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Speaker 1: What's up. It's way up at Angela Yee.

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Speaker 2: I'm Angela Yee and it's a Wealth Wednesday and my partner,

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Speaker 2: Stacy Tisdayly is here.

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Speaker 3: Happy Wealth Wednesday's everybody, and we are very excited. We

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Speaker 3: got some real sister power in here today.

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Speaker 1: Yes, Don Hanjas is here.

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Speaker 4: Hello everyone, Hi Don, how are you? I am doing great?

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Speaker 1: How are you amazing that as amazing as you've been

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Speaker 1: doing though?

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Speaker 3: I know we're just talking about some of Don's recent successes.

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Speaker 5: What you'll hear all about.

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Speaker 3: She is the co founder and CEO of FM Talent,

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Speaker 3: which helps people, helps companies find talent, find workers, and

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Speaker 3: it also helps employees. And Don built this multi million

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Speaker 3: dollar business with the front girlfriend by themselves. And when

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Speaker 3: she started doing it, she had a five year old son.

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Speaker 2: Who's right here and five So this started twenty years

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Speaker 2: absolutely and she you.

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Speaker 5: Had a full time job.

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Speaker 4: I did.

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Speaker 6: I did, and I was going to grad school full time.

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Speaker 6: So yes, my plate was full.

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Speaker 1: You did it all?

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Speaker 5: Question number one?

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Speaker 6: How I have to say, I just had a really

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Speaker 6: strong desire. I knew what I wanted to do. I

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Speaker 6: knew that there was a purpose for the business that

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Speaker 6: my co founder and I had. I knew I needed

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Speaker 6: a degree or a master's, you know, to really be

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Speaker 6: taken seriously in our space. I thought that having that

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Speaker 6: credential was going to make sense, and I really wanted

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Speaker 6: to create a legacy and a future for my family.

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Speaker 6: So for me, the way I did it was one

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Speaker 6: the doggedness and the real desire for the service, and

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Speaker 6: also my tribe, my family, my parents were my anchor.

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Speaker 6: They helped me significantly picking him up, you know, dropping

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Speaker 6: him off, and all of the things that we needed

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Speaker 6: to do to you know, maintain our life.

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Speaker 1: For people listening, can you talk about what FM Talent is.

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Speaker 4: Sure.

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Speaker 6: FM Talent is a recruiting and consulting firm. So we

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Speaker 6: provide traditional recruiting services, so perm placement, temporary staffing, and

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Speaker 6: recruiting outplacement. So if an organization wants to outsource their

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Speaker 6: recruiting arm, we would be the organization to do that.

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Speaker 6: And we provide management consulting services, so being in the

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Speaker 6: DC metro area, we provide government contracting in the areas

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Speaker 6: of financial management, grants management, and human capital strategy.

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Speaker 3: You started FM Talent, you had a full time job.

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Speaker 3: You said you had a full time six figure job.

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Speaker 3: You're taking care of your son by yourself. But you

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Speaker 3: saw a need in our community to no one was

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Speaker 3: really helping us prepare to get jobs. Nobody was teaching

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Speaker 3: us about the workforce, and that's really what inspired the

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Speaker 3: company absolutely.

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Speaker 6: So, you know, being a recruiter in a fortune fifty organization,

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Speaker 6: I had the opportunity to meet with a lot of

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Speaker 6: young people that I thought were extremely talented but really

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Speaker 6: just needed a little polishing. They needed someone to really

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Speaker 6: just share a better approach, to show up a little

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Speaker 6: differently so that they could actually close the job, so

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Speaker 6: that they actually would be considered. So it really wasn't

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Speaker 6: about skill set. They had the skill set, they had

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Speaker 6: the ability, just no one had taken the time to

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Speaker 6: really just pour in those extra nuances.

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Speaker 4: And being on the.

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Speaker 6: Corporate side, you really don't have the ability to do that, right,

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Speaker 6: you know, you you just can't. And so I saw

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Speaker 6: that there was an opportunity that we could really be

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Speaker 6: consultative in our approach working with you know, our community,

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Speaker 6: people of color, people that you know, really needed that

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Speaker 6: connective tissue for you know, landing opportunities that they didn't ordinarily.

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Speaker 4: Have access to.

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Speaker 6: So that was really kind of at the birthplace for

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Speaker 6: Etham talent or the launching off place for how we

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Speaker 6: got got started and what we wanted to accomplish.

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Speaker 2: You know what, I see this being a parallel to

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Speaker 2: in the music business right when labels want to sign artists,

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Speaker 2: but then artists don't have like the coaching or the

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Speaker 2: media training, kind of like how Motown used to be,

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Speaker 2: where not only are they helping to develop this talent,

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Speaker 2: but they're also making sure that they have everything in

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Speaker 2: place so that when it's time for them to get

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Speaker 2: signed or get a deal, they feel extremely comfortable and

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Speaker 2: they go in they're polished and ready to go.

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Speaker 4: And so that's exactly what we're able to do.

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Speaker 6: So we have the relationships with the organizations to be

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Speaker 6: able to place them.

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Speaker 4: We're able to.

