SPEAKER_07 0:01

You're now listening to the Stripes and Stories podcast with your co-host Sea Baby and The Striped Daddy.

SPEAKER_01 0:12

I think Joe DePace's Established 2027.

SPEAKER_07 0:16

Established like three and a half weeks ago. I feel like Joseph DePace's intro was way better than Yeah, agreed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

We need to get him to record a permanent introduction.

SPEAKER_04 0:28

He's just gonna cost us an arm and a leg. His time's too valuable. He's got too much fertilizing to do, but we'll talk to him about it.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

We'll we'll explore our options.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

How about that story from this week where uh you were at a property in Bloomfield Hills and um you texted me and said, Hey, can you just totally out of the kindness of your heart texting the customer and letting them know that there are fertilizer pellets in the lawn and um just to let them know to utilize their sprinklers, otherwise they're gonna get fertilizer burn. And we're gonna oh while we're there. Turn the sprinklers on while we're there.

SPEAKER_04 1:14

Yeah, it looks like I got a little shower. Now, obviously, we can go to the backflow and turn it off, but you know, it needed it. We were almost done, but that was just hilarious. I texted you and I was like, Well, he took that text to heart.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

Yeah, and it was funny because like right after you told me that he turned the sprinklers on from his phone, I was like, Oh, and then I looked at my phone because I was mulching in the front yard.

SPEAKER_04 1:38

And um Yeah, you were, you mulch mommy, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

And um, I saw his text and it was like, Okay, thanks so much. I just turned the sprinklers, and I'm like, Yeah, I know. You just got the crew. Thanks.

SPEAKER_06 1:51

Our entire crew is stopping wet.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Yeah, right. Um, what a Monday to start doing that.

SPEAKER_03 1:58

Yeah, oh my gosh, that was hilarious!

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Yeah, that was really funny.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

All right, so what are we talking about today?

SPEAKER_01 2:05

So today we're gonna talk about what to do when you've got nothing left, business edition.

SPEAKER_04 2:10

Wow, okay. Yeah, all right. This is uh all right, wow. That was like that was powerful. Yeah, I could just see it one more time.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

What to do when you've got nothing left business edition.

unknown 2:25

Wow.

SPEAKER_06 2:26

Wow, wow, wow, that sounds like a really good topic.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

Yeah, what got me thinking about this is like Jake has been sending me a lot of like these motivational speeches that he listens to um in the mornings, usually when he's or when he's just working in general. And I feel like nobody talks about like the um the business fatigue that you get. I'm like, what do you do when you get the fatigue? Like, how do you just keep pushing forward? I feel like especially right now for your industry, when you're kind of like in the mid to what later part of your season, would you say? Yeah, you're in like the mid to later part of your season.

SPEAKER_04 3:11

This is this is the burnout part of the season.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

Exactly. So, like, what do you do when you've got just nothing left in the tank? And I can say this for myself as well, working in the corporate world, that when I was managing what do you do when you got nothing left in the tank? You just you just keep going.

SPEAKER_07 3:31

You just somehow you find a bigger tank.

SPEAKER_01 3:33

Yeah, you just find a way to, or you just dig deeper in your tank and you find something else that you got in there. Because when you're the boss, like the buck stops with you. If stuff doesn't get done, you're the one that's working until seven, eight o'clock at night getting it done because that's what you have to do to help your company or your whatever succeed. And I feel like not a lot of people talk about the fatigue that you get because whenever people are like, you know, I want to own my own business, this is not the kind of stuff that they think about. They don't think about the times when you get the fatigue and you're just like, man, like I don't know if I can keep it going, I don't know if this is worth it. So, like, what would you say to somebody who's in your position, or what do you do when you run into this fatigue? Which I feel like it happens every year. Well, I feel like you have it too in two different areas. Like you get it in like the middle of the summer, kind of when you're just like, Oh man, like I'm I'm tired, you know. And then I feel like I'm tired, grandpa. Yeah, and then I feel like you also kind of get it towards like the middle to end of like fall cleanups as well.

SPEAKER_06 4:54

Well, yeah, because cleanups is so stressful, it's just crunch time, and like you have people, yeah, like you would think that there is 18,000 feet of leaves on people's lawns and you're battling tons of rain in the fall, so you're slower in that aspect. You're getting snow, you're getting freezing conditions some mornings, right? You know, 28, 29 degrees, no big deal.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

It's delaying you for three and four days.

SPEAKER_06 5:23

But the problem is, you know, then everything's stuck to the ground. And so, like, we do what we can, right? Um, but you're you're you're waiting for Mother Nature to turn and you you don't want to let these people down.

SPEAKER_09 5:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:35

So, um, so your question was, what do you do?

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Yeah, like what do you do when you get the itch where you're just like, man, this is hard, everything's going wrong, or like you pull up to a property and you're like, man, this is burnt, and I'm gonna have to skip this one, but like a plan my route this way. Like, what do you do when it gets to a point to where you're just like yeah, you can acknowledge the fact, like, yeah, my job kind of sucks right now, but I just like I have to keep going.

SPEAKER_04 6:07

Well, everything happens for a reason. So I feel like you also have to take on that perspective, like, there's a reason why you're experiencing the challenges that you are, and like that's built to test you.

SPEAKER_06 6:22

And just like when things are going great, that's also built to test you too. Like you you shouldn't have this overconfidence because something's around the corner.

SPEAKER_01 6:32

Do you feel like you get the fatigue every year, or do you feel like it's only sometimes?

SPEAKER_06 6:39

It's only sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:41

Like right now is when a lot of people get burnt out because we've had a couple weeks of severe heat, we've had the smoke, you know, just a lot of external weather factors.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

But like I would tire anybody out, really.

SPEAKER_06 6:53

Just dig in.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:54

Dig in. Because like for me, I reflect on why I started. I get to be outside, I get to enjoy Mother Nature, I get to set my own schedule, I get to pick and choose who I work for. And not everyone gets that opportunity at first. You know, you got to take on whatever you can. Of course. And now we're portfolio. And now we're blessed where we get to turn away work. We, if someone wants to talk to us as if or act like we're the help, nah I'm not interested in working for you.

SPEAKER_09 7:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:30

Um, it's a partnership.

SPEAKER_09 7:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 7:32

And so I feel like, you know, like our team uh mission statement is landscaping is our craft, but serving others is our calling. And for me, it's just like these people have hired us, they depend on us, and like it's we gotta show up, we gotta do what we can. Yeah, but you also have to reflect on like if you give it a hundred percent, you haven't done anything wrong. So, you know, you had a mower go down in the field, you fix that, then you know a trimmer is gonna go down. You fix that, you do all you can to have whatever could break down within a realistic timeline or issue. You have that stuff in the trailer or your trucks. Um, but if there's simply, you know, even the weather, like you know me, I wanted to keep going last week on Tuesday with that smoke. And I was like, hey, I'm I gotta come home. Yeah, I I'm just this smoke is killing me.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Well, you were starting to get confused. Literally, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:45

Literally, I was I I my brain wasn't thinking right. Yeah, and I was like, no, this is this is my time to head home early.

