The Quarterback DadCast
I’m Casey Jacox, the host of the Quarterback Dadcast. As fathers, we want to help prepare our kids—not only to enter the professional world but to thrive in each stage of their lives. Guests of this show include teachers, coaches, professional athletes, consultants, business owners, authors—and stay-at-home dads. Just like you! They share openly about failure, success, laughter, and even sadness so that we can all learn from each other—as we strive to become the best leaders of our homes! You will learn each week, and I am confident you will leave each episode with actionable tasks that you can apply to your life to become that ultimate Quarterback and leader of your household. Together, we will learn from the successes and failures of dads who are doing their best every day. So, sit back, relax and subscribe now to receive each episode weekly on The Quarterback Dadcast.
The Quarterback DadCast
Navigating Fatherhood: Blending Family Values and Professional Fulfillment
A huge shoutout goes to the American Staffing Association and also Mark Nussbaum for bringing our next guest to the podcast.
Bryan Levine, the COO of Equilium, joins us as we continue the momentum in season six with heartwarming tales of family and fatherhood. Having met Brian at Staffing World, I was struck by his earnestness and dedication as a dad. Together, we explore his journey in raising an empathetic daughter and the values that guide him. At the time of recording, I also share my personal joy of having my son home from college, with amusing anecdotes about his relationship with his girlfriend, who just happens to be the daughter of a friend. It’s an episode filled with laughter, reflection, and the little moments that shape family life.
This episode delves into the lessons of co-parenting and interfaith family dynamics, highlighting the importance of acceptance, flexibility, and gratitude. Bryan shares his insights from losing his father, navigating through challenges as a father, and fostering a nurturing environment for his daughter.
• Brian reflects on gratitude and family experiences
• Discussion on growing up in a multi-faith household
• Exploration of parenting strategies in co-parenting setups
• Insights on maintaining open communication with an ex-wife
• Emphasis on the significance of shared values in raising children
• Importance of being present and patient as a parent
• Bryan discusses the role of traditions in family life
• Tips on navigating challenges and embracing flexibility
• The episode offers inspiration for fathers facing similar circumstances
To learn more about Bryan, you can connect with him here on LinkedIn.
Please don't forget to leave us a review wherever you consume your podcasts! Please help us get more dads to listen weekly and become the ultimate leader of their homes!
Hi, I'm Riley and I'm Ryder and this is my dad show. Hey everybody, it's Casey Jaycox with the quarterback dad cast. Welcome to season six, and I could not be more excited to have you join me for another year of fantastic episodes and conversations really unscripted and raw and authentic conversations with dads. If you're new to this podcast, really it's simple. It's a podcast where we interview dads, we learn about how they were raised, we learn about the life lessons that were important to them, we learn about the values that are important to them and really we learn about how we can work hard to become a better quarterback or leader of our home. So let's sit back, relax and listen to today's episode on the Quarterback Dadcast. Well, hey, everybody, welcome to season six. This is Casey Jaycox, the host of the Quarterback Dadcast, and that felt effing fantastic to say that we're in season six and my boy, ty Nunes thank you to you, brother, for getting us going Five and a half years ago went into season six here.
Speaker 2:And our next guest I met at Staffing World American Staffing Association's big event in Nashville, where I was lucky enough to speak to talented Lenore Convery Shout out to you, lenore, for listening and saw so many of my friends in the staffing industry. I met so many new friends in the staffing industry, specifically our next guest, who's the chief operating officer of a company called Equilium. His name is Brian Levine. Brian actually knows a few former guests, specifically the talented Mark Nussbaum, because they spent time together at Signature, which is now Dexian. I almost forgot that, but they were Dexian. But, with all that said, he's a staffing beast. He's got all this experience. But that's not why we're having him on. But we're having him on today because we're going to learn how Brian's working hard, or continues to work hard, to become the ultimate quarterback or leader of his household. So, without further ado, mr Levine, welcome to the Quarterback Dadcast.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you very much, Casey. It's a true treat to be here and spend the time with you. Big fan and love that we got time together this year in Tennessee and you convinced me that we got time together this year in Tennessee and you convinced me that we should jump in and do this together so both of our hair looks great, same barbershop and ready to roll.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the one thing that I still can't get out of my mind is when I first met you, you had chaps on. I thought that was kind of weird.
Speaker 1:It was a little strange, but hey, you never know, joking everybody.
Speaker 2:That did not happen. I don't know why. I just said that, but I'm feeling sarcastic and bizarre today and I thought I'd, out of the gate, just completely go random and try to make people laugh. But he does not wear chaps, at least today. He does not. He might on the weekends, but that's none of your business.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true.
Speaker 2:Okay, so we always start out with, as you know, since you're a listener of one daughter who will actually be turning nine this weekend and greatest journey of my life being her father, I am grateful for how caring and how altruistic she is.
