1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: One of the sound bites that I didn't get to 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: this week that I want to make sure I did 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: comes from Jordan Peterson, and he's talking about the unbelievable 4 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: might of the American people, our willingness and ability to 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 1: do good things, not only for ourselves, but in so doing, 6 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: for the world. 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 2: I'm America first. It is time we take care of 8 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: the American people first. But when we do that, we 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,159 Speaker 2: create a model to the rest of the world, and 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 2: we tell the bad guys we are united behind our 11 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: own excellence and strength and resolve. President Trump called himself 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: in his inaugural speech a peacemaker and a unifier. Believe 13 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 2: it or not, peace through strength works. This was what 14 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: Jordan Peterson had to say, and I didn't want to 15 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 2: get through the week without playing. 16 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 3: For a long time, people who held conservative and then 17 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 3: even classically liberal values have been on the defensive. And 18 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 3: that's not a good strategy. 19 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 4: And it would be a lovely thing to see, and 20 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 4: I think we will see it that the virtues that 21 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 4: made America great will be unabashedly promoted and centered. That's 22 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 4: a high probability event, and I think if that happens, 23 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 4: the place of loom I was here. Tammy was as 24 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 4: well in the United States and the nineties when the 25 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 4: internet boom first hit and this place just thrived. And 26 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 4: you Americans, you do that on a fairly consistent basis. 27 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 4: And I think we're on the verge of something like 28 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 4: that again, and so it'll be It's very interesting to 29 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 4: see what the opening moves are because Trump. 30 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: Has done this before, and he's more prepared this time. 31 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 5: And I'm hoping that. 32 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,959 Speaker 4: The unbelievable bite of the American people will be unleashed 33 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 4: to get and then that'll be salutary and useful for 34 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 4: the whole work. 35 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: I think President Trump understands how powerful the swamp is 36 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: in a way that even he didn't recognize. I think 37 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 2: he understands how the court around him, the palatial politics, 38 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: the knives are out, and he has to have loyal 39 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 2: people of great resolve around him. But I got to 40 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: tell you, he is a different man than he was 41 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: eight years ago. He is ready. This is his moment, 42 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: and he has risen to it, and he has learned. 43 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 2: I think you have to have I think you have 44 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: to get knock down to rock bottom, which he has 45 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 2: been to be in the position that he has to 46 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 2: lead this nation, and I feel very very optimistic about it. 47 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 2: Live laugh learn doing it big. 48 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 6: On The Michael Berry Show. 49 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 2: I often speak about the importance in life to having mentors, 50 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 2: and I describe it as a man who was once 51 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: a boy in that and I often say that I 52 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: particularly believe that boys, as they grow into men, need mentors. 53 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 2: And then as you get older, you still have mentors. 54 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 2: But sometimes those mentors are your peers, they're your same age, 55 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: they may be your same station in life. You hang out, 56 00:03:57,200 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 2: you may play poker or shoot shotguns or go fishing together. 57 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 2: But in many ways you learn from them, you draw 58 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: from them, you seek to emulate them. I had a 59 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: Sunday school teacher tell me twenty five years ago that 60 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: if you want to know what you're going to be 61 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 2: in five years, look at the people around you. And 62 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 2: my wife heard me say that one day at home. 63 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 2: I don't let her listen to the show because I 64 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 2: wouldn't be able to talk about her. And she said, well, 65 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,559 Speaker 2: women need mentors too, we just don't do it as well. 66 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: Women don't understand in the workplace in the home. You know, 67 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 2: women need mentors as well. They need people to tell them, 68 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 2: you know, as a mom, how do you deal with 69 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 2: you know, the demands of being a mom. Mentors are important, 70 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 2: and I preach on this frequently. I jokingly use the 71 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 2: term preach for those of you who wonder if I 72 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 2: think I'm a per pastor. I don't, but I talk 73 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 2: about this a lot because I think it's very important 74 