Biscuet with Jonathan Smyth

Jonathan Smyth is a down-to-earth husband that oversees global marketing for a family of companies that operate in more than a dozen countries. He’s mostly just a guy in Colorado who loves to travel, loves his family, loves fly fishing, and lives life at the intersection of his skills and passions. He also has a unique nickname which we discuss in the interview

Check out Biscuet’s podcasts!
1)  Jonathan & Friends Podcast

2) Think Global Podcast

Have you considered saying hello to Ms. Christine? She wants to hear from you. Please send her a Tweet or greetings on Instagram! 

Transcript

Unknown Speaker  0:00  
If you to have somebody that you think you should reach out to reconnect with, just do it, it'll be worth it.

Unknown Speaker  0:12  
Welcome back to the podcast. I'm one of your hosts. My name is Jared. And of course, joining me is my co host, Miss Christine. How are you, Christine? Good, how you doing? I am so excited. Today we get to talk to my man, Jonathan Smith, Jonathan and I go way back and a little bit about Jonathan. He's a Down to Earth husband that oversees global marketing for a family of companies that operate more than a dozen countries. He's mostly just the guy in Colorado who loves to travel, loves his family loves fly fishing lives life at the intersection of his skills and passions. He's also has a unique nickname, which we will get to in the interview. Jonathan, thank you for joining us today. Oh, man, it's a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me. Oh, man, pleasure is all on this end. Steve, I like to start out with the best concert question. You're not immune. What's the best concert? You've been to Jonathan tell the truth. Okay, I'm

Unknown Speaker  1:03  
going to tell the truth. And I'm going to the sub truth or the pre truth is I was prepared for this question. I have listened to the podcast and so I gave this question. Some thought. I felt like we should apologize. Go ahead. Okay, Jared, I think you're gonna like my answer. And Miss Christine, if you don't know what we're talking about. That's okay. Go look it up later. That's gonna be she usually doesn't. Right. All right. I wanted to. There's a lot of great concerts to pick from, of course, but I wanted to pick one that I felt like maybe somebody listening would say, Oh, my gosh, that sounds amazing, because they know what we're talking about. So the best concert, truthfully was the first concert I thought of when I'm thinking about this question, but I went to see on my birthday in Dallas, Texas, I saw Jacko Pierce and vertical horizon play together. Oh, wow.

Unknown Speaker  1:59  
So that was I've seen them, but I've never seen him together.

Unknown Speaker  2:02  
Front Row. The people that I was with they, they, you know, kept yelling at them that it was my birthday. And so they took my driver. They took my driver's license to prove it. And then they all say me happy birthday. It was fun. Oh,

Unknown Speaker  2:14  
awesome. What so which band saying you happy birthday? Oh, your friends. It was

Unknown Speaker  2:19  
with the band did so it was a combo? Right? It was like, but what's his name? jack O'Neill. And what's the guy from vertical horizon? matte skin? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So it was the two of them together? Did it? Yeah, it was a blast.

Unknown Speaker  2:32  
Wow. What a memory. That's cool. Yeah. How long ago was that? I was in college. So it's been a while. Yeah. It was fun, though. Oh, man, I don't want a story quite like that. But just so Christina has some context. He didn't just mention two groups that were definitely groups that I listened to, in you know, back in the day, and they still do, but they're, they're more like, kind of that underground college circuit at the time. I guess. They had their own little moments. One hit wonders, a rock vertical rising did anyway, there's probably a song or two that you might recognize by the first name because they were on like radio back in like, early 2000. Yeah, those bands definitely resonate with me. You knew they would. So

Unknown Speaker  3:19  
I knew that's, that's part of why I picked it. I mean, it's really my favorite concert truthfully. But I could have gotten something big. You know, I don't know. I don't even know what that would be. But anyway, that was my favorite show. That's

