From Pain to Purpose: Greg Kirk's Journey in Building a New Industry
We’re diving into the world of entrepreneurship today with Greg Kirk, a guy who's made waves in the fitness and rehabilitation space for over two decades. He’s all about turning pain into purpose, helping others find their way through challenges, and even whipping up a book on visionary leadership while facing adversity—because let’s be real, who hasn’t been through the wringer a time or two? Greg shares his journey from teaching to launching his own consulting gig and how the culture—or lack thereof—can make or break your vibe. We’ll chat about the nitty-gritty of running a business, the importance of a solid support system, and how to embrace fear as a motivator instead of letting it hold you back. So, grab your favorite drink, kick back, and let’s get into the good stuff!
Diving headfirst into the world of entrepreneurship, Greg Kirk shares his journey from the rigidity of the corporate ladder to the liberating yet daunting realm of owning his own business. With a background steeped in education and rehabilitation, Greg's initial foray into business was spurred by a mix of frustration and inspiration. The moment he realized that there was a gap in post-rehabilitation support for individuals recovering from catastrophic injuries was pivotal. He recalls a heart-stopping conversation with physical therapists who shrugged off the repeated returns of patients, highlighting the lack of resources available after therapy ended. This revelation sparked the creation of his program, a unique initiative aimed at supporting those who felt abandoned after conventional treatment. With the wind of his family’s entrepreneurial spirit beneath his wings, Greg transformed his passion for helping others into a thriving business that focused on turning pain into purpose.
His candid reflections on the challenges of building a business from scratch resonate deeply, especially the need for a robust support system. Greg emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals who inspire growth and ambition. He candidly admits that the journey wasn’t just about financial freedom but about actualizing a vision that aligned with his values. The episode navigates through the contrasts between corporate constraints and the creative freedom of entrepreneurship, revealing how Greg's initial naivety served as a double-edged sword—propelling him forward while also presenting unexpected challenges. As he faced the daunting task of defining a new industry, his bold branding choices and commitment to creating a positive company culture became the bedrock of his success, proving that sometimes, the unconventional path can lead to the most rewarding destinations.
As we wrap up, Greg's insights about work-life balance are particularly refreshing. He candidly discusses the sacrifices made in the early years of his business, reflecting on the times when family moments were overshadowed by work commitments. However, he also shares how establishing clear boundaries and prioritizing family time helped him regain control over his life. His advice is simple yet profound: put people over profits, and find that sweet spot where passion meets practicality. His story is a testament to resilience and the relentless pursuit of purpose, making it clear that the entrepreneurial journey is as much about personal growth as it is about business success.
Takeaways:
- The importance of a supportive community in entrepreneurship cannot be overstated, as it can make or break your journey.
- Creating an inclusive program for rehabilitation not only helped individuals but also established a new industry, showcasing the power of innovation.
- Entrepreneurship often requires navigating unexpected challenges, and learning from these experiences is vital for growth and resilience.
- Work-life balance is crucial for sustainable success; establishing boundaries, like not working weekends, can enhance both personal and professional satisfaction.
- Pursuing a passion for helping others can lead to fulfilling entrepreneurial ventures, as seen in Greg's story of turning pain into purpose.
- Finding mentors and resources is key to overcoming early business hurdles; it’s all about seeking the right support to guide you.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Brand Awareness
- Google Workspace
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Hey, everybody.
Speaker B:Parnell Woodard, welcome back to another episode of the Pivot Point.
Speaker B:Really excited this morning to bring you Greg Kirk.
Speaker B:Greg has been involved in different aspects of fitness, health, wellness, rehabilitation for the past 20 years.
Speaker B:He has presented numerous times across the state of Michigan and Chicago as an expert on those same topics.
Speaker B:He has been published in several Detroit and national newspaper magazine articles on the topics of inclusive fitness training and entrepreneurship.
Speaker B:He now works as a Six Sigma certified small business consultant, focusing on leadership, team building, cultural development, hospitality management, talent acquisition and brand strategy.
Speaker B:Greg is also in the process of writing a book on the topic of visionary leadership while facing adversity.
Speaker B:Kind of like the way I just pronounced that.
Speaker B:His long term vision is to help people prosper by turning their pain into purpose and motivating and inspiring them to take action towards accomplishing their dreams through motivational speaking.
Speaker B:His organization is called Brand Awareness.
Speaker B:Greg, welcome.
Speaker A:Thank you very much.