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: and I have made it my business. In fact, was 75 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: an article a woman who wrote for a magazine was 76 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: in Houston. Houston has a superior cancer treatment center, and 77 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 2: she was getting cancer treatment in Houston, and she heard 78 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 2: our show and she heard me talking about the fact 79 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: that my friends are not people who live next door 80 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: to me, or who I happened to go to school with, 81 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 2: or who I happen to be related to. I choose 82 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: my friends, and I choose my friends on the basis 83 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 2: of people that I admire, that I respect, and that 84 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 2: I want to be like, who I can learn from. 85 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,720 Speaker 2: And that's because you only have so much time in life, 86 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 2: and the time you spend, even in recreation, can be 87 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: time that makes you better as a person. And so 88 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 2: she wanted to write an article and did about what 89 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 2: I called strategic friendships. And I realized, to some people 90 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 2: that sounds like a person that is a schemer or whatever. 91 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: It's not. There are people you associate with because you 92 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 2: sell products to their company, but that's not your real friend. 93 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 2: We use the term friend, and social media has put 94 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 2: that term into to too often a use. You know 95 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: how many I don't have three hundred and fifty one 96 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 2: thousand friends, which is what my old Facebook account has. 97 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: You just have a few real friends, people you trust, 98 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 2: who trust you anyway. So I like to share what 99 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 2: I learn from these people I'm around. And I asked 100 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: Russell Lebarro. I said, it's been a while since you've 101 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: been on the show, but every time I talked to 102 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:37,800 Speaker 2: Russell Lebarro and I have this problem with mattress Mac too. 103 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 2: We tend to talk about things we're doing for the community. 104 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 2: Camp Hope needs money, or here's a great programmer, here's 105 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 2: a great success with Camp Hope. Thank you for doing that. 106 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 2: And with Russell, it's every cause we're involved with He's 107 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 2: always he Connie Stagner at Corey Diamonds. There's a few 108 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 2: folks that just jump right in. I don't have to 109 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 2: ask twice. And I said to him. Recently, we were 110 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 2: talking about site selection for restaurants and his business acumen 111 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: is amazing, And I said, you know, Russell, I'd like 112 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: to do an interview with you on air where we 113 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: talk about business, not service to the community, not all 114 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 2: the wonderful things you're doing. I think people would really 115 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 2: enjoy hearing your perspective because he's a very very smart businessman, 116 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: the way Tilman Fritita is, the way Jim mcnbell is 117 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 2: is a very smart businessman. And I said, will you 118 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 2: do me a favor and we do an interview on that? 119 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 2: And he said anytime. So now is that time. I 120 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 2: also want to say, as something that makes me very happy, 121 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 2: the folks at Oracle knew that we do these business 122 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 2: leader interviews and wanted to sponsor these interviews. And I'm 123 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: all up for that. So I will tell you because 124 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: I believe it to be true that if you got 125 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 2: data all over the place at your company, if you 126 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 2: are a decision maker like a Russell Letbora, and you're 127 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 2: trying to decide, Hey, we're gonna look at opening a location. 128 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: Let's say this may not be true, but I'm just 129 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: making it up. We're looking at open a location north 130 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,239 Speaker 2: of the Woodlands. And he calls his team and says, 131 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: I need data on what our sales are at our 132 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: location that's fifteen miles away, and where the people are 133 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: coming from, and what their zip code is and how 134 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,559 Speaker 2: much they're spending in all that. If he's got to close, 135 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 2: he's got to get a contract on a deal, he's 136 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: got to make a decision fast, and if he can't 137 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 2: get that information fast, he can't make a decision, a 138 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 2: good decision based on data. Everything's data driven now. That 139 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 2: enables his company to be efficient and effective. That's what 140 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 2: NetSuite does. And you can get the free cfo's guide 141 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: to AI and Machine Learning at NetSuite dot com slash 142 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 2: my last name Barry NetSuite dot com slash Barry. They're 143 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 2: going to be sponsoring our business interview whenever we do them. 144 