Building a Family While Building a Company with Mandi Ebert | A PodCrash Valentine's Special

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Matt is joined by his wife, Mandi, for an honest conversation about what it’s really like to build a family while building a fast-growing company. They talk about how their relationship started, the early days of Crash Champions, and how the demands of leadership have shaped their home life over the years. Mandi shares her perspective on travel, raising kids while Matt’s role grew bigger, and what it takes to keep a family grounded when work never fully turns off. To close things out, Danny puts Matt and Mandi in the hot seat with a lighthearted round of “Who’s More Likely,” and explores whether Matt’s habits at the office show up at home too. Want more Matt in your life? Of course you do! (https://www.instagram.com/mattebertcc/) (https://www.facebook.com/MattEbertCC) (https://twitter.com/mattebertcc/) (https://www.tiktok.com/@mattebertcc) (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-ebert-7169a5180/) Get paid while you learn on the job at Crash Champions: https://step.crashchampions.com/

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I'm Matt Ebert. I turned one collision repair shop into a multi-billion dollar business called Crash Champions. Now I'm sitting down with people who have also built great things so you can build something of your own. I'm excited about this one today. We have a special guest with us, my wife Mandy. We're doing this in honor of Valentine's Day. And we thought it would be great to get together because we're hoping by hearing about our story, about what it's like as a family when somebody's trying to build something big. Others are in similar situations. We thought it would be both entertaining and helpful. So looking forward to this one. I guess we always go back usually with guests and talk about tell us about yourself, tell us about your beginning. So maybe as a couple, and it's funny when we thought about this because I know your version of the story and mine would be a little bit different, but very different. But the how did we meet story would be great.

SPEAKER_05 0:59

Okay. You want me to tell that one? Sure. The first time, what was I think we were out with friends both of us, right? And some of your friends were friends with my friends, and I don't know why or who put me up to it, but somebody asked me to go card you and give you a hard time.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

So coming into the bar.

SPEAKER_05 1:14

Yeah, coming into the bar. So he walks in, and there's just me standing at the door. I'm like, I'm gonna need 20 bucks and I'm gonna need to see your ID. And he goes, Are you kidding me? So I just looked him dead in the eye and I'm like, Yeah, times are tough. Like, cough it up. I mean, there's literally nobody in this bar. Like it was the only people in there were like my friends and your friends.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Exactly what I said. I said, There's not even anybody in here. How can you charge a cover? And you go, Times are tough.

SPEAKER_05 1:39

Then you start getting out your wallet. I was like, Good, this is gonna be awesome. And then your friends just start bust out laughing, but you took it very seriously. Yeah, but yeah, that was the first time. And I think after that, well, this is funny, actually. I don't think I told you this ever. You know, my friend Lindsay, she we were leaving the bar that night, she goes, You like him? And I was like, No, I don't. Because like, you're so wrong. But after that, we didn't um we didn't exchange numbers or no, no, we didn't exchange numbers, we didn't like nothing. So I guess there's a series of events which you say it wasn't stalking, but I say it was, where we kept running into each other on bad dates, really, really random places, like the house of blues, what was it? Um a gas station, so black hawks came too. Yeah, like and and this was in a series of like how many months was it?

SPEAKER_02 2:30

Like several, right?

SPEAKER_05 2:31

Yeah, and like it was like lightning striking, or are you seriously stalking?

SPEAKER_02 2:36

I don't know how it could be stalking when I was there first.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

That is your theory. That is what you say that is not correct.

SPEAKER_02 2:44

I think you were just hiding somewhere, so yeah, it was interesting because we did keep running in into each other and then finally changed numbers, went on a date, and then it didn't go anywhere either.

SPEAKER_05 2:55

No, no, it didn't. I think you laughed in my face or something like that. No, was that that then? Yeah, yeah, you kissed me and then you giggled in my face. But I know now when you do that, that's a defense mechanism because you're nervous.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Yeah, the laughing is for me, always has been. Yeah, but you were offended by it.

SPEAKER_05 3:11

Totally, absolutely. But then I invited you the out to a bar, which this was the game plan back then. I would have all my girlfriends come out, I'd invite like all these guys, and they'd pay for all the drinks. And I invited you too. Apparently, you didn't think that was like part of the protocol. You were like, call me when you want to go on a real date. And I was like, That's interesting because he just walked away. It's like, what the heck? But yeah, and then I think we went on one date after that, and we've been together since, which I don't even know how many years that is.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Yeah, 15 now, maybe.

SPEAKER_05 3:42

Oh, too many, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

No, it can't be 15 yet, but I don't know. 13, 14, I think. So interesting, because your friend said you like me, but that was kind of gonna be the next question. What was your first impression back then?

SPEAKER_05 3:57

Oh, I thought you were hilarious. You actually can be funny.

SPEAKER_02 4:01

Yeah, you say you say I'm too serious now, and it used to be a lot more funny. I think that comes with well, kids and just the job and role being bad.

SPEAKER_05 4:12

Prepare stress, all that stuff I think factors into it. But you still can be a little bit funny sometimes. You get giggly, like that time at the ice thing that we just took our kids to.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

Yeah, that was fun.