Speaker 1:She's a Montessori child, montessori student, rather, and every day it's amazing to me how much she cares about her friends, about the people around her, including our family members, and how much she can connect to how she is feeling and how she wants people to feel, and it brings me joy every single day and a tremendous amount of gratitude.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. What a great way you did a fantastic job describing that. But that's like every parent's awesome. What a great way you did a fantastic job describing that. That's like every parent's dream. Sometimes we, as parents, you think about oh, I want them to be really smart, or I want to get good grades or make this sports team. How about? Just, I want my kid to be nice and empathetic and a great person on earth that makes the world around her better, and it sounds like she is doing that, which is a shout out to you and the folks around her that are raising her.
Speaker 2:What I'm grateful for is we are recording in December. Everybody. It's up, so we'll come out either in January or February of next year and I'm grateful for we have everybody in the house. Right now my son is home for a cup from college and it's so nice having him home and, like last night he had four buddies over and they're watching hockey and then they watched a movie and it just they're just sports nerds and um, they talk and trash each other and laughing and it just it's so fun having the noise in the house and I know then come January that's going to get going to get quiet again, um, but I'm grateful for that. Just the noise in the house and everybody home.
Speaker 1:I love that, so he's home for the whole month.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, it's cool. So it's uh, he's got, he's got a serious girlfriend. She's awesome. We love Charlie and it's actually kind of funny. It's my buddy's daughter I play golf with.
Speaker 1:Wow, how's that working out.
Speaker 2:Fantastic. Well, when, when it first happened, I was like dude, of all the girls, my buddy's daughter like you couldn't pick someone else but it's and uh and he, we knew each other kind of well but not. But now, like we're really close to the family and they are like in love and like. So me and my wife are high school sweethearts. My buddy Rob and his wife are high school sweethearts. And so what, ryder and Charlie? That all they know is what you do. You meet your girlfriend in high school and then you marry area.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:So we're joking, we're like, oh, we're not putting pressure on them, like we keep telling them like, but they're going to separate colleges and they're making it work. And they're like they love the heck out of HR. It's pretty, pretty cool.
Speaker 1:That is fantastic. I love that.
Speaker 2:So well cool, We'll bring us inside the Levine huddle. Tell us who's on the squad. Maybe it's just you and your daughter, Maybe there's other people, but let us know who's on the team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sure, so there's a number of team members. My daughter spends her time equally half of her time here with me, half of her time with her mother. Her mother and I know each other for a very, very long time. She is surrounded by my brother, her one and only unky, my mother, her Mimi, her other grandmother, Gigi. She has a little sister who's four now, which is fun to talk about with her on a regular basis, and she has her stepdad too. So she's got a good group of people around her and certainly having fun along the entire journey.
Speaker 2:Very cool. And what is your daughter's name? Ironically, it's Casey. Let's go, I love it. I E or E Y.
Speaker 1:C A S E Y. She actually carries my mother's maiden name. It's her first name.
Speaker 2:Oh, very cool, that's awesome. My, actually, my, my wife's sister. Her name's Casey, but she spells it C A, s I E. Okay, there you go. So cool, that's awesome, my, actually, my, my wife's sister. Her name is Casey, but she spells it C-A-S-I-E. Okay, there you go. So cool, I love this. Well, so tell me, what is what's Casey most interested in right now? What, what, like fires her up?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it'd be. It'd be more fun to try to figure out what she's not interested in. Let's see, she's currently in chorus, she's horse riding, she's gymnastics, she's bike riding. She is definitely a Swifty, to say the least. So we've got all that going on anything that she's not up for. And I think it's always fun when she asks me what is our next trip, what is our next adventure? Where are we going? So her and I definitely have a lot of fun traveling together when we do.
Speaker 1:What's your favorite place you've ever gone with her? Oh, that's a tough one. There's been so many fun adventures. I think that the most unique one we did was we did five days together in an old western town, each morning, each afternoon, two hours on horse trails, mountains up and down.
Speaker 1:Wow, middle of the day here in the river are they're doing whitewater or doing rafting of some sort? Then the evening you're back on again for two to three hours. That was certainly a neat trip. On the flip side of roughing it, I'd probably have to say the Disney Cruise did not disappoint. For anybody who hasn't done it. I was a little bit hesitant, especially just her and I going together, but it was an absolute blast. We had an absolute jam together and I love their entrance to the camp. It's quite funny, if anybody hasn't seen it. In the main lobby they just go down a tube slide, after they swipe their bracelet and they're off to do their own thing.
Speaker 1:So it's not everything in between that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we did a Disney cruise a long time ago and our kids were younger, I think, like nine and seven, and it was like it was like the. You almost like treat them like a library card. You checked them in and they just were on their own. The crew they get so much freedom and independence. Yeah, absolutely. It's great for moms and dads too.
Speaker 1:It was fantastic. We had a lot of time together during the day, but then come later in the afternoon and then again after dinner. She wanted to be in that program, she wanted to be with the other kids. She made friends. She had a great time.
