A Call To Leadership

EP259: Stand Out Using Video with Jason Zygadlo

• Dr. Nate Salah

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In this episode, Jason Zygadlo unveils powerful strategies for building authentic connections and standing out in a crowded marketplace. Discover the transformative impact of personalized videos, the art of turning networking into genuine relationships, and how to leverage LinkedIn to foster meaningful engagement. Jason also shares how adopting a “givers gain” mindset can lead to professional growth and stronger business relationships. Tune in for actionable insights that will reshape your approach to networking and leadership.



 Key Takeaways To Listen For

  • Difference between networking and relationship-building
  • How to shift from a consumer mindset to a contributor mindset
  • The value of personalized videos in professional and personal relationships
  • Why gratitude and intentional engagement strengthen client and customer loyalty
  • Overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing authenticity on video


Resources Mentioned In This Episode



About Jason Zygadlo

Jason is a certified career coach and the founder and coaching/sales leader of build.your.own.brand. He has nearly two decades of experience in medical technology sales and specializes in cardiothoracic, vascular, women’s health, and oncology, having worked in both startups and Fortune 100 companies. In his spare time, Jason enjoys college football, live music, travel, and lakeside relaxation.



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For tax, bookkeeping, or accounting help, contact Dr. Nate’s team at www.theincometaxcenter.com or send an email to info@theincometaxcenter.com.


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[00:00:00] Dr. Nate Salah
There's a lot of ways to make lasting impressions. One of them is through technology, through our usage of video, you know, video is not going anywhere. And it is a way that we can share our messages meaningfully, but we rarely do. I know I rarely do, show the world what I am cooking up for them, through video presentation. We can create authentic connection. We can use personalized videos to engage our individual audience directly, whether it be through business, LinkedIn, different platforms, through his personal, our families to build stronger connections. And so I can't wait to introduce you to Jason Zygadlo, who is a seasoned sales expert and who has understood and manifested how to harness the power of personalized videos to stand out. In the crowd. Can't wait for you to listen in. I'm Dr. Nate Salah. This is A Call to Leadership. Hey, Jason, thanks for being here on the show. 

[00:01:13] Jason Zygadlo
Dr. Salah, thanks so much for having me. Super excited to be here. Happy Monday to you. 

[00:01:17] Dr. Nate Salah
Yeah, same to you. Monday is my favorite day of the week. Uh, used to be my least favorite, but it is now my most favorite because I get to interact with great individuals, leaders like yourself who are making a massive impact. In the lives of others, no shorter need, if you will, than the need as leaders to be able to identify who we are, who we are representing ourselves as. I've heard it said like this, I don't know how familiar you are with Aristotle, but he was a, of course, just about everybody's heard of Aristotle. However, few have heard about Aristotle's model for persuasion, and he was very prolific in his, his, his, uh, methodology for creating a sense of connection, Aristotelian rationale, logic, reasoning, and in the art of connecting, and one of the first Aspects that he identified in any type of engagement is to know your audience, know your audience. And it sounds so simple, but my question to you is how often, how often are we thinking about that versus just splattering our image and maybe some verbiage out there, perhaps on a social media site, such LinkedIn and expecting results. I mean, what's going on, Jason? 

[00:02:47] Jason Zygadlo
It's, it's such a good question. Um, I think, yeah, people are looking for the quick fix, you know, they post something, they're, you know, trying to attract people like you, you say. And, um, really it's, you know, when we talk about networking and LinkedIn and building relationships, you know, there's a difference between networking and building relationships, in my opinion. And, you know, networking, uh, is almost like that kind of spray approach. There's so many different ways you can connect so many different leadership opportunities for me. Any, anytime I go to any event, it's, I spend, you know, just a little bit of time, um, kind of seeing who's out there. And then I'll hone in on just a few people and try to really get to know them, uh, even if it's a room full of people, because obviously in a short period of time, you're not going to get to know those people well, but if you can just really hone in and have that kind of sniper approach, That's where relationships are built. And I think there's, there's a big difference. And I think on, on social media, you're seeing people kind of do the, the first thing I described is just, you know, throw something out there and see what sticks it's far greater than that. 