SPEAKER_05 4:21

Oh, sure, it was, especially when you drink all that whiskey.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

Whatever it takes.

SPEAKER_04 4:26

You were chuckles, all smiles.

SPEAKER_02 4:30

The um next section we're gonna call living with a CEO. So this is maybe where it gets more serious. And then we asked our friends, like, what would people want to know about us and stuff? So we can bring in some of those stories and even stories through here would be good. But this one gets to be, you know, more of what's it like living, I guess, with me, but in the context of probably other people face similar situations too.

SPEAKER_05 4:57

Yeah. Well, I think that part is just always being on the road. And I actually thought about this the other day because I had a conversation with my girlfriend, Rachel. And, you know, Josh, her husband, he's in the military and he's gone literally like six to eight months out of the year. And she's like, Well, it's kind of like the same for you. I go, no, not at all. I go, Matt's not going to war. Like, he's not defending America. She's like, but he's gone the same, like, same amount of time. He's like, she's like, when Josh is home, he's just home. But you're always just it's random, sporadic. But it does kind of equate to the same amount of time being gone. So I guess that's part of it, it's difficult, but the being gone. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

You know, when we met, I was had half a body shop.

SPEAKER_05 5:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:44

So you kind of saw that for um a handful of years and then started growing it. And then of course, all the way to the big national company we are today. But was there a point where you felt like a major shift for me?

SPEAKER_05 6:00

Oh, yeah, for sure. I think that's probably when it was like at 11, and then it just kind of like exploded.

SPEAKER_02 6:07

Probably the dynamic that came in is we weren't just in Illinois anymore, and so then the travel got in.

SPEAKER_05 6:12

Right. It got very, very intense. But I mean, it's not, I mean, we can't we make it work, it's doable. I mean, not everyday sunshines and rainbows, and I think you know that.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Yeah, I tell people all the time you've actually handled the travel better than I would have guessed if I were asked like 10 years ago. There's times where you've had enough, like yeah, but before we were married, like if I was out with my friends or whatever, you wanted to be with me, you'll say stuff to creep me out about how much you like us being together. So so um I think you handle the travel better than I would have predicted, even though it's rough.

SPEAKER_05 6:47

I think too, another shift of it too was when your work schedule really picked up like a lot, you know, and then the second kid came, like I worked full time, like have my own business. So that was that was a huge, I think you remember going through it with me because it was that was part of my identity too. So having to like put that on the back burner to like focus on your career was a little bit daunting for me.

SPEAKER_02 7:12

Yeah, I think you're still struggling through that.

SPEAKER_05 7:15

Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

Well, I think it's because it's all focused on the family, and then there's the but I think there's something else for me. Yeah, and you haven't quite figured that part.

SPEAKER_05 7:26

Right. Yeah. You know, you're probably right. I need to stop getting hobbies. Is that what you're saying? Oh he's like, what's she gonna do next?

SPEAKER_02 7:35

When do you think um as far as maybe progression of where my attention has been way too much on the the company um versus family? Are there any moments in the company history that really that stands out?

SPEAKER_05 7:50

Or do you it probably doesn't it all just blends into one? Because like you and and for you too, it's funny because I think you think you're like, I'm getting so much better at balancing, and I was like trying. Who's he talking to? Yeah, what's he doing? Yeah, I was like, oh skin's so good.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

So what's the hardest thing about then like as far as living with somebody who's trying to build something like this? We already discussed the kind of on the road, right? So beyond the on the road, yeah. I think it's it's hard.

SPEAKER_05 8:26

It's with time management, and then when you come home, you know, you just want to turn off. And there's still things at home that like we have to do. So, like, for say, because I do take birthday parties a little bit too seriously. Yeah, for those that are listening or watching, you wouldn't know, but like it's not just like a cake and some balloons, like it is I will build a left or a ceiling candyland board, or I will make the inside of our home look like an aquarium because my daughter wants an under-the-sea like mermaid party.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

It's beautiful. It's a yes, it is, but it's a full transformation. Like decorations take up half the whole garage when the party's over. Yeah, yeah. Like it's that big.

SPEAKER_03 9:10

Yeah, but the kids love it.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Yeah, it's amazing. It it really is. So you're right. Like, uh, so I've been wherever I've been, or even from the day at the office, it's like look forward to coming home and I'm plugging.

SPEAKER_05 9:23

And I'm like, you need to move all these tables outside now, put the pink covers on this one, purple turquoise, and all those on that one, and then I have all the stuff on the top of it just perfect, and then you pull this one move, right? Do you remember this?

SPEAKER_03 9:36

No, really, okay.

SPEAKER_05 9:38

So everything perfect on the you know on the table, and you know, we designed that pool house together, right? So I asked you to move those tables outside, yeah, and instead of just opening because the whole wall opens, you take the top off and proceed to tilt it this way. Yeah, and I'm like, what are you doing? He's like, Well, you told me to take it outside. I go, that whole wall opens right up. Whole wall.

