chat with someone, and they're like, oh, I was thinking of writing a book this year. And you're like, okay, well, these. These two people are publishers. Let's walk you right over to them. And so you're able to replicate your reach in a room. One of my other friends and clients, Alaric Heck, he and I do that at 15 events a year. We're just guiding people to each other. And now we've just doubled our reach in the room.

He is like hitch. He is.

I mean, like, I don't. I hate networking events. I've literally walked into a room and then gone, nope, not ready for this. And I've turned around and walked out because I'm like, I can't. There's just so. I love this idea of a wing. A wing woman or a wingman to go in and like that. It's like a buddy system. Safety in numbers.

Right.

I love this idea.

We teach that one of the most valuable things you have is Your intellectual property. And I think there's so much out there right now about how to get ahead, especially with social media and with AI and with content and what you need to be generating, what you need to be putting out. And there's, you can get overwhelmed and kind of lost in all of the tips and how tos and who not how. And I think one of the basics of everything, basics of success, is the relationships you build as you go. And to your point, Candice, if you head in with like this networking mentality, with all this pressure, it changes it. Whereas if you're looking through a lens of like, I just, I know people, it'd be fun to connect them or I'm gonna head into this big room. How cool would it be if I can have just one good conversation? It doesn't have to be, it doesn't have to lead to anything in that moment. But over time, like if they stay in your mindset, it could be a year down the road and you're like, oh, I need to introduce them to so and so. I'm really curious, Charles, when you recognized that this, this, your ip, your relationships and your ability to connect was really had tremendous value and needed to be shared.

Yeah, I'll, I'll answer that with two phases. One, when I realized the value of it myself and then when I realized that could of course serve others. So to briefly set it up, I worked in the Silicon Valley for 15 years, was a director at a billion dollar software company, left to get a taste of the entrepreneurial freedom I read about in books, started, started with a low ticket productivity course as my first product and being new to the online space, didn't yet have a list or conn. So I started going to a lot of events and connecting with people online and quickly found my new peer group of entrepreneurs already had my ideal clients in their community. So like from the second event I ever walked in, I didn't know about content marketing, I certainly didn't know about paid traffic. But what I did know is I had something good to share. But I knew the guy sitting across from me had an email list of 90,000 people and I knew the guy over here had all these relationships and, and network in New York. And I was like, why don't I just go make friends with the guy who already has my audience? So that was my initial epiphany. And then I got a lot of traction setting up presentations to other people's audiences and growing my email list, making sales, making a positive impact. So I thought, what if why don't I apply my IT and systems background to simplify and systematize this whole process? Joint ventures, referrals, getting booked to speak. And I was at a mastermind in, in Aspen because I was booking two to six promotions per week to other people's communities. In fact, I presented to Damon Burton's group yesterday. He does the SEO for Tony Robbins and Russell Brunson. So it's just systematically lining these things up. And I was at a mastermind in Aspen and my phones blowing up with texts and messenger messages, people knocking on the room door going, how do you line up so many of these deals? And that's when I kind of realized there's demand for this because not everyone falls into it or figures that out. So then I started helping other people get those results and that's turned into the deal flow system, which you guys went through with me, to systematically apply it to other people. And it's profound. What can happen? Just some people don't even apply half of what I'm teaching, but they still double what they're doing because these little things add up pretty fast.

We, we probably fall into the. We don't. We just aren't that great at marketing, right? So it's been amazing because we actually were almost anti marketing. People would find us because of a referral, because of who already we did business with. And so that network became international and very large of a very unique group. But I never wanted to be a PT Barnum type person because I'd see those people out there and we all know them, right? And it's like, that's not what you're talking about. I'm going to make it really, really clear. This is not the person that you're in this networking and it's speed dating. You're trying to figure out how many people you can be with. It's like I am looking for the right person, which is also what we talk about. And it's really, really important because even with the client you had referred to us or told them that we should be chatting about that, they've been out there, you know, throwing stuff up against the wall, sometimes having targeted, sometimes having different pieces out there, which is how most people raise capital. They come up with an idea and then they just start talking to people. They start talking to people, they keep talking to people and all of a sudden they've told thousands of people, they've done lots of presentations and somebody bites. And you can narrow that down very quickly if you're able to identify what we Call a me too. So the me too in the conversation is, yeah, that's me, that's me. And so we're always looking for the me too scenario within the, you know, we only want to invest in things that we say. Yeah, that's something we already identified as a problem. Otherwise it's just information. So you're really in Charles, the problem solving business that, I mean that really at the end of the day. And you do it through the who's way before it was ever trademarked out there.

