The Foundation That Has Lasted for 39 Years of Success with Special Host Bill Orender

Welcome to this episode of the Million Dollar Mastermind.

I'm Larry Weddell.

And before we get started, if you want to know exactly how to win again and Again, go to wydellonwinning.comwebinar now to watch something I've put together for you. Now let's get going into this episode of Million Dollar Mastermind.

I'm back with Bill Arender and we're.

Doing.

An interview series. Bill has wanted to interview me for a long time and I don't know why, but that's what we're doing now. So Bill, welcome back and I'm looking forward to your next question.

You know, Larry, you built a business that's lasted basically without any. You don't have to pay much attention to it. It's been growing, growing, growing for 38 plus years. What are some of the foundational things that you think caused that to happen that your people are continuing to grow on that you created as the foundation for your growth and now their growth and their success?

Well, I can't take any credit for what they do, but the, you know, other than provide the example, you know, and no, like when I came in, Bill, I came in as, you know, and with Bob Turley and we were the number one organization. And I, it took me a long time to realize how that impacted me or that set me up for expectations. But because Bob was ran the top office, it was kind of in my mind that it wasn't unreasonable for me to do that when I got out. And so example is one thing. So we always, you know, we were running at the top. We had a tremendous track record of doing it big. But you know, they go through all of their ups and downs too. And so you can't take credit for it. But one thing that I did do when I was as I got out of the day to day type operations in terms of running the big umbrella thing, I did what you do, you know, you, you run big rendezvous events where you can create things where they interact with each other, you know, occasions for them to come and then you have constant recognition. You know, you have an. One thing, Bill, is the attitude that to have that nothing good happens in my organization that I don't recognize because for anything good to happen, somebody had to make an effort. And so and personal recognition, you know, you do that with not just awards and, but spending time, you know, getting people, you know, Bill, when I had, when we were at our busiest and I was really supposedly hands on, my version of hands on was like when I had 40 to 60 direct regional leaders, basically big department head type things. I would spend pretty much half hour to an hour talking to them pretty much every week because I do believe in that thing that you solve most of the people problems by spending time. And so you have reasons, you know, if you're running projects and you're keeping up with numbers and you're keeping up with what's going on underneath them, you have reasons to talk to them and issues come up that you can discuss and then that keeps you sharp because you're explaining things to them. And then that gives them an opportunity to learn another side of the business. So you just kind of develop, do a lot of one on one development just by handling the things as they come up. And they learn not only how to handle that one, but how to handle that going forward where they don't pretty much need you in handling that next time, you know. And so those are some of the keys because you develop people that just know how to figure things out because you've gone and you figured a whole lot. That's what Turley and I did. You know, we would meet every morning and unfortunately we were always trying to figure out my prospecting problem. But you learn things when you're spending time and that things come up that wouldn't come up. But if I, I can't really take credit for that. But you've all. If you run a company, Bill, you know, I have, I would say long term, you got to think about what's your example, what do you stand for in their mind. And like one thing, that's one reason I did the big hitter call I started that is like, you know, these guys may decide, you know, they're independent, they plug into meetings that they want, you know, anything I do. But if I'm talking to the top people in the company every Monday, and you know, the bulk of the top people in the company are listening in to see what's going to be said. If they don't want to ignore me, fine. But in the back of their mind, they're going to know I'm constantly talking with the best and brightest and I'm doing it to help them. And so that example there, you know, that's one reason, Bill, why I moved. After the family was raised, I moved down to Palm Beach.

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Move up and then eventually got a place. Once I found out how hot it is in Florida in the summer, I got. And plus, I spent a lot of time in the winter skiing in Aspen. I got a place in Aspen for the summer so I could be there summer and winter. But, you know, it was like, who's the leader of your organization? Well, Larry, you know, came up through the system. Now he's. He lives half his time in Aspen, half his time in Palm Beach. I just thought that set a great tone for the organization. You know, it's just like something to aspire to if that appeals to you. But that's what Art had gone on to Palm Beach. You know, Art had, you know, he got his. I never got into the planes and the yachts because the compensation didn't allow me to do that. A little bit different.