Speaker 2:So cool. That's awesome, as you know. Since you follow the show, you probably know what's coming, but I always like to learn about my guests, about what was life like growing up for you, and talk about mom and dad a little bit and talk about the impact of parents having you now that you're a dad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Tremendous impact from both my dad and my mom. A little bit of color. I was born in Brooklyn. I was raised on the South Shore of Long Island. One thing that my brother and I we thought was totally normal was that we celebrated literally every holiday. You know, december this time of year there's a menorah and there's a Christmas tree. Springtime there's Passover and Easter.
Speaker 1:We didn't realize that it was, excuse me, a rarity to have parents that were in an interfaith marriage. So we had the opportunity to really see all the diversity one growing up in New York and then two having such different sides of the family while going to Hebrew school, both pursuing our bar mitzvahs and things of that nature. It was amazing. Both of my parents worked. My father and his business partner built a successful company. My mother actually worked school hours, which was nice when you look back. We had the benefit of mom was home when we came home from school up till about high school.
Speaker 1:So the two of them were very, very influential and set a great foundation of values for us and how life is supposed to be, how to treat one another, how to respect one another and also how to accept people, and I think the acceptance piece, you know, played a big part in my entire life because, as we found out, not everybody has an interfaith household, not everybody has the uniqueness that comes along with that, the fun that comes along with it. So if you want to accept other people you know you want people to accept you you have to be able to accept other people. You know you want people to accept you. You want to accept other people. So fantastic time.
Speaker 2:Now did you feel like you hit the jackpot with Hanukkah and Christmas? Just like that's like. That's like what? Eight, nine days of presents.
Speaker 1:I hit the jackpot for sure, to the point where my father had to pull me aside. He caught me on the phone once or twice telling the opposing grandparents depending on what came first that year what I got and what I really wanted. So he was quick to realize after a year or two that I was playing off both the grandparents and put an end to that.
Speaker 2:Are mom and dad still with us?
Speaker 1:Mom is still with us. It'll be about the time when you're airing this will be about 20 years since I lost my father, so yeah, Sorry about your loss.
Speaker 2:My, my pops. I lost him in 2021. Actually, yes, my, my uncle passed away two days ago. My dad's brother yeah, he was great dude. Shout out to you, Uncle Don, if you're listening, wherever you're listening, up in heaven. Now, what did dad do for a job?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so my father and his partner built a finance company and then also built a sister collections company. They had that running for many, many years and it was fun. It was great to be able to be in the office, watch what they were doing. I watched the company get bigger and more successful over the years, watched my parents do better over the years, and it was definitely something I look back at and obviously proud of them, but really impactful to my own childhood because, as they continued to push and try and work harder and do more things and things began to scale, you saw not only the fruits of success, but you also saw what they were doing with it in regards to helping other people and making other people come along for the journey and have more opportunity with them. So it's something that I hold very close to myself even today.
Speaker 2:Very cool. Did you ever get a chance to talk to your dad or mom about the challenges of bringing two faiths into a marriage?
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely. It was an open conversation. I mean it was completely accepted. I mean we had all kinds of different understandings of what it was during our childhood versus adult, when we became adults. But it's interesting. Fundamentally, you know, what I understood is that my parents, you know they were together for 30 plus years. They felt passionately in love with each other. They were engaged after their third date and you know I go back to that word, acceptance right, they understood what they had in common and what they loved about each other. They understood that their childhood and their upbringings were different, but they blended it together in such a natural way that it was seamless, and it was. It was, while there were moments where you're confused like any child, like wait, what's this versus that, that versus this? As you made sense of it, I think it just made us more well-rounded and made us more appreciative of everything that we had.
Speaker 2:Love it.
Speaker 2:I think that that shows so much like maturity when your parents at probably a young age, to be able to like not try to convince, or well, your way sucks and we're doing it this way. It's like well, no, everybody's different. And just because it's not what you do, it doesn't mean it's different. And just because it's not what you do doesn't mean it's bad and good. Did you, did you find that like going through that? I mean, can you think of a story, um, growing up, um, or even in life now, where you use that experience to reflect back on, almost like triggers, like a thought, where you can maybe tell a story where you had to, like you, you were accepted because of what you went through?
Speaker 1:well, I mean, I think, the fact that I had again nothing growing up in new york than just the diversity that you find um like. When I look back at my bar mitzvah picture you know the friends picture I've got every walk of life, every possible background, religion, race, etc. That's there, um, and it was great because, you know, a close friend of mine was jamaican growing up. You know, love to appreciate all that food. I had a very close friend of mine who's puerto rican italian. Like we were the group on our bicycles that anytime we heard somebody was cooking casey we were on our.