SPEAKER_02 10:02

And you're like, that was the long way around. My defense, that was the long way around.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

Sorry, they fixed it.

SPEAKER_02 10:09

It's funny because the next question was gonna be about a balancing work and home. I've openly said, like, I've gotten that wrong all along.

SPEAKER_05 10:19

Yeah, I would agree.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Um, do you think there's anything about it getting better? So I can tell you that what I would say when people ask me, like what I do think I'm better at, which is funny because when we're arguing, you tell me it's no better. But I've told people that I'm better at being present, at being where my feet are.

SPEAKER_05 10:38

I'm actually not gonna disagree with that one.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Because I'll leave the phone alone at home way more than I used to. Yeah. The computer doesn't come on much.

SPEAKER_05 10:45

Yeah. Well, um there's still, you know, the whole the the vacation things.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

So how do you mean what's that's okay. We can talk about that because um it's real, like, and I other people have to deal with it too.

SPEAKER_05 10:59

It's obviously you know, John and Lisa. Yeah, they think it's funny because when we go on vacation, like I'm I'm literally in the pictures by myself with like friends all the time. They're like, who's the single chick and who's the creepy guy on the phone in the background? It's you, it's totally you. I mean, it's to the point where it's it gets a little bit so excessive to where your 50th birthday party, like John and Lisa had arranged them, this the whole staff to sing you happy birthday. And you walk in and we're all taking a picture, and they're singing him happy birthday, and he's just there going.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

But I didn't know it was happy birthday. It was not English.

SPEAKER_05 11:36

It's at least called Daniels. I think that's how you say it. And I'm like, everybody knows what that is, and he's just like, he's on the phone, he's like, I thought that's how they welcomed all the guests to the reason. Yeah, they do that for everybody.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

You really didn't think it was like how they did it for everybody. So it wasn't until after that I realized that that was all arranged for me that I felt like an asshole. Because I was on the phone through the whole thing, but I didn't know and I couldn't have got off the phone.

SPEAKER_05 12:01

Oh, there's pictures, there's videos, it's fantastic. It is just great. And we're all just sitting there smiling while he's like, We're like, Does he know? Does does he know? Yeah, so trips have included like not enough unplugging and way too much phone calls over the and I think too, sometimes when you're around me, you come a little become a little bit complacent. Like you've almost ran into walls like in the airport when you're on the phone because you're just like, Oh, she'll save me. Like she won't let me hit that glass wall.

SPEAKER_06 12:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 12:31

Yeah. But that's not a bad thing. It just means you're comfortable. Sometimes you're so comfortable that you just fall asleep in random places. Yeah. Like at dinner or like at a flea with mat concert when the music is like blaring, lunches, anywhere. Anywhere.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

I didn't have to be on anymore. It was time to relax.

SPEAKER_05 12:52

I will for sure. But I'm just sitting there and we're just sitting at dinner, and I'm like, is he awake? No. No, no, he just knocked out.

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Just kick me. I'll be good. I did.

SPEAKER_05 13:04

I did.

unknown 13:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:05

That's simply because of the mind going, going, going.

SPEAKER_05 13:09

And then and then when you get in a place where you feel comfortable, you can just kind of relax. I get that. I should be calm.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

I'm not proud of that.

SPEAKER_05 13:15

I should say, I should be feel so good about myself that you feel that comfortable.

SPEAKER_02 13:19

At least you understand that part of me. You're not you're not offended. Although the first time it happened, I think you were probably offended.

SPEAKER_05 13:24

Yeah, we were. I think it was new in our relationship, but we were dating. In your defense, it was what was it like a violin or something? I don't where were we at?

SPEAKER_02 13:32

Oh, it was at uh oh you didn't remember that one, huh? Yeah, what was the name? It's an outdoor um it's an outdoor venue that's it's up north orchestra and everything.

SPEAKER_05 13:43

Yeah, so you just sleep, but yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

So we did this picnic with a blanket that you lay on the ground, and there's orchestra music in the background.

SPEAKER_05 13:54

And your snoring was in the background too.

SPEAKER_02 13:56

Yeah, yeah. That's might as well have put on one of those sleep apps with the headphones in my ear and laid me down on the sleeve to sleep.

SPEAKER_04 14:06

Perfect. I don't think I actually woke you up that time.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Your side of the story, other than like um pointing it out enough, that's probably what it took. But what do you think it took for me to get better at being present?

SPEAKER_05 14:21

What do I think it took? Well, you did a lot of self-growth, you know, like therapy. Whatever it takes. I love therapy.

SPEAKER_02 14:31

Yeah, whatever it takes. Just learning some things about and thinking about just scope of life and how much how much time you have left. Heck, Madden's nine now. I was thinking about that. Like, if he were out of the house at 18, we're halfway there. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_05 14:45

Yeah, and I think sometimes they don't think you realize, but it is very hard on Madden.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

Yeah, he he wants to be, he wants to bro out with his dad.

