David Steward - The Truth About Billion-Dollar Thinking | Episode 2

David Steward - The Truth About Billion-Dollar Thinking | Episode 2

Timestamps:
Intro (0:00)
Tip Off: Childhood (5:18)
KKK Denies School Integration (8:15)
Dave Rejected as A Boy Scout (9:56)
Advice for the Hopeless (13:05)
Dave Athlete Days & Mindset (18:33)
My 9-year Old Grandson Changed My Life (21:01)
Halftime: Conception of World Wide Technology (23:40)
"I convinced a guy to sell me his business" (26:10)
I Did a Leverage Buyout Unknowingly (28:10)
Where does your bravery come from? (29:59)
Limitations & Scaling (32:01)
Crunch Time: When did World Wide takeoff for you? (36:25)
Faith & Unlearned Beliefs (38:57)
The Buzzer: What is your driving motivation now? (42:05)
WWT Prayer Call & Bible Study (43:30)
When Dave Encouraged Stephen (47:01)
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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

For me to call a company, worldwide technology, with fat people abortive squirting, um, everybody thought, well, something wrong with him.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Stewart, the founder of Worldwide Technology, a multi-billion dollar technology giant, shattered racial barriers and socioeconomic limitations to become the richest black person in the United States.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

I'm reacting and responding only to what I know the father can use me with a hard calling, with a purpose. And then he happened to name me David Stewart, beloved servant.

SPEAKER_06 0:37

I would love to go back a little bit to your childhood.

SPEAKER_03 0:40

One teacher, one room with all the grades, up to eighth grade. Oh, by the way, you couldn't go to the library. They decided they were going to integrate the school systems. The bookbuck's client said there's no way that's gonna happen. That's not gonna happen in Clinton, Missouri. And so there's a big threat.

SPEAKER_06 0:57

Everyone loves to talk about 1990 when you started Worldwide Technologies, but I'd love to talk about maybe a couple years before that.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

I've worked for a couple making corporation, one of the first people of color ever to sell rail services. I lived in New Orleans, New York, Houston, LA, and then I um I worked for a company called Federal Express. I'm in their sales hall of fame. Getting these pauses around that, I was excited to receive that. I looked on the inside and it was empty. Didn't have anything else in it. Is this all in life? Isn't that what I do? I can do a lot more than at that moment I decided to also I would somehow own a buy business um in 1983.

SPEAKER_06 1:43

I'm curious about for you, when did you sort of experience that moment when you're like, I envision worldwide as being something big, but we're on we're really you know on that back.

SPEAKER_03 1:52

In fact, I was bold enough. Our first uh partner was Ivan Young. The best salesman out there is not even us, it's other people talking about trying to be like you when I grow up at this time. We like games, you'll be better off.

SPEAKER_05 2:09

All right, all right. Thank you so much. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_06 2:20

I'm excited today to have a conversation with uh a man who really doesn't need an introduction and would probably prefer not to have one. Um but he's done some amazing things, and we may get to into some of those things. There's been many headlines, uh, but today is not about headlines. Uh, it is about the person behind the headlines, uh, and more importantly, around uh it's learning more about the faith uh behind the man that has allowed him to lead a such a remarkable life and make such an impact. Uh, when we hear about uh making it matter, uh, making it matter is not about being seen uh doing great things, it's about people being changed because you did. And so today I am honored to uh sit and have a conversation with someone I view as a personal hero, Mr. Dave Stewart.

unknown 3:09

Welcome.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm doing great. After that prayer you just did, I'm feeling even better.

SPEAKER_06 3:15

Ah, yeah. I almost feel like, like you said, we can wrap it up because God's showing up already, which is really exciting.

SPEAKER_03 3:21

So you know, the joy of the Lord is our strength. And said, uh, you know, I say this every every time I get on the phone with with someone, I say, this is a day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. That's a choice that we make. And uh I feel the joy of the Lord in this place right now, having met you and having spent time with you, having met your son as well, and what he's doing with his life as well, and the ministry and the platform that you've got, uh, it's an inspiration. So thank you for being you. Yeah, and thank you for the opportunity for this interview.