Speaker A:I appreciate being here, Parnell.
Speaker B:Glad to have you.
Speaker B:Glad to have you.
Speaker B:You know, the podcast the Pivot Point is all about really helping people learn about what's involved with business ownership, what it takes to get into it.
Speaker B:You know, prior to you getting into kind of doing the consulting and creating brand awareness, what inspired you to leave the corporate world?
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And start your own business?
Speaker A:Yes, I get asked that a lot.
Speaker A:And you know, before I ventured into entrepreneurship, I came from the education world.
Speaker A:So I was actually a teacher for about four years after college and decided to leave that profession just because of the.
Speaker A:The first experience I had wasn't a very positive one.
Speaker A:The culture was demotivating.
Speaker A:Unfortunately, just lack of leadership was occurring inside the school building.
Speaker A:So, you know, if that shows you how important culture is, you know, I don't know what does, but so that it literally forced me to leave that world, redefined myself.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Just relatively quickly after college.
Speaker A:And I got into the rehabilitation world and fell in love with the culture there.
Speaker A:Actually.
Speaker A:We had a great culture, very positive, very inspiring.
Speaker A:But the issue with that whole arena was the red tape involved.
Speaker A:So if you ever wanted to make a change or if you had this fresh new idea, you had to take it up the corporate ladder and put pretty much it was doomsday.
Speaker A:From there, it wouldn't come to fruition.
Speaker A:So I was frustrated with that as well.
Speaker A:And then of course, this notion just to gain my own financial freedom.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And just work for myself, that was a big motivator as well.
Speaker A:So I think all of those things combined started really pushing me towards entrepreneurship.
Speaker A:And I'm lucky I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and business owners who also helped encourage me to go into that field if I wanted to.
Speaker B:Yeah, that helps a lot.
Speaker B:You know, a lot of times people who are not exposed to that, you know, they don't have that background or that support system really to, you know, to help them move that way or move in that direction.
Speaker B:Alex Hormuzi has a great quote, and I'm going to butcher it, but he talks about the people you surround yourself with.
Speaker B:And if you surround yourself with people that are where you.
Speaker B:Where.
Speaker B:Where you are now, that's where you're going to stay.
Speaker B:If you surround yourself with people that are where you want to go, then that is where you're going to go.
Speaker B:And it's so important, though, that that support system that's there, you know, in regards to making that decision, to kind of finally taking that leap, Was there.
Speaker B:Was there a moment or was there an event, I hesitate to use a pivot point, where you kind of stopped and said, I gotta go.
Speaker B:I gotta go do this right now.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:There was a very defining moment with that whole process.
Speaker A:So before I was even, you know, a consultant and owned my current company for the last 15, 20 years, again, I was in the rehabilitation space, and I owned a company helping individuals injured catastrophically in auto accidents, so brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputees.
Speaker A:And that is when I was working with them in the hospital.
Speaker A:You know, they'd make great strides, and a lot of times they'd be discharged due to various reasons from physical therapy.
Speaker A:And then I would see them come back.
Speaker A:And if it happened once or twice, I really wouldn't, you know, raise an eyebrow.
Speaker A:But it was happening enough times to where I took notice to it.
Speaker A:And I was wondering why this was occurring.
Speaker A:So I went to the head physical therapist of that program, and I asked them just a simple question.
Speaker A:Why do these people keep coming back after physical therapy?
Speaker A:And the two physical therapists looked at each other and they just kind of smiled at me.
Speaker A:And they didn't have an answer.
Speaker A:And they just said, because there's nothing else out there afterwards for these people.
Speaker A:And that is when the aha moment and the light bulb went off in my head.
Speaker A:And I said, why can't I create a program after physical therapy to help these people?
Speaker A:That's my background.
Speaker A:I was a personal trainer for years, throughout college and in my summers after teaching.
Speaker A:So I started to adapt more of the rehabilitation side of things with my experience at that hospital.
Speaker A:And so then I just said, okay, well, if I can be Guided by a physical therapist or a script that's written by a physician to make sure that everything checks out as far as, you know, this individual's health.
Speaker A:And there's no, you know, contraindications involved with that.
Speaker A:Why can't I work with them?
Speaker A:So that's kind of how I got started.
Speaker A:And then I just.
Speaker A:I researched it.
Speaker A:I found out that there is no other program like that anywhere.
Speaker A:And I really started to realize, wow, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm defining a whole new industry.
