#164: Stacey Lauren, Eagle Blitz

Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Ponytails Podcast, season seven, episode six. What up? If you're hearing this, thank you. Thanks for being here. If this is your first time and you didn't sell books, oh, man. Let me give you a quick rundown of what we do. And if you sold books, I mean, maybe you should just stick around for it anyway, because it's a lot of fun if you've heard this spiel already. Well, good. Hear it again. Maybe you guys can memorize it like a sales dog, I don't know. But either way, if this is your first time, welcome, welcome. We here at the Ponytails Podcast interview people who sold books door to door for a company called Southwestern Advantage. Now, myself and our guests all did this program. And what they do, what this company does is they started doing this back, like literally since the Civil War, where they would take and recruit college kids and take them to a different part of the country to sell books, to help families with homework and with a bunch of different, like maybe learning to read or the SATs or whatever. And it just kind of became a thing. A hundred thousand people living currently have done this. It's kind of wild. And I think supposedly an estimated about 300,000 people in the history of the United States have done this, and actually in Europe as well. So it's kind of bananas. The crazy part about it, though, is that we do this from 9:00am or actually sometimes 8:00am in the morning or earlier to 10:00 clock at night, or sometimes later from. From Monday through Saturday. So naturally speaking, you're going to get some wild stories that come from doing this across the entirety of the United States. And so what we have on the show is we have people come and tell them, tell us what, you know, what they're up to now, how that experience shaped them, which is always in a different way, but also in similar ways sometimes. And we asked them about how their experience was while they were doing this program and all the things that they learned. And so naturally leads to some funny, some sometimes horrific, sometimes scary, sometimes ludicrous, sometimes outrageous stories. And so hopefully you guys enjoy that. If you guys like what you're hearing, make sure you guys check out our website, theponytalespodcast.com. you can go find us on Instagram, subscribe on YouTube, like us on Facebook, LinkedIn, all that Jazz. Share it to a fellow book person. If you sold books, maybe they would like to hear this. So make sure you support us that way. Um, so now let me talk to you guys a Little bit about our guest today. Stacy. Lauren is someone who was actually referred to me from my brother, who also. She's actually currently working for Southwestern, and he was being interviewed because she has a podcast herself, which is really cool. We're. We're gonna probably get into that and talk about a little bit about her podcast. So. And since she reached out to me and asked me to be on her show, and I said, wait a minute, why don't you. Why don't we just be on each other's shows? Let's do. Let's just switch it up. Let's just. Let's just co guest. And so that's how we ended up here. So Stacy sold two summers for the Eagle Blitz organization in 1994 and 95, in which I want to actually kind of, when we get to that point, really talk about this, because Eagle Blitz in the 90s was an interesting place as a woman to sell books, according to some of our guests that we've had on the show. So hopefully we'll get into that a little bit. She went to Florida State University and Seminoles. Let's go. And she's from Plantation, Florida. Her favorite Ogmandino scroll is number three. I will persist until I succeed. And so when I come back, we will be on with Stacy. Thank you guys for listening. Ponytail podcast.

What's up?

Hey. Oh, my gosh. I feel like such a. Like a. Like an archaic person with my podcast compared to this. This is so cool. I love everything you're doing here. It's so awesome.

Wait, what do you. What do you mean? It's the same thing. We're, like, video chatting.

I know. It's just. Mine's different. This is, like, really cool. It's really neat to be a part of this, so thank you.

Oh, well, yeah, that means a lot coming from you because your podcast is, like, legit. Killing it. You got. Got a ton of really cool people I've been listening to. I've been just like, when I can kind of go into listening to some of the episodes, you got some people doing the really cool. Well, hold on. Let's back up and let's. Let's let you explain what your podcast is about. So let's start here, and then we'll jump into some other Southwester stuff here in a little bit. But. Okay, so go ahead, please tell us, just for people listening, what your podcast is, how it started, and your journey so far with it, and then we can exchange compliments after that.

Yeah. So. Hey, everyone. My name is Stacy Lauren. And I started my podcast this year after I exited my business and I exited my business last year. I owned a staffing company and decided to basically write a book called do the Thing. It was going to be a sales book and then I decided through a lot of different experiences that it was way more than a sales book and it was really about just doing the thing. And the thing is really anything that you want to do, whether it's start a business, start a podcast, sell a business, start a relationship, travel the world, sell bookstore to door, whatever you want to do. And anyway, so the podcast started in February of this year. And yeah, I'm almost at. Well, I think I'll be probably hitting the hundredth episode in the next few months. So it's super exciting. And yeah, I have interviewed some really amazing people. Just the structure of this is like so cool. So, so, yeah, so that. Oh, and I have a new. I have a new little swag thing. It's cool.

Cool.

And you'll remember, you'll know the rhino.

So let's go.

I do the thing with my, my rhino.

That's sweet. That's so cool. Okay, so, so many questions here. So you, you. I love the world of podcasting. I love the potential that it has for people individually and for people entrepreneurially as well. People, we can get into that here in a second. We just launched or actually, well, by the time this airs, it would have been just, just off from lunch, launching what we call Unicorn Studios here on the show. And that's a production. So we produce podcasts. And it's so interesting that the podcasting world is so exciting. And it sounds like you saw part of that vision when you, when you made that jump or did you. Was it something that you knew that was going to lead to this or how was that jump for you?

No. And it's like crazy because I was doing, I was basically starting this do the Thing concept with the book and the podcast and I thought that my story was really going to be everything that I did before the podcast between selling bookstore to door, working for one of their sister companies, Tom James, having, you know, the guts to co found a business and running now for 20 years and just all the different things that I've done. But then what I realized is my do the Thing story didn't really start until after I started the podcast because it just opens up all of these doors for you that you never even knew possible. And you. I don't know, I've been in this weird flow state really for the Last few months of just, like, anything I say is just coming to me magically. Like, one morning, I basically had said, I really want to meet someone that travels the world. And literally, I said that in the morning. And then my friend who I was going to go walking with later that day, had said, oh, do you mind if I bring one of my friends? She's here in town, and she had just come from Bali. She was there for a few years and was going to Mexico and is literally living the nomadic lifestyle that I wanted to interview. And so it's just that type of thing. I mean, it's like the. The craziest stuff's happening where even just yesterday. Was it yesterday? No, Sunday. I had a friend who had mentioned she wanted to meet with me and somebody that she'd been following on YouTube. I guess she. She stalked him on the Internet or something, and he's into crypto, so he's teaching about crypto, and she wanted to meet with me and him for breakfast because she knows that I love crypto. And I pretty much met with him. And then it turns out we're talking about crypto. It was really interesting. He brought his wife, and then his wife starts saying what she does, and she. She mentioned she was an attorney who helps people in prison. You know, basically, like, rehabilitate when they get out. And this is something I've been exploring since my podcast is. I was like, oh, I really think it'd be cool to help people with the do the thing concept who are in prison. And I said that, like, a week before. So I looked at my friend after I found out what this. What his wife did, and I was like, oh, this is why I'm here, you know, and it's like things like that that are just happening just out of the. Out of the blue, you know?

Okay, yes, tangential question on this. And then we'll be back to the podcast. Do you think that that happens, actually, all of the time? Yo, yo, yo. Let's get off schedule real quick, guys. Will Metcher is so damn good at his job. He needs more people to help him with his clients. He's too good. Yo, if you want to learn to help people change their lives or continue to do so, if you did that when you were at, you know, selling books and you guys need to reach out to us, we'll put you in touch with Will. He'll hook it up. But when you have the right mindset, whether it's flow state or whether it's, you know, having positive perspective, I don't know what you want to call it, but do you think it just. You just notice it more? Is it. Is it kind of like that thing where, you know, like, you buy a car, you've never seen that car before in your life, but then once you buy it, you start driving it around, you're like, oh, there's a ton of these cars on the streets. You know what I'm talking about? That never happened.

Yeah. Like the reticular activating system. Yeah, I think. I think it could be that. And then I also. I interviewed with someone yesterday, actually, on his podcast. It was my. This is my first week of doing other people's podcasts, so you're my second one. And I interviewed on the Dare to Dream yesterday, and this was kind of an interesting concept. He was saying his name's Gregory, and he basically said, it's like when you have a. A mask on in your life, right? And you're trying to be someone that you're not, and then you. You uncover that mask, and then all of a sudden, like, everything that's coming from, like, inside of you is coming to you now. It's like. I think that's really what it is. I don't know how to verbalize that better right now. He verbalized it way better than I just did. But it's like just being able to match the vibration, you know, of who you are now. Whereas if you're. If you're not being true to yourself, you're attracting whoever that is, you know, that's bananas.

But what happens if the person that's true to yourself is a negative person? Now we're getting into some dark stuff here, because it's.

You know what I'm saying? Like, would you say Jeffrey Dahmer was being true to himself?

Yeah.

Because I love eating people. And he did the crap out of that. He was really good at it, you know? Yeah, I don't know. I'm just going on a tangent here. Okay, sorry, let me back up.