SPEAKER_06 3:54

I'm honored that uh that you made time. I know you could be in a lot of different places, and uh I have uh heard your story, I've read your books. Uh it inspires me each and every single time I do. Um, and today I'm really excited because uh, as we talked a little bit about, I have the the fortune, I guess that the the good uh position to be in where I can work with so many young people who are so influential, uh athletes, entertainers, uh people of influence. Um and um I wanted to to sort of retell your story, give an opportunity for you to talk to, you always talk to younger audiences, um, but to to revisit that story in a way because, in my opinion, um there's a lot of people who are making uh a lot of noise that frankly I think they probably shouldn't be people that people follow. Um, and I just think that your story has been such a powerful one. And so uh some couple things I'm looking forward to getting into, but I would love to start and maybe go back a little bit because I know um from having the privilege of of hearing your story before, so much of who you are today um didn't just happen today. There was so many things in the past that made you who you are. And so I would love to go back a little bit to your childhood, right? Because that was a different time. Uh, and depending on the age of the folks that are that are watching this, uh, some people may not even be able to fathom what that time was like. And so uh I'm curious, Dave, take us back into your childhood a little bit. Uh, what was something that you experienced during that time or uh growing up that was considered normal then that might be surprising today?

SPEAKER_03 5:32

So um living on the other side of the tracks was a real thing. Uh I grew up in the 50s and 60s, and uh there was segregation. Segregation of the schools, segregation of the living conditions, uh, segregation of the opportunities as well. There was very limited opportunities. Uh and uh in that environment, uh the not losing hope. And you know, people people kind of lose hope because they depend on people opposed to uh male man will fail you every time. But what I saw in in in in that is is a light of hope always. And that hope was in our father. And that light was was was even in the darkest and challenging of times in the 50s and 60s, and witnessing that, uh, we never lost hope in our faith. And and so, as bad as it sounds, living in that environment, as dark as it was, and challenging as it was, and the limitations uh that it was, and how we were viewed in that community as well, and the things that were traumatically happened in those times were strengthened our faith and our resolve of what what's possible. I saw some things, uh I'll give you a good example. Uh, and um uh I think it was uh I was in the third going and third grade, and they had just integrated the school system three years before that. And I'll tell you a little bit about the the integration piece uh as well. They uh Brown versus the Board of Education happened in 1954 and 57 that were going through this timetable of now starting to integrate the school systems. Uh Clinton was one of those school systems that was slow to adapt. And so that year they're definitively we're gonna integrate the school system. There was a drastic difference between the system that I would was going to go to in the first grade, one teacher, one room with all the grades, up to eighth grade, right, for all the black students. All the hand-me-down books and books that the public school didn't want on the other side of the tracks were given to them to you know as their textbooks. Oh, by the way, you couldn't go to the library for books because it wasn't available to you. There's a lot of public things you couldn't go to uh as well. So this year, that year, that I was going into the first grade, they decided they were gonna integrate the school systems. And the Ku Klux Klan said, there's no way that's gonna happen. There is, that's not gonna happen in Clinton, Missouri. And so there's a big threat to the black community, but also to the overall community overall. And my dad, who's a World War II vet, Navy vet, which is a story all in itself, uh, from Chicago, that's another story that I could talk uh uh at at length about, uh patrolled the town all night to ensure his five children to go to school safely. That was a real thing, a real threat. You know, and you think about that as a as a six-year-old, you know, it's kind of overwhelming that someone doesn't want you to go in their school system, uh, uh, and your dad risked his life to tour the town to ensure that his kids could go to school. That's that's that says a lot about parenting and the strength of that's how I view my dad as a strength and uh and protecting his children and a cover for his wife and his family and so forth. And that kind of commitment was a wonderful example for me. Yeah. Even in the in the in the in the in the in the midst of those challenging, challenging circumstances. And so as I think about, you know, that or I think about the the when I was uh going into third grade, you know, uh I was a boy scouter, I was a Cub Scout. My mother was uh the Scout mother and the whole bit as well. She was a den mother, and oh boy, we had a great time. She did everything with us, all the crafts and all the things that and skills and so forth to develop. I even went through Weeblo. And uh as we were transitioning, because we were in the school now, uh they had one scout troop. It was 435. My mother, my mother, uh, so we went to the rally that they had at school, and we're so excited we're gonna be a part of Boy Scouts now, okay, as well, wore these uniforms to school as well. And uh she had to come to me and say uh that I could not join the Boy Scouts because they rejected me because I was black. It was a just a and we cried about it. It was a it was a moment realizing that you know that uh even though we were challenged during that period of time uh through that, you know, it's interesting the outcomes because the other men of the town, my daddy didn't have time to do that, he was working all the time. Um other men of the town that didn't look like us said that was the wrong thing to do. And and they welcomed us and and led a new scout troop to include us. Wow.