Speaker A:I'm creating a whole new industry.
Speaker A:And this is really exciting.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And as exciting as it was, it was also scary because when there's no industry out there, you don't know if it's needed.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So it's a big.
Speaker B:Creating the industry is a lot harder than creating a brand within an established industry, that's for sure.
Speaker B:You know?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:And that was my biggest hurdle.
Speaker A:I think, when I first started the business was getting people to buy into it and having them understand it was really just more education.
Speaker A:So that was.
Speaker A:I was trying to present everywhere I could and just have people understand the need for this and the experience that I saw at the hospital that I was in and how these people would come back.
Speaker A:And it really, you know, when I look back at that company, how much good.
Speaker A:Not only did it.
Speaker A:Did.
Speaker A:Did it do for the actual individual, but the doctors had another resource, the nurses as well, the insurance company.
Speaker A:It helped to reduce their cost.
Speaker A:So there was a lot of good that came from it outside of just helping the individual.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, again, you're lucky that you came out of a family that had some entrepreneurial experiences.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So you've seen.
Speaker B:And taking that leap as an entrepreneur isn't as foreign to you because you were surrounded by folks that have done it.
Speaker B:But, you know, a lot of times when folks want to make that leap, they found that niche like you found.
Speaker B:They have that passion to support people and help people.
Speaker B:But was there a fear that you had or was there a, you know, how did you finally make that decision where you said, I have to go do this?
Speaker B:Was it purpose driven?
Speaker B:Was it.
Speaker B:Did you see just significant financial upside?
Speaker B:What were.
Speaker B:What were some of the things.
Speaker B:What were some of the things that went through your head in terms of actually making the leap and saying, I got to do this on my own?
Speaker A:You hit the nail on the head.
Speaker A:It was purpose.
Speaker A:I wanted to follow my purpose.
Speaker A:I was so passionate about these individuals when I saw them at the obstacles that they had to go through on a daily basis.
Speaker A:Just to, just to come to therapy sessions.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Let alone just everything else in their outside life.
Speaker A:You know, I learned that it took them three hours before their therapy session just to get ready so they could, so they could participate.
Speaker A:And, you know, we started at 9am so these people were waking up at 6 in the morning and, you know, it took them three hours to get dressed.
Speaker A:They had caregivers, you know, they have to do, you know, all, all the things that we can do or that we have to do, but it just took them that much longer.
Speaker A:So, you know, that when I started to learn more about what they went through and started to learn how they just, they just wanted to live a normal life like you and I.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And be happy and they, that type of thing, I really, you know, obviously got in their corner and wanted to try to do anything I could to help them.
Speaker A:So when I saw this need and I saw, you know, wow, they could really benefit from something like this and, you know, not have to come back to PT and start this vicious cycle all over again.
Speaker A:They were doing that countless times and it was like they, they hit a certain roadblock and they couldn't get any further.
Speaker A:And that discouraged me and frustrated me.
Speaker A:So, like I said earlier, I followed my passion and I didn't worry so much about the money.
Speaker A:I was also a little naive.
Speaker A:Obviously, when I started, I was 28 years old, relatively young, didn't know what I was getting into, and I just followed my heart, I followed my passion.
Speaker A:I just said, I want to do this.
Speaker A:This is what motivates me every morning.
Speaker A:That is the driver of why I did it.
Speaker A:But then, of course, when I got into the whole entrepreneurship or business ownership, I saw a lot of the other things that came along with it that I was not prepared for.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Were there any specific resources or mentors or things that really helped you navigate some of the early challenges of getting into business for yourself?
Speaker A:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker A:I could not have done it without my mother.
Speaker A:She's, she's an entrepreneur herself and she is a nurse.
Speaker A:And she really was.
Speaker A:Was helping to coach me along those, especially the first initial years.
Speaker A:And then I also hired a business consultant.
Speaker A:Didn't have a lot of money at the time, but did what I could.
Speaker A:And he helped me develop a business plan, which I highly recommend in the beginning because it does help you to navigate through certain pitfalls and that type of thing.
Speaker A:So the consultant was also instrumental in helping me avoid some of the initial challenges that I was going to come about.
Speaker B:Yeah, especially when you're Building something from scratch like that, because you've got to be everything, right?
Speaker B:Your chief clerk and bottle washer, your hr, your sales.
Speaker B:You've got to develop the processes, the product, everything to build that, you know, different businesses franchise and such.