[00:03:50] Dr. Nate Salah
Indeed. Yeah, there's a strategy around it. At first, identifying who you are. I loved it to start the the discovery, if you will, with what is it that I have to offer. What are my greatest skills and strengths and how and where are they manifesting the greatest impact? And then from there, starting to have conversations, as you said, talk about a networking event with who you are. Cool. May be the largest beneficiaries to my skill sets, I think. And here's what it does. And I love to hear your feedback on this. It flips the script on our standard focus. Our standard focus is how can I find people who can do something for me. How can I find people who can fill my coffers? Who can solve my problems, right? That's what my networking is usually tailored around, but we're doing now. This is just the opposite. This is just the opposite. So you go from the mindset of a consumer. To the mindset of a contributor and your value your way you know how much greater is your value in the first moments of that conversation. 

[00:04:56] Jason Zygadlo
So true. I, so you know, I was at a leadership event not long ago and they said givers game and you know and it was just a whole different spin on. Folks that are just constantly looking to benefit themselves benefit themselves and some of the folks actually talked about how when they actually reverse this approach. Transcribed And put others first. You know, the law of reciprocity actually works. Right. And so, um, you know, they saw a larger engagement for themselves and in their respective businesses, just kind of, you know, take off. And, and I think there's really something true about that when you go into it, genuinely. And authentically interested in the relationships that you're trying to build, um, that people see that they can feel that they sense that I certainly can, when I can tell when someone really wants something from me, um, or they are genuinely trying to understand a little bit more about me and then wherever that goes from there, certainly, you know, things like that can certainly happen, but, um, there's just a different feel to that.

[00:06:03] Dr. Nate Salah
Yeah. Yeah. It, it certainly is. And I think, so for example, I, I live in the accounting advisory world, so if as soon as someone knows about the tax side, they say, oh my goodness. Hey, what's the first question they ask? Hey, I got a tax question for you. I got a tax question. I haven't. I, str, total strangers. Hey, I got a tax question for you. Like, okay, what's your question? What's really being asked? What's really being asked is this, you're a guide. And you, as a guide, can provide access to a place that I cannot access without a guide because I'm not an expert in that area. And so, I think it's so incumbent upon us to, when we suit up, when we wake up, when we get our day going, to first recognize, where am I guiding people? Where is a better future state that others will be in once I have entered their purview and I'm able to speak to them in a way that is meaningful? And I think in so doing, we have to ask the question of do we are we getting to know people. Are we getting to know them first before just spitting out all of our Um, You know who we are and what we can do even that it's like hey let's learn about you let me hear more about your story and your struggles in these particular areas and perhaps if I can be a guide for you in those areas.

[00:07:24] Jason Zygadlo
Yup, yup, Dr. Salah, so I spent twenty years or almost twenty years as a medical device sales rep. And I loved mentoring and helping people get into the industry. It's a tough, difficult industry to get into, to crack into. And I would always chuckle when my LinkedIn email box would be filled up with, Hey, I love this industry. Can you help me get in? And I'm thinking, why would I help someone who has. You know, it's like the old, uh, example of the bank, right? Like you can't take any debits out without putting any credits in. And why would I want to help someone who's just coming at me? I don't know them. They never, you know, thought to look at my page and perhaps maybe say something relevant that would make me feel like they did a little. Research on the company I work for the product I sell and maybe say, Hey, I would love to learn more about that company or that product. You know, can we have maybe 10 minutes to chat, but coming at someone just asking for something is just such a turnoff, especially for people who love to help. I mean, I left the medical device industry to now help people.

[00:08:30]
 The company I created is build your own brand to help people be different and memorable when it comes to professional development and job search and growing within their own respective organizations and that sort of thing, but even now in this field, so to your point, it holds true. It doesn't matter what you do. You're the tax guy. They want something from you when they know you're a tax guy. Now I help people get jobs. Hey, can you help me get this without, they don't even know what I do. They don't even know my background. They don't even know if I'm a credible source. Uh, it's just funny how people instantly forget asking on the front end of it is such a turnoff. And that you'll get more by perhaps maybe kind of reframing the way you go about it. 

[00:09:14] Dr. Nate Salah
Yeah. And I think that's, that's also ties into our messaging, uh, again, with these platforms you talked about, you mentioned LinkedIn. Great, uh, great example to talk about our messaging, uh, on these, on whatever the platforms are. And how is it tailored? How is it geared? Who is it tailored to? Uh, and what message am I sending? I know you've got, I know you've got some experience and expertise in that space. 

