1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:11,799 Speaker 1: It's that time, time, time, time, luck and load. So 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: Michael Verie Show is on the air. Our CEO, Bob Pittman, 3 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: at twenty seven years old, founded MTV. It's an amazing 4 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: story and what started as music television, unlike anything had 5 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 1: been seen before on a regional cable TV network in 6 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: the northeast New York, New Jersey, expanded into a powerhouse 7 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: and most people wouldn't Who's Ezy Tops but for MTV. 8 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: Bob Pittman went on to be the chairman and or 9 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: CEO of Century twenty one six flags a number of 10 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: major companies. So when he brought in a group to 11 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: buy what was then Clear Channel Radio, the biggest radio company, 12 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: I was excited. Some people were scared because that meant 13 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: there would be layoffs, there would be cutbacks, there would 14 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: be things done to lean out the organization. The fat 15 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: that had been acquiring around the midsection would be shaved off. 16 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: But he loves talent, and he says, I've loved talent 17 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: since I was at MTV. I've loved talent because talent 18 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: drove that you didn't turn on MTV because of our technology. 19 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: You turn on MTV because you wanted to see the 20 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: thriller ad or you wanted to see zz Top, or 21 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: you wanted to see any number of other artists and 22 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: their videos. He will tell anybody who listens that our 23 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: show is the best in the country at partnering with 24 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: businesses that share our values and building that partnership to 25 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: where our audience reacts and activates, as they say in 26 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 1: the business. And we've been able to change the fortunes 27 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: of companies by choosing good companies. Sometimes we go out 28 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: and interview them and pick the one in the field 29 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: that we want and then staying true to that. A 30 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: number of people every day email me and say I 31 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: need this or that product or service. Can you connect 32 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: me with this person who does this? And I love 33 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: to do it. It's one of my favorite things about 34 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: what we do. But being the best in the business, 35 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: which we think we are, doesn't mean you don't fail, 36 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: and I think it's good and humbling to admit when 37 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: you fail. So when Velocity Business Products came on board 38 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 1: a year and a half or so ago, I got 39 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: to know the owner, JD. Pettigo Aggie veteran owned business 40 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: fifteen years in business. Man, great guy, struggled early in life. 41 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: Oh this is a perfect, perfect business, but we didn't 42 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: deliver the way we would need to deliver to make 43 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: the partnership work financially, and it has to work financially. 44 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 1: This we're not a charity. I call my show sponsors constantly, 45 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: how are we doing? How are we doing? And if 46 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: they say okay, it's no. 47 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 2: No. 48 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: I want numbers. I want to know that your business 49 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: is more successful because of us, because this isn't a charity, 50 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: it's a partnership. And I take great pride when Connie 51 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: Stagner says our business is what it is because of 52 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: Michael Berry, or Chance McLean says that, or Michael Petru 53 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: says that, or Christine Weaver says that, that makes me 54 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: extremely proud. I crave that. I want it, I need it. 55 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: So we go back to the Domino's campaign. This was 56 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 1: one story done on how Domino's, How bad Dominoes was. 57 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 3: Dominoes wants to me its beats us so bad. That's 58 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,839 Speaker 3: even the company admitted and sucked and they would rather 59 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 3: eat Papa John's meat down their own. Dominoes had that 60 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 3: nothing common with Logan Paul Struggling with some inflicted bad reputation. 61 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 3: Customers were roasting their low quality pizza so bad that's 62 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: Dominos straight about that. They was trashed, But unlike looking Paul, 63 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 3: they actually decided to change for the better. They completely 64 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 3: revamped their pizza recipes, tested the life and people actually does. 65 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: Their walkers over it. 66 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 3: They even did what your tax money doesn't stakes poptholes, 67 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 3: because no hole should ruin that good pizza. 