SPEAKER_09 8:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 8:53

So instead of working till 4 30, I called it like 3 50. You know what I mean? Like, but it broke, it it killed my spirits knowing I'm leaving these two other people behind. But of course, they were updated on the situation. They were like, um, yeah, go home, please. We'll see you tomorrow.

SPEAKER_09 9:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:09

Um, so keeping that open line of communication, but if you give a hundred percent and something else happens or it's out of your control, you have to learn to accept that and go, I did my best.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

I also feel like it kind of correlates to like when you're working out in the gym, right? And you've got okay, you're trying to your ideal rep range is 12 to 15, right? And you're just working and you're like, okay, like I'm at 11, like I want to get to 13, and then you get to 13 and you're like, man, but I really want to get to 15. It's like you find it, I don't know how you find it, but you just find the energy to like get that one last and then you know for your next set, I gotta go up and wait. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:59

Because that was, don't get me wrong, it was a struggle. Yeah, but like if I got to 12 and my my my scheme was 12 to 15, I should be dog ass tired by eight or nine. Yeah, you should barely be every set and rep counts. Yeah, and I learned this in college. I remember watching this video of Arnold because I was obsessed with Arnold and Tom Platts when I was in college. And Arnold never ever focused on the next set. He was so into whatever set he was in, yeah, because you're gonna play a trick on your brain. 100% because your brain's gonna go, oh man, I better I better back off a little bit on this set because I got four more working sets in this exercise. Yeah. You don't you are dialed in to that specific set. Yeah, you give it everything you have, and then you experiment. You go, oh, okay, so that was tough, but I know I got more in the tank. So I'm gonna up the weight um five, ten pounds, and then let's see how that goes.

SPEAKER_01 11:04

Well, it's like your brain is your worst enemy, too. Like if you're sitting there thinking about it, you're putting limitations on yourself, whatever it is, whether it's working out or whatever.

SPEAKER_06 11:13

Your brain will quit before your body does, and it's kind of every single time.

SPEAKER_01 11:17

It's kind of like what the Bible says, where it's like we have autonomy over our body, like our body is flesh, we are Christ-like beings, like we can command our body to do what we want it to do. And like I remember my parents always saying that to me when I was younger, when I would be sick or whatever, and they're like, You have command over your body, speak life into your body that you will be healed, and like it will happen.

SPEAKER_06 11:44

It was awesome, like an example of this on Friday. You know, this is still a smoky condition last week, you know, still hazy. And we're doing the route where we are Fridays always we converge on each other. So you're I mean, it's like it's like uh brilliantly dumb. You know, they're like fucking navy seals, one goes this way, the other for the way. Like that's what it's so you know. I was with who was I with on Friday? Eric with Eric, yeah. I was with Eric, and then uh Alex and Nico are holding down the fort. So, like we're you know, I can tell they're starting to get a little tired by the text and stuff like that. And I was like, boys, like we're almost there, like we're moving and grooving, yeah, we're heading to Kirkcaldy, we'll hit the two rentals, and then we'll see you at the last four. Yeah, and they're pretty big properties.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

And between four of you, and we connect those out in no time, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:45

Yeah, so like I'm I'm flying through these rentals within reason, right? You know, because I'm not gonna just race around, but like, but I know my my guys need me, they're tired, and like I want to kick it into seventh gear.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 13:01

So Eric and I, you know, we tear it up, and then I start trimming, and I, you know me, I I have a specific pattern at every house that I trim. And so I'm going, I start on the one side here, I'm working around the back, and I'm going, I'm looking, and I'm going, Oh wow, I guess Eric might be having a trimmer issue or something. And so by what it was so funny when it was all said and done between the two properties, I probably trimmed like 90% of the two. Wow. It it doesn't matter to me. Yeah, it's all work. And so then he grabbed the blower because he saw how fast I was going. So he went and grabbed the blower real fast, jumped on the mower, and cleaned everything off while he was doing his whip edging. And we get back to the trailer and he's like, Hey, sorry, I had to, I ran out of gas, and then I ran out of trimmer line. I was like, dude, no big deal. Like, you know, I we always know where each other's at. So we just evaluate that way. And so we're coming in up to the next four, and I can tell there's it looks like everything's been whipped, but like I can't tell. They're still doing some mowing. And Eric's like, what do you want us to do? I said, grab a whip and let's go, buddy. Like, it's late on a Friday, no one wants to be working this late, but like, let's do it. And I was like, I'm grabbing a whip and I'm just gonna start whip whip edging and perimeter trimming. And so I start whip edging. I see that someone's coming out of my corner, and I was like, Oh, that's Nico, he's got a blower, makes no sense why he's a blower, but okay. Yeah, and then I see Alex and he's coming around with a mower, and I'm like, okay, I think the mowing's done. And then I'm like, oh yeah, no, this everything has to be trimmed. Like, this does not look up to par. And just put my head down, kept working. Eric started whipping over there, and when it was all said and done between the four, I came back and I didn't even like realize it. I am my shirt, it's just it's like I jumped to a four. Yeah, and but like it doesn't matter to me. Like, but that's also, in my opinion, how leadership should be done is like my guys need me. I am an abled-body individual. Yep, I am leading this team, and I'm gonna show you what I'm gonna do when I don't want to be working this late. We get it done and we get it done right. So you just you have to reflect on kind of encompassing this conversation that you and I have talked about is why do you do it? You do it for these people, these people are relying on you, and like I'm not going to allow myself or teammates to give a half-assed job just because there was some smoke that slowed us all down. Like, no, we have an assignment to do and we're going to get it done.

SPEAKER_01 15:56

I think that's the difference too between like a leader and a manager. Because, you know, when I was working in the corporate world, like, you know, you would consider yourself a manager, but like you're not. Your responsibility is to be a leader for your team. Like, you have people under you that are looking at you, they're looking how you're going to respond to certain situations that you have. And if you're looking at a situation and you're being negative about it or whatever, like nobody wants to sit there on Thursday and get an email at three o'clock and say that these people want to have a closing on Friday morning. But like that just happens sometimes. And it was my job as the leader of the office to say, you know what, guys, like it's okay, we can get this done. Who can put figures in on this file? Who can draw up the closing docs? Who can do this part of it? And then between all of us, we got it done. But I think that's the most important part. What you're talking about is it's all up to you and how you respond to things and you respond to adversity. Because then the next time this happens, the team is gonna look at it and be like, no, like here, we're gonna divide and conquer, and we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this. And I think what you do really well, and I did not do this very well when I was managing because I take too much on myself, is that you're very good at delegating.

SPEAKER_06 17:17

And I think I'm just now getting good at it.

SPEAKER_01 17:20

Well, to me, you're good at it.

SPEAKER_02 17:21

Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_01 17:22

And I feel like I never was really good at it. I put so much on myself, which caused myself so much more stress versus giving it to other team members, whether that was because I didn't I didn't think that they could handle it or whatever the case. Um, I feel like you're a lot better now about delegating to other people.

