1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: I think it's really important when chips it down in 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: times are tough. To be incredibly empathetic, to be really great, lista, 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: to be pragmatic and baalved to tackle problems assertively and responsibly. 4 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, Emily Abadi here bringing you Episode one forty 5 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,880 Speaker 2: five of Hurdle, a wellness focus podcast writs it down 6 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: with inspiring individuals to talk about everything from their big 7 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,839 Speaker 2: wins to how they've gotten through some of life's toughest moments. 8 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 2: On the show, you can't expect vulnerability, motivation, and candid 9 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 2: discussions with everyone from top athletes to aspiring entrepreneurs on 10 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: what it really takes to follow your passions. 11 00:00:56,240 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 3: My mission is simple to. 12 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,639 Speaker 2: Inspire you to be your best, So move with intention 13 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 2: and have some fun along the way. For today's episode, 14 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: I'm so excited to be chatting with Nick Stone. 15 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 3: He is the founder and CEO of Blue. 16 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 2: Stone Lane, an Australian inspired chain of cafes well known 17 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 2: for their unbelievable coffee, but they also serve oh my god, 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 2: so much delicious stuff, everything from avocado toast and apple 19 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 2: crumble porridge to warm chicken and greens bowls, chicken and 20 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 2: bacon club sandwiches, green baked eggs. 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,120 Speaker 4: I mean, the list goes on. 22 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 2: This stuff is so good and so so fresh. Today 23 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 2: we chat about a lot of things. We cover a 24 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: lot of bases. Nick tells me about his backstory at 25 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: one point being an Australian football league player before transitioning 26 00:01:47,960 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: to banking and finance and then ultimately into the hospitality business. 27 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 2: We talk about where his head was at when opening 28 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: his first cafe, which was conveniently located next to his 29 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: full time job at the time in Midtown Manhattan, and 30 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: we also chat about man how this year has been 31 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: for Bluestone Lane in the wake of the pandemic. At 32 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 2: one point, the pandemic eliminating ninety percent of the company's 33 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 2: revenue and having to let go hundreds of workers. Nick 34 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: talks to me about how they navigated that, how he 35 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,639 Speaker 2: truly believes that no matter how hard it gets, there 36 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 2: is a place for positivity and optimism, and he fills 37 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: me in on his guiding principles as a founder, as 38 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: a leader, and how he stays true to his values 39 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: and his purpose even in the hardest of times. I 40 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: myself huge fan of the brand, so it was really 41 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 2: fun for me to have this conversation. There's one conveniently 42 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 2: located like maybe five bucks from where I live on 43 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 2: the Upper east Side. It is a stable in my 44 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 2: routine with like about a mile left on my morning 45 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 2: run to open the Bluestone Lane app and order myself 46 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: of coffee with almond milk and grabbing it and walking 47 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 2: that last little stretch home and just taking some meat time. 48 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 2: So thanks to Nick and the team at Bluestone. 49 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 3: For bringing me some joy on the regular, and I 50 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 3: know so many. 51 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: Others get that same joy when they come to see 52 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 2: you guys as well. 53 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 3: Before we get into the swing of things today, I do. 54 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 2: Want to take a moment to thank my sponsor at 55 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 2: Athletic Greens. I recently opened up on social media about 56 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 2: how I have been struggling a little bit. I feel 57 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 2: as though the stress is definitely getting to me. It's 58 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 2: making me feel a little wonky. 59 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 4: In my own body. 60 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 2: But I know that one thing that helps me get 61 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: back on track every single day is shaking up my 62 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: bottle of Athletic Greens. Athletic Greens is a greens powder 63 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 2: that's got seventy five whole food sourced ingredients as well 64 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 2: as prebiotics probiotics, adaptogens and superfoods for me Athletic Greens 65 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: that sweet sip first thing in the morning, right before 66 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 2: I get to work at my desk. It's not only 67 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 2: my nutritional insurance, it's my immunity support. And by incorporating 68 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 2: it into my routine regularly, this is me giving back 69 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 2: to me starting things off on the right foot and 70 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 2: just taking care of my body. Head on over to 71 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: Athletic Greens dot com slash hurdle and with your first 72 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: purchase you'll get some great freebies. I'm talking five free 73 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: travel packs as well as a year's supply of Vitamin 74 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: D with your first purchase. Again, that's Athleticgreens dot com 75 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 2: slash Hurdle. 76 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 3: Get five free travel packs and a year's supply. 77 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:30,840 Speaker 2: Of Vitamin D with your first purchase today, no code necessary. 78 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:33,679 Speaker 2: As always, as you're listening today, make sure the tag 79 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 2: the show over on social media. 80 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:36,760 Speaker 4: It's at Hurdle podcast. 81 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,799 Speaker 2: I'm over at Emily a Body and with that, let's 82 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: get to hurdling. 83 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 4: Today. 84 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,799 Speaker 2: I'm sitting down with Nick Stone. He is the founder 85 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 2: and CEO of Bluestone Lane. How you doing today, Nick? 86 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: Very well, Emily, thank you so much for having me 87 00:04:58,240 --> 00:04:58,839 Speaker 1: pleasure to be. 88 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 4: On course, of course I'm amed. 89 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 2: I ride by many a bluestone or run by depending 90 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: on the day around New York City. So it's exciting 91 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: to get to chat with the man behind the cafes. 92 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's us. It's been an interesting journey, that's 93 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: for sure, both with the business and me professionally. But 94 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: happy to chat chat with you today and talk in 95 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: whatever direction you'd like to take. Is obviously a lot 96 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: about wellness, health and last. 97 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 2: Stuff and lifestyle. So before we get going, talk to 98 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 2: me about what Bluestone Lane is. I know that you 99 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 2: founded the company in twenty thirteen. 100 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: That's right. Bluestone Lane is an Australian influenced premium coffee, 101 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: healthy food and hospitality brand. We were inspired by the 102 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: hometown where I'm originally from, Melbourne, Australia, and when I 103 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: arrived in the States in twenty ten, I was just 104 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: quite shocked by how different the coffee culture is. Not 105 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:10,239 Speaker 1: necessarily exclusively about how different the product was, both coffee 106 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: and the food program. But in Australia it's the land 107 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: of independence. It's very much based around this owner operator 108 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:22,119 Speaker 1: model where you have very sincere and deep meaningful relationships 109 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: with your customers, in fact customers. It's quite a generic 110 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: term and it's not common in Australia. They refer to 111 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,919 Speaker 1: it in the cafe scene as locals, and that's because 112 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 1: the relationship is more reciprocal, it's more personalized, it's deeper, 113 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: and for myself, when I moved to the States, I 114 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,080 Speaker 1: just couldn't believe that so many of these larger chain 115 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: establishments had focused on convenience and speed in a very 116 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: homogenized and transactional way, and the big chains didn't. They 117 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 1: don't exist in Australia, and in fact Starbucks failed. But 118 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: there's no Duncan, there's no Beats Coffee, there's no Tim Horton's. 119 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: In austraa earlier, the cafe scene more premium and certainly 120 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: more independent and more curated. So I just thought, there's 121 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 1: such a wonderful opportunity to provide this human connection, this escape, 122 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 1: this sense of belonging, this way to break isolation that 123 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: often people feel in big cities, and that really inspired 124 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: the purpose of the brand. In addition to educating people 125 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: around the beauty of premium coffee and healthy food, not 126 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: just generic coffee and process food, and it's been a 127 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: great journey and since that time in twenty thirteen, we've 128 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: opened over fifty locations across eight markets and it's been 129 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: a steady growth period and we've encountered a lot of challenges, 130 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: but none bigger than the one we've got right now 131 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: dealing with COVID and how restrictive it's been on the business. 