Speaker 1:We were on our way. We just need to hear that somebody's in the kitchen, um, so it was great. You know, and it also shows you who you surround yourself with. You know, sometimes people go after people for all the wrong reasons. We know that, right, you have your friends around you and they're there to help, and they're there to help make the situation better wow, love it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I think just like, as I mean, as a leader in a company and you're, I would have thought that I would help you in many ways, probably way more than you ever thought going through it. But as you reflect back and maybe as we're talking today, it's like, man, I was pretty lucky to be able to go through that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I mean even you know, just last week, you know, casey and I were, you know, getting the house ready for the holidays. So it's, I'm on the other side of the coin now, I guess. So it's, you know. I'm answering the questions now. Well, why do we have a menorah? Why do we also have a Christmas tree? Why is all this in our front yard? I mean, it's just a lot of fun to see it come through while she's also going to Hebrew school and and pursuing everything in that direction too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and just for everybody that's, I was not at Brian's house. That's Casey's daughter. She was helping get the house. I was not. He invited me but I busy. I couldn't make it over to get the decorations up. It was always next year. So do you still?
Speaker 1:celebrate both faiths. I hear that in the house. Yeah, celebrate both the holidays, enjoy both of the holidays. I was bar mitzvahed. I am Jewish, but I love all the traditions that come along with it. Right, I love having a Christmas tree that has menorahs on it and rabbis on it, as well as all the traditional Christmas things on it. It's just a blended world.
Speaker 2:That's so cool.
Speaker 1:Makes it a lot of fun and you know, obviously this time of year, you know you visit other people and host other people and it just leads to just a ton of fun and conversations. And what I love about this time of year is that you get into traditions right, like what was your tradition no-transcript.
Speaker 2:Love that man you mentioned, so acceptance, how we treat people, were some core values. Well, talk about you know, talk about those maybe not even another core value that your mom and dad were like. Just these were staples inside the Livian home. That, like this, is who we are, this is how we treat people and maybe how they held you accountable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think you know. Look, there was an absolute expectation of brutal honesty. You know there is no lying. There's no gaming there's no. You know there is no lying. There's no gaming, there's no.
Speaker 1:You know half truths and what half truths we all know are right. A half truth is a lie. We were allowed to ask anything, um, still can. Um, but not like the answer. As you find out that you can ask any question you want um and living in reality. You know, like, as I was saying, you know I watched my parents do better and better over the years, obviously as they found more and more success and, obviously, dad growing a successful business.
Speaker 1:But there are times where you don't have everything you want or you're asking for something and you have to understand why, and you have to be able to understand how it works or why you need to work harder. You know I remember being rewarded for making the honor roll and doing those kinds of things Right, but it was always honesty. And even when I lost my father very unexpectedly, you know it helped because you know honesty doesn't allow you to live in denial. You know it doesn't account for that. So where are we? Are we? What happened? What do we need to do from here to go forward? Um, I think because I was raised that way, I was able to get that combined with other things. I was able to get through that out of curiosity, I mean unfortunately.
Speaker 2:I'm psychotically curious how did your father pass?
Speaker 1:yeah, so, um, like I said, it'll be 20 years I think by the time you hear this february of next year. My parents were driving home from dinner, both living in Boca time in South Florida, enjoying life. It was a Friday night and, unfortunately, there was a terrible accident. My father passed instantaneously he was actually gone before the car stopped moving and my mother was in a trauma center and starting a very long, multi-year journey to physical and emotional recovery.
Speaker 2:Wow, man, I'm so sorry. How's your, how's your mom doing? She's fantastic. You would never know. That's great.
Speaker 1:You know I give her a ton of credit for doing the work on, like I said, physically and emotionally. But obviously, when you face something like that head on and you're the one who gets the call and you're the one who has to deal and navigate with it, you know, and you're in your mid-20s, you know it's going to be one of those bricks, if you will, in your life that is certainly changing. You know who you are, how you are, what you're going to do.
Speaker 2:How old was your father when he passed Early 50s?
Speaker 2:yeah wow, that's what. Sometimes it's like, yeah, I get goosebumps just hearing that story. It's like you know, there's I don't, I'm not, I don't go to church, but I'm very spiritual. I'm no, I'm. I mean, I look at a bible scripture every morning. Sometimes I have no idea what it means. Sometimes I'm like, oh, a lot of it's because I like the competitive streak of how long the bible tells me I'm doing it. Sorry, I'm being honest, everybody, but like it, just it. And then I do a gratitude journal every morning. Sure, it just gets me in the right mindset.
Speaker 2:Even when I write gratitude, I actually find myself subconsciously smiling. Yeah, it catches me. I was grateful today. I was like I'm really sorry, uncle Don, you passed away, but I'm grateful. In my mind I see him and my dad together. They're going to see my grandma, grandma, they're going to hang out now. Whatever's next for them. I know they're together, but, like when bad stuff happens, it's sometimes it's just like so hard to get away from that, but there's something positive, something positive will come from it. I definitely always try to believe that.
Speaker 1:I love the way that you put that. I can still close my eyes and he's right there. You know, I can stand. I do gratitude. Actually, in the end of my day I always focus and reflect on the day I just had and where and what am I grateful for? But, you know, I'm always eternally grateful for having the dad that I had, who taught me all the things that he taught me in the time that I had him and in many ways it sounds a little strange to say, but it's almost like he prepared and taught me for his passing in a number of ways and to the point where, you know, three days later and I was standing in front of everyone, you know, hundreds of people, and I'm delivering his final eulogy. So it was truly. You know, you look back at it and you just have nothing but gratitude for the time that you did have.