Unknown Speaker  3:29  
a good answer. And I appreciate that answer. I have seen I saw I actually saw vertical rising last year in Dallas. Oh, wow. They last year, your before I think it was last year. And of course, you know, Keith Kane is not in the band anymore. And we, it was me and a couple guys that I was in college with. And we were we were screaming out like old school phones. Yeah. You only a couple people we know. Yes. You would know them. But like most people wouldn't. And so we're, we're ceiling like play trying to find a purpose. You know, yes. Whatever he did, like that's gone. He told the band. He's like, he's like, man, I gotta do this. So yeah, told the band to like take a break. And him just him and his guitar. He's saying, Oh, I'm trying to find a purpose. I was like, I've never seen him sing that live ever. That is amazing. Yeah. So it blew my mind. I was like, Okay, this, you know, this was definitely one of my favorite shows of his even though you know, I would have liked to have seen, you know, there'll be in the band, which is Yeah, has been for years. But that's that's an aside and thank you, Christine, for let me have that.

Unknown Speaker  4:38  
Finish this sentence is a key to being remembered over 20 years later in a spelling bee is to blank.

Unknown Speaker  4:45  
Oh my gosh, is to just roll with it and have fun with with the experience. And you've done that. And I have personal experience with that. Yes. Can you share that with us, please? Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. So in the intro, which was a great intro, Jared, you alluded to I have a, I have a fun nickname. And so for about the last, let's say 25 years or so, everybody has called me biscuit. And you have to spell it properly. It's spelled B is cu, e t. And that's because I did misspell it in front of my entire school. And, you know, I was, I was a class clown. And actually, somebody recently asked me like, hey, if you weren't doing what you were doing, like, what's a career you would have landed in or wanted to land in? And I always have a funny answer that I always tell people like, I would have been a stand up comedian. Hmm, I'm not funny. Now. Don't feel like pressure to laugh at any of my jokes. I'm not funny. And I know that. But back in sixth grade, I thought I was the funniest person in the world. And so I was on stage, they gave me the word biscuit. And the auditorium was full of like, every student like it was a assembly like every student, the school is there. My parents were there, it was a bit of pressure. Yeah. And so I started uncontrollably laughing. But at the word biscuit, I don't know, maybe was the way the lady said it or whatever. And I just started shouting into the microphone, every letter, and after every letter, that people would start laughing harder and harder. And so that obviously, when you're 12, that eggs you want even more. And so I got to the end of it B is c e t, and the whole auditorium is just, you know, bent over laughing like belly a, you know, belly laughs kind of stuff like and, and the lady just looked at me didn't even crack a smile. And she just says, I'm sorry, that is incorrect. And the place just exploded in laughter I've never seen anything like it. So anyway, then I now I have a nickname.

Unknown Speaker  6:44  
But you know, I know in that moment that probably was was a little bit like, Oh, no, what am I but but dude that has carried with you like all these years? And yeah, yeah, like I was I actually did give Christine a little bit of a heads up on that. And I was

Unknown Speaker  7:00  
like, This is what I felt like this. And I was like, What is he stroking out on me?

Unknown Speaker  7:07  
misspelled the word biscuit. Story. There's a story. Yeah. As long as I've known you always been called biscuit. Oh, yeah. So like, you know, that's just your that's your name. Like, okay, I was felt awkward in the intro calling you Jonathan? Yeah. Yeah, that is yes. And I'm glad that you can laugh at that. Now. I'm sure that probably at the moment was like, Oh, right.

Unknown Speaker  7:33  
It's like simultaneously my best moment and my most embarrassing moment.

Unknown Speaker  7:37  
Fair enough. Well, I'm certainly being able to move beyond that. Yeah. And have a cool nickname as well. We'll continue with finish this sentence because you can. If you ever visit Orange Beach, Alabama, don't forget to link if you forgot.

Unknown Speaker  7:55  
I have a controversial answer. Don't don't don't forget your magga hat. Oh, it's like that. A is like that. Orange

Unknown Speaker  8:03  
Beach, Alabama. All right. Yeah. Duly noted.