132 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: But it's been real thrill. 133 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 2: So much to unpack here. The first thing to unpack 134 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 2: Starbucks filled in Australia. 135 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, they did, they did. There's only a couple of 136 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 1: markets really that Starbucks hasn't succeeded in Australia is one 137 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: of them. Italy is another and Israel. So really Australian's 138 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: coffee culture is centered around espresso, so dripp is not 139 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: a big part of the landscape. And it really started 140 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: the espresso coffee movement started in Australia in the forties 141 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: pre and post World War Two and we switched from 142 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: primarily a tea drinking culture which was based on obviously 143 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: British colonial sort of influence, and went into espresso coffee. 144 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: In the forties when we had mass migration from Europe 145 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 1: Italians Greeks the second largest population of a critical massive 146 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: sort of Greeks outside of Athens is actually Melbourne, so 147 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 1: they brought their espressal machines, and then we had this 148 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: abundance of natural produce. Australia and New Zealand are the 149 00:08:55,080 --> 00:09:00,360 Speaker 1: premium food ball for Asia and Asia Pacific region. And 150 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: I think the third element was this real notion of 151 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: that European style coffee shops where it's very much based 152 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: around the proprietor that they know all of their locals, 153 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: and it's very you know, it's daytime, it's our fresco, 154 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: it's very social, that social ritual of connecting over coffee 155 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: and having a break, a pause, a moment, a moment 156 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: to bond, and that's really shaped the coffee culture where 157 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:26,920 Speaker 1: everything's sort of so much business and so much socialization 158 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: takes place around great coffee and healthy food. And I 159 00:09:31,040 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 1: just thought there's such a wonderful opportunity here, and particularly 160 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: these younger demographic millennials, that we're looking for more artisan 161 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: experiences and they're looking for better quality food and coffee 162 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,839 Speaker 1: and anything they're putting in their bodies. And I think 163 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: they're really focused on socializing more during the day, less 164 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: about alcohol, less about late nights and more serious sort 165 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: of hospitality events. And I think we got it right 166 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: and that trend continues. And you know, it's really really 167 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 1: important that we've built this brand and team ethos based 168 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,720 Speaker 1: around making people feel connected and welcome. And we often 169 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: use the term that we're more a human connection company 170 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: than a hospitality company. 171 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,719 Speaker 2: I dig that, and I think that definitely speaks to 172 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 2: your values. And again where you come from. Now, obviously 173 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 2: you didn't you haven't been to the coffee business forever. 174 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: In fact, you were doing a lot of different things 175 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 2: before you got into the hospitality industry. So talk me back, 176 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 2: bring me back. You said, growing up in your hometown 177 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 2: in Australia, what was life like for you? 178 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 4: Were you an active kid? 179 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: Very much so. Yeah, I spent as much time as 180 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: I could outside playing sports, playing with my friends. I 181 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: tried all different types of sports and love competing, loving 182 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 1: part of teams. So whether that's I played professional Austraining 183 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: rules football, I played a lot of cricket, I played 184 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:04,840 Speaker 1: a lot of high level water polo. I've played tennis, golf. 185 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: I absolutely love skiing, running outside, I like surfing. There's 186 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:12,520 Speaker 1: just that's the Australian last style We're in Ireland, so 187 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: everyone lives on the coast. Ninety eight percent of the 188 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: population live on the coast, so access to water and 189 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: access to outdoors is quite extraordinary. The land mats of 190 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: Australia is quite similar to the US, but we only 191 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: have twenty four million people, so we have less people 192 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: than the whole state of Texas, so there's just a 193 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: lot of outdoors to explore. And Australia is a very 194 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 1: sort of i'd say competitive and sports craze nation. I 195 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: think we're a land of immigrants, and that's no disrespect 196 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: to the First Nations people, but you know, a lot 197 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,719 Speaker 1: of people were not originally born here in Australia or 198 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: their ancestors went born here in Australia, so there's been 199 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: mass waves of migration. So it's a very multicultural and 200 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: cosmopolitan sort of country, I would say, particularly the way 201 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: it's evolved last twenty years. And yeah, I just love 202 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: the outdoors. That and certainly playing football in particular was 203 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,320 Speaker 1: just a huge part of my life and you know 204 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: that's and you know that's shaped who I am. Playing 205 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: as part of teams and being part of high performance teams, 206 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 1: which influenced my careers outside of sport, which have been 207 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: in banking and now in hospitality, And you're right, like 208 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: Bluestone is my first hospitality experience. I never I never 209 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: worked today in a coffee shop or in a bar, 210 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: or in a restaurant. So it's certainly been a scrappy 211 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: and rapid learning process, but it's been a wonderful one, 212 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:42,440 Speaker 1: and I think there's been some real benefits the fact 213 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: that I didn't have a lot of rules and preconceptions, 214 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 1: that I could challenge a lot of the norms and 215 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: really orientated around that real deep customer centricity of what 216 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: I valued as a customer and what people I know 217 00:12:56,559 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: value as customers and shape the value proposition. 218 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 2: To me, that so interesting really, because you, as you mentioned, 219 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 2: made some very drastic career shifts, and I think often 220 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 2: individuals who might be doing something that they don't love 221 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 2: are scared to follow suit to do a similar thing 222 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 2: because they're scared from starting from square one. So I 223 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 2: know the first career transition you made, you mentioned playing football. 224 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 2: You transitioned from playing football to going into finance. 225 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 1: Is that right, that's correct, that's correct. I went from 226 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 1: I was drafted in my final year of high school. 227 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 1: I was seventeen, and I played six seasons in Australian 228 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 1: Football League professionally, and luckily, I well luckily, I think 229 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: it was a good decision to go to university at 230 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: the same time. So when I got delisted from my 231 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: last club, which is basically your contract not renewed, I 232 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: had this pathway to banking and finance, investment banking, and 233 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: I was really really interested about that next chapter because 234 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: it was going to provide an opportunity to potentially work 235 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:15,439 Speaker 1: overseas and learn work with companies and the interesting things 236 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: they're doing, and understand how they built their business and 237 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: their brand and their culture. And I just was enthralled 238 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: by this opportunity to have a wider lens and to 239 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: work internationally and have a broader perspective, so that even 240 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: though you know, football is a very intensely competing professional 241 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: I'm really glad that I continue to persist in my 242 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: studies of the transition was possible. And I also kept 243 00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: a very very pragmatic approach to a sporting career that 244 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: even if you have an amazing career and you play 245 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: ten years or so, you know it should be just 246 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: a chapter in your book on life you know, imagine 247 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: if you've finished it. I was thinking that I played 248 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: till I'm thirty. That's an amazing career. But then what 249 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: do I do for the next like hopefully sixty years? 