Oh, sorry, go ahead. I was gonna say the other thing with the podcast is like, I. Okay, so I didn't mention this, but I might as well tell you, Andres. So pretty much I was doing the sales book, right? That's what I was really excited about, was writing a book, because I saw with my staffing company, there were so many people that didn't want to get into sales because they were scared, right? They were, like. Even though it would have been so much more money from them, and they were amazing. Like, so good. And they could have Done it. They just couldn't get themselves to do it for whatever reason. And I saw what was holding them back, and so that was the reason why I really wanted to do the sales book. But then I. So I'm in the middle of writing it. And then I had gotten divorced. I decided to start before that, and I had decided to start dating again. And that was when I realized there were a lot of people around me that were dating, and they just were not liking it at all. And I was having a blast. And I realized it was something with those sales principles that I have with understanding rejection, you know, going for the numbers, you know, like keeping a positive attitude. There was something to all of that that just made dating so much fun. So anyway, so I had. That was. Where do the thing really change to do the thing. Because I'm like, oh, this is so much more than sales. Like, sales was our sport, right? With football, and you're learning so many things that are like side benefits. Like, you're thinking of sports, you know, like, you're learning collaboration, critical thinking, grit.

You know, and physical. Physical awareness and acuity. Right?

Totally.

Exercise. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And with. With sales, you're learning how to handle rejection. You're learning goal setting, you're learning positive attitude. And so it comes. So it kind of. That's where do the thing come.

What up, everybody? We're going to do a quick jockey spotlight. Cardinal Cedar Benefits. We're off schedule for a quick minute from the episode. Hope you're enjoying it. Take a sip of your beer. Yeah, that's good. Cardinal helps old people when they're dying because they help them with their final expense insurance. So the senior market is well taken care of for how expensive it is to die. It's a lot back to work comes from.

And so anyway, so then I had gotten Covid, and then all of a sudden, I watched this show we're called Working Moms. You're. It's really good show. And they basically showed this, like, truth or dare challenge that these girls were doing, and they were doing, like, crazy stuff to meet guys. And that's when I had the idea to create a do the thing dating dare challenge. And it all stemmed from the podcast. And then the coolest thing is then I got this, like, expert panel of people to, like, be on the podcast. So it's like, it gets you to move. The podcast is the vehicle to get you to move even faster than you normally would. And then I think, because you're speaking to the things that you're excited about. And you're talking to people and connecting to other people. You just go, I've never moved so fast in my life with things. So I created this, like, wild. Yeah, right. I created this dating challenge, built it in public. It was 17 days. It was in July. Everyone loved it. And then I'm doing another one right now. But I mentioned that because now I want to do a public speaking challenge in February, and I'm going to do a challenge on habits and getting fit. So it's all with the do the thing concept, but it's all based on the podcast. It's basically just talking to people, getting excited about what they're saying, and then these ideas just keep spreading out, and then you move faster because you're speaking to them, you know?

Yeah. And you're. It's. It's actionable. Right. So you meet so many different people, especially with the nature of what you do and what we do. That's where, like, our Venn diagram of podcasting experience really, like, really is at the center of that two circles is we interview people who are doing crazy, awesome things. And so in naturally, you're A, learning, B, excited about what they're saying, but C, you see all of the potential. You learned some of the things that they've learned and apply it to your own thing. And so it just accelerates so, so quickly. It's phenomenal. I have so many questions. Okay, question number one. Tell me more about this, like, dating or. And. Or challenge thing. Like what? I mean, I started with the dating team, but now you're doing multiple things. Because I have some experiences with these kinds of challenges, and I'm curious to see kind of how they are similar and how they're different. So how did you come up with. With, like, these challenges in the first place? Where did. Where did it start and how did they go? When you say it went really well, like, what do you mean by that?

Yeah, so.

It'S interesting. So I pretty much. I had interviewed someone. Her name is Alicia Reynoso, and she had sold her business last year also as a water bottle business, and it was. Became successful because she ran challenges within the business. Because when you create a challenge, you're basically building, like, a tribe of people that really connect to the product, you know, because they're really getting in kind of like southwestern. Did you know where you're just CrossFit? Yeah. Or CrossFit. Exactly. And so. So, yeah, so I loved what she did. We talked on the. We basically were talking on the interview, and then. So it Was podcast related, right. And talking to her about how she built her business, how she used the challenge to catapult it, and then she sold her business and then she created a business called called Challenge Makers, Basically helping other people start challenges. So it planted the seed that I really wanted to, like, do a challenge. And I think I even mentioned it on that episode. I'm like, oh, it'd be really cool to do a dating challenge then. Yeah. Then the COVID thing happened. That's when I realized the dare thing would be good. So then I reached out to Alicia again and I was like, hey, I'm interested. You know, what do I need to do? And she was great. She gave me all the information. I didn't end up working with her yet because it was funny, because she's like, oh, you have to do a live Facebook video every Monday. And I was like, there is no chance I'm gonna do a live Facebook video.

It's tough. Knock, knock.

Hello.

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I was like, there's no chance. And so I ended up not doing it with her yet on that challenge, But I started it. I posted that I was doing it. And I'm in a peloton, singles over 40 group. I posted about it in there, basically saying that I want to take truth or dare and then just do dares. So take away the truth and only do dares. And then who's interested? You know, let's meet people in the wild, basically. And then I posted in the peloton, singles over 40 group. Within like minutes, I had 120 people comment. I'm in. And then I quickly, and this is still why I have Covid. I quickly made the survey that basically said, like, what are you looking for? How can I build it?

Blah, blah, blah.

Like all the, all the questions that you would ask to try to figure out the best way to design it. And then I posted that in the comments. And then 64 people filled out the survey like it was crazy just how interested, you know, in it. And then I created a Facebook group. I capped it at 100. I didn't want more than 100 for the first one. So I didn't promote it other than that group. I think I did two posts in that group to tell people I was doing it. And then I was gonna do it in August. And then I posted in the group and said, and it was girls and guys, but mostly girls. And I said, you know, I'm thinking of doing this thing in August. What do you guys think? And they're like, we want our hot girl summer. Let's do it in July. And.

And so it was I. That it was. I was like asking them this in July. So I lived. So I said, okay, whatever, I'm doing the thing right. Like it's not going to be perfect. Let's just do it. So I basically was building it in public as the challenge was going and it was basically 17 days. So one day would be, you know, like complimenting a stranger, giving a genuine compliment. Another day would be volunteering for an event or some kind of thing, you know, and just giving them ways to get out of their house again, you know, because with COVID everyone got so stopped up. Everyone's on the dating apps. It's just, you know, it's just been a really hermit type life. And so that's what it did. It gave them a reason with like minded people to be able to just get out of their house and do this stuff. And. And then when I say was successful, I had. And my goal was not for people to meet people, although I know that was their goal. You know, I really wanted them to just get out of their comfort zone and see that they could meet people a different way. I didn't realize someone could meet someone in 17 days, you know, but many of them met people and now in this challenge, they're like, they're like the, the. I don't want to call them creepers because it's a positive way. Like they're like creepers in the challenge. Basically like saying, no, this works. Like, do it because I met someone, you know, kind of a thing. So that's.

Have you had anybody get married yet? Like, sometimes people get married in six weeks. No.

No.

Okay.

My third summer I met a guy and I was. They had been. It was like an old grandpa that you just go get a cookbook demo for. And he and his wife had been married. They met on a weekend. He was visiting friends in where I was, it was in Pennsylvania and he was from la. She flew to LA after to go or took a train to LA to go see him. And then they got married that weekend. And they've been married for 70. Well. And now it must be 10 years ago. Unless one of them is dead, which they probably are.

But if they're alive, I want to interview them, because I haven't.

Bananas, right?

Yeah.

Yeah. I was just like, what's the secret? He goes, ah, you know, just put up with the shit.

Yeah.

My parents are divorced, man. It's not that easy.

I know, right? Yeah. And that's the example. Those are people I love interviewing. And that's what I like about the podcast, too, is like, I went. My boyfriend and I went to the Channel Islands. It's in California. A lot of people don't even know it's a national park that has islands north of la. And we went kayaking, and the kayak guide was just, like, lit on fire, you know, like, you could tell someone's, like, loving what she does. And so I just interviewed her on Sunday, and it's like just getting to interview people that are just loving what they do, you know, and loving their life. And that's. That's what I really. That's what I really like doing. And then that, like you said, you're getting. You're getting that feedback, then it's like part of your soul, then when you're getting that chance to have this kind of interaction with someone.

And I've also found. Amen to all of that. I also found, at least from how it relates to ponytails in Southwestern. Because that's, you know, kind of what brings us all together, at least. And the uniqueness of this show or the niche of the show.

Yeah.

Is that it doesn't matter if someone sold 35 million units or someone sold 200 units for one summer, and they just barely scraped by them. It finished. It. They. Everyone has had some very profound and interesting things to say or some interesting ideas or just a really cool story. And it's just been a. It's just. Just way more reinforcement to remember that because. And I don't mean to talk. You know, he's my brother. It. My brother is very. Still drinking the Kool Aid, which is fine. He's a dsm. You kind of have to be, you know, like, you have to be very convicted in what you're doing, so that it's kind of natural for him to just be like, all right, I'm. I'm bought into this company, and that's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you. When you. Part of the problems of that is that they have this very hard mentality of who they are. And so. And what they want. And so when you come out of it, you're like, no, everyone has value. It's not just people who produce a lot. It's like everyone that you meet can tell you and teach you something amazing, even if it's like, to you, maybe they're just not as, quote unquote, half as much money or have the status that other people have. Everyone can teach you something, and that's what I've learned doing this. So I'm sure you've had a very similar experience on your end, too.

