Stories, Success & Stuff
Episode 12: In It to Win It
Competition - is it needed for success? Does it even truly exist? In a time when the entire world is accessible through the click of a button, success may seem harder than ever. In today's episode of Stories, Success & Stuff, we're looking at the role competition plays in business, human development and personal insight.
Through stories of personal experiences, Kristelle Siarza and Jace Downey examine the different sides of competition - motivation and destruction. Moreover, we delve into the concept of servant leadership and the importance of using competition as a tool for self-improvement. From local rivalries to climbing the ladder, ABBA to the World Championship of Punning, we've got it all covered! So, are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the good, the bad, and the fun of competition? This week we're in it to win it!
A Siarza Production
Hosted by Kristelle Siarza Moon & Jace Downey
Executive Producer: Kristelle Siarza Moon
Producer: Jace Downey
Video/Editing: Justin Otsuka
Watch episodes at siarza.com/siarza-podcast
Follow us on FB, IG, TT, YT and TW @siarzatheagency
Follow Kristelle @kristellesiarza
www.misskristelle.com
Follow Jace @jacedowneyofficial
www.jacedowney.com
Competition - is it needed for success? Does it even truly exist? In a time when the entire world is accessible through the click of a button, success may seem harder than ever. In today's episode of Stories, Success & Stuff, we're looking at the role competition plays in business, human development and personal insight.
Through stories of personal experiences, Kristelle Siarza and Jace Downey examine the different sides of competition - motivation and destruction. Moreover, we delve into the concept of servant leadership and the importance of using competition as a tool for self-improvement. From local rivalries to climbing the ladder, ABBA to the World Championship of Punning, we've got it all covered! So, are you ready to embark on a thrilling journey through the good, the bad, and the fun of competition? This week we're in it to win it!
A Siarza Production
Hosted by Kristelle Siarza Moon & Jace Downey
Executive Producer: Kristelle Siarza Moon
Producer: Jace Downey
Video/Editing: Justin Otsuka
Watch episodes at siarza.com/siarza-podcast
Follow us on FB, IG, TT, YT and TW @siarzatheagency
Follow Kristelle @kristellesiarza
www.misskristelle.com
Follow Jace @jacedowneyofficial
www.jacedowney.com
There are some people that use competition very negatively, absolutely. That's not the way that I see good leadership. That's, in fact, I think bad leaders use competition for selfish reasons and for ego.
Speaker 2:Oh man. So, speaking of ABBA, I was walking the pups and I heard my name and it was my neighbor. She's very cool. And she was dressed so sparkly. I'm like where are you coming from? And she said I'm coming from an ABBA-Kirky show. And I said say more words. And she's like, please explain. And she says ABBA-Kirky has an ABBA cover band called ABBA-Kirky.
Speaker 2:And I was like what, I'm sorry, what? And I got very excited about this. And so she starts telling me about it and I am stoked to a weird degree, so much so that apparently she thought I was making fun of her. And so this past week she was like, hey, jase, I was gonna put a note on your door, like I'm not sure how you and I was like August 11th, abba-kirky at Launchpad. Oh baby, I'm gonna be there. And she's like are you really? And I said yes, I'm very excited. I started following them right away. And she goes I thought you had been making fun of me. Oh no, and I was like no, ma'am, absolutely not. I'm like, I'm super excited. I've had it on my calendar for weeks. I've been gearing up. Is it a nighttime show? It is a nighttime show, shit I have the kid.
Speaker 2:It's never too early to introduce a kid to ABBA. Oh, I went to ABBA cover band I introduced him to the OJs at like.
Speaker 1:You've got two. Three months in the womb, You've got two. But is it an all ages show.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I never think about those things. It does sell out, apparently, but I've like told everyone, no one has yet to match my enthusiasm for the fact that we have an ABBA cover band, but I can't tell you I'm very excited. Oh my goodness. And so she's like so you actually, and I was like, yes, I started following them immediately. She's like do you want to walk over together? I'm like, yeah, absolutely, oh, that's right, he's super close.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so now I've got to find an ABBA worthy outfit as well. And my big sister's coming and she was like I don't even know who ABBA is. And I'm like, how are you guys going to leave me? I'm like we're the same household. She can sing you every two pock song that ever existed. The girl doesn't know who ABBA is. We're very different people. But yeah, that's, that's epic, it is epic. And I feel it naturally brings us into today's topic of competition, for there is no competing with ABBA.
Speaker 1:I was like Jace, how are you going to pull this? So many we go and bring it around.