68 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: Now Here was some of what they did see Carlos. 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 2: Carlos was in a focus group and he said some 70 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 2: unflattering things about Domino's pizza. 71 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: Crust is a little too rubbery. 72 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 2: We're bringing in the new and improved pizza. 73 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: Carlos, no quality and forgettable. 74 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 2: So I didn't know you were listening. Domino's Pizza should 75 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: start over. She has no idea. 76 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: What're coming to, Adrian, Yes, tell me, I'm eating my words. 77 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 2: I'm bout it. I'm in. 78 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 3: The critics have spoken, Now it's yours her try two medium, 79 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 3: two topping ands fired new pizzas for just five ninety ninety. 80 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 3: Choyer is one of the few remaining people who still 81 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,799 Speaker 3: haven't tried Domino's new pizzas. So we have completely plastered 82 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 3: his hometown and we're going to convince it to try it, Scott, 83 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 3: We've been really waiting for your calm. 84 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: Hello there, So what do you think. 85 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 2: I've really does? 86 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: Yeah? That check them off the list. We want to 87 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:24,920 Speaker 1: hear from all the holdouts. 88 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 2: Now get two medium, two topping pizzas for just five 89 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 2: ninety ninety. I mean Domino's pizzas made by no one 90 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 2: by machines. 91 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: You and Hans probably don't touch it. Well haven't I 92 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: got a surprise for you. 93 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 2: You're actually in a real Dominoes pace. Look, they're stretching 94 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: the dough for our hand sass pizza. These pizzas are 95 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 2: all handmade, right what you call They're made fresh to order. 96 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 2: Now get two medium, two topping, handmade Domino's pizzas for 97 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: just five ninety nine each. And I just want to 98 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 2: confirm no one here is a machine. 99 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: They sold their pizzas as a loss leader to get 100 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: people to try them samplers because people were so against 101 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: Domino's pizza. So to get them to try something that 102 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: they had last had a bad experience with, they had 103 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 1: to go to great links and embrace their own failure. 104 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 1: MBA programs at some of the top business schools across 105 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,159 Speaker 1: the country now use this as a case study. It's 106 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 1: not something you can do every day, something you should 107 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 1: do every day, but embracing your own failures can be 108 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: very very powerful in explaining and in humbling yourself and 109 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 1: explaining who you are. There was an ad years ago. 110 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: I don't know how many of you remember it. Michael 111 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,479 Speaker 1: Jordan is reading statistics on how many games he lost, 112 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 1: how many shots he took, but how many times he missed, 113 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,799 Speaker 1: And the point of it was Bay Bruce struck out. 114 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: I missed, I missed game winning shots. I was watching 115 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: a Lakers Celtics game over the weekend and I think 116 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: it was Game three in LA and they're down Game four, 117 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: They're down to to one and Bird has the final 118 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:21,559 Speaker 1: shot and he misses it a very makeable shot. Well, 119 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 1: Larry Bird is still Larry legend. But Larry Bird make mistakes. 120 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: So this problem had been bothering me. What did we 121 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: do wrong for a business that I believe in that 122 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: serves a next look. Most people are buying commodity products 123 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: on commodity prices. They want the cheapest. But if we 124 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: can help Max succeed, if we can help Russell bar 125 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: at Gringoes succeed, I wanted to be able to help 126 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: this guy succeed. So I'm going to tell you his 127 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: story coming up, and all I'm going to ask you 128 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: is give them one try five nine nine for two pizzas. 129 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: Give them one try on your your next office of 130 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: applies or if you are ordering office furniture, and we'll 131 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: talk about what all they do, even if it's just 132 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: your office supplies, that they deliver everything, janitorial, break room, 133 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: everything that they there. Guys bring local. Just listen to 134 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: the story. I'm going to ask for your support. 