spk_0:   0:00
one of the biggest things that anyone conduce to improve their businesses work on customer service. On this episode, I talked to the authority of world class customer service John Doe Julius. He has literally worked with companies like the Ritz Carlton and Lexus, Starbucks and Nordstrom and Panera Bread and Nestle and Marriott and PWC and all kinds of other companies that you've heard of to help improve their customer service. On this episode, he gives some key takeaways that are going to allow you to really be intentional about building relationships, understanding the relationship economy, which happens to be the title of his fifth book, and and really improve your customer service so that you can build a business that lasts. So without any further ado, here is my interview with John Julius thing. Hey, John, thanks for being on the show.

spk_1:   0:51
My pleasure.

spk_0:   0:53
So I'm really excited to talk to you because you have had some amazing opportunities to work with some Awesome Cos, many of which were there on the wall behind you. So I'm excited to hear those stories. For a lot of people, it's a dream to get to work with companies like Ritz Carlton and Starbucks and dominance in all these major brands. But along the way, I'm sure there's quite a story of how you got to where you are. So I love to give everybody just a little bit of a chance to tell their own entrepreneurial journey of how you got where you are today and what that journey look like for you.

spk_1:   1:21
Yeah, it's all by accident. I love talking that college kids because I feel like I don't know about you, but I feel like they have so much more pressure on them today to have it figured out, you know, And And my butt ball, both my primary careers were total accidents. And I would have bet you know, you a $1,000,000 I wouldn't have done either. So the first business I open with my wife a small salon 26 years ago, and she was a great hairdresser, and and so we opened it for her, hoping it would take off. And then I could go on my sporting goods store. Whatever it was that I was gonna cocker and, uh, we actually fail. We failed. I was driving a truck in the acid. We didn't know what we're doing. And so I had to jump in the salon full time. And between my business activity, I wanted it to be a world class customs service organization, not in Rome, last hair salon, but a world class customer service organization. And then her technical ability. It just started exploding. And so, as results of the salon's growing really fast in the mid nineties, people started asking me to speak. And, you know, I was flattered that someone wanted, you know, here itself. I started sharing and so I'd speak it. Chambers of commerce would have it. And every time I spoke with lead two or three more opportunities where people can you come in and do that for my business? So then I kind of started studying the speaking industry, and I wrote my first book in 2003 and that overnight took me from a salon owner that spoke a little bit, too. No speaker that own salons, and ever since then, I just come out of my fifth book this in October, and now I spend 99% of my time in the consulting business all around customer service, getting to work with some phenomenal companies that, you know, I probably learned more from that. I teach. Then we're just about four years ago. But our third business, which is believe in Dreams, which is a nonprofit that just makes dreams come true for underprivileged kids. So that's the 26 year story, and in that shop, that's

spk_0:   3:37
awesome. I mean, I think it's interesting. So many stories that I hear from business owners. One happened on accident, if you will, like you said, and too often have some kind of dramatic failure at the beginning that required them to go. Okay, what are we going to do now? So when you're in the midst of that you said the beginning you were driving ups truck. That salon maybe wasn't going well, the very beginning. You're trying to figure out what to do about this. My dad, ironically, actually drove a UPS truck for years to, so I'm not coming and trying to figure that out. What was it that gave you? Kind of that said the tenacity or perseverance to instead of folding up shop going No, we're gonna press on, and we're gonna find a way to make this work.