Yeah, it's super cool to just be able to meet people that are just doing all kinds of things that are aligned with themselves. I mean, I'm even like, do. The thing is, like, even someone quits their job that they didn't like, you know, because a lot of people get stuck. They stay stuck, you know, in their job. And we talked about that on. On your interview where it's like, almost that two years too long thing, you know, And I'm like, really wanting to talk to people that are making that decision because they want to, not because other people are telling them not to.

Yeah. And because ultimately you got to trust if you know yourself well enough that then you should. If you strive to know yourself well enough, then you'll know when it's the right time to leave something and when it's not. So. Absolutely. Oh, you should. The. If you guys haven't listened to Rachel Schwann's episode, there was one right before this, highly recommended this. We talked about this specifically because she just left this last summer, and she left a couple of weeks earlier than she was intending to because she had to move on to the next job, which was imperative that she. That was like, it was now or never type of thing for that job, and she quit. But there was a little bit of guilt when she did that. You know, it's. And so I was telling her, I'm like, no, you know, if you know yourself well, your intentions were good, and now you're doing a thing that was your career that you've always meant to do, it's okay.

Like.

That'S amazing when you can go with, like, your own instinct and not have to hear everyone around you and say, what should I do? What should I do but follow your own gut. That's gold right there.

Oh, hey, amen. So, okay, so let's. Let's dig into the. What. Do the thing actually in your. When you exp. So people can go, okay, what thing? What do you mean by do the thing? What is the, this principle that you, that you talk about? What is. What have you learned from all your guests and your journey so far, even with the podcast? What is in. If you had to tell it to a five year old? What. What is do the thing?

Yeah, so something I've been doing with the interviews is I've been uncovering a formula for how people do the thing. So finding the common patterns that everyone does when they're doing something, whether it is starting a business, starting a new job, getting married, whatever that thing is to them. And it's almost like I, I uncovered the matrix.

It's been like crazy because once I uncovered the formula of how people do the thing, so it's like, hold on.

It'S seven. No, six. Six pieces of the formula I should run like two weeks ago when we interviewed is when I first realized what it was. So it's only been a few weeks, but yeah, so six. There's basically six pieces. And it's how everyone is able to do the thing. And then what happened is then I was like, wait, I wonder who else uses this formula? And that's when I realized, going back to book days, that Southwestern really used this formula. They just don't talk about it. You know who else uses it?

AA uses it. Programs, they use it. They don't talk about it, but they, they just have it incorporated. There's really like, really good gyms use it. There's some gyms you go to and you just show up and you give them your money and you never go back. Right. But there's others, they have a specific, like, system for how they do it. And they, they basically are using these pieces. They just. No one talks about it. So the book is basically going to blow it all up and everyone's gonna know how to do whatever they want.

I was gonna say, this is. I remember thinking when we were, when you asked me that, and I was like, I wanted to say Southwestern, but honestly, like, I feel like people who have understood success, they describe the same formula that you're describing, but just in some, a different way. And the way that you explain it is just so much more straightforward, like, I guess more accessible for people than, than this complication of some of the other things that we got trained on. You know what I'm saying? So it's such a cool gift that you're giving people to be able to provide them with this, with this foundational, you know, tangible way of overcoming fears and overcoming doubts and. Damn.

Yeah. And the coolest Thing is, I got to interview you. I think you interviewed Ron Alford, too, right? Yeah, Southwestern Consulting. Yeah, I interviewed him, and he. He was actually. He was one of my consultants when I was with my staffing company. He was coaching me on a lot of different stuff. He's amazing. And I saw on LinkedIn he posted something about his daughter, Hartley. She's 10 years old, and he basically was saying on the. On the LinkedIn post that she had just stopped eating sugar for 28 days. And so I asked to interview her, and I got to interview his daughter, and it was like, literally, like the formula was you. And again, they don't call it form formula, but, like, all these pieces were used in the way that she did it. And so she stopped eating sugar for 28 days, and then she was also talking about how she was going to run a 5K, and she was basically following those same steps. So. Yeah. So it's super cool once you kind of, like, uncover it and you get to see how you can really do.

The thing that's legit. Oh, so cool. The podcasting world is such an interesting way to learn and meet people. Is there anything outside of just besides like, doing the thing and these success principles that you've learned.

Like, from maybe from a technical standpoint, maybe there's someone out there that's like, I want to start a podcast. Like, what? You know, how can I do this? What have you learned outside of that during this journey?

Yeah. Do you mean, like, in terms of how to start. How to start a podcast?

Yeah. Like, I. Maybe I should say this. So we had Mikolai Beador on here, and he was. Used to work for the radio station. So for him, it comes. It came a little natural. More natural to just kind of jump into podcasts and start doing that. Right. But like, when I started and we were talking about this right now, maybe this is a better way to ask. This is, you know, you're doing this for fun right now. But we were talking right before we started recording, like, hey, where's. What's the goal of the podcast? Are you trying to monetize it? What are you trying to do? Because we both started this as a hobby, and now it feeds my dogs. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, for you, for you, what have you learned and what are you learning? What's the. For the podcast itself? What's. What's kind of like the things that you are picking up as you go along of developing it, growing it, you know?

Yeah.

Getting in touch with your fans?

Yeah. No. So it's been crazy. Can I share a post that I just did today in my little dating dare group? Can I?

Yeah.

Can I read it to you or.

Yeah, absolutely. Or is it Absolutely. Is there, I think, like, link. If you have a link, I can put it on the screen. You can totally read.

Yeah, I'm just going to read it just because I literally, like this morning, posted this because I'm this passionate about people doing like a podcast. Um, let me just see if I could find it really quick. Oh, yeah, I just said. So basically I'm encouraging the people in my dating the do the thing dating dare group to start a podcast. I mentioned it the first challenge and they no one. It was too high for them. They couldn't get there. And this time around, people are saying they're interested. Right. Because they've already started to expand their comfort zone. Comfort zone. So this was my post. I said this was this morning an hour ago actually. So it's funny you should ask this question. I was like, so we have some people interested in starting a podcast. Yay. Please come in here if you would like to be part of the zoom we were going to do with the call cast founder Adam. A lot of people think a podcast costs money and it's totally free. An amazing way to connect with yourself deeper and encourage you to connect with others. It sort of gets you off the couch. I recently to join it. I recently decided to join a group of podcasters so that I could have the m part of the I'm game formula my people and we'll share that what I wrote here. Please comment if you're interested. I will tag those of you that I know have expressed interest. And then I wrote my podcast and my podcast are group just to give you context with what I love. So this was my post that I put in the group. I said just to give you context with what I love about podcasting. I sold my business last year and I was going through an entire identity breakdown. I was messing around exploring what was next for me. I started my podcast do the Thing. It's funny how I thought all of the stuff I did prior to me starting my podcast was my do the thing story. But realized that after I started my podcast is when my do the thing story really starts. I love how podcasting gets you to explore all of your heart's desires and you can connect with interesting people and concepts that you want to explore more. You basically get to live in the curiosity of life. Since starting this podcast in February of this year, so many new doors have opened for me, and it's been fun following the breadcrumbs of life. And then I basically just said I joined this group so I could be around other people who get it, too. And so, yeah, now I have to find you again. Sorry, because I got off.

It's all good. Yeah, that's. That's such a cool. It's such a cool thing. February, and it's such a journey already.

Yeah. And so. Yeah. So to answer your question, I haven't really, like, figured out how I want. I really came out of an identity crisis because when I sold my business, I just. Sorry, I'm just trying to find. Oh, you're on Chrome. That's what's happening. Okay, I found you.

Welcome back. Yeah.

Yeah. When I sold my business, I did that for 20 years, right? At 60 employees, internal employees, and then 600 field employees. So it was like, literally, it was just so crazy, you know, my whole life was like, that business, you know? And then when I sold, I just didn't even know. I didn't even know who I was anymore. It was really crazy, you know, kind of maybe, like, when you leave Southwestern and you're so embedded in that, you know, you have to go through that identity shift. And so. And, like, it was almost like the people that worked there were kind of my family. A lot of them had worked there 17 plus years, you know, and so it was a lot. It was a lot. And so then the podcast kind of reignited. Like, it got me back into who I am again. I don't know if it makes sense, but it was, like, just a crazy time. And so at first, there was no money bought. It was just me just doing it for fun, exploring the concept of the book. And. And that was pretty much it. And actually, it's kind of a funny story with the book, with how the podcast even started. As I was writing the book, I met with the book strategist, and she basically was like, I need your struggle story. I need the story of when you didn't do the thing and how you're doing the thing now. And at that time, I had no struggle story. Every time I've wanted to do the thing, I've done the thing. And so. Because I think I had the Southwestern experience, you know, and. And so she's like, well, your book's gonna suck, basically. And she's like, you need to have a struggle story. And so then, you know, I just. She's like, interview 10 people and, like, find out how they do the thing. Maybe they had a struggle story. We can use that for the book. And so that's pretty much how I started interviewing people, because I was like, well, if I'm going to be interviewing people without, like, I want to have it just recorded, just in case I decide to put it on a podcast later. And then it was, like, hard to do because the first one I did was video. And I ended up, like, being really critical of myself, you know, and, like, saying I was terrible at it and all the stuff that you're not supposed to say. And then. And then I sat on it. Oh, I even shared it with my mom. And my mom, God, I hope she's not gonna ever listen to this, but she basically is like, I don't get it. Like, what is that even. What is this interview even about? You know? Like, I don't even understand it. So my mom hated it.