135 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 2: Hold on. If you're listening to Michael Berry stout lifeless eyes, 136 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 2: black eyes, like a dous. 137 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: Oracle, buy a net suite Oracle or netsweet dot com 138 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 1: forward slash Berry has sponsored our series of business interviews. 139 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: Our chief marketing officer lives in LA but heard our 140 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: business interviews and said, we love what y'all are doing. 141 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 1: We want to be behind that. Whatever it takes, we will. 142 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: So today's is a twofer. Our guest is JD Pettigo. 143 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: He owns a company called Velocity Business Products Velocity BP. JD. 144 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: Let's tell your story. So what interested me first? The 145 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: first time I met JD was for those of you 146 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:12,360 Speaker 1: who remember when we did the charcuterie day at My 147 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: wife needed a charcuterie plate that afternoon for a meeting. 148 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: I had a short notice. She called Emily, our assistant, 149 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 1: and she said, Emily, I need a charcuteri plate and 150 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: I don't have time to make it because I'm out. 151 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: Can you get one one somewhere? And what was the 152 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: name of the little Italian place from home? Do you remember? 153 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: What is it? It's something we'll find it and it's on 154 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: Memorial West inside the Beltway, and that's where Emily happened 155 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: to be. So we loved the guy, so we went. 156 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: We took a group back and I invited some folks 157 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: Angus Davis at Texas State Rentals. 158 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 2: J D. 159 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: Pettigo was one of those showed up. Got to spend 160 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: the afternoon with him and some other new show sponsors 161 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: that I talked to on the phone but hadn't spent 162 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,959 Speaker 1: time with. Really loved his story. So JD, let's first 163 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: start with you leaving home at seventeen and going to 164 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:56,080 Speaker 1: the coast Guard. 165 00:09:58,400 --> 00:09:59,680 Speaker 2: Well, hello, Lorur, how are you doing, sir? 166 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: I'm good. Remember we talked about at the beginning you 167 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: would just go right by that answer. Remember that part. 168 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: Remember no, no, thank you for having me go ahead. 169 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: I'm just kidding. 170 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I grew up and buying College Station, 171 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 2: and I actually wound up leaving high school a little 172 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 2: early only because I was out of the house pretty young, 173 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 2: and so I had my dad signed me out. A 174 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 2: guy that I lived with, he was about two and 175 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: a half years older than I was, said let's go 176 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 2: join the Coast Guard. So at that point in life, 177 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 2: living in College Station, that's such a fun place to 178 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 2: grow up. Unfortunately, it wasn't really academic academic. I wasn't 179 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 2: successful academically, if that makes sense, because all I cared 180 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 2: about was having fun in life. So anally we moved 181 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 2: out to California. We went to Coast Guard at seventeen, 182 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 2: and I spent four years nine months in the Coast Guard. 183 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 2: The first place was up the Search and Rescue station 184 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 2: in Port Rain. That's where I met my wife. She 185 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:07,440 Speaker 2: was still in high school in Flower Bluff, and we 186 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 2: wound up getting married and having my son, who is 187 00:11:10,840 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: now thirty two years old and amazing. We wound up 188 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 2: getting shipped up to Boston, Massachusetts on a cutter up 189 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 2: there for probably three and a half years, and then 190 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: when I got out, I got a job with a 191 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 2: physical therapy company up in Dallas for about a year 192 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 2: and a half, wound up buying our first home, and 193 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 2: then about four houses down was a gentleman who was 194 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,200 Speaker 2: a VP of an office supply company. So my son 195 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 2: was down there playing with him. I went down to 196 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 2: go get him and he said, has anybody ever told 197 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 2: you should be in the seales I said, yeah, everybody does. 198 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 2: So anyway, we went to go interview with him, and 199 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 2: the next thing you know, I'm an outside sales rep. Well, 200 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 2: fast forward three and a half years. They wanted me 201 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 2: to open a branch down here in Houston, and so 202 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: back in two thousand, so twenty five years ago, we 203 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,960 Speaker 2: moved down here and honestly we we killed it. But 204 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 2: it was a very very