250 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: And I just thought that, you know, by not having utility, 251 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 1: not having excitement outside of that would be such a 252 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,480 Speaker 1: shame it and make it really hard to transition. So 253 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: at a very broad perspective, and went from banking, where 254 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: I worked in eleven years and in two cities in Australia, 255 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: and then you know, I worked a bit in London 256 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 1: and then obviously in New York, and then into basically 257 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 1: my first small business experience. And in this case it 258 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: was I was in hospitality and building this sort of 259 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: retail lifestyle brand. 260 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 2: So the next logical question then would be, and I 261 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: mean we're covering such a long period of time here, 262 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 2: but what was going on in your finance career that 263 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 2: even inspired or motivated you to make such a pivot? 264 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: Well, when I was it started. There's sort of two reasons. 265 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: The first one was when I was working in finance 266 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: in Australia, we used to leave the office twice a 267 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: day as a team. It was a really great social 268 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: bonding ritual because we would work very long hours. In 269 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: some cases, you may think that you're going home at 270 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: six or seven pm, and in fact you work all 271 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,560 Speaker 1: night through, and the getting coffee as a team is 272 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: just a great way to disconnect and socialize and just 273 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: take a breather and get yourself pree energized for whatever 274 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: you're tackling in the office. And so that was such 275 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 1: a big part of the reason for establishing Bluestone Lane. 276 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: It was out of this self necessity that I felt 277 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: that we needed these places where you walk in and 278 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: you feel special, that you're a local, not a customer, 279 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: to be your best and then so that's what that's 280 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: how we sort of that's why I sort of founded 281 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: it and shaped it that way. And the first one, 282 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: the first door, actually was a very short work of 283 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: walk from where I was working on Park Avenue to 284 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: seven to seven Park Avenue, so really only like five 285 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: minutes away from the first Bluestone Lane. So that's customers 286 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: INTERESTY was certainly bara amount. But you know, I think 287 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: the reason I made a jump was I just thought, 288 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,880 Speaker 1: I've got this opportunity. I can always probably go back 289 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,320 Speaker 1: to banking, but this opportunity to try and build something 290 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: bigger and have a greater impact and influence on how 291 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: people feel and their education around healthy eating and great coffee. 292 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:37,880 Speaker 1: It's this window that I think I should go for it. 293 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: And it was not an easy decision around the company 294 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:44,920 Speaker 1: for three years while still working full time in banking, 295 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: and then I finally made the jump. So I had 296 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: I done my homework and I'd sort of done a 297 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:55,280 Speaker 1: lot of self reflection on am I ready to jump 298 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: into a small business if I understood how we're going 299 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 1: to grow and how I'm going to be productive and helpful, 300 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,800 Speaker 1: Because certainly I think at the early stage when we 301 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: were you know, we opened our first two stores in 302 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,239 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, there wasn't really that much for me to 303 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:15,360 Speaker 1: do on a full time basis. We were very small business, 304 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 1: and in fact, I think if I went left banking 305 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,360 Speaker 1: went full time, it could have been a It could 306 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: have been detrimental because I could have pushed the business 307 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: too hard and pushed people too hard with whatever ambitions 308 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: I had, or just the fact that I liked to 309 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: improve every day and you had to get that balance right. 310 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: And the timing eventually to move in mid twenty sixteen 311 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: made sense and it's worked out well, and you know, 312 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: certainly not been with a lot of challenge, but it's 313 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: been incredibly rewarding. And I've learned so much about working 314 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,719 Speaker 1: with people from a whole variety of different walks of 315 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: life and background, which you get a lot more in 316 00:19:01,680 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: small business and hospitality than say necessarily banking, which which 317 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: is a little bit uniform in how they recruit and 318 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: the type of sort academic profile and experience. So it 319 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: certainly taught me a lot about being a more effective 320 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 1: communicator and leader, and you know, I think just being 321 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: in some cases just a more empathetic person, an understanding person. 322 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 2: You mentioned that you stayed on with your other full 323 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 2: time job while basically undertaking a second full time job 324 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 2: for three years. I mean people talk about having a 325 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 2: side hustle all the time. I would say that you 326 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 2: didn't just have a side hustle again, you had a 327 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 2: second job. How did you like stay seen, especially when 328 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 2: you're starting a job and a field that you know 329 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 2: very little about. 330 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: I had a certainly incredible support network, being the being 331 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: my wife Alexandra. She she was incredible, and I think 332 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 1: also we had this unbridled enthusiasm and we were we 333 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: were pretty unencumbered living in New York. Both we're both 334 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: from Australia, both from Melbourne, Australia. We didn't have any family, 335 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 1: we didn't have children, we were we were sort of 336 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: it was the perfect time to really push it hard. 337 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: And we were living in New York City. Everyone's trying 338 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: to make it and working really you know, in putting 339 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 1: in a tremendous amount of effort. So I think the 340 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: environment supported it. I had an incredible support network in 341 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: my in my wife, and you know, I didn't really 342 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:48,000 Speaker 1: feel like work. It felt like this I was. I 343 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: was building something and it was like a competition, and 344 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: it was like an adventure. And I think you just 345 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 1: get just get caught up in the It's quite intoxicating 346 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:01,920 Speaker 1: when you start having success and of working with amazing 347 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: people and you're learning and you're being inspired. And also 348 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 1: retail gives you that wonderful benefit that if you do 349 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: something well, often people will will fraternize and visit or 350 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: patronize your establishment and they'll tell you straight away, and 351 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: that feedback's pretty incredible. I don't know if I could 352 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: have juggled to businesses at once if I wasn't getting 353 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: that validation in a very frequent way. Yeah, it wasn't easy, 354 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 1: but you know, I do think that there's a lot 355 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: to be said by keeping keeping your job going and 356 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: income and not having that huge distraction when people sort 357 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: of jump into a startup when it maybe not fully 358 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: thought about or all the research hasn't been done, and 359 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: putting a lot of pressure on yourself, like what you know, Wow, 360 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: Like I don't really have any money, or I'm not 361 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: paying myself. I've got all this stress on how do 362 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: I pay the rent? How do I afford to pay 363 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: my health insurance or to go on a holiday or 364 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: what have you. And I just I sort of page 365 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: my bits a bit more, and I was just fortunate 366 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:04,119 Speaker 1: in that regard. 