Right, right.

I love it.

Yeah. And it's very satisfying too because when you put two of the right people together and just watch what they do and then get this, you know, great feedback, but it simply means taking action. I'll give you Damon Burton, who I was just referencing speaking to his group yesterday. He was like, I actually hardly did anything Charles taught me. But the one thing I did do landed me a four hundred eighty thousand dollar client. And, and an eighty, eighty thousand dollar client. And, that was through warm connections and relationships, but done in a conscious, systematic way. And so it's, it's, it's, it's fun to do and it is learnable. I will point out in my corporate career and years before that in school, I always had a social life, but I wasn't like trying to run out and build some huge network. So this is a learnable skill. And to your point, Candace, about walking in a room, you're definitely not trying to run around meeting everyone. You're trying to have two to five very quality, deeper interactions where you're really getting to know someone and enjoying time with them. And a lot of that time is likely not even talking about anything work related. It's just getting to know them.

In fact, how many fun dinners have we had, Charles? I mean, just in reality.

In fact, Jamail, who I, I met hanging out with you, we had dinner at Genius. And I just got off a call with him before this because now he's exploring the deal flow system and all of that stuff. So. And that wasn't from trying to sell them anything. It was having dinner next to you guys, watching your crazy antics when you two get together.

Yikes. Charles, I love that you can have like very happy clients who find success and we fall into that category as well without listening to most of what you say. That does not, that's not the same skill set we have when our clients don't listen to most of what we say. It doesn't. But I mean it just shows, I think it shows the Power of making great connections to people. Because at the end of the day, I don't need to necessarily follow a formula when you've teed me up really well because I. I'm awkward if you didn't tee up some of these things, these introductions. And I'm saying it because I'm hoping some people have. Some of the people in the audience have some questions about this. But the way you make the introductions is so great that it, it's pretty much. It works for anybody. It works for somebody like me. I'm not going to go to an event.

I'm not.

I don't. I'm not. I very rarely will need a wingman because I don't want to go to an event. But you have taken the time to like, make connections with people. And like you said, you go deeper than just surface level. I mean, there's some people that I can't believe, like you've made the connection because professionally, yeah, there's something there, but you've really tapped into something, a deeper connection that we have with them. So I guess how would you. Can you give like a little nugget, like a little takeaway of a best practice that you have when doing that?

Sure. So I'll give you the format of the intros, which is fairly straightforward, and also give you some input on how they are sent in a way where they. They land better and they're. They're more visible as well. So the format is person A, meet Person B. Person B, meet Person A. Then you say what person A does. I usually kind of build in mildly what my relationship is with them. Like known them for 10 years. They're a client, a friend, blah, blah, blah. Here's what they do. And then you say what Person B does. And then you, you add in, very consciously adding in the context that we were chatting about. So person A, me, Person B. Here's what they each do and here's why you're talking. Which I've. I've met a few other connectors in the world that they're good at matching people up, but they're just like, okay, you guys meet and. And then these people are about to flush half an hour down the toilet because neither one knows why they're there.

I've had very awkward first meetings with people where it's like, hi, my friend connected us. I wonder why she wanted us to chat.

Very first date. Very.

Yeah, no, it is. It is much more like Hitch. I've also had the other scenario which, which does happen. And my, My Kids in particular, and Jackie and my team are really careful about this in that oftentimes somebody's getting paid because of the introduction type scenario to me. And that's the difference. Meaning like they're going to, oh, if you get a deal done, I'm going to take 10% and da da, da. And all these back end type deals. And it's very transactional. Right. And so Charles, what I really appreciate about you, it's not that you're not in this business. You are in this business. I mean, and you are truly one of the most professional people I've ever met in that, in making these connections. But not one of the introductions has felt transactional in any, any way. Meaning there's really this intent. So it's great if everybody gets paid. I have zero problems with that. But when it's only about the transaction as opposed to there's actually really a high quality person behind this. And that's the other thing. Every single introduction that you've made to us has been one a great fit. There's something there and it's of high quality people. Right. So it's just like how, you know, this is amazing.