[00:09:40] Jason Zygadlo
So what I like to tell clients, you know, the one thing when you ask someone about LinkedIn, do you have a LinkedIn as just kind of a starter question? And usually typically people will say yes. And then you say, well, how do you use LinkedIn? To kind of, you know, navigate what it is you're trying to accomplish and most then will say well I just have a profile and so for the job seekers out there or You know, do you think about LinkedIn as this awesome platform to have access to tons of different folks? At all these respective companies organizations etc and so i always tell people how much more impactful would it be you know say for example there's someone looking for a job at a particular company in a particular industry. I'm telling people identify certain companies that you would like to work for and then let's Actually connect with the individuals that have the actual title that you want So if you saw that job posting out there for an account executive position Let's reach out to other account executives to get their experiences and their overall opinions of the company, the culture, the products, etcetera.

[00:10:52] 
So then you can then build internal stakeholders. To help you. So it's a little bit different if I said, Hey, Dr. Salah, Jason, and you know, you work for XYZ financial company. Listen, I come from that same background. I'd love to pick your brain on the culture of where you're at and, you know, learn, you know, it looks like you've been there three years, according to LinkedIn, like, what was that like? What was the ramp up period? What are your thoughts? That's different. I'm I'm more likely to respond to someone that would ask in that fashion, then can you help me? That looks like a great company. The research I've done, it looks awesome. You know, I want to work there too. It's just a different approach. It's good. When you can build those internal stakeholders and then we have a positive interaction And I say hey, Dr. Salah, you know super great conversation You know, would you mind maybe? Passing my name and number along to another colleague. I'd love to get their opinion as well Oh yeah, Jason, I know. So, and so they'd be super happy to speak with you.

[00:11:56]
 They're, they're, you know, just as friendly and love the company just as much as I do. And when you can start to build some internal stakeholders that way, by getting endorsements from yourself, then, you know, getting passed along to another individual internally, then that's when I like to strike and say, Hey, Dr. Salah, would, would you mind maybe passing along my resume? You know, I know I can email it online. And if that's the, you know, the protocol, I understand, but I would love for you to get it to the hiring managers. Um, you know, get in in front of them because I think it would just be so much more impactful, especially coming from someone internally. And I've done that for several people over the years and happy to do so when it's done right. But that's, in my opinion, how you can use the technology at a very high level. 

[00:12:45] Dr. Nate Salah
There's so much utility in that approach, and it's and it's it's universal. A lot of ways as you're describing it. It reminds me of the ancient sort of tribal environments where you had elders and the elders vetted, if you will, the next generation of leadership, and they that through that rapport through that engagement through that time together, several things were happening. One, um, There was a growth and a learning in that and adaptation. There was also a handing of the baton in terms of wisdom and knowledge. And also there was a preparation for the next stage of how we're to help these emerging leaders in one space or another for, and of course, you know, we didn't in work and I call it a job position or a career or even a calling and in that preparation. It's, it's so much of the mentorship. Of the guidance of the of the the way to to keep the fire lit, if you will, and it takes intentionality. It takes discipline. It also takes the willingness to take a risk. And say, Hey, you know, I'd love to. I'd love to get to know you a little bit better. I've got, you know, I aspire to do some of the wonderful things that you've done and I'd love to learn from you.

[00:14:07] 
And sometimes it's a no, I'm too busy. Sometimes it's a hey, check with me next quarter. Sometimes it's a Hey, I've been waiting for someone to ask me that question. I'd love to, uh, to share my experience with you and then establish the kind of rapport that with you. May offer you the opportunity when a door opens in the future and if you're listening, it's not just on LinkedIn. Of course, that's one example. This is life. 

[00:14:34] Jason Zygadlo
That's right.

[00:14:34] Dr. Nate Salah
This is this is human existence. I love it. When someone asks me, Hey, I'd love to learn more, but in fact, it just happened a couple of weeks ago, my sister, uh, texted me and asked me if, uh, her son, my nephew could shadow me at the office. He's a young entrepreneur, budding entrepreneur, and I said, sure, absolutely. So he shadows me for a day. We actually shot a podcast. We're going to release it. He's got this clothing line he's working on. He's very ambitious young man. And had the, the question not been asked, Hey. And of course, it was just open-ended. If you're, if you're, if it doesn't make sense, don't worry about it, but I was, I was thrilled to be able to do that. And you say, well, Nate, it's your, it's your relative. If it wasn't, if it was a friend's kid, I would have said the same thing. I would have said, sure. Love to, to show him the ropes a day in the life of an entrepreneur and, uh, how many more people are out there? In that space who are available and ready? And as you said, LinkedIn is a great way as a resource for that.

[00:15:39]
 And what happens then the network expands. So in the future, just using this example, my nephew has a hey, Uncle Nate, I have Uh, I, you know, this clothing line, I really want to get it out, but I'm not sure exactly who to go to. I was like, Oh, well, let me tell you about this client of mine who's in the business and they can give you some pointers on manufacturing, on distribution, on sales, on marketing, on systems and processes and whatnot. So that connection begins to expand your set of resources, human, the human capital available to you to, to do great things. I mean, it's, it's, it's endless Jason. 

[00:16:19] Jason Zygadlo
It is, it is. And I tell people, you know, some people like you have the privilege now and the beauty of using a platform like LinkedIn. Um, it's so easy to just reach out to someone cause some people are a little shy and not as extroverted if you will, or maybe not as comfortable, but like it's simply sending a message. I think most people at this point, you know, feel comfortable doing that. So it's taken a little bit of the, um, you know, the scariness, if you will, out of it. It's like online dating. I mean, people are quicker to date online now because it's easy. I mean, you get rejected and you're like, okay, onto the next in person. If you get rejected, it just feels different. And you know, the way Dr. Salah, I broke into the medical device industry, I stood in parking lots, handing out my resumes in the early two thousands, uh, with my suit on, I made my own business cards. I put my name, my email address, my phone number. Had nice shiny folders.

[00:17:11]
 And when I saw those Chevy and powers and Ford Tauruses pull in, those were the company cars in the early days. Um, I would approach them and it just, you have to find a way to be different and memorable and unique. And connecting with people like that on LinkedIn and using the platforms in that manner, kind of give you at least the folks that you're connecting with, they're seeing that proactive approach. And I think people just appreciate that it goes a long way, right? And so I don't tell people to loiter in parking lots anymore, but I do tell people to be creative, be different. And you know personalized videos are another way to do that even through linkedin there's often times to kind of expand on this conversation you know plenty of times when i was in the medical device space and trying to chase down busy doctors i would send a personalized video to try to you know break through and get past the gatekeepers that were keeping me away from the the physicians that I would need to see or even nurses whoever it was.

[00:18:11]
 Hey, it's Jason. Listen. I know we haven't met I wanted to reach out to you in a more creative and personalized way I'm your new sales rep for XYZ products selling abc device Uh at ABC company and uh, you know just wanted you to have my contact information I could have emailed you, but I wanted to reach out to you in a more creative way and personalized way, and now you can See a face with the name and I really look forward to meeting you in person. Thank you so much very simple as a as an introduction to the the beautiful thing is it's so versatile So if you are looking for a job or you know, maybe trying to expand that way how different would it be? Hey, I saw the posting for the financial company Um that you had and uh, listen, I think my background's a perfect fit I could have emailed you and reached out, but I wanted to send you a video just to let you see my excitement. I really think this is a great fit for me. I am going to send over my resume and I really look forward to connecting with you and talking more about the position. Thank you so much. 

[00:19:13] Dr. Nate Salah
Well, it's huge, huge, different and again, universal. So you may be in the job market and searching for a new position and use that personalized video. I love the personalized video approach too, because I really believe it's very underutilized, and you may, you may be, and I don't know that there's any, if you have to be a certain age to be on LinkedIn, let's just say, you know, a lot of folks consider it to be, uh, You know, uh, middle-aged kind of thing. There's a lot of young people on LinkedIn. I would even encourage if you're listening, you're 16 years old, and you're, you're, you're getting in the job world. You say, well, I'm just, I'm just working at a part-time job at Chick fil A. That's okay. Get yourself out there, get yourself known and where you're going. That's, that's a great start. But here's the other part about the. The personalized video. It's so universal in no matter what you do, whether you're searching for a new position, uh, at a company, say, for example, you own your own business. I'm thinking of your landlord and you've got a rental properties and you send a personalized video 15, 20 seconds to your new tenant. Hey, this is name name them. Hey, you're John and Salah. We're so glad that this is now your home. We are thrilled to open this up so that you can make new memories with you and your family. Please don't hesitate to reach out to the team for anything that you need. And we are here and glad to be of service and assistance to you. That's a game-changer. 

[00:20:39] Jason Zygadlo
What a great example. Yeah. What a great example. You know, I tell people all the time, uh, you know, people have imposter syndrome, right? They don't, they're afraid to get in front of the camera. They're afraid that people may not. Like or believe what their messaging is and you know, I tell people all the time Practice with friends family members my wife when I first started to send videos a couple years ago She had more videos of me just telling her I loved her and telling her where I was traveling for work but just to kind of get the cobwebs out and get comfortable and and you know, But the reality is we're not like news anchors. We don't have to be professional uh folks in front of the camera and I think that really me strengthens your, your authenticity and your genuineness. Um, when you're sending a video and your example was spot on, like that is different. No landlords are doing that. And if they are, then now you're in that small group, a very small group, very, very tiny group of people doing it.