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 2: I love to do them. I do them every day 145 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 2: if I could, but I know at some point I 146 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: got to talk about what's in the news as well. 147 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 2: But they love the fact that we talk about the 148 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: secret sauce behind the success of businesses. And they have 149 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 2: a program called Success from Scratch and they asked if 150 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: they could sponsor it, and I said, yep. In fact, 151 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: I got one coming up with Russell Ibara. So if 152 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 2: you want, and I hope you do, the Chief Financial 153 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 2: Officer's Guide to AI and Machine Learning, go to NetSuite 154 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 2: dot com slash Barry my last name, Russell Ibara. It 155 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 2: is an honor to have you back on the show. 156 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 2: I want to talk, as I said, business principles and 157 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 2: the success you've had in business and how you make 158 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: those decisions regarding most every aspect of your career. But 159 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 2: I have to ask you, if I had asked you 160 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: when you were ten years old, what do you want 161 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 2: to do when you are the age that you are 162 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 2: right now, which I think is sixty three? 163 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 5: Is that right? That's correct? 164 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 2: If I'd asked you at ten or twelve, would you 165 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 2: have said a drummer in a band, a professional baseball player, 166 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 2: because I know you were good at both of those things. 167 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 2: Or what what would you have said you were going 168 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 2: to do? 169 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 5: You left out Elvis Presley. I want to be a Presley? Yes, yes, 170 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:31,959 Speaker 5: good call all the above. Yes, But you know, I 171 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 5: was fortunate to grow up in the presence of a 172 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 5: dreamer and an entrepreneur and my father who had started 173 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 5: a restaurant chain in the early sixties, and so just 174 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:46,320 Speaker 5: being exposed to his way of thinking helped start developing 175 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 5: my way of thinking, and I would like to think 176 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 5: that I evolved. You know you Every generation should aspire 177 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,560 Speaker 5: to get better than the previous, and I think I've 178 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 5: done that because I've always kept an open mind two 179 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 5: new ideas wherever they come from. I don't have to 180 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 5: be the one that comes up with an idea, but 181 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 5: my team and I we come up with some great 182 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 5: ideas because we really do brainstorm and coming out with 183 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,320 Speaker 5: the best of us the outcome whatever we're doing. 184 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 2: Our conversation with Russell Ibara, the master Enchilada roller at 185 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 2: Gringostexmex dot Com, Gringos Tex Mex and Jimmy Changa's. 186 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 6: And a whole lot more HIV spooky Vaginosis, Michael Ferry 187 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 6: Sinning with your naked bod is evil and atrocious. 188 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 2: Russell Ibarra is our guest. Let's follow up on what 189 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: you were talking about with regard to I forget how 190 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 2: you said it, but I heard Bill White, who I 191 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 2: ran against for mayor back in two thousand and three. 192 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 2: He was the first person I heard use this phrase. 193 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 2: You can get a lot more done when there's no 194 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 2: pride of authorship. When you don't need to be the 195 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,080 Speaker 2: one that gets the credit, your team will be more effective. 196 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 2: And I have found that to be true in so 197 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 2: many ways. How did you say you learned that lesson? 198 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,599 Speaker 2: Who did you learn that from? 199 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 5: Well, just one small example. When I was younger running 200 00:12:19,920 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 5: El Matador Food, the frtilla factory that my family owns today. 201 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 5: I remember that there was one particular employee working on 202 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,319 Speaker 5: the production floor and he was doing something he shouldn't 203 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 5: have been doing, and I wanted to catch him. So 204 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 5: I came in one morning, really early, around five o'clock 205 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 5: in the morning, just to catch him during production and 206 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 5: I called him and I presented the problem to my father, 207 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:50,120 Speaker 5: who told me, hey, you can terminate him, but just 208 00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 5: be sure and find his replacement. And that was going 209 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 5: to be the hardest part of that entire equation. There, 210 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 5: there's just no way I was going to be able 211 00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 5: to So in business, you have to really him back 212 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 5: and always looked at the larger pitcher and house. One 213 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 5: decision is going to impact the entire organization, and a 214 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 5: lot of times it's not your way, it's really the 215 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 5: best way in terms of you know, what is the 216 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 5: best outcome for the company, and if you can approach 217 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 5: approach it that way, you'll come out a lot better. 