high, micromanaged type business, and 205 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 2: I was really kind of the buffer between corporate and 206 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 2: all my sales reps. And so in two thousand and 207 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 2: late two thousand and eight we parted ways and in 208 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 2: two thousand and nine May twenty ninth of two thousand 209 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 2: and nine we started Velocity. I had a business partner, 210 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 2: Wayne Harley, and he was really an amazing older gentleman 211 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,440 Speaker 2: and he wounded up being around for two years and 212 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 2: then fast forward ten years later, he wound up retiring 213 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,439 Speaker 2: about six years ago. I brought out his other half 214 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 2: and uh, yeah, we hired a gentleman named Jamie Ward 215 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 2: who really, uh he was a K through twelve expert. 216 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:45,520 Speaker 2: And it really kind of that changed changed the uh, 217 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 2: the way we went about business, I guess. So we 218 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 2: started off as an office fly company and because that's 219 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 2: what I knew. I mean, I knew a little bit 220 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: of furniture. But we wound up we had my my 221 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,200 Speaker 2: old business partner. Uh, we wound up doing all the 222 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 2: grutwork from a moral herman rights. All these big furniture 223 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 2: companies that have been in town for thirty or forty years, 224 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 2: they get all the big you know, towers, et cetera. 225 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 2: But anytime they were changing out furniture, they would call us. 226 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,240 Speaker 2: They would call us because they knew we would be there. 227 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 2: And anyway, so we started getting better and better and 228 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 2: better at furniture, and we got to a point where 229 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,720 Speaker 2: you know, I was actually doing and design and we 230 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 2: just start doing more and more furniture. My son, when 231 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:30,480 Speaker 2: he was going to A and M, he's kind of 232 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:32,320 Speaker 2: started branch there, if you will. And so he was 233 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 2: calling on the campus and he was he was bringing 234 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 2: in business. We had a couple other sale reps and 235 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 2: NIXT saying, you know, all I was doing was designing, Right, 236 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 2: So we wound up hiring a professional designer about eight 237 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 2: years ago. And I tell you, ever since then, it's 238 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 2: just been that side of the business has just been 239 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 2: growing and growing and growing. Right. So, I mean we're 240 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 2: extremely blessed when it comes to furniture, whether it's K 241 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 2: through twelve, higher ed, commercial healthcare, we do all that. 242 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 2: But you know, like I was telling you, you and 243 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 2: I talk pretty frequently. It's really the supply side to 244 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,959 Speaker 2: me is what is frustrating, because I don't think people 245 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: know what they don't know. And what I mean by 246 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,320 Speaker 2: that is, if you go back ten or fifteen, twenty 247 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 2: years ago, everybody had an off supply company, right, that 248 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 2: offupply company would come. You know, you have the same 249 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 2: driver every time they put it where you want it. Shoot, 250 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: they'll even put it up for you. Right. We have 251 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,520 Speaker 2: some accounts we'll take inventory for at no costs. Right. 252 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 2: And once kind of COVID hit, it's like everything changed. 253 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 2: You know, people like Amazon you know, don't be wrong. 254 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 2: I love personally, I like Amazon, but when it comes 255 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 2: to the business side of things, it's just you know, 256 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 2: it's an online marketplace and they come, they delivered it 257 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 2: at the front, you know, at the receptionist and they go, 258 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 2: or they deliver it at four in the morning when 259 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 2: no one's there. We're on Saturday, when no one there. 260 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 2: You know, I don't think people understand or realize that 261 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 2: there are true service providers out there and it doesn't 262 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: cost you anymore. I mean, we're very, very competitive with Amazon. 263 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 2: And if you look at the numbers, Amazon for Business 264 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 2: is now thirty five billions, and that's more than that's 265 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 2: twice as much as the Depot, Staples and every independent 266 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 2: in the country nowaday. 267 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: Hold right there. The company's Velocity Business Products, or you 268 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: can just email me and I'll connect you with them. 269 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: J AD Pettigo is our guest coming up all. 270 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: In my the Champion Marvel Shoot, the fastest runner, big 271 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 2: League Ballplayers, the Tucker. 