SPEAKER_06 17:41

Well, yeah, because I did 12 years of putting it all on my own shoulders and I realized I can't do it all. I can't. If I want to get to the point where I dream of being, yeah, I I can't do it alone.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Well, I think too, like the fact that you even like can trust me to do quotes, like you don't even proofread anything I do anymore. I pretty much just do whatever I want. And like for you to get to that point, I feel like is huge because when I first started, you were like, let me proofread the text. What are you quoting for this? So that like our numbers were matching, the formula. And I feel like now you are like letting go of a little bit of control, um, which I feel like is really big of you to kind of like delegate that kind of stuff to other people. Granted, I'm your wife and like I have management experience, so I'm not gonna screw shit up, but at the same time, like this is your baby, you still wanna be somewhat involved and of course.

SPEAKER_06 18:44

Um But you know, I I I gave the clear tools and like the expectation, and like, hey, we're all human, we're gonna make mistakes. So it's like if you know I roll up to a property and which this has not happened, but like let's just say like there's times where I'll roll up and we'll get done, and I'll just say, hey, we did such and such address. What did we quote that? And you'll be like, Oh, this. I'm like, oh great, perfect. That's a solid number, whatever. But then what happens if I roll up and then you know, I'm thinking in my head, oh, this is $180, and then I text you, hey, what was the the price point? Oh, it's like $115. You know, you're like, oh crap, like what happened here? Did I not send the right address? Are are we even at the right address? You know what I mean? Now we have not experienced that, but like let's just say that happens. Like, then we have to figure it out. Where did the breakdown happen?

SPEAKER_01 19:43

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 19:43

Okay, so oh, I see, you know, Catherine didn't measure this section, total mishap on her aunt, no big deal. So, either one, we need to communicate with the client, like, hey, the team was there today. It took them much longer than anticipated. Yeah, there was a piece of property that the team assumed was your property. We did confirm that it is your property, and I made an error, unfortunately. So we will honor that price for this week, but we do need to adjust to this. You know what I mean? But like, and then if the client has a problem with that, then okay, no big deal. But you you don't you're not stuck at screwing yourself over. You know what I mean? Like, this is a free country, you can do you're not locked in at anything. And so I think just also having that that ability to step away from the situation, and what good is it me getting pissed at my wife who's doing the office administration, or if you're not my wife, if I have another assistant, what good does that do getting frustrated and pissed off at him or her for pricing this wrong? You made a mistake.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:06

Let's try and rectify it.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:08

Oh well. So we lost some money on this one. Mistakes happen every single day. You can't, you can't let you can't um hyperfixate.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

And I think that's the a lot of the issues that people have with learning in jobs nowadays because they're so afraid to be let go that they are so scared to make a mistake that they're like hyperfixated on not making one, and then they're making like 50 of them.

SPEAKER_06 21:40

I've I've heard this great scenario when you know you're learning to snowboard, right? And because snowboarding or skiing is a dangerous sport. And depending on where you go, there could be a lot of trees depending on where you're going. And if you say to yourself, don't hit the tree, don't hit the tree, what are you looking for?

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Exactly. It's like when people tell you don't think about an elephant. Like, what are you thinking about? You're thinking about an elephant.

SPEAKER_06 22:05

All you're focused on is that stupid tree, and you are going to hit it.

SPEAKER_01 22:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:10

Instead, you look at the mountain and go, Wow, I got a lot of open space here to rock and roll. Let's learn how to ski and snowboard.

SPEAKER_01 22:17

I remember a couple years ago we were doing quite a bit of layoffs at our company. And um we not at JLC, this was at my former employer. Um, and we're doing layoffs. I know, right? Wow.

SPEAKER_06 22:32

Oh my God, I haven't looked at the budget sheet.

SPEAKER_01 22:34

Yeah. Um, so we there was this woman who worked for me who just made a lot of mistakes. And every time I would talk to her about her mistakes, she would be so worried that she was gonna get fired. And I'm like, listen, everybody makes mistakes. Granted, you've been here for like 10 years, so you shouldn't be making these mistakes, but I understand how it happened. Here's what we can do moving forward. Please don't make these mistakes again.

unknown 23:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

And then she would make another mistake, and then she'd be high.

SPEAKER_06 23:04

Would it be within the same category of an avoidable mistake?

SPEAKER_01 23:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 23:07

So it was a repeat offense of the same issue?

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Not the same issue, but similar. So, like for instance, one of the issues is that she sent a million-dollar check to the wrong property.

SPEAKER_09 23:18

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

And when a check leaves our office, you have to place a stop payment on it because people can deposit things electronically, even though you know it was sent to the wrong address. Just a just a quick mail.

SPEAKER_06 23:29

Just a quick mail. Right, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 23:31

And why are you sending a million-dollar check? You know, that's crazy. What are the money?

SPEAKER_08 23:35

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

So that was the first one. Um the second one is that she uh there was a a refinance that we were handling. She didn't cal calculate enough interest on the payoff to go towards the day of closing. She missed like a month and a half of interest, which she shouldn't have even been using a payoff that old, and she knew that. But for some reason she did it. I think she was just like in a panic and did it, and then cost the company six hundred dollars.

SPEAKER_05 24:02

So not the end of the world. Not the end of the world. But still, this is six hundred dollars that could easily be avoided.

SPEAKER_01 24:08

Exactly. And when I have to put things on what we called like a short report, which is essentially saying that ATA is gonna eat the cost of this money, um, she I have to let my immediate manager know because of the cost. Like anything under $200, you don't have to let them know. But when it's over that, they want to know. So I let her know and she's like, Katherine, this is, you know, mistakes are happening, like, you know, layoffs are coming. Like, let's consider this person. And so all of that to say, like, she was so hyper fixated, and I knew this would happen as soon as I had the initial conversation with her about making mistakes. I knew she was gonna be hyper-fixated on it and that it was just gonna continue. It was only a matter of time. But I, you know, as a manager and as a leader, you have to give the person a benefit of the doubt and give them a chance to change, even though you know most likely they won't. Um we ended up laying her off shortly after that.

SPEAKER_06 25:07

Now, with you know, these mistakes that you had, you know, said, hey, you know, we obviously have an error here. This is how it needs to be handled, and then let's obviously let's not have this happen again. And then you have maybe a slightly different mistake that is you know, it's within the same ballpark. Um I'm gonna lose my train of thought, my scroll brain with these mistakes. Where am I going with this, Jake? Where am I going with this? Oh, now do you feel yes, I know you you sensed that she was stressed out and like she was hyperfixated on the mistake. But do you think like the first okay, in total, would you say this is 10, 15, 20 mistakes under 10 that she was making?

SPEAKER_01 25:52

Within a month period, there were about four pretty major, major mistakes. And then what about previous and outside of that previous to that, it was mistakes, but it wasn't as bad. I think it was more so just like customer complaints, just like we've talked about before. You have a difference between like a worker bee versus somebody who actually wants to excel. And she was a worker bee, and that's fine.