[00:21:38]
 And it just, people like personalized things. I mean, uh, we go to the grocery store and there's an aisle of cups with names on it. First thing, even at. There's a grown man. I'm going over there going. Hey, do they have they have Jason? Uh, oh, yeah People just like things personalized. They'll pay more for personalized things um, I you know, I I gave a talk not long ago at a local university here, and Uh, it was kind of one of those days where I was struggling. I was creating this, this video to put up on a slide. And I was, I was having like almost paralysis by analysis. I kept shooting the video over and over, and I'm like, you know what, I'm just going to leave the video, and I played it. And there was no reaction because no one cared. No one knew it was my hangups. And so I stopped ther,e and I actually told the audience, I said, you know, full disclosure, this was a video that I shot multiple times. You can hear a couple of extra ums and uhs, and I called you guys corporate sponsors, not corporate partners, but I left it intentionally. Because the reaction that you gave was exactly what I was hoping was no one really cared, no one really knew.

[00:22:45]
 And now that I call these things out, you go, Oh yeah. Okay. But you get my personality. You can see my personality and excitement behind everything. You know, there's genuine and authentic behavior. That that's coming out. And, and that's really what I think people gravitate to. They want to, you know, they want to talk to people and deal with people. They know, like, and trust. And how do you develop that? Well, you know, by a personalized video, I think it's a real kind of peak under the hood of someone's personality and how, how they, Like to communicate. 

[00:23:17] Dr. Nate Salah
Absolutely. And I'm glad you mentioned that it does not have to be video production excellence. It can be your smartphone with a quick video, and it's totally authentic and genuine and sincere. And it goes into that platform, by the way. This is important and valuable, not just in commerce, but in life, just imagine your spouse receiving a quick personalized video. Hey, I, I know it's a busy day. I just wanted to send you a quick message. Just tell you I'm thinking about you. I love you. Can't wait to see you tonight. A child, a dependent, a relative, a friend, a colleague. I mean, come on, Jason. 

[00:24:03] Jason Zygadlo
Yes. Goes a long way. And when I'm traveling, my daughter now almost expects a video, you know, I don't text her anymore, I don't call or FaceTime just to be different. I'll send a video. She'll see the background of wherever I'm at, whatever hotel I'm in. She just likes the kind of different scenery, but it's always through video. And in fact, in my personal and professional world now, I refuse. I shouldn't say I refuse. I would say 98 percent of the time. I will send a follow-up thank you video as opposed to a, just a thank you email. And again, it just goes a long way. And I, I'm actually, I'm in helping a lot of smaller businesses, medium-sized businesses from the prospecting perspective of how you can use this technology to do just that. Uh, you know, let's, let's get in touch with people because the scalability of this is so much. You know, greater than driving around glory of the gatekeeper, you drop off some information, and then you're on to your next.

[00:25:04]
 I can sit and make videos, and then the beauty of some of the platforms that exist are that they provide the analytical data. So, for example, I know when a video is open. I know how long the minute and 26 second video I sent, how long it was watched. 83 percent of the video was watched. Now I know you have the bulk of the information that I sent over by video. And so that becomes also extremely helpful when you're trying to meticulously connect with folks, and however you're using the technology. Having that data is helpful to see if you are really engaging because I can send an email. To you, and I don't know if you opened it or not, and I can just continuously send emails, and maybe it's going to your junk. Maybe you're blowing me off, but the second you open one of these personalized videos, how nice is it to know? Okay, cool. He at least got the message. You watched a certain portion of it. That's very helpful. 

[00:26:00] Dr. Nate Salah
Yeah. And even if it's informal, no matter where and how you do it, the another beauty of that interaction is that it can be rewatched, and if it's if it's impactful, people will go back to it, they'll go back to it and watch it again because it's personal, it's meaningful to them, it adds value to their da,y and it's a way to add a deeper sense of connection in that relationship.