And then. And then I. So I sat on it for, like, I don't even know. That was in August of 2021. So then I didn't end up recording anymore until finally, I don't know what happens, but all of a sudden I'm like, let me just see about this podcast thing, because maybe that'll motivate me. And that's when I Googled how to do a podcast from a phone, because I'm like, if I could just record it really easy, then maybe that'll at least get me excited. And then that's when I talked to the Adam, who is the founder of callcast, which is the platform I'm based on. And I like. I love. He's amazing, and the platform is amazing. And what happened then? Oh, and then I did. Oh, he's like, so if you don't like video, don't do video. Like, just do. Don't do anything that's gonna bottleneck you from getting going, you know, pretty much. So that's why mine's more scrappy, because I just have it super scrappy right now just to be able to do it, you know, eventually. I love the way yours is set up, though, so I'm gonna probably swipe and deploy some of that stuff.

Sure.

But. And then it was cool because then I called him after the first, like, two interviews, and I was like, I don't think that. I don't think I'm a good interviewer, you know? And he was like. He was really good. You know, he basically had, like, all my limiting beliefs. He. To answer, you know, he was like.

You know, no one's yo yo, ponies. Off schedule moment. Everybody loves property brothers. Some people for the looks, some for real estate. If you're the second or both, you should become a property brother or sister over at Southwestern Real Estate. Can't promise that you'll look good, but you'll sell a lot of houses. Okay, back to work. What up, everyone? Off schedule story really quick. The average agent of Cardinal Cedar Benefits earns about 5k per week. It's pretty badass. So on that note, really good.

When they first start, you just got to keep doing it, right? And we learned that from Southwestern. Like, it's absolutely on another door, you know, and so that helped me. And then. Yeah. And then the more I kept going, oh, wait, and there was one more thing. This was cool. Is like, three weeks in, he had introduced me to this woman, Esprit, and she was running a challenge, like a cohort for people that wanted to start a podcast. And. And so since I had been already recording, nothing was published yet, but I had at least been recording, and I had 10 episodes under my belt. He was like, she'd like you to speak to her group because they all want to start a podcast. And so then I was able to speak to them, and I think by, like, teaching other people that, like, sinked it in even more. Right. And Southwestern does a good job with that too. It's like, yes. Once you're able to, like, reinforce what you're learning and then seeing that you can make an. That, like, helped me keep going. And then it just was like wildfire after that. I think I just was in total, like, movement mode because it was so much fun.

Absolutely. I love that story. That's your origin story right there. I was gonna ask you, how did it all start coming about? And I think that's. There's so many lessons there. Right? Just go. Just do it. Just jump, jump. It's gonna be uncomfortable. And, yeah, you're probably not gonna do so hot. I mean, I. Sometimes I look back because we all have these doubts, right? Everyone has doubts. We. Every single person I've talked to on the show, every person that I know that's successful, they've all at some point mentioned, yeah, I had doubts. I mean, there's days I woke up and I'm like, ah, maybe I'm do. And I do that. I wake up and I'm like, is this really important? Like, are people really listening? Like, does it even matter? Am I. And then I was like, it's not about that. It's just about trying to help others and Help other people feel, sir. You know, like, feel heard. Right. Have their experience, be open and have them share what they have, you know, learned what they've noticed, but what's important to them. And that's important. So that. Then I go, okay, that's good. And then I go, but we're not getting better. There's these. There's so many different places I want to be and we're not. And then I go back and look at my first episode and it's like, oh, man, we've grown. It's just so crazy.

Yeah. Isn't that cool?

So fun. Yeah. It's documented growth. You can see the documented growth because it's public and you're exposing yourself in a way, you know?

So, yeah, it's like, it's really the ultimate do the thing, right? It's by not being perfect, being imperfect, but continuing on and doing it anyway. And, you know, that's kind of what I'm. And that's the message that the podcasters, when I did that, when I spoke to that group of 70 people, that's what they resonated with the most, and that's what got them to move. Because what gets people to not do something? It's because they're scared that it's. They're not going to be good. But who cares? Like, when you're dead, is that going to be something you're going to talk about, is that, you know, you wish you didn't do that thing because you weren't good at it? No, you're gonna talk about the things that you didn't do that you wanted to do, you know?

Yeah, absolutely. And. And I think you help them refocus on their why, which ultimately is such a big part. Right. So it's like, you know, what's. What is going to be important is one of those people is going to have a conversation with someone else, or maybe they'll say something on their podcast that someone else is going to listen to. And it was important for that one person to have heard that because that inspired them to go do the thing. Right? And so, like, I don't know, it's on our end maybe, hopefully we've had 160 some odd episodes. Hopefully someone on here felt heard or maybe they learned something about themselves while being on the show as a guest. But maybe even better is if someone who listens to this heard something, somewhere, somehow, and it just really inspired them to do that thing, you know, and so that's the why, then it doesn't matter. It's not about you if it's good or not, or if I'm dressed nice or if my show has this or that.

Yeah.

What matters is that you're doing it for the right reasons.

Oh, totally. The other thing I realized too, it's like the. It's, you know, like in the past you would do something and it like dies there. Like now it's like things continue. Like, here's an example. I just thought of this as you were talking. I. My boy. Another thing my boyfriend and I did. We went on a hot air balloon ride and the pilot was like super cool, you know, just like super so fun. And the whole business was really. I love when I see businesses, like completely like red carpet, you know, just like from beginning to end and you can tell that they really thought out. And so anyway, after we were done, like, I think like a week later, I'm like, I really want to interview that guy, you know, because he's doing the thing like, how do you go in a hot air balloon? There's nothing like there and you're flying it, you know. And so I got to interview him and he's actually this, like, not actually. I mean, he's like this amazing person where he like, he had a business, a tech business that he sold 10 years ago, then he opened up a winery or bought a winery, decided he didn't like that, sold the winery, and then started this hot air balloon business. And so then I got to interview him. We were talking about change being hard and like, why people don't want to try something new. And it turns out he's in a leadership program with Stanford. He's in his 60s and in a leadership program at Stanford. And he then after the interview, sent me a bunch of articles on change, you know, and like, how to get people to change. And those were great. But then also I remembered I have a friend in that lives in Temecula, that has a wedding venue, really successful Hawk Ranch, if anyone wants to get married. And. And he. Anyway, and he's always interested in new things. So I connected these two guys together and now they met and now the hot air balloon guy is going to be. Potentially, they're working on it and talking through some of the details, but taking up the guests in hot air balloon ride on like some bungee thing and it's going to be this whole experience. So just by me doing this thing, interviewing this guy, you know, and then finding out all this information, I now have research on change that I can use for my book or whatever. Else I want to do with it from talking to him. And now all of these guests at a wedding are going to potentially go on a hot air balloon ride. So anyway, the whole thing, it's crazy to me when I think about it.

You know what? Okay, a couple things on that. This is a great conversation. Thank you for being here. Elliot Cohen is someone you need to meet or I don't know if you know Elia. He's a book man. He also owns 100 building business up in Seattle or near Seattle, outside of Seattle. And he is awesome. So Elliot's cool.

Oh cool.

A very similar story he had. He also is an A.I. really interesting guy. He was like our ninth episode or something.

Oh great.

And so that's one thing. The second thing is I think, I think I can if we, if I can put like a bow or succinctly talk about like the, the. The thesis of what we just said or what we've been talking about. What we're trying to say in this episode is.

For this chunk anyway is in Southwestern. They always taught you that, right? I remember this quote. I heard it from someone in Southwestern. You hear so many quotes, forget who to give credit to. But somebody at some point said that in five years you're going to be the same person plus the books you read and the people that you meet. And by doing this you're so naturally meeting so many people and so many cool people that it's no wonder that it changes you so quick. I mean we've been on. So November 29th will be our two year anniversary like of the first episode airing and we had 160 some by that point we'll have a hundred and probably 175 episodes or something. Wow. So. And some of them have been mold more than one person in an episode. So it's not just one on one. So I've probably met 200 people doing this that I didn't know before, who I got to know for a couple hours and have that book person connection which is in a weird way it's shared trauma connection, you know, so and so let alone the people that I've met from like traveling to alumni reunions that were. That we put on or Bizzler that we put on that, you know, that Sizzler trip, the alumni sisters trip. So it has to be more like 300 people. And so no wonder I've grown or I feel like I've grown personally a ton because I've hung out with 300 cool book people doing awesome. So yeah, naturally, in two years, it's gonna change you.