272 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 4: Them Michael Berry America. 273 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: JD. Pettigo is our guest. His business is Velocity Business 274 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: Products that Suite by Oracle sponsors our business interviews. I 275 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: would tell you I could honestly interview small and mid 276 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: sized business owners day in and day out. I don't 277 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 1: care if somebody has a snow cone stand, a burger joint, 278 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: a car wash, a pressure cleaning. You'll never meet anyone 279 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 1: more alive than a small business owner, because you live 280 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: and die. You eat what you kill. You live and 281 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: die by how hard you work, how smart you work, 282 00:16:27,120 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: how much you motivate other people to do what you 283 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: want them to do, how you figure out how to 284 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: price something to get people to pay for it, so 285 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: you have enough to cover the cost of the service 286 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: or product, your rent, business and home, your marketing, if 287 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: you have any, and your insurance, and your taxes and 288 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: Social Security and Medicare. It's amazing that businesses do survive. 289 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: It really is. 290 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 2: JD. 291 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: Pettigo is our guest. JD. Let's answer the question I 292 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: talked about earlier. So people may think of office supplies, 293 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: breakroom supplies, Janitor oil supplies as a commodity. You said 294 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 1: Amazon's a thirty five billion dollar business, and yet you do. 295 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: It hasn't killed it with our listeners yet it will. 296 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: But you do have a lot of customs, customers who 297 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: are custom accounts that you deliver cure rigs and bottle 298 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,919 Speaker 1: of waters, and papers and pens and toners and toilet 299 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: paper and hand soap and all that. How do you 300 00:17:24,359 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: compete with Amazon that is so big? Impersonal, but so big? 301 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 2: Well, honestly, so we have two wholesalers. Then both wholesalers, 302 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 2: you know, they have thirty or forty distribution centers around 303 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 2: the country. They all stock roughly seven to eight million 304 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 2: dollars worth of Demontory, right, So there's two of them 305 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 2: here in Houston, for instance. And of course we stop, 306 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 2: you know, certain things that we have to buy attractor 307 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,719 Speaker 2: trailer loads. So whether it's a customer who wants to 308 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 2: call in and actually talk to a normal person in 309 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:00,440 Speaker 2: place in order like who's here in Houston, or send 310 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,879 Speaker 2: an email for an order, or you know, like like 311 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 2: most people do, go online and in place an order. 312 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 2: It's when it comes to to size and scale. We 313 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 2: actually bought another company here in town that was called 314 00:18:14,119 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 2: Hallmark Hallmark Office Products last March, and they were you know, 315 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 2: they had a wonderful one wonderful reputation with customers. Uh, 316 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 2: I'll wound up bringing a lot of their self reps, 317 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 2: their drivers, their customer service people, et cetera. Over uh 318 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 2: really the bolster that side. So when it really you know, 319 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: at the end game, if somebody is all about price, 320 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 2: you know, it is what it does. However, like we 321 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 2: have contracts out there, we have software that can go 322 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 2: out and scrape Amazon's tables, depot, et cetera. And you know, 323 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 2: I'll have a gentleman named Rex, you know, set a 324 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 2: contract to be two percent on average lower than Amazon, 325 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 2: for instance. So if you're a customer, you log in, 326 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 2: you go in, you place an order. Well, I mean 327 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 2: it's gonna be absolutely competitive with Amazon. I mean I 328 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 2: can't say we're gonna be cheaper on everything than everybody, 329 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 2: because that's impossible, But it's going to be competitive. You're 330 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 2: going to get you know, your your same driver that 331 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 2: you're going to have a relationship with, come and deliver 332 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 2: it to you. Right, he's going to know where your 333 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 2: supply room is or you know, to go put these 334 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:17,760 Speaker 2: over here in your break room, et cetera. And uh yeah, 335 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:19,479 Speaker 2: I mean I just think we're really really good at that. 336 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 2: And I just I don't think that people can honestly 337 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 2: remember what service looks like. Right, So if you have 338 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 2: a problem or a question, you don't have to go 339 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 2: return something to a ups store, right you know, you 340 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 2: let somebody know, hey, there's an issue with this, and 341 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 2: guess what, you got your same driver who comes by 342 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: and picks it up and you get a credit for it. 343 00:19:37,800 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 2: Right you know? I just I think, I think go ahead. 