spk_1:   4:14
So, you know, the one thing I left out was, you know, everything. I'm sure you'll find why we opened. It was because we were trying to fix up the drop. So when I was dating my wife the, you know, be engaged or married to her and she was working in the salon industry, you know, she she she couldn't take any time off. She wouldn't. You shouldn't have a benefits health, you know, no training. And a lot of her friends in the industry who were really tear it'd would quit to go get riel jobs in other industries. Because the slot machine back in the late eighties, early nineties, the salons were professional. They didn't offer the, you know, great benefits. And there was a longevity in it. So that's really why we opened that we opened that we thought we could really create something that offered employees something you weren't getting currently in the slot of the street. We thought we got on for an experience, that people work together, and we thought we'd get back to the community. So So we hired three other hairdressers that had this great following and along with my wife that we're just gonna get up, Just make millions and millions of dollars. And within the 1st 4 weeks, they all quit. Wanted nothing to do with our. Our business plan was pretty sophisticated. We still have it. It's about three cocktail napkins written on like we're out of bars. Oh, yeah, do that treat customers really want, right that and they all say they wanted nothing to do with our our cocktail napkins. So he was really out of that, that we said we'd rather go out of business than compromise and experience will just experience. So that's when we made this radical decision that we would only hire, uh, hair dresses out of beauty school, which you don't get back. You have an MBA hairdresser with a client up to get a job, you know? So it's a Catch 22. So we started taking people out of beauty school, training him for a year, training him the way we wanted them to be, to take care of that classically and then that just, you know, it took a little longer, but then it just I was just a rocket ship, so it was just staying true. to what we wanted to be and not taking short cuts, which is really hard to do.

spk_0:   6:33
Yeah, I think that's really hard. I mean, that's I think that's where a lot of people get stuck is they start to go. Hey, I'm gonna start today in the shortcuts, and they kind of you lose track of maybe why they originally started or what they actually believe in. They don't have that core anchor of these are our values or principles or beliefs or whatever you wanna call them. So I think it's really interesting that that is kind of one of those key differentiators for you in the beginning that allowed you to grow and succeed.

spk_1:   6:58
Yeah, you know, even today it's stuff. We take shortcuts every day. Or we could were attempted to because we're busy. And, you know, if we had another employee, we could be able handle, you know, even more suspect more money, and then you look in and so you could compromise and hire someone who doesn't fit your core values on. You could tell yourself whatever you want, but that's shortcuts. And so I always say, I'd rather lose the sale than the reputation, right? If I hire you and you're not the right fit person and I put you out there, yeah, get the sale. But we'll never recover the reputation and never get that business back versus if I can't service that, you know, sell something that almost makes us more intriguing because people get get to us.

spk_0:   7:47
That line right there is so huge I'd rather lose the sale, then lose the reputation. I think that's where a huge mistake for a lot of new business owners make because they're so hungry at the beginning and trying to figure out to keep the lights on, trying to figure out the pay, the bills. They'll just take anybody on their team because they need help. Or they'll take on any any client that another problem you're hiring. Clients don't align with you either, Um, and and then they end up losing the reputation, and that's something that's really hard to earn back up.

spk_1:   8:12
We'll get that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

spk_0:   8:15
So I'm really excited to talk about this sole topic, which is your area of expertise of customer service. One of my favorite new books that I just read was actually the co founder of Ritz Carlton. The Excellence. Winds by horse Schultz. Yeah, he talks so much about, like how much they value customer service, how important the customer is. You know what they'll do to take care of a customer in order. That customer will then come back. So, you know, you talk about this stuff all the time. I'd love for you to kind of get some tips or ideas here. Two companies are going. Hey, I know cause for service is important, but how important is it? And what are some practical things that I could put in place that are actually going to improve our customer service in the long run? And our business is a result?

spk_1:   8:59
Yeah, so, you know, to me, they're gonna be the cheapest, but you better be the best, and I don't. We choose not to compete on price wars. We compete. Experience works, you know. And our whole thing is we want to make price or relevant and how you make s o making press realm and doesn't mean that you conduct your prices to round up who's existing of potential customers. When it does mean is that based on the experience that your brand consistently delivers. Your customers have no idea what your competition charges, and that just means this world price sensitive. But we have a few companies handyman, character, whoever is that were so loyal to that. I couldn't tell you how they fare in their market, cause I'm not out shopping them against the lowest bidder. And that's where you know we want to live. That's where we want our customers. Who think of us is that they recommend us with them, and he asked me how much they charge, like, you know, you know, and then they can look it up. But that's not the first thing on their mind. So competed in experience is really important. And so we found that the biggest companies that the best companies that do that or Schultz did it with the Ritz Carlton is that they don't take anything for granted. They don't assume the employee has it. They teach service after two to the employees and service aptitude. Two minutes. People think it's common sense or it's an eight and it's really not. I mean, listen, most of us didn't grow up standing five star resorts, no Mercedes Benz when we turn 16 0 are flying first class. You have the first job. So we got we were expecting to give that type of experience of those texts customers. And that's not fair. I mean, it's not fair. You know, your front line employees life experiences didn't afford them that know how. So that's where we have to teach them what world class looks like.