SPEAKER_05 26:21

She was a gopher.

SPEAKER_01 26:22

Yep, you need to have those types of people to make any business successful, but also that line is tied by Blake Raber of JLC Landscape Division, gopher, don't steal it. But you also have to have people who want to excel and the gophers or the worker bees, whatever, they will make mistakes because they're just a worker bee. Yeah. Do exactly what they know to do, they do not operate outside of the lines of what they're driving.

SPEAKER_06 26:49

Okay, so then that kind of like changes my question because I was thinking, you know, this is like 10 plus mistakes. Because I was just wondering, is this something that you feel like this is just something God left out of this person, or this is just this was a high stress situation, and like she did not know how to handle the stress?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

No, I think that she just didn't know how to handle the stress. And I think that whenever you get the job that I have is a very high stress job.

SPEAKER_06 27:22

Oh my gosh. And if title work, they're packing 10 pounds of shit in a five-pound bag every single day.

SPEAKER_01 27:29

If you don't have very effective time management, you will just be drowning. And that's what would happen with this woman. I would tell her because people were complaining that they weren't getting responses to emails, and I'm like, utilize your outlook, utilize the fact that you can flag an email, utilize the fact that you can create an automatic reply to certain people and say, like, I will respond to your message as soon as I can. Like all of these things that you have, all these tools to help you, you I'm telling you to use them. You're explicitly not using them. So I don't really know how else to help you.

SPEAKER_06 28:06

With your management style, is this, you know, these tools that you're telling them? Are you speaking to these people individually when they come to you, or you were you already having meetings in the morning saying, hey guys, so I I've noticed we're we're really doing a poor job of our email response time. Here's what I would do in your shoes. Like, would you have literally a sit-down with the team, or would you just have a select few individuals that you would have to do this with?

SPEAKER_01 28:36

I typically would have like monthly meetings and I would kind of go over like housekeeping stuff. But when you have somebody like that on your team, they know and they take things personally. So you have to kind of ride the line, especially with a team of all women.

SPEAKER_06 28:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

You have to kind of ride the line of like, okay, I'm gonna mention this, but I'm also not trying to single anyone out. So like I would use myself as a blanket statement. It's a blanket statement. Yep.

SPEAKER_06 29:01

If you're taking if you're taking corrective criticism to heart, constructive criticism. If you're taking it to heart, you gotta look within yourself. Like, why can you not take criticism?

SPEAKER_01 29:17

But also like to answer your question after this like initial mess up happened, because I would always tell you, like, we have to put people on a performance improvement plan. Yep. Which means, yep, you pip them. So the first conversation that you have is the first one where you let them know if you continue this habit, this will lead towards termination. You give them 30 days from that. Then if it doesn't improve, you have a conversation where you can fire them.

SPEAKER_06 29:45

But this is after the pip?

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Yes. Okay. So per HR, you have to have two meetings with them before you're allowed to fire them. That's just the way their process is. Everything has to be documented. They have to sign it, you have to sign it all of that.

SPEAKER_06 29:58

Oh, it's like going to the principal's office.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

I know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

And whenever I would say to somebody, everybody knew what it meant. So I'd be like, I wouldn't say like, hey, can I pull you for a chat? Like Love Island, but I'd be like, um, hey, do you mind like meeting me in the conference room for a few minutes? And everybody knew what that meant. Like you're you're getting a talking to. And like you know me, I'm not of course.

SPEAKER_05 30:24

Is that when people like peek over the cubicle and they're like, would they really?

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Yeah, that's when Robin would go over to Amika's desk and be like, what do you think's going on?

SPEAKER_09 30:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:34

So all that to say, I would speak to her directly about her issues. Yeah. And she'd be like, I know I made a mistake, you know, always very like cordial and yeah, always very understanding in the moment, but then you feel like they would make a mistake again, and you're like, Man, we just talked about this. Like, I don't understand why it keeps happening. And then you eventually get to a point where you're like, okay, I think we have to let you go just for business purposes.

SPEAKER_06 31:01

What I really liked about your management style was you know, you would tell me these situations and then say, Hey, we had a conversation, you know, such and such is on a pip. And, you know, maybe something minute, mistake-wise, would happen, but you wouldn't get upset because human nature, someone's gonna be a little frazzled and a little rabbit. You're you're you're gonna be sweating after that conversation. Yeah. And you are not a good conscious leader if you just think this person's gonna be perfect after it. So it's like, oh yeah, you're a little bump in the road. Oh, hey, you got this.

SPEAKER_01 31:40

Yeah. Like if you're gonna, after that conversation, if you're gonna have a typo on your closing documents, like that's okay, that's fixable. I can work with that.

SPEAKER_06 31:48

Yeah, we just can't be sending a million dollar check to the wrong house again. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

And I can't short our company $700 when we're already working at a deficit and laying off people because you didn't double check your work. Like that's a major issue.

SPEAKER_08 32:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:04

So, you know, there's just like differences. So when you have people who are so hyper fixated on, I don't want to get fired, I don't want to get fired, I don't want to get fired, then like they end up just continuing to make the same mistake.

SPEAKER_06 32:19

Yeah, it's a bummer.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

It is, and I can tell, like and I'm not sure your situation with Cam. You could tell a person until you're blue in the face what they need to do to fix the behavior so that they can continue working on this team. And it's up to them whether they want to take a look at the code.

SPEAKER_05 32:40

I've given you all the tools, I've given you the info. Now you either need to shit or get off the pot.

SPEAKER_01 32:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 32:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:48

And this isn't a situation where, like, when we're talking about, you know, what do you do when you have nothing left? Like, I knew that letting go of this person was going to make my job harder because we were going through layoffs. We were not gonna hire a new person to replace this person. So sometimes you get to a position where you're like, is it just better to keep the person because you have an employee and you have a person in a chair? Yeah, do I want a warm body or do I want to have to work until six and seven o'clock every single night getting all these files done because I'm letting go of this person? And you know, same thing with you, with the situation with Cam. You're like, okay, I know that I'm gonna be down a person by doing this, but what's the alternative? I start getting customer complaints, I start losing people because they're upset that stuff's going, you know, things are getting hit with the mower in their lawn. Like, of course, you don't want to have that. So you have to make a business decision and help the employee to understand that this was a business decision, this is not anything against you personally, but this is just what has to be done.

SPEAKER_06 33:55

But also, like, too, you might want to take a moment and realize okay, you've been given five, six, seven, eight different opportunities to rise to the occasion and you did not do that. Yeah, so don't repeat this behavior somewhere else.