SPEAKER_06 11:42

Wow, that's powerful.

SPEAKER_03 11:45

But it was something to overcome, and we didn't overcome it by ourselves. We know there was other men in the town that didn't think that way or thought that we were important, significant enough to come together with my mom, kind of leading the charge, my dad, you know, leading the charge to include us. And I was a scouter for many, many years, up until um I was a life scout, and then basketball and all the other activities came into play. Uh, but I was uh heavily involved in the Boy Scouts to this day. An investor, I ran the St. Louis region for for a number of years, and then I ran the Central Region with a million scouters across the nation in the central region for a number of years, and sat on the executive committee of the uh the uh Boy Scouts uh organization for a number of years.

SPEAKER_06 12:41

Yeah, that's wonderful. So, a couple questions I have for you. Thinking through this, given the background you came out of, there was, I guess to politely to say it, there was a lot of uh there was a there was a lot of uh rejection, it sounds like that you experienced. Um there was a lot of people who were sounds like very verbally against you in so many ways. Uh, I guess the question that I think about is that seems to have not have affected your mindset, right? And I and I I asked that question because I I guess I make that statement because um I think about people who may be listening to this, some of whom uh may be in equally dire uh situations too what you are raised in, some may be worse, some less, but we all have the sort of the common uh challenge of having challenges. And how do we not lose hope in that? So I'm curious about from your standpoint, what advice would you give to someone who is in the in their version of what you experience? Maybe they don't have the family uh examples to be able to look to because they they didn't grow up in a in a household of faith. Uh, what advice would you give to someone in that scenario of how they can also not allow their circumstances to overcome them and and uh you know force them to lose hope?

SPEAKER_03 13:55

There's examples everywhere of light in your life. You know, if you're looking up, you'll see them. Matthew 6.33 uh says it best for me. Uh seek ye first the kingdom of God and all of his righteousness and everything else will be added to you. Uh and uh as I I think about that scripture, uh there are there there's light everywhere. Uh people are doing positive things and being positive examples of what's possible uh as well. When I came to St. Louis, uh there are wonderful examples of people who were doing things and making a difference and uh having an impact in the hope that that that poured into me, as my parents poured in me, you know, uh as well. You're always gonna have the naysayers, you're always gonna have the negatives, you're gonna have all those headwinds and so forth in front of you. But but there's always a light, you know, and and so that scripture comes to mind. The other thing, too, is that you've got to be self-motivated around who God made you to be. And he made only one of you. He's only and and so uniquely different than anybody else on the planet, one of one. I'm one of one, you know, and there's no like nobody like me on the planet. And he gave me gifts that he didn't give anybody else, you know. And am I gonna let that light so shine before man?

SPEAKER_06 15:23

Let me see your good works.

SPEAKER_03 15:24

So your good works will be known, your father in heaven will be glorified. All those things come to mind when I when I think about it. And then I thought, well, there's one scripture that comes to mind, and I talk about this a lot, you know, that just is self-motivating to me to really know who I am and the power that works within me. That's it in Ephesians 3.20, says, glory be to God that works within us, that can do exceedingly above all you can think, dream, or pray for. And as I meditate on that every day, I say, wow, that's me. He lives in me and can do exceedingly above all you can think, dream, or pray for. Makes me talk a little bit differently. And a confidence and a reassurance, you know, that he is in me and he is with me, you know, in everything that I do, and nothing's not possible. Yeah. And that he'll do exceedingly above what you can think we'll pray for. Yeah, he also he also said, You would even do greater things. That's what the word says. And I would even do greater things than you. How is that possible? You know, yeah. Well, and and and so you begin to think in those terms, and it says, My people perish for the lack of vision. I I will tell you that you begin to think in visionary terms in ways that that are beyond what you can see. Right. And and you begin to speak them from the buns of the heart, the mouth speak. You begin to speak those things into being. So there's a whole bunch of scriptures that tie in my actions. Faith without corresponding actions is dead. So I'm responding to what I believe and what I know is true. I mean, the things that I see today are beyond what I could have ever seen in 1990 when I started this business. Well, what I saw in 1990 was pretty fantastic. For me to call a company worldwide technology with five people on 4,000 square feet, um everybody thought, well, something's wrong with him. Just, you know, but he's he's from Clinton, so can anything good come from Clinton? Right. Yeah. Right? You know, and so from my standpoint, you know, um I have I am reacting and responding only to what I know the father is can use me with a higher calling, with a purpose. And then he happened to name me David Steward, beloved servant. I have a responsibility to serve and be a good steward over this platform that God has given me to serve others.