218 00:13:18,360 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 5: You know. There was a Instagram post that I just 219 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 5: saw recently and it's this owner of I want to say, 220 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 5: seven different restaurants in the California area at Los Angeles area, 221 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,600 Speaker 5: and he was talking about one of his locations where 222 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 5: he's been in business since two thousand and one, so 223 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 5: he's at the time he posted this twenty three years 224 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 5: in business and over the twenty three years he's had 225 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:49,959 Speaker 5: fifteen general managers. Well, that told me a lot, told 226 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 5: me almost everything I need to know about this individual. 227 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 5: Because Gringos, the original Gringos and Paerland, has been in 228 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 5: business thirty two years and we've only had for general managers, 229 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 5: and the three that are no longer general managers have 230 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 5: only moved up to the company, not moved out. And 231 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 5: that's the kind of things that are red flags for 232 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 5: me when there's high turnover. There was this other gentleman 233 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 5: years ago when we had the Burritos franchise. I received 234 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 5: a letter from a window washer, someone that actually cleaned 235 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 5: his windows there at the restaurant, and he sent me 236 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 5: a letter complaining about this franchise. E. And I'm thinking 237 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 5: to myself, how bad of a person do you have 238 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 5: to be to where you can actually stop a window 239 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 5: washer from his daily activities to write a letter to 240 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 5: complain about someone. I mean, you have to really be 241 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 5: a certain type of individual. So at the end of 242 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 5: the day, we are again, we're a people business. We 243 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 5: deal with Our customers are people, and our staff for people, 244 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 5: and so they have to be our priority and how 245 00:15:00,200 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 5: we approach everything we do in business everything. 246 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 2: The problem with talking to you is that halfway through 247 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 2: your answers it raises fifty more questions that fascinate me 248 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 2: and made me want to answer them. I learned so 249 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:20,840 Speaker 2: much from this dude. This is what it's like when 250 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 2: we hang out. He's not a big drinker. He'll have 251 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 2: one beer. He's the consummate moderation except in moderation person. 252 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 2: But I just asked him questions because I learned so much. 253 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 2: Let's go through your life. Some people I've talked about 254 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 2: your bio. Let's quickly go through your life so people 255 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 2: kind of understand where you are. And I'm not speaking 256 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 2: ill of you. Some people won't understand this. You've had 257 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: failures that are terrible failures. That most people would hide from, 258 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 2: and instead you embrace them, you talk about them, you 259 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 2: brag about them, because from those failures you have seated. 260 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 2: But let's start step by step to and just take 261 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 2: one point at the time, and I'll speak to get 262 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 2: you to the next one. Kind of where you were 263 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 2: born in real quick answers, because I think your story, 264 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 2: your your timeline is fascinating. So where were you born? 265 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 5: I was born in Pasadena, Texas. Grew up in Laporte. 266 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 2: Family size. 267 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:27,480 Speaker 5: I have six brothers and one sister. Your place in 268 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 5: the number three, I'm number three, yeah, which was a 269 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 5: great spot, by the way, and it was a great spot. 270 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 2: The quick story only because I only have so much 271 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 2: time and there's so many things I want to get 272 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,400 Speaker 2: to with you on the reason your father went into 273 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 2: the restaurant business, because this is a great one. 274 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 5: So my father when he was a young tea, well, 275 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 5: let's go back a little further when his parents his 276 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 5: parents divorced when he was three. He was dropped off 277 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 5: at his grandmother's house by his mother to live there permanently. 