Yeah. I, I find people kind of work in flocks of similar people. So if, if you can be building relationships where the majority of the people are, are vetted to begin with and they're higher quality people, then that becomes the byproduct as well. So it's like if you're chatting with someone who very high integrity, they're up to super cool things in the world, chances are they've got some friends that are similar to them. And so when you are in a good pocket like that, you. I, I'm not a fan at all of transactional relationships to your point. I think everyone should get compensated for providing value. But you're not doing it for that. You're doing it. Actually. I was responding to a voice memo from Damon. He's like, you, you send all these intros and I know you're not doing it for a commission, you're just doing it to help. And he's like, by the way, I would like to send you a commission. How can I do that? Because I never asked him about it. I was just hooking the right people up. So I think if your intention really should always be about true alignment and the money stuff's a byproduct that that will happen. If it's all centered around the money, the, the energy around it and the alignment and frankly the odds something good will work all of those things plummet.

So I think you find out the people that you want to be friends with and do business with in the long run. Right. We've, there's a Silicon Valley, you know, fail fast scenario which we really don't say a lot anymore. But I'm like, in relationships and in business, you really do want to fail fast because those long painful things where you find out down the road that the person just wasn't who they, who you thought they were or whatever, that's a really painful scenario. So the nice thing about having this is, you know, you know, if it works out because it grew over time or it was a great introduction, that's a wonderful way to build a business. I'm going to switch gears a little bit because we're going to run out of time before you even get there. You have an event coming up?

Oh, I do, yeah.

Is there any room for anybody still to get in or is it like, it's like closed off now at this point?

It is filling up. We've got around five seats left and this is around a 50 person event. And I, I could give a little insight on it while you're talking.

We're going to put up your QR code so people can find you. So we've got multiple QR codes for you. You may or may not be able to see which ones we should be showing. Let's see here.

Wow.

Your Facebook page, your website, connect with Charles, find Charles on LinkedIn.

Yeah, so probably the. Or you could also shoot me an email there to that Charles charlesburg.com. basically I've got an event coming up called Flow. It's seven, eight and nine figure founders and it's all around deep relationship building to create deal Flow. So I'm a part of around 15 high ticket groups like Genius and others. And there's great reasons to be part of these groups, but they're very speaker centric. So it doesn't leave a lot of time to actually really click in and get to know people and learn how they work and think and what they're all about and their, their mission and, and all of that. So this event is around really getting to know people and you do basically in the first two hours, you know who you should be spending your time with for the remainder of the event to grow your business, to put bigger deals together, referrals, stages, all of those kind of things. We're going to be in Cancun February 26 through 28 and yeah, I'm excited about it.

So who's your ideal client in that. So Jackie's going, by the way, right? Jackie, you're going? Yeah, yeah.

Exciting.

If you want to meet Jackie, go to Charles's.

Yeah. So ideal folks for that, I would say the majority of them, they have high ticket products or services. Like a few examples of the types of businesses there we've got from book publishing, podcasts, sales, investment masterminds, faith based masterminds, people that can save high net worth folks hundreds of thousands, if not millions in taxes. That's Mr. Chris Jarvis there, Thomas and others like that. So it creates this whole ecosystem. There's people with portfolio companies, exit experts, high ticket coaches, traffic folks, YouTube as well. So it's a bunch of people that a. They could certainly utilize each other's products or services and they can easily promote and refer each other because they're sharing a related client base. And I would say 80% of the attendees I've worked with one on one in the deal flow system. So it's a room that truly knows how to provide value first, how to connect and how to put real deals together. Sharon Lecter, who co wrote the Rich Dad, Poor dad books, said it was the best mastermind she's ever attended, which is pretty amazing.

That is a claim to fame. If you get a compliment from Sharon Lecter on that kind of stuff, that's awesome.

Yeah. So. And we make it a very fun event. It's, it's, it's not stuffy at all.

Well, I love brainstorming about it. When we were talking, I think we were, I think you were right. We were at three events together. I think we were talking when we were in San Antonio the first time. Maybe it might have actually been in Phoenix. Yeah, I think maybe.

Yeah.

Awesome. Yeah. So you were brainstorming through about, you know, you have Fireside chats. You have. Because one of the, one of the comments I have about a lot of these great speaker programs is it's like, yes, but then I never get to have the conversation with the people till we go out to dinner late in the evening. We need to have more networking time. And so you've built that into your program.

Yeah, absolutely. We've done fireside chats with acquisition.com with founder of Go High Level with Dr. Cialdini who wrote the book Influence, Joe Polish. I hear we have one coming up with Thomas Powell.

Oh my God, I know him.

Fantastic. It's like movie elf.

I know him. I know Santa.