I love that quote. I think that's so good. And that really speaks to. I think that is a really good summation of it, and it's really true, too. And the other thing with. When you're interviewing someone in a podcast, you get to know them so much deeper than you would like, just talking to them in real life. Because when do you ever get to just sit there and ask someone questions for an hour and a half?

Ask me anything. Okay, cool. Like, let's do it. And it's like. And. And people know. I mean, we're just. Just for people who are listening. Like, you might go scroll through our episode list and be like three hours for some of these. It's like, yeah, we don't mean. It's not. Like we said, like, you and I didn't sit down and go, all right, we're gonna go. We're gonna find a way to fill in this space for two and a half hours or whatever. No, we just said we're just gonna talk until it feels natural to stop. And let's just see where the conversation goes. We did no pre. Approach. We didn't, you know, we met each other, oh, two weeks ago. And so that's so cool because you know that the setting is we're going to be open. We're going to be here to be open. That's the. That's the. The whole point. And we're going to do it for a couple hours. So, yeah, in that amount of time, you're going to find out some really cool.

Totally. Yeah. And I have. I'm in a mastermind. I've been in one for four years, and really incredible people are in the group. And it's funny, when I interviewed each of them on my podcast, everyone in the Mastermind got to know them on a whole nother level, even though we've all known each other four years. I think there's something to that, right. When you get to just ask someone questions, like, without knowing with, like, what you said, but you're really just able to dive in. So start a podcast, you guys.

Yeah. And here. Here's. Here's another thing that I've learned, too. This is like Marty Pyle was the episode that taught us this. So remember the structure? We used to go. Let's just go back to the beginning. How did you get into Southwestern? What? You know, when did you leave? And then, what are you doing now? That used to be the way we used to do it until Marty Pyle. And Marty's episode is great. He was telling us about his Southwest career, and it's like, good old book fashion stuff. And then he was pretty excited. We had. We had talked actually, a couple of times beforehand. He was super fun. He was super fun, and it was great. And then when we started talking about what he's up to now about his passion because he got to retire, so he's like, now I get to do whatever I want. And he started doing art, and the conversation went from great to excellent because. Because all of a sudden, he was able to talk about what he was currently doing in his present moment and what he's. What. Where his passions were. And it's so cool what you get to learn from people. Like, right here, I'm talking to you, and we're talking about podcasting and helping people grow. Yeah. Yesterday, Rachel, she is a kindergarten teacher, and we were talking about the adventures of that world right before, at some point, we had Nate to Borg, and he. He. He does art with fire and wood. It's like, what. You know, like, every episode so different, and it just. It's. It's never boring. It's always so exciting because people get excited to talk to you about the things that they love, and it's so fun to get to ask them about it and to be interested in it. So, yeah, definitely. Like you said, start a podcast.

Well, yeah, when you get to talk to people about. And this is real life, too, like, when you can talk to people who are lit on fire by what they're doing, you know, and the things that they're experiencing or what they're not doing, you know, Like, I love when I talk to someone that just quit their job and they're not doing anything, but they're just lit up by the fact that they made that decision, you know, And I just.

They're like, I'm free.

Yeah, exactly.

Oh, so true. It's. It's. It's really fun. And I've also found that it helped me become a better listener. I still needed. Got so long to go on this because I'm a terrible listener, but it's made me stop talking and just be like, all right, you say now things.

Yeah.

I agree.

I've been working. I've been actually using this as a tool for that, too. And like. Like the reflective listening and all that stuff where you're. Because I've been even studying authentic relating. And so all this stuff that I've been doing with communication, it's been helping with that too.

It's Phenomenal. It's phenomenal. Oh my gosh. So cool. So how can people find your book? How can people find your podcast? How can people connect with you about this specific part of an aspect of your life?

Yeah, so the best way is just my website is do the thing podcast.com and then my email is, you could do this stacy@stacylaurenlive.com as well. You'll probably put in the show notes. I don't need to, but it's the Stacey as an e. And then feel free to email me. And I'm about to get on social media. I'm not on yet, but if you connect with me that way I'll be able to share with you on all that.

Heck yeah. I love it. I love it. Do you mind if we wind the clocks back really quick and talk about some southwestern stuff?

Sure.

Cool. This is usually the segment's like, what are you up to now? And then it's like, okay, this has been great conversation. Let's do some book stories. Okay, so, so we, we had on the show notes and on the intro two summers, 94, 95. So let's rewind to 94 or 93 fall, depending on when you were recruited. How the heck did you hear about this? How did you get into this crazy thing? And I do have follow up questions about the 90s and women selling for Eagle Blitz, which we can get into if you want to. But let's just go back. How did you hear about this?

Yeah, and I love that you know that because there are some stuff with that, with the women part. But yeah, so I was, I put, I put myself through school and I was bartending, waiting tables. It just wasn't enough money. So I was looking for a quicker way to make money. And I had found in a newspaper.

Oh, nice.

Yeah, super old school. There were two jobs in there. One was selling cutting. I don't even know what it was. Scaling fish, I think in Alaska. And then the other one was selling bookstore to door. And I remember looking at both and trying to decide which one I should explore. And I picked the obviously selling bookstore to door. I never really even looked into the Alaska one, although it sounded cool, but I just didn't trust myself, like technically because I mean, that's like you have to use your hands. And my eyes aren't that great.

So that's one of those where you don't want to suck at the beginning. You want to be good right away. That one, you want to be like, I need to know what I'M doing this one. It sounds like.

The other one. You lose a finger.

Yeah. And so then we went to the. So I think the first meeting. It's funny, I still remember it, but, like, we were in the. It was some kind of conference room at the school. I feel like there were, like 20 people that were there. And then most of them were guys. There was just me, I think, and maybe one other girl in there who ended up being my roommate. And they just told. They talked about Southwestern and what it was. And, you know, I was just like, why not? It sounds great.

Wild. So wild. And when you're. Look. When you're looking into this, and I always like to say. Because people sometimes say, oh, it was the money and you need a picture for school, so that's valid. Or it was like the travel. Right. But do you think inside, deep down, there was another reason that was calling out to you for this? Or did you. Or was it strictly. Yep, I gotta get. I gotta get paid for school.

I'm not sure. I mean, I did have some experience. Like, I was a clown in high school. And so I. I, like, I'm. I've done.

We're not just gonna gloss over that. Unless that's a story for another time. But. Wait, what? What?

No, this is a really random story. It's like my best friend and I were, like. We were crane calling people, basically, and through the yellow pages. So we're in the yellow pages. I don't remember why we were prank calling people, but we're prank calling them.

And one of them ended up being a clown company. And I don't remember what I said as a prank call. Like, I don't remember, like, what the words were out of my mouth. But whatever it was, she liked how I sounded on the phone. And she's like, you know what? You would be great, you know, like, for this clown job that I have open. Are you looking for work? So she flipped the script on me.

Yes. She clowned you?

She clowned me. And so, yeah, so then I went and she taught me how to, like, do the animal balloons and pain faces and all the stuff. And it was really good money. So it was like, just different. You know, I went on the weekends and dressed up as a clown. Sometimes I would dress up as, like, you know, Big Bird and some other stuff, but it was mostly a clown.

Oh, my God. Did you have a clown name?

No, I didn't. It's. I don't remember it. If I did, I don't remember any, like, specifics other Than it being a really weird. I even had a rabbit, like, in the. In the magic little box that you. Yeah. Like, the whole thing is crazy, actually, but there's so many questions.

I'm sorry to derail the entire critique story, but you can't just be like, I was a clown in high school. But anyway. What? No, you can't just be like. Be like that. Hold on. So you cla. How big were your shoes?

Yeah, so it's funny. I don't remember.

How does. What is a life. What is the. I don't like a typical work day of a clown look like.

Typical workday is you're spending most of your time putting, like, the makeup on. That's. I mean, back then, you know, I'm sure they have better ways to do it now, but back then, you're. Unless you're a big bird, you're spending the most. And this is in Florida, so it's hot, you know, and so, like, you're putting your makeup on, and then. And then you drive to the place, and you're only there, like, an hour, so the actual job. But you made, like, 250, so it was worth it. And this is back in the, you know, 90s, so it was pretty good money, you know, for back then. And so anyway. Yeah, and it was fun. I don't think I was very good. I don't know. I don't know if I was very good. But, I mean, it was fine. It was like. It was fun. I did it for like a year, you know, so I'm just used to doing random stuff. And I worked for this other company. I think they've gone out of business now. But Centura Creations, this was in high school also. And my last year in school, I went to community college, so I. I really didn't go to high school. My senior year, it was. It was just community college, but it was still. I still got my high school degree anyway. It's weird, but anyways, that's why I was doing random stuff. But anyway, Centuric Creations, where you sell fake perfume to people. And. And so I would sell, like, it to hospitals back then. You can go in the airport and walk into the.