Unknown Speaker  8:06  
Yeah, yeah, we, uh, well, I don't want a dog on Orange Beach. actually like it. I go there every year for vacation because my family likes to go there. It's fun. Okay, let me just promise. It's fun. We have a great time. I'm going to make it sound worse than it is. But my wife and I jokingly call it we jokingly call it the Redneck Riviera. And it's deserved the desert as a nickname.

Unknown Speaker  8:26  
Yeah. Well, you live in Colorado. So you can you can say that. But but let Let the record reflect that you and I did grow up in Alabama. So that's part of the Yes. Go to Alabama for visiting. You're right. You're still right.

Unknown Speaker  8:41  
Yeah, yeah, they drive down to the beach. And then my wife and I we usually fly into Pensacola and spend the week with my family. So

Unknown Speaker  8:48  
yeah, that's when we that's when we go there. Well, that's nice. So it's more like a fam jam than the actual Hey, let's relax at the right of the Redneck Riviera. Right. Although Christine lives in Daytona Daytona, oh, has some redneck love to Yeah. NASCAR and they drive on the beach. And they are they used to I don't have to do now. Oh, that sounds fine. Actually,

Unknown Speaker  9:11  
I think a lot because they changed up a little bit cuz everything went COVID and stuff. I've been over to the beach very much.

Unknown Speaker  9:19  
Yeah. Well, you know, when you live at the beach, you know, it's like you never go to the beach. It's kind of like to go to Ormond Beach. I'm closer to it and people don't drive on the beach there. Yeah, that's funny like they told him. I'm going to Ormond Beach.

Unknown Speaker  9:36  
Okay, go on with the next stuff. Finish this on us. If you don't live in Colorado, do you don't know about blank.

Unknown Speaker  9:45  
Oh, if you don't live in Colorado, you don't really know about our winters. I can elaborate. Most people think winter in Colorado is like brutally cold and snow all the time. And, you know, we're like a bunch of Eskimos, I guess but But But truthfully, I tell people all the time, and I probably should stop telling people because people keep moving here and it's making it worse, but, but I moved here, right? So whatever. But anyway, what I tell people all the time is like it can be middle of December and 55 degrees, 50 degrees, and you're sitting outside having lunch on a patio because at 5000 feet of elevation, the sun is very hot. And it feels amazing, huh? It does. It's like the air conditioned state. Yeah, yeah. So people just think we are constantly digging our cars out of the snow. But truthfully, we're sitting on a patio somewhere, having an adult having an adult beverage. So what's hot in Colorado? what's hot? Well, you know, it gets hot like today is really hot. Like we it's been in the 90s for weeks. And but we don't you know, there's no humidity. So my wife and I were just having lunch earlier today sitting outside on a patio in the shade. It's 95 degrees outside, but we were both commenting on how how nice it felt.

Unknown Speaker  11:08  
Here in South Florida, it's summertime at this time of year, like you're if you're sitting on the patio like you're Yeah, it's probably nighttime. It's probably not during the day. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  11:18  
Yeah. Well, sitting in the sun is a different story. I mean, you're sunburned within 10 minutes, and yeah, you're roasting. No. Yeah, well,

Unknown Speaker  11:26  
we don't we Yeah, we don't encourage that. So yeah. All right. So enough of the gimmick questions. Let's level real fun stuff in this game, you and I've been friends for a long time. Now. It has been a long time since we've talked. But we've still been friends throughout this time. So let's start with that. How did you and I meet? For those that don't know? Oh, my gosh,

Unknown Speaker  11:49  
how did we actually meet what you know? It's always like mutual friends, whatever. But we were involved in the same church growing up. That's true. And that's primarily how we knew each other. We ran to the same friend circles. Well, you're older than I am. But oh, well, sorry. But we but we actually ran into them. I'm sorry. But we ran into some similar friend circles. We have some mutual friends. Oh, yeah. Your brother and I were actually pretty good friends. And so that was probably our first connection, maybe, and then a mutual friend. So yeah, but it all ties back to this church that we went to in Alabama?