Speaker 2:I wish I had more, I wish I had a hundred thousand years, but I'm not ever going to be anything but grateful for the time that we did have together. It was amazing. Love it no, that's great man. It was amazing. Love it no, that's great man. What?
Speaker 1:was like maybe the best memory growing up that you've shared with Casey of your parents. The best memory growing up, that's a good one, casey.
Speaker 2:Of my parents, or of childhood, just childhood, that maybe you've shared with Casey along the journey of fatherhood.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think the greatest memory, some of the greatest memories, certainly were our family trips and the places that we went, the experiences that we had and, again, just how that journey went in the beginning. A lot of times, you know, they were road trips and then later on we were flying and we were going to bigger places or places that were farther away and having shared experiences and shared memories. Small and big doesn't matter, matter it was the time and the moments that were spent together that I always loved. And also I look back and it is something that I do, you know, regularly with with my casey.
Speaker 1:We are at the table five to six nights a week and how much does our phone get? She's asking my phone is down. We're cooking together, we're eating together, we're cleaning up together, we're getting our chores done, we're talking about our day, we're having meaningful conversation and I think the tradition and the consistency of doing that you know. Even when I look back at my childhood, it was the same way. It was five or six nights a week. We were at the table, brother and I, with both of our parents. Um, and I know you know now obviously you look back and you're like, wow, you know full work day, all the challenges that come with it, and then you know get to the table and do everything that you shouldn't want to do, um, so I love all of that. I love that I'm keeping that going, um, and it's some of the greatest conversations ever.
Speaker 1:You know that I remember at that dining room table in my parents' house or currently, either at my table or sometimes we sit at the kitchen aisle and I just cherish it.
Speaker 2:The best. Yeah, I mean that's that's such an important thing to talk about, Cause it's like for me, it's like with the biggest turnoff, when I go to restaurants and I see a family of four or family of three or family of two and they're on their phone heads down. It's the worst. I don't get it. It is the absolute and it's like one of the COVID. There was so many blessings of COVID. Obviously, I didn't like seeing people get sick, but the one thing I hated most about COVID is the digital menus 100%.
Speaker 2:Because it gets on our phone and maybe I'm sounding like an old Washington, but it's like bring back the award menus, put the phones down. You know, and we do it in our house too. It's like. Now it's tough because my son's away in college, my daughter's got basketball and she's going all over the place.
Speaker 1:But like when we are here, it's like we're going to put the phone down and just talk, and you got to make time for it. The phones at the restaurant, I'm with you. They drive me crazy because I'm left with the same question yeah, why'd you go out to eat?
Speaker 1:right exactly if that was the case, so I need to just you know, order in or door dash it, or whatever the case may be like. If we're going to go out to eat, even if it's you and I, or it's my daughter and I, whoever it is, it's about the time spent together, the moments that are being shared, and you can't do that with a phone in front of your face and I would, and if and if, as up as we're talking everybody, if there's someone listening, you're like, oh my god, that's, he's talking about us.
Speaker 2:It's okay, you can. You can get better tomorrow, you can get better tonight and just use the usable we're talking about as a way to change it. And um doesn't mean that there's not going to be times where you have to be on your phone. Maybe there's an important thing. We get it everybody. But like, yeah, but use the time to say, because in the end, no one's that important no, and I love making fun of myself and best thing Is anybody like I was lucky enough at a great run at K4 for 20 years. When I left they didn't go out of business, right. Great run at K4 is 20 years. When I left, they didn't go out of business, right, it's a miracle I can't. And they probably forgot he worked there. It's like, ooh, he worked here. Really.
Speaker 1:Probably the same with me. You know, my last run was 15 years before my current run. But you know, and I think again you know, not from the sad side of it but from the positive side of what I went through. You know, with my parents and losing my father, you can't. You know, and again I get it Important call comes up and you know something is urgent, truly urgent. You have to make that decision, but you can't get that time back, you know. So I'm mindful, like whenever it is that you know I'm no longer and I look back whatever moment I have to reflect on all of it. Do I want to be on the phone or do I want to be at the table? I'm quite positive, I want to be at the table.
Speaker 2:Spot on, spot on, man. Okay, let's go into life now. So co-parenting which you're not alone, Obviously, there's a lot of families that go through that. Talk about the you know lessons learned along the way, and what are. What are some things that have helped you maybe become a better dad through that journey? A?
Speaker 1:hundred percent. So, like anything or any relationship business, friendship, romantic, former romantic, now co-parenting whatever relationship you're in and you've chosen to be in and you're going to commit to it, it's going to take work and in the beginning it's foreign, right? Like, how do you do this? Right? And it certainly, I think everybody has a different adjustment window to it. Right?