Speaker B:A lot of times they have all that structure done for you.
Speaker B:So that I don't want to say it's easier.
Speaker B:You still got to work.
Speaker B:Building a business is a lot of work.
Speaker B:But any misperceptions or preconceived notions that you thought you were going to run into being an entrepreneur, being an entrepreneur, that maybe turned out to be easier than you thought or even conversely, harder than you thought.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, obviously being naive and starting the business off relatively young, I thought, oh, I'm just going to go into business for myself and, you know, make money and do what I love to do and change people's lives.
Speaker A:And little did I know all the other elements that came along with business, like hr, you know, all that kind of stuff.
Speaker A:Gosh, contracts, employees, you know, and employees is a big one.
Speaker A:Because once you start growing, you have that whole other element that you have to deal with.
Speaker A:And that in itself took most of my time.
Speaker A:But if you really, I guess commit to helping and making sure that.
Speaker A:I always say putting people over profits, it's amazing to watch that culture grow and watch your company grow as well, if you can learn to do that.
Speaker A:Some of the things that were a little bit maybe easier than I thought know, maybe I'm in a different situation because I was creating this industry that really wasn't out there, but it was the branding component.
Speaker A:It really took off for me.
Speaker A:What I did was I wanted to be bold, I wanted to be different.
Speaker A:When I was going to these conferences, a lot of people would dress the same.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It was very healthcare, very professional conference.
Speaker A:People were dressing up in suits and whatnot.
Speaker A:But that wasn't me and that's not how I dressed up every day.
Speaker A:So I was bold and I said, you know what, I'm going to dress how a personal trainer dresses.
Speaker A:That is my professional attire.
Speaker A:So I'm going to dress in an athletic shirt, I'm going to dress in pants and tennis shoes.
Speaker A:And when I started to do that, it was eye popping at first.
Speaker A:It was eye grabbing.
Speaker A:Most people were like, wow, look at who's this person showing up in very casual clothes.
Speaker A:And then all of a sudden I was known as the fitness guy.
Speaker A:And I started going to the conference.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, you need to talk to the fitness guy.
Speaker A:He's in booth number 28 or what?
Speaker A:That's really how I started to develop a reputation for myself.
Speaker A:And it really was a good branding message and it got the name out there well.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, that's interesting.
Speaker B:Interesting, clever idea.
Speaker B:How has, you know, you said something earlier about the freedom of having your own, you know, your own business and your own organization.
Speaker B:How has entrepreneurship affected your work life balance?
Speaker B:And, you know, a lot of times people will talk about the fact they have to work 60 hours or 70 hours to build a business, but they also talk about the freedom it provides them with the decision making.
Speaker B:But how has that affected your work life balance?
Speaker A:So I believe it pays off over time, you know, and you've got to put in, you know, you got to be willing to work at it.
Speaker A:You've got to be willing to put in that time.
Speaker A:But, gosh, I remember just reflecting back on my first three years of business.
Speaker A:I mean, when I'm with my wife, I'm with my daughter, I'm on the cell phone all the time.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I'm fielding phone calls, I'm fielding emails.
Speaker A:And it takes a lot of patience and understanding from your family members and a lot of support from them because it does take away a lot of your time and attention.
Speaker A:And for the first three years, it did.
Speaker A:And I would always tell her, look, I'm doing this now to have a payoff later.
Speaker A:And it did.
Speaker A:And so as the company grew and I could start to become a little bit more hands off as far as working in the business versus working on the business.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:I was able to gain quite a lot of flexibility afterwards if you structure it the right way.
Speaker A:And I think that's very important as you grow from, you know, in a small business, you have to start structuring it the right way if you want that type of freedom.
Speaker A:I know business owners right now that grew far larger than I did, and they were just in the business every day because they refuse to give up the control.
Speaker A:And, you know, and that has caused them to just work in the business every single day and take a lot of time away from their family.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, I think that, you know, using your consultant you mentioned earlier to help you with that was wise.
Speaker B:You know, one of the things that I talk to folks about a lot is identify what you don't know and go get somebody to help you who's an expert in that space.
Speaker B:Don't try to do your own books.
Speaker B:Go get an accountant or a CPA or a bookkeeper to help you.
Speaker B:You know, if you're not an HR person, go find an HR resource to help you.
Speaker B:If you're not a sales guy, go get a sales team or a salesperson to help you with that, know what you don't know, and be open to getting support to help you with that.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Because there's so many facets to running a business that sometimes people just don't think about.