Unknown Speaker  12:23  
Yes. And I think back to, I guess, that season in my life, and some of my most, I guess, good memories and good stories. I have so many from that timeframe. So yeah, so I always appreciate having that opportunity. Yeah, and having the connection to the friends even if I'm not in touch with him like that was then you know, it's it's still so nice to be able to talk to you or some of those folks, and on occasion, have people on the podcast or whatever, from that era of my life. And it's always so much fun. I had Jason Watson on oh my gosh, that was the first time I've talked to him and forever and I can name others what I want. But yeah.

Unknown Speaker  13:04  
Oh, it's so fun. And man, I should reach out to some of those folks. Because I'm kind of in that same boat. Like when I see him when I get to talk to him. It's really fun to to kind of go down memory lane a little bit. And yeah, that's, that's awesome. And there's a apparently there's a Facebook thread going around with a bunch of these memories that people keep bringing up. Have you

Unknown Speaker  13:22  
seen that? I have? And I laughed probably for Yes, an hour and a half. Reading reading this long thread, people commenting about things that we used to laugh and joke about or think Yeah, happened? Yeah, I had tears in my eyes. I was laughing at this so much. So I feel kind of bad. Because I know Christine's like, What are you talking about? But yeah, that that particular thread on Facebook about that particular group growing up and being involved in those circles? That was really the style Jake and Bonnie? So it was special? For sure. Absolutely. I appreciate that. So we'll we'll keep on here. Keep on track.

Unknown Speaker  14:02  
All right. Your faith has always been an important part of your life. Can you tell us about that?

Unknown Speaker  14:06  
Yeah. So I think it kind of goes back to even what Jerry and I were just talking about growing up in church, and, you know, my mom and dad, always forcing me to go to church, you know, and I was there on Sundays, and I was there on Wednesdays. And when your kid growing up, they you kind of hate that, you know, and, and my mom would always say, you'll thank me later, you know, and truthfully, I do owe my mom that, that thank you because it really instilled in me a faith that I've carried throughout my whole life and through college. And I think my faith has helped me steer through a lot of difficult circumstances and it's helped give me rooting and purpose in the midst of good times, bad times, whatever it is, but it's nice to know your life is rooted in something that matters and that it's bigger than you are.

Unknown Speaker  14:53  
And I have always, even though you are younger than me biscuit, I've always appreciated that aspect of you. In your, I guess you're a leader in that area. There's a number of our friends that are, but you're definitely one of them. And I respect that and appreciate that about you. Some folks who do not know, you, of course, they're going to be surprised to learn that you live in China from 2008 to 2012. So I got to hear this, what are some of the best stories from you living in China? Oh, my

Unknown Speaker  15:21  
gosh, some of the best stories, you know, it's looking back, it's, it's sort of big thing versus like, just like, oh, let me tell you this one time or this one story, it's sort of looking back more big picture of, I can't believe I've stood on the Great Wall, you know, like, and I've been there, a lot of people are, here's what I think about a lot of people save money for years and years and years for this dream trip to somewhere like Beijing, and they want to go to the Great Wall, and they want to go to the Forbidden City, and they want to stand in Tiananmen Square and look at the big picture of Mao Zedong all across the street, and they want to do the China thing. And that stuff was my backyard for the better part of five years. And I'm actually in my office, I'm staring at a picture of the Great Wall on my wall. And I'm like, I'm reminded like, Wow, I've stood there. Like, it's just sort of surreal. humbling, like, it's just a really cool, it was a really cool experience. So those big things from China, like seeing the things that people dream of seeing and experiencing the things people dream of experiencing. And they watch things like an Anthony Bourdain show, or whatever the latest travel show is, and I Oh, man, one day, I'd love to go there. And no one like, yeah, I lived there. I walked those streets. I know, that's kind of a bigger than just like an individual story. But that's what I think of.