You know where the gate is, and you could, like, just hang out with people, and you weren't really allowed to do it. So I did get my picture taken a few times for, like, not supposed to be. Yeah. And you'd go to.

Now when you fly, you're like.

Yeah, yeah. And you'd go. The. Your best place would go. Is the check cashing store. You'd go to the parking lot, you know, and. And sell there to people as they were coming out of the check cashing store. So, yeah, so I've just had a really random.

Well. And Centura, that was like a. Like a Mary Kay type of company. Right? Like, it was like something like that wasn't it?

Or it wasn't. It wasn't network marketing. It was. It was more.

It was more just direct sales because they had the whole, like. That was my first time that I heard a bell ring, and it was very exciting, you know, having been like, during growing up, I was kind of like, always. Never really felt like I had a place, you know, like, I was bad at sports. I was bad at a lot of things. And so, like, once I realized, like, this concept of hearing no is all I need to do to, like, hear a bell ring and get people excited about what I did, I was like a dog, basically.

And.

Yeah, and so, yeah, it just was a really great. I mean, that's something I'm working through now is like, now I'm 49, right. And I don't want to be excited about a bell ringing, so I'm getting excited about my own stuff, no matter what it is that I'm doing, whether it's, you know, so it's definitely some work that I've had to do since then. But. But yeah, but that was. It was an exciting. It was an exciting time. And so, yeah, I did that job. And so I think when the book job came, it was like, oh, I've already kind of done something like this before, just not relocating to another state, you know.

That is so cool. Well, first of all, I'm so intrigued. That is so fun. And being a clown has to be because. Because there's an aspect of that that's so interesting of like. Like, just. That's such a. Interesting part of our community, and it's depicted in so many different ways. And so I. I was watching Modern Family, and one of the characters. What's his name? One of the guys, he's a clown. Purple the Clown. And so they. They make a lot of, like, really cool insights on the life of. Of people who do that, like, for a living. And it's such an interesting world. So that's. That's awesome that you did that. Get out of your comfort zone. I mean, that's. Let's talk about. That's crazy.

Yeah.

And then you went and sold perfume. So you. By the time you get to Southwestern. This is not like the The. The sales part of it that's not uncomfortable for you whatsoever because you're used to being like, all right, this is just. This is just something that not everybody does, but it's going to be great, and it's going to help me learn and it's going to pay me. And so that's a. Cool. That's a. That's a. This is one of my favorite origin stories. This is so funny. So, okay, so you're there. Where did you go? How was sales school? How was that first? I always, like, talking about first summers, because that's the one that, like, really bites you. What. What.

What was that? Like, what was it? Where did you go? Tell me the story of your first summer.

Yeah, so sales school is amazing. I, like, I've never been in that type of environment where it was just, like, so many people and the excitement and the synergy and the electric that you felt like. My body felt, like, singed, you know, and it was just a very. A very exciting time. And then the pony story, Mortal Memorial, had, you know, like, that. That stuck with me my whole life, pretty much. And so. So, yeah, so that was, like, my sales school experience. And then we went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and. Wow. Yeah. And.

Yeah, I think it started with you knocking on doors to find a place to live.

So, I mean, they started. I don't know if they're still doing that, but that was, like, crazy because. Yeah, because you're like, just like, oh, my God. Like, that was your initial thing. And you know what. How cool that is to do that. And now that I look back, because I'm writing the book now, so I'm seeing, like, all these things that have made such an impact, like having to knock on a door to find a place to live. I think that's where, like, I just. That's where my risk assessment in life has really just not even been a thing because, like, you always. You always. Now that you know how to sell. Right. Or, like, and it doesn't even have to be that. You have to be good. You just have to be able to hear no a lot, because someone's going to buy from you whatever you're selling and believe in what you're selling. Right. Like, those are the two kind of things for me, at least. I have to believe what I'm selling and know that it's a service to the person that I'm selling it to. I can't just sell anything. And then also hearing no enough. And I think the fact, once I understood that concept of being able to, like, make money and then also find a place to live no matter where I was. It just. Nothing scares me with that type of stuff anymore, you know, it's just. I've just been able to go after whatever it is.

Yeah. Because if your heart. If you're. It's hard to be nervous when your attitude's on service. That old adage of Southwestern. So if you have that aspect locked down and morally good and you know that you can help people, there's nothing wrong with going, okay, well, I should get paid for this because I'm helping people and I'm good at it, and it makes sense that I get paid. And it makes you feel a lot better when you sell it. It makes you feel a lot better when you don't. It's. It's a wonderful perspective, and that's something people don't understand. When you tell people you're in sales, they're like, ah, sales. They think, like, a lot of friends of mine that didn't sell books are like, oh, you must be really persuasive. I don't know. Not at all. That's not what sales is. That's manipulation. We don't do that. Sales is when you are good at being told no and when you can give someone a genuine buying atmosphere. When you're like, hey, if you don't buy, it's, It's. It's fine. I just appreciate the sit down. Because even if you say no, no at some point, there's a yes coming. So that's okay. I'm not gonna sell you. You can sell ice to an Eskimo. No, I can't. They don't need it. Yeah, that's how we do it.

Yeah. And they don't realize, like, when you're saying sales, you're not even meaning, like, selling. Right. So I interviewed my friend in my mastermind, the one that has the budding venue, but he also exited his business last year too. And he. He's grown up in sales, right. So that's kind of his history. And I love the way he frames sales. He calls it the number one service job, job in the world. And so, like, with that frame it really, like, because people think it's sales, but it's not. It's really knowing how to service. Right. And. And then he, his brother came on my podcast also. He wrote the book, dang it. Live an Extraordinary Life. And it's actually similar. For those of you guys listening that read Rhinoceros Success, it's similarly, like, written in the in, like, it's really easy to read, but it's so impactful, just like that book was for me. And so definitely get that book, but I'm pitching other people's books right now. But anyway.

Anyway, he wanted to be a professional football player when he was younger, and this is his brother, and so that's all he wanted. And so when he was in college, he was playing football. No one came to pick him up, you know, like, for professional football. So his brother is like, well, why are you just waiting for people to come get you? Go after it, you know? And so he taught him the concept of dialing for dolls dollars. And, you know, basically then he started calling all the professional teams to try to get place. When that didn't work, he went out in person to all these different places. He did end up getting hired by Arena Football. He played with Kurt Warner. And then when Kurt got taken, you know, and that he went on his path. That's when David decided to leave football and he went into corporate world and now he's into coaching, but he. Now his son is being coached by Kurt Warner. He's a senior and he's a quarterback. And so it's just crazy how, like, just dialing for dollars now has set on this whole path of just, of like, him understanding the concept. David didn't sell. Right. He just understood the concept of hearing no and the value of rejection. And so there's just so much in that sales mindset that I think is cool.

That is such a good gold right there. Just take this bit. Gold. This is what's going on Instagram, man. Okay, so back to you. So you're. You're knocking for doors to live.

Yeah, yeah. So I knocked on one, and then I knocked on a bunch, and then one of them was like, oh, you know, I don't have a place that you could live, but there's a church that we have that I. That I go to that offers a lot of this kind of stuff. So then we got a referral for the church. And then Nancy was my roommate at the time, and. And we rented a room from someone that we met through the church. And I still remember this lady. She was the coolest mom. Beverly and her son. I don't remember her husband's name, but her son's name was Dan. And every day she'd make a sweet tea and just really was very encouraging and supportive. It was $75 a month for us to share this room in her house. And just. It was just the perfect place for Us to be because, you know, like, she just, like, loved on us, you know, when we. When in the very few times we were there. But, like, she loved on us and those moments, you know.

Wow, that is so cool. I love it. And then you went out, so this must have been a trip because you're from Florida, so the summers in Florida are brutal. Summers in Grant. Grand Rapids, Right? Michigan or. Yeah, yeah. Grand Rapids, Michigan. That has to be a bananas experience of how not hot it is. Like, it's just so chill. It must be beautiful.

I don't know. I remembered it being hot, but I remember it raining and I remember it being hot, but who knows? Yeah.

For like 14 hours a day. So I think anything would get hot after a while.

After a while. Yeah. I just remember I was selling in Florida, some solar in Florida a couple years back, and I was like, this is the hot. This is hot. And we sold in Arizona, too. And I'm like, this is crazy. I mean, I. I was in Vermont my first summer, or New York, my first summer upstate, so.

Oh, wow.

I'm like, I forgot to appreciate that because it's so nice.

Yeah.

So that's wild. And. And we can get into, obviously, book stories of things that you remember as well, too. So feel free to interject those wherever, you know, as they come up. But I wanted to do I, for sure, touch on the. On the. On the culture of masculinity and really misogyny that. That we've had on record. We've had people on the show, not just one person. We've had multiple people, sometimes on the air, sometimes off the air. Talk about how an eagle blitz, particularly some pockets within it or. I don't know exactly. I don't want to assume because I wasn't there. But there were a lot of difficulties being a woman in that environment because it was just kind of not open, I guess, to that at that point in time. Did you experience any of this or was it different?

That many? Yeah, there just weren't that many women. Like, in my. The years that I sold, the first year, second year, there were more women because I recruited women. But like, the first year, it was. It was really just me, Nancy and then Katrine Lacqua. It was just the three of us. And so, wow, all the guys, I never felt any different other than I felt a little invisible. But I've had that, you know, but until I sold. Then once you succeed, then everyone, you know, then it's fine, you know.

Yeah.

So it's more just. I think it's Just anytime you're with people that are the. You know, like, where. How do I word this in a way that. Yeah, I think it's just. It could have been just how I felt. I don't know if it was necessarily the way it was, but. Yeah, I just definitely didn't feel like I had a place until I was able to show what I was doing. Once I started selling and I didn't quit, you know, then it, like, changed a little bit.

Yeah, we had. We had K Red on the show. She started thinking 92, and she had to, like, beg to get in. Like, she had to, like, prove it and prove it to them that she could. Once she got in, she sold a lot of books, and they were like, oh, it's just a fluke. Then they went and did, like, interviews. And this could have been. Again, this could be isolated incidents within Eagle Blitz. I know it wasn't necessarily happening as much on the other organization because this is when, like, Yvette Keister and, like, some other badass book chicks were selling up in the, you know, Nebraska, Michigan area. But. But Kate Wright, she remembers when they were doing, like, surveys at classrooms, and they would take people's, like, you know, you could get the names. They would throw all the girl names away.

Oh, wow. Yeah, No, I didn't get any of that.

She dug them out of the trash can and she'd be like, what are you guys doing? And they're like, women can't tell cell books. They can't teach menacell books. Like, they said that to her face. And she named the manager, and it's a crazy. You should go listen to that episode. It's crazy.

Oh, yeah.

But we've had her on twice, and both times she told us the story in different levels of detail, but the first one was bananas. What up, ponies? One quick jockey. Spotlight. Spotlight. Over to Cardinal Senior Benefits. I want to shout out my girl Greta, if you guys want more information on what it's like to be a single person and working for a badass company where you can earn a ton of money. How flexible is it, Andres? Well, go check it out. Greta's episode is number 85, but let me tell you, it's pretty flexible. It can touch its own toes. And anyway, so I don't mean to, like, bring this up or anything, but she did say that, you know, eventually it started getting better and more women, but when she was the only one in that in her org. And so people understand and get perspective. This is back in the day when, like, in the 90s when there was thousands and thousands of people selling books per summer, it was like. It wasn't just like Today there's like 1200 book kids, like, or maybe, I don't know, 2000 of them. It was like there was 3000 people at sales school that week or whatever, you know, there was like a ton of people selling books.

And so to be one of few females, it must have been. Yeah, it must have felt super, super intimidating. Did you ever feel like. Did you ever feel like when you made it that. That there was like, an aspect of. You had to prove it to yourself for that reason? Like, is that was. Did that ever drive you or did you not notice it?

Yeah, I don't know. It's something I. Oh, it's. And again, I don't know how much of it is from books or how much it is.

Is.

Is me, but I always just feel like.

Like I have to do it in order to, like, feel accepted, you know, and so that's work that I'm doing now because I don't, like. I don't want that anymore. I want to just be able to be who I am and not care about if I'm good at something, you know, and to be accepted in that way. But back when I was 22.

You know, like, I definitely felt. I felt a difference, you know, when I. From when the time that I got to sales school, you know, to, like in the middle of the summer when I was doing well you know, and showing that I wasn't leaving and not even the middle, really, like, after week three, it started to, like, once they. Once anyone. Once anyone sees that you're working hard. My daughter actually, she just joined her this year. She started her high school football team. She's on a high school football team. And, you know, like, there's all guys, and she's one of three girls. So it's kind of. I see her kind of doing it where she, you know, once they see her busting ass, you know, then like, it's not even a question, right? Like, they're. You're immediately accepted. That's all they care about is that you're going to work the same. It just. I think it's a little bit different, you know, if you're. I don't know if it's different that you're a guy and you're not busting ass, but I think people just have a better way of accepting you when you're working as hard as them, you know?

Yeah, I understand that. Yo, yo. Everybody Time to get off schedule real quick, guys, if you still like the grind. And maybe you have an opportunity to go make a shit ton of money by doing so. Actually, real money. Make sure you guys hit up. And light energy. Alex Black is in Florida and they are crushing it. They are also able to work with you in any state that you're in, but it's pretty badass because the soul industry is blowing up and there is nothing stopping you from making like, well, well over six figures to feed your family or your dogs or just you if you're alone. Sorry about it. Talk to yourself.

I understand that there, there's. That a lot of people who don't necessarily are not even aware that they're part of that culture. It's just kind of the way it is for them. Like those guys in the 90s, not all of them had to been like, girls can't sell. Some of them were just like, oh, I mean, I guess I don't. We're just in this organization, you know. And so when they see you kicking ass, they're like, oh, I know what it takes to kick ass. And if she's kicking ass, badass. Like, I always thought even myself as a man, as a man that sold in 2012. So, you know, at this point, girls are already better than men. Like, women are already kicking ass every year. Like, we were. I was getting my ass whipped by Hannah Reesburg that summer, but I didn't. To me, it made sense because we're doing a job where it's completely performance based in the standpoint of, like, if you go work, you're gonna make it like it's gonna work. It's just, how quickly can you get better at it and that it's like a skill. It's like any other skill, right? So that for me, if a girl's kicking my ass, it just means she's working harder than me or she's figuring things out faster than I am. There's not because she's a woman. It's not because I'm a man. Has nothing to do with that. Where I was like, wow, my hat's off to you is because just from a. And this. I'm probably sure this is going to get me canceled someday. So I'm not trying to say it in the wrong way, so. But in deliveries, when we had to carry that tote around and it was like £60 for 12 hours of deliveries. And at the end of the day, I mean, I'm 20 in my best fitness that I've ever been in my life, I've. Strongest I've ever been. And I'm hurting from carrying this freaking tote around. And I know there's a girl in my org who weighs 110 pounds and she's carrying the same tote. And I'm like, wow, that is mad impressive that she not only kicked my ass in sales, but also is kicking my ass at deliveries. Because this is where it gets physical. It's not a mental thing anymore. And so, technically speaking, people who are stronger during the physical part of the summer should have an advantage because they're stronger, right? Nope. And I was blown away. And I remember thinking to myself, like, man, how are. How are they doing this? How is. How is she, like, carrying this thing? It weighs halfway. She weighs. It only weighs a quarter when I weigh. You know what I'm saying? Like, it was so crazy.

No, that's how I feel when I see, like, if I'm trying to go running or something, and I see a monster. My mom with the stroller with the two kids running faster than me. I'm like.

How?

That is so crazy. It's. Again. And I'm trying to. I'm not trying to come off as, like, I'm a man and men are stronger. I'm not. That's not what I'm saying. There's women out there who are way stronger than I am that are. I'm not. Right. I'm just saying, like, from a physical standpoint, if you just stood me next to, you know, poor little Liz Brewer, who is maybe 110 pounds soaking wet. You know, it's like. And you're like, this person. These two people are going to carry a tote that weighs 60 pounds full of books for 12 hours for the next week. Who do you think is going to have the most back problems? You know, you would. It's me. It was me. I'm. My back hurt.

So it was crazy.

You just made me remember, like, did you get. Did you have a lot of people? Because this happened to me where, like, the beginning of the summer, they were, like, one way, and then that by the end of the summer, they're just like. I mean, I remember people, like, losing houses, like, when I'm delivering, where they're like, oh, I'm losing my house. And it's just. You get to see, like, life, you know, I just. I didn't even remember that until you started talking about deliveries.

Yeah. You know, and. And to. And a much broader. Broader point is, especially if you sold in the country, you got to Know the community so well that, like, people got divorced.

Yeah.

While I. While I was selling. Right. So maybe at the beginning of the summer, I sold and they were together, they were married. And then you're selling in a different part of the town, and you hear that that customer of yours got divorced, and so now you're kind of like in the town gossip somehow. And then you go and deliver and you're like, so, what house should I drop this off at? You know, like, it's just like, things like that where people go through life. People. Naomi James, we had her on the show, and she had a family where she sold. And at the end of the summer, the son had murdered the family.

Wow. Oh, my gosh.

Crazy. And it was on the news. Pulled up the news, news article and everything, and she, like, that was. I'm like, that must have been traumatic for you. And so, yeah, it's. It's no doubt that you remember that, because you were. You're. You were a part of people's lives for a chunk of time and.

Yeah.

It's so weird. Yeah.

Yeah. I'm just wondering. I'm wondering if that has to do with, like, I don't have any debt Right. In life. So it's like, I wonder if, like, that's, like, I'm. Because I keep trying to trace back, like, stuff from Southwestern and stuff from Tom James and different things I've had and why I, like, do certain things. I wonder if that's what it was, is remembering that when I'm delivering and people, like, losing how. Losing houses, losing stuff, you know, because of.

Yeah.

Losing jobs, you know, and things like that. So.

Yeah.

Kind of interesting.

It's so weird. And then now, do you ever, like, go and think about it from, like, the. The. The further I've been away from it and the more I've grown up. Right. I'm only 30, so, I mean, I still. I still have a long. A lot of things learned at. How many kids. But, like, for me, like, for example, if someone knocked on my door right now, I'd be like, what the hell are you doing knocking on my door? You know, at noon on a Tuesday or whatever. Like, you know, And I'm like, oh, I would have been that dad.

Isn't that funny?

Yell at me for no reason. Like, yeah, it's so weird.

I still let people in, though. I. Or I don't let them in, but I still, like, answer the door and I'll buy whatever they're selling. Usually. One time I knew. I pretty much knew it was a scam. Like, she's like, put it on my venue, though. But I still buy it because I just don't know if it's true or not true.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But that's interesting. That's super interesting. What's the last thing you bought? Door to door? From a door to door?

Oh, it's been. And that, I think, was a scam. It was like some kind of, like, magazine. They were. They were so good. They were so good. And I just was. I mean, it's almost like a. Just for being a badass and coming to my door. Even if you're, like, trying to, like, take money, I don't know, there's something about it that just is respectable.

You respect the craft. It's like, I respect the hustle. You still have to pull up. You still have the courage to knock on my door. Even if it's a scam, you still had the ball. Like ovaries. If it was a woman, you still have.

Badass. I should ask that question more often, is if people buy stuff from door to door. I've never. I think that's the first time I've ever asked on the show.

Oh, really?

Yeah, yeah.

Have you. Have you bought anything?

Yeah. If anybody comes. Nothing big. No, no, Coco. People have come to my door. Nothing like that. There was a guy. It's. It's so funny. During the pandemic, literally, this would have been April. So I was living in a house with, like, three other book dudes, and that guy shows up and he's like, hey, we're doing windows. I think he was selling windows or something. And my brother and his wife own the house, and we were renting from them. And so they. He shows up and he goes, hey. And he's like, hey, let me. And we were all coaching him, trying to tell him we were giving him pre. Approach. We gave him water. We gave him something to eat. Like, the guy's like, what. What the hell? What did I just stumble upon? I'm like, here's what you want to do. You want to go to this address. They're like, three blocks away from here. They're the ones that own this house if they want to get new windows. I can't. I wish I would. We would buy it right now. We'd all say yes to you. But we don't own the house. But if you go to these people and you tell them we all sent you, and you tell them that you're selling door to door. And when you knock on the door, make sure. You step back and turn sideways, you know.

And I don't know if you ever caught him home or not, but that was the last time I remember someone knocking on my door. That doesn't happen as often as I wish, I guess.

Yeah. Huh.

I don't know. Damn. Okay. Anyway, summer number one, you're. You're doing this in Grand Rapids. How do you know you want to come back?

Oh, the second summer, Money. It was just money, and I loved it, honestly. Like, I really. I really liked it. You know, I made money and I had new experiences, and it was. I don't want to say it was fun, but, I mean, it was. If you talk to Mark Rao, I don't think he would say I had fun because I called him on the payphone crying, like, at least once a day.

But maybe that's why they didn't want women back then. No, I was kidding. I was, like, literally crying, like, once a day. And I remember stopping at the pay phone and calling him, and he was so good and so encouraging, and it's so funny that he's still there. I still need to reach out to him because I did be fun to reconnect, but. But anyway, yeah, it was like, that's. That's pretty much what I remember in the mornings were fun. I remember going to the Bob's Big Boy, and we'd rub the belly of the Bob's Big Boy for good luck. And so. So that was a lot of fun. So I think, yeah, we added some fun elements to it. And then second summer just felt like, you know, I think you get caught up in it. Right. You know, and then they got me to recruit other people. So then you're engaged all year, and you're basically going back out again, you know, before you even know it. And it gave me something else to, like, I don't know, you feel like you belong somewhere. There was something about that, too.

Yeah. It's like. It's like being in a fraternity or sorority.

Oh, yeah. I think you're right. I think it is that. Yeah, totally. And it's even better. It's even better because, you know, like, you've been through a shared experience, you know, and you. You know that you're with people that are similar to you in different ways, but similar, you know, and you earned it.

You all earned it.

Yeah.

You all went through that. You all cried. You all cried and called your parents on the pay phone.

Exactly.

Had to knock for houses to live in.

Yeah.

Had different luck with that, right? Yeah.

Yeah. And then Second summer went to Iowa. And then I remember, like, my. I don't even remember when my car broke down there, like, died, like, in the middle of a cornfield somewhere. So, like, that was.

And that was. That was hard. I wish I remember. I have to go back and, like, really think about what happened, because I'm like. I remember having to buy a new car. So that summer sucked because the money.

Like, yeah, there goes your profit.

Yeah, pretty much.

That's. That is. I love. I love that this experience was the same, you know, 94 or 68 or 2022. There. There's still book kids that, like, when you say your car broke down, every book kid that's ever sold books that would listen to that go. Would go, oh, yeah, I know. Yeah, like, we know what it's like. Yeah. It's so bananas. Well, dang. That is. That is so phenomenal. I think this is a good time for us to start and talk about some ponytails. So for people who are listening, who don't know, ponytails is usually the segment of our show. It's like, usually last 15 minutes where we get people to share and talk about their favorite stories or their most memorable things or just closing thoughts on the impact that Southwestern had on them, still has on them, how, you know, things that have been important to them. So, for example, we've had people talk about, you know, their favorite Sizzler stories and how fun that was. Some people have talked about how they met their spouse on here, or some people have talked about, you know, the time that they almost quit but didn't, and that was the changing point in their life. And so I'll. I'll leave the mic open for you. You can take as much of time as you want with this, or you can be as detailed as you wish with this or not. But in your opinion, what would be your ponytail or two or whatever that, you know, that you. That you still look back on and you go, that was the moment that I. That changed my life. This was something that was important to me, or that was just a really funny thing that happened. Do you. Do you have a couple of those or one of those that you can. You can share with us?

Yeah. I think, like, the biggest thing that just comes to mind when you're saying that is, you know, the moment when it's just raining and you're outselling anyway and you're just not making excuses for anything, you know, and you're really just realizing. And then you're selling, too. Like, you're not just like standing there in the rain, you're actually, like, being productive, you know, and just being able to shift your mindset to be able to get through whatever hard thing that you want to get through. And then that epiphany. I think that money epiphany really came to me then. And I sort of mentioned it already, but it's. I think it's so significant that I want to mention it again. It's like just knowing that all I needed was this bag with two books in it and my voice and to be able to hear no freaking a lot, you know, and then I didn't even have to be good. I just had to, like, be who I was and be able to hear no and have something that I believed in to sell. And just knowing that that's something I could always go back to, like, that idea of that concept. So no matter what business I want to open or what I want to do, like, I'm always going to be able to provide for myself and not worry about where the money's going to come from because it's. Money's abundant. And I think that's where that's what really comes to mind. And then the other thing, I don't know, I didn't mention this and this, it's speaking to me right now, so I'll say it is. I remember since I'm on the money topic, and I'm not saying money's everything, but I do think you can do a lot with money.

Yeah, of course. So.

And Mark Rail said it's not the most important thing, but it's top five.

Yeah. And so. Yeah, so I think it's. I remember in both my summers, I was too nervous. I couldn't even go to the big brick houses, you know, like, so I always just went to, like, the other houses. I never went to the big brick houses because I had this belief that the people in those houses were mean and jerks. Right. Because those were the perceptions I had of money at that time. And then I think when I went to work for the sister company, Tom Janes, and I got to work with the C level executives and the attorneys and the business owners and entrepreneurs, I got to see that they're freaking really cool people. And so my perception of money totally shifted. And I think that's really helped me in life being able to, like, see where it was to then get the shift and just realize that.

You know, it's just. It's just all those limiting beliefs people have about certain things are just.

Yeah.

And you Know you just gotta live your life and be who you are and just do the thing. There you go. I just did do the thing. See, and it wasn't even meant to do that. See, Andres, it's just coming out naturally.

It's a great name for a podcast. Oh, great job. My gosh. Well, this, this is a good spot for us to wrap up here. I want to say, first of all, congratulations on your success. It sounds. You sound so fired up about what you're doing, and I think it's really sweet. If you guys want to go check out Stacy's podcast, go to do the Thing. You can find it on Apple Podcasts. That's where I listen to it. Anyway, you guys are probably on Spotify and a couple different places as well. So wherever you listen to podcasts, you can go find it. If you want to check out your her book. When, what's, what's the story about the book? When can we get the book or how can we get this book?

It'll be out next year, end and end of next year, end of next.

Year, so keep an eye on it. But you could probably listen to the podcast and keep up to date on it. So that's a great way to do it. Another reason to listen to the podcast. Guess if you have suggestions of guests or something like that, or you want to just get a hold of Stacy because maybe you sold in the same time frame or you remember, you know, you know, something from Eagle Blitz or something about what she said, you know, inspired you, you want to let her know. Be sure you get a hold of her. Her email will be in the episode notes down down below. So you can just get click on the link or get a hold of her that way as well. But on that note, we will wrap this one up. Thank you guys so much. My name is Andres Campbell Boa and we'll catch you guys on the next one. Bye.