Speaker A:I completely agree with you.
Speaker A:I always say stick to your strength and what you're good at and what you're passionate about.
Speaker A:All the other things, try to find a way to, you know, find somebody else to do those things that, you know, like a cpa, they're experts in their field for a reason.
Speaker A:Allow them to do that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Are there certain tools that you use or strategies that you use to create some boundaries to maintain a sense of balance between work, life and home?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So when I, when I first initially set up my company, I made sure that it was Monday through Friday.
Speaker A:I know I didn't want to work weekends.
Speaker A:I know that even with the clientele that we work with, they didn't have to work weekends at all.
Speaker A:So I just said, you know what, I want to shut it down on the weekends.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:That is the team members time, that is my time, and that's the client's time to rejuvenate, you know, rest, get ready for the upcoming work week.
Speaker A:And so that's.
Speaker A:We did that from the very beginning and we did it all the way till the end.
Speaker A:And it was, it was nice.
Speaker A:And I would always, every year, kind of reflect, talk to the team members, ask them, hey, what are your feelings on just working Monday through Friday?
Speaker A:And they loved it.
Speaker A:They didn't want to change a thing.
Speaker A:And I think that we had, I was blessed.
Speaker A:We had very little turnover in the company and most people were happy working within that business.
Speaker A:And I think that, you know, a lot of it was that work life balance that I was able to provide them as well because I would encourage them, take vacations, take time off, you know, be with your family.
Speaker A:That stuff is.
Speaker A:Is what's really important at the end of the day.
Speaker A:So I wanted to maintain my focus on that.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:No, I think that's wise and increasingly important.
Speaker B:And I think even that the generations behind us feel more strongly about it than we do about how important that balance is.
Speaker B:You know, I agree.
Speaker B:Was there a, Was there any moment or a milestone that maybe made you stop and think maybe particularly rewarding where you were like, this is why I do what I do?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:I can vividly remember that that moment When I received a letter from a client, didn't know it was coming, just found it in the mail and opened it up.
Speaker A:And it was a very heartwarming message, just about how much gratitude he felt for this company and how that there's nobody else doing this and how fortunate he felt to be a part of it and how much better his quality of life was because of it.
Speaker A:And that just proved to me right there that that is why, you know, just not only myself, but all of our team members do what we do.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:That's got to be really rewarding.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Is there.
Speaker B:You know, if you could go back and you could talk to young Greg again, not that you're old, you know, I know there's a few things I'd say to myself, but is there.
Speaker B:Is there.
Speaker B:You know, is there.
Speaker B:Is there one thing you would do differently?
Speaker B:Is there anything that stands out that you might do differently?
Speaker A:Yeah, there's probably a lot of things I would do differently.
Speaker A:I probably could write a book on that one.
Speaker A:But, you know, I think the.
Speaker A:The one point that stands out most to me is better focus.
Speaker A:You know, I think a lot of entrepreneurs can relate to my mindset that I'm about to describe, because my mind was always all over the place.
Speaker A:I was always thinking about the greater vision and where we could take the company new ideas.
Speaker A:And that's your job, right?
Speaker A:That is what you're supposed to do.
Speaker A:You're supposed to lead your company to that vision, and they're counting on you to do that.
Speaker A:But at the same time, I needed to be a little bit more strategic with that.
Speaker A:And what I mean by that is staying focused on the game plan.
Speaker A:And sometimes we create a game plan, and I would pivot too quickly, and I think that that would discourage some of my team members, because, you know, they put an incredible amount of time into developing this game plan with me, and then all of a sudden, if I tried to redirect too soon, that would frustrate them.
Speaker A:So if I had to turn back the clock, I would put a little bit more faith into the individuals that I worked with and counted on them more, which I feel like I did do to the best of my ability.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, if you're.
Speaker B:If you're sitting down across the table from, you know, somebody who wants to get into business for themselves and is looking for somebody to talk to, are there practical steps that you might recommend to them in terms of exploring entrepreneurship?
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:You know, if they stumble upon either a certain idea or service they could offer to individuals.
Speaker A:You know, research it.
Speaker A:You know, make make sure you take a calculated risk, but also don't be afraid to take that risk.
Speaker A:What I find about a lot of contacts that I've come across is that they have an idea, but they're scared to act upon it, and they don't have the confidence to act upon it.