Unknown Speaker  16:41  
You've been happily married for over eight years now. And Congrats. Yes. Thank you. How did you and your wife meet?

Unknown Speaker  16:48  
Oh, great question. So we actually met in China. She was teaching English. She's from the Atlanta area. But she was living in China teaching English. And we met through that teaching organization that she was with, she was up in the northeast of China, and then ended up taking a job with her organization down in Beijing. And so we met, we just started hanging out dating in Beijing. And so that was that that was sort of the end of my four and a half ish years of living there. And I was looking for a break. And so, you know, I told her, I said, if this relationship is going to progress, you might want to come take this break with me back in the States, and we'll figure it out. So she reluctantly moved back to the States. And we kind of pursued a relationship further from the US and ended up getting married. But yeah, ultimately, she's from Atlanta. I'm from Alabama, but we had to go all the way to China to meet each other.

Unknown Speaker  17:41  
Now, that is something that I did not know. Okay. Yeah. That to me is very interesting, because I knew Yeah, there but I did not know she was from Atlanta. So that Yeah. Yeah. She's the irony of that. That's, that's so cool.

Unknown Speaker  17:53  
Yeah. And she, she's Korean American. So she's Asian, obviously. So yeah, we just had this really, it was tough to have impact because like, friends and family, or we'd be back at church, Jared. And you can you can picture exactly where we were in the front row of Sunday church. And it was like a receiving line. After the church. People come to come say hello to me, because I was back from China and wanting to see how I was doing. And then they kept commenting on how good my wife's English was.

Unknown Speaker  18:23  
An Alabama and Alabama Christine is not a lot of diversity. So yeah. I can't laugh.

Unknown Speaker  18:33  
Yeah, yeah, those were funny days. So anyway, I was like, No, I didn't go to China and you know, come home with a china wife, although nothing wrong with that.

Unknown Speaker  18:44  
But more of those. Yeah, I know, plenty people who have But anyway, she's not Fresh Off the Boat is what you're saying. Right? Right. Yeah, that's a good, good time. Well, that was very gracious of your wife to just kind of smile and be like, Oh, man, I've grown up three hours away from here. Yeah, it was all she could do to to bite her lip a little bit.

Unknown Speaker  19:09  
Okay, he traveled through Asia in the Middle East. What are some of your favorite places to visit?

Unknown Speaker  19:15  
Oh, gosh. Okay, so I was just having this discussion with someone yesterday, because it came up. I don't know why. But I like all of them for different reasons. And I, you know, it's tempting to go through every region and explain what I love about each place. But really, what ends up happening is people always ask me like, oh, what's your favorite place? Where do you love the most? And it's easy, like for years, I would say I just love Hong Kong. Like I love going to Hong Kong and I do absolutely love Hong Kong. It's like, I know Hong Kong as well as I know my hometown, right? So I it's like a second home to me. But then that kind of morphed into falling in love with his temple. And Istanbul is just just this amazing blend of Asia and Europe. And a little bit of Middle Eastern culture kind of all mixed in. So Istanbul is oh my gosh, just such a fun Cool city, right on the Bosphorus River. Oh, gosh, it's amazing. But people asked like, but yeah, I'll go with you. I'll go with you. But what people ask is like, so what's your favorite and then every year, I kind of have a new place that popped up for me. So it seems strange. But my favorite place currently, like as in if we said, hey, let's book tickets and go there tomorrow, I'd beat you to the airport. I'd be there, you know, ready to roll back to Iraq? And specifically, yes, specifically the city of Baghdad. I just love it. And what did you see once you got there? Oh, my gosh, you know, they, I don't know that. They do really good, like grilled meat platters with like, rice and just grill. Such good grilled meat. I don't know what they call it. But chicken, beef. It's, gosh, it's so good.