[00:26:28] Jason Zygadlo
Absolutely right. I've been telling some of the blue-collar folks I spoke not long ago at a chamber of commerce, and there was a lot of different construction guys and HVAC guys and painter guys and gals. And so my message was this is not just a blue-collar type of technology or a way to, you know, use the technology. Imagine if you're a painter and I come to your house and I paint your house and then I send you a video and say, Hey, doctor, it's thank you so much for allowing my team and I to come in and, you know, come into your home. You welcome us so graciously. And we were able to take the measurements, and I could have emailed you the quote, but I wanted to send it to you in a more creative and personalized way on behalf of Acme Painting Company. We know there's a gazillion other painters in the greater Cleveland area, but we just wanted to say, thank you. We appreciate the opportunity. And, uh, we look forward to the partnership and, you know, working with you. That's just different. And if, you know, you have three or four quotes, and there may be close in price, if that's the only kind of thing you're looking at, I like my odds, you know, in the way that I was able to present that quote in, in such a personalized way to hopefully secure some business.

[00:27:39]
 And I think even more and equally important if you don't get the business. Yeah. Sending a thank you. Hey, just thanks so much for allowing us to provide you that quote. It's just, uh, showing appreciation and genuine gratitude for the opportunity. Maybe down the line, it does make sense. And so you don't want to rule that out either.

[00:28:00] Dr. Nate Salah
No, you never do. And I, I applaud that because we seem to think so finitely about quote-unquote getting the business as if it's just a one and done. It's less about getting the business, in my opinion, as it is about establishing the relationship and the relationship that's established needs to be the very primary. It needs to be the number one focus because the relationship that's established will indicate when and if getting the business is a best fit for all parties. At what point down this continuum, you know, if you look at life as a continuum, From point A to point B, point A, the time you're born to the point B, the time that you leave this, this, this planet and along the continuum of that, you're going to have these relationships, and sometimes the relationships will be bearing fruit in a certain way and sometimes you'll step back and so if the primary focus is relational, my goal is to establish a connection with you that If, and when it makes sense, let's do business.

[00:29:07]
 And if it doesn't make sense at this iteration, I want to make sure the door stays open. I've had so many times, Jason, where I've had a conversation with someone, and they didn't get the business, and then it was crickets, it was silence. It wasn't even. It was nice to meet you. It was, thank you. And there's actually a drawback to that. There's a, there's a negative repercussion because your, your potential customer is like, well, you know, the only thing that was important to you, this is the mindset, right? This is, this is the message you're sending was the business. And so you, since you didn't get the sale right then and there, I'm useless to you now. 

[00:29:41] Jason Zygadlo
It's, it's a, it's a hard message, man.

[00:29:41] Dr. Nate Salah
But it's a real message that we send by not sending a message.

[00:29:47] Jason Zygadlo
Yep. You hear people talking about that term ghosting all the time. Right. I mean, that is, that's an empty feeling. Uh, When someone just doesn't have the courtesy to at least get back to you. And I talk a lot about using the videos as a way to thank current customers. I think we would all agree. It's so hard just by what we just talked about to earn customers. You know, all you have to do is flip on the TV, and you see all the deals going to the, the customers who are new users, getting the free phone or, you know, getting the free few months worth of internet or whatever. But what about the guy who's been loyal? For 15 years, uh at my cell phone company wouldn't it be nice in just a very simplistic fashion They pull up my name. They see how long I've been a customer and they say hey Jason, It's Jason, you know, we just wanted to say thank you. We see that you've been a customer since September of 2002, and we we haven't done a good enough job of just saying we're so appreciative of the partnership We created way back when that we look forward to serving you down the road as well.

[00:30:52] 
We're so value you're such a valuable part of this, the backbone of what we're doing, that we just want to let you know that, uh, thank you so much for staying a customer. And you would go, wow, like I planned on probably staying a customer anyway, because I've been here for, since 2002. But like that just really felt cool. They used my name that knew the exact date that I signed up for the service, and maybe threw in something else that was personal, like I'm going to feel pretty good about that. 

[00:31:24] Dr. Nate Salah
There's a, there's a sense of ownership, if you will, in, in the shared experience, when we illuminate, when we, uh, affirm, and we thank those who have helped us to get to where we are. Sometimes, those are the forgot forgotten heroes, if you will, because you're right. So many of us are focused on the new customer, the new client, the new relationship, and we forget the ones who have helped pave the way to even have the business, uh, we'll be celebrating 30 years very soon here. And we have clients since day one, Jason, and we want to always. Show our gratitude for those early clients and everyone along the way, every single client along the way and showing the gratitude for being a part of the success of this mission, the success of this endeavor to solve these kind of problems and to do it through the methods that you're talking about through a sincere, individualized commemoration of your contribution. To what we do, and then perhaps providing some additional ways to say thank you, whether they be tangible, whether they be intangible or both, further, further separates us from the crowd and further accentuates our devotion to not only acknowledgment but to the well-being of those who serve right alongside of us as our clients.