spk_0:   10:56
Yeah, I think that's so important. Remember, one of these he said in that book is that Ritz Carlton they talk about How there, ladies and gentlemen, serving ladies and gentlemen. But to your point, if you've never been what you would classify as a lady, engine, lady or gentleman, how do you embody that without being taught it?

spk_1:   11:13
The first couple rich counted I worked with him, spoke at I was so shocked because right before I go out there, I take it it. You know, the GM any anything else should tell. Maybe. Yeah, trying to teach. You know, my my ladies and gentlemen, my frontline team members who've never staying and anything nicer than you know, maybe a retro fit. I mean, these air kids 19 you know, valet having Lamborghinis down at South Beach. We probably driving, Creates. And I was so shocked that he, you know, Jim at the South Beach writ and the same remind me with my hairdresser's were 23 cutting the CEO's wife. You know, the 45 year old person say same disconnect that we have to bridge those gaps.

spk_0:   12:00
So when thinking about teaching, obviously it's gonna very based on the size of the company and how they do it. But ultimately those core principles of being intentional about teaching or make all the difference. What are some things that you've seen that have been successful for companies? Is that group trainings? Is it online education? Is that what is it? That's a good place for especially a small businesses like people listening to this podcast. Where should they start? When it comes to training their people on how to be better a customer service?

spk_1:   12:26
Well, first places, you pick a path, and what I mean by that there's, you know, a lot of time just saying, Well, when did we hire you, say, 2012 we're reading fish. Fact that, and then you just so we're all reading raving fans back that, you know, and everyone came in under a management. By best South, there are, but pick a path, you know, and whatever is good or philosophy. Make sure everyone has to read that. But some of the best things increased people service aptitude is the first thing is, you know how people understand a day in the life of their customer because almost every single business out there, the customer facing an employee is not the custom. So there is courage in the receptionist. You know, the valet, the concierge, the bell meant are not the same age demographics or become level off the yes, stayed at the Ritz Carlton. So you know, they can't relate. We work in anytime fitness, their average, um, employees. Personal trainer is a 24 year old, right, Works for hours today, works out for our today. Doesn't know what to do with the rest of his day. Had three doughnuts at lunch. Still looks free. Yeah, hold a share. But their average, remember, remember, is a 40 to 55 year old trying to lose weight. Well, how about you? But at 24 if you'd walk into the gym at Jack and help, Please. I need to lose truck up. I'd be like getting the gym or Lazy 24. I don't know what it's like to be a 45 year old anything and, you know, metabolism and were 24 hours enough time today, 36 hours, enough time in the day and 45 aging parents and pressures at work, kids and all those things. So the answer doesn't mean we change. We hire. But we have to understand what it's like to be our customer from their vantage points. So we get more compassion and empathy and help them it be present and understand that our presence and their expertise is so critical to them to their day today.

spk_0:   14:42
Yeah, I think that's just so huge. It makes me think a lot about my own team. And I have a lot of young folks that work for me were, you know, in the tech marketing world. So it's typical to have a lot of younger team members. But we did the same thing that the vast majority of our clients are probably, you know, 45 to 65 years old, right? Yeah, and I have one person on my team that's probably over that eight totem. And so it's like everybody else's is south of 40 including me. I mean, when I started really young and so it's like it's some point, you know, you have to be able to look at the person and put yourself in their shoes. I think I told my team this morning was thinking about when we're giving advice to clients instead of asking them what they want, asking them what the outcome is that they're trying to achieve because the whole reason they're hiring us in the first place is they want us to figure it out for them, you know, And but it's so easy to go what he wants to d'oh like Gore were subverting half of the job by doing that. And but But until you talk about those things that you have those trains, you have those expressions. It's so easy to get upset because somebody is not doing that. Then I step back and go well, I never taught them to do that. We never had a training, was never talked through it. We never had a plan for it and I think customer service, like you said, it's really easy to think that it's just common sense. But it's really not because, you know, people honestly can be really hard