367 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: You mentioned having a lot of stressors just there. I mean, 368 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 2: I think, especially this year, so many of us are 369 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 2: constantly feeling just so overwhelmed, and like there are so 370 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 2: many things that we can attribute it to when it 371 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 2: came to starting your business and balancing both jobs and 372 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 2: also trying to maintain some a sort of a personal life. 373 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,919 Speaker 2: I'm sure in addition to your own mental health, how 374 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 2: did you not get overwhelmed? 375 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: It's certainly been a sensory overload, that's for sure. Twenty twenty. 376 00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: You know, it's had to have in the wild of streams, 377 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: you know, predict that this would would happen, the culminations 378 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 1: of historic events in one year. But you know, I 379 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: think I haven't been you know, there's been at times 380 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: where I have to overwhelmed, and I do think that 381 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: it's actually natural. Maybe in the years gone by, I 382 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: would have seen being overwhelmed as a sign of weakness 383 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: and inferiority, but there's times this year that I did. 384 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: I have and I still occasionally now just feel hopeless 385 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: that nothing's working and that I've failed, and you know, 386 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 1: it's a you know, you get down. But I'm very 387 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: fortunate that I know that I have people that are 388 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,239 Speaker 1: my positive energizers, and I know there are things that 389 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: I can do that gets me out of my mental 390 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: mental challenge and reframes the way I feel. And you know, 391 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,160 Speaker 1: that's helped me in great stead for years, and it's 392 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 1: now just making sure that I go to them in 393 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: a very proactive way. So those positive energizer is my wife, 394 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: my family, my best friends, my best school friends that 395 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: are a bit detached from everything that's going on here. 396 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: Has helped me tremendously. And you know, they don't really 397 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 1: want to talk about Bluestone. They don't want to talk about, 398 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:17,199 Speaker 1: you know, what's going on, you know, financially, or any hardships. 399 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,880 Speaker 1: They just want to talk about, you know, time when 400 00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:23,400 Speaker 1: we can all get together and funny things that are 401 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: happening and what's going on in the footy world or 402 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: what have you. And it's just so freshing to connect 403 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: with people you love so dearly and that just want 404 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: to They just want to lighten things up a bit 405 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: and just have a bit of banter and fun. And really, 406 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: you know, the huge part of Bluestone's purpose is exactly 407 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: that it's to make people disconnect from whatever's been going 408 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: on in their personal professional life or the broader environment 409 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 1: and to come into our store and feel rejuvenated and 410 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 1: just like let it go. Just just feel recognized and 411 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,479 Speaker 1: special and personalized and feel like a real local. And 412 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,680 Speaker 1: that that is the purpose of the company. It's never 413 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:15,439 Speaker 1: been more more important. And you know, I think that 414 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: you know, it's that. And then and the other thing 415 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: I do is if I exercise, if I go for 416 00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:23,000 Speaker 1: a run, if I do some ways, if I jump 417 00:25:23,160 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 1: on the bike, if I do something to get myself moving, 418 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: and if I listen to music at the same time 419 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: I listen to podcasts or what have you, it's just 420 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: the endorphins go. You just suddenly feel lighter and clearer 421 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: and happy, and it's just the most magical thing moving 422 00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 1: And I know some people get it through meditation and 423 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:50,919 Speaker 1: sort of other means. My wife gets it. She finds 424 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: painting and drawing very therapeutic because she's a very talented artist. 425 00:25:55,600 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: But for me, I can just default to doing sport, 426 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: you know, getting in the water, going to the beach, 427 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: going for a run. It's just it's just quite incredible. 428 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:09,280 Speaker 1: And I do think that having those rituals is so important. 429 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: And even though there's a lot of distractions, and there's 430 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 1: it's and there's so much connectivity with our phones and 431 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:19,200 Speaker 1: social media, which I do think is a real negative 432 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: externality for society. So grapple with you got to find 433 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: the way this ritual which you can get yourself in 434 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: a better spot. And that's that's what I've been trying 435 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:30,480 Speaker 1: to stick to. 436 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:41,120 Speaker 3: Taking a break from today's episode to give. 437 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 2: Some love to my sponsor Beam. If you have been 438 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 2: in the hurdle community, for a while. Then you have 439 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 2: heard me talk about Beam before. 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I mean we're talking midtown 462 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 2: Manhattan here. I can't imagine that this was an inexpensive 463 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:23,200 Speaker 2: adventure to get into. So how did you and where 464 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,879 Speaker 2: did you you find the money for that first store? 465 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 2: And I mean, I'm sure that came with its fair 466 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,320 Speaker 2: amount of anxiousness as well. 467 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 1: Basically, the seed round we did, we raised arounded fifty 468 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:40,360 Speaker 1: thousand dollars. I put in just over half of it, 469 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: and then just a couple of friends really backed it. 470 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: And two of them one was my former boss and 471 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: one was my coworker who sat next to me, and 472 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: then another two mates and their wives who were Australians 473 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 1: living in New York that actually missed Australian coffee culture 474 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 1: as well. So it started in a very scrappy way. 475 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: You know, three hundred and fifty thousand dollars for two stores. 476 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,800 Speaker 1: It wasn't a big million dollar seed Rays or in 477 00:29:10,840 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: the case right now, like a ten million dollars seed 478 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: raid seed Rays. So we were resourceful and scrappy, and 479 00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:21,000 Speaker 1: I think that was a great way to go about it. 480 00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: Be really capital efficient and focus on what you should 481 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,200 Speaker 1: invest in and what you can sort of decorate and 482 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 1: use creativity rather than just buying the most expensive ff 483 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: ande or materials. Yeah, there's lots of different ways you 484 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: can do things. And again I wasn't from the industry, 485 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: so I could really acutely value what's going to be 486 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 1: important from this customer experience and overinvest in certain areas 487 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: and then just be very resourceful in others. 488 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 2: You have such a stress now these days you talk 489 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 2: about community and how important that is for you guys. 490 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 2: I mean, I can't imagine that that first location that 491 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 2: you had in Midtown was big enough to do a 492 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 2: lot of fostering of that, No will, you'd be surprised. 