Speaker A:And I always try to tell them, look, if you have a great idea or you have a passion that you want to follow, don't be afraid to do it, but just research it and make sure that.
Speaker A:Do a market analysis.
Speaker A:Start putting together a business plan and create that pathway for yourself.
Speaker A:And then, you know, if the more and more you develop that plan, if you find out this is really going to work, you have the confidence that it's going to work, then eventually you're going to have to take that risk and step off the ledge and become a business owner.
Speaker A:So that.
Speaker A:That would be my biggest advice because I, from what I've experienced is a lot of people talk about it and they.
Speaker A:And they.
Speaker A:I can sense the passion in them and inside them, and they want to do it, but they're just too timid to step off that ledge.
Speaker A:And they've lived the life of having that security for so long with a corporate job that it's a bit scary.
Speaker A:But I always tell them, look, nothing's a given in this life.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker B:That is for sure.
Speaker A:You have confidence in yourself and you believe in what you're doing and you have passion, then take the risk.
Speaker A:And I'm always.
Speaker A:I always encourage the risk because I saw what it did for me, and so I'm passionate about that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You know, we actually have some stats on this side that suggest that 75% of adults have thought about going into business for themselves at some point, but only 5% do.
Speaker B:And usually it's just that leap.
Speaker B:And a lot of it is just the unknown.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:They don't know what they don't know.
Speaker B:They don't know how easy or how hard.
Speaker B:They don't know what resources, they don't know what help is out there.
Speaker B:SCORE is a great organization that can help people with that.
Speaker B:But, you know, it's a go ask, go sit down and talk to somebody.
Speaker B:You know.
Speaker B:And the other thing I would say too, you know, in terms of fear, we have an acronym, fear.
Speaker B:We say that FEAR stands for false evidence Appearing Real.
Speaker B:But sit down and have a conversation with somebody.
Speaker B:Learn about these things.
Speaker B:Don't be afraid to start.
Speaker B:You know, people often talk about failure, and I'm not A big fan of the word.
Speaker B:I don't think it's constructive.
Speaker B:I think what you've done is you've achieved undesired results.
Speaker B:So you still accomplished something.
Speaker B:It might not have been what you wanted, but you still accomplished something.
Speaker B:And that got you closer to, whether you realize it or not, what you do want to accomplish.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:I mean, there's stories about Colonel Sanders and his desire to get the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken sold, and there's so many different stories about people who just, you know, wouldn't quit.
Speaker B:And I worked with a fellow for years.
Speaker B:He would say to me, just don't die.
Speaker B:And he didn't mean it literally.
Speaker B:He meant, you know, don't quit, because sooner or later, you will find that right mix that gets you over that hump and get you moving towards what you want.
Speaker A:I love that you just said that.
Speaker A:I totally agree with you.
Speaker A:You know, as I reflect back on all my years of business ownership, there was not one single incident where I failed that was so catastrophic that it was going to dissolve the company.
Speaker A:So I think so many people get wrapped up in failure and feel like they can't.
Speaker A:Where I look back, I failed so many more times than I succeeded.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But I learned from those mistakes, and I grew from those mistakes, and that's what counts, you know?
Speaker A:And again, there's really not going to be an incident out there.
Speaker A:I mean, there is, but the chances of it are slim.
Speaker A:Where you fail once and it completely dissolves your company.
Speaker A:You know, as long as you can avoid that pitfall, don't be afraid to take the risks.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So those.
Speaker B:Those obviously create some emotional ups and downs.
Speaker B:Is there any advice you'd.
Speaker B:You'd share with them over that coffee about dealing with those.
Speaker B:The emotional.
Speaker B:The financial ups and downs, especially in those early years where it can be pretty taxing.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I think that the first step that they should really, you know, take into consideration is talking to their family.
Speaker A:If they have a family, if they're single and they're relatively young, they can afford to really take that risk.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But if they don't, similar to me, I was younger, but I was married and had a baby on the way.
Speaker A:So I really knew that this decision was going to be a big responsibility, not only on my part, but then also for my family, you know, eventually, as the company grew, for my employees as well.
Speaker A:So it's very important that you, if you do have a family, talk to them.
Speaker A:Your spouse is in it with you, whether you like it or not.
Speaker A:You know, some of the best advice I received was I was looking at starting a franchise.
Speaker A:And one of the franchise coaches that met with me said, is your wife available?
Speaker A:And I said, I kind of looked at him, did a double take.
Speaker A:I go, yeah, I think she is available around that time.
Speaker A:He goes, good, because everybody that's looking to get into franchising, I look to speak to their spouse, because you two are a team, whether you like it or not.
Speaker A:And he really opened up my eyes with that comment.
Speaker A:And when we, when after we met, it showed me some things where my wife wasn't on board with some of the things I was thinking, and I didn't take that into consideration.
Speaker A:But I'm so glad that we got to talk about that because it did avoid maybe some future issues as well.
Speaker A:And at the end of the day, you know, I view my marriage more important than my business.
Speaker A:So I want to make sure he's happy as well, you know?
Speaker B:You know, it's funny you talk about though, that, that fear, especially with you with it, with a child on the way, right?
Speaker B:And a lot of people, that fear is going to be a strong enough fear to prohibit them from moving forward.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:And one of the things that, you know, I look back on when I did, when I founded my first company, I had.
Speaker B:I was.
Speaker B:Had literally just gotten married.
Speaker B:Turned out that it was three months before 9, 11.
Speaker B:I was living in New York City at the time and.
Speaker B:But that fear I turned into motivation because I was like, I can't fail.
Speaker B:I can't at this stage.
Speaker B:I have to succeed.
Speaker B:And that was a big driver for me.
Speaker B:So my point being is use the fear, right?
Speaker B:Use it as a motivator.
Speaker B:Let it push you.
Speaker B:And I think that's a really, you know, a lot of times people are so afraid of it that they run away from it.
Speaker B:Embrace it, use it to your advantage.
Speaker A:So I agree with you.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:Just in terms of time, a couple fun little rapid fire questions.
Speaker B:So if you could have dinner with any entrepreneur, past or present, who would it be?
Speaker A:That's an easy one for me.
Speaker A:I would love Tim Tebow for everything he stands for off the field.
Speaker A:You know, I know that most people know him as, you know, this famous college football quarterback, and he played in the pros for a few years.
Speaker A:But if you really follow him, I've read a couple of his books and they're just amazing.
Speaker A:For everything he stands for, for his philanthropy, for his motivation, his relentless positivity.
Speaker A:He's an incredible person.
Speaker B:Interesting one business tool or app, you can't live without.
Speaker A:I would say Google Workspace.
Speaker A:That is my go to.
Speaker A:It's my one stop shop.
Speaker A:I probably couldn't do business without it.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:Most unconventional piece of business advice you've ever received that actually worked.
Speaker A:I think it was that branding piece, like I mentioned before, where my consultant said whatever everybody else is doing, do the opposite and stick to it and be bold enough to and confident enough to do it.
Speaker B:Neat.
Speaker B:That's cool.
Speaker B:If you had to describe your business in a movie title, what would it be?
Speaker A:So it's going to be similar to my book title, but it's either Silent Strength or Pain to Purpose.
Speaker B:All right, cool.
Speaker B:And last but not least, one guilty pleasure that that helps you unwind after a long day of running your business.
Speaker A:Oh.
Speaker A:So I like to binge sometimes on Netflix when I need just to completely drain my head of everything going on and just zone into something.
Speaker A:It's fun to just find a really good series on Netflix or Amazon prime and just binge a couple episodes of that.
Speaker B:Cool.
Speaker B:What are you watching now?
Speaker A:Right now we're watching.
Speaker A:Gosh, what is it?
Speaker A:Agent something.
Speaker A:Agent.
Speaker A:Oh, the Night Agent.
Speaker A:Night Agent, Yeah, that's what we picked up.
Speaker A:And it's not one of our favorites, but, you know, it's.
Speaker A:It's enough to keep our attention right now.
Speaker B:Cool, Cool.
Speaker B:Greg, thanks so much for spending some time with the folks.
Speaker B:Greg Kirk from Brand Awareness.
Speaker B:Appreciate having you on today, Greg, and look forward to the book.
Speaker B:I want to hear about it when you bring it out.
Speaker B:Maybe we'll have you come back on and chat about that too.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:I'd love to.
Speaker A:Parnell, it's been a pleasure.
Speaker A:Thank you for having me be a part of Pivot Point.
Speaker B:You got it.
Speaker B:Thanks, Greg.
Speaker A:Okay, take care.
Speaker B:Thanks, everybody.
Speaker B:Parnell Woodard from the Pivot Point.
Speaker B:We'll see you guys.