SPEAKER_06 18:32

Yeah, that's great. I also uh have been told by a little birdie that you uh you played some sports growing up as well, nicknamed Spider is what I've been told. Um and I'm curious because we you know work in the athletic space, as I mentioned before, uh what sort of effect did being an athlete have on your mindset? You've talked a lot about obviously your faith, um, and you talked about some of that self-motivation. I'm curious about uh how much of that, if any of that, came from your ability as a as an athlete in any capacity.

SPEAKER_03 19:06

Well, I absolutely did. I mean, it teaches about teamwork, teach it teaches you about grit, determination and perseverance. Uh and um, you know, there's a discipline around being an athlete, especially team sports uh and uh and a rigor that you you you just have to have uh uh a play. And there's a unselfishness as well. When you're playing basketball, there's an unselfishness that comes with with that as well. Uh and um and so developing that and developing these great relationships are transferable in the marketplace. You know, uh knowing how to be a good teammate uh uh at worldwide is a part of the the mindset you have to go in with. And we think that athletes bring that in a way in space that normally doesn't happen because they know how to build teams that that win, you know, and what it's gonna take as a team uh to win as well, a strategy around that. Uh and that's always the goal at the first of the year, right? To to win as many games as you possibly can and go to the various tournaments and win, and as well as uh to get to the the the the finals, right? And and so you know, I I think those being goal-minded in that sense, yeah, I think is uh and and you're doing something together as a team is always special. There are friends and lifelong friends that I've had that I played uh played with uh uh basketball and memories that we share together that only we share together that I think are important to to note in that as well that it was a wonderful experience. I saw something uh of this past, in fact, in September, my nine-year-old, I got a special gift from my nine-year-old uh grandson. Uh he's an athlete, uh, and he is an equestrian. He uh is in the hunter division of uh the equestrian uh uh ecosystem and system. And he uh he has his his ponies, his medium and uh large ponies that he he rides and so forth. And uh he he he also is a jumper uh as well. But uh we have a huge race uh uh NASCAR race here at the Worldwide Technology Raceway. We have 135,000 people come through the turnstiles. We have we have 38 billion touch points because it's so Popular. We've got a festival that goes along alongside it as well. One of the most successful sporting events ever in St. Louis through NASCAR. We were a part of helping make sure that that happened for St. Louis in the community. I always go, I always a part of that, but I missed this year. It was a playoff. I missed this year because I was in Travers City, Michigan because of my grandson's competition. It was cold. It was windy. It was wet. My nine-year-old, the athlete that he is, didn't complain. He got focused on the horses that he he uh jumped that day and that he maneuvered through the course that day. Uh uh he to watch him persevere through that, through the struggle and the challenges and so forth, of facing the kind of elements that he had to face was a gift to me.

SPEAKER_02 23:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:13

Because that's what he's gonna face in life.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

And that's what being an athlete meant to me as well. And to see that being passed now on to the my second generation uh in those circumstances was a gift.

SPEAKER_06 23:28

Yeah, that's great. So there, there, your the faith component helped you to not lose hope, bring in some of what you learned as an athlete. There are probably other uh facets that sort of put you in the mindset that you were. And uh I I want to talk a little bit about everyone loves to talk about 1990 when you started Worldwide Technologies. Um, but um I'd love to talk about maybe a couple years before that, right? So, what what was going on in your life uh at that point in time? And did you just wake up one day and like, today I'm gonna start worldwide? Like what walk us through a little bit about where your mind and where your your life was at that at that point.