344 00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: You and I were talking this weekend about Mattress Mac 345 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: in his business when I came to Houston level Mattress. 346 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: Mattress Mac was famous for the line, we'll save you money. 347 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: Somewhere along the way, all the cheap Chinese products, all 348 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: the cheap products from around the world kept undercutting him, 349 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:02,720 Speaker 1: and here he will selling solid wood American made furniture, 350 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: and they were selling venio ra particle board, and he 351 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: kind of transitioned into you know what, there's always gonna 352 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,160 Speaker 1: be somebody that can sell you junk for cheaper. We're 353 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: gonna sell solid wood, American made furniture. We're gonna have 354 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:18,280 Speaker 1: it in stock, which is a huge deal, and we're 355 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: going to deliver it in most cases in a couple 356 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: of hours. And that has transitioned him into a group 357 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,159 Speaker 1: of much more loyal customers because the guy who is 358 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: looking for the cheapest I tell every one of my 359 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: show responsors. You don't want that. That's why when show 360 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 1: sponsors say to me, hey, we're gonna run ten percent off. No, 361 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,280 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say that, because, hey, you don't 362 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 1: want that customer. That's the guy that eats half his 363 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:44,399 Speaker 1: meal and sends it back. You want people who value 364 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 1: relationships and expect that you will value their relationship and 365 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 1: treat them with respect. And that's where I think you're 366 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: offering something that an office manager or business owner can say, 367 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: I don't need to worry about my office furniture or 368 00:20:58,000 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: my supplies because I have somebody that worries about that otherwise, 369 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: and that is a value added in a big way. 370 00:21:06,320 --> 00:21:10,360 Speaker 2: I agree, Hey, Zar, we still I literally have accounts 371 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 2: that I've had for twenty four years, almost twenty five 372 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 2: years since I've been in town that they were with 373 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 2: me from the old business I was at from the 374 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 2: get go, and then of course sixteen years ago, you know, 375 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 2: they came on to Velocity, and you know, those are 376 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 2: the type of customers that they reach out and we'll 377 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 2: do anything for. Right Again, it's all about relationship. And 378 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 2: you and I talk very frequently about this. You know, 379 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,000 Speaker 2: it's not what you know it's who you know right 380 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 2: right in life. And I love that saying because it's 381 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 2: so true. I'm going to take care of our our 382 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 2: friends and our family, et cetera. But at the same time, 383 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 2: I want every customer to feel like they're a friend, right. 384 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,399 Speaker 2: So I mean, we truly do care about people's businesses, 385 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 2: sometimes to. 386 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: More than ours. 387 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 2: Right, So if we make a mistake or whatever. I mean, 388 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 2: you know, nine nine percent of the time, we're going 389 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 2: to even cost me money take care of it. Right, 390 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:06,719 Speaker 2: even if we lose money, we're going to take care 391 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:09,879 Speaker 2: of it. And you know, there's there's there's plenty of 392 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,160 Speaker 2: businesses like that out there. But I'll give you for instance, 393 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 2: I live here in Montgomery. You have Jim's Hardware store. 