1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Everybody. It's Bill Courtney was shop Talk shop Talk number 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: twenty seven, Vita Scott. I'd be ringing the bell that 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: you sent, which we really appreciate it, but Alex left 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: it at home, so I can't even ring your bell. 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: So you know, we got a shop Talk, we got 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: a bell. We should be ringing it now. We even 7 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: had a listener sent us a bell to ring the 8 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: bell to alert to shop Talk, and Alex couldn't remember 9 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: to bring it. Nice shop Alex. The reason is actually 10 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: I was cleaning my car for our guest I'm picking 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,319 Speaker 1: up tomorrow, so I took it out of my car 12 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: to clean the car, and I forgot to put it 13 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: back in. Was the bell going to upset the guest? 14 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: I took everything out of the seats so that I 15 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: could clean up the carbo hash Like you know, Shop 16 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: Talk number twenty seven should be on forgetfulness, but it's not. 17 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: Shop Talk number twenty seven today is on building your bench. 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: We got to build a bench, everybody, so we'll do 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: that right after these brief messages from our and our sponsors. 20 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: Welcome back everybody's shop Talk number twenty seven novel Building 21 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: your Bench. I was sent an email from Keith Balliquette. 22 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: You think it's Valaquette or Baliquette Blaquette Blaquette. I think 23 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: you just covered both options. That's right, Keith, thanks for 24 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 1: sending it to us. You sent it to us on 25 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: November two, and he said, Bill, I really love shop talk. 26 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: As I've mentioned before, I have a few topics for consideration. 27 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: Large companies are disappearing from our communities or are owned 28 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: by out of state country firms. Out of state out 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: of country firms, more and more are owned by private equity. 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: Also seeing people so busy that they are inwardly focused 31 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: or focused on getting kids here and there. Those situations 32 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: are creating more and more challenges for nonprofits in terms 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: of financial support, but also may be more importantly volunteer support. 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: It's getting harder and harder to find volunteers, while more 35 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: expensive to run our nonprofits. Take insurance as an example, 36 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: our rage just doubled and may not want to take 37 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: on the risk of children and drivers to pick come 38 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 1: up so that we can maintain attendance above ninety percent, 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: much better than the schools. We can control some costs 40 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: by being leaner, but volunteers drive down the cost of staff, 41 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: which is huge and hard to get funding for. So 42 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: what do we do about getting more volunteers? And when 43 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: do you know when it's time, when it's time to 44 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: step aside and allow the next generation of leaders in 45 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: our companies in nonprofits takeover. My brother in law once 46 00:02:57,800 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 1: told me, you may be standing in the way of 47 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 1: someone God is trying to develop, and bluss, I'd love 48 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: to hear your thoughts. So I thought about that, and 49 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: I'm like, I don't even know if I have much 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: to offer there. And then I went to an ole 51 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: Miss football game and it dawned on me, I do 52 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 1: have something to offer on this. See here's the thing. 53 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: I've been a lifeline ole Miss fan, which is, over 54 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 1: the last four decades basically been an exercise in lost dreams, 55 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: broken hopes, and sometimes futility. Frankly, and here's here's why. 56 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: Ole Miss almost always had eleven starters that were just 57 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: as good as Alabama's and Georgia's and the other teams. 58 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: And likewise, we always played even with the national prominent 59 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: programs in the first quarter and even maybe in the 60 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: second quarter, and maybe even in the third quarter. But 61 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: football is a game of attrition. Football is a game 62 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: of exhaustion. And what really separates the top ten blue 63 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: chip premium football teams every year from the other teams 64 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: that are scraping and dragging and trying to get up 65 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: to that level of competition is their bench. If you 66 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: don't if you don't have to play your very best 67 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: players on special teams, and if during the game you 68 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: can take out your starters to get a quick breather 69 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: at certain points in the first, second, third quarter, then 70 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: by the fourth quarter, when you're really ready to win 71 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: the game, your best players are fresh. Your best players 72 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: don't get hurt as much because they're getting proper rest, 73 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: they're not having to play special teams. And it's in 74 00:04:59,279 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: the later in the games where the lack of having 75 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 1: a deep bench actually wins the game. It's not that 76 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: Ole Miss didn't have eleven great players to match up 77 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,200 Speaker 1: against the first team of eleven great players, But then 78 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: as a game we're on Georgia and Alabama would roll 79 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: in their second team players, and their second team players 80 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 1: were almost as good as our first team players. And 81 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: when Alabama did that and Ole Miss was rolling in 82 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: their second team players and they were freshmen and not 83 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: up to the standard of the second team, it's the 84 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: bench that actually won the game. And this year, for 85 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: the first time, the depth of the talent at Ole 86 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: Miss allows when our first teamers need a break or 87 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: to come out, that our second teamers are really very talented, 88 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: almost and good. And here we are beaten teams like 89 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: Georgia and raising up the ranks to possibly be in 90 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,280 Speaker 1: the college football Playoff. And I have a chance at 91 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: really being among the blue chip programs in the country. 92 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: And it's not because we have better coaches, and it's 93 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,359 Speaker 1: not because we have better first teams. It's because we 94 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: got a better bench. In my business, ten years ago, 95 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: I would have said our business was kind of a 96 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: young company. I was in my mid forties, and all 97 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,880 Speaker 1: the key people around my company we're also in their 98 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: mid forties. Well here we are ten years later, and 99 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: I'm fifty six, and all my key people are in 100 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: their fifties and some in their sixties. And all of 101 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 1: a sudden, we've gone from a really young company to 102 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 1: one that's looking at aging out over the next ten years. 103 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: And it dawned on me. I got to start hiring 104 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: some young talent. I got to start bringing in some 105 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: recent college grides and some thirty somethings that have got 106 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,920 Speaker 1: just a little bit of experience somewhere to build my bench. 107 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: Because as I get older and my key people start 108 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: getting older, and we start nearing retirement and it's time 109 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: to start evolving out of the business, we need those 110 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: young guys to come in to have some time to 111 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: tutor them and teach them so that when they get 112 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: into their forties, they've got the requisite experience and knowledge 113 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: that we've passed on to them, and then we get 114 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: out of the way. Now the company has another two 115 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: decade of quality people to run it, but we're not 116 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: going to have those people if we don't hire them 117 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: now and teach them and mentor them and foster them 118 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: and bring them along. So what we're doing is we're 119 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: building our bench. We're building the second team to become 120 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: the first team. I think when I think about Keith's email, 121 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: he asks, how do you know when it's time? When 122 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: is it time to step aside and allow the next 123 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: generation of leaders and companies and nonprofits take over. My 124 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: brother in law once told me you may be staying 125 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: in the way of someone God is trying to develop 126 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: and bless. And before that, he also asks about what 127 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: do we do about the increased expenses on nonprofits and 128 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: increased expenses on these things we're trying to do among 129 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: the army of normal folks all over our country to 130 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: make life better. When we're having fewer and fewer volunteers 131 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: come along and I think that's it. I think we 132 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: got to build our bench. So building the bench is this, 133 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: grow the army of normal folks. Find more people that 134 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: care about what's going on society, Encourage them to volunteer, 135 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: bring them in and teach them the ropes so that 136 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: when it is time to step away, your nonprofit actually 137 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: becomes better and stronger. We got to build our bench, 138 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: and candidly, the army of normal folks is the bench. 139 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: If you're listening to me today and you're not involved 140 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: in a nonprofit, or you have time to involve yourself 141 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: in another profit, or you have friends and family that 142 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,439 Speaker 1: have big hearts and have passions and have abilities but 143 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: aren't employing them in areas of need, encourage them, recruit them, 144 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: build the bench because candidly, we all have a shelf life. 145 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: We all have a shelf life of effectiveness. We all 146 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: are going to get older, we are all going to 147 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: eventually rotate out, and if we haven't done a good 148 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:43,719 Speaker 1: enough job building our bench and mentoring and fostering and 149 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: passing on our wisdom and our experience so that when 150 00:09:46,360 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: we do rotate out, they're ready to rotate in, well, 151 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: then whatever we're involved in is only going to be 152 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: as good as we are able to work, and that's 153 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: not leaving much of a legacy. Build your bench, because 154 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: from one ole miss Fan who suffered three decades of 155 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: broken hearts and letdowns and miseries, I am seeing the 156 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: value of what a bench does. It brings you from 157 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: anonymity to prominence, and I think that could happen in 158 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: our businesses and our nonprofits and our lives. We have 159 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 1: to encourage an army of normal folks across this country 160 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: to continue to get involved. Build the bench, grow the numbers, 161 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: and then imagine what kind of impact we can have. 162 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: And we can go from toiling and frustration and constant 163 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: letdowns to success across the face of our entire nation 164 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: by building our bench of an army in normal folks, 165 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: of volunteers, using their passions and their disciplines, and employing 166 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 1: those disciplines where they see an area need the bench. 167 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: The army of normal folks. That's shop talk to day. 168 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: Build the bench thanks to our producer, Iron Night Labs. 169 00:11:09,679 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: We'll see you next week.