SPEAKER_05 14:53

And I didn't know that I was gonna be a bra now, too. So, like I he went to baseball. He went to baseball and then it came home, and suddenly I was a bra. I'm like, I'm just gonna start throwing bras at him. I'm like, I started bra.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

I tell him, I tell him I'm not his bra all the time. You you you do too.

SPEAKER_05 15:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

How has humor helped working through these issues?

SPEAKER_05 15:13

A lot, and it's much better if you can laugh at it. I think it's better to laugh and to cry. That's for sure. Which I do a lot of both, so there's that too.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

I've described it as um when I talk about this subject, like there will come a point to where you'll raise your hand and say, Okay, enough's enough. I need you home. Um definitely. How do you decide when that is? When when is it when you're like, oh, this is a pass, this is just this week, like always, or now it's getting to be too much.

SPEAKER_05 15:42

I think it's always in the back of my head, but when it really, when it really starts to cram together, like when everything's the schedule is just crammed. And I think too, what around the holidays, like that just gets me. And I know that you don't have the same excitement over Christmas as I do.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 16:01

But like it, like when it starts to when the travel starts to roll into the holidays, and especially because I I am the person in the family that entertains. I like to do it, it's not a bad thing, and I take it seriously. Obviously, maybe too seriously.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Yeah, and I think some of our this is maybe funny, maybe not, but unfortunately for the the industry that the Crash Champions is in, and the banking, you know, our lead bank, we have so much that piles up at the end of the year. So SEMA is a huge industry conference and stuff, first week in November every year. Our lead bank has their conference first week of December every year. We have our internal executive leadership teams strategy planning for the next year. Can't happen in June, the year before it has to happen at the end of the year. So we've got a calendar situation where no matter what to do my job, it piles up at the end of the year. And you have a, hey, just around the holidays, can you lighten up? And so it's one of those like when we're talking at home, I'm like, I literally can't and do my job. Like, I hear you, but I can't.

SPEAKER_04 17:09

I don't think I think you don't.

SPEAKER_02 17:11

Yeah, and so what's funny to me is like, well, tell SEMA it's a bad time to do it. And I'm like, well, I don't even know who controls SEMA, but I know who plans the conference, but I don't get a vote. And you're like, you can do it. I'm like, no, no, really. I I really truly can't, but it's your perspective is is great on it because you're like, no, you can get it moved.

SPEAKER_05 17:33

Yeah, just call them, call the SEMA people.

SPEAKER_02 17:36

This has nothing to do with probably just the business. I think everybody probably faces the whole kid factor. Yeah. So the kids change the game.

SPEAKER_05 17:45

And how from your perspective Monroe could that tiny little tyrant that lives with us, she doesn't really get faced by it at all. Not yet, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_02 17:55

But I mean the pressure on you changed with.

SPEAKER_05 17:57

Oh, yeah, for sure. Yeah. Well, and it was it's just a different kind of pressure. You know, before for me, it was like work pressure and all those other things, but now it's you have to make sure every little and I'm probably guilty of trying to make their lives too perfect and make sure that they get to do everything they want to do. Like when it comes to them, like I don't want to see them upset or crying and whatever they want to do sports-wise. And we're lucky that way. We're so blessed that way that they can do those things because I know there's people out there that maybe couldn't afford to put their kids in baseball and they couldn't afford to put their daughter in ballet or do guitar, you know. So in that way, even though I do pack their schedules, but they like if they didn't like it, I wouldn't make them do it. Um, I guess we're lucky that we can do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Any tips you would give anybody for how how you've managed to handle the pressure?

SPEAKER_05 18:46

Therapy. Yep. Therapy, counting dash words at a time, taking a deep breath. Yeah.

unknown 18:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Taking a deep breath. Taking a breath always works.

SPEAKER_05 18:56

Oh, for sure. Especially when it comes with the bickering between the two of them. I don't think they're mourning people, and I have no idea where they get that from.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Yeah, it's their mama. This will maybe be funny. Um a boundary that I've had to learn the hard way.

SPEAKER_05 19:11

Ooh. For me and you?

SPEAKER_02 19:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 19:14

Oh, don't tell me what to do.

SPEAKER_02 19:18

Yeah, I don't know if I ever did them.

SPEAKER_05 19:20

Oh, you don't. Yeah, I don't well, you still think you're like the learning curve on this one must be very steep.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

Um how about for other families out there where somebody's building something big, whether it's the wife or the husband.

SPEAKER_05 19:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

What do you think the conversation they should have sooner rather than?

SPEAKER_05 19:39

It's hard. Well, I'm gonna tell you, it's hard because there is that balance. And I'm guilty of it too. Sometimes I'm just thinking from my perspective. I'm not thinking from your perspective. I'm not thinking about the weight that's on your shoulders at the time, which I probably should be. So I think the takeout of that would be to have both people just try to take a step back and just think about what the other person is feeling. I think that helps get to a solution, or maybe not, and you just might have a better understanding.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

Yeah. I think that's with everything. If you can see things from the other heck, it's in business if you can see cut things from the customer's point of view, yeah, is how you want to look at it.