493 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: So we were. It was a tiny space. It was 494 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 1: about it's about two hundred and fifty three hundred square 495 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: feet and it is It's located in a subterranean part 496 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: of the building eight oh five Third Avenue, below an 497 00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: escalator that was constantly broken. And you know, it was 498 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 1: very elusive, and I think that was part of its 499 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: charm because the only way to find it, because it 500 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 1: had no street visibility or no signage, was you needed 501 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 1: someone to take you there. So when someone took you there, 502 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: you're already going to have this social connection, you were 503 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,720 Speaker 1: going to go with a friend, and then behind it 504 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: was this food court. It was it wasn't a particularly 505 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: attractive even more there are corporate you know, seventies food court, 506 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: but it was a chance at least for people to 507 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:01,760 Speaker 1: sit down and enjoy, enjoy a coffee and an avocado 508 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 1: toast and just to connect. But what was magical about 509 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: it was our team was so focused on service and 510 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: having this local relationship, this personalized relationship, not a generic 511 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: customer transaction relationship. The people feel just felt just great 512 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 1: going down there, and that's what I was looking for 513 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: because when we left our office building in Melbourne to 514 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: go to one of the one of the one hundred 515 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: incredible cafes that surround the building, it's just really the 516 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: notion of going in there and being welcomed and feeling 517 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 1: great and then getting a coffee and going back. It's 518 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 1: the journey to the coffee shop that's part of the experience. 519 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: So it didn't have to be this tit down for 520 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: thirty forty five an hour coffee date. It could just 521 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: be a ten minute break that gives you that recharge 522 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:59,360 Speaker 1: and that's that sense of socialization that makes you feel special. 523 00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:02,360 Speaker 1: That's what I was focused on with Bluestone. It didn't 524 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 1: have to be it didn't have to be something that 525 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: was really formalized. It just should be informal but premium 526 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:14,960 Speaker 1: yet really personalized. And that's what I think we've been 527 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: very successful in doing. 528 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:19,800 Speaker 2: When did you know that it was going to be 529 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: more than just those two first stores. 530 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: Well, the first store was pretty incredible because the first day, 531 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: I think we served three hundred people, right, there was 532 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 1: a huge queue around the block, and we really put 533 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:40,000 Speaker 1: an authentically made flat white and avocado toast on the map. Right. 534 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: We launched in mid twenty thirteen, it's not that long ago, right, 535 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:46,640 Speaker 1: so seven years ago, But back then, no one was 536 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:52,680 Speaker 1: eating avocado toast. It wasn't like a universally known staple 537 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:53,640 Speaker 1: that it is now. 538 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 2: I don't even remember a life without like everyone eating 539 00:32:58,360 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 2: a cut of toast anymore. 540 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, it just didn't. You couldn't find it anywhere 541 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: back then, you know. I think it was one place 542 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: that had it, which was in Cafe Jatan, which I love, 543 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: and it was more French Moroccan style version of it. 544 00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 1: But there was a couple of Halo products that just 545 00:33:15,560 --> 00:33:20,080 Speaker 1: exploded in the flat white and Avo smash and I 546 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: so that store was busy, but it was really stall 547 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:25,959 Speaker 1: number three. We opened the Broader concept, which is our 548 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: cafe concept, which is more like a restaurant, daytime restaurant. 549 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: We opened it in West Village at fifty five Greenwich Avenue, 550 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: the corner of Perry and Greenwich Avenue, and you know, 551 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: we didn't have really much money at all, so we 552 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: scrapped this one together. We didn't even have proper air conditioning, 553 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: and it was an old building, but it just exploded, 554 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 1: and you know, it was it was sort of creative 555 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: chaos there for a number of years. But I think 556 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: we realized it was pretty special because just the bars 557 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: about it, and I think we were real catalyst activating 558 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: that entire street. And just the wait times on weekends 559 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,480 Speaker 1: were over an hour and and you'd see people who 560 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: are pretty well known and famous like queueing. And that 561 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,839 Speaker 1: was our policy that irrespective of your background or your 562 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,319 Speaker 1: socioeconomic status or your celebrity status, like everyone had to 563 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:26,360 Speaker 1: had to follow the same same process and wait in line. 564 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 1: And there was no skipp in the queue. And I 565 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 1: love that. I love that how democratized we were and 566 00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, committed to making sure everyone has a great time. 567 00:34:39,440 --> 00:34:43,920 Speaker 1: And you know when suddenly the big name sort of 568 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 1: celebrities like Taylor Swift comes back two days in a row, 569 00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 1: and then you know, Cameron Diaz is in there, and 570 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: then you know James Franco's in there every day, then 571 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: someone like Malcolm Gladwell's in there every day. You sort 572 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: of realized, Wow, these are pretty worldly, well travel people 573 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,279 Speaker 1: that probably visit a lot of places around the world, 574 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 1: and if they're coming to hang out at Bluestone Lane, 575 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:10,840 Speaker 1: then we've probably got something that's pretty magical here. And 576 00:35:10,840 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: and you know, the celebrity doesn't validate your proposition, but 577 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: you know, it was an indication that you know, it 578 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: was it was of interest to a lot of people, 579 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 1: and we didn't We've never marketed Bluestone and we never 580 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 1: spend any money on advertising or or you know, we 581 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: really don't spend any money on paid advertising on social 582 00:35:30,440 --> 00:35:32,920 Speaker 1: at all. It's all through word of mouth and that's 583 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: the way we like it. We want to be genuine 584 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,920 Speaker 1: and it's the most powerful way of marketing, which is 585 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,120 Speaker 1: just people telling other people you've got to go and 586 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: We're fortunate that our call customer loves and our product 587 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,120 Speaker 1: and our stores are very photogenic. So a lot of 588 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:54,680 Speaker 1: that content's created for us and projected through primarily Instagram. 589 00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,880 Speaker 1: And it was serendipitous timing that Instagram had really just 590 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:03,879 Speaker 1: started to take off in twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, So 591 00:36:03,960 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: it just timed it really nicely with what we were 592 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 1: doing and letting people know. And yeah, that was a 593 00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 1: real moment where I think we still back and said, Wow, 594 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 1: we can do something that's really cool here, that's very different. 595 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 1: And I still feel that way now. I still feel 596 00:36:19,200 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: that very few people can do at scale what we're doing. 597 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 4: Definitely, and it's interesting to me. 598 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 2: I mean, you talked about starting it with such few 599 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 2: offerings and then expanding into that cafe on greenwage, and 600 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 2: it's crazy. I mean, how did you even start to 601 00:36:35,719 --> 00:36:38,040 Speaker 2: come up with the other things that you wanted to 602 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:41,560 Speaker 2: offer in the cafe outside of those original starters. 603 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, so the first two what I call sort of 604 00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: chaos coffee shops really orientated around coffee and pastry, toasts, 605 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:57,440 Speaker 1: just smaller items to go, where the cafe proposition is 606 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 1: a lot broader, a table service and a lot have 607 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 1: not only just the full coffee and tea program, but 608 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 1: they have the juice wellness about as alcohol. It's just 609 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: a lot broader. You know. Where we had such an 610 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:19,480 Speaker 1: advantage was I was everything was influenced by the Australian 611 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:23,160 Speaker 1: cafe culture. So in determining what you want to put 612 00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:25,440 Speaker 1: on your menu and how you want to serve it 613 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: and plate it, we were taking constant inspiration by the 614 00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: best cafes in Australia and I still am to this day. 615 00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,000 Speaker 1: And what we are trying to be is a very 616 00:37:34,120 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: very authentic representation of Australian premium cafe culture and that 617 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,240 Speaker 1: will never change. So we're very fortunate in that regard. 618 00:37:44,080 --> 00:37:49,360 Speaker 1: I was able to go home frequently to the mecha 619 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:54,960 Speaker 1: of premium cafe culture and be inspired and try and 620 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:57,920 Speaker 1: take some of that magic and scale it in our business. 