SPEAKER_09 34:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 34:15

You have to like I'm I'm this is my final aid to you. I'm throwing you another buoy. Yeah, and like, dude, you can't read text. It doesn't matter if I tell it to you, it doesn't matter if I show it to you. All three of those methods, it was not clocking. Yeah, so you have to find your learning style. And I and I encourage you're gonna I wish you nothing but the best at the next place, but you've got to dial in on your learning skills. Yeah, you have to learn how to learn. Yeah, it's just like when I was in college, I was high school was a breeze, and my dad, I remember him telling me, Yeah, you're gonna have to learn how to study. Yeah, and I remember going, what? And he also said you gotta learn how to take a test. And I'm like, I have no idea what that means. And so I I take my intro to psych class, and fun fact, it's the number one failed class um for freshmen. And yeah, I think I failed mine when I was in the so my first test, I mean, I studied very hard for it, and I felt pretty confident when I left, and I got I shit you not like a 48% or something. And I was like, there's no way. Like, what what do you mean a four like what? And so I of course called my dad because I'm like, and I was like, I'm so confused, dad. And I I'm like a dad, no bullshit. I studied, I was at the library all the time. I knew this was gonna be a big test, and I don't know where it went wrong. And he said, dude, it's okay. But remember how I told you you gotta learn how to learn? This is one of those scenarios, and I realized what he meant was for the most part, university exams, there are two or three right answers out of four, which is the best one. And it's not just at it's not just rinse and repeat uh studying, it is application based. So then once you learn, oh, so this is kind of this is the next level. So then you you change your studying pattern, and I ended up getting an A in the class. And that was so cool because I I I I'm a competitive person.

SPEAKER_01 36:43

Especially coming from somebody who like you just said high school was easy. So like coming to college and then failing your first test, and then figuring out like that you needed to study, you needed to figure out how to learn, and then you ace the class, like that's so rewarding.

SPEAKER_06 37:04

Yeah, like one, it's so rewarding, but I like I just said I'm competitive. Yeah, and so I looked at it as oh, the the professor wants to play a game, the professor wants to stoop me. Well typical Meisner thing, but no, but it's it's the truth. They want to see are you actually paying attention in class? Yeah, and are you actually reading the text because I'm gonna throw a curveball at you and you're you're gonna I'm not gonna lose to you. I I want to prove to you that I one deserve to be in your class, but two, I want to get the most I can out of this experience. Because I'm paying for half my college. So you better believe I'm gonna make the most of it.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 37:47

And that and that was just fun.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 37:49

I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

Let's uh let's just do a quick segue before the end we end the episode about you wanted to talk about uh relationships, right? And how what was it that you wanted to do?

SPEAKER_06 38:04

I feel like you know, keeping it fresh with your spouse or your partner, girlfriend, boyfriend, like how how can you keep it fresh when you're kind of like what you're saying, you're dog tired. Like you've get you got burnout. So how do you how do you give more when you don't have anything left in the tank?

SPEAKER_01 38:28

I think like you just have to, at least what I try to do, which is so hard, because when I'm spent, like I just like want to be quiet. And like I wanna kind of retract. Obviously that can't happen now that we have a kid. Like we don't just get to like lay on the couch and just relax because we have a kid. Um I think that what I try to do is I think to myself, like I love Jake so much, and I want him to feel like I'm taking care of him and like his emotional needs. So I try to approach it from like that perspective. As far as from a practical standpoint, I feel like sometimes what I do to try to just keep everything fresh is just like we like to just like flash each other. I feel like like that's just like kind of what we do to like break up the send a couple dirty texts during the day.

SPEAKER_06 39:33

Yeah, you know, like but like yeah, I feel and two, like for instance, you're at the gym just now, and that is your time to breathe. Yep, you don't have to think about stink, yep. You don't even have to think about me, you don't have to think about the house. So it's crunch time now for me. I would love to check how Instagram's doing, I'd love to see what the boys are doing, how their day was, you know, stories and posts, but that's not important right now. What's important is my wife walking in, having had hopefully a great workout, and she can look around and go, whoa, house is clean. So it's it's servanthood. It's just like anything. And I get it. Like I'm tired, and I'm not saying I'm a tough guy or you know, I do this so great, but like you get so much more when you put in a little bit of effort.

SPEAKER_01 40:34

Like, don't get us wrong, there are certainly certain days where like I go to the gym, I come home, and like Jake is laying on the bed, this in the same position that he was when I left because he's just so exhausted. Like, there are days like that.

SPEAKER_06 40:48

I'm not batting a thousand, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:50

But for the most part, we try to acknowledge what each other needs as far as like on the home front, as far as like from a relational standpoint, and we try to still do that for each other in the midst of being just bonkers busy.

SPEAKER_06 41:10

And you're not gonna hurt with overcommunication.

SPEAKER_01 41:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:13

So for instance, before you left, you told me, hey, I need the two laundry baskets, clean laundry, they're downstairs. Yep, I need them brought up, and then we'll and I I think you enticed me. You said, um, and we'll see what happens later, depending on how clean the kitchen is.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

I did say that.

SPEAKER_06 41:34

So, okay, yeah, I'll I'll have that kitchen spick and span, Missy, no problem. But like that's the fun of it. Like you you're you're giving me, you're giving me my pip. You're going, hey, I need you to do this, and I also need you to do this because there might be a little something in it for you. But you do it because you love your partner, exactly. And I like to also, um, who wouldn't want to walk down the stairs whenever you wake up, whether you're going to the gym in the morning or you're going straight to work, who wouldn't want to walk down to a fabulously clean kitchen?

SPEAKER_09 42:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 42:10

What a way to start the day.

SPEAKER_09 42:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 42:12

So it you're already getting a serotonin hit because, like, for instance, what do you think I did with the coffee machine? I know you hate emptying it.

SPEAKER_01 42:19

Oh, you emptied it? I emptied it. Oh my god, love it.

SPEAKER_06 42:21

Because one, filled it up with water, emptied it. Because I don't want you or me in the morning going, as we're rushing around, you're helping stink, do whatever, or I'm trying to get out the door, I'm going, great, now I gotta clean out the coffee machine because it's you know, we, you know, brewed so many cups yesterday. Yeah. So it's these little wins, it's calculated wins, because a lot of people like to write their task list down and scratch it. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's scientifically proven to be the most effective method to your to-do list or your reminders. But like in my head, I just know okay, if I do this, I just scratch that off. Right. I just did this, I'm gonna scratch that off. And when you look at your day instead of two big things that you have to do, but you actually have a list of 15 to 25 things and these wins, there's no stopping you.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:19

Because you had so many wins, and like, you know, I had a shit end to the day with that situation that I was telling you about, and it's not gonna bother me.

SPEAKER_09 43:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 43:28

One loss, you should see my checklist that I completed today.

SPEAKER_01 43:33

Yeah, I think that like it's all about just like wanting to do what you can for your partner. I mean, there are so many times, for instance, Jake likes his socks folded a certain way.

SPEAKER_06 43:49

No, I like my socks folded. How normal human beings and non sociopaths want their socks.