Unknown Speaker  20:52  
I would have never guessed. Baghdad, what what is it that you love about Baghdad just because I think the average person would be like Baghdad and that like bombed? And like, Yeah, it is. Okay, so Christina and think that?

Unknown Speaker  21:06  
It is? Well.

Unknown Speaker  21:09  
It's one of the it's one of the most war torn places for sure. I mean, it's, it's not safe in the sense of like, I can't promise. So we always say we actually take people there a bit. And we don't guarantee that we can bring them back. And they think we're joking. I'm like, Well, I can't guarantee that I'm going to bring you back, you know, so, but is 100% of people, I've met some of the warmest, most hospitable people. And that's not the picture you're probably gonna get from media or books written by us, you know, maybe American authors or people with a political agenda or whatever it might be. But they are the kindest, they would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it without question. And also, here's a quick, here's just a quick story. A good friend of mine that I met there. He's actually part of our security team when we're there. And he, we became friends. We're now friends on WhatsApp, you know, the little text messaging app and, and we go back and forth. He texts me without fail. every holiday, every American holiday. I have a text for him. And including most recently, July the fourth, he was the first he was the first person on July 4 to wish me a happy July 4. And anyway, he just that's just how they are. They're just so thoughtful and kind.

Unknown Speaker  22:27  
I love that. And yeah, the the meat and the rice that makes me want to bring Christina were there to have that and then tell her I can't promise that she'll be back.

Unknown Speaker  22:36  
But at least what am I right? Yeah. You've eaten good. So yes, that's what matters. Now, what impact has COVID had on your work travels a lot.

Unknown Speaker  22:50  
I used to travel somewhere between, I don't know. 100 and 125 days a year? aggressive? Yeah. Yeah. And now it's almost zero. I mean, I've started picking back up some travel this year. It's mostly domestic. Have you done any international travels? It's February of 2020. Right, right. When things began to shut down, I was on my way back from Thailand. And but I haven't traveled internationally since then. So yeah, so it's been pretty significant. But we've we've adapted.

Unknown Speaker  23:27  
Okay, so are you like kind of Cabin Fever now? Like, you're like, man, I really am excited to go back when it's safe. Of course.

Unknown Speaker  23:33  
Yeah. You know, it's I went through the season where it was really nice to be here and not have another trip in two or three or four weeks. And jumping from jet lag, jet lag. And, and when you're back when you travel that much. And you're back. You don't want to do anything else except be near your own home. And so my wife would like let's go to the mountains for the weekend, or let's go do something fun. Let's stay home. Yeah, exactly. Like, yeah, and I will say that as like, I travel for a living. I don't want to go anywhere when I'm home. But anyway, it's been a really good year, 18 months of being home. But yeah, I'm starting to get that bug. I was with a bunch of people a couple weeks ago who were from all over the world, a bunch of our leadership. They were in town. And anyway, we just got to talk in and I'm just Yeah, I would get on a plane. I'm ready. Oh,

Unknown Speaker  24:20  
another thing that I learned about you in your recent message was you're talking about some of the podcasts that us I didn't realize that you were doing that. So I want to hear about your your podcast that tell us you have more than one and that's for some that's called a glutton for punishment. Tell us about your podcast.