SPEAKER_05 20:18

So it's a hard thing to do, but if you can do it, it makes things a whole lot better.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

So real support day to day, yeah, not just in theory. Um, and like this is gonna be where I fall short. If I'm not there, how am I gonna offer support day to day?

SPEAKER_05 20:38

Right.

SPEAKER_02 20:38

But what does that really look like?

SPEAKER_05 20:39

Oh, wow. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

From a wife's point of view.

SPEAKER_05 20:42

You know what? If I didn't have a village surrounding me of people that we both love, trust, it wouldn't work. Without my mom, this doesn't work. Without my sisters, this doesn't work. Without Hayden, this doesn't work. Without Hayden's parents, Carol and Steve, like they're practically grandparents to our kids. You know, it doesn't work without all those super important people that love and care about me and the kids and you, I'd be falling flat on my face for sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

It takes a team at work, it takes an army at home. Yeah, it does. Or a village at home, I think people have said.

SPEAKER_05 21:14

Well, and I don't ever like being alone. I think you know that about me. I talk to you, I talk at you all the time. And then if you're not there, I talk at Nola all the time. She doesn't talk back. But and if she's not there, I'm gonna call somebody to talk to.

SPEAKER_02 21:28

I just That's great.

SPEAKER_05 21:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

So um Danny, our uh crash champion CMO is with us, and you know Danny. I know Danny. We got a couple things we're gonna do, a couple segments here um that they put together. Neither you nor I know what's coming. So um we're gonna invite Danny to jump in the conversation here and curious to see what this is gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

Okay. I want to play Who's More Likely? So the first question Who's more likely to fall asleep during a movie? All day long. Absolutely. We talked about that.

SPEAKER_05 22:03

We don't even know he's doing it until he starts snoring. He's like, oh, he's gone again.

SPEAKER_00 22:07

And it happens all the time.

SPEAKER_05 22:08

All the time. He goes nine night. Just goes night night.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Well, but is he like dead out cold, or is it Yeah?

SPEAKER_05 22:14

Like snoring, like dead cold, like out.

SPEAKER_02 22:17

Yeah, my mind doesn't have to work.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

The TV's doing it, or the movie.

SPEAKER_05 22:21

You just he passes out everywhere.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

Matt tells us he doesn't get enough sleep, but I think I'm yeah.

SPEAKER_05 22:27

Well, yeah. You just squeeze it in there. It's crunching it in.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

All right. So moving on to the next question. Who's more likely to apologize first during an argument or after an argument?

SPEAKER_02 22:40

It's always me who's wrong, so that's why I'm pointing at me.

SPEAKER_05 22:44

Yeah. I'll just give them that one. I'll give them that one. Depends how long I'm gonna not stop talking to you for. And he's like, maybe he likes it because I talk all the time. Maybe that's why. You're like, I'm gonna get her to be quiet for about it.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

I wouldn't give away that strategy if that were true. How does that saying go? When you're right, you're wrong.

SPEAKER_05 23:05

Oh, yeah. Well, I tell everybody, I'm like, marriage is just finding that special person that you can argue with responsibly without somebody ending up in a six-foot hole.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

Yep. All right. So, next question: who's more likely to spend more money?

SPEAKER_05 23:21

Oh, for sure. I will walk in a store and I will find the most expensive thing immediately. Do you want to tell the story about the chairs? You tell it. You have to, because it's that funny.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

What's the chair?

SPEAKER_05 23:33

We were getting bar stools. Our kitchen is quite large, and we needed and how many bar stools do we need?

SPEAKER_02 23:38

Ten.

SPEAKER_05 23:38

Ten, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:39

You found the exact stool you wanted.

SPEAKER_05 23:41

Yeah, and this exact color.

SPEAKER_02 23:42

Asked me to go to um Walter E. Smith where they'd build it.

SPEAKER_05 23:46

Uh-huh. And then what happened when you walked in?

SPEAKER_02 23:49

So I went in there and went over it with the lady as she um was, you know, what material and what what color wood and everything else. And then she was typing in a little computer, and I said, Okay, I'm gonna walk around, come find me when you're ready. And and she comes find me. She goes, How many of those did you say you need? And I said, 10. And she goes, Woo! Um, so that told you the math on the cost of one times ten.

SPEAKER_05 24:21

So and he comes home. You're like, you really love those chairs? I'm like, I do.

SPEAKER_02 24:25

Yeah, so Mandy says her taste is simple, and I say, Yeah, simply the most expensive thing on the shelf. That's how that's how simple it is.

SPEAKER_05 24:35

Everybody loves those chairs, they're so comfy.

SPEAKER_00 24:39

Yeah, that illustrates it well though.

SPEAKER_05 24:40

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_00 24:41

Well, it's definitely on par with your vision. You always say think bigger. So Mandy's definitely.

SPEAKER_05 24:46

Oh, that's what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 24:48

See?

SPEAKER_00 24:49

So it's on par. Okay. Uh, next question. Who's more likely to take longer to get ready in the mornings?

SPEAKER_05 24:55

That is you. That's totally you. I literally, I'm like, what is he doing in there? He doesn't have any hair. Like, what's he doing in there? What are you doing in there? I don't know what he's doing. He's like, it's my meaton. I was like, okay, is that what we call it?

