Elite Business Connector Podcast
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Elite Business Connector Podcast
Interview with Joshua M. Evans - 008
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Joshua Evans is a #1 best selling author, TEDx programmer, keynote speaker, adventure seeker, and proud father of 3.
He’s studied workplace behavior for over 15 years and has been featured in many publications including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Huffington Post.
His clients include Fortune 500 companies, professional associations, and Government Agencies. Joshua’s goal is to bring purpose to the forefront of the future of work.
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Joshua Evans is a number one best-selling author, TEDx programmer, keynote speaker, adventure seeker, and proud father of three. He studied workplace behavior for over 15 years and has been featured in many publications, including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, and Huffington Post. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, professional associations, and government agencies. Joshua's goal is to bring purpose to the forefront of the future of work. Well, I am joined with Joshua Evans. Welcome to the Elite Business Connected Podcast. I'm honored to have you on the show here, Joshua. Where's home for you?
SPEAKER_01Thank you very much for having me.
SPEAKER_00Where's home base for you, Josh?
SPEAKER_01So I'm based in Sugarland, Texas.
SPEAKER_00Sugarland, Texas. And for those of you that don't know where Sugarland is, where is the largest big city next to Sugarland?
SPEAKER_01It's near Houston.
SPEAKER_00Ah, H-Town. So you've got two temperatures in your seasons, right? Hot and hotter?
SPEAKER_01That's about right.
SPEAKER_00What's the seasonal temperatures right now in September and fall for you?
SPEAKER_01So uh we don't have real fall yet. We had fake fall a week ago where temperatures got down uh highs in the low 70s, but uh we're back into the high 80s now. We won't get real fall probably until October.
SPEAKER_00So you had fake fall, that's fun. And what will be real fall for you?
SPEAKER_01Uh it it should get down to where the uh high during the week is in the 70s.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, it's great. It's very comfortable.
SPEAKER_00You'll take that, especially for what your hot and hotter summers look like.
SPEAKER_01Indeed.
SPEAKER_00So I think it's important for those that are listening along at home or wherever you may be of how we actually connected. So I was doing some research on professional speakers, and I came across your name, Joshua, and reached out to you on LinkedIn, and you were gracious enough to respond. And we had a what was scheduled kind of maybe a 30-minute call, and you were just so generous with your time, which I greatly appreciated. We went to 45 minutes into an hour. And um, obviously you're a glutton for punishment, man, because you agreed to be on a podcast episode with me. So um, thank you, first of all, for being so generous with your time.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. It's an honor to be here.
SPEAKER_00Perfect. So let's get to it. So, how long have you been a professional speaker?
SPEAKER_01I've been a professional speaker for about nine years.
SPEAKER_00Wow, nine years. And how long did it take you to kind of get amped up from that? From from that year one-ish? So, kind of walk us through that a little bit.
SPEAKER_01Well, and it's like any other project you begin, it's it's always takes longer than you think. And so during the first year, it was really about starting a brand, building a message, and building a following, and uh just kind of speaking anywhere I could. And um, slowly but surely it's starting to build. And I think looking back, I've definitely made a lot of progress, but uh, a lot of us have that problem where we only look forward. I'm looking towards my next goal, my next big event, the next um book that I'm going to launch, those sorts of things. And so um it's neat to kind of look back in hindsight and see all the progress I've actually made.
SPEAKER_00I can only imagine. I can only imagine, especially because you're what nine years in?
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. So let's talk about your personality for a second. How would you describe your personality?
SPEAKER_01I am a very enthusiastic and outgoing person. And you can ask anybody that knows me, they'll tell you the same thing. Now it gets me into trouble sometimes, um, and I don't always know when to be quiet, but that is my natural bent, and I lean into it as much as I can.
SPEAKER_00And how do you believe your personality affects your interaction with people?
SPEAKER_01Uh in in good ways and bad, right? I think we gotta we gotta look at both sides of that coin. I think people are excited to be around me because I'm a very optimistic guy and I'm usually very upbeat. But also I I often have trouble um tackling really deep, hard conversations because I don't like to sit in it. I like to get past it and move forward. And there's some people that I uh family members and close friends um that I'll talk to, and they need to kind of sit in these troublesome moments to like develop solutions and to find ways around it. And um it can be hard sometimes to realize that there are people different from me. And there are a lot, there's a lot of people that are a lot different from me.