SPEAKER_03 24:04

So I um I worked for a couple of major corporations. You want to learn on somebody else's nickel if you possibly can, right? Uh it's always nice to do that. Um I worked for uh the old Missouri Pacific Railroad, which is now the Union Pacific. So I know the railroad industry. One of the first people of color ever to sell rail services uh across the nation. Um from from I lived in New Orleans, Milwaukee, Houston, LA. Uh, and said, um, and and then I um worked for an innovative company that was the innovator of of its time uh and in in 1970, 78, I think it was. Uh went for a company called Federal Express uh and in sales and marketing. It was very successful there, uh, and selling selling air services, uh package services. And it was uh just a wonderful experience I had working with Fred Smith. It was was um I'm in their sales hall of fame uh as well. If you go to their headquarters, you'll see my picture with with Fred Smith and Preet Wilmot and and this ice bucket I had uh that they they gave me uh in the audience. And you know, I uh I'm getting these applause, applauses around that. I was excited to receive that. But I looked on the inside of it, I was it's empty. Didn't have anything else in it. You know, it was nice to get the uh initial ice bucket with my initials on it and that whole bit. But I but this all in life as I was I view it, I I can do a lot more than this. And at that moment, I decided uh I was gonna, I was gonna I was gonna either somehow own or buy a business uh and in 1983. Didn't have any money. I had mortgage and a couple of kids uh and a whole bit as well. And I so I was able I was a pretty good salesman, so I decided to convince a guy I knew to sell me his business.

SPEAKER_06 26:19

Wait, I can't I can't I want to pause you there. So you say that as if it's a very sort of small thing, but what what made you say, hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna try to get this guy to sell me the business? Was it was it a desire to to accomplish what you said? Was it just like I'm gonna give it a shot? Walk us through a little bit of the mindset.

SPEAKER_03 26:37

So the mindset is that every relationship matters. How you build those relationships along the way, are you uh are you building um them on based on the fact that um uh I I talked to our kids about how important building good relationships were. I learned that in sales, I learned that growing up and getting along with everybody that weren't necessarily friends, but uh that they would be of some value, that the integrity and and trust and and the kinds of relationships you build, uh that will follow you the rest of your life. I talked to my son about that as well. And I always have held that mindset uh in the kinds of relationships I built in business. And so was a guy that I met. So it wasn't like the first time I met the person I'm I'm sitting down and having a conversation with. He liked me. I liked him, I thought to, and but he was he was a little older than I am, a lot older than I am. He was 60, 63, 64 years old, and he said, I'm tired of this business that I'm in right now, but you know, I'll continue to do it. Uh but uh I convinced him to share uh to to to sell me that business. And I'm figuring out I'm how am I gonna struggle, how am I gonna challenge myself to to navigate to own this business. He sold me the business uh for nothing down. I convinced the bank to give me a down payment using his assets to do that, and then uh he carried back the rest, the cash flow uh for the cash flow for the business, and then uh I was able to acquire the business, certain assets, certain liabilities, and so forth, created a whole new organization and so forth as well. It was a business that did overcharge audits, and which is doesn't those kind of business still exist today, but it got me in business. It was a had a then I developed a full service brokerage operation as well.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:58

But uh uh years later, people said, Well, you did a leverage buyout. I said I did. Uh uh from that business in 1987, we were doing these audits of transportation bills, getting on overcharges assessed by the various couriers. In 1987, decided, well, you know, I'm doing all these overcharged audits. I was had General Motors and Chrysler and Ford and Campbell Soup and Abe ADM and uh I had had a Cargill and a whole host of clients that was able to secure with this business. Well, we're finding just as many undercharges. We are overcharges. I said, you know, I used to work for the railroads, the old Union Pacific. I I'm gonna convince see if I can convince the leadership and Union Pacific to give me an overcharge, uh, an undercharge audit, which had never been done in the history of the railroad industry. It's unheard of. They're gonna have someone on the outside, me, doing, I convinced them to do that.

SPEAKER_06 29:59

So, question for you there, because that's that's remarkable. If if you look at what you just described here, someone could easily say, well, like I don't understand two plus two is not equaling four in this instance. What I mean by that is that someone from your background who has been told and shown maybe this is not for you, for you to step into those spaces and like not necessarily wait for permission, but to see an opportunity and to believe that all right, I can do this. Um, where did where did that come from?

SPEAKER_03 30:37

Um I think it come from uh it came from examples. Uh my grandfather and and and and and dad uh created their own jobs because uh opportunities were so limited. And so I was um uh pretty confident about my ability to be able at least uh convince people of an opportunity visually and describe to them in a way that they saw with me an opportunity to make a difference. Uh so in that, in that, and and and obviously the relationships that I had built along the way in the railroads paid off and well because the leadership uh and at Union Pacific knew me because they had acquired the old Missouri Pacific Railroad as well. And as a result of that, I had already come with a reputation, yeah, a positive reputation, and so forth as well, in spite of the fact that I'm a person of color, right? Maybe they need to ask, right? Yeah, yeah uh but I was pretty bold about you know uh overcoming my own um uh um uh limitations, yeah, or at least people that uh would impose that upon my on me. I didn't believe, I didn't believe that.