Right. So because you're right, then, then it's a lot more conversational. And topical. And it's not just someone's keynote. Plus we only do like one or two of those per event. The event, it's all about the attendee. It's, it's to ensure that you're connecting with the right folks. You have. We do these deep dive Shark Tank style hot seats that help you 5x what you're doing, like adjust your strategy and inputs and lead sources and things like that. So. And we have a good time while we do it. It's family friendly. I always bring my wife and daughters and nephew and brother and, and people bring their, their spouses and we have a lovely time and put together some very cool deals.

So I got to ask you a question and then I know Candace has more things she wants to talk about, but we have an event that backs up right to your event. And your event was going to be in Cuba, but given world events, it got moved. So it's, it's in Cancun, which I think is just a lovely spot as well and a little bit easier to get to for some people. So that I think it's great because we're really going for the content as much as for the adventure. But I have an adventure on March 1st which is all about networking and all about pitching and all about Shark Tank. Right. And doing good. Why while doing your business as well, which is the lift pitch. Right. Are you going to make it from Cancun to our lift pitch?

I will have to see about that. I wouldn't love to. I want to take my daughter's cenote diving. Scuba diving. So I'll, I'll have to figure out. I haven't booked the flights. But point being, I'll figure out the schedule. I would love to make it. I know you're like running that directly after the event.

Yeah, boy. We're put, we're, we're boogieing back out of Mexico which is actually much easier than getting back out of Cuba, which is. I, I do appreciate that but no, I'm not really trying to pressure you, but this is, this, I do need to put this in there because we're coming up on the time. So for founders that are looking to speak with investors in early stage or even mid stage companies, we're going to be doing a lift pitch scenario which is with a good friend of ours who you also know. I think you've met him, Kevin. I think one of the times then we end up introducing through there, we actually may not have made that introduction. We need to make the introduction, Candace. So Kevin is we're doing this lift pitch scenario. No, you did meet Kevin because you met him down in Austin. I remember.

Yeah, I think so.

Okay, so we're doing a lift pitch, which was partly your. Your name.

Right, that ski lift pitch.

The ski lift pitch. Right. And so Kevin and I had gone to lunch together and he wanted to do something that he's also in the. He does, he has. Sastermind is his business. And it's about making a pitch on an 8 minute lift ride where the person is interested enough that they want to go on a second date or on a first date, actually in reality. And so that's what we're doing. And the money goes to benefit the adaptive ski program at our nonprofit mountain up at Lake Tahoe. But so with that, I highly recommend, you know, regardless of where you are in your career, if you are a founder or just in building your own career, you need to check out Charles's information. But Candice, you said you had some specific questions from some people regarding founders and how do they best utilize Charles.

Yeah, and, and feel free to put. We've got some questions in the Q and A. Feel free to put those in. We're running out of time, so we may not be able to get to all of them, but we'll, we'll send them off to Charles. This was, this was my question. I oftentimes in meeting with founders at various stages and one of the things that seems to be like a universal theme as they're part of all these groups, they're just, they're part of all these groups, they're networking, they're, they're overwhelmed a little bit with maybe the introductions they're getting. And part of it is because the dating cycle's so long because they're not getting really solid introductions, but also they're going into these events and they're, they're part of various groups. Like a lot of groups. What can you give as a takeaway to some of our founders that may be feeling that they're sitting here and they're going, this sounds great. I have too many. I have too many. Help me, help me filter. What do, what do they do?

Yeah, I, I think going into any event or, or whether it's an event or a group you're looking to join, it's, it's being crystal clear what your winning outcomes are before you ever set foot in the room. And they, they could be different things for different people. Like some may be just coming to learn different ways to optimize. Other people are Going to find funding opportunities or collaborators or solve different challenges in the business. Some are looking for ideal clients, referral partners, joint venture partners. So by being clear on that, it can kind of help filter which groups and events are actually going to provide the winning outcome you are after. So as an example, I've been part of groups with like Roland Frazier and Ryan Dice, where you're, you're working on scalability topics and operating systems, and they're very tactical. Other groups like Genius Network, it's kind of a random smattering of tips and tricks and perspectives, but it's, it's not building a direct, specific outcome like my flow event. The point of that is clients, referrals, speaking opportunities, joint ventures. So again, based on what your needs and goals are, you can determine which rooms may be most aligned and then also assess coming back from an event. Did that actually meet the need? Me and my team run through all the events and the leads, partnerships, opportunities coming out of them, and they get like a ranking and score with it. And a lot of groups, I don't renew because you're like, wait, this is not actually providing why I'm here. And again, that can be different for different people. But when we. I love that.

So you do that for events that you're, that you go to or you also do that for people you're working with?

I do it for events that I go to because we're tracking all the metrics coming out. How many calls booked, how many joint ventures or deals or stages, how many.

Clients do you even track the qualitative side, which is important to me now, I want to do business with people I like, know and trust, doing great things in very interesting places. Right. So that's kind of our building scenarios. I told you about that. And making great money while we're doing that and helping others to do the same. Right. So those are kind of the metrics. And so we go to places and it's really interesting, but it's like, yeah, it's not leading us towards that or other places that we go. Gosh, I don't like going there, but it does meet there. But I'm not going to go back there again because I didn't enjoy it.

Exactly. I've seen this, experienced it on both sides of it. I've been to events that they are fun and the people are cool and it's a great time, but nothing actually gets accomplished other than you sort of feel like you went on a vacation with a bunch of entrepreneur friends all the way to very down to business rooms that they're boring and dry and transactional and I don't want to be there either. So it, it's finding the ones that actually do fit with how you like to work and think and, and are actually producing a meaningful ROI based on your goals for it. And that's how I choose which, which masterminds I'm renewing. And you can always audition new ones. Like I'm speaking at dealcon in Miami on Monday and that's a new room for me. Like I, I went to a one day event and I was happy with the, the host and the people and the quality of it all. And so I'm excited to go back and learn all about that. That's about acquiring a new business every year to grow your valuation. So it's, it's kind of just as long as you have that roadmap of what you're looking for, then just simply assessing, like, did I get the outcome that I went for if I didn't? Was any of it my behavior or system there? Did I just not follow a process while I was there and, and were the right kind of folks there that would make it worth your while to, you know, continue in a group like that? And for a lot of us, it's also those great dinners. And even if an event isn't aligned, if, if the right people are there and you're able to still get the outcome you want because you kind of engineer it. You, you put together those great dinners and we have a awesome time, we.

Have a great time. And it's usually like, hey, we're going to dinner. And so we get reservations for four and 20 show up.

Right, right.

I love this idea though. I think most founders could take this and apply it to most areas of their life. And, and my dad and I have this conversation a lot about it's more valuing your time. And so taking a look at that and determining was this beneficial? Was this worth my time? Did I put my best effort in to get maximum benefit? If I try again, what do I need to bring to the table to make this beneficial? Or is this something I can kind of cut from my life right now and maybe revisit? You know, I think that's something a lot of, especially founders who are just burning the candle at both ends can do.

Well, I'm going to take it somewhere else on that too because, you know, Jackie's become our boundary setter for us. She's been going on this journey of setting boundaries and saying, okay, these are boundaries, boundaries Boundaries. Boundaries. You get better at boundaries. And Charles, I think in all reality the way you do networking, Jackie, I don't want to take your thunder on it, but is boundary setting. So Jackie, maybe you could say or ask that question along the lines because you want specific boundaries, you want it to be efficient, you want it to be high quality. And, and, and you don't want to be somewhere just because you're supposed to be there.

Yeah, yeah, no, and I like that boundaries. And what I would add to it is more just clarity and bringing it back to being something more than just a transaction. And it's helpful when you are match. And it's like it's not that it's meant to be a transaction, but let's be clear. Here's what I'm doing and here's what I'm looking for. And maybe you're the answer to my problem. And likewise, maybe you have a problem and I'm the answer and I'd love to be the solution. So it's just getting really clear so that we're not wasting time. And again, it's not meant to be just a transaction, but it's more than that. It kind of like helps boost the relationship and put your best foot forward. And it's like, it's like a solutions oriented boundary. Maybe like I'd love to help you. What's going on? Here's the context.

Yeah. And like kind of the, the way that we kick off the flow event as an example, we have everyone do this particular kind of introduction. So you know, in the first hour and a half who you should be spending time with. It's not that you wouldn't have a great conversation with anyone you would meet at a particular event. But like I, if someone's in hay farming, they might not be the person that you would, you know, get, get some kind of deal or done with. So you might as well be chatting with people where you're gonna have more natural synergy and enjoy that conversation too. And you know, a lot of events you're, you're just meeting different people, hoping you happen to bump into them versus having a, a way to know that up front. And so that way you're just more leveraged in your, your time and attention of, of who you're getting to know at a deeper level and exploring opportunities with. I love that.

Leveraged in your time and attention. That's a beautiful way to say it.

Well, so we've got an event coming up. Charles, more importantly is actually how does somebody start doing business with You. And if they're in this space, does this work for founders? And I know that we jumped right in. You said, hey, let's work together. It's like, yeah, love you already. Let's go. And so I'm never the person that says, well, this is how you work with Charles. It's just like, well, we did. So you need to explain it.

Well, sure. So should you want to have a chat and we can get to know each other a bit and explore what your specific goals are, your model, your market, all of that, we could have a call, just get to know each other a little bit, and you're getting some decent context of what I do. But we can go into that a little further and just explore different winning outcomes together and whether or not it would directly lead to something, which obviously would be great if it did. You can be assured, if there's something in particular you're looking for, I'll likely have some people to tee up to help you get where you're going faster. And possibly that would be us working together, but that would be something to explore.

You know, I'm most reminded, I guess there's three, like, things that always pop in my head when I see Charles. He's definitely, like, miracle, you know, and the. The guy playing or is Santa Claus says, it's not here. It's over at Macy's. And so I always feel like you're. You are that person. Such high integrity. Like, no, I'm not the right one. Here's the person you need to be talking to type scenario. So it's not just a scenario to get people in to do business with you. It's got to be the right fit. So I always appreciate that. The second is, you know, I'm reminded of Zig Ziglar's comment, if you help enough people get what they want, you will always get what you want. Right? And you definitely. Your whole approach to that. And the last one is my really bad attempt at a joke. But I remember saying, you know, everybody needs to meet a Bubba. It's like, well, who's Bubba? And Bubba is the person who knows everybody that you need to know. And so, sure enough, you meet this Bubba, and you go to the Vatican in Rome, and somebody says, well, who's that standing up there with Bubba? You're like, that's the Pope. So you know, Charles is Bubba in this manner. Like, anywhere I go, everybody knows Charles. And we walk into a room, and they all know Charles. And it's great because. But it's always with High integrity. And that's what's the best part about being friends with you and being, being in there. So I appreciate that, Charles.

I appreciate you saying those kind words and I'll appreciate getting a recording of this because you're saying a lot of nice things.

Yeah, I still want to hear what you said down at Genius about me since I wasn't there, but you texted me and said I just mentioned you up on the stage.

Oh yeah, yeah. I actually here, if I click share, there's one of those. This is just in the middle of the desk. But yeah, I was talking about that. Let let someone else rave about you. The third party credibility is ten times more powerful and it's that built in transference of trust and authority which gets you a 10x results. And then I explain how I'm at events and if I'm talking to someone and I'm sending them straight over to you and saying, you know, talking about your, your career and all the, the work you do with genius youth and special needs and incredible results in investing and all of that and then how you do that, the same for me in that. And this is about as we've already touched on, but having wingmen and wing women that you're not just networking, you're multiplying credibility and you're multiplying reach in the room and you're an advocate for each other. So that was kind of the quick overview on that, I got to tell you.

So again, where this fits into what we do at the founder's office, founders tend to live in this, what we call the isolation paradox that you know, as the bigger they grow, the more isolated they become and it's critically important that they don't they find the right network of where they can find the solution to the next problem that's going to arise. Really, because what we do as founders, we're always in the problem business. It's like, okay, how do we solve this? So I'm scaling to exit, I'm scaling to get to the next level. I'm doing whatever it is I'm having to go through. And you know, we had a client this week that is having to battle with bankruptcy that just a few months ago was looking at. They were going to scale massively except for their cash. As we said, capital alignment was not, not aligned. And so that growth pushed them over to the edge of where now they've got to relook at that. All of this is networking, but it's networking with the right people. And so for the people that are in listening to us today and people that watch this out on video, get in touch with Charles Byrd. He is absolutely amazing and also of high integrity. And if you are interested in learning how to build your company to be more valuable so that you can actually exit on your terms, all founders exit. They just most very few of them actually exit on their terms. So if you're looking at building something that's of value in there, Jackie mentioned that we, you know, really work into that IP space to build you that intangible value, the things you can look at. And Candace and I, you know, look at how do we get that whatever part of that business is like through Charles Bird, we've got the connections to be able to help you analyze that and build that company. So, Charles, thanks for joining us. I look forward to seeing you down in Florida. Maybe we actually get to snowboard together. And oh, I got one last question. How'd your daughter like the youth? She came up as our guest.

She loves it. Outside of going to the gym every day, it's her favorite thing.

Oh, good.

Yeah.

She was guest up in the Tahoe for us.

Yeah. Incredible. She's a big fan.

Cool. Well, thank you, Charles. Thanks for joining us next week. Take care. It.