SPEAKER_00So that probably makes you a lot stronger on the front end of maybe conversational starters. Wouldn't you say, Joshua?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I every person I meet is just a friend that I haven't met yet.
SPEAKER_00I love that line. I love that line. So, what are some best conversational starters that you would suggest to us?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a good question. I think um anything that has to do with humor, anything that has to do, even some self-deprecation, though I try to avoid that as much as possible. But in having conversations with people, I think people enjoy levity and they enjoy people that are excited to see them. And so if you can find a way to seem excited about what somebody else is interested in, um it goes a long way.
SPEAKER_00Because you know, it's always better to see somebody come than to better than see them go, right?
SPEAKER_01Yes, definitely.
SPEAKER_00So is being memorable important in communication?
SPEAKER_01I believe so. I think that as an individual, being memorable is important, but more so I think the way in which you approach messaging or approach communication, the message you're trying to convey, having that be memorable is more important than being memorable as an individual.
SPEAKER_00Which is really important as a communicator. So, how do you prepare to communicate with an audience before you even get in front of that audience?
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean, just like any other profession, the research is is uh essential up front. Knowing who the audience is, knowing what their challenges are, what what their day-to-day problems are, knowing what their maybe their hopes and aspirations, um, what keeps them up at night, all those sorts of things can kind of combine to give me a little bit of understanding on how my messaging needs to land with this audience. So if I'm speaking to a um a law firm and I'm speaking to all of their attorneys, my message is going to be different than if I'm speaking at a professional human resource association. And so knowing the audience really helps me uh tailor my message to the needs of the people that are actually in attendance.
SPEAKER_00So, how are you best able to do that research?
SPEAKER_01Research is the biggest one. Now, my message, um, it can apply to lots of different industries and lots of different professions and different roles. But I think um that research up front and knowing the audience, knowing what's going on and working to understand their perspective uh allows me to be a lot more effective when I'm trying to communicate something.
SPEAKER_00So if you're on stage, Joshua, and all of a sudden you're going through your content, how do you know when you're connecting with that audience?
SPEAKER_01It usually comes when you see it in their eyes, because they're they're looking for eye contact from you, right? The the ahs, the aha's, the head nodding, all of those little indicators kind of tell you that you're on the right track. Now, I'll I'll be honest, there are people in every audience that probably don't like me, but um the vast majority of people um that I see and that I speak to um appreciate the message, appreciate the energy that I bring. And I think that they're there to learn something. You're always gonna have the skeptic though, right?
SPEAKER_00Sure. So, with those, do you do you find that maybe that's a challenge in a way to to convert the skeptic or to those that are on the fence?
SPEAKER_01To be honest, I'm not always in the business of trying to convert people to my way of thinking because it is just one, my personal perspective is only one of millions in this country. And so I don't necessarily look to change the people that don't want to be changed because they aren't going to make those decisions in a one-hour keynote speech. I like to speak to the majority of people that are hopeful, that are optimistic, that are hoping to see something of depth and to find some sort of revelation or insight that they can apply to their own lives. Those are the people that I'm truly speaking to.
SPEAKER_00I love that. I love that. And it's got to be encouraging as a speaker when you're on a stage and you're not necessarily having a conversation, obviously, but you are communicating in a way where you know that it's resonating with that person where you're seeing those head nods as you just mentioned, you're seeing the light bulbs, you're seeing in the experience of an aha moment, just how much how motivating that is to you when you're communicating.
SPEAKER_01It really is. And to be honest, some of the best moments for me are after my talks. When people come up to me and tell me that I touched them in some sort of way, or that, you know, a certain insight really spoke to them, or that one of my stories um got them emotional because of something in their own life. I love those moments because it's those real human interactions and connections that mean something deep to me.
SPEAKER_00Do you find there is a consistency in certain stories or certain main points within a certain keynote, or do you find that it's maybe surprising you to uh different types of responses that people may have within your keynote?