Unknown Speaker  24:39  
Yeah, thanks. So it's a new endeavor. I've wanted to podcast for a while and that's, that's why I've looked up to you Jared and what you're doing upload following along with what you guys are doing. And just podcasting has seemed so interesting to me. And I've had these podcast ideas, not necessarily the ones I'm doing but just ideas that come and go over time. Anyway, so I finally are here's what happened. We wanted to start a podcast at the end. company I work at. And so we bought on this podcast equipment. And then I had to learn how to use it right. So I just started my own podcast as a way to learn how to use all this gear that we bought it so, so I started this podcast, I just it's a stupid name, I call it Jonathan and friends. But the other day somebody like we just call it a biscuit show. So it might change. Anyway, all I do is talk, I've talked to my friends about the intersection of their skills, passions, and opportunities. And I think that's when your life aligns or intersects with your skills, passions and opportunities, you begin to realize you live a pretty meaningful life and a fulfilling life. And so we just talked about that, like people's life journeys and how they've found that and so I tried to interview people who are living at that intersection, if you guess like, a CEO of a company, recording artist, filmmaker, those type of people who are really thriving in their in their craft. So that's that one. Then I have another podcast, I co host, the other one was called think global. And it's, that's the internal podcast, we started at our company. And so we, we just talk about our experiences of traveling the world and what we've learned and we also buy, the tagline of the world is our home where friends become word is that leave the world, it's our home, where strangers become friends, or friends become family. And another tagline I like to use is finding friendships in the most unlikely of places. Because we go to some of the craziest places in the world, that the media or whatever would tell you to be against. And we want to say no, we're actually for it, because we love those people. And we think people over politics.

Unknown Speaker  26:35  
Yeah. Well, I mean, you mentioned in Baghdad, like, I just think I want to see Baghdad like I wouldn't, yeah, that would not be the first place. I'd be like, Hey, I'm gonna go to Baghdad. listed in the military or something. Okay.

Unknown Speaker  26:51  
Christine, Jonathan, you enjoy being outdoors? What are some things that fly fishing has taught you about life and business?

Unknown Speaker  26:59  
Oh, that's really good. Gosh, I had to write this for somebody recently. I got the same question on a different podcast recently. And I know

Unknown Speaker  27:09  
that we're creative and special. That was a great question. The point is, that's a great question that someone else used. No, no, no. But the problem is, I can't remember my answer. So I'm gonna make up a new one. Not feel better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So

Unknown Speaker  27:22  
sorry. So as soon as you're asking that question, the word that came to my mind was patience. I've learned to be very patient. flyfishing is a patient sport, but they call it our joke. And flyfishing has always they call it fishing, not catching for a reason. And, you know, it just takes a lot of patience. And I've learned that in business, and just in life in general is patience goes a long way. This doesn't apply to fly fishing. But where that extrapolates in business is kind of taking the long view of things versus the short view and looking for short term results, but might be long term detrimental, but taking the long term view of of life or business and making the decisions that pay off in the long run.

Unknown Speaker  28:01  
And that, not that I know what I'm talking about, because I'm not a fly fisherman, but my guess is the patience of fly fishing is part of the experience and you're enjoying, you know, being in the river. Yeah, whatever that entails. Which I hope to fly fish with the Sunday I've never done it.

Unknown Speaker  28:19  
Come on out. The invitation is it's an open invitation for you to come out and you'll see Well, we'll fish it's kind of fun. Like you fish a little bit, sit on a rock and enjoy the weather and official little bit more. Like it's just it slows everything down. And there's a that's the other I guess that's the other lesson is is remembering that stillness is okay. I don't I'm not an advocate of the the hustle culture of burn the candle at both ends and burn yourself out and and kill yourself and whatever you like. I'm of the of the mindset that it's okay to be still from time to time, and it's kind of goes along with patients, I guess.

Unknown Speaker  28:58  
Yeah. Christina will probably be in Orange Beach when we do that. Yes. Probably more. Yeah. Oh, gosh. Leave the hat behind. Look at her Instagram. Anyway. We got a couple of wrap up questions here. This get one of them is who is doing something that interests you? Oh,

Unknown Speaker  29:21  
gosh, that's a hard one. Who is doing something that interests me? You are you guys are for sure.