SPEAKER_06 32:01

And was was overcoming those limitations um was that something that it took a while for you to do? Uh or did you never re-receive it?

SPEAKER_03 32:12

I never I really to be honest with you, I really never thought about it uh because because I thought I could do this. And and so by the way, uh how how am I gonna do it? Because you you've got to have scale to do that. You're talking about a multi-billion dollar corporation that has three years of statute limitations, so you get you get all these freight invoices in 1987, they're gonna come to you uh from the Union Pacific Railroad. Then you have to have a trained staff to do it. So just how God would work. You had the Southwest Freight Bureau here, you had the Missouri Pacific Freight Company that was here as well. You had the Frisco Railroad. So they rolled up the Missouri Pacific Railroad into the Union Pacific, right? And many of the people who were trained to do this did want to move to Omaha, Nebraska. They wanted to stay in St. Louis. So I trained uh uh audit staff already here. Uh uh, Southwestern Trapeau was moving to Chicago. Uh, and so uh many of those people uh or were from St. Louis, they wanted to stay in St. Louis, so there's another trained group of folks. You had the the Frisco Railroad that was uh acquired by the Burlington Northern, right? They weren't going to Fort Worth or St. Paul. And so, as God would have it, here's a trained workforce that I'm putting to work here. Yes. Oh, by the way, uh how am I going to make sure that we've got uh the right tariff, rate tariff uh uh library available to us as well. So out of that came a rate tariff library as well they could work with because they had multiples of those. And then how are you gonna keep up with the increases as well? So I located some people in the uh the uh uh ICC at the time, which has since been sunseted, to actually uh provide the expertise and all the changes and so forth and supplements that were changed. And I had the one of the largest rail tariff libraries in the country in St. Louis as a result of that. Oh, by the way, how am I gonna manage all the data that was coming in as well? Put back a truck and then unload it and try to organize it and manage it, uh, use some sort of spreadsheet of some sort. What we were able to do is build one of the first LAN-WAN systems in the country that had a crude internet connection and connection to the mainframe. We were able to pull over the ASCII file. We had a converter box, take the ASCII file and dump it down into our LAN system that we created, and we used Clipper C to do the audit 35 to 40 times faster than the Red Road could do it themselves, then upload it back to their their mainframe, convert it back to the mainframe. And so just so you you know, innovation was happening because of the the need.

SPEAKER_06 35:21

The necessity, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

Yeah, the need. We had to had to make that happen. And so uh we had a file server that was 660 megabytes. It was state of the art at the time. So, was I in the business of using technology in a new and innovative way? Or was I in the business of auditing freight bills? Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 35:42

That makes sense. And what I hear in your story is there were a desire to serve people. And as you got into business, that created lots of opportunities. Um, and um, the opportunities also came one because you're in business, but two, as you mentioned, you've you invested heavily in relationships uh along the way. Uh, but then it took a boldness to start to connect the dots, right? But that boldness for you wasn't really a limiting factor because you were just doing what you saw your dad and other people do. Like this is just this is sort of how we operate. Um, and the next thing you know, you're solving problem after problem and doing leverage buyouts and not necessarily knowing that those were a thing at that point. Um, and so at what point did it feel or did it sort of click to you that you you had this wonderful vision uh for worldwide? And I think there's always this sense of like you have a vision and you start to execute on that vision, but then there seems to be moments where it it really starts to take root and you kind of have those times where it feels like, oh Lord, like this is this thing is really gonna go. I'm curious about for you, when did you sort of experience that moment when you're like, I envision worldwide as being something big, but we're on we're really you know on that path.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

So we we we didn't have very very good examples of of of worldwide. Um, but I I knew I I knew one thing, some basics, uh, that that you know that things were changing. Uh technology was gonna be used in ways in businesses across sectors that had not been used before. I I knew that. I I knew that it was gonna take partnerships to do that and an ecosystem to help support that. In fact, uh I was bold enough. Our first uh partner was was IBM, believe it or not. And we we we brought on board the companies like Zenith and and Everx and and and those kinds, and Dell was uh one of our first partners and so forth we had as well, but uh NHP was a part of that as as well. But all I will say to you is that um uh we had a desire, we realized uh for from our own example of what was possible using technology in a more innovative way. And and then we were using the technology within our own business as well to manage our business. We've always been a company that we can talk about the technology, but how can you talk about the technology when you're not using it yourself?