spk_1:   15:58
work. And you're right, you know, like in your own. You know, you're dealing with extra new hours and CEOs and so and they're getting hit by so many different things. They just want someone to come in and take that off their plate. That's why they hired you and you know they want, you know, now don't worry about the number one sales person might be leaving or the client distracting to leave those air fighters at the video that they have to go put out and beat him. And I say, You know, a good metaphor is Are you and your is your business in your CEO spot sel? And what I mean by that is your clients, your CEO clients. They have a metaphor foxhole, and they have a personal one and they have a business one. And if they're gonna get bond tomorrow, obviously the person want, hopefully they're taking their spouses and most of their kids, right, and they're taking him in that foxhole. This is one of their business, Fox. So they only fits three. Then your purse. You are You wanna you know, they can't fathom life without they could not fathom life without they could start over with a banker or a different printer or different, but that there are cheap. They could not live without variety, but becoming a trusted advisor, you know, anticipating their needs before they even know knowing their business better than they know. It is a lot of things that go to that.

spk_0:   17:22
Yeah, nobody's listening. I don't want you to miss the importance of what John just said that the whole idea there is really prevalent, especially I'm thinking about. You know, there's all this speculation, what the economy is going to do in the next couple years. We've been riding away for quite a while, and economies are cyclical. And regardless of who's in charge of what the policies are, at some point it's gonna turn again. It's a question about when it's going to turn how far it's gonna turn, but it will turn, and when it does, how can we be ready for that? I think what you're saying right now is something that's really relevant to that. Because if you are what I would consider to be a luxury or disposable to a sea level person there, you're gonna be one of the first things that gets cut. Assumes they even feel like the economy started to turn into Have to actually turn yet. Is that the feel like it's about to and you're gone. But the whole idea of the foxhole are you one of their trusted advisors Who they go? No, no, no. We have to have these guys. This this this team is my you know, they're my A team. I have to have them. That's why I like when our marketing is that Coleman remarking retainer. We call him a marketing partnership. And the idea there is basically, like work partnering with your jobs. Come alongside you and be your marketing department. You can't do without us, even a down economy. You especially can't do without its long because you need to double down on it. But But if we're not making him feel like that, I always tell people a lot times. Two facts don't matter. It's how they feel about the situation. If they don't feel good about it. It doesn't matter how good you think you we're doing or even how good the facts are. If you haven't made them feel that I feel the way they need to, you're in trouble.

spk_1:   18:49
And to be to go to a once a further, to be that brand, to be that vendor that they can't live without. So so what? I want my clients to think of it there. If their questions, they should paint their their walls or that their corporate office holiday Julia Stupid ass that now we're pretty sure the Jewish group doesn't know crap about paints. No, don't know someone that dot's way. Want to be the first person they think of when they need something resolved, even when it's beyond their spoke because they were that you were bored of advised. So talk

spk_0:   19:26
about that a little bit, But that's kind of an interesting perspective. Specifically around, they might be calling you for something that you don't even offer. It's a primary service, and I've seen some people some time, just kind of brushed. So go away. We don't do that. Yeah, versus like what's the appropriate way and how you would respond to it again. This seems like common sense, but my guess is a lot. People don't do this correctly, so somebody comes to you. It's totally out of your scope. It's not typically what you offer. How are you handling that client?

spk_1:   19:52
And we're very died were very narrow. We only do customer experience. So we just off the battle will you know, not be a fit for 40% of enquiries because you want sales. You know, not us. But you know, some excellent sales, and we're going to introduce you to them a warm introduction and then, you know, when it works out to let us right in the sales trainer and the company's appreciate it. So everything, you know that especially it's a client. They know that we don't go beyond that, but they know that we have a lot of clients for a lot of class that used people for measurements, KP eyes marketing technology. And they know that you know, we're resource for that on go. So listen way, get business. That was okay. We'll give you a 10% finder's fee. You know I want is that my kind appreciates the introduction, but if I said you have to use this and then you find out that I was getting a kickback. Yeah, well, now you're wondering, Did he really think they were the best for me? Or there was a hidden agenda so important to me that way? Refer people that we truly believe will benefit. You know, the clients. Um, and that by itself will make us even more infiltrated with that clients.

spk_0:   21:16
Yeah, that's huge. Goes back to what you were saying earlier. He said we don't compete. And price wars, we compete in experience. Wars. And what better way to show experience than by being a connector of people so that you might not offer that service? And you're very clearly going. Hey, where these things were great at. But we know a lot of people because we have a lot of experience. We've been in the industry for a long time. We've been helping businesses just like yours for a very long time. That is a huge value, Add. And it's not even something you're building for,

spk_1:   21:40
right? Right? Yeah,

spk_0:   21:42
but two things that I heard. I was listening to your text talk on YouTube earlier, and one of things that I'd love to hear you kind of expound upon. That you mentioned at the beginning was you talked about how a lot of times it's easy for us and easy for our team members to treat people as transactions versus people you know talk about that a little bit When you're talking about customer experience and the idea of how easy it is to treat somebody as a transaction, what are some ways that somebody could avoid doing that instead? Treat them in a way that actually have value.

spk_1:   22:16
Yeah, that's the time of my new book is called The Relationship Economy. And that's what it's about, you know, with the digital disruption today, you know, it's become so high tech, no touch. You were living in the touch screen age, and that's not generational specific list without man parents on Facebook and ipads it. It's just the nature. So with all these things, you know, it's really easy, and it's human nature to become preoccupied with my gay and my flight was delayed in my client, who's, you know, upset with us and my son was in trouble. All those things we really gotta work on putting the focus on the other person, and this is just a professional. This is personally to this is at home. This is in the elevator, and I do other than other than breathing and oxygen. I do not believe there is a greater show that we could work at Chiche and just enhanced on. They'll have a bigger impact for us personally profession and the ability to build instructor poor with us, whether maybe an acquaintance, a coworker customer or total strange. So you know, how do we do that? So we have to realize everyone come in contact with has an invisible sign above there at that says made me feel important. Yeah, and you know, there's Ah, Steven Covey set up. People don't listen the attempt of understanding. They listen with the intent of reply, and that's painfully sure, and scientists study the human breaks and found that it took the human brain a minimum a minimum of 0.6 seconds of formulate a response to something said. Then they studied hundreds thousands of conversations and found that it took the average person was responding in 0.2 seconds. 1/3 time our brain will allow us. Well, that just means I have my answer. Ready sentences ago before you got to wait for you to come up for for again, right? So what I like about, you know, what we teach and my free boys is your So you proved to me that you built your report with that one. Just because you're a 15 minute conversation with someone doesn't mean you build Europe or you gonna talk about yourself 15. So any time you have a conversation being 15 minutes an hour, 15 minutes, you have to walk away knowing tour more things that therefore o r d family. Are they married? They have kids holding their kids o stands for occupation, right? What do they do? They do it For how long? They've been doing it with her title. Ah fo r b r recreation. This is some of people's hottest buns. Right? Is your runner She coaches literally. You know, she's a musician on the weekends. Get on the back and then D is dreams. You know what's on their bucket looks You know what's there? There, There, there, there. Biggest thing that they want todo you know, former things of anyone sport and you collected. He focused on that instead of yourself. Instead of throwing up on them about what's one of your world. You not only built a relationship, he won't the relationship, because each one of us our own Ford, is our hot, huh? There's certain things that you don't want to ask me because you're going to regret asking because I'm gonna tell you because, you know, I get really excited. I'll get going, right? And two hours, everybody. Oh, my God. Right. But when you can find those things when that's what the badge of captains.

spk_0:   25:54
Yeah, I'm I'm gonna share that with my team and my boys as soon as I get off. This, ironically, actually have three boys too. So I mean, I'll just love that because it puts a framework around something I think that I inherently have, like, an idea about but to be able to see that family, occupation, recreation and dreams It's just so true, because I think so many times, especially on social media, like where people are the worst about this when it comes to non, they're even worse, it not in person, then they are online, and I always say it's like showing up in a networking event. I'm walking around being like, Hey, take one of my cards, Take one of my cards, take one of my cards, take one of my cards. I was like, Holy smoke did get out of here. You know, that's what we do, who we really were. But that's what a lot of people do on Social Media is Try and sell, sell, sell, sell, sell. And then to go back to your, you know, kind of topic of the book that hold the relationship idea. Um, is that it? Is there so much power in that relationship economy, um, to build report? And then even I was hoping you were gonna hit on the stats. Remember hearing that in the text to the 0.6 seconds to formulate a response, but the typical response is 0.2 seconds. So clearly people aren't thinking about it. They have the response already triggered, and I will be the first to admit I am so bad at that. My wife will tell you that for sure. Um, I like I I habitually interrupt. I habitually have something to say that's quicker, and I think for people like me Personality Waas and bright people like Like, if you're somebody like, sustained on stage and talk with which both of us do, you probably already have something to say. And so for me, I have to fight like I have to fight like nothing. Tedisco, hold on. Just wait, wait. Like and hear. Hear them all the way out. So I really appreciate you sharing that framework. I think that forward idea family occupation, recreation dreams. And let's listen to this that that alone is worth the time of

spk_1:   27:44
this. When I travel with my three boys, we play who can find out the most four from total strangers, right way will be drilling that poor uber driver. Yeah, but it's so cool when you get people talking deeper than the typical you know, service questions, they really light up.

spk_0:   28:05
Yeah, that's awesome. So how old

spk_1:   28:06
are you, boys? 26. 21 in 16.

spk_0:   28:10
All right, You're way ahead of me. My my oldest is 14. So, my boy, I have actually have five my kids or 67 and the boys or 10 12 and 14. So we're just entering teenage hood. Yeah, um well, that's That's actually a great transition to talk about the subject that I always like to hit on. I hate the term, but it's the one we use culturally of work, life, balance. And I'm curious what that even means to. You said you got three boys, so there's more to life than just work. Um, but what does work life, balance even mean to you? How have you kind of work through that over the years you come across is the kind of guy who probably enjoys what he does. And so it's easy to just work 24 7 I didn't I love what I do too. So what? Where's work life balance mean to you? And how is that kind of maybe change their different seasons of life?

spk_1:   28:59
Yeah, it's always been a struggle. You know, when you're you're building, your business is you gotta put a lot of time in there. But I've always been really good making sure that put the big rocks in first. So So what I would do is you know, for whatever reason, I think I would do it like it in, like, you know, February for the following year. So February of 2019. It's so nice with the Internet now, the calendar for the 19 soul you're 1920 comes out in all their days off spring breaks, Christmas holiday, summer vacations, all that. I get those and put them all across my my my calendar. So, you know, this is, you know, anywhere from 8 to 18 months ahead of time. And then everything else fills up around that versus the opposite, And I just always were really hard. Now, you know, 26 years into being an actual viewer, I haven't a lot easier where I could take the month of August off and, you know, we could really do some great things. But in the beginning, it was very, very hard. Was feast or famine? Yeah, I felt like, you know, the worst at in the world. You know, sometimes, you know, it was a pretty good string of a couple of weeks, So that's why I did not that one thing to make sure I never missed also their schedule. The rest. Let's schedule whatever activities were in. I always make sure those were important, but family life is everything. I have a personal mission, says, I want to live in extraordinary life. So countless others do. Yeah, so I don't want to live in extraordinary life. So I have, you know, more houses, more vacations, more bank accounts. It's It's so you know, the people around me can and and obviously that starts my boys, my family and, you know, But how do you live in extraordinary like, Well, it's quest. Surround myself where right? Positive people who I allow into my, you know, into my collection of people wouldn't feed myself exercise, listening to great podcast that motivated may reading the right books. So I have, like, a whole checklist of things and trust me more times than not. I'm not living an extraordinary life, and I want to start feeling it. I'll go to that shock less, and I can see right away what's deficient. And I could I could get back to that because I feel that, you know, we all have seats, a potential, and it's our it's our responsibility. Thio, fulfill those potentials. Otherwise we cheat those around us. All our clients, all our employees, our kids and all the people they come in contact with So

spk_0:   31:47
I think that's Yuji. There's a couple of key things there that I think I want to highlight. That you mentioned one is the intentionality of scheduling. I mean, to look out a year in advance for most people seems pretty stream seems pretty extreme to me. But, wow, if you know, that's gonna be the case that you're gonna be able to make that work says you're not booking things that time for you wanted to be with the boys. That makes a big difference. The whole idea of having a personal mission statement. I think a lot of people are struggling just to have their own company. Mission statement. I've heard this a lot over the last couple of weeks, actually was a big event a couple weeks ago. Lot for pushing this idea of personal mission statement, and it gives you that grounding point. But this is my purpose, is why I'm here. Is that what I'm supposed to be doing? So what? Things don't align with that. You're able to kind of re adjust. And in the last one that you mentioned, there's a new book coming out by a guy named Ken Coleman. He's one of Dave Ramsey's personalities called the proximity principle. It's kind of mouthful, but it's what you were talking about, which is surrounding yourself by people with people who are a plus kind of folks, because you and you put yourself in the right room with the right people. It's amazing what and then come of that as a result,

spk_1:   32:50
I've never been a collector of anything except for people you let rare. The only thing I will grab that is the people I collect. Everything else has been a product of that. But like the you know, I'm acquaintances with a lot of people. But the people that I allow into my inner circle and spend time with their just great they're all really good husbands under the type of people say, Hey, you know, didn't you tell your wife that you're gonna be home by you know it's It's 7 50 We should wrap it up first to say, Hey, let's have one walk, right? Surely five or your time to say, Michael for a run or, you know, whatever that is, Um, yeah, well, our people in our lives that, you know, I'll see once a year that, you know, you know, they're my wedding 25 years ago, but they really are who I need to be spending too much time with because, you know, it rubs off. Everything rubs off.

spk_0:   33:48
Well, there's that old adage. Remember who said it originally? But you're the average of the five closest people to you, and there's just so much truth to that one other thing I'm gonna circle back to the dimension and passing. But for people that may not be familiar with this term, I think it's really important Is that you're talking about work, life balance. You said you put the big rocks in first. And if you've never heard that term or idea before it comes, I think Stephen Covey principle to, um, originally. And he has this idea that you have a big jar, big vase. And if you were to just feel that bass up with water or with sand originally, it's gonna fill the whole thing up, and you can't put the big rocks and the big rocks are the most important things. So if your other listening, you've not heard that before. Disco. Google like, you

spk_1:   34:25
know, getting

spk_0:   34:26
rocks goals. YouTube There's plenty

spk_1:   34:28
of rocks, sand in water. You have to put the base right. So for whatever reason, maybe it's the order they get. People put the sand and the water, and then they fit like a few of the rocks because it so if you put the rocks in first, the sand and water filling between the club and everything fits perfect. It's a great rate metaphor, too, You know, I was doing it wrong. I realize that. You know John schedule. He has a three games next month. I bury bought. Yeah. What's not my fault? Yeah, it's Yeah, because that schedule came out, you know, like, nine months ago. So as soon as that schedule comes out now, I put that in and people can take those. So it's exactly that putting the big rocks in because another quote I like is you could say all day what your priorities are, but I could look at your calendar and your counter people's your priorities. I love my kids. I love my wife, but I'm looking at your calendar. That's right.

spk_0:   35:31
Yep, absolutely. It's it's You gonna talk the talk, walk the walk for the same the same where they'll say your calendar in your checkbook almost was like checkbooks. Maybe anymore, exactly the same. But calendar bank account. You look at those two things, I'll tell you exactly what you value and a lot of times, Unfortunately, it's not what we say but taking the time to go back and look at them and do a little self evaluation going. Hey, I say that these things are really important to me. I was I'm in an executive form with some other guys and one of the guy's just talking about how important his marriage was. But then he was talking about how he hadn't had a date in a long time, and it was like, Well, you say that that's the most important thing but you haven't really done anything about it. So how is that the most important thing? And you kind of go, Oh, right. Um,

spk_1:   36:11
E O R.

spk_0:   36:14
That's a C 12 group that I was in a similar kind of thing. So we're wrapping up here. Ah, you're the kind of guy I love to talk to you all day because you got so much great knowledge and inside. I really appreciate you being on the show, but there's a couple things I never want to miss it the end Three specific things I want to ask you about. The first was gonna be How do you keep growing your own knowledge as you're pouring out in the books and people and speaking, How do you keep growing? Think that's important? The second is any last tidbit. You don't leave the people that we haven't gotten to talk about, and the third will be. Where can people find you online and a little bit more about what you do? So the 1st 1 How do you pour into yourself? How do you keep growing as a leader and as a teacher and as an entrepreneur,

spk_1:   36:55
I'm an education junkie? S o. I take every badge always reading. I really try to read every night for 15 minutes. Now do something I think is different. It's not better, but I really read five books simultaneously now. But understand, I'm not reading more than you or the person I but what on? But see, I have to read on business motivation, health, fitness, parenting relationships. And if I only read a good business book right now for the next release I will suffer in those other area. Makes sense when I tried to read is Is five minutes a night on each one of those areas? It's just me and ends up being 34 nights a week. Not every night. Sure, just by visiting those areas, you know, several times a week makes me a little bit more presents. A parent needs to be, you know, you know all those other things. So that's that's what really helps. So that helps, you know, reading it, attended conferences and all those things.

spk_0:   38:01
I think that's great. That's an interesting idea of breeding multiple looks at the same time. So you're not just stuck in one wheel house. I've had that happen to me where I'm kind of focusing this one book and then I'm forgetting about whatever because I'm just focus on this one topic that's interesting. Anything else? We kind of not covered that you feel like a If you were speaking into a small business owner or somebody trying to build a business that last, what's what's something you Maybe we haven't you really thinks important. They should think about,

spk_1:   38:26
yes, great questions You know, my biggest thing is is that my son cliches. It's just really know why you put the business together s o early on. You know, I told you we put the business together because we really thought we get our first business to something you need for the salon industry, employees and customers in the community. And then when we there's times you know a lot, Really, I'm still on occasion where I'll be sitting in my driveway, sick to my stomach. They can Oh, my God. Did I just make a mistake or we're gonna go out of business? Do I have 150 employees looking for a new job? Because, you know, you get scared and we will go through that, and I always stop and think what was the whole remember the goal. And then I think I'm doing yeah, you know, people make a pretty good living that I don't think otherwise they were making. We're doing pretty good things for customers, you know, the festive spirit really given back to the community. And then I used me, gets a recharge to then take on the beast that whatever you know, chicken, my tail that whatever has to be scare instead of crawling up in the fetal position. So when you really have that, that that true purpose and then you go back to it, it will help you get through the rough times they're bound to come.

spk_0:   39:52
I think that's phenomenal advice, John. You really shared a lot of stuff that's really been valuable to me personally, and I think it will be to the audience as well. And certainly my team, which I will go back and share with them. Um, where can people find you online? If they want to learn more about your what you do, where's the best place for them to look?

spk_1:   40:06
John Julius. Anything out of social Media? The Julius screwed dot com, The DD Julius Group or John Digitalis

spk_0:   40:17
If you wanna have a spell that it's d I J U L I U S. John, Thank you so much for being on the show. Today has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you. I hope this episode has given you some ideas or inspiration that will help you grow your business. If you found it helpful and you know somebody else who might benefit from it as well. I would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to share this with him, maybe on Facebook or Twitter, or linked in, or even shoot an email over to a friend with a link to this podcast in it. And if you haven't already, make sure you sign up for email list at building a business that lasts dot com.