278 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 5: So it was very shocking to a little five year old, 279 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 5: as you can imagine. And so he had plenty of 280 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 5: aunts and uncles to help raise him, which thankfully they did. 281 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 5: And when he graduated from high school, he sold batteries, 282 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 5: but he knew that wasn't going to pay the bills, 283 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 5: and so he opened up a restaurant in the port 284 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 5: called Laporte Mexican Food, that's all it was called. But 285 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 5: in junior high he had broke his arm. And the 286 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 5: reason they opened up a business because it never held 287 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 5: back properly and he could never pass a physical to 288 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 5: get a job with the city or the county or 289 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 5: wherever he was applying. So that kind of forced him 290 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,119 Speaker 5: into becoming a business person. But he had to drive 291 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,679 Speaker 5: like no other and definitely a visionary because he was 292 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 5: doing things back in the seventies, way before Google that 293 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 5: amazed me even today, the fact that he had a 294 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,240 Speaker 5: central kitchen set up. He had these huge sixty gallon 295 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 5: pressure cookers growing pressure cookers to do gravy into outer 296 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,000 Speaker 5: gravy and refried beans and tonkle beat and what have you. 297 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 5: And he even went to Mexico wants to buy an 298 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,159 Speaker 5: avocado farm, only to learn that you couldn't import avocados 299 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 5: at the time, so that killed that. And I remember 300 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 5: pulling up to a halopano pickling plant there and outside 301 00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,679 Speaker 5: of Monterey, Mexico, because he was interested in buying this plant, 302 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,360 Speaker 5: this Halopanio pickling plant, and that would have been an 303 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 5: incredible investment. But I don't know what happened there, But anyway, 304 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 5: he partnered with his brother in law and them two 305 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 5: together grew ill trolled to as many as eight locations 306 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 5: at one time, and then the sisters could not get along, 307 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 5: so they ended up my father bought his brother in 308 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:45,680 Speaker 5: law out, and then the two of them individually could 309 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 5: not do well in operations or in business in general. 310 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,719 Speaker 5: They were really a team. So that was something that 311 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,919 Speaker 5: I recognized early on. But my father was fortunate that 312 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 5: his oldest sons were were graduating from high school and 313 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,919 Speaker 5: they came on board to start helping him try to 314 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 5: not only run but grow the restaurant chain, the Ultroll chain. 315 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 5: But only my father's last three restaurants that he opened 316 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 5: and he ended up closing, and one of them was 317 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 5: the Greenos, the original Greenos in Perland, which I took 318 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,239 Speaker 5: over in nineteen ninety three. But myself, I mean, I 319 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 5: was a C student in school and I always tell 320 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 5: people when I say I was a c student. I'm 321 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:31,679 Speaker 5: bragging because it was worse than that, and I did 322 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 5: not go to college. I got married very very young, 323 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,440 Speaker 5: and fortunately I had a good set of eyeball as 324 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 5: my wife is as beautiful as the day we were married. 325 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 5: And I had a drive in me to succeed, and 326 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 5: I tried a lot of things in my twenties, from 327 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 5: selling satellite dishes to selling sports cars and some other things. 328 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,239 Speaker 5: I even ran an ad Believer or Not on the 329 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 5: back of the Star tabloid magazine, trying to sell these 330 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 5: little chain al arm It sounds funny, but I did. 331 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,440 Speaker 5: I muster to fall the money I needed to run 332 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 5: one AD and actually sold quite a few of them. 333 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 2: But Russell Lebarro of Gringos Text Mex is our guest. 334 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 5: More, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mitch 335 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 5: michael Berry, Genius. 336 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 2: Russell Lebara, the owner of Gringos Tex Mex dot com 337 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 2: and Jimmy Changa's and a lot of other things, is 338 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 2: our guests. I want to thank Oracle. They have a 339 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 2: They have a program called NetSuite and you can get 340 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 2: the Chief Financial Officer the cfo's Guide to AI n 341 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 2: Machine Learning at NetSuite dot com forward slash Michael. They 342 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 2: wanted to sponsor our interviews we do with business owners, 343 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,000 Speaker 2: and I thought that was a great idea, So you 344 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 2: can get that at NetSuite dot com slash Barry. Did 345 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 2: I say Michael Barry my last name? NetSuite dot com 346 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:16,560 Speaker 2: forward slash Barry Russell Ebara. We're talking about his business 347 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 2: and how he arrived where he is and how he 348 00:21:19,440 --> 00:21:21,679 Speaker 2: makes decisions and what we can all learn from that, 349 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 2: whether we own a business or not. It might be 350 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 2: running your household. You were talking about your father's physical 351 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 2: impairment that prevented him from going to the army and 352 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,720 Speaker 2: doing a lot of other things, and that closed a 353 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 2: door and another door opened, and that was entrepreneurship. You 354 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,000 Speaker 2: had the virtue of growing up watching your father's success 355 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 2: with El Toro and El Mattador and he didn't have that. 356 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 2: Where did he develop the savvy to be so successful 357 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 2: to build to build this restaurant empire. 358 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 5: That's a great question. I mean, other than he parked 359 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 5: with so his chef that he hired around nineteen sixty 360 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,600 Speaker 5: three was a gentleman named Juan Martinez. We called him 361 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 5: mister John. And if he saw him, you could understand 362 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:13,919 Speaker 5: why he was in the restaurant business. Or he was 363 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 5: a chef. He was a large man, and he just 364 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 5: had a unique palette for foods and was an excellent chef. 365 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 5: And I got exposed to that as well, and one 366 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 5: of those being that mister John only used the highest 367 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 5: quality ingredients that craft foods are served at the time 368 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 5: or sold at the time, and so being exposed to 369 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 5: that really helped shape a lot of what we do 370 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 5: at Gringos today. But again, even one of the things 371 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 5: that I did in the early eighties was started a 372 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 5: tortilla factory because of my father's equipment that he had 373 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 5: there at his commissary. He had a corn to tea 374 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 5: line and he had a flower tortia line, and so 375 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 5: I would go out selling tortillas to any Mexican restaurant 376 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 5: that were willing to buy them. And I ran into 377 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 5: one problem was that I called it guilt by association. 378 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 5: Anytime that a potential client would consider buying tortise for 379 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 5: me if they found out that my family had restaurants, 380 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,000 Speaker 5: because I operated under a different name, it was Il Matador, 381 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 5: and so if they found out that my family also 382 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 5: had restaurants they would stop buying from me, so that 383 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 5: was a little frustrating. But one of the bigger lessons 384 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 5: that I learned running l Matador was a lot of 385 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 5: the equipment my father had. It was very old equipment 386 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 5: and I could not produce a consistent product out of it. 387 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 5: And one of the accounts that I picked up in 388 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,239 Speaker 5: the late eighties was Castlela. I was selling Costa Ay 389 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 5: all of their flower tortias. Larry Fourhan was kind enough 390 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 5: to give me an opportunity, but I did something very 391 00:23:45,920 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 5: stupid and it was definitely come back and bite me, 392 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 5: and that was when I ran samples to his offices. 393 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 5: I hand selected the product. I mean I literally hand 394 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 5: selected to give them the best of the best, right, 395 00:23:57,840 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 5: But that was going to catch up with me sooner 396 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:01,719 Speaker 5: or later did and now I ended up losing the account. 397 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 5: So when I opened up Gringos in a building that 398 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 5: my father had owned and had already been four other restaurants, 399 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 5: I was very paranoid about consistency. I borrow some ideas 400 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 5: from Consolay. They pack all their spices and pre portioned 401 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 5: all their spices for batch cooking, so that would ensure 402 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 5: a consistent product from batch to batch, location, the location, 403 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 5: and I did everything in my power to make sure 404 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 5: no matter what we served it was consistent. And Truett 405 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:36,000 Speaker 5: Cathy with Chick fil A says that you can you 406 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:38,160 Speaker 5: can serve a terrible cup of coffee, just be sure 407 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 5: and serve it that way each and every time. So 408 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 5: that's the kind that's the kind of approach that we've 409 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 5: taken at Gringos that no matter what we serve, let's 410 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,719 Speaker 5: make sure it's consistent. And so there are a lot 411 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 5: of systems and procedures that we have to put in place, 412 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 5: and that's all we ever talk about is how if 413 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 5: we're going to roll out a new menu item, how 414 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 5: are we going to do it to ensure consistency across 415 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:00,960 Speaker 5: all twenty three restaurants. 416 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 7: I owe you a debt of gratitude for the fact 417 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 7: that I did this exact interview with Larry foehand fifteen 418 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:13,479 Speaker 7: years ago, maybe longer, and you set that up because 419 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 7: of a friendship you all developed, not as competitors but 420 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,840 Speaker 7: of peers in a similar industry. 421 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 2: I don't know if I ever told you, but Casso 422 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:25,399 Speaker 2: Olay was in Orange and Casa Olay was the fast, 423 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 2: fanciest restaurant in Orange when I when I grew up, 424 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 2: like it was a special occasion. If you went to 425 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 2: Casa Ola Casa olay for an occasion like that was 426 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 2: a big deal. Later in the career, in the lifespan 427 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 2: of that business, it wasn't that. But at that time, boy, 428 00:25:43,280 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 2: that that was. That was really fancy, all right. So 429 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 2: take us to the next step in your in your 430 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 2: life's journey. 431 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,200 Speaker 5: Well, you know, after when I when I first opened 432 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,200 Speaker 5: Grengos in which we just celebrated thirty two years this 433 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 5: past Saturday, January eleventh, and when we all in ninety three, 434 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,719 Speaker 5: knowing the history of that building, it forced me to 435 00:26:04,720 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 5: have a paradigm shift and that I was no longer 436 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,960 Speaker 5: focused on making money and I'm still not even focused 437 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,200 Speaker 5: on making money today. That's my that's not my primary focus. 438 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 5: It's about delivering a quality product, a good value, a 439 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 5: fair value, and then taken care of everyone that touches 440 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 5: that product, meaning our guest, our staff, the community, everyone 441 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 5: that supports us, because without them, we're just the building 442 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 5: at the end of the day. But it's the people 443 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 5: in the building that makes it successful. So I've always 444 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,119 Speaker 5: just wanted to focus on what matters the most, and 445 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,159 Speaker 5: you know and be consistent with that. I mean, you 446 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 5: know a lot of people they change over time when 447 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 5: they become successful. But I would like to believe that 448 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 5: I'm the same person from the in terms of how 449 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 5: I treat others. You know, from day one, I haven't 450 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 5: changed as an individual of anything. I would like to 451 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:00,439 Speaker 5: think that I've improved in lots of work. 452 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 2: I was going to say, I think you have changed. 453 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 2: You've changed in the time I've known you, because you've 454 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 2: grown older, you've grown wiser. Your family has expanded, which 455 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 2: I think also changed you for the better in the 456 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 2: way that family changed me for the better. And I 457 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 2: also think you have watching you and I've learned a 458 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,920 Speaker 2: lot from this. You have come to understand your responsibility 459 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 2: to the community, to your employees, to your family, and 460 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 2: how much is expected of you. And that is way 461 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 2: more than maybe is the standard or the typical or 462 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 2: what we see from other people, but that your your 463 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 2: standard should be high. So, yeah, you have changed, but 464 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 2: I see that as as continual improvement, which I hope, 465 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 2: I hope I'm able to do that. All right, So 466 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 2: take us to the next phase. 467 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 5: Oh, well, was well, I'm building the team. I mean, 468 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,399 Speaker 5: that's been a huge component of our success. My first 469 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 5: team member that I hired was Ugo old Vera nicknamed 470 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 5: those Cabayels because he did the work of two men. 471 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 5: And Ugo is still with me today thirty two years later. 472 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 5: And then John Fernandez was the second piece of the 473 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,480 Speaker 5: puzzle that I hired. Coming up on thirty years is 474 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 5: coming June, which is incredible. And then Jonathan Kim, the 475 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 5: president of the company, is this coming June, will be 476 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:26,880 Speaker 5: twenty five years. And I'm just that that obviously makes 477 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 5: me more proud than anything that these individuals have been 478 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:33,280 Speaker 5: with me that many years. I mean, Heather McKinnon, she 479 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 5: started eighteen years old. She's in her mid forties, and 480 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 5: she sees our COEO and you know, I can go 481 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 5: on and on, Matt Busha, Danny Hanks, all these guys, 482 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 5: and I guess what makes me proud about it is 483 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 5: that I know that the company that we have built, 484 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 5: our team is built over the years, can continue way 485 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 5: after I'm going from this earth and with the same 486 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 5: same vision focus. And it's funny because we talk about 487 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 5: all these other brands that started, let's say in the 488 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 5: late eighties. 489 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,640 Speaker 2: U these wells Lebron Hold right there, Hold right there. 490 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 5: I'm up against a break my moment.