621 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:00,959 Speaker 1: And you know I had I've got some good relationships 622 00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:03,040 Speaker 1: there and you know, I just again, it was all 623 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: through that customer centricity. I would I would dine and 624 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 1: think about, Wow, I'd love to eat that, or try 625 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,279 Speaker 1: it that way, or can we plate it this way? 626 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: The store doesn't look sort of, you know, as intimate 627 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:18,759 Speaker 1: here can we change those colors, can we change the textures? 628 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: And you know, I think it was just through that 629 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:25,360 Speaker 1: obsessive attention to detail, which is probably one of my strengths, 630 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:28,759 Speaker 1: and you know, it's very important in retail. They always say, 631 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:33,160 Speaker 1: you know, retailer is detail, and you know we were 632 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:37,400 Speaker 1: able to apply it and scale it. And that's the 633 00:38:37,480 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: hardest part, Like how do you take a lot of 634 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:42,480 Speaker 1: people going to open one great cafe? I think, but 635 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: how do you do it across multiple markets very quickly? 636 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: And when you're dealing with a talent pull and team 637 00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: that often has very high turnover? And how do you 638 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,400 Speaker 1: make sure that those systems and learnings can can continue 639 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,000 Speaker 1: on and have contenuity. So you know, what we're trying 640 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 1: to do is a very authentic representation of premium and 641 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 1: Australian cafaculture. 642 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,680 Speaker 2: But then this brings the question which you just kind 643 00:39:10,760 --> 00:39:13,759 Speaker 2: of asked, like how do you keep it consistent? How 644 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 2: do you make sure that the experience that someone is 645 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:20,080 Speaker 2: getting on Greenwedge in New York City is the same 646 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:22,879 Speaker 2: that someone's getting when they're out in Santa Monica. 647 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:25,759 Speaker 1: Therein lies the biggest challenge, and I think something that 648 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:29,440 Speaker 1: we are working on every single moment. It's certainly not easy, 649 00:39:29,520 --> 00:39:32,359 Speaker 1: and it's not easy when you want to provide a 650 00:39:32,400 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: product that's more freshly made. If you look at the 651 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:42,600 Speaker 1: big the largest QSR in fast casual businesses, what they've 652 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:47,680 Speaker 1: really perfected is effectively having all of their food and 653 00:39:47,800 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: beverage product mass manufactured in co and commissaries and co 654 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 1: manufacturing sort of facilities where it comes in in a 655 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 1: frozen state, or it comes in a reconstituted form, and 656 00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:08,239 Speaker 1: it's often so processed that the nutritional value is to 657 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,600 Speaker 1: minimus high in sugar, high and fat. And that's how 658 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: they've been able to scale by reducing the variables. And 659 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:18,600 Speaker 1: a big part of scaling a hospitality brand is reducing 660 00:40:18,640 --> 00:40:23,680 Speaker 1: the variables regarding the perishability of food, which is also 661 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 1: a real tragedy because people and Western society doesn't need 662 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,000 Speaker 1: more processed food. We already have an obesity epidemic and 663 00:40:34,320 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 1: health related externalities, and the drain on society is the 664 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:43,359 Speaker 1: number one challenge the Western world has, and you know, 665 00:40:43,440 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: and it manifests in so many different ways and impacts 666 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 1: not only just life expectancy, but living standards. And there's 667 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:56,400 Speaker 1: there's a lot of sort of further analysis and segments 668 00:40:56,400 --> 00:41:00,480 Speaker 1: you can explore there how it disproportionate impacts and already 669 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: groups than those that have less education. It's it's a 670 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 1: real sort of it's a real challenge that we've got 671 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:14,560 Speaker 1: to address. So with us, we have focused on the training, 672 00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: the systems, the standards, who who we look for, and 673 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:21,759 Speaker 1: how we hire and how we on board and induct 674 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 1: and it's a tremendous amount of investment. And if you 675 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:29,040 Speaker 1: if you want to be a service led business like ours, 676 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,520 Speaker 1: really everything comes down to the quality of team and 677 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:37,400 Speaker 1: how consistently they can execute your proposition. Because the intellectual 678 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:42,600 Speaker 1: property in hospitality per se in a very broad general 679 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,920 Speaker 1: manner is quite limited with hospitality that there's not a 680 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:49,800 Speaker 1: tremendous amount of intellectual property. Right, A lot of people 681 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:51,799 Speaker 1: can work out how to make a great coffee, make 682 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:55,960 Speaker 1: a great cake, cook a perfect steak. It's not like 683 00:41:56,040 --> 00:42:03,400 Speaker 1: you're trying to build this revolutionary sort of medical vaccine 684 00:42:03,640 --> 00:42:07,440 Speaker 1: or a space shuttle. All this once in a lifetime algorithm. 685 00:42:08,239 --> 00:42:12,640 Speaker 1: It's really about EQ It's about how you work with 686 00:42:12,719 --> 00:42:15,759 Speaker 1: other people and how you make other people feel fantastic 687 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:21,080 Speaker 1: consistently and every time. So for us, like so much 688 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 1: of the focus is on having the right team and 689 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 1: people who have that values alignment that they love making 690 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: people feel great and love being part of a team. 691 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:33,719 Speaker 1: And it doesn't matter how great your coffee skills are 692 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:37,640 Speaker 1: or how talented you are with a knife, it's in 693 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:43,360 Speaker 1: the kitchen. It's really about how you can congruently be 694 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:47,239 Speaker 1: part of our team and support each other and you know, 695 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:50,319 Speaker 1: and just have those advanced EQ skills that are so 696 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:54,960 Speaker 1: necessary to provide a service led proposition. And that is 697 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,320 Speaker 1: a big challenge. But I also think it's truly wonderful 698 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 1: because there's so many people out there that love the 699 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:09,440 Speaker 1: idea of working with healthy food, premium coffee daytime, making 700 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: people feel great and being part of this cool, aspirational brand. 701 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:16,440 Speaker 1: And we're just so fortunate that we've continued to attract 702 00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:21,520 Speaker 1: amazing talent and if anything, COVID has accelerated the amount 703 00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,920 Speaker 1: of amount of talent that's interested in being part of 704 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: our team and getting on the journey. 705 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:28,960 Speaker 2: Well, that's what I was going to ask you next, 706 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:32,600 Speaker 2: is how has this year, which I know has been 707 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,000 Speaker 2: a year, how is this year really impacted you guys? 708 00:43:38,040 --> 00:43:40,680 Speaker 2: Because I know I read that New York Times item 709 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 2: and you earlier in the year, eliminated ninety percent of 710 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:46,080 Speaker 2: your revenue. 711 00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:51,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's true. It was just absolutely heartbreaking. It was staggering, 712 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:56,160 Speaker 1: simply staggering with such an urban model. So most of 713 00:43:56,239 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 1: US stores are located in big cities, in high density 714 00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:05,840 Speaker 1: business districts, and they were the ones that disportionately impacted. 715 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,320 Speaker 1: So people worked in office towers, no longer went to work, 716 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,839 Speaker 1: there was no business travel, there was no tourism. So 717 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 1: and then we were basically told that you could sort 718 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,960 Speaker 1: of no longer operate. You couldn't serve people. They couldn't 719 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: sit down, they couldn't sit outside, they couldn't sit inside. 720 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:24,879 Speaker 1: And it was still in March, so it was cold out. 721 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:29,440 Speaker 1: So people suddenly realized that they could only sort of 722 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:33,359 Speaker 1: order take away, and it just changed everything so dramatically, 723 00:44:34,040 --> 00:44:37,279 Speaker 1: And for us, when you've got big operations in New 724 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:40,520 Speaker 1: York City and San Francisco and Los Angeles and Washington, DC, 725 00:44:40,760 --> 00:44:44,240 Speaker 1: where you're so reliant on people on this cappive audience 726 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:47,080 Speaker 1: going to work every day, and when that disappears completely, 727 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:50,319 Speaker 1: your revenue is going to evaporate. And it was just 728 00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:53,360 Speaker 1: such an extraordinary time because no one knew what was 729 00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,920 Speaker 1: going on. No one knew the prevalence of COVID in 730 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:00,839 Speaker 1: their communities, no one knew how serious it was. Our 731 00:45:00,840 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 1: biggest focus was to protect our team at all costs. 