SPEAKER_01 38:21

Right.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

You gotta be eating your own cooking, then is the saying goes. We say eating our own dog food. Same thing, right? Uh and and and so over the years, that's kind of it has evolved our business as well. And uh you really get a culture, the mindset of entrepreneurship and change management that's going on all the time, that's a part of our culture, part of how we do business. Uh and it's easier to have communicate that when you're doing it yourself.

SPEAKER_06 38:54

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Very helpful. So, as I'm curious, when you got into business, um, you had a lot of beliefs uh that you that sort of fueled uh the work that you were doing. Um, there's a there's a quote by uh Teddy Roosevelt that talks about the man in the arena. And there's this, you know, I won't quote it here, but the whole idea is that things look differently when you're in the stands versus when you're actually in the arena, like when you're in the fight, right? So I'm curious about uh as you were in business, as you were launching uh worldwide or just now, what are some things that you, what are some beliefs that you felt like you had to unlearn?

SPEAKER_03 39:34

Uh well, uh uh that's where scripture comes alive for me. Like all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us. Uh glory be to God that works within us, that can do exceeding and above what you can think, dream, and pray for. Uh faith without corresponding action is dead. Uh, my people perish for the lack of faith. All these scriptures you begin to meditate on of who you are and what's possible and and where your focus should be. Uh, and the the the positive energy around that, you know, and a reinforcement of that, you know, and these relationships that you build, how you build those relationships, uh, and the stewardship and the service uh and being able to put people first ahead of yourself, the best interest of the value you're bringing to a community of businesses uh uh and people individually and so forth as well. You build a level of trust in the whole ecosystem that I think is is very powerful. And but and you begin to provide value be even beyond what you've agreed upon uh to many of these customers as well, and consistently doing that, even to the extent if it cost you money uh to do that, because they will sell you better than anybody else. The best salesman out there is not even us, it's other people talking about you. We haven't, if you notice, we haven't done a whole lot of advertising. Uh you don't see us on TV, you don't see us, you know, putting on a whole lot of banner. You may see our name as it relates to community involvement. Yeah, to me, that's the best investment that you could ever make. That you care about people, you care about communities that you live in and you work in. You have a whole ecosystem, and the culture is designed, and the minds mindset is around how do you help people. How do you help one another, or how do you help them, the community you live and work with, that can't necessarily pay you back. That's a powerful statement in that, that that is uh in community that you live and work in, that is is uh a strategy that I think we've we've we've uh deployed uh in our business, I think that has made us the company that we are today.

SPEAKER_06 42:00

I just got a couple more questions before I let you get out of here today. Um I'm curious. So for for people who look at your success now and say, you know, man, he's got everything, quote unquote, right? Uh what motivates you at this stage? For a person who I know enough about you to know that it's never been about the headlines, as we started with, um, but you've accomplished things in a lifetime that some people can only dream of. So, like what's your driving motive now? What what gets you excited? What gets you um out of the bed each morning today?