Speaker 2:We go and bring it around. Yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, definitely have to talk about this cover band.
Speaker 1:I'm going to report back after the show, or you might see me there if I can swing it, because yeah, no, that's great. So the topic today is competition. How is it important to various different parts of success stories stories to share? Normally, whenever we have a podcast we kind of talk about, we put together an outline in terms of what are some of the stories to share. So this one caught my attention. I don't believe in competition for most industries, which is hysterical because I'm like crush the competition. That's me in my head. So where are you coming from on this one?
Speaker 2:OK, I first want to say I'm really glad you weren't wearing this shirt for last week's episode on tears, because I can't take you entirely seriously with the great Cornholio looking back at me. I just have to call that out, so if I start weirdly laughing. That's why, Well, before that, wait, hold on hold on.
Speaker 1:So before the show, you guys were talking about how you guys like steel, you being the other person, being Sophia, our intern, who's in the room today, and how you might have siblings clothing or on, or two. My son didn't want to wear this shirt anymore, so I did. Yeah, so it's Cornholio. Yeah, ok, anyways. So OK, so you can't take me seriously. Got that? Yep, the topic was I don't believe in competition for most industries, that's true.
Speaker 2:Because you cannot replicate a human.
Speaker 1:Help me, I'm not falling All right.
Speaker 2:So if I think about Mia as a public speaker, there are thousands and thousands and thousands of public speakers and we could even talk on the same topic, but in no possible way are they ever going to do it. The Jace Downey way Can't be replicated. Even if we look at material here, where we have clients and we all have, we have our degrees and we have our training and we do our marketing and then we do the copy and all the things, we'll never do it the same way. Sure, or? I learned this in film school where we'd all get the same project, we'd get the same assignments with the exact same instructions. No two people would have film projects that looked remotely similar because they interpreted it in their own way.
Speaker 2:Where people are involved, you can't compete with them. Ok, and the things that I bring are very different than what you bring. We're not compete. We're both public speakers in the space, right? But someone's going to want the Crystal Sierza experience, sure, and I can't compete with that, even if I'm talking on the same subject. Same is true with our agency. There are other agencies in Albuquerque, but if they want this experience, we have no competition. Ok, now I'm following, yeah, and we might offer similar things, maybe similar prices, all of that, but everyone, because we can't take people out of business. And we've tried, we've tried so hard but we can't do it. And so someone might look at all of the info and we could be even on everything Sure Price, delivery, product, whatever, and they're going to interview the companies, whatever.
Speaker 2:Whoever is about to fit, and some people are going to love another company and others are going to go only this one. These are, for me, right. When people are involved, which they always are in business, there's no competition.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to say it, which is flat out totally different mindset, yeah, totally totally different mindset. When it comes to competition, and that's our thing. Totally different mindset. And there are times where competition can get vicious, stupid and really ill-natured, sometimes even to the point of deadly. Yeah, which is Tupac and Biggie Perfect example, right, completely unnecessary, completely unnecessary.
Speaker 2:Stupid is the best word, because it is completely unnecessary, sure.
Speaker 1:But think about this for a minute. Right, I'm not going to try to convince you, I'm not going to try to Hit you with it.
Speaker 2:Let's do it. Convince me.
Speaker 1:So how could Batman be Batman without Joker? Could an agency like ours float by or would we be driving by the competition? Right, and I'll tell you this. Ok, so strategic planning happened every November. So where I sit down and I talk about what is the trajectory of the organization and where do I want the organization to go, I had a moment where I said you know what? We are going to be the top agency in the Southwest.
Speaker 1:I very much respect Joni Griffin, tom Gherty, della Sparsa, all the competitors in the market. I know some of them, or their staff, even listens to this. And I said I'm going to make it a very healthy competition, just for myself to say that we are gonna be the number one agency in the Southwest, because that to me, competition to me, and in that particular scenario we have to get to the top as a metric of a measurement of success, not quite the outcome per se, but the output, and that's a very classic APR. That's a classic PR measurement, right, how do you measure success? Or how do you measure changes in outcomes, et cetera? So, example we've been able, as an agency, to move up in the list. Finally, we hit number two From 10 to two in a year. 10 to two in a year Not bad. It's the fact of beating the competition that gives me motivation, among other reasons, other motivators to make sure that we say on track to finally get to the top.
Speaker 2:And my question would be the top of what? Like we do top the charts in some areas. So, like, the top of what, and who's deciding and what factors are being included in that?