SPEAKER_01 43:56

So the way we fold socks is very different. And um But I like I Jake had mentioned it just in a joking way, not like a you need to fold these socks a certain way. But we were just talking about it, and I was like, you know, it's so interesting, like how you fold them. And so like one day I was down there, I remember, and I was like, you know what? Like this makes Jake happy when it's done this way because that's what he's used to. So like I'm gonna try to do that for him. And like by no means is that some grand gesture or whatever, but like I felt like it was something that I could do that would make you feel like I'm acknowledging how that I'm listening to what you're saying, I'm digesting it, and I'm going to do it the way that you want it because So take it away from them when I was upstairs with you.

SPEAKER_06 44:46

Do you remember what happened?

SPEAKER_01 44:47

What?

SPEAKER_06 44:48

So I'm going to grab my socks and I see them, and I'm like, oh my god, they're not in a bulge like they normally are.

SPEAKER_09 44:56

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 44:57

And I go, sweetheart. Yeah, I I'm like so confused. And I go, Did you fold my socks how I wanted? And you're like, Yeah. I go, that is the nicest thing ever. Like, no, granted, I'm not gonna be mad that like if my socks are folded a certain way, but my OCD brain just kind of looks at something that I'm not used to and I go, ooh, ooh, you know, a little radar goes off.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

I think that like that's the thing too, is like you're so OCD, and like we've had many like arguments to like get us to this point to where I feel like I now have a better understanding of how your brain works.

SPEAKER_06 45:38

So 99% of people wouldn't give a shit about how their socks are.

SPEAKER_01 45:41

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 45:42

So I I understand I'm in problem. I'm a problem.

SPEAKER_01 45:45

Yeah, like you know, there's so many little quirks that like Jake doesn't like, and usually these things come up in like an argument that we're having when he's like, I like things this way, and like it's not being done this way, and like this is how my brain views it, or whatever.

SPEAKER_06 45:59

And I've told you about this multiple times.

SPEAKER_01 46:01

Yeah, and so like as we obviously get further along in our relationship, I'm like, okay, now that I have all of this extra time, like being home with stink and stuff, I can make more of an effort to like do the things how he likes them done, versus like when I was still working full time, I was like, Yeah, I don't really care how you want things done because I am literally just struggling to stay afloat. So like I don't have time to think about what you want.

SPEAKER_09 46:28

Like I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 46:29

I'm trying to survive here, but like I'm just surviving. To whereas now it's like, okay, like I understand he likes things this way, like I can I can make an accommodation to do that. And it's never anything huge, it's just little teeny adjustments, but it's the importance of I feel like listening to your partner, and like you were saying, it's not overcommunicating, it's just helping your partner to understand how you think the way that you do, which then in turn helps your relationship push it forward because you feel understood and acknowledged.

SPEAKER_02 47:06

I feel like validated.

SPEAKER_01 47:08

Yep. I feel like you set a serotonin high because I'm like, oh my god, he noticed that like I did the thing like exactly how he liked it and he appreciated it. And like that makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 47:19

And then you're like, what's the next thing I can do? Yeah. Because it's the same, it's the exact same thing for me.

SPEAKER_01 47:24

Like, okay, Jake doesn't like food left on the left hand side of the sink.

SPEAKER_06 47:28

So, like, when we first started, oh, where the disposal is not located. Yeah, yeah, anyone in their mother would not want.

SPEAKER_01 47:35

See, like, these are all the things that like don't bother me because I'm not OCD. So I would just put things wherever in the sink because it's like, okay, yeah, I'll just push the food over when it comes out and put it in the disposal. And it would really bother Jake.

SPEAKER_02 47:50

So it would look like a submarine kitchen that was hit by a World War II.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

So since we've had multiple multiple conversations about this, now I don't do that because like that's what makes Jake happy. He can come home and be like, oh my god, there's no food on. Like, that's how it's like, and again, just a l a small thing that I adjusted, but that makes Jake feel validated and understood.

SPEAKER_04 48:15

God, it sounds like I'm such a problem in this relationship.

SPEAKER_01 48:18

No, you're just very OCD, and like I feel like the stuff that you like done a specific way would never bother me. And I feel like it's it's the opposite for you. Like the stuff that I like done a certain way, like, or just the fact that like I don't care about stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06 48:36

So I want to give an a great point to like something that you cannot stand that I think is preposterous because I'm sure what I want is preposterous in your head.

SPEAKER_01 48:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 48:50

So for instance, guys lately. I have learned laundry that has been in the dryer. It's dry. Oh, you're getting yeah. It stays up already. It stays in the dryer until you are ready to fold that. I brought up a basket once, and you know, I didn't, I was working on you know cleaning something or whatever, and I had that basket of laundry sitting there, and then that was my next thing I was gonna do. And Catherine came in and she's like, Why is this unfolded? And I said, Um, because I I got it out of the dryer, I transferred, started another load, and I had to finish cleaning up, but I wanted to get those two loads done, and then I wanted to continue cleaning the kitchen. Oh no, no, no. It'll get wrinkled in the basket if it's not folded. And I said, What difference does it make if it's unfolded in the dryer?

SPEAKER_00 49:46

Put it in the dryer on the de-wrinkle setting if it's still in there.

SPEAKER_06 49:51

But that wasn't that wasn't your main point of the argument.

SPEAKER_01 49:54

You just said it doesn't get wrinkled sitting in the dryer because it's so ridiculous that I would want that, but it's just the way that I've always done it.

SPEAKER_06 50:04

But it's the way you want, and guess what? That's important to my wife. So you better believe if I'm bringing up laundry in a basket, it's getting folded immediately.

SPEAKER_09 50:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 50:15

Because that's important to you. And I don't necessarily agree with it just like you don't agree with the things I want, but that's how you want it done. So I'm not going to get distracted and do something else while trying to do more laundry. It's not worth upsetting you over. Cool.

unknown 50:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 50:34

Swallow your pride and just do it how she wants it.

SPEAKER_01 50:36

And on the on the note of when we're talking about like what do you do when you have nothing left? Like, I acknowledge that it's super, super difficult. And it would be so easy for me to when Stinky takes a nap during the day and I'm done with my, you know, eight to noon at my current job, to just be like, okay, when he naps, I just want to like sit down and watch a show. But like I know that we thrive, we both thrive when you come home. There's not a bunch of stuff that needs to be done around the house. And like I feel good because I felt like I've like put in a good effort, you know, for the day. And if I sit on the couch for an hour and watch a show or whatever.

SPEAKER_06 51:20

Which you know you can do whenever you want.

SPEAKER_01 51:23

Well, obviously, I'm my own person, I can do whatever I want. But um what I'm saying is is that when I I literally have nothing left in the tank, and I'm like, Yeah, but like Jake asked me to put this load of laundry in, and yeah, I could say that I was just busy with work, but in all reality, it's gonna take me five minutes. And if I really want to watch a show, I can just go back and do it, or you know, whatever. And it would be so easy to just say, Yeah, you know, like I stinky was acting up today, so like I didn't have time to do anything, even though like that could not be true. Um and then use that as an excuse. But like I I feel like we love and respect each other enough to where we push ourselves even farther than we know that we should, even though we both need to relax sometimes because we want to make sure that the other person feels like they aren't left to do everything.