SPEAKER_01Well, there are lots of different stories that I tell, and I'm sure they all resonate with people different ways. The one that gets the most um conversations going and the most emotional is a story that I tell about my son uh when he was four years old, and when we got his diagnosis of him being autistic. Now, the story um it starts off like any other story, where it's just a confused parent that doesn't know what's going on and we're having trouble with our son. Um, but it ends with me having this realization that he's perceiving the world from a whole different uh view than I am, right? It's our misalignment and how we're perceiving reality is different. And knowing that about him, it allows me now to approach other people and realize that same thing that everybody's viewing the world through their own perspective. Um, the story, it it's it's it's scary at first because you don't know what's going on. It's kind of heart-wrenching because we we didn't know what was wrong with our son. And then we, not that there's something wrong with neurological diversity, but not knowing how to handle it, but finally getting a name to it and then having the whole situation kind of wrap up with something very, very endearing and cute about my son really humanizes these situations where you can feel alone. And now all of a sudden, um being able to take others on that journey with me. Um, I'm not gonna say it's healing because I I would not trade uh my son for any anything in the world. But knowing that now, it allows me to use that as a message to help other people with the troubles that they're facing and the problems that they are uh faced with.
SPEAKER_00And kudos to you for being willing to be vulnerable, because obviously you're sharing something that's very, very personal in that moment. So I can imagine the audience is accepting that opportunity for you to be personal and vulnerable, wouldn't you say?
SPEAKER_01Yes. And to be honest, um, I hadn't started using that story. I didn't, I didn't share that because it was so personal for years and years and years. And then I had a conversation with with a good friend who was going through some um troubling things. And I shared this story, and they told me how powerful it was to them and how it really meant something to them. And it made me start thinking, like, am I holding something back in myself by not sharing the story? Now, my big concern is I the last thing I want to do is uh to utilize my son's um being on the autistic spectrum, using that for my own benefit, right? And so I had long conversations with my wife. I asked my son if he would be all right with me telling this story on stage, and he goes, sure, daddy. And so um we made the decision like if I'm I'm really trying to impact lives, if this story is helping me do that, helping me connect deeper with other human beings, then I should be using it. And it would be a disservice to every one of my audiences if I didn't. So it's become uh one of the staple stories and arguably one of my favorite stories. But um in in full transparency, I still get very emotional talking about it.
SPEAKER_00Oh, no doubt, no doubt. And good for you to seek permission, for lack of a better phrase, with your wife and with your son, and knowing how many people that can relate to that story. Uh, I in my larger family, we've got three autistic children that um now are older, but um, I can relate to that and just having that that that connection, if you will. I struggle with severe migraines, and I bring that up, and usually there's somebody who has somebody in their family or a friend that struggles with migraines, and so all of a sudden there's that connection that happens from a very personal vulnerable moment or at least an issue that's there. So I'm proud of you for bringing that up. That's a it's a a powerful moment that um you know you could either avoid or you could potentially manipulate, and to find that tension for that to be in the middle there, I commend you on being willing to use that. So um, how does miscommunication impact people's ability to connect, Josh? What do you think about that?
SPEAKER_01I think the vast majority of disagreements are about a miscommunication. It's people viewing things from a different way, right? So I mean even with my son, he views things in a very different way. Me and my wife, we view things differently, but there's always a chance for miscommunication because the whole idea of communication is so fascinating, right? So this is what I studied uh in college, but uh is communication. But it's so fascinating that we have to take these abstract concepts that we carry in our brains. So we have to somehow package all of those things together and then transmit that message, usually verbally or even written. And then we're expecting the other person to receive this message, right? Hear it or read it, and unpack it the same way. But we all have such different experiences and knowledge and understandings of our surroundings, it's almost inevitable that there's going to be miscommunication. And so I think one of the biggest things we can do to kind of avoid that is to gain confirmation that we're on the same page. Because how often if we said if I said something, somebody else received something and they received it in a way that I didn't mean for them to, or they misheard it, or they misunderstood it. And I think miscommunication is is a huge problem. And I think it's it's in our not necessarily inability, but our unwillingness to confirm that it was caught the way that we threw it.
SPEAKER_00Good way to say it. Absolutely, absolutely. What is a way to minimize miscommunication?
SPEAKER_01Ask for confirmation, ask for people to repeat it in their own words. Um, once again, I have young kids right now, and you know what? They are great at finding loopholes in any sort of rule that we set up. And it's it's those things that you don't realize. And um, I mean, as a child, I was the king of loopholes too, right? And when there's ambiguous information being shared, there's a lot of room for misinterpretation or or exploitative um misinterpretation.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and the older the kids get, and depending on their personalities and their bents, it's amazing how they could sometimes manipulate that uh miscommunication to their benefit. So what impresses you with another person when you're having an interaction with them, Joshua? Is there anything that stands out?
SPEAKER_01Uh this is and this is something that's it's a new thing that stands out because people used to be this way, but being fully present is something that really stands out to me. Because what when I was when I was younger, right? I mean I'm in my 40s now, but when I was younger, you could go and you could have a conversation with somebody, and they had to be fully present. There weren't all these distractions. There weren't thousands of screens all around us. People didn't have um the internet at their fingertips at the time. Um, we had dumb phones, not smartphones at the time. And so you were you were forced to actually be present with the people you were with. And I think that that part of living is something that we're slowly losing. And it's actually, I find it quite sad that a lot of people are missing out on real-world experiences, in other words, in in order to live vicariously through whatever device and whatever platform they choose to. And so that's what I find is very exciting to me when there is somebody who is having a conversation with me with me and they're fully present in that conversation.
SPEAKER_00It almost catches you off guard, doesn't it? Because it is so rare.
SPEAKER_01It's it's it's almost jarring.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that's a great word for it. It's a very, very good word for it. And it is almost an excuse anymore for not paying attention that you need to check your phone or that you feel like you're gonna miss something. So, what mistakes do you see people interacting with each other?
SPEAKER_01Well, we'll start there, right? Being distracted when communicating. That's one of the biggest mistakes, is when trying to communicate with another human being, you're either telling them that they're valuable in your eyes, that you see value in the conversation and the words that they're sharing, or you can be distracted and you're you're flagging that something else is more important than this other individual. And so that's a that's a big one there. Another one is um listening. That's a huge piece of effectively communicating. Now, I've I've been accused of being a poor listener, and it's something that I know that I have to work on, but when I consciously make the effort to be in a conversation and to truly listen, it's always a much more fair conversation, meaning that I'm speaking less than I'm actually inviting other people to listen, which which I will readily admit is a fault of mine.
SPEAKER_00And let's drill down a little bit more on the listening side of that. In fact, I'll quote a movie scene that's one of my favorite scenes um in a very, very intellectual movie called Dumb and Dumber. And I remember when when the and Lloyd and um and Harry were sitting in the in the hot tub and they asked why Frieda Fellmeyer broke up with him. And she he said, because she said, or she said that he wasn't a very good listener, and they said, Well, what else did she say? He says, I don't know, I really wasn't paying attention. And I think it's just brilliant, brilliant writing, even if you think the movie's dumb. But um the listening aspect of that, why do why is it so difficult for us just not to listen?
SPEAKER_01That's a good question. I think in every conversation, and it's not necessarily nefarious, but in every conversation, people walk into it with their own agenda, right? We have a list of things that we need to extract as information from the other person, or a list of information we need to impart to the other person. And we we know this. People wait for their turn to speak instead of listening intently on the other individual. And I think if we can approach the conversation, any conversation or any kind of communication with the intent of trying to understand the other person, not to share our point, but to understand the other person's perspective, it's so invaluable.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and it's um to your point earlier, it's when it does happen, it's almost it's kind of almost a little bit scary, uh jarring, and to use that word again, because you somebody actually is listening, like you feel like, oh my goodness, they're actually like holding on to what I'm saying. And especially too if they're not responding right away, you almost feel like you're waiting for them to say something when they're sometimes just listening in and absorbing what you just said.