Speaker 1:Great question. So I consider competition a strategy, and that like if there was one takeaway from this entire conversation. Competition to me is a strategy. So in terms of what? In terms of numbers? So Albuquerque Business First respected publication out of the business journals, collaboration, collaborative newspapers. They have a list that they rate all the publications advertising, web design, agencies. They rank them by two metrics Annual sales, number of local employees or employees, and we're at number two specifically because of the number of employees. Why is that a strategy for me to get to the top? It's a strategy for me to get to the top because in order for me to grow the number of employees, I have to grow our annual net operating income Probably the first time I'm gonna actually talk in numbers, right, which is really my day job here with Ed. So in order for me to grow the number of employees, I have to grow the net profit number. If I don't grow that net profit number, we're not gonna be at number one. Net profit means more clients at a reasonable, affordable rate for everybody around our community. So competition is actually helping me draft the tactical plan of growth within the organization.
Speaker 1:Have you ever heard of the book of the Art of War. Yes, Very similar to that. Now there's a lot of things that are in. I haven't actually read the book, I think. God, there's a graphic novel I love.
Speaker 2:Michael's read it. I own it, but no, I haven't read it. I don't know what I read.
Speaker 1:It's just sitting there as a decoration on my bookcase, so like. But the Art of War just talks about strategy and competition. Right, how do you be better than the other? There are some people that use competition very negatively. Absolutely. That's not the way that I see good leadership. That's, in fact, I think, bad leaders use competition for selfish reasons and for ego, a topic that we plan to talk about down the road, andy, I think using competition as a way, as a motivator as well as a strategy. No harm, no foul in that, all right, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'll get on board with that. Yeah, I think in the market, though, I stand by what I say If there's one slot on one list, because we're going to hit the top on others, right, and we do. Being a family-friendly workplace, there are things that we do better than other people do, which is super cool, right? So I hear you, I'm like OK, there's this one thing, this one metric, and only one person can get the metric, and we want to be that that gets it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, ok, I also wouldn't. I also look at indirect competitors. So classic MBA. Right, you have classic MBA.
Speaker 2:You have far more acronyms in your world than I do in mind. I know right, I'm just going to make some up CFPs.
Speaker 1:Wait, that's a certified financial plan. I don't even remember mine. So, mba school, they teach about competition from a marketing perspective, and then they teach there's direct and indirect competition. To me, indirect competition is your freelancers that are out there, your independent agency boutiques, and then you've got the big edelmans, burst and marsellers, the large agencies across the world. Those folks have 2,000 to 5,000 people making at least $1 billion in revenue. That's not us. They're indirect competition. That's important for us to know.
Speaker 1:What's out there, though, because it helps navigate against. Strategy is what can you lean on or what can you leverage to hit a metric of whatever sort, and I think competition steers us in a really good direction, but it also elevates us in a different direction, so we can be a better employer, a better agency, et cetera. I know I'm saying really bold things. That's probably going to piss off an owner here, but I also want somebody else to compete with me, and I want somebody else to say I want to be better than CRS' team. Yeah, good luck. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Fight and work. I mean that, though. Like think of it, yeah, think of it this way. No, I dig it. Yeah, how do you be better if you don't know what that metric of love of better is? Yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm having feelings around that word, and this is why we're a team right, where I look at things from a different space, where I don't want to be better. I want to look at what do we offer that no one else can.
Speaker 1:Or as a good friend of mine, jack from San Diego, jack Abbott. Jack crushed his competition 100% In the days of AOL and the beginnings of the internet. He had a multimillion dollar digital agency and I said I called him once. I said, jack, how the hell did you do it? How did you crush your competition? He said I made the client feel like they were screwed without us, mm-hmm. And I said, oh, that's a really interesting point. And once I share that feedback because I don't want to go back to the days of Prodigy and AOL doing digital marketing, then like that's not what I'm asking to do. I think it's just kind of funny or kind of interesting that Jack said what he said back then and how that actually ripples for the community moving forward.
Speaker 2:And I think we've really shifted into a time where success is only going to come through collaboration.
Speaker 1:Sure, oh, 100%. But again it goes back to the metaphors of soccer, football et cetera. Ok, let's take the one.
Speaker 2:Yes, I understand them, so please share them with me, because I definitely will know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about women's soccer for a moment.
Speaker 2:Cool, because the rules are different, so I understand that differently. So please continue Check the ball.
Speaker 1:It goes on, the goal Got it. So teamwork for women's soccer is a critical, critical piece, and especially with the fact that on the field they have to work together to make sure that their defensive and offensive strategy is critical. You have a confused look on your face.