394 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 2: Was the best store in the world. I love that place, right, 395 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 2: Instead of buying something on Amazon, I'd go down there 396 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,880 Speaker 2: because as soon as you walked in, like, hey, how 397 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 2: can I help you, et cetera. Well, Depot Home Depot 398 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 2: just moved into here. And guess what, Jim's is now 399 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 2: out of business and having an auction today, right, So 400 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 2: I don't want to see that. Like when I first 401 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,640 Speaker 2: came down to Houston, there was thirty four independent offic 402 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 2: supply companies. Man, there's probably about five of us now, right, 403 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:43,840 Speaker 2: So you know what else goes into that. JD. 404 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: JD. Pettigo is our guest is company's VELOCITYBP dot com. 405 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:52,880 Speaker 1: People learned the last couple of weeks that the heir 406 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:57,400 Speaker 1: to the Walmart fortune is funding the No Kings protests, Antifa, 407 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: all these sorts of things. Those large corporations are soulless 408 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:06,160 Speaker 1: and often globalist and evil, so people will say, yeah, 409 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,400 Speaker 1: I'm never going to spend money at Walmart anymore. Well, 410 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,640 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you have to decide 411 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:14,640 Speaker 1: what kind of companies you want and what you vote for, 412 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,120 Speaker 1: which is how you spend your money, is what kind 413 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 1: of companies you will be left with? What kind of 414 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 1: world you because you ain't asking Walmart to sponsor your 415 00:23:22,680 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: little league, but you're asking Velocity VP. 416 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 2: JD. Pettigo. 417 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 1: Thanks for being our guest. 418 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 4: Lush pork Blop, Michael Ferry Show. 419 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: We have not talked much about the Iran Israel situation, 420 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:10,679 Speaker 1: and I will do so at lenk this evening, But 421 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: for those of you who miss that, let me say this, 422 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:25,959 Speaker 1: there is a rancorous argument brewing over us involvement in 423 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: the Israel Iran situation. The positions are, do we leave 424 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:42,359 Speaker 1: Iran be and negotiate with Iran to prevent them from 425 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: developing nuclear capability and use a push pull, carrot and 426 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: stick approach to prevent them from developing that nuclear capability? 427 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:02,159 Speaker 1: Do we do that? There are e conomic concentives. We 428 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:06,560 Speaker 1: have the ability to bring great harm to the Irani economy, 429 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,200 Speaker 1: and we also have the ability to release funds and 430 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: to pull back on the sanctions and allow them to 431 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: create some wealth. The Israeli position is yeah, but you 432 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:27,160 Speaker 1: can't trust them and once they have nuclear capability, you're 433 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 1: not gonna undo it, so we have to prevent them 434 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: from having nuclear capability. Those are the very simplified versions 435 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 1: of the two theories. Then the question becomes how involved 436 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:51,120 Speaker 1: in this situation does the United States become? And that's 437 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: where you get a pretty rancorous debate over the issue. 438 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 1: One theory being which Tucker Crossing has sort of pushed 439 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 1: is it's not our battle to fight, and by engaging, 440 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: we are endangering ourselves. We bring more problems for Iran 441 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: on Americans, and we don't need to be in another 442 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: war that the neocons always drag us into and that's 443 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: usually to protect Ukraine or Israel. The position, and so 444 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,200 Speaker 1: that would be let's just make a face of each 445 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: There are lots of nuances to this, So that would 446 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 1: be the car. That would be the Tucker Carlson position. Now, 447 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 1: of course, a lot of folks that are that are 448 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: of the position that Iran is not as evil or 449 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: on the side. But there is a lot of the 450 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: American right that feels, and rightfully so, that the neocons 451 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: have dragged us into forever wars for a long time. 452 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 1: The Dan Krenshaw sorry that, the Dan Krenshaw folks, the 453 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:12,640 Speaker 1: Dick Cheney's, the Bush family. There is there are folks 454 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:16,880 Speaker 1: on the right who believe that we had no business 455 00:27:17,240 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan, we had no business in Iraq. We were 456 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: there under false pretenses and a lot of Americans died 457 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: and we gained nothing from it. And the belief is 458 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 1: that the arms industry pushes this, and the neocons pushed this, 459 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: and the neocons you will find, are always getting paid 460 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 1: one way or another for their position as neocons. 