Speaker 1:My biggest thing that I started to focus on and a number of very close friends of mine helped me to really, you know, crystallize my mindset of what I was trying to do is that I view everything that we're doing as co-parents through the eyes of my daughter, right? And what is it that makes the most amount of sense for her as a child, as an individual who's on her own journey, and her journey is already significantly different than my journey or her mother's journey. So, where can you find alignment? Well, you can find alignment, at least for us, you know, looking through that set of eyes, right, like what is it that is the next logical thing or makes the most sense? And it's definitely not. Well, I can do this here, but I can't do this there, or I can.
Speaker 1:You know, children in general are in multiple environments all the time. Right, they're in their school environment, they're in their home environment, they're in their sports environment or they're in whatever their recreation for my daughter, horses, gymnastics, mainly the two, right, they're in different environments. Each environment has its own expectations and it has its own way of how it works and how you find you know your path and success, ideally, and everything else. So that's one thing, and being able to be mindful of it right, and accepting of it, but then also, okay, where do we align? And you know, I'd say for the past, you know several years, we've been really good at it, but it comes with practice, right, and it comes with where are we lining up. And it's also a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:My daughter really doesn't have memories prior to us. You know, having her spend her time equally with both of us. So it's always fun when something's going really really good or something's a little bit off track and she finds out that we both know, like she still has to register the fact that we actually do talk regularly. And we actually do talk frequently and we don't keep things from one another, you know that's. And if something gets forgotten or left or slipped or whatever. Thankfully we have a healthy enough situation where we call each other and go, hey, did this really happen? What is it? How do I engage? You know what I mean. And we just do it that way. So it's not blaming and it's not, you know, accusatory or anything like that. It's really coming at it from the best place that we can, which is what's going on with her, what's going on with her world and what is she seeing and how can we help, as parents should, as she continues along her journey.
Speaker 2:Um, as you told that story, I can't help but reflect back on life, like growing up for you, as in you know, multi-faith family. Um, you know when, when, when you got married, uh, you know, you're. You weren't thinking, hey, we're going to get divorced, this can be awesome, and we're going to have to co-parent. Like sarcasm, no one, no one signs up for that, but it is what it is.
Speaker 2:It happens a lot in the world you know, and so how much do you reflect back on like accepting, like the acceptance, how you treat people your parents taught you and the environment you grew up in and use those skills kind of in this new world of yeah, I got to accept, this is what it is and I'm going to. I'm going to I might have to check my ego a days and and and learn, but I mean I don't want to keep leading my witness, but tell me, does that come to mind a lot?
Speaker 1:No, it does. But it also. You know I appreciate the way that you're framing it. You know my parents were fantastic parents. It wasn't about that, you know. It was about us Right, and I see not criticizing other parents. But I see some situations where it leaves me to pause a little bit and I'm like that's an interesting approach. Like you know, I recognize from the very beginning that, like my daughter is her own human being, she's on her own, burning right and again, not criticizing anyone. So as a parent, you know what is the best way to support her personality, her interests, her innate curiosity, etc.
Speaker 1:You know years ago I was on the phone with a friend of mine who's in san francisco and um, him and I were becoming first-time dads give or take a few months and we got into conversations about well, what do you really think it is right? And we came up with this answer because, you know, we didn't know what we really I don't think you really know until you're in it, and it's like, why aren't we to like make sure that, like, our children can maximize their potential? And we both kind of got stuck there. We're like, wow, we're like, yeah, like if that's the role, then okay, how do I make sure that they have the opportunity, they have the stability, they have the environment to maximize their interest, maximize their curiosity, maximize what it is that's driving them and what they want to be? And obviously, you know, still early in the journey, but that's the mindfulness that I try to take.
Speaker 1:And you know, look, we've had conversations, casey and I, with you know she has found friends that also spend time in two homes and she has friends who can't understand it, right, but again, I go back to you and what I was, what I went through and things are. You know, obviously we see all kinds of different situations now in regards to faiths and different blendings, all of which I think is beautiful. But again, if you're wanting to be accepted, then you have to accept everybody else around you. So you need to be able to accept the fact that some of your friends aren't at a point where they can understand it, but they can visit you at both of your homes. You can have a play date at both of their homes.
Speaker 1:You can show them and they can then learn from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, that's so much. I mean again, I think there's so much positivity that's going to be coming out of this for you, for your ex-wife, your family, casey, because it is. It's about just, I think she's learning curiosity, she's learning empathy, she's learning maybe, some grit, some resilience through it, and what would you say is the hardest part? That the hardest part along.
Speaker 1:What has been the hardest part so far in this journey as a dad, I mean, I think for me the hardest part is, I think probably like every parent and you've been so vocal about you know, I think for me the hardest part is, I think probably like every parent and you've been so vocal about you know going through the transition. You know where Ryder is off for freshman year. You know I was very early on to realize all that warmth and love and joy that you get to tangibly feel and be a part of when, when she's here, and then obviously getting adjusted to respecting the time that she's with her, her mom. And yeah, I mean we talk on the phone and things of that nature, but giving enough space, right, she doesn't have to call me every day. I don't have that expectation. But if she wants to call me I can promise you you and I could be sitting inside of the nicest restaurant with our phones down.