SPEAKER_01Uh definitely. And I think that those um pauses to uh either seek more understanding or to try and formulate an idea based on what you just heard is very important. Too often people will speak very quickly after they've listened to somebody else, and that that tells you that you know they already had that plan to say and they were probably planning it while you were speaking.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, very much so. What would you say? And you kind of alluded to this, maybe there's more to unpack with this, but it's still a challenge for you with interacting with people.
SPEAKER_01I I I will once again step back and say listening is something that I need to work on. Now, this is something that that I've fought for years, but I know it's it's something that I need to be better at. I I I like to speak, I I like to hear myself speak. I have lots of ideas and I shoot from the hip a lot. So I I retract things I say all the time. Um, but if I can focus more on understanding other people's perspectives, it allows me to be better at communicating my own ideas into the future.
SPEAKER_00That's good. That's really good. How can you, me, anybody else who's listening help draw out thoughts or comments from another person to kind of give them permission that it's okay to talk?
SPEAKER_01Ask better questions. That's that's the biggest thing. Asking better questions, asking deeper questions, not allowing people to get away with with uh short answers. We live in this world where everybody wants, you know, their next 30-second video and they're flipping through everything. We can't allow our conversations to be that way. If we want depth in our lives, we need to force others to join us in that deep end of the pool.
SPEAKER_00How do we do that? Can you help us to unpack that a little bit more about what how can we ask it better questions or deeper questions? Can you give some examples potentially?
SPEAKER_01Well, um without going to any specific, I think asking people if they share some pieces, if you ask a simple question, they give you an answer, instead of just accepting that, be like, okay, why? I'm just curious, do it out of curiosity, not out of questioning. Though a lot of times when you ask why, people do think you're questioning their motives or their ideas behind it. But I think seeking to understand needs to be how they feel. Like, oh, this person's, they're they're not questioning my ideas, they're seeking to understand my ideas. And I always try to make that evident when I'm having conversations. People are like, look, I'm I just want to know more, or I'm I'm very curious about that. Can you can you go a little bit deeper? Tell me a little bit more about why you think this particular thing. And it's it's not done so that I can get them in a gotcha moment. It's done so that I can actually understand this other human being, this other individual that's you know traveling on this giant rock that we all are.
SPEAKER_00Well, I love what you just said. I love this. I'm curious. Or tell me just a little bit more. I think those are great leading words to hopefully give the other person permission to answer. Questions. My father used to say all the time, he who asks the questions controls the conversation. And not controlling the person, but controls the conversation in a way where somebody will just they'll answer by default any questions that's asked. And sometimes without even thinking about it, they'll just continue to answer the questions, especially if they don't feel that they're being interrogated. Would you would you agree with that?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And it's funny because sometimes you'll ask that question and the people on the other end of it will go, whoa. And it forces them to have to dissect how they're thinking about that situation, which is a great thing. I mean, we should all be um confronted with flaws in our logic or with ideas that we have adopted and haven't necessarily dissected ourselves. And I think the more we can do that for others, the more it allows us to do it for ourselves as well.
SPEAKER_00Well, and think about too, Joshua, how many times people are not in an environment where they're asked questions, where their opinion is valued. So when you or I ask that type of question out of a curiosity mindset, that I mean, just how good that feels to another person. So I can understand in a way where somebody will be willing to answer questions because maybe a lot of their life, they're not around people who are willing to ask questions and really seek their opinion and how refreshing that feels to another person.
SPEAKER_01Well, I don't think I'm getting this quote right, but I think Zig Ziglar said something around find a reason to be fascinated by every individual that you meet. And if you if you dig deep enough, if you give yourself the the freedom to have a deeper conversation, it allows you to do that. Because there are amazing things about probably about everybody that you could find fascinating. And now you're serving them because you're you're showing them that you actually care about them as an individual, not just the idea that they're spouting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I really like that. And I think that's a great way of framing that. Who's been an influence in your life on your social skills or your communication or your conversation or your connection skills?