732 00:45:04,480 --> 00:45:07,280 Speaker 1: To closing a lot of our stores just made sense 733 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 1: because we you know, we didn't think we'd have a 734 00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,400 Speaker 1: lot of business to justify it, but we didn't know 735 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:15,640 Speaker 1: if it was the right thing for our team. But 736 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:20,160 Speaker 1: in saying that, we thought it was absolutely critically essential 737 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:24,160 Speaker 1: that we kept as mini stores open that we economically 738 00:45:24,280 --> 00:45:28,480 Speaker 1: vibely could to preserve jobs and to make sure and 739 00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:32,279 Speaker 1: for really three things, to preserve jobs, to connect with 740 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:37,360 Speaker 1: our community, and then thoroughly like to be that signal 741 00:45:37,360 --> 00:45:39,640 Speaker 1: of hope that we're going to get through this and 742 00:45:39,840 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 1: be that sense of positivity for our locals, because everyone 743 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:47,800 Speaker 1: was tucked up in their apartment and you know, the 744 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:50,960 Speaker 1: spending every day in there reading the news just saying 745 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:53,360 Speaker 1: that the world's coming to an end and that there's 746 00:45:53,480 --> 00:45:56,640 Speaker 1: unfortunately so many people that are getting infected, and then 747 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:01,319 Speaker 1: a lot were passing away trashically. We had to be 748 00:46:01,480 --> 00:46:03,960 Speaker 1: that sort of beacon of hope, and it came back 749 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,160 Speaker 1: to the real purpose of Bluestone. You know, we're a 750 00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:10,640 Speaker 1: human connection company about making people feel special and wonderful 751 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,760 Speaker 1: and providing them that sense of scape, and we really 752 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:17,160 Speaker 1: were focused on breaking that isolation for people. So by 753 00:46:17,239 --> 00:46:21,000 Speaker 1: keeping the doors open of fourteen of US stores out 754 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:24,440 Speaker 1: of fifty one, there was a sense of respite and 755 00:46:24,719 --> 00:46:27,320 Speaker 1: it enabled us to support a lot of the community 756 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:31,480 Speaker 1: initiatives in a huge way. We launched an initiative to 757 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:37,320 Speaker 1: provide coffee and food for first responders and really healthcare heroes, 758 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:39,800 Speaker 1: and we caught it Fuel for Healthcare Heroes, and we 759 00:46:39,880 --> 00:46:44,880 Speaker 1: ended up donating over fifty thousand coffees and just we 760 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:47,160 Speaker 1: did it personally too. Like what we did is we 761 00:46:47,280 --> 00:46:49,560 Speaker 1: facilitated all the drop offs as a team. So it 762 00:46:49,600 --> 00:46:53,840 Speaker 1: was such an incredible experience, so engaging in grassroots. I 763 00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:57,520 Speaker 1: dropped off coffee boxes. My brother who runs marketing, he 764 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:00,719 Speaker 1: started the initiative and the first hospital went to was 765 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:04,279 Speaker 1: he went to Elmhurst, which was basically in New York, 766 00:47:04,320 --> 00:47:07,600 Speaker 1: which is effectively like ground zero. They were having more 767 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:13,600 Speaker 1: deaths than any other hospital in the country. And you know, 768 00:47:13,920 --> 00:47:19,520 Speaker 1: that was a really powerful and transformative moment for us 769 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:22,759 Speaker 1: where I think we parked the tragedy that we're experiencing 770 00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:25,640 Speaker 1: in our business and how many people that we'd unfortunately 771 00:47:25,640 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 1: had to make redundant because we really had no options. 772 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:30,759 Speaker 1: But it gave us that high purpose, and it gave 773 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:34,560 Speaker 1: us that grounding and inspiration and motivation, and just the 774 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:37,120 Speaker 1: feedback when you go to the hospitals and you'd meet 775 00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:40,560 Speaker 1: the nurses and the doctors and they're just dealing in 776 00:47:40,560 --> 00:47:43,719 Speaker 1: an environment where they're so exposed, and the courage that 777 00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:47,080 Speaker 1: they're manufacturing every day to go to work to give 778 00:47:47,160 --> 00:47:49,680 Speaker 1: all of us a chance to and those that we 779 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:52,440 Speaker 1: care about a chance to get through this and survive. 780 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:57,239 Speaker 1: It was just so inspiring and it even gives me. 781 00:47:57,719 --> 00:48:01,080 Speaker 1: It gives me it's a bit sort of emotional now 782 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,560 Speaker 1: even talking about it, because for as much tragedy and 783 00:48:04,640 --> 00:48:08,120 Speaker 1: hardship that we were dealing with in the business, it's 784 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:10,840 Speaker 1: probably nothing compared to what was going on those hospitals, 785 00:48:10,880 --> 00:48:14,880 Speaker 1: and also just the sacrifice that those healthcare heroes were making. 786 00:48:15,280 --> 00:48:17,440 Speaker 2: What would you say one of the best pieces of 787 00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:21,759 Speaker 2: advice that you've been offered over the last seven or 788 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:24,800 Speaker 2: so years of building this business has been. 789 00:48:24,800 --> 00:48:26,880 Speaker 1: You've got to lead with optimism, and you've got to 790 00:48:26,960 --> 00:48:30,759 Speaker 1: lead with positivity and hope and no matter the challenges 791 00:48:31,480 --> 00:48:33,600 Speaker 1: and how many things are going to go wrong, because 792 00:48:33,640 --> 00:48:35,799 Speaker 1: that's an absolute given. You're going to be dealing with 793 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:40,440 Speaker 1: things that you never thought would be remotely possible, especially 794 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:45,640 Speaker 1: if you're in retail consumer hospitality where you employ a 795 00:48:45,640 --> 00:48:48,200 Speaker 1: a lot of people. And I think you've got to 796 00:48:48,440 --> 00:48:52,719 Speaker 1: embody and role model that positivity. You've got to lead 797 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:55,920 Speaker 1: with resilience, you've got to lead with courage and conviction 798 00:48:56,719 --> 00:49:00,359 Speaker 1: because people are looking at you for hope, and they're 799 00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:05,680 Speaker 1: looking at you to provide them with that affirmation that 800 00:49:05,719 --> 00:49:08,080 Speaker 1: things are going to be okay, that they're going to 801 00:49:08,280 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: have a job, that we're going to continue to grow, 802 00:49:10,719 --> 00:49:13,839 Speaker 1: that the adventure is going to be worth it. And 803 00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:17,879 Speaker 1: I think the times where I haven't role modeled that effectively, 804 00:49:18,239 --> 00:49:23,000 Speaker 1: or I've been negative and down. Hasn't helped anyone, hasn't 805 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 1: helped me, hasn't helped our team, hasn't helped the business, 806 00:49:26,680 --> 00:49:31,920 Speaker 1: hasn't helped locals, hasn't helped any of the stakeholders. So 807 00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:34,759 Speaker 1: I think that's a really really important one, and I've 808 00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:38,200 Speaker 1: read that in a lot of successful entrepreneurial sort of 809 00:49:38,320 --> 00:49:42,239 Speaker 1: books and autobiographies where they detail the importance of role 810 00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:46,239 Speaker 1: modeling a sense of hope and optimism. And if you 811 00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:49,799 Speaker 1: think about some of the greatest leaders ever such as 812 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:57,840 Speaker 1: Winston Churchill, just how positive and optimistic despite basing existential 813 00:49:58,200 --> 00:50:01,640 Speaker 1: crisis as it related to World War Two, he still 814 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:06,959 Speaker 1: prejected a very calm and rational way to focus on 815 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:12,120 Speaker 1: things that are important to look forward to. So I 816 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:13,799 Speaker 1: think that's a huge. 817 00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:16,960 Speaker 2: One for me to listen to you talking about leading 818 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 2: with optimism and being that person that people can turn 819 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:24,239 Speaker 2: to and see positivity. I totally recognize the value in that, 820 00:50:24,320 --> 00:50:30,200 Speaker 2: But I also wonder about the idea of authenticity sometimes, 821 00:50:30,239 --> 00:50:32,600 Speaker 2: and like I feel like there might be a fine 822 00:50:32,680 --> 00:50:36,840 Speaker 2: line of needing to be realistic and upfront with your people, 823 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:39,600 Speaker 2: but also wanting to be that cheerleader. Like how do 824 00:50:39,719 --> 00:50:41,920 Speaker 2: you know how to straddle that line and when to 825 00:50:42,080 --> 00:50:43,279 Speaker 2: lean one way or the other. 826 00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:47,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, So it's not sort of something that I've had 827 00:50:47,560 --> 00:50:52,800 Speaker 1: to grapple with because I laid with integrity and authenticity 828 00:50:52,920 --> 00:50:56,480 Speaker 1: in everything I do. That is my core value as 829 00:50:56,480 --> 00:50:59,680 Speaker 1: a person. I think you need to be real your 830 00:50:59,719 --> 00:51:03,279 Speaker 1: team wants to know the truth. But there's lots of 831 00:51:03,320 --> 00:51:08,640 Speaker 1: different ways to deliver a tough message or a stark 832 00:51:08,719 --> 00:51:12,880 Speaker 1: message and still provide hope and positivity that you're going 833 00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:14,719 Speaker 1: to tackle the problems and you'll do it to your 834 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:17,279 Speaker 1: best of your ability, and you're going to do it 835 00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:19,520 Speaker 1: the right way. You may not get the perfect result, 836 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:22,759 Speaker 1: that the process and the integrity in the process is 837 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 1: going to be sound. So I think it's a balance. Yeah, 838 00:51:25,719 --> 00:51:29,480 Speaker 1: I'm not out here spooking and a snake oil salesman, 839 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:36,400 Speaker 1: but you know, I think it's really important when times 840 00:51:36,440 --> 00:51:38,840 Speaker 1: and the chips are down and times are tough, to 841 00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:44,120 Speaker 1: be incredibly empathetic, to be a really great listener, to 842 00:51:44,200 --> 00:51:49,200 Speaker 1: be pragmatic and bold, to tackle problems assertively and responsibly. 843 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:53,680 Speaker 1: But I do think that people, especially if you're a 844 00:51:53,719 --> 00:51:58,600 Speaker 1: CEO of founder, they've got on the they've joined the journey. 