SPEAKER_02 25:10

It's not what you might be implying to any of that I'm doing in there.

SPEAKER_05 25:14

I didn't even think of that. I don't know what he's doing in there.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

So it's my thinking time. So I move like a snail. Like I piddle around because I'll get up early and and move slow because it's kind of when I'm processing. How long is this?

SPEAKER_00 25:28

So time-wise, how long does it take for him to get ready?

SPEAKER_05 25:34

I got an hour? Yeah. Yeah. And I get ready in like 15 minutes, and I'm like, let's go. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

Like we got No, I could get ready in 15, but again, it's me moving slow things.

SPEAKER_05 25:46

And I literally, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 25:47

But I know she does she doesn't like it and understand.

SPEAKER_05 25:49

I'm like, what are you doing in there?

SPEAKER_02 25:53

The good thing is, is like six days out of seven or or more, she's still asleep, so it doesn't even phase her.

SPEAKER_00 26:00

Yeah, that's hard for me to believe because uh Matt always talks about uh walk slow, work slow. And I can't imagine him taking his time getting ready.

SPEAKER_05 26:09

It's it I'm like, it's forever. And you would think that I would be the one that takes longer.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

I mean, I could put on It's quiet time to think, honestly. So any other time at work or at home is always a conversation. It's it's literally blocked out quiet time to to think.

SPEAKER_05 26:24

Is that what the quiet this falling asleep randomly is too quiet to no?

SPEAKER_02 26:29

That's opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

That's opportunity.

SPEAKER_05 26:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:33

Uh on to the next question. So who's more likely to snore the loudest?

SPEAKER_05 26:37

Oh, for sure. We had to get a bed to prop his head up. And sometimes I'm nice and I don't. No, still snores.

SPEAKER_02 26:47

Yeah, I think I get kicked a lot.

SPEAKER_05 26:49

He does. He doesn't know it. I'll just give one solid kick to the shins.

SPEAKER_00 26:54

And that does it.

SPEAKER_05 26:55

That does it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Sometimes I'm nice, but uh, who's more likely to be more romantic?

SPEAKER_05 27:01

I don't know. We both forget our anniversary. So he calls it's the middle of the day, and he calls me and he's like, babe, it's like I'm so, so, so sorry.

SPEAKER_03 27:11

And I'm like, what? And he goes, I'm thinking in my head, I go, Did he cheat on me? What do you do?

SPEAKER_05 27:17

And he goes, I forgot our anniversary. And I paused there and I was like, should I play it out? Like, should I tell him, how could you? No, but I was like, I forgot it too, so you're good.

SPEAKER_02 27:29

I'm not good at the romantic stuff, so Mandy has to be better, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_05 27:34

Yeah. But that was tough.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

You've always been romantic.

SPEAKER_05 27:37

Me? Yeah. I think yeah, I guess, you know, as you age, you lower your expectations.

unknown 27:43

Woo!

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Mission accomplished.

SPEAKER_05 27:46

You look real good, babe. My idea, the longer you've been together when we first started doing it, but I think that's everybody. And we still date, we still go on dates, but I think that's everybody. The longer you've been together, you're like, you know, when people first meet, they're like, oh, it's our first one-month anniversary, two-month anniversary. I go, I've never been that way. So, but yeah, I mean, he did do more flowers and you cook dinners. You did do that. We should start that back up.

SPEAKER_00 28:12

What does he what does he cook?

SPEAKER_05 28:14

Oh, he's a great cook. He's, but it's only happened probably about five times in like maybe the 14 years we've been together.

SPEAKER_02 28:21

Yeah, and there's one time the one time Well, uh grill outside of all the time.

SPEAKER_05 28:25

Yeah, he does do that, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

But cooking a special meal.

SPEAKER_05 28:28

The one time was it my birthday or was it our anniversary where I asked you to cook dinner and you took it so seriously? He went, um, there's a restaurant downtown called The Girl Girl and the Goat, and you were cooking from that cookbook, correct? Yeah, yeah. And I'm telling you, he probably started at like 6 30 and I didn't eat till 12 o'clock at night, but it was delicious.

SPEAKER_01 28:48

A lot of work.

SPEAKER_05 28:49

It was doing good. I was like, could you just throw me a scrap or something? Like anything you got. Like I'll anything. And he's like, it's gonna be good, babe. It's gonna be good.

SPEAKER_00 28:57

I was like, better be. Who's more likely to be the big spoon?

SPEAKER_05 29:03

Oh, you try, but I don't like it.

SPEAKER_00 29:07

There you go.

SPEAKER_05 29:08

Yeah, I'm just like a hot sleeper, and I was like, stop it. It's like, ah, give me my space.

SPEAKER_02 29:14

I don't know if I try that hard, but yeah, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_05 29:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Who said I love you first?

SPEAKER_05 29:21

You did it, I stopped you. I go, don't do that, because I'll run. I'm around.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

How long in the relationship was that?