SPEAKER_01My father was probably the largest influence on my communication skills. And I say that because um from a very young age, uh, we used to go and I used to work trade show booths with him. I would work, he had he was an entrepreneur, he owned his own business uh in the adventure um and uh outfitter world. And so I was always watching him connect with people and with customers and work to make people enjoy themselves and to be happy and to get excited about things. And that's some things that I took very deeply into into the core of who I've become and how you communicate with other people, right? And that it was Maya Angelou that said, people don't remember what you did, people won't remember what you say, but they'll always remember how you made them feel. And so that that becomes kind of a defining factor for not just, you know, my work, but also my life.
SPEAKER_00Well, and you think about his industry, and any industry where somebody's going there to well bond to have a good time, somebody like your father can make or break that besides just the activity that they're doing, if they can really, really listen and they can enjoy what they're doing because somebody's kind of creating that environment. And I could only imagine how much value that brought to them and almost don't even remember him because of the excitement that he brought to them. I think that's awesome. Are you ready now for uh you ready now for the top five rapid rapid fires?
SPEAKER_01All right, and do you just want one-word answered with this? Or do you want me to go deeper? What are you thinking?
SPEAKER_00It's up to you, buddy. It's up to you, right?
SPEAKER_01All right, let's go.
SPEAKER_00Okay, good or bad at remembering names?
SPEAKER_01Good.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I'm gonna drill down on that just since I've asked you that question. What have you always been good at remembering names? Or and if not, what has uh allowed you to get better at it?
SPEAKER_01I was not always good at remembering names. I've become much better. And once again, it's about being present in that moment and making a conscious effort to do it. Now, there's lots of tips and tricks, but when I meet somebody, I love to repeat their name to them, use their name at least one more time in a sentence, and when I say goodbye to them, I use their name again, and that helps me remember it. And now that other person obviously feels like they're of value in my life. Because if I do value these people, and whether it's somebody, say a good example is when I show up at an event to speak on a stage, I meet a dozen people, right? I meet the event planner, I meet the president of the organization, I meet um the A V team, I meet the audio guys, the uh the video guys. I and so you meet all of these individuals. And sometimes I'll write their names down if it's a big group of people that I'm trying to remember. But my goal is to make each one of them feel valued because I do every one of them is contributing to making this an experiential event for the people in the audience. And so they are just as valuable as I am, though they're not the ones with the microphone. They are just as uh invaluable to making it a success. And so my goal is to show them that I appreciate the work that they're doing.
SPEAKER_00And how much more are they a fan of yours when you're remembering Jerry's name or Sandy's name to make that experience even better?
SPEAKER_01They usually smile because I'll walk back to the AB community and say, hey, Bill, I just want to say thanks again. I really appreciated all of your help. And you can see a smile because most people don't remember their names. They're guys that are wearing, you know, black outfits, they're in the back, they have headsets, they're talking to each other, they're on a computer, they're switching, you know, slides and screens and moving between stuff. But when you actually show them that you remember who they are, it it gives, I think it gives them a sense of almost deeper purpose in their work, knowing that they made an impact on somebody else and that they are valued for the efforts that they're putting forward.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, sure. Because they've gone from a role to a person and part of a bigger, a bigger story. And I love that. I think another thing you did, Div that uh we definitely teach is you did a three-peat. You mentioned their name when you first met them, and then you used it in in the midst of the conversation, and then you did it as a goodbye. And I think that's just so valuable as a trif besides trying to remember their name because they look like whatever, and that I mean, those are all good tips and tricks, but just simply doing it in a three-peat becomes very, very valuable. So mad kudos to you onto that.
SPEAKER_01That's an actual uh method.
SPEAKER_00Uh exactly.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome.
SPEAKER_00Oh, cool. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01I stumbled upon it accidentally.
SPEAKER_00Three peats. And uh you take full credit for that too.
SPEAKER_01No, I don't need to.
SPEAKER_00Nice, nice. Good or bad listener, if completely honest. And you referenced this already.
SPEAKER_01I'm a poor listener, but I am a work in progress.
SPEAKER_00And you're in recovery?
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00A strength that you bring into a conversation.
SPEAKER_01Optimism?
SPEAKER_00That's a good one. Are you naturally optimistic?
SPEAKER_01Yes, every single day.
SPEAKER_00Do you find that to be easier then to bring that into a conversation?
SPEAKER_01I don't know if I find it easy because some people don't want to be happy. Some people are very, very content being miserable. And also, here's the interesting thing. When you when you smile a lot, people people can think um all sorts of things about you. I was in, so my my wife's Polish, and we were visiting a lot of her family in Poland one time and had a conversation with her cousin. So her cousin, he's Polish, right? I'm gonna try and do his accent, but he goes, Josh, you smiled too much. And I was like, Why do I smile too much? He's like, We learn under USSR, if you smile, you are up to something. And I was like, Oh, but I'm not, I'm just I'm just happy. And so um, some people view it as somebody who's trying to fleece them, and um, it's it's a sad state of affairs, but I I can understand that if that's what you've grown up with and that's what you know, and that's what you've been conditioned. I it totally makes sense. Um, but it I couldn't stop from smiling when I was there because it was it's a beautiful country and very nice people, so it's just it's very interesting. Yeah, it's not it's not always easy being the the optimist, right? People sure don't necessarily like it if they're not feeling as optimistic or as happy that particular day. They can feel like it's an affront to how they feel.
SPEAKER_00No, it's a it's a good good attitude. My dad always enjoyed it because he he anybody who was around pessimistic, his job is to be as optimistic as he could with there, and that was just his his demeanor. What is your pet peeve or just drives you crazy about people sometimes?
SPEAKER_01What drives me crazy about people? Inauthenticity.
SPEAKER_00Ooh, that's a good one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, and I I I see it a lot, and I mean social media has only made it more prevalent because now people just want to jump on and get their 15 minutes of fame. But people that are inauthentic, um, or or even rude. I think that there's we live in a place today where there's there's no room for rudeness, and there shouldn't be. Um, but people will wrap themselves in whatever flag they want and be as rude as they want just because they want to make their own point. And um it's a sad state of affairs, to be honest with you. That's that's what that's what irks me the most about people, people that are inauthentic or just in it for themselves.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you think sometimes that's their personality trait, right? Is to be rude. Sadly, sadly enough. All right. Bonus question here, since you bought the top five there. What are you learning right now, or how are you being challenged in your life?
SPEAKER_01How am I being challenged? Well, I'm learning something every day. My my children are like one of my biggest places to learn now. And they view the world through such a different perspective, right? All three of my kids. And it's it's wild to watch them process information and come up with their own conclusions, their own ideas about things and realize that I don't necessarily have all the answers. Not that I ever thought that I did, but maybe I can take these new things and apply it to my old ways of doing um business. And it's it's just to me, it's the most fascinating, rewarding thing is learning from them, right? I mean, because yeah, they obviously are learning from me. We we don't we look both ways before we cross the street. I taught my daughter how to ride a bike last week. They're learning from me, but I'm also learning from them um in real time as well. And I think that that's probably where I'm doing my my most of my learning. Now, I also listen to lots of podcasts, and I I do read a lot as well. But um it wouldn't, it would be hard for me to say anything but that as my primary source of learning right now. I honestly think that the vast majority of learning that takes place by me right now is done by observing my children and just spending time with them.
SPEAKER_00I think that's awesome. I mean, I've got children of all ages, and uh, you know, they teach at different ages. So I think that's a great, great response on that. So if people want to follow you, Joshua, or learn more about you, where do are they best to find you?
SPEAKER_01Uh you can check me out on LinkedIn, the Joshua M. Evans. You can check me out on uh Twitter and Facebook and all those other places at enthusiastic you, or they can check out my website, joshua mevins.com.
SPEAKER_00Perfect. And I'll make sure that I list those in the show notes as well.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00So lastly, uh any closing thoughts you'd like to leave with us today?
SPEAKER_01Um not necessarily. Just be the person that your dog thinks you are. How about that?
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. Does it matter what type of dog or just dog in general?
SPEAKER_01Just dog in general. As long as you know, mild tempered.
SPEAKER_00Well, I love the pre-qualifier on that. So well, Josh, I absolutely love this conversation. I was excited to come in here, especially knowing what you would provide for these listeners here with the Elite Business Connector Podcast. No, we appreciate the time and uh investing into it.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you very much, Brian.
SPEAKER_00Now it's your turn to do something with business competition.