SPEAKER_06 52:25

And that's that's just what winners do. Winners are willing to go the extra mile when no one's watching. It's easy to come up with an excuse, but you eventually become what's the word I'm looking for, um, when you like when you constantly repeat behavior. What's your serial, like you're a serial excuse maker? And like, okay, do you want do you want to like just keep making up excuses or do you want to just get it done? And I've heard that line where the magic or the beauty, I can't remember how it's exactly said, is in the work you're avoiding.

SPEAKER_05 53:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:08

Cause it's true. Whatever you're avoiding, more than likely you've made up the scenario in your head that it's way worse than it really is.

SPEAKER_00 53:15

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_06 53:16

And like, just do it.

SPEAKER_01 53:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:18

Just do it.

SPEAKER_01 53:20

Like, do you think that I wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon organizing all of the laundry that's in the basement? But no, it was a project that I had been putting off for like six weeks. There was a ton of laundry down there. We had the electrician coming, and I'm like, I'm not gonna look like I live in a freaking laundry facility based on how the basement looks. Like, I'm just gonna take some time. And I think it only ended up taking me like an hour and a half, but all of those six weeks I six weeks I had been putting it off because I was like, oh my god, this is gonna take me a couple hours, maybe a couple day project. But in all reality, like it didn't take that long. And I felt so much better. Like once it was done, everything was clean down there, and now I feel like I can legitimately keep up with laundry because it's clean. Um so yeah, I just you know, if you have a partner and you want to feel acknowledged, I feel like it starts with you. Yes. So if you, you know, want something from your partner, start doing that yourself and like let them see that I'm willing to do all of these things for you or for myself. And then typically, at least if you have a good partner, they're gonna see they're gonna catch on to all this stuff that you're doing, and they're gonna be like, oh yeah, like this is how we like things done. Like, I'm gonna just continue the trend because this is what makes this more happy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 54:52

This is the standard now.

SPEAKER_01 54:54

And it's always you're always gonna have different ones, but you know, I mean, we've had plenty of our fair share of arguments and discussions about how we like things differently or whatever, but um ultimately I feel like we do a pretty decent job of trying to make sure that each person feels undervalidated, and like our stresses are different, every day is different for both of us, but the core of like what we do at home is the same, and making each other feel that way is just a non-negotiable.

SPEAKER_06 55:28

I had like we had an epiphany today, and it's nothing crazy, but like you know, we had our team breakfast, and then someone ran to the the what wrong location, and then they were delayed, so then it delayed the food coming because we're not gonna order without the person, and so then I'm you know itching to get my work day started, and then I have to go to Billings, pick up the mowers, and then you know, do this and that, and then the workday really starts after that. And you know, I'm stressed in my head because I want to be home at a certain time, I want this done. I'm always worried about my guys, making sure like one, they're safe and that they have no issues. Yeah, and you know, I got people calling me, whether it's clients, team members, and it just I was so overstimulated this morning. Yeah, and I couldn't like get out of it, I couldn't get out of this funk of just like, whoo, like, oh my gosh, everybody needs me. Everybody like wow, can I just have two minutes to myself? And then I literally, I think I got off the phone with a team member, and I'm just trying to like either get a trimmer fix or something, and like I'm midway through fixing something, and then you call. And I think it was like a FaceTime, or maybe it was just a right, I think it was just a phone call. I don't think Stinky was up yet, and I'm like, okay. I go, hey babe, what's up? Because it's not your fault that you're calling.

SPEAKER_01 57:08

Yeah, when I told you that I I was so thankful because I know that Doodle isn't doesn't have cancer.

SPEAKER_06 57:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and like one awesome that you're happy and you want to share that information with me. You know, could it have been a text? Sure, but you were very happy. You wanted to share up, no, no, I'm I'm not I'm not coming at this with an attitude, and like so I answered it. He told me all this exciting news. I'm like, oh my gosh, that's great. Okay, I gotta go. I love you. Yeah, and like, but what good does that do you by answering the phone going, What's up? What do you mean?

SPEAKER_01 57:48

I think you did answer it that way. You were like, Sup.

SPEAKER_06 57:50

And I always know that that I was on the mower at that point.

SPEAKER_01 57:53

No, I know, but I'm saying I know that that always means that you're stressed. Because even when you're on the mower, sometimes you'll answer the phone and you'll be like, What's up, sweetheart, or whatever. And when you answer and you say sub, I'm like, Oh yeah, he's busy, he's stressing, so like I need to make it quick.

SPEAKER_06 58:08

Um I think I said what's up. No, you just said sub. I said sub.

SPEAKER_01 58:12

Yeah, and that's why I was like, Okay, I'll let you go. I just wanted to tell you like the exciting news.

SPEAKER_05 58:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:18

Um, but yeah, I mean, it's stuff like that, even when I feel like a lot of the times when you go out on a limb for your team, that's when you feel the most like overstimulated. Because you're like, I'm doing this nice thing for my team at a cost to me because you know, I'm starting my workday late. All of these properties are gonna get serviced, maybe a you know, a half hour to an hour later than they normally would. But like I have to look back and say, you know what, like that's okay. I wanted to do something nice for my team. My team should get rewarded for the absolute horrid week it was last week between the weather and the smoke and all of that. And like, that's okay. I don't need to sit there and stress. Yeah, the work can wait. Yeah, exactly. Like, even if I have to work an hour late, like it's okay. We'll get it done.

SPEAKER_06 59:11

Yeah, you know, but then in the back of my head, I'm thinking, oh my gosh, then I want to be running a little bit late to get home, and my wife's been battling the baby, her stupid uh corporate job. And like to me, that because then that's on to like D peeing everywhere, yeah. And like I'm just thinking, like, how can I I don't want to add to her stress level, so then I take on more stress, and then then I'm worrying about stuff I don't need to worry about, and it just it's a toxic game you can play with yourself. So, like, if you can you gotta just snap out of it, you gotta just get out of that funk and go, it's all gonna be fine. Like, yep, I'm getting a lot of calls right now. That's okay. That's good that we're getting calls because people need us.