Yeah.

Yeah, a little bit different. But, you know, I could. I could simulate it. You know, it's like, where do the billionaires live? Well, they live in Aspen and Palm Beach. It's one of two of the popular places. And so, you know, they got more Gulf streams, people who have Gulf streams, who live in. Have homes in Aspen than any place in the world, you know, and everybody knows about Palm Beach. So, you know, I'm a lifetime. I've been a member of Mar a Lago so long, they made me a lifetime member. And the golf course there. I mean, just all this incredible stuff, you know. So you got to think of the example, you know, it's not that you're out there all the time, but it's like, where do you live? What do you. It's like, what do you stand for? And so with my time, I kick off the week with a bang. Everybody can plug in. A large number of people do. And I've been doing that all along, but I've been doing a big level since 2010. And so then. So the example is huge. And then the other thing is recognition. You've got to have the numbers. If you're sending them out, the top people pay attention, and they know they're going out. But you got to have a scoreboard, and you got to personalize it down to their level. And as many recognition letters as you can do. You know, at one time I was sending out 800. I was signing. This is when I lost my ability to write my signature. I wrote 800. I probably did that 15 years. 800 congratulatory letters, signed them every month to let people know what they were doing was appreciated. And so I'd say recognition, accountability, in terms of they always know someone's watching the numbers. And then the example you set are always key in terms of keeping your team unified and in the growth mindset. Those are things that come to me, ask me some more questions, I might think of something else, but I can't take credit for what they do. I can only take credit for what I do. And so those are the things that are important to me to provide that overall umbrella and image to our team as being a distinct element inside the company. But also, Bill, that's, you know, the personal example is I've gone on to other things to kind of expand people's thinking, you know, this why behind. That's what was behind the book, you know, as a way of getting information in their heads to a larger number of people that I could spend one on one time with. That was the book. And then the podcast is to help not as a way of giving back, but also expand the people, the group of friends I have inside and outside of the company to help everybody grow. And, you know, I'm the biggest benefit from. From all of it because I have an excuse to talk to people like you and to keep growing myself. So, you know, it's all. That's what's behind the Million Dollar Mastermind podcast is, you know, Adam went to. There's a funeral in Tennessee and the other side of the family, and he went back to see some of the relatives over there this past week, Bill. And sure enough, one of the mothers and sons, when it came up that I had a podcast, they had found it and they were listening to it and they didn't even know it was me.

Oh, really?

Yeah. And so you can reach out to a broader audience and that. But when your people seeing that kind of impact. But like, you know, I've always, you know, they see you moving forward and developing in your life because you do with these other things and you learn things that you bring back to your business. That keeps you. The main thing is keep your butt fresh. And so I do things to keep myself fresh because when I'm around them, they. They will know, you know, they'll just know, you know, otherwise I'll turn into a grumble. Button they'll hear on the grapevine. And Larry's grumbling about this and grumbling about that rather than fired up about this and fire. I'd rather hear Larry wrote a bestseller. Larry's got a pod, started a podcast. He's got over 200,000 downloads in the last year. Than, you know, Larry's over there grumbling about something the company's doing, you know, and I'm in a. This week I told you about the skin cancer, my lip. You know, you still have to live with your body. And I've gone through hell this summer with that, the shingles and the skin cancer. So I can't go up there. But, you know, I got. I'm at an art show in Southampton this weekend. You know, we got five people from our team up there, and.

You know.

Then we'll be in the super bowl of the art world at an art Basel in Miami down in December. And so you can have all kind of things going on at the highest level. And when you do that, doors open to ways of doing things, people, whatever, that you could bring back and pollinate back into your own business and keep yourself fresh and inspired, you know, because when you're inspired, Bill, you're more productive with 5% of your time than 95% of your time when you're stale, don't you think?

I agree, yes.

If you enjoyed what you've heard and are dead serious about finding out for yourself exactly how this works in the real world. I've taken the most valuable business lessons I've learned over 40 years and put them into something for you to watch. Go to whiteellawinning.com webinar now in order to move up as fast as possible. I'm Larry Widell, and I run the Million Dollar Mastermind. Go, go.