Speaker 1:I will know that it's her calling and I will excuse myself.
Speaker 3:So yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean that's certainly the challenge, like any kid. I mean we've had, you know, those tough moments, the accidents, or you know the emergency room, you know all that stuff, but we're both there, it doesn't matter. You know, it doesn't matter that it's, you know she was here or she was there. To us it's a new point. So for those moments she knows that everybody's right there for her, so cool.
Speaker 3:Hi, I'm Betsy Robinson, CEO of Tier 4 Group, a women-owned and diversity-certified technology recruiting and executive search firm that connects exceptional talent with extraordinary companies in 43 states across the US. At Tier 4 Group, relationships are at the heart of everything we do, whether it's with our clients, our candidates, our vendor partners or with each other. Our mission is to go beyond transactions and create long-lasting partnerships. We don't just help companies find talent. We help them find the right talent, and that starts with truly understanding our clients and candidates. It's not just about filling roles. It's about fostering success for the long term. It's not just about filling roles. It's about fostering success for the long term. This is the recipe for success that's landed us on the Inc 5000 six consecutive years and has us outpacing our competition across the country, and I'm thrilled to support Casey Jay Cox's podcast.
Speaker 3:Casey's philosophy aligns perfectly with ours, prioritizing relationships over transactions. His insights on building trust, empathy and connection resonate deeply with the way we do business at Tier 4 Group. We were honored to have Casey as our keynote at our 2024 kickoff, and all of our new hires read his book Win the Relationship, Not the Deal, when they start here with us. So if you're looking for a partner who values relationships as much as results. Visit us at tier4groupcom or connect with me, Betsy Robinson, directly on LinkedIn and, while you're at it, keep tuning into Casey's podcast. You'll walk away inspired to strengthen your own relationships, both personally and professionally. And, as Casey always says, stay curious.
Speaker 2:For a dad or family at home that's maybe just newly going through this challenge or opportunity. However you want to view it, what would be some tangible advice that's worked really, really well for you and your family, that you would say, hey, I'm not trying to say I'm the smartest dad in the world, but doing these two or three things really work well for us.
Speaker 1:It's possible that you might get me in trouble for this one, but I'll say so, look, if you find yourself in the opportunity that you're going to co-parent, right, something has happened, right. I mean, whatever it may be like, we actually were not married. We were together for a really long time. We were friends for many, many years before we ever had Casey, and then we obviously something happened. We made a choice that this was for us. But the biggest thing that I came to, the biggest thing that I think, was like the beginning of like let's get a new focus here.
Speaker 1:No-transcript, you need to be talking about the relationship you chose to be in. So if you had issues or challenges or differences and obviously you know, you do what you can to work them through. And you know, like you said earlier, maybe sometimes it doesn't work out the way you want it to. But if you've now gone ahead and you're saying, okay, we're going to co-parent, we're going to do this. Equally, we're going to do this with a schedule, my advice stop talking about the former relationship, because there's a reason why you're in the new one. So what's the point of still criticizing the person or hearing whatever it is that they, you know, wanted to say back then that you're out of that relationship. Be mindful of the fact that you've made that choice, and it's a choice that you've made for, obviously, reasons that you thought were positives. So invest in the new relationship and let that old relationship lay where it lays.
Speaker 2:Love it. I mean, you can't change paths and dwell on it. It's kind of like blaming you know yelling at a referee during a high school basketball game. They're never going to come up and apologize to us parents. It's like you know what that was a bad call. We're going to put 18 seconds back on the clock and replay it over for you. You know, divorce happens in it or relationships ends. Okay, not ideal, but it is what it is.
Speaker 1:It is what it is. You know, I had a friend of mine two years ago I had this actual conversation with so he calls me one night and he goes. Well, I reminded her that you know, know, we're not together anymore and I was like, oh boy, I'm like how did that go?
Speaker 1:and so he says to me he goes. She actually thanked me because she didn't know why she was still complaining about it, because all I said is well, hang on, we already agreed that we're not together anymore, so what are you bringing it up for?
Speaker 1:And so I thought it was a little bit, maybe more aggressive than I perhaps would be, but it worked and sometimes I think same thing in business right, or same thing in friendship or family, like barriers and boundaries are a healthy thing, and I think people sometimes forget that. Right Data is a good thing, metrics are a good thing. It's not micromanagement, it's the path to success. So, having barriers and boundaries in a healthy and positive way, as long as everybody's aware of them, you know, then I think you are setting yourself and the people that you're responsible for, the people you love the most in my case, my daughter you're setting them up for success, success. But if you don't know where those are, well, I don't know. I just don't know how that path works right.