845 00:51:58,600 --> 00:52:02,319 Speaker 1: They've got on the bus because of something that you 846 00:52:02,640 --> 00:52:07,399 Speaker 1: have probably had a profound influence on and it's inspired them. 847 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:11,560 Speaker 1: And so if the leader suddenly comes out there and says, hey, listen, 848 00:52:12,160 --> 00:52:15,919 Speaker 1: we're staffed, I don't know what to do where dead 849 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:20,120 Speaker 1: man walking. All these problems are insurmountable. You're going to 850 00:52:20,120 --> 00:52:23,279 Speaker 1: erode everything you're about. But all I'm saying is like, 851 00:52:23,520 --> 00:52:26,960 Speaker 1: just just think about your messaging and your body language 852 00:52:27,000 --> 00:52:30,359 Speaker 1: and your role modeling and sometimes yeah, you're definitely not 853 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:32,319 Speaker 1: going to have any answers, and we didn't have all 854 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:36,080 Speaker 1: the answers when this crisis hit our business. But taking 855 00:52:36,080 --> 00:52:40,160 Speaker 1: the approach that we will work it out together, we 856 00:52:40,239 --> 00:52:43,840 Speaker 1: will keep our composure, we will support each other, will listen, 857 00:52:43,960 --> 00:52:47,239 Speaker 1: will be empathetic, and we're going to have courage and 858 00:52:47,360 --> 00:52:51,120 Speaker 1: do it with a sense of optimism. We will get 859 00:52:51,120 --> 00:52:53,799 Speaker 1: through it. And all I know, as it relates to 860 00:52:55,080 --> 00:52:58,120 Speaker 1: challenges this year which have been at a level that 861 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:02,040 Speaker 1: I never thought were even remotely, we've got through it 862 00:53:02,120 --> 00:53:03,000 Speaker 1: with that approach. 863 00:53:03,440 --> 00:53:05,920 Speaker 4: What excites you right now. 864 00:53:06,120 --> 00:53:09,680 Speaker 1: Well, I listen. I think that COVID has some incredible 865 00:53:09,719 --> 00:53:14,760 Speaker 1: silver linings, and it's given people a lot of people 866 00:53:14,760 --> 00:53:18,160 Speaker 1: a way to reflect on their priorities in life. And 867 00:53:18,239 --> 00:53:23,480 Speaker 1: I'm excited about a world that that is there's more 868 00:53:23,520 --> 00:53:27,879 Speaker 1: focused on their communities and their relationships with those they 869 00:53:27,920 --> 00:53:31,840 Speaker 1: really care about and just being just in many cases 870 00:53:31,920 --> 00:53:37,560 Speaker 1: like distilling and streamlining what's really important in life. And 871 00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:41,319 Speaker 1: I'm excited about that awakening and that self and that 872 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,920 Speaker 1: sort of broader self awareness. And I'm also you know, 873 00:53:45,080 --> 00:53:47,920 Speaker 1: for me, it's been incredible, like spending so much time 874 00:53:47,960 --> 00:53:53,279 Speaker 1: with my two young kids, and you know, it's been 875 00:53:53,320 --> 00:53:58,080 Speaker 1: truly wonderful to really align my focus or just just 876 00:53:58,320 --> 00:54:02,520 Speaker 1: awaken the power of being a parent and of a 877 00:54:02,680 --> 00:54:05,279 Speaker 1: father and a present father. And I think that's been 878 00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:08,880 Speaker 1: a wonderful thing. And I'm excited about the future and 879 00:54:08,920 --> 00:54:12,440 Speaker 1: the relationships with my kids and my wife, and you know, 880 00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm excited about the future for Bluestone Lane. I think 881 00:54:15,239 --> 00:54:18,719 Speaker 1: that we have actually a better business. It's a lot 882 00:54:18,840 --> 00:54:22,040 Speaker 1: smaller business than pre covid, but I do think that 883 00:54:22,040 --> 00:54:25,160 Speaker 1: we have a better business. We have an incredible team. 884 00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:28,960 Speaker 1: I think we've pivoted really nicely as it relates to 885 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:33,160 Speaker 1: tech enabling what we needed to do. So I'm and 886 00:54:33,239 --> 00:54:36,279 Speaker 1: I'm really I'm really excited about the way that our 887 00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:41,160 Speaker 1: locals have responded to to the to us staying open 888 00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:45,319 Speaker 1: and continuing to invest in our team. And so I'm 889 00:54:45,320 --> 00:54:48,600 Speaker 1: feeling that that, you know, it couldn't get any worse. 890 00:54:48,640 --> 00:54:52,239 Speaker 1: So I'm focused on the upside, and I'm focused on 891 00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:57,480 Speaker 1: life and the prioritization of what people think about life 892 00:54:57,640 --> 00:55:01,759 Speaker 1: to be enhanced. I do you know, probably maybe it's 893 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:05,640 Speaker 1: more of a self reflection of just accumulation and just 894 00:55:06,080 --> 00:55:09,320 Speaker 1: you know, not really taking any pause moments. Well, people 895 00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:11,319 Speaker 1: spending a lot of time at home has forced them 896 00:55:11,360 --> 00:55:13,920 Speaker 1: to pause and reflect, and I think it could be 897 00:55:13,920 --> 00:55:15,640 Speaker 1: a really great thing for society. 898 00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:20,160 Speaker 2: More broadly, I agree. I think this year has had 899 00:55:20,200 --> 00:55:24,520 Speaker 2: a ton of silver linings. And I don't know exactly, 900 00:55:24,640 --> 00:55:26,840 Speaker 2: you know, what would have been if things stayed the same, 901 00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:29,759 Speaker 2: But I do know that what has happened this year 902 00:55:29,840 --> 00:55:33,000 Speaker 2: has forced me as well to be super introspective and 903 00:55:33,600 --> 00:55:37,400 Speaker 2: really evaluate how I'm spending my time and make the 904 00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:39,799 Speaker 2: best of it. To say the least, it sounds to 905 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:43,799 Speaker 2: me like this year and the hit that it took 906 00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:47,279 Speaker 2: on the business was certainly a large hurdle for you, 907 00:55:47,360 --> 00:55:51,560 Speaker 2: for sure. So looking back now on twenty twenty, you 908 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:55,320 Speaker 2: have an opportunity to offer yourself one piece of advice. 909 00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:59,800 Speaker 2: Looking at this hurdle, Now, what do you tell yourself? 910 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:07,440 Speaker 1: It's a really interesting question. I think ultimately, no matter 911 00:56:07,480 --> 00:56:10,279 Speaker 1: how dark it's been, that sun will come up the 912 00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:13,879 Speaker 1: next day and it'll be all right, and you've still 913 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,080 Speaker 1: got your health. You've got the most important things. And ultimately, 914 00:56:18,160 --> 00:56:22,680 Speaker 1: if you have those that that can still be around 915 00:56:22,760 --> 00:56:25,839 Speaker 1: you or in contact with you, that you feel are 916 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:28,719 Speaker 1: going to be there when when you're on your deathbed 917 00:56:28,960 --> 00:56:32,719 Speaker 1: or at the most important moments in your life. That's 918 00:56:32,760 --> 00:56:35,319 Speaker 1: a real win. And I think that's brought it home 919 00:56:35,360 --> 00:56:37,480 Speaker 1: for me that you know, there's a lot of there's 920 00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:41,239 Speaker 1: a lot of noise and distractions and distortion and you know, 921 00:56:41,400 --> 00:56:45,040 Speaker 1: elusive things to chase after in life, and a lot 922 00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:50,120 Speaker 1: of comparison. And I think ultimately, what what COVID has 923 00:56:50,160 --> 00:56:52,920 Speaker 1: done has said, Okay, what do I really really value 924 00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,480 Speaker 1: and who do I really value in And you know, 925 00:56:55,560 --> 00:56:58,000 Speaker 1: I think that's a big one. It's like, Okay, cut 926 00:56:58,000 --> 00:57:00,319 Speaker 1: out all the all the collateral and all of the 927 00:57:00,960 --> 00:57:05,279 Speaker 1: QUTA water shorter and all these superficial things and just 928 00:57:05,320 --> 00:57:10,160 Speaker 1: focus on like who really matters and what really matters 929 00:57:09,920 --> 00:57:12,400 Speaker 1: in your life, and who do you really want to 930 00:57:12,440 --> 00:57:15,440 Speaker 1: be and the type of values you want to uphold. 931 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:18,320 Speaker 1: And a lot of people spruit that they care, you know, 932 00:57:18,400 --> 00:57:21,840 Speaker 1: they care about certain values, but do they actually embody 933 00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:25,560 Speaker 1: them and live that way. And I think COVID has 934 00:57:25,640 --> 00:57:28,760 Speaker 1: given everybody, me included, a chance to really reflect on 935 00:57:28,840 --> 00:57:32,080 Speaker 1: it and think about, yeah, what is my legacy? What 936 00:57:32,200 --> 00:57:34,280 Speaker 1: type of husband do I want to be? What type 937 00:57:34,280 --> 00:57:37,360 Speaker 1: of friend? What type of father and what type of son. 938 00:57:37,720 --> 00:57:40,520 Speaker 1: You know, I think that's been a wonderful thing. I'm 939 00:57:40,640 --> 00:57:46,000 Speaker 1: certainly missing my family tremendously in Australia and the inability 940 00:57:46,040 --> 00:57:49,760 Speaker 1: to get there has been really hard. And you know, 941 00:57:50,280 --> 00:57:54,280 Speaker 1: I'm greatly looking forward to the day of going to 942 00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:57,440 Speaker 1: my local pub in Australia with all my mates and 943 00:57:58,120 --> 00:58:01,440 Speaker 1: having plenty of beers and just about life and just 944 00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:07,200 Speaker 1: sort of finding those magical moments of socialization that that 945 00:58:07,320 --> 00:58:10,800 Speaker 1: COVID has really acted to pull people apart. So there's 946 00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:14,120 Speaker 1: lots to look forward to, and you know, you just 947 00:58:14,120 --> 00:58:17,360 Speaker 1: got to keep persevering and trying your best. 948 00:58:17,640 --> 00:58:19,480 Speaker 4: I know the feeling. I know the feeling. 949 00:58:19,560 --> 00:58:23,120 Speaker 2: I can't wait to openly sit with my friends and 950 00:58:23,160 --> 00:58:26,240 Speaker 2: loved ones without a care in the world, also at 951 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:26,640 Speaker 2: a pub. 952 00:58:28,520 --> 00:58:31,600 Speaker 4: Neck thank you, thank you so much for your time today. 953 00:58:31,640 --> 00:58:34,000 Speaker 4: I really do appreciate it. How do the hurdlers keep 954 00:58:34,040 --> 00:58:35,400 Speaker 4: up with you, Nick? How do they keep up with 955 00:58:35,440 --> 00:58:37,840 Speaker 4: Bluestone Lane? Give me all the details. 956 00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:40,880 Speaker 1: Sure, the best way with Bluestone Lane is on our 957 00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:45,400 Speaker 1: website ww dot, bluestone lane dot com or Instagram handle 958 00:58:45,480 --> 00:58:50,880 Speaker 1: bluestone Lane me Personally, the best channel is actually probably LinkedIn. 959 00:58:50,960 --> 00:58:53,640 Speaker 1: That's where I post most of my sort of thoughts 960 00:58:53,680 --> 00:58:56,720 Speaker 1: and articles, is probably where it's easiest to connect with me. 961 00:58:56,760 --> 00:59:00,160 Speaker 1: And you can find me with Nicholas Stone and you 962 00:59:00,160 --> 00:59:02,520 Speaker 1: can search for Nicholas Stone Bluestone Lane, and you know, 963 00:59:02,560 --> 00:59:07,360 Speaker 1: I should magically appear. So in other ways I've. 964 00:59:07,200 --> 00:59:09,440 Speaker 2: Been trying to get into LinkedIn myself. Do you have 965 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:11,840 Speaker 2: a hot tip for me on something I should be 966 00:59:11,960 --> 00:59:12,480 Speaker 2: doing here? 967 00:59:13,520 --> 00:59:16,520 Speaker 1: I just start following some people that you think are interesting, 968 00:59:16,640 --> 00:59:19,080 Speaker 1: and I do. I do think the amount of content 969 00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:21,720 Speaker 1: that comes out of it is quite extraordinary. It's a 970 00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 1: really great learning learning tool. Yes, there's a lot of 971 00:59:25,960 --> 00:59:29,520 Speaker 1: self promotion and advertising, but I think you follow some 972 00:59:29,560 --> 00:59:32,520 Speaker 1: real thought makers, like they're very active and they're putting 973 00:59:32,560 --> 00:59:34,919 Speaker 1: cool stuff up there, and you know, I think it's 974 00:59:35,160 --> 00:59:38,520 Speaker 1: I think it's good. It also has links to a 975 00:59:38,520 --> 00:59:42,320 Speaker 1: lot of great articles that and you know, which I 976 00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:45,400 Speaker 1: think are valuable. So yeah, I spend a bit of 977 00:59:45,400 --> 00:59:45,880 Speaker 1: time on it. 978 00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:48,560 Speaker 4: Spend a bit of time on it. Thank you so much. 979 00:59:48,680 --> 00:59:52,840 Speaker 2: I am over at Hurdle podcast and at Emily Abodi 980 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:54,680 Speaker 2: another Hurdle conquered. 981 00:59:55,120 --> 00:59:56,160 Speaker 4: Catch you guys next time. 982 01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: My hair