SPEAKER_03 42:37

Uh you seeing what you're doing in sports, seeing what you're doing affecting uh young people that uh that need your help and guide and support and um and giving them the truth and the light and the way uh through through scripture. Uh seeing what you're doing with your son, how you're encouraging him, and how you're encouraging him in the faith. Uh what inspires me is that next generation. I have an obligation and responsibility next generation. Provide them uh a North Star. And the only North Star I know that works uh is the encouragement, the light of the his word. Uh, the word itself. That's the reason they wrote the two books or authored the two books, uh, Doing Business by the Good Book and Leadership by the Good Book, is be for that reason, that reason only, to show the word, the reason that we have a prayer call is for that reason only. I mean, people, we encourage people to to come to our prayer call every two weeks. Our platform that God has given us, you know, to share the word of God, to encourage them, to provide them hope, uh, to to provide the the the the the the kind of guidance that no one's willing to to really say in business or talk about in business. The the Code uh around it, but they really don't aren't overtly just saying, you know, this is the way. And so we have a Bible uh uh uh a uh biblical business training as well, where we have content and so forth uh available for people who want to who want to start Bible studies in in the workplace. We think it's the most appropriate place to to to start a Bible study and to give guidance uh around a set of core values that I think are so vitally important and viable uh for and how we do business and how we work with one another, how we partner, and how we collaborate and the relationships that we build. And so uh those are the things that get me out of the ministry in all of this is what gets me out of bed every every morning. The other piece, too, I think that's really important to know is that um this says scripture, give honor where honor is due. So at the end of every day, I ask myself, am I living my life worthy of the sacrifices that were made on my behalf? Because even through all the challenges and so forth, there were people that came at the right time and the right place and so forth that gave me encouragement. And I needed that that day to get me through that day in the hope that I visualize my mother and my father, I'd live with my family, I definitely have in mind my wife, uh of almost 50 years now that we've been together. Not everybody can go through what we've gone through and not be totally discouraged uh by that, and not stick by your side in every step of the way and so forth, and be encouraging and pray for you and lay hands on you when you need it in need. Those things are something, a special gift. And she's been that for for me. Or or even watching my kids and the businesses they're in. You know, what gets me out of bed and seeing them doing what they're doing, I've got two Oscar Award-winning producers in our family. How does that happen? You know, uh in a in a family, uh uh in a family. Well, I I think it's because they have the faith that that it's possible. And they can do it, and they can do it whether in New York or whether they can do it. My son is here in St. Louis, you can do it from St. Louis. That that means that that will be passed on also to my grandchildren as well, watching my grandsons uh do what they do every every day as well. And so um uh what motivates me or will continue to motivate me is our ability to be able to do that at scale. Um not only here in St. Louis, but across the country and around the globe. Yeah. And I think we have uh uh some pretty good, uh, a pretty good start uh of getting that done. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 46:58

I think that's great. And uh I want to close by by saying this. You you said uh that there's been people in your life who've have made come along and given you sort of timely encouragement. Um there's a story I'll share. I don't know if you remember this, but it was January of 2012. Um I remember it because uh my wife and I just um, I should say my wife and I, she did all the work. She actually, we just, our fourth child was just born at Missouri Baptist Hospital. Uh and you know, time didn't permit us to get into uh the ups and downs of business. Uh, you um know know this more better than anyone. A lot of people have the perception you get in business and everything is up and to the right, and there's some very dark days in which you really need encouragement. Um, that day I uh was walking out of Missouri. Actually, no, I'd gone home to change clothes and grab a couple of things, and I'm walking back into Missouri Baptist Hospital, and you were walking out in the parking lot. And um, and it was a joyous occasion for me. Obviously, having my daughter being born and beautiful baby girl. Um, but I was in a real low patch when it came to business, right? You're you're starting things, debt is is mounting, you're trying to, you know, fake it till you make it or put on a good face and do all the things, but it's some real challenges. Um, and the Lord actually had it where I would literally almost run into you. I was walking through the parking lot and we had we had a conversation, um, and you encouraged me uh in so many ways that particular day. Uh, and then not only that, I remember you specifically saying, Hey, I want to have a conversation with you again. And I thought, okay, here's a man that could be spending his time doing so many different things. This is kind of where um the conversation goes to die. And I remember uh you put me in contact with your assistant, um, and it took a while, but I remember getting on the phone and I remember you yet again encouraging me. Um, and I remember you said specifically something to the effect of, I'll give there there's some doors that open so much easier for me at this stage than I'm in now than it would be for you then. Uh and Stephanie. So I'll give you three opportunities. Uh let me know uh how I can help. But make sure when you when you call, it's something that is really necessary. And I remember thinking, like, all right, I'm gonna make sure I save these. I never called because I couldn't think of a simple scenario. Maybe I should have at some point in time. But but I say I shared that story because personally I've seen what you just actually uh you just described um the encouragement you needed in your walk. And it is clear to me that you not only have you been that for me, I'm sure you've done that for hundreds of other people. And so um I want to close by just saying thank you. Um, I think it is so important um to not forget where we come from. Um, and and what I mean by that is uh yes, geographically where you come from, but also um the circ the situations and circumstances that you come from and remembering what you needed in those moments and showing up to be that for other people as well. So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you uh for not only just for this time because you could have been sitting with world leaders doing so many other things, but you chose to make some time for this conversation. Um, it is a delight to to know you and most importantly be encouraged by you. So thank you so much for the time.

SPEAKER_03 50:19

You're more than welcome. Thank you. It's been a wonderful time spending with you and also meeting your son. And uh sounds like you're doing extremely well now.

SPEAKER_06 50:31

Trying to be like you when I grow up, as they say.

SPEAKER_03 50:34

Be like Jesus, you'll be better off.

SPEAKER_05 50:36

Amen. All right. Thank you so much.