SPEAKER_05 29:26

I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

It was pretty soon. No.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

A lot of finger pointing at me. It's just like arguments.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

You just stay there and take it, Matt. Like you're doing great.

SPEAKER_03 29:36

You're doing good.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Real good. Um, okay. So who's most likely to forget what they're saying mid-sentence?

SPEAKER_05 29:43

For sure. Absolutely. I'd be like, I'll look at you, I'll be like, Whoa, what was I doing?

SPEAKER_02 29:48

When before I die, I'll have spent a year of my life looking for Mandy's phone.

SPEAKER_05 29:52

Oh, that's so true. He told me he wanted to staple it to my my my bottom.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

It's like I'm just gonna I really don't want it there, but it's it's happened somewhere. It's like the remote control that gets lost all the time.

SPEAKER_05 30:02

Yeah. I mean, I've put it in the refrigerator before and just left. Like, I don't know if I was getting something out of the fridge, I just put that down in my.

SPEAKER_00 30:09

But Mandy's more likely. Does that happen with your car as well? Like, do you forget where you park it?

SPEAKER_05 30:14

Yeah, all the time. And then I'm standing there like in the gym parking lot, I was like, son of where is it? And then I'm like panicking, oh, did it get stolen? I'm like, no, it gets stolen, it's you.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

All right. So who's more more likely to want to move to a new place for a fresh start? Really?

SPEAKER_05 30:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:34

I wouldn't have thought that.

SPEAKER_05 30:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 30:36

Yeah, Mandy.

SPEAKER_05 30:37

I'm not.

SPEAKER_02 30:38

Mandy would stay camped out and build a compound and move her family in and absolutely go anywhere.

SPEAKER_05 30:43

Yeah, that was well, that was too. It was hard for me when we had to go when I had to go to Texas. Like I didn't, I was not happy to do that.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Yeah, we went to Texas for uh uh one year and Mandy was miserable.

SPEAKER_00 30:53

Yeah. And you just like the change of moving or the new experience?

SPEAKER_02 30:57

I'm not as attached to it.

SPEAKER_05 30:59

I'm not as attached to easier for you because you're not as home as often as I am.

SPEAKER_02 31:05

And really with the with the kids, like Mandy talked about her support system, like the support system's here, so leaving that's really hard on the case.

SPEAKER_05 31:13

If we could bring all those people in like a caravan with us, I'd go in a second.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Matt's like, you gotta bring the village with you then yeah. So who's more likely to win a trivia contest? Really? Yeah. Just got random knowledge. You know, Chad.

SPEAKER_05 31:30

Like my brother like Chad, my brother-in-law. You'll just ask him, like, he's like, Ask Jeeves. I'm like, I'll just call Chad home now. He's always good, and he's right.

SPEAKER_02 31:38

I don't know where he gets this information, but but truth be told, is uh neither one of us are great at it. I don't I could never go on Jeopardy and win.

SPEAKER_00 31:46

So who's most likely to randomly take up a new hobby?

SPEAKER_05 31:49

Oh, for sure. So you just you get bored and tired and Yeah, just started painting one day, started, I don't know, they can jewelry one day, uh gardening the next day. I don't think this is what I talk about. I don't think he likes this. He's like, she's gotta stop getting hobbies. But I'm good at it.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Surprisingly. And the kids tag along with the hobbies too, or is it they're specifically?

SPEAKER_05 32:16

Yeah, Monroe. She's she's gotta stay out of the garden. She'd eat all the carrots out of the garden if you let her. She would she'd go in the dirt on them and all. She don't care.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Okay, last last one. Who's most likely to get on stage first for karaoke?

SPEAKER_05 32:32

Oh, you're a terrible singer.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

Horrible.

SPEAKER_05 32:34

Yeah, you're waffle. Don't and and like no offense, but your dance moves are quite similar to Trump's.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Yeah, the dancing and singing.

SPEAKER_05 32:44

I walked in the one of our first dates.

SPEAKER_02 32:46

My game.

SPEAKER_05 32:46

Our first dates, I walked in, and you had no idea I was standing in the doorway, and Pitbull is blasting, right? Like, let's get groovy, baby. And he's like, going like this. I'm like, what is that?

SPEAKER_00 32:57

Like does he do the thumbs or the index fingers?

SPEAKER_05 33:00

I don't know. He's like the weird version of the Macarena or something. It's like, what do we call that? Now it's just the mat.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

And what's your go-to song when you get on stage?

SPEAKER_05 33:09

Oh gosh, it's probably some Fluba Mac song, which is the concert that he fell asleep at. I think the 151 slushie had something to do with that. He had to get the extra shot, but I think so. Hey, I think you were feeling good.

SPEAKER_00 33:21

Yeah, so I have uh these are for Mandy specifically. Oh, quick. Whoa. And um, so Matt does a lot of stuff at work. The audience is wondering, does he do these same things at home? Oh, this'll be fun. Matt never forgets anything at work, and I mean that. He's like an elephant, never forgets anything. How does that work? I am 100% positive. If you have a conversation with him, it could be three months, two weeks, six months down the road, and he will bring up hey now.