SPEAKER_01 59:56

But in any business, like it ebbs and flows, right? So, like some days you have phone calls nonstop, and then some days you have a really light day of phone calls, and it usually never works out how you think it's going to. Yeah. So, like on the days when you think, okay, I'm gonna be prepared because I think I'm gonna be crazy busy with this stuff, then it's like, oh, well, that actually wasn't that bad. And then the day that you're not expecting it, it's like, oh my god, the phone won't stop ringing, people won't stop needing me, a truck's gonna break down, or whatever the heck.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:26

This morning I just felt suffocated.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:29

And you know, I think too, what has to do with that, and this is just a side note, is that you haven't been like waking up early to go to the gym, you've been kind of just getting by with your alarm, and I feel like you are at a more optimal um, what's the word, performance, if so to speak.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:49

Oh, I've been sleeping too much.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:50

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:51

I've been getting six hours of sleep.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:53

That's too much for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:55

I was talking to I think you thrive between like four to six hours.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:59

Four to six hours. Yeah. I'm a machine on four to six hours. Anything more than six, I screwed myself over.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:06

And so like tonight, I'll get my four and a half-ish, maybe five. I can't I can't wait to go to the gym tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:18

I think it has anything to do with the magnesium that we've been taking. Because like that's supposed to promote like calm and relaxation and like longer like REM sleep.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:30

I don't know. I think it's those uh those tequilas.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:37

Yeah, alcohol does make me sleep.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:40

And like you and I have talked about it. I I just love the flavor of tequila.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:45

And I'm not having four, I'm having one.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:47

Right.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:47

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_09 1:01:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:48

And so, like, for me, I'm like, I told you tonight, I'm like, hey, I'm just I'm not doing anything alcoholic because I think it's affecting my sleep. And to me, that's the the taste that I like, it is so not worth either not accomplishing my gym task or waking up when I want, because I'm I'm starting out the day as a loser. I'm waking up later than I should be. I have a goal and a standard for myself, and like that needs to happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:18

Well, I don't think that you're waking up as a loser, but you're just like, you know, there's some there's a caveat to all of that where it's like people will say, Oh, it just means that your body needed it. And then it's like, well, no, like I could have gotten up earlier, like, but I chose to hit my snooze button. I chose to sleep in longer, nobody was forcing me to hit the snooze button. I did it.

SPEAKER_09 1:02:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:42

And I remember when um I was uh when I was like first pregnant with Zeke, it was like the same thing where I was so exhausted every single day. You know, your first trimester is always the worst one, and I would be waking up at like 7.25, knowing that I needed to be out of the house by 7:45. That's a bold move, gotten to get to work on time and be like start my job. But like, I was like, what else am I gonna do? I'm so exhausted every single day, and like people will say, Oh, your body really needed it. It's like, no, I had control over it. Like, I could have gotten up earlier, I just chose not to. Yeah, um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:30

That's so wild that and like for instance, your body truly needs more sleep. You are from a hormonal standpoint, you know, being postpartum. You sleep is crucial for you right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:46

I feel like just like the recovery from all of the not just physical, but like all of the mental stuff that's like going on in my body. Like my brain races from the minute I wake up in the morning to the minute I hit my head at night. Like right now, I'm thinking about Stinky's nap schedule tomorrow and the fact that I have to take doodle tour of that visit at noon and like thinking about how that's gonna work with his nap schedule. Like, why am I thinking about that at 10 o'clock at night? Like, why can't I turn my brain off? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 1:04:19

So yeah, it's it's like it's amazing. You know, obviously, Zeke needs a lot of sleep, he's a growing baby, but like I look at it as like you're growing back into normalcy.

SPEAKER_09 1:04:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:34

Now you're your new normal is never gonna be pre-kid normal, right? Because you have a constant stressor, which is the health and safety of your child.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:45

Yeah. But like my body has like fundamentally changed, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:49

But like now you're you're getting back into pre-pregnancy, Catherine, where you can get back into the exact cardiovascular shape that you want to be in. You but like you need sleep. And so however I can step up as the partner and be, you know, hey, Catherine wants me home at six, okay. Like, but why? He doesn't get up till 7:15. Well, uh, maybe I can tackle some other things around the house. Like it just and then you can sleep, he can sleep, and like it's all good.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:23

It's just being a team player, and uh, you know, when we talk about just like putting in that extra effort for your partner, like the one thing that I told Jake is like I hate being immediately woken up with a baby. And that was like the whole reason when he talks about, you know, I wanted him home from the gym at 6 a.m. every morning, it was because Stinky was waking up around like 6 30. And I was like, I don't want to have to wake up at 6 30 when I know good and well, I don't really need to be up until about 7 15, 7 30. Like, I don't want to immediately be woken up with a baby. And like immediately I open my eyes and like my brain instantly has to turn on. Like, who would want to wake up like that?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:05

100%.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:06

So, like, Jake goes out of his way to make sure he's home so that in case he does wake up early, he's good. Or Jake can like get some quotes done, or whatever the case in the morning, he can, you know, put the sprinklers on and water all the plants, just do like you know, stuff around the house to make like my day go easier. And I do the same thing for him when he's at work. Everything I do around this house every single day is to make his life easier when he gets home from work. And we just have a really good like tit for tat in that regard.

SPEAKER_06 1:06:37

And we have so much that we can improve on too. Like and we're we're just hungry to improve. So I would just encourage you guys to look at how you can better serve your partner, how you can better serve your family. And don't get me wrong, I guys, I know you work into the bone. I know you're working hard, but you've got so much more in the tank than you think. You really, really do.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:04

And God never gives you more than what you can handle.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:07

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:08

He equips you with the tools to just keep going.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:11

Mm-hmm. So don't let that little breakdown or that little thing that broke, whatever it is, like it's just it's all part of the game.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:20

Or let that, you know, let you lash out at your family because of something that happened at work that's totally out of their control. You know, obviously the daily stressors of life come into your relationship somehow. But, you know, I would just implore you to try not to bring that home. You know, even if you think about it every single day before you walk in the door, I'm gonna take a second before I walk in, I'm gonna exhale and I'm gonna leave it outside because like my family is so excited to see me when I get home every day.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:56

And they deserve like my full attention and not, you know, the stresses of my work day.

SPEAKER_09 1:08:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:03

Um, just as a little side note to all of you, our uh Mr. from last week with the debris in the backyard, we have not heard anything from him. So we don't even know if we will be uh doing his lawn moving forward. Have not heard. Um Well, he's on the Monday route, so he'll be He'll be coming Monday, and I I'll be texting him that morning and being like, Hey, we're you know, we're gonna be in route today. Please make sure that all the debris is picked up in the yard. Um But to the person on TikTok who assumed that we pick up trash, if any of you are doing lawn maintenance and you're picking up trash, charge people for that. You shouldn't even have to do that. You shouldn't even have to tell people to pick up trash in their yard. You shouldn't even have trash in your yard, first of all. But like you also should not be having to tell people, hey, go pick up your trash before I come to mow your lawn. Yeah. So I'll just leave that at that.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:06

But yeah, it just comes down to appreciation.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:09

Yep. Alright, guys.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:13

Alright. So that was uh I don't even remember, is this number 15?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:18

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:19

Wow, okay, cool. All right, gang. Stay blessed, stay hungry, keep filling that tank. Yeah. And if your tank's overflowing, get a bigger tank. It's as simple as that.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:29

Overflowing.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:31

Oh, you've got nothing left in the tank. That's a good point. You got not okay. So what would be the caveat to that? If you got nothing left in the tank, maybe like dig a little deeper. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:43

And try to find more in the tank. Or go get some water to fill the tank or something.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:49

Just always have a little extra.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:51

Get a lifeline.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:52

Yeah. That's hilarious. Alright, y'all. We'll see ya. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:58

You saying bye?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:00

Meh.