Unknown Speaker  29:30  
That's a great answer. Someone on another podcast told us that. Really? No. Yeah, I

Unknown Speaker  29:34  
feel great. Now. That's a call back. Hey, we've heard that answer. No. I Oh, gosh. I don't have a great answer for that. I'm just saying just say your wife just in case she listens. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  29:48  
Okay, okay. That's actually a really good answer. She is doing stuff that interests me and really proud of what she does. And she's become very influential in our community. She's a yoga instructor. You're really involved in the fitness and wellness community here. So she keeps me healthy. And we don't go anywhere in this town without her knowing somebody. It's sort of infuriating at times, because, you know, you're trying to have a nice meal at a restaurant, and she's off on the other end of the restaurant talking to somebody, but we know, okay, yeah. Yeah. So she's like this great. Yeah. She's like the most bubbly extrovert you've ever seen. So anyway, that's a good one. Jared, thanks for that prompt. My wife is doing things that interest me. I hope she listens and feels. I'm going to tell her to dance. I'm working listeners connect with you online? Oh, that's a good question. So I'm on most of the socials, I do Instagram, I guess. But I'm trying to get more active on Twitter. I really haven't. I've been enjoying Twitter lately, more than any other platform. So on both platforms. So whatever suits your fancy, it's at biscuit bi SCU. Et. I grabbed those a million years ago before anybody else would. But

Unknown Speaker  31:02  
I'm so glad you did. Yeah, that that is your handle. And yeah, I was proud. When I saw you had Twitter and Instagram. Well, we always close that with final thoughts. Do

Unknown Speaker  31:13  
you have any final thoughts? Final Thoughts would be I should have been more prepared for this. Jared? I'm sorry. I did listen to episodes. And actually, I remember the question, who's doing something that interests you? And I made a mental note of I should think about that more, and I did it. And then final, final thoughts would be, you know, I just I just love connecting with you. And I think here's my thought is, if people had this, check in their heart, or their spirit of their gut, whatever you want to call it, that they should reach out to an old friend, they should do it. I think that is worth the risk. It's worth the butterflies or though or the oh my gosh, are they going to accept me, they're going to accept you. They're gonna think it's so cool that you texted them. And I have a habit just in my own life that if I have a dream about someone, or I think about someone randomly, I text them. And sometimes it's somebody I haven't talked to in years, and they'll get a random text for me. And I've never had someone write back and say, What are you doing? Never text me again. That's just not how people respond. And so this is I think, Jared, our conversation, interesting textbook, Christine, but I think this is the lesson in that is that Jared, we haven't talked in a ton of years, but this, this will be the highlight for me for for a long time to come. I'll think about this conversation. And so the encouragement that I want to give to people and the final thought would be, if you to have somebody that you think you should reach out to and reconnect with, just do it, it'll be worth it.

Unknown Speaker  32:40  
You know, I'm going to piggyback off that super fast and say, my sister encouraged me just I was talking to her on the phone just the other day. And I had mentioned someone and she's like, you know what, what you just said, You should tell that person now that would encourage them. And I texted I did I did what she said I texted the person that I'd made that compliment to her about I was like, Hey, I really appreciate ABC. And I ran into this person last night. I wasn't expecting to see them, but I saw them. And they said, Hey, just so you know, that text was perfectly timed, like I was up against, and he listed a number of things that no one would want to deal with. And he's like, and that text just really was like an encouraging thing. I appreciate that. And so yeah, I whether it's catch up with the old friend or you know, you think something nice about someone tell him you know, because yeah, everybody's got their own challenges their own, whatever they're navigating and when you hear a kind word, a word of encouragement, man, everybody loves that. So yeah, absolutely. But basically I am encouraged that you came on the show I am so glad that we are able to pick up where we left off the ages ago and still be able to be friends and still talk and you haven't changed a bit I couldn't be more proud of you and I really looking forward to eventually hanging out breaking brown hopefully media life and complimenting on our on our English and whatever else you know we get into but Christine, thank you for being a part of this special moment. Yes. Seems like I've never done this. But I doubted that we really appreciate you man and and wish you the absolute best. Thank you so much. Thank you, man. The pleasure is all mine.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai