Joe Prado: Veterans Administration Project

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Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Joe Prado with us. He is the test manager for a large Veterans Administration project. So welcome to the show, Joe.

Thank you, Tyler. Thank you.

Of course. Thanks for hopping on, man, and we'll dive in. The first question I have for you, Joe, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?

Well, I tell you, honestly, it was as a teenager. My grandfather owned a small drugstore that was started by his father in the early 1900s, and one weekend they needed somebody to come fill in and run a register. Well, I had been in and out of that store my entire life but never actually worked there. I never spent a, you know, a large chunk of time in one block there, and it over Over the years, the neighborhood had changed and it had become, you know, a lower income area of town. And I was, honestly, I was scared to go work there. Even though I was with family and all that stuff, I was still scared. But I went and I did it. And honestly, the thing that I learned from that was that we're all people and we're all the same. The people that came in and out of there, you know, just even just shoppers, and some of them had been shopping there since they were kids. They were some of the nicest people, and I learned that we're all the same. We all put our pants on one leg at a time, and regardless of socioeconomic status, education, or whatever, we're all just people, man. We're all in it together, whether we know it or want to admit it or not. Yes.

What is the most valuable piece of information we should know that is within your expertise or industry?

Well, honestly, this kind of applies regardless of industry or expertise, but it's get to know people. I mean, they're the key. You know, you don't have to be a social butterfly, but get to know people because honestly, they're the key. Whether it's movement in your own company or in your, you know, getting your own, you know, your own business. If you have your own business, you know, you're selling something, you're making something, get to know people because they are the key. People will help you and in turn repay that, help them, but people are the key.

Couldn't agree more. And what is your— so it might tie in, but what's your best piece of overall business advice? So I know you kind of already mentioned it, but maybe you have another piece for overall.

Well, never give up on your goals, never give up on your dreams. You may have to change course throughout your life as you learn things and realize stuff and get to know yourself. But ultimately, don't give up on them. If it's what you want, go for it, man. Just, you know, bonsai. Damn the torpedoes. Just go. Don't give up.

And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?

Don't be afraid. Do it. You know, if you want it, if you want to do it, do it. You only get one go around. There's no replay. There's no reboot. Everybody doesn't come back in the end and shake hands, you know. You never know when your card is going to get punched, so carpe diem. There's a motto, I think it's the British SAS, is he who dares wins. Don't be afraid, just go try it. Might work, might not, but try it.

In your opinion, what is the key to happiness?

For me, it's friends and family. Of course, I want to have the resources of a Jeff Bezos or a Steve Jobs, but if I get to the end and I have all these wonderful things and nice cars and big houses, but people around me don't like me, or my friends and family are completely alienated because I was so focused on my goal, I've left them in the dust. What have I really achieved? Honestly, nothing, because you can't take it with you.

Yes.

I hate to say it, but I want people to miss me when I'm dead, and I don't want them to miss me because I used to just hand out money like it was, you know, Chiclets or something.

Yeah, totally. You know what I mean?

I want to have a positive effect on people.

Yeah, I think it kind of goes along— I'll chime in on that— is that Gary Vaynerchuk, if you're familiar with him, he talks about like how he'll kind of measure his success is, and what he thinks about is like how many people are going to show up at your funeral. And I think that's a very like—

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I did. I saw that. And you know, it ties into the— I think it's a Greek, a Greek story, an ancient Greek story about a general by the name of Pyrrhus who, you know, took all his men and fought the war and he won. But in the end, he looked around and he was the only one left standing. So the question is, did he really win? It's a Pyrrhic victory. Did he really win? In my mind, no.

Yes. And next question I have for you, man, is what is the best book that you've read? I know it's tough. And what was the number one thing you learned from that?

Honestly, it was Don Quixote. And what I learned from it is don't be afraid to follow your dreams, you know, even in the face of adversity. You know, he went around chasing windmills thinking they they were great big dragons and monsters, and he had this wonderful valiant steed that turns out was really a nag of a horse. But don't be afraid to follow your dreams, even in the face of people telling you you're nuts. If you really believe it and you really do it, go for it. I mean, people told Bill Gates he was crazy. People told Bezos he was nuts. People told Zuckerberg in the beginning, oh, you're crazy, man. I mean, look at all the business partners that fell off because they didn't— they didn't drink the Kool-Aid in a sense. If you really believe it, go for it.

And what's your favorite quote and why?

I actually have two. The first one is, "Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my mind the most." And I have no idea whoever said it. I used to see it on a sign on a business as I was driving by in my city. And the second one, honestly, I just saw it a a few days ago on LinkedIn of all places, and it was, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face," and that was a Mike Tyson quote. And again, you gotta be flexible. You're gonna get popped in the face. It's not that you got popped in the face, it's what you do because of that.

100%. It's gonna happen. And thank you so much for coming on, man. The last question I have for you before we let you go is, where is the best place for people to find you online?

LinkedIn. I don't do Facebook. I don't have time for the flotsam on that. I'm on LinkedIn. I'm all over LinkedIn.

Yes, thank you so much again, and we will definitely link that in the show notes, your LinkedIn, and we will talk soon.

Okay, thank you, sir. Appreciate it. The podcast you just heard was recorded with Anchor. If you want to make your own, download the Android or iOS app completely free from anchor.fm/podcast. That's anchor.fm/podcast.