Speaker 2:Because isn't that true in men's soccer too? Yes, so, why are we saying for women, they have to work together.
Speaker 1:Sure I specifically bring them up because unfortunately the United States women's national team just got kicked out of the World Cup.
Speaker 1:It's relevant, yeah it's very relevant to our conversation from today, and I'm not saying that men are women. Actually, this is where it is relevant for women On the field. They had to make sure that they won the World Cup period. They had to beat the competition which was the rest of the world Off the field. They very much had to band together too. Even with a clear leader, megan Rapinoe, they still had to band together off the field to advocate for fair and equitable wages for female soccer players and they had to do it together.
Speaker 1:If it was just Megan, it would have gone somewhere, but with the entire women's soccer community behind the fact that women needed to be acknowledged, they wanted to change the conversation that other female players or other female sports are paid less and it should be always that way. They wanted to elevate themselves from a professional status. Well, that doesn't quite directly relate to competition. That does go back to the collaboration piece. They couldn't have done it just alone.
Speaker 2:So here's a local example that is a hot topic for me. So I'm big in the dance world, Dancing if I'm not here. I'm probably dancing and I'm part of multiple dance communities, and one of them in particular is a tough one to succeed in as a business. Albuquerque is pretty small. In general we're growing, but for niche communities it's pretty small right or it's just about a million in the metro, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:And most of those people aren't out doing this particular dance, and because it's so small, I'm not going to say which one it is. But there are all of these instructors and studios trying to succeed on their own and nobody's doing it with just teaching this style of dance. They can't do it, and they're all spreading resources out for studio space, for marketing, for their advertising, for all of the things, and then everyone's failing. That's real dumb in my mind, because they think they're competing with each other and the truth is they're not, because one person is going to resonate with this teacher, while another is going to like this one, or this one just goes to that studio because it's near their house, or this one has chosen it because it fits their schedule.
Speaker 2:There's no competition going on here. They could all actually succeed relatively easily if, instead of working against one another, they created a collaborative and then all pooled resources for their marketing, for their promotion, for their insurance, all of the things, and they would not be competing with one another and it would create an even better experience for people within the community. But they believe that they are competing for students in a small market and they will all fail, as they always have. We see generation after generation of business owners failing because, instead of recognizing if we work together we have a stronger community and there's more resources and money for all of us, they compete unnecessarily.
Speaker 1:Why do you think there's a creation of associations and executives in trade associations? 100% Brewer's Guild, perfect example. The New Mexico Brewer's Guild started when the beer manufacturers and brewers, specifically the brewers, started to populate. You had marble, you had fucking tractor boxing all of those folks. While marble started to, in terms of asset sales, a number of kegs produced because that's, I think, their measurement for the sake of volume. Measurement of volume, not measurement of party.
Speaker 2:So can we please get a measurement of party in the mix at some point?
Speaker 1:Let's just use kegs. No, in terms of volume it was a number of kegs. And so, even though marble produced the most kegs and the most output of canned beers, that doesn't mean that marble tractor any of those folks. Everybody has their own beef. They might have beef with each other, they might have stolen this person's brewer, whatever that might be, headmaster, whatever that might be, employees, et cetera talking crap. But the brewers Guild brought everybody back together again. They don't always agree, but they know that they have to uplift the industry as a whole and advocate together, which is how changes in policy started to happen, which then, in turn, when it came to advocating for alcohol in general in New Mexico, especially with the DWI issues that we have here, yeah, ok, they all started to live together. Look where the industry is at.
Speaker 2:Yeah, booming Boom. Collaboration, not competition, is the name of the game for success these days.
Speaker 1:That's the thing, though that's where we kind of differ. They had to be active competitors against each other, but they knew it's like Batman can't exist without Joker, joker can't exist without Batman. They also had to have their friendly rivalries in order to push each other to be better in terms of competition, in terms of experience, in terms of customer service, et cetera. Because if they didn't watch what everybody else was doing and I remember this one particular business owner he thought he's been a phenomenal brewer and entrepreneur Won't name him particularly, but when I see what he does, everybody envies him Because he's really good to his employees, but he's also very good at understanding the finance and savvy parts of their folks Look up to him or see him as friendly competition to be better. Like I want to be better at my job, I want to be better as an owner, and so looking at your competition really does help uplift you and push you to be better successful.
Speaker 2:As a reflection of where you currently are. Oh yeah, I think so. Yeah, you dig a good outward reflection to the inside.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, Like it's never so, we'll think about to where they don't go. Well, Like New Mexico's cannabis community is just eating each other alive right now. Yeah, which? Where do we start?
Speaker 2:It's unnecessary Because of the exact same metaphor that you're using as a dance community right and this could be true for a lot of industries if we let go of the idea of competition and we reframed it. How about that?
Speaker 1:It definitely needs a restructural reframing.
Speaker 2:Using it as a tool. Yeah leaving it there.
Speaker 1:So where I found that successful business owners become successful is that they adapt very well, especially athletes. Athletes become really really good business owners and not discouraging them to not be right or I'm not saying well, athletes are like the secret sauce. But think of it this way They've learned how to train their mind to overcome barriers right, overcome when their body says I don't want to do this anymore. Mentally, they say I don't want to do this anymore. They have to reframe their thoughts and reframe their mind. So mentally they're strong. Physically they're strong too, depending on what sport that they're in, and I learned that from there. They take that acumen and say I want to be better than my competitor and that's how I want to win, I want to accomplish, I want to get on top, I want to be on top, I want to be number one, I want to win something Even better. Athletes aim for it and say you know what? I've reached as far as I can. This is fantastic and I think this is really great, but I know I have limitations that are preventing me from me to go forward and they start stepping aside. That's good leadership too, but they learn that from their competition because they see a younger athlete coming in breaking the world records. They see another team that has a different, new approach, new ownership, better conditioning, better physical capabilities, that they're going to be better than them.
Speaker 1:Tom Brady at one point in time realized he's not the goat anymore and he had to retire. So, rather than ruining his legacy, he didn't. There will be an NFL without Tom Brady, and it's happening this August. So I don't know. That's where I'm going on. We should start a sports podcast, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2:I will have so many things to say that have no basis in fact or reality if I participate in that show, so it could be fun. It could be fun, We'll find out.
Speaker 2:But what I'm here is he lost the capability to perform at the level he had been which happens to us all we hit a point and then maybe obviously he got help in all of the ways he can, because you've got to have your team watch that episode, great episode. And then new people were coming in with new capabilities. That's not his competition. He can't compete with them. I still think it is, but he's not competing with the 19-year-old on the block. Oh, he is. Oh, I totally.
Speaker 1:Physically he can't compete with them, but he's still in a league with them. Kylie Murray what's the same? Patrick Mahomes, all those Mahomes.
Speaker 2:That dude's Mahomes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Anyways love that guy. So in terms of competition, while things change physically, mentally et cetera, competition definitely leads a new train of thought. If that makes sense in some way, shape or form, ok. What does fear play into competition?
Speaker 2:I think competition is fear-based, and fear can be a brief motivating factor. Fear is not inspired for the long term. Now I'll show this in a different way. I don't want to be better than so-and-so. I want to be the best version of me, because nobody can compete with that. I am unrepeatable. No one has ever been me before. No one could ever possibly be me again. No matter how hard anyone tried, no one can be me now. This is it. This is my best shot at having no competition is to be the best me right. So the difference would be. In the past, I used to live where I would look outwardly and I would compare myself to those around me and how I was lacking what they had that I didn't, how they were showing up in ways that I couldn't.
Speaker 2:It was very negative, and it was like, if I'm going to be of value, I have to be more like that. If I'm not, I lose value. Fear-based right Now, instead of looking outwardly, I look inwardly. Who was I yesterday? Where was I a year ago? Where do I want to be a year from now? Who's doing things outside that bring up like, ooh, that's inspiring to me on the inside right. That's a long-term plan for existence. Living through fear, though can be a useful tool in the short term, kills us in the end.
Speaker 1:It's funny how, again, we see things very differently on this topic. For the most, we've been really good about being on the same wavelength, but this is, I think, where we differ very positive. This is all positive to me, right.
Speaker 2:Diversity is a huge part of success. Exactly, and neither of us are right or wrong, you said the magic word.
Speaker 1:So at CRS, we have four core values quality, diversity, innovation and community. Those four core values, as hokey that they may sound on the peripheral, like anybody, that's not within the organization. It's like, well, everybody's talking about our part.
Speaker 1:It's just all that. Nba speak right there with those core values, right, let's have more acronym yeah, yeah, yeah, I see that as our competitive advantage. I see our core values at CRS as our competitive advantage, where nobody else can try to. People can try to put the exact same four words on their walls with the vinyl that we did, right, but I see competition trying to emulate it and either failing or doing it better than us. That fear, to me, keeps me on my toes, but that fear is not like I'm going to die tomorrow. Fear, Sure, there's different degrees of fear. It's a very motivating fear. It's a very mid-level, light-level fear, because I feel that people surprise themselves whenever they push themselves outside of the box.
Speaker 2:Agreed, and we're actually saying the same thing. I'm sure our viewers have noticed this before we have they're like they're just literally saying the same thing with different words. So what is your main goal in life? Create people and help jobs. Great wait, I screwed it up, but.
Speaker 1:Dan was like how created. I created what you created a person. He's 15. Yeah, he's here Create jobs and help people. I literally create jobs and help people. I literally had to think that up and say, Crystal, don't fuck it up again. And I just said create jobs, help people. That's one of my main two goals in life.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that is your inspiration, yeah, but you're not be better than everyone around me. So that's what I'm saying Fear is useful, it's a useful tool, it's a great friend of ours that says like A girl, check this shit out. It's a really good tool. It's not something to stick with for the long term, yeah perfect example.
Speaker 1:Ok, we are talking this evening.
Speaker 1:So, crystal, calm down, crystal. That's what I need to say to myself. So in this instance, when we talk about creating jobs, what is the fear? I can't create jobs anymore. Why? Why can I not create jobs anymore? Number one the company wouldn't exist and I'd be really screwed. Abc wouldn't exist because the mission doesn't help small business owners. That doesn't really create more jobs.
Speaker 1:If you don't help a business create more jobs and I'm not doing my mission, my competitors might be taking people away from me or the organization, or from the market as a whole, because they don't see us as they see us as a candidate, but they want to compete with the quality talent in the market. That's also a very competitive insight to think about when it comes to the conversation of competition, especially when it comes to economic development and job creation. So that's very much a fear that I have in a good way, because then it just says OK, remember, crystal. Again, I think that competition is a strategy and tactically, in this instance, I would say don't forget that. Brush up on your benefits and make sure that this is what the staff wants, this is what they're looking for.
Speaker 1:This is how you say innovative, look at the way that the client experience is being. Are we being better than the rest of our competition? Is our competition going? Is our competition going at taking our clients away from us or our clients going to them? Great, that sucks. What do we need to do, super? That really sucks.
Speaker 2:Well, what do we do to fix it? But how do we switch it up? Yeah, how do we switch it up? Yeah, because you want to serve our clients well and you want. My observation is you're like man, how cool would it be to empower people to have really cool lives through their jobs? Yeah, that you live through that space.
Speaker 1:I would want the opportunities that my staff had, my team had, when I was their age. You and I are reasonably the same age, right? But, like Sophie, our intern is here in the room today, right? And I remember when I was here, we were talking about this at the conference that we were working last week and I said I wish I had known a lot of the things that you know now.
Speaker 2:I think that's what I said to you.
Speaker 1:I don't remember, like if I had a lot of opportunities that I had when I was her age and I wish I had the freedom to take those chances and the knowledge that I had, because I was a terrible, terrible 23-year-old. I loved my 20s, I fucking loved my 20s, but the things that I learned then I wish I knew now, or I never made the same mistakes that I made in my 20s professionally, because then I would be a better team member?
Speaker 2:I disagree. I think you are the team member and the leader you are now because of the things that happened in your 20s. Sure, sure, like I was a real shit show Also an episode you can watch of ours and I'm awesome now because I was an asshole then. Sorry, and I'm deepest apologies for everyone who had to experience me then, most of which I have indeed, just to talk to in person and made amends with, but I wouldn't be here now without that.
Speaker 1:No, I'm laughing because we were making references to Marvel and Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy said you know? Star Lord said to Rocket are you some kind of professional asshole or something? Yeah, and once I heard that I said I never felt so seen.
Speaker 2:Which is funny because I was just telling someone the other day about your whole wake up in the morning. Be like, just don't be an asshole today, I don't know, just don't be an asshole. That's a really good model man and that's a fear-based thing, or like here OK, we were sharing a bit earlier that I'm newly dating someone who I'm digging a lot.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, no, settle down, settle down. We're not going that deep in it.
Speaker 2:But here's an example of the difference, because I've had two thoughts that have gone through my head. One is Jace, don't fuck it up, because it's going well and I wanted to see where it goes and he's super cool. So I'm like Jace, don't fuck it up. The difference is, then I had a different thought how cool would it be if this actually turned out to be like my thing. And then I had this really fun, awesome life. I'm going to show up very differently in those mentalities in this scenario. But, Jace, don't fuck it up. Now I'm watching what I'm saying. Now I'm self-conscious, Now I'm being extra cautious of all the things going on. That's not my best and brightest, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:I feel that way. That's not who I want someone to fall in love with right.
Speaker 2:Instead of like how cool would it be if this turned into something and I had this fucking awesome life that came out of it. Now I'm showing up with enthusiasm, with curiosity, with my bold and wonderful self.
Speaker 1:Very different motivators, so is it quite possible that you're competing with your old self?
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. My old self I stand on the shoulders of with reverence and honor. Oh, that's good, yeah, that's a very honorable thing I've had to spend a lot of time coming to terms with my old self. No, my old self and I are we type.
Speaker 1:Now, that makes sense. So in terms of competition though, and congratulations on this.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll see. Yeah, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1:So, when you talk about what does competition look like and what does it mean in terms of the stories of success, to kind of change gears about how I love the social sports community here in New Mexico. We just finished our season at Kickball recently. Club Boaca is what it's called, we're the Albuquerque Circuit and a bunch of adults are playing a childhood sport and I fucking love Kickball. It's fun, it's absolutely fun. And while we were talking, it's funny, during the episode of fun that we filmed a couple weeks ago, I said to you at what point is this not fun anymore? Being captain wasn't fun anymore for me.
Speaker 1:And I told the team unfortunately, scheduling conflicts, with the wedding coming up, with my wedding coming up, we just can't make it happen. But at the same time I also said the competition is so. I literally wrote this to the team. I said it's very obvious that this team is looking for a team where it's more the fun and competitive balance is no longer balanced and you need a new captain that can leverage that competitive nature in that competitive nature more so than the fun nature. I'm not the right captain for it anymore. This is all for social sports.
Speaker 2:Yes, for a kickball team. It's life. It doesn't matter if it's kickball or finance or what. It's all, we're all, it's all a part of it, and it's all equally important, and so that's what I think.
Speaker 1:If we're not to talk necessarily about competition, but a competitive nature and in leadership at some point in a competitive field whether it be for sports, fun, business there's a moment that you have to tell yourself I'm not going to advance this organization, this collaborative group, I'm not going to advance them to go forward, because I'm not the right fit for this leadership position that I'm in Now granted. Ask me, what do I really want to do when I play kickball, drink beers, kick a ball and hang out with people.
Speaker 2:That was exactly how I played kickball myself. I was going to describe it the same way. That's all I want to fucking do, right?
Speaker 1:I want to have a beer and be outside and have fun people and where the competition also gets really fun too is that the competition ends up being your friends and your family. They've seen your relationship mature over the last eight years. They've seen you've shared tears with them, you've shared excitement with them, you've shared grief with them, you've shared highs and lows, and I think that's what I love about kickball so much, especially with the club walk of community here, while there's a, there's a couple of cast of characters that I think I don't. I don't think you realize how you're not nice.
Speaker 2:I like. Sometimes sound effects are sufficient for yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but there are some people that I just I say to myself you know this, this club walk of. You know organization is around in 20 different cities. We have one of the best leagues in the country with Jersey, our leader being there as our new CC or with other folks that have been there in the past. But, like, I think the new direction that we're taking as a league is really going to be successful for all of us in social sports because we get back to the root of we're all having a good time and playing a really competitive sport, which is really a childhood game. That grounding element is back, and kickball actually taught me a lot about the company. How do you have fun while also staying competitive and not being an asshole? Yeah Well, do.
Speaker 2:Well, do Well. And the team captain thing just throws evidence to to what I'm saying. Well, I'm like we're saying the same thing. Yeah, you weren't a good fit for what they needed. Therefore, there is no competition for that role.
Speaker 1:Oh, there is, oh, there's multiple people that are like oh, we're starting our own team now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they're totally fine, yeah, but for that one role there was a person who was right for it. Yeah, well, and you weren't, you, weren't it anymore.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there was at a time I was, but there definitely were a lot of people that that as soon as I stepped down, like I'll bet you're off, like well, I want to be captain. Well, I want to be captain. I definitely want to be captain. I know what it's like to be captain. I'm like don't go, fucking do it. There's at some point in time during the season you're going to tell me like I'm not the right fit anymore. I'm happy to step down. Servant leadership yeah, I'm not going to be in competition, right? No?
Speaker 2:I will be captain of this kid. You can't stop me. Just fucking. Chill out, dude. Like I told those people like mutiny, yeah. And then it gets ugly.
Speaker 1:So it's kind of so kick-balls also like the kind of the game of golf, right, so I'll make. Can you follow golf with me? Is that going to be anyway?
Speaker 2:Low score.
Speaker 1:Justin, you might need to trace. This is a JC here in a minute. Yeah, yeah, just whisper in my ear. Yeah, I did, I've been on a golf team.
Speaker 2:I played sports my entire life.
Speaker 1:Oh, did you.
Speaker 2:Yes, so I joke because I'm not in it anymore, but I played sports year.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So the well this one's a reference to golf, like in terms of how to be better, right so, and where competition really brought a legacy for certain people. Tiger would have been Tiger on his own. Phil Mickelson wouldn't be Phil Mickelson if it wasn't for the friendly competition behind Tiger, that's in Rory and Rory McElroy and Justin Thomas, though Ricky Fowler all of them looked up to Tiger Woods, but they looked up to him that they knew if they could get to his level. They were competitors and elite athletes for golf.
Speaker 2:No, I like it. I like all of these things, I dig it and I think less competition and different words, same thing when we look at I'm competing when in actuality we're seeing how much further we can actually go than we originally thought. So really great story from one of my favorite speakers, Jim Comer.
Speaker 2:Amazing guy, I got to study with him for a while, just super seller in this public speaking space, and he shared a story once of how he was, you know, was in college scrawny kid and he was participating some fundraising thing or whatever. And it was a race and his friend was a top athlete at the university and so he. They had made an agreement that they would run it together, side by side. So obviously the athlete was going to have to slow weight down right To meet Jim at his level. So anyway, they ran the race together, side by side, and, lo and behold, Jim beat his record time significantly Because, without knowing his friend, who was an athlete, upped his game by running with him, but running faster. He proved to Jim that he wasn't as limited as he thought.
Speaker 1:That he originally was.
Speaker 2:So when we see people and we go, wait, that's an option. Like once someone did the one minute mile, it started happening time and time and time again. Like once a record is beaten, it's not like, oh, I want to be better than that. We actually have the understanding that we aren't as limited as we thought, and so all of those folks like, oh, that's an option, then I want to see if I can get there too.
Speaker 1:Yep, 100%. So, all right, we're running out of time, unfortunately, on this topic we're competing for time.
Speaker 2:We're competing the whole time.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, yep, we were competing for time and I'm waiting for the next competitive pun.
Speaker 2:I haven't had nearly enough of them.
Speaker 1:You. We need to come up with a pun competition oh there is a pun competition.
Speaker 2:There are many of them. The world championship of punning happens in Austin, texas. This is a real thing and you laugh until you watch these people like I'm okay with puns. You know I like to mess, I like to dabble.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, no, no, I'm a pun dabbler. No, no, no, homie, you're pretty good at puns.
Speaker 2:No, no, no, no. I thought so too. I was like oh, I'm a punster, until you see the world championship of punning. These people are so intelligent. I don't have that level of intelligence. That's fine. I have other things, but they do prepared puns on a topic and then they do pun slingers, where they just go back and forth, like they get given a topic and then they just go back and forth until someone can't, and the things that they come up with are astonishing.
Speaker 1:So yes, there is a pun competition.
Speaker 2:There's a competition for all things. Wow, I was going to join it, not because I thought I would win, but because it was terrifying to me.
Speaker 1:I was like I'm going to do it next year.
Speaker 2:I'm going to do the competition and I'll do it poorly, but I'm going to do it because that's a challenge for me. Yeah, covid, oh, no pun. No, no, no world champion. I'm sure they're back at it now, but We'll sponsor you. Go to Austin and try my hat. I'm going to be a better person.
Speaker 1:I'm going to be a better person.
Speaker 2:I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to be a better person. I'm going to be a better person and try my hat. I did have to tell this new person I was dating. I'm like I should have confessed this in the beginning, but I am a compulsive Hunter.
Speaker 1:Hunter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't stop myself. And he's like, no, I've noticed and I'm not complaining. And I'm like, okay, I just think it's important that you know. I cannot stop myself from doing it. I'll even say I'll be like Jace, that's a dumb one and I'm like it doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:It's coming out of my mouth already, so Does he know about your competitive scavenger skills?
Speaker 2:He's going to find out. I didn't let him know. Like escape rooms, puzzles, riddles, scavenger hunts, I want to do a murder mystery party for my birthday, like all of that type of stuff.
Speaker 1:That is like competitive in nature. I love it Okay. Anyways our, our, our time is is now up. Thank you so much for listening, for being here, for listening to the podcast story, success and stuff. Follow us on social media give us a like, subscribe, thumbs up, high five, poop emoji, send us whatever you'd like and, most importantly, thank you for being a part of our story and being part of our success. Thanks again.