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Speaker 6: Give them that mentoring and coaching to just kind of

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Speaker 6: equip them and get them ready to be successful when

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Speaker 6: they're able to to get the opportunity.

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Speaker 3: So your background is you were a dancer, you were

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Speaker 3: on Broadway, you had all this stuff and you got

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Speaker 3: this job.

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Speaker 5: What did you know about starting a business?

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Speaker 4: Nothing? So absolutely not. It happened absolutely nothing.

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Speaker 6: I mean I will say that I am a third

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Speaker 6: generation entrepreneur. So my grandfather owned a very successful trucking

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Speaker 6: company in the DC metro area.

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Speaker 4: My father followed in his footsteps, maybe.

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Speaker 6: Not as successfully as my grandfather, and and so I

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Speaker 6: was the third, uh you know, to do that. But yeah,

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Speaker 6: I mean I thought I was going to be a

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Speaker 6: professional entertainer. I was trapesing around the country, dancing, doing

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Speaker 6: shows and things like that. And when dancing behind master

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Speaker 6: P no longer was fulfilling.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't hold on you it behind master P. You

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Speaker 1: didn't sound on.

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Speaker 4: Videos and all of the things. And you know, I

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Speaker 4: was a trained dancer. So I was like, there's gotta

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Speaker 4: be more. So I came back home.

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Speaker 5: Entrepreneur, that is for sure.

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Speaker 4: For sure, I'd love to meet him. I have some

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Speaker 4: pictures with him.

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Speaker 6: So but yeah, I I came back here and started

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Speaker 6: working for a major organization, Fannie Mae, and you know,

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Speaker 6: started at the ground level. And I was really trying

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Speaker 6: to navigate my way. I'm very type A.

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Speaker 4: So when I see opportunities, I want to go for it.

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Speaker 6: And I realized that my trajectory was going to be

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Speaker 6: really as far as someone wanted to allow. And so

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Speaker 6: when I saw that there was an opportunity for us

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Speaker 6: to kind of put our spin on recruiting and consulting.

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Speaker 6: My business partner and I and it's a guy so

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Speaker 6: but my business partner and I we kind of for

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Speaker 6: two years just kind of nurtured this idea and figured

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Speaker 6: out how we could do this in a way that

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Speaker 6: was sustainable.

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Speaker 2: You guys were self funded right when you first started,

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Speaker 2: So talk about that process because a lot of people

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Speaker 2: are like, I have an idea, I want to start

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Speaker 2: a business, but how do I get it off the ground?

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Speaker 6: Right? So we were self funded. We uh, you know,

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Speaker 6: like I said, took the two years, so we were

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Speaker 6: saving up money, making sure that we had a little

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Speaker 6: cushion because we did not take salaries for the first

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Speaker 6: couple of.

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Speaker 4: Years we were in business.

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Speaker 1: No Celing, Yeah, I.

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Speaker 4: Mean you, I mean you just have to do what

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Speaker 4: you have to.

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Speaker 2: Do and everyone else gets paid before you. Like, so

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Speaker 2: I don't get paid, but every everything else has to

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Speaker 2: be taken care of it.

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Speaker 5: Don't you hate that? Well?

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Speaker 3: I guess a lot of coaches will say, always pay

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Speaker 3: yourself first.

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Speaker 5: Sometimes you just can't.

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Speaker 6: It's the great paradox. People look at you because you're

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Speaker 6: the business owner. They think that you're taking all of

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Speaker 6: the cash, but really you have to take care of

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Speaker 6: the business and the people first.

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Speaker 4: I mean, yeah, I mean if.

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Speaker 6: You want to have a sustainable business, so so yeah.

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Speaker 2: Trust me, and my business has I haven't made personally

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Speaker 2: a dollar off of it yet, but you know, there's

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Speaker 2: always a period of time that it's going to take

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Speaker 2: until you can reach When you reach that break even point,

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Speaker 2: you're like, okay, that's one milestone, but then everything else

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Speaker 2: still goes back into the business even after that.

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Speaker 6: And that's exactly I was just telling my son about

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Speaker 6: retained earnings and how I put the money back into

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Speaker 6: the business because there's so many things that are unforeseen

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Speaker 6: that happen that you need to prep and plan for.

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Speaker 6: And so you know, when you go into this, you

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Speaker 6: have to go into it for the long haul. It

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Speaker 6: can't be for the beachy bag both.

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Speaker 4: I mean, you know what I mean, Well, because you're.

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Speaker 6: Looking for sustainability, right, and so I think you have

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Speaker 6: to think of things, you know, from that long term aspect.

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Speaker 2: What's the balance also between making sure that you show

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Speaker 2: up looking like you got it also already, because some

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Speaker 2: people feel like when I go to these meetings and

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Speaker 2: when i'm pitching, I have to look like I'm the part,

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Speaker 2: you know, So there is a balance of making sure that, Okay,

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Speaker 2: I'm giving out this appearance like I got it, but

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Speaker 2: I also want to make sure I'm honest about what's

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Speaker 2: really going on.

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Speaker 6: I think, you know, you have to be your authentic

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Speaker 6: self when you show up, and I will say that

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Speaker 6: this and this may not be popular, but for me,

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Speaker 6: I'm in a client services business, and so it's important

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Speaker 6: that I show up in a way that is modest

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Speaker 6: and humble, because you know, I'm looking for people to

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Speaker 6: be able to or want to work with me and

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Speaker 6: want to give business to us. Sometimes people look at

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Speaker 6: you and make preconceived notions, and so I don't want

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Speaker 6: there to be any barriers that limit.

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Speaker 4: That for me. So you know, I think coming and being.

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Speaker 6: Polished, professional, not over the top has really been I

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Speaker 6: guess my formula.

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Speaker 5: And you all had early six.

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Speaker 3: The reason I thought it was a woman who was

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Speaker 3: your co founder is because you, I know, you benefited

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Speaker 3: greatly from being minority owned and woman owned.

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Speaker 6: Yes, so certification, Well, we were minority owned. We did

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Speaker 6: not become woman owned until I bought him out in

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Speaker 6: twenty eighteen. So but having that minority own designation, that

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Speaker 6: eight a designation because we were one hundred percent black owned,

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Speaker 6: is what.

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Speaker 1: We what we did now?

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Speaker 2: Okay, so you talked about buying him out in twenty eighteen,

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Speaker 2: So what did you have in place that you were

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Speaker 2: able to do that? Because I also think how you

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Speaker 2: structure a company to be able to when you're in

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Speaker 2: that position, figure out how can we move forward? What

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Speaker 2: happened that you said I want to buy him out?

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Speaker 2: And how were you able to do that?

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Speaker 1: Was it was? It difficult to make that happen?

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Speaker 6: So this was pretty easy the buyout, if I'm being honest.

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Speaker 4: He told me so.

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Speaker 6: He wanted to retire and be bought out. And so

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Speaker 6: I think I got that word in September and the

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Speaker 6: buyout was completed by January twelfth.

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Speaker 1: Okay, not bad.

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Speaker 6: So I mean it went really really fast. And so

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Speaker 6: I think if you have your operating agreement in place

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Speaker 6: for you know, so important absolutely, and you know our

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Speaker 6: attorneys told us to start the business and unwind it,

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Speaker 6: you know, inside that agreement, So how are you going

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Speaker 6: to to unwind that the business?

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Speaker 4: When it comes to.

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Speaker 1: Tally important, it's like a prenup.

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Speaker 6: It is. Yeah, it is, and I wish I had one,

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Speaker 6: but yeah, it was.

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Speaker 4: It was. It was pretty simple.

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Speaker 6: So as soon as he told me he was ready

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Speaker 6: to go, and we talked about whether or not that

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Speaker 6: made sense. We then had to go get evaluation to

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Speaker 6: see what the business was worth and to see what

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Speaker 6: the purchase price would be. I had to We had

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Speaker 6: relationships with a banker and so we were able to

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Speaker 6: get that pushed through pretty easily. And because we minority own,

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Speaker 6: we were able to get some guaranteed funding or backing

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Speaker 6: from SBA, so they guaranteed our.

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Speaker 4: Loan or my loan and amazing is it? Yeah it was.

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Speaker 4: It was quick, it was fast, it was easy.

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Speaker 2: So this is twenty years for your business this year.

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Speaker 2: So can you talk about early on, like some of

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Speaker 2: the successes that you had to let you know of

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Speaker 2: this was going to be a successful and valuable business.

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Speaker 6: Yes, so, I mean I would say that we had

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Speaker 6: really early success when when we decided to take the plunge,

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Speaker 6: there were a lot of things going on in the

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Speaker 6: marketplace where they needed services like hours.

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Speaker 4: So when I actually left, Fanny May became.

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Speaker 6: Our number one client and that was going through They

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Speaker 6: were going through some things where they needed a lot

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Speaker 6: of consultants. So we took off like gangbusters, right. We

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Speaker 6: already had a relationship, they already knew what we were

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Speaker 6: able to provide, and so they gave us a shot,

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Speaker 6: and so we were really really grateful for that. That

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Speaker 6: kind of landed us with Freddy Mack, then Discovery, then Mary.

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Speaker 4: I mean, we were getting all of these.

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Speaker 6: Emerging organizations that were leveraging our services. So you know,

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Speaker 6: the first few years were wonderful. I mean, I think

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Speaker 6: we had gotten in two thousand and eight, we were

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Speaker 6: up to about six million.

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Speaker 3: But two thousand and eight bum bumps, Yeah, so you're

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Speaker 3: for all.

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Speaker 6: Those Yeah, Then the bottom fell out of everything. So

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Speaker 6: the financial crisis hit and the services and the organizations

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Speaker 6: that were leveraging our services didn't have the spend for

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Speaker 6: that any longer.

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Speaker 4: So all of the people that we.

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Speaker 6: Had working in those organizations we had to you know,

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Speaker 6: kind of they had to leave those projects. And people

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Speaker 6: were not continuing to you know, renew those types of

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Speaker 6: contracts and relationships. We weren't even making any perm placements

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Speaker 6: and so we really had to sit down and figure

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Speaker 6: out how are we going to remain viable?

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Speaker 4: I mean, our families.

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Speaker 6: I was a single mom and you know my business partner,

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Speaker 6: he was head of household, and so it's like, how

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Speaker 6: do we continue to take care of our families in

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Speaker 6: a sustainable way? And oh, by the way, we've been

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Speaker 6: having a lot of fun doing this. We can't go back.

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Speaker 6: We can't go backwards. And so we decided to pivot

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Speaker 6: and move into the federal government space. So, because that

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Speaker 6: is people driven and that is what we had been doing,

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Speaker 6: DC good place to be, absolutely, we decided to take

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Speaker 6: the show on the road and start to you know,

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Speaker 6: position ourselves inside the federal government. So we had to

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Speaker 6: get smart really fast on how the government procures services,

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Speaker 6: which is completely different from anything that we had done

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Speaker 6: in the past. And we used all the state you know,

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Speaker 6: agencies and things of technical assistance to help get us

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Speaker 6: ready and we jumped into that space.

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Speaker 2: Now, for a period of time, DEI was very popular

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Speaker 2: in the workplace, and now a lot of places are

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Speaker 2: trying to get rid of that right with diversity, equity

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Speaker 2: and inclusion. There were roles people were appointed in these

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Speaker 2: different organizations and corporations and now it's kind of like

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Speaker 2: fizzling out. So how is that, Yeah, how has that

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Speaker 2: affected business.

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Speaker 6: So our business hasn't been affected by that. I mean,

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Speaker 6: the organizations that leverage us are still leveraging us. But

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Speaker 6: I will tell you this is a major issue that

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Speaker 6: is going to have long term consequences. I mean, you

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Speaker 6: know the history of this country is built on us

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Speaker 6: having to put these things in place so that we

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Speaker 6: can have some equity. I think organizations are really going

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Speaker 6: to suffer not having diverse pools to leverage. You know,

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Speaker 6: they recruit heavily from universities, and so if we're not

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Speaker 6: putting those things in place for them, I think it

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Speaker 6: will be a challenge. I'm also the board chair of

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Speaker 6: the Greater Washington Urban League, and organizations like that really

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Speaker 6: need to call leaders to the carpet making sure that

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Speaker 6: it is not just a talking point that we're not

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Speaker 6: just you know, doing something to tech chick check the box.

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Speaker 6: Can I get the words out there to check the box,

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Speaker 6: but really making sure that they are putting a plan

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Speaker 6: in place for how they are managing around diversity and inclusion.

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Speaker 6: And organizations like ours are specifically called in to make

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Speaker 6: sure that we are giving diverse slates of candidates. So

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Speaker 6: if people are having issues with finding placement using an

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Speaker 6: organization like ours is a wonderful way of getting your

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Speaker 6: foot in the door.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, And studies have shown that companies that have diverse

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Speaker 2: leadership definitely do well financially, better financially than those without.

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Speaker 3: And that's a I mean reality that we were talking

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Speaker 3: about our children and our sons, and my son's generation

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Speaker 3: is the first generation that is minority majority. So the

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Speaker 3: world is turning, the world is changed in color, and

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Speaker 3: companies have to get with that. Absolutely, But Angela is

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Speaker 3: staying with.

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Speaker 5: What you up about.

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Speaker 3: DEI it was a bit shocking for everybody people post

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Speaker 3: George Floyd.

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Speaker 5: They love black people.

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Speaker 3: They gave us grants, they gave us jobs, they gave

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Speaker 3: us money, we client everything, and then it was just

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Speaker 3: like the breaks stopped on that. So someone who places

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Speaker 3: people in jobs give our audience some tips on how they,

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Speaker 3: as people of color, we should be conducting ourselves on

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Speaker 3: our job search.

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Speaker 6: Well, absolutely, I mean I think I want to go back,

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Speaker 6: and this isn't self a grandizement, but I do think

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Speaker 6: organizations like FM Talent that place people is a wonderful

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Speaker 6: way of getting your foot in the door. For organizations

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Speaker 6: that just putting your resume on the job search or

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Speaker 6: their website may not provide you the same types of

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Speaker 6: results because.

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Speaker 5: Someone can go to you and work with you.

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Speaker 4: That's right.

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Speaker 6: They can go to us, they can work for us,

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Speaker 6: or they can go to us to help us place

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Speaker 6: them inside the organization that they've been seeking. We have

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Speaker 6: relationships with those organizations as well, and so that's the

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Speaker 6: reason why our tagline is bridge builders, because we are

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Speaker 6: creating opportunities for people to engage in ways that they

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Speaker 6: may not ordinarily be able to engage with that customer,

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Speaker 6: and so we can advocate for them as well in

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Speaker 6: ways that just posting your resume on a random job

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Speaker 6: board will not give you the same level of attention

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Speaker 6: for that you deserve. There's so many things that you

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Speaker 6: can't really be teased out in a resume that if

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Speaker 6: you have a relationship with an organization such as ours,

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Speaker 6: we can speak on your behalf around the things that

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Speaker 6: we know are really critical and important about that position

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Speaker 6: and how that candidate lines up with that. So I

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Speaker 6: do think, you know, I don't think that there's a

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Speaker 6: perfect answer to this one, because it really depends on

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Speaker 6: who's making the hiring decision, right.

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Speaker 2: Can you walk us through it for our listeners what

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Speaker 2: it's like if someone wants to come to FM Talent

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Speaker 2: to find out about getting placed in an organization that

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Speaker 2: they feel like they're qualified for, what you guys would

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Speaker 2: do for them, how they would come to you, just

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Speaker 2: so they know how the process works.

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Speaker 4: Absolutely.

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Speaker 6: So if you go to our website, you can switches

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Speaker 6: which is www dot www dot fmtalent dot com. And

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Speaker 6: so we have a career tab that lists all of

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Speaker 6: the positions that we are hiring for and we bifurcate

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Speaker 6: it from working on a contract with FM Talent or

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Speaker 6: working for one of our customers. So we break them out,

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Speaker 6: and because we are a national organization.

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Speaker 4: We break it out by jurisdiction as well.

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Speaker 6: So if you're looking for opportunity in New York, you

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Speaker 6: can find the New York opportunities. If it's in California,

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Speaker 6: you can find the California opportunities. And so once you

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Speaker 6: put your resume in there, we're doing a couple of

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Speaker 6: new things now with technology with video recruiting, so we

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Speaker 6: will have a couple of questions that you can answer

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Speaker 6: and lotus know a little bit more about you, and

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Speaker 6: then our recruiters will follow up and take you deeper

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Speaker 6: into the recruitment process for the specific job. There's you know,

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Speaker 6: if it makes sense, it lines up with what our

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Speaker 6: customers are looking for and.

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Speaker 4: We believe that there would be.

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Speaker 6: A viable match there, then we kind of move them

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Speaker 6: into the process with that customer. Or if it's for us,

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Speaker 6: or if the person isn't great for the opportunity that

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Speaker 6: we were looking at them for, then we'll line them

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Speaker 6: up for another opportunity that may better align.

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Speaker 2: What about lining up with any type of training or

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Speaker 2: things like that too, for people that maybe, like you said,

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Speaker 2: aren't right for the opportunity that they want. Is that

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Speaker 2: something also that is provided.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, So the training that we do is less workforce

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Speaker 6: development for people coming from the outside end. Our training

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Speaker 6: is more for employees that are already inside the organization,

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Speaker 6: and so we take them through a myriad of training.

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Speaker 6: It can be technical training with software, be you know,

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Speaker 6: soft skills. It could be leadership development. So we have that,

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Speaker 6: but that's like I said, more for internal.

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Speaker 3: You're kind of matching and monitoring we are. That's a

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Speaker 3: great resource. So we've got we've got you guys a job.

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Speaker 3: Back to how you built this business. You recently got

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Speaker 3: a thirty million dollar contract.

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Speaker 1: Okay, that's a celebration.

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Speaker 5: Yes, we listen to your story.

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Speaker 3: It was going great and you pivoted in two thousand

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Speaker 3: and eight and a lot of times we all, you know,

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Speaker 3: we hear so much about for entrepreneurs, have a business plan,

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Speaker 3: have this, have that.

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Speaker 5: Those are all great things. I'm an entrepreneur.

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Speaker 3: What I envisioned and what I planned and what really

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Speaker 3: happened looked like two completely different books. So talk to

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Speaker 3: us about the importance of pivoting and also when that

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Speaker 3: happens and not feeling bad about it.

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Speaker 6: Yeah, I don't think you can feel bad about it.

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Speaker 6: I think the only way that you lose is if

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Speaker 6: you quit. I think you should make I think it

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Speaker 6: should be factored into your plan that change is imminent

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Speaker 6: and we have to be flexible when those things happen. Gosh,

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Speaker 6: throughout my whole career, I think things have kind of

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Speaker 6: gone a little differently than what I expected.

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Speaker 5: Behind Master Pede.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, you're right, yes, yes, so, but yeah, I mean.

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Speaker 6: I think we have to be flexible and adaptable. There

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Speaker 6: are so many things, and you know, in the external

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Speaker 6: marketplace that we cannot predict, and so I think if

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Speaker 6: when those things happen, when those obstacles happen, we have

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Speaker 6: to view them as opportunities and see how we can

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Speaker 6: continue to add value in the space that we're playing

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Speaker 6: so that we don't become obsolete. I mean, we've seen

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Speaker 6: this so many times. I mean there's countless stories about

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Speaker 6: people that didn't want to pivot and they just wanted

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Speaker 6: to push forward with their agenda and they're not here

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Speaker 6: any long. I mean, I don't want to name organizational names,

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Speaker 6: but I'm sure a few come to mind when you're

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Speaker 6: not flexible in your mindset for how you're going to

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Speaker 6: do business.

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Speaker 2: Well, speaking of moving forward, let's talk about AI and

447
00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:24,560
Speaker 2: the use of AI for what you do, because it

448
00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,600
Speaker 2: feels like that would be something that could really help

449
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,119
Speaker 2: you even.

450
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:30,520
Speaker 4: More absolutely AI.

451
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,040
Speaker 6: I mean, you know, I think there are people on

452
00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,320
Speaker 6: both sides of the coin on this, but for us,

453
00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,320
Speaker 6: it is a way to make us source candidates a

454
00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:46,199
Speaker 6: lot faster, so it frees up our recruiters significantly more.

455
00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:49,919
Speaker 6: For once people have been vetted with the core you know,

456
00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,600
Speaker 6: competencies that you know a customer maybe need or that

457
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,760
Speaker 6: our project may need, then the recruiters can kind of

458
00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,439
Speaker 6: go in and start really digging deep for you know,

459
00:23:59,480 --> 00:23:59,919
Speaker 6: the hard.

460
00:23:59,800 --> 00:24:02,200
Speaker 4: And skills that make sense for landing that job.

461
00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,760
Speaker 6: So I think it's a wave of the future. I

462
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,120
Speaker 6: think it's wonderful done and used properly.

463
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,400
Speaker 2: It's not going anywhere, so you have to figure out anywhere.

464
00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:13,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I.

465
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:15,680
Speaker 4: Use it even in my day to day.

466
00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:19,480
Speaker 6: I mean it's like like an email like oh yeah,

467
00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,360
Speaker 6: I need to say it like this, and I mean

468
00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,880
Speaker 6: in two seconds, it just fits out exactly what you need.

469
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,960
Speaker 3: So it's really changed the workplace. The workplace has changed

470
00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,880
Speaker 3: dramatically since the pandemic. We've had you know, virtual, We've

471
00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,760
Speaker 3: had the Great Resignation, We've had quiet quitting, we have

472
00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,840
Speaker 3: all these different things. What and just from your vantage point,

473
00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,320
Speaker 3: what are some of the big shifts and how does

474
00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,800
Speaker 3: that approach how you go for a job. A friend

475
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,280
Speaker 3: of mine was telling me her son went for a

476
00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:47,560
Speaker 3: job interview a few weeks ago and she couldn't believe

477
00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,040
Speaker 3: he went to his interview in jeans.

478
00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,399
Speaker 4: Yes, yeah, I haven't caught up to all of that.

479
00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,520
Speaker 6: Let me just say that I'm still I'm a different generation,

480
00:24:55,840 --> 00:24:58,119
Speaker 6: so I really need to get my mind wrapped around it.

481
00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,040
Speaker 6: But I mean there's a lot. I mean we I

482
00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,760
Speaker 6: know this virtual reality is the reality. Us working at

483
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:08,560
Speaker 6: a hybrid or fully remote is the wave of the future.

484
00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,280
Speaker 6: I think gone are the days of people working one

485
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:15,040
Speaker 6: hundred percent inside the office nowadays, and I think we

486
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:19,240
Speaker 6: have to figure out ways that we can still get

487
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,240
Speaker 6: done the things that we need to get done, where

488
00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:26,199
Speaker 6: our workforce is still productive inside a space that you

489
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:27,439
Speaker 6: know they have.

490
00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:28,400
Speaker 5: They want balance.

491
00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,720
Speaker 6: So I don't really believe in the I don't believe

492
00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,480
Speaker 6: in balance. I really I think we have to. And

493
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,040
Speaker 6: so I'm gonna just wordsmith. I'm gonna call it work

494
00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:44,320
Speaker 6: life integration. I think when you start trying to fix

495
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,240
Speaker 6: and make this balance thing, I think we're setting ourselves

496
00:25:47,359 --> 00:25:47,760
Speaker 6: up for.

497
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:51,760
Speaker 3: Take Okay, I completely take the word balance back.

498
00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:55,280
Speaker 5: What I will rephrase it.

499
00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,600
Speaker 3: Generation Z has seen their parents' work fifty hours a week.

500
00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:04,800
Speaker 3: They've seen the toll it's taken on their relationships, They've

501
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,359
Speaker 3: seen the toll it's taken on their parenting. They've seen

502
00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:09,480
Speaker 3: that even if they did it perfectly and saved and

503
00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:11,720
Speaker 3: did all their four oh one K matches, they still

504
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,520
Speaker 3: don't have enough money to take care of themselves until

505
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:16,720
Speaker 3: they're ninety. So it's really going to be their problem,

506
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,360
Speaker 3: and they look at it and they want to do

507
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:20,840
Speaker 3: it completely differently.

508
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:23,840
Speaker 5: Yes, it totally.

509
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,240
Speaker 3: Makes sense, but they're still trying to get jobs from

510
00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:30,480
Speaker 3: baby boomers. Yeah, who think different? That's ridiculous. So how

511
00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,320
Speaker 3: do you navigate that? How did they navigate that space?

512
00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:35,960
Speaker 6: Yeah? I mean I think that the I think everyone

513
00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,919
Speaker 6: is just going to have to reframe their thinking.

514
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,200
Speaker 4: I mean the baby boomers.

515
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,560
Speaker 6: I mean, we have four generations in the workspace right now,

516
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:47,399
Speaker 6: have boomers that work for us, gen X like myself, millennials,

517
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,320
Speaker 6: and disease and so, you know, we cannot be monolithic

518
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,800
Speaker 6: in how we think about doing work. It's not that's

519
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:56,960
Speaker 6: not going to work today. I think we have to

520
00:26:57,000 --> 00:26:59,320
Speaker 6: meet people where they are and I think we have

521
00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 6: to figure out out, specifically as business owners, what is

522
00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:03,120
Speaker 6: the priority.

523
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:03,840
Speaker 4: So for me, the.

524
00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,280
Speaker 6: Priority is getting things done in a way that you know,

525
00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,760
Speaker 6: drives the culture that of excellence that we are trying

526
00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,439
Speaker 6: to move forward. And so it may not look the

527
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,600
Speaker 6: same way consistently throughout the organization. I think we have

528
00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:24,240
Speaker 6: to be flexible in how we approach people. I think,

529
00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:28,439
Speaker 6: you know, there are some people that are going to

530
00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,040
Speaker 6: have some people that kind of go off the grid

531
00:27:32,040 --> 00:27:34,239
Speaker 6: a little bit during the day, but as long as

532
00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:38,880
Speaker 6: they meet their deliverables, you know, we're okay with that. Right.

533
00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:44,199
Speaker 6: So I think organizations really have to now if you're

534
00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:46,800
Speaker 6: in a customer driven space where you have to be

535
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,720
Speaker 6: available for the customer, you have to do what the

536
00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,840
Speaker 6: job requires. And so but I think we have to

537
00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:54,520
Speaker 6: The point I was trying to make is that I

538
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,240
Speaker 6: think we have to think a little differently in how

539
00:27:59,240 --> 00:28:03,000
Speaker 6: we're going to get things is done today. I don't

540
00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,600
Speaker 6: think we can only be one way.

541
00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,760
Speaker 2: You know, one thing you talk about is the importance

542
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,960
Speaker 2: of mentorship and coaching, and that's something I've seen people

543
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,760
Speaker 2: debate about online, right because there's a lot of people

544
00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:16,840
Speaker 2: out there that call themselves coaches or that are offering,

545
00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,320
Speaker 2: you know, courses and different things that maybe not qualified.

546
00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:23,520
Speaker 2: So when we talk about mentorship and coaching, how is

547
00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,240
Speaker 2: it that you go about finding the right mentor or

548
00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:28,040
Speaker 2: the right coach?

549
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:33,280
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think so I've always had a coach, and

550
00:28:35,240 --> 00:28:36,720
Speaker 6: you know, I wish I could say I did it

551
00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 6: in a methodical way. I stumbled upon, you know, the

552
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:45,720
Speaker 6: first one just through you know, relationships, a network referral

553
00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,160
Speaker 6: you know, I mean, and then I right now am

554
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:52,760
Speaker 6: a part of a Vistage group, which is a group

555
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,720
Speaker 6: of CEOs, and we have a coach that kind of

556
00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:01,280
Speaker 6: chairs that Vistage group, and that has been really phenomenal

557
00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:05,400
Speaker 6: in my growth and navigation as a business leader. I

558
00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:09,600
Speaker 6: will say that you I believe, I believe that it

559
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:13,960
Speaker 6: is really helpful to have someone that can help you

560
00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,840
Speaker 6: see your blind spots, someone that can challenge you in

561
00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:23,520
Speaker 6: a way to take you deeper in how you're doing

562
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 6: your work, or you know, just just making you think differently,

563
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:29,680
Speaker 6: make you think deeper. I think you get to the

564
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:34,000
Speaker 6: better ideas that way. So I mean, I think that

565
00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,120
Speaker 6: also having a trusted advisory group, which we kind of

566
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:39,360
Speaker 6: get at how you find these people, because I don't

567
00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:41,880
Speaker 6: think there's only one way, right, I think.

568
00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,120
Speaker 4: There are these people are are all around. There's a

569
00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:44,520
Speaker 4: lot of.

570
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,920
Speaker 2: Coaches and not just on TikTok and Instagram that we

571
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:48,680
Speaker 2: just I just want to be clear.

572
00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:50,840
Speaker 4: Yeah, no, is that a thing.

573
00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:54,720
Speaker 5: There's so many coaches.

574
00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:55,640
Speaker 4: Out there, that's all.

575
00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,560
Speaker 2: I'm trying to get some tips from you for people

576
00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,360
Speaker 2: who are like I would love to find a mental

577
00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,360
Speaker 2: I would love to find a coach or as some

578
00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:04,240
Speaker 2: ideas on how to make sure that you're able to

579
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:05,560
Speaker 2: properly that that out.

580
00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:08,160
Speaker 1: But also how did you go about.

581
00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,440
Speaker 6: Yes, so it was absolutely through the referrals, through people

582
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:16,920
Speaker 6: that had worked or experienced you know, the coaching using

583
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,719
Speaker 6: this person as a resource, or that there was an

584
00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,520
Speaker 6: organization where coaching so Vistage Group is a you know,

585
00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,520
Speaker 6: a worldwide organization and others that have had experience working

586
00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,600
Speaker 6: with that group kind of is how I've navigated it.

587
00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:38,440
Speaker 6: So I think that you mitigate a lot of expensive

588
00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:41,920
Speaker 6: lessons when you can get others to help and to

589
00:30:42,080 --> 00:30:45,520
Speaker 6: share their experiences or you know, the experiences that they

590
00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:47,760
Speaker 6: have had that have been instrumental and helpful.

591
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:48,960
Speaker 5: That's awesome.

592
00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,080
Speaker 3: And there's one other one last thing I want you

593
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,240
Speaker 3: to touch on. I know you've both been in this experience.

594
00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,200
Speaker 3: You started your business with a partner, and a lot

595
00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:00,000
Speaker 3: of entrepreneurs when they set out to start new company

596
00:31:00,080 --> 00:31:03,000
Speaker 3: these and stuff, they really they isolate. A lot of

597
00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:04,520
Speaker 3: us tend to do that and try to go to

598
00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:09,520
Speaker 3: loan talk about that option of starting with a partner,

599
00:31:09,560 --> 00:31:12,240
Speaker 3: and how do you know that you're in a good

600
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,200
Speaker 3: place with one, How do you find the right partner yeah.

601
00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,640
Speaker 6: I mean again, I don't think there's one answer. I mean,

602
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:22,120
Speaker 6: I think for for me, I had to really trust

603
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:27,240
Speaker 6: my instincts and this is someone that I've known for

604
00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:32,360
Speaker 6: a while. So but I love the notion of having

605
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:33,480
Speaker 6: a business partner.

606
00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,120
Speaker 4: I miss not having.

607
00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:38,720
Speaker 6: A partner because you know, it's lonely at the top,

608
00:31:39,080 --> 00:31:43,480
Speaker 6: and it's really nice to be able to shoulder, you know,

609
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,640
Speaker 6: the weight of having a business and leading a business.

610
00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,000
Speaker 6: But I think it's it's like it's like a friend

611
00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:53,920
Speaker 6: or a marriage partner or whatever. I mean, you've got

612
00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:59,120
Speaker 6: to look at their life kind of do they have integrity?

613
00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:01,560
Speaker 6: I mean, you have to know that you can trust

614
00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:04,520
Speaker 6: that this person is gonna be there and do what

615
00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:06,320
Speaker 6: they said that they were going to do when they

616
00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:08,160
Speaker 6: said that they were going to do it, And if

617
00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:13,640
Speaker 6: you're seeing indications that that is not consistent, then you're

618
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:14,520
Speaker 6: you know, I think you.

619
00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:15,360
Speaker 4: Just have to.

620
00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:19,640
Speaker 1: Everybody says what they'll do until it's time to do.

621
00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,040
Speaker 4: It exactly, exactly exactly.

622
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,360
Speaker 2: Those are some hard lessons, Yeah, there's some very hard lessons.

623
00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:26,400
Speaker 5: But the signs are there.

624
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:28,600
Speaker 6: The signs are always there, and you just have to

625
00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,520
Speaker 6: be willing to see them and then to make a decision.

626
00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,160
Speaker 6: What does Maya Angelo say when a person shows you

627
00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:36,760
Speaker 6: who they are?

628
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:39,960
Speaker 4: I mean, I think it really there.

629
00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:45,080
Speaker 6: I mean I think that's just a real truth, right,

630
00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:48,760
Speaker 6: with a lot of things, but this kind of partner, this,

631
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:52,520
Speaker 6: this is even more. This is like a marriage. This

632
00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:54,440
Speaker 6: is absolutely like a marriage.

633
00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,240
Speaker 2: All right, Well, that's set up that operating agreement in

634
00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,560
Speaker 2: the beginning the way that you need to.

635
00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,080
Speaker 1: All right, well done again. Where can people find you?

636
00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:10,880
Speaker 6: So www dot FM talent dot com. If you want

637
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:13,400
Speaker 6: to reach out to me for any insight, you can

638
00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:17,320
Speaker 6: always reach out at contact underscore us at f M

639
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:21,640
Speaker 6: Talent dot com. We're on all social media platforms at

640
00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:24,480
Speaker 6: FM Talent source and and.

641
00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,040
Speaker 3: You are Don dot Hendrix H E N D R

642
00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:34,400
Speaker 3: I c K S on Instagram and just posting some

643
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,600
Speaker 3: great stuff. We are so proud of you. Thank you, congratulation,

644
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:42,280
Speaker 3: Thank you so much your insights and you got me

645
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 3: with the dance thing.

646
00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:43,800
Speaker 5: I'm still not over that.

647
00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:47,200
Speaker 2: Well, let's let's never forget Stacy was a professional figure skater.

648
00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:53,640
Speaker 5: To never forget athletes how to work. That's right. You

649
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:54,160
Speaker 5: bring it.

650
00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:56,320
Speaker 3: You bring it to everything that you do, which is exhausting.

651
00:33:56,400 --> 00:33:59,680
Speaker 3: That's another show all right, that's okay.

652
00:34:04,240 --> 00:34:04,480
Speaker 4: Well,