[00:32:58] Jason Zygadlo
Yes, well said. Congratulations. That's a 30 years is a very long time.

[00:33:01] Dr. Nate Salah
It is I, I say it, and then I like, Oh, my goodness, is it really been that long?  Yeah, you're getting old, Nate, but.

[00:33:11] Jason Zygadlo
Great accomplishment. 

[00:33:12] Dr. Nate Salah
You know, and, and thank you. And again, it's not alone. It's through the collective effort of your team members, all your stakeholders, including your clients who we sometimes forget to acknowledge that and the way you're describing That acknowledgment is very, it's very dear to who we are as human beings because what it, what it symbolizes is this, you're part of the story and this is a story that's worth telling, and I want to speak to that through a personalized video to explain how your story and our story is really the same story intertwined as we continue on this journey of life. What an impactful and inspirational way to, to convey that message. Yeah, so, so someone listening is like, well, I don't know where to start, how, you know, I'm not, I don't even like video. I don't like my face on the camera. They'll have it forever. What if I have some food between my teeth from lunch? What do you say to that, Jason?

[00:34:17] Jason Zygadlo
I say, go, go to, uh, to a mirror and check the, uh, the teeth first. Okay. Okay. Um, that's probably a good, good starting point, but you know, I think it's one of those things where alluding back to what I talked about earlier, you know, you find someone that you're comfortable with that you can send a video to and just practice. Um, but yeah, I think comfort is the enemy of growth. And so if you don't. Expand a little bit and be comfortable being uncomfortable. Uh, my first video is, was not great at all. Um, maybe my current video isn't all that great. I don't know. It probably depends on who's looking at it. But at the end of the day, it's just kind of taking that leap and sending one and getting comfortable and getting just some reps. And I think once you start to get comfortable, um, getting in front of the camera, speaking, listening to yourself, it can be hard to do. It can be uncomfortable to do. You're your biggest critic. You know, I don't love the way I look sometimes on camera or how I sound, or again, maybe I didn't articulate a message exactly how I, I could have.

[00:35:21]
 But at the end of the day. I think that rawness, genuineness and often authentic part of yourself, people appreciate, they can feel it and sense it, and it just goes a long way. So my, my advice would be to just try it. And if you don't like it, Hey, no pressure either way. But at least give it a try, at least a few videos and, uh, and send them and then critique yourself, have your spouse, your, your friend, whomever you decide to kind of take a look at it, give you some constructive feedback and then just work on practicing and. Before you know it, you've sent a hundred videos and, uh, you know, you're kind of on your way. It goes pretty quickly, especially when you're sending them and all the different ways that we talked about. Um, they've kind of compounded pretty quickly. I've sent a lot of videos at this point, just from, my family as we talked about as a thank you as a way to chase someone down But I'm always looking for creative ways to, to engage Because this is now at someone's level of convenience. They can be at home They can be wherever they want be at the stoplight and look down you can text them you can email them You can send them through LinkedIn. There's a whole variety of ways to do this and then there's Almost even an additional kind of videos. 102 of how to entice people to click on your, your video and what that looks like and how to send it in a meaningful way, um, to, to increase that engagement.

[00:36:57] Dr. Nate Salah
Absolutely. Yeah. In a business context, that's, that's so incredibly valuable. And if you're listening and you're not ready to do it for business yet. Send it to your spouse, send it to a trusted loved one, send it to, uh, one of your kids, send it to a friend or a confidant and, and, and watch the reaction in terms of the responsiveness. I recently, uh, I was going to text a friend and just tell the friend, uh, Hey, just want to tell you, I care about you. And I said, yeah, I'm not going to text. I'm going to call. And I called and I said that I said, I was going to text you, but I'd rather hear your voice and you hear mine. And so we're taking that same depth of connection and by the way, and sacrifice because it takes longer. It takes longer to do that. It takes more effort to do that, which sends the message that you're valuable. You're, you're, you're, you're that important to me. You're that important to me that I've taken this additional effort, this additional step, put myself out there, by the way, and with a little bit of vulnerability to share my thoughts that I think may be valuable and important to you.

[00:38:01]
 So start there. If you're listening and you think, oh, I'm going to do it. Jason, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. I haven't done this. I'm going to do it, too and start this methodology, if you will. And it's, it's so universal. You think, okay, say you're a coach, say you're a leadership coach. I have a, a whole group of, of, uh, of business leaders who I, I'm fortunate to coach just by sending an individualized video to each and every one of them sharing And getting toward the end of the year, some of their, their wins, some of the things I'd like to see for them in the, in the new year, then they can replay that, as he said, it's that connecting. And the same thing applies to when you're looking for a position, as you had said, when you're looking to secure a new contract, when you're looking to just establish a relationship for the long term, say, this may not be the best fit for you. However, I just want to let you know, as your needs evolve, change, adapt, as we change and grow. We want to stay connected so that we can make sure that we're available to help you solve your problems. 

[00:38:58] Jason Zygadlo
Yes, yes, very intentional. I think it sends that that message of being intentional and and people they do. I think they appreciate that. I think another, you know, kind of fun thing to do. I'll just kind of tell you a lot of times I'll have maybe a dry-erase board. And I'll put someone's name on it, or I'll say something funny on there, depending on who it is or what, what the context of the video is just as an attention grabber. Um, because when you see a little box that hits play and you have a sign that says, You know, whatever, uh, I'm a Michigan fan go blue to my Ohio state friends. Um, you know, that can be kind of a fun way to play around with the technology. Um, so incorporating, uh, some props, um, you know, as another kind of thing that you can do. Um, you know, you're a guitar player and you, you know, you, maybe you have a guitar hanging behind the wall, you know, even in your hand, you play a little song. I mean, there's so many ways. We could chop this up for hours. The the creativity that you can come up with to really be intentional and memorable and different. 

[00:40:04] Dr. Nate Salah
Oh, I love it. I love it. And if, and if you're, if you need some coaching in this area, we'll make sure Jason's contact info is in the show notes. And this is, uh, this is so, so helpful, so useful. And j Jason, when I, uh, sometimes if you have time, I, I like to ask a question. I'm gonna flip it a little bit based on our conversation around video. Okay. So, uh, one day you'll be at the end of your journey, the great summit, if you will, of life. And so if someone were to have shot a video to you, what would, now that you've seen all the things you've done, all the people you've had to impact, what would you want that individual or those individuals to have said? About you on that video. 

[00:40:50] Jason Zygadlo
Yeah. Wow. That's a powerful, powerful stuff that, that I'm a, I'm a family guy. First, uh, I love business. I love being a sales rep. I love now having the job that I have, but I've always kept in the forefront of everything that I do, every decision that I've made about my family and how it would impact them—and just trying to be present for my children. I actually just welcomed a, a two-month-old while these two months now as a Friday, a young little guy, and then I have a 14-year-old daughter, but, you know, being around, being present. Um, being a good husband, most of what I do is very centered around my family. It's so important to me. It was a big mommy's boy. I lost my mom not that long ago to cancer. Very close to my mom spoke to her every day. Uh, if she knew how to use phone computer. I probably would have sent her videos. Those were phone calls, but very meaningful and uh, Always just around family. I love closeness of family They love you when you're on top.

[00:41:59]
 They love you when you're on bottom. They're always there for you. They love you when you're sick when you're healthy Um, I battled cancer myself, but it was always my family that rallied around Anything that I've ever done. And so my video would hopefully have some really cool pictures of different, uh, things of, uh, my family and I, and all of the wonderful, you know, stories and memories that we've built together.

[00:42:26] Dr. Nate Salah
Well, my friend, you are on your way, Jason. Thanks for being here. This has been fantastic. Very impactful. And, and I know someone listening is, uh, is receiving that value. 

[00:42:38] Jason Zygadlo
I hope so. Yeah, really, really appreciative and grateful to be here and be on the show and to have this conversation. Um, thank you so much for having me and just, uh, it was super enjoyable.

[00:42:49] Dr. Nate Salah
Absolutely. Well, my friend, thank you for joining me on this episode of A Call to Leadership. If you've been listening, you've probably heard me talk about our accounting and advisory business. And this show was actually born out of that business, those relationships. I found that entrepreneurs and professionals were missing aspects of their leadership that fed into their bottom line and help their businesses be successful. So, I'm so thankful that I've had all those years in that area to feed into this. And the truth is that so many people still need accounting and advisory help and they don't know where to go. If you're in that place where you feel, Oh my goodness, my tax person or my accountant, I can't find them. Or maybe the service wasn't up to my expectations, do not despair. I'll leave how you can find us in the show notes and one of my team members can do some discovery and help you along your journey. You're not alone, my friend. You always have help. I'm Dr. Nate Salah. Can't wait to see you on the next show of A Call to Leadership.

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