461 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 2: More war more, war more war. 462 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: That's Lindsey Graham. I wouldn't shake Lindsey Graham's hand right 463 00:27:55,760 --> 00:28:00,160 Speaker 1: now after the Israeli attacks on Iran, because I guarante 464 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,880 Speaker 1: they're sticky. This is the kind of thing that thrills 465 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: him to a level that is sickening, because what does 466 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,159 Speaker 1: he have to lose, not his kid getting killed. But 467 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 1: there is the other position, and that could be best. 468 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: The face of that could be Mark Levin, and Mark's 469 00:28:19,119 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: position is Israel's safety and security is our safety and security. 470 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 1: Israel does a lot of the dirty work for us, 471 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 1: so we don't have to keeping the region safe. Israel's 472 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: a tiny little island, a tiny little country surrounded by 473 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: a very unstable Middle East. That is a sort of 474 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: safe spot for us to conduct negotiations through the region. Well, 475 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: on this particular issue, the people who are most emotionally invested, 476 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:59,160 Speaker 1: which is the five percent on each fringe, they don't 477 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,760 Speaker 1: believe there is an no position. There is their position, 478 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: or you're in the back pocket of whatever interest they 479 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: think you're in the You either hate Jews, that is 480 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: the position of the kind of Mark levinside. You either 481 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: hate Jews that's the only reason you're talking about this, 482 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 1: or if you're on the mark, if you're arguing against 483 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: you're a Jew or the Jews control you, and so 484 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: it's hard to have a serious discussion the way we should. 485 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: There is a lot of handwringing over the fact that 486 00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:48,800 Speaker 1: the various interests who are lobbying advising President Trump are 487 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: fighting with each other. And I'm here to tell you, 488 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: you're talking about nuclear war. You're talking about more young 489 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: men potentially going to war. You're talking about actions that 490 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 1: may lead to dragging. We're sending enough firepower right now, 491 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: just on our naval vessels to drag us into a war. 492 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 1: But the flip side of that is we probably should 493 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: have engaged earlier in World War Two to prevent Hitler's 494 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: build up to the extent that we did. But again, 495 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:29,440 Speaker 1: you can be wherever you are on this situation. I 496 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:32,960 Speaker 1: am delighted that what Trump is doing, and this is 497 00:30:33,080 --> 00:30:38,800 Speaker 1: his governance leadership style is like a judge. He says 498 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: to both sides, bring your positions to me. I want 499 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:46,880 Speaker 1: to be well advised. I'll guarantee you. George W. Bush 500 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: was not hearing from anyone in his inner circle. Hey, 501 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 1: we shouldn't send all our boys in there to get 502 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: slaughtered in the rock. Hey, you shouldn't go into Afghanistan 503 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: to get our boys slaughtered in Afghanistan. He had Dick 504 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: Chanin and a bunch of other people, Dick Cheney, former 505 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:08,719 Speaker 1: CEO of Halliburton, and a bunch of other arms manufacturer lobbyists, 506 00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: and a bunch of whores for people that make bombs 507 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: and food and build embassies. We have now abandoned the 508 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:20,280 Speaker 1: US embassy in Iraq. You know, do you know how 509 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: much money we spent on that? You know how many 510 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:24,959 Speaker 1: lives were lost? Do you know how many people who 511 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: are listening right now who lost their loved one in Iraq, 512 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,280 Speaker 1: in Afghanistan? And for what what did we gain of that? 513 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: You know why we had a military parade on Saturday 514 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 1: because our military hasn't been able to claim victory since 515 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 1: World War II. Think about that. Not because they aren't 516 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: great at what they do. They're well trained and well equipped. 517 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: We send them into places where there is no clear 518 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: path to victory. So I suspect I'll get criticism from 519 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: both sides. Good, there should be an open, healthy discussion. 520 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: And beware anyone who says, well, you don't agree with 521 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: my side because you hate disacree That's the mindset of 522 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,400 Speaker 1: people who say the only reason you want the border 523 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: securities you don't like Mexicans. That's the stupidest argument ever. 524 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:26,760 Speaker 1: But that's how people shut down discussions. And beware the 525 00:32:26,800 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: person who needs to shut down to discussion because when 526 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: they don't have facts on their side and they don't 527 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: have logic on their side, they accuse you of racism.