SPEAKER_05 33:51

That's not how he has. Where are we on at all? I mean, you've forgotten chargers on vacations. You've had to go. I mean, you've spent hours trying to go find the specific charger for your computer. Remember that time? Yeah, he forgets things quite frequently. I think that goes with the complacent thing. He's like, man, you'll fix it. She'll find it. She'll find she'll get it. Babe, where's that? Last time I checked, I wasn't responsible for that.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Okay, next question. So Matt at work takes credit for almost everything. Does he take credit for everything at home?

SPEAKER_05 34:26

No. Because I think he knows that would go over like a fart in church. I uh I think you make fun of it, you poke fun of it for sure.

SPEAKER_02 34:36

Yeah, no, the credit goes to you at home. But if I'm really good at something, oh, he'll rub it in my face so hard. Or maybe you squash it so that uh it out.

SPEAKER_05 34:46

You remember when we first started dating and I all we were in Aruba, and I was so mad. Like you climbed up that wall like it was nothing. And I don't I tried so hard because I'm competitive. He knows that. And I just couldn't do it. And he just you rubbed it in my face so so hard for like the whole entire time we were there.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

Sorry.

SPEAKER_05 35:04

No, you're not. You were laughing.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

We were raised very competitive.

SPEAKER_05 35:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:10

So you keep him humble, basically. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 35:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Love it.

SPEAKER_05 35:13

Somebody's got to.

SPEAKER_00 35:14

I love it. Okay. Next question. Matt gets very sleepy at work. Does he get sleepy at home?

SPEAKER_05 35:21

Uh well, yeah, all the time. He just passes out anywhere.

unknown 35:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 35:25

And like you'll be mid-sentence and he'll be like.

SPEAKER_00 35:28

Yeah, it typically doesn't happen for him until the afternoon. I think after, you know, five, six hour meeting, he starts.

SPEAKER_05 35:35

Does he ever completely just knock out though?

SPEAKER_00 35:37

Uh I've seen it a couple of times. Yeah where he's out there. It's something.

SPEAKER_05 35:40

And he'll be sitting right up. Like, and then you'll be like, I'll be a babe. And he'll be like, what? I think I should stop doing that because you are getting up there in age. And I'm gonna get to go out.

SPEAKER_00 35:53

That's funny. Yeah, but to his defense, it's usually like after a long, long meeting, and he's just excuses. Okay, two more. Uh so Matt goes through monsters, uh, the energy drinks like crazy. The white ones? Yes. Does he do that?

SPEAKER_05 36:08

Yeah, he does. Now, homie mixes it with vaga though on the weekends. And that's funny. That's when you get giggly, Matt. That's great. Really giggly.

SPEAKER_00 36:16

And no coffee for Matt. He doesn't drink coffee here.

SPEAKER_05 36:18

Uh uh. I mean, I might have seen you drink coffee like once or twice, but no, no coffee.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

And you've never drank coffee? Ever? You've always been an energy.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Energy drinks more, but um, I think I was trying to push myself more to coffee because it's it's healthier, right? The energy drinks are pretty much everywhere knowing they're not be good for you.

SPEAKER_05 36:37

I stopped trying to tell you to stop drinking those a long time ago. I'm like, it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Yeah, but it'd be good if I could make it. Switch to coffee instead.

SPEAKER_03 36:47

You keep telling yourself to that.

SPEAKER_02 36:52

Yeah, that was fun. You're right. In the whole podcast, we always close it by um reminding everybody that we're all about championing people here at Crash Champions and here at Podcrash. So now's a chance to give you the opportunity. Is there someone in your life, past present, that you would champion? Who's the person you would call out and why?

SPEAKER_03 37:14

I got three people.

SPEAKER_02 37:15

One oh, three, not just one. All right.

SPEAKER_05 37:18

My best friend Lisa's mom, Maggie, because she calls you Mandy's husband. Oh I love that for me.

SPEAKER_02 37:27

Very good.

SPEAKER_05 37:28

Because I'm standing behind you all day long.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

Sorry.

SPEAKER_05 37:31

No, it's alright.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

And then who are the others being?

SPEAKER_05 37:34

Then Mad Men Row.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Okay. Our kids. Because they make our life so special.

SPEAKER_05 37:40

Yeah, they make me that my stress level is so down.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Because I would have expected you to give to to call out your mom, but Oh, I love my mom, Val.

SPEAKER_05 37:53

She's she's a legend.

SPEAKER_02 37:54

There you go.

SPEAKER_05 37:55

You call her too. Yep. I think she makes you laugh.

SPEAKER_02 37:57

She does. Yeah. Okay, and nobody's there to ask me the question, but I would take the opportunity to champion you, babe, because uh you really are uh my partner in all this. You you make it possible, and I love you very much.

SPEAKER_04 38:11

So thank you. Let's just speak.

SPEAKER_01 38:14

I hope you enjoyed this conversation. If you want more podcrash in your life, which of course you do, make sure to like, follow, and subscribe to us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast. Catch you next time.