Speaker 2:I think, um, I've seen friends go through it and it's been, it's gone really, really well and I've seen gone. It has not gone so well and, um, you know the traditional ones, you see where there's, you know both sides are going to be like don't cross, cross this line. Don't cross this line. The ego gets strong. They want to be right, they want to convince the son or daughter that I'm the perfect parent, which no one wins in that situation. And I think a story like yours is so inspiring for hopefully I mean anybody but like if your family's gone through separation or divorce. Separation or divorce is like reminding. I love how you said it's like everything we do is for Casey's life and for Lens, and we're going to do things in from her viewpoint and try to like help her do what she wants to do, and I love that you guys both have that mindset. It's probably it's not perfect at all times, but you're thinking about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know and thinking about it, yeah, you know, and it bumps in the road, but you know, having the framework, I think, allows you to to get past the bump in the road quick and get back to where you agreed to be, you know. So that's, uh, that's kind of what you know. Like you said, no one expects to be there, but if you're going to be there, then make it the best that it can possibly be, because, you know, I'm not trying to say that this house is better, or you know me being a dad versus that or this. Like, I have zero interest in it. It's that's not what it's about. It's about what are Casey and I doing? How is she doing overall on her journey? You know, are there things that you know I can help with in her other environments, whether it's school recreation, her other home and vice versa? You know I can help with in her other environments, whether it's school recreation, her other home and vice versa. You know we talk about those things openly, and why not?
Speaker 2:I don't know if you listened to the episode. I did would have been earlier this year with the former pro baseball player, kenny Lofton. I did not get that one, so Kenny is in very. What I love about your story is like you guys have 50 sounds like 50, 50 custody, custody a lot of parents who get divorced.
Speaker 2:Unfortunately, that court system set up I learned a lot about this from kenny it's usually it goes all to the mom and the dad doesn't always get the the best, uh best, end of the deal and there's all kinds of different models yep, and so he uh, he really opened my eyes because I didn't I didn't know much about that, but just hearing him tell the story and he was saying, you know, because he's he was obviously a pro athlete and did very, very well for himself, he could afford some of the legal opportunities and challenges that put in place. But I love the fact that you guys shout out to your ex-wife for saying, hey, let's, there's a spot for mom and dad to both be a part here, and that everybody can kind of win in case you get the best of both.
Speaker 1:We're able to make it work. And you know, like anything, there's no journey. There's no journey that doesn't have bumps or curves or twists or turns. Like I don't want to, you know, make it sound like it's not, but again, make the best of the journey you have, make the best of the time that you have.
Speaker 1:And it's funny, it's like we talked about acceptance earlier, right? You know, somebody says, oh my gosh, you gave four final eulogies before you were 30. You know how are you in a leadership role and being able to be a hands-on dad 50% of the time and then still traveling and everything else? And here's my answer you know, and I say it with a great deal of humility and with gratitude, those are my normals, that's my normal. It doesn't mean that that's your normal, or should be or shouldn't be, or it's good or it's bad, but, like, if there's something that I can learn about your normal that makes me better, or something that you can learn about my normal that makes you better, then that, to me, is what it's all about. It's about sharing and being able to embrace people and be able to accept people, and I think that's how we make one another better.
Speaker 2:Well said, brother. What would be? I always like to ask this question. Sometimes it can be hard or it's going to be easy.
Speaker 2:For me, I think it's easy because I'm not afraid to say what I suck at, and patience is something I suck at, it's something all time. I've gotten a lot better thanks to 270 something dads who I talk about this often with them. So, because my dad rest in peace, but he would, he could drop the best goddammit's at me, goddammit Casey, I mean and I'd start laughing and people heard me say this before but I'd find that, like, when I'm just like present, really really present, my care, my patience goes up, yeah. When I'm not present, my patience goes down, yeah, and so like. But I, the fact that I think about it often helps me stay patient, more patient. So that's something that, as a dad, I'm always working on trying to be better at each and every day. For you, brian, what's an area of your dad game that might speak to dads at home that maybe you know it's not quite where you want it to be, but you're working hard to improve on it yeah, I think I can echo the patience piece.
Speaker 1:I think the the part that I probably should give more grace to is the dilly-dallying, as I call it right, like it's time to get your shoes on, your jacket on and in the car. We're on our way, but somehow it's 20 minutes later and we're not quite sure what happened to the other 18 minutes. So I'm trying to give more grace to that, understanding where she is and her development, why it's so easy and she has her dog here and why it's easy to get distracted by virtually anything. But I think, also because you know my schedule requires, you know, a bit of being regimented, that I have to consciously remind myself it's Saturday, man, like we'll get to lunch when we get to lunch, you know, and I had, you know, one of my closest friends. You know I'm fortunate to have a big brother and, in my opinion, I have another big brother and they're both aware of this.
Speaker 1:You know, one did not grow up with me, but he gave me one of the pieces of advice that changed my life and I had to work on it. But he encouraged me, as I moved from meeting the meeting or from setting to setting, to ask myself consciously, what role am I playing? And I do it now regularly like automatically. I go from a meeting to a meeting and I work generally from home. I consciously, because some meetings you're the leader, some meetings you're just input. Some meetings, you know, you're just learning, right. But I've applied it beyond work, right. So it's Saturday and I'm like let's go, let's get it done. And then I'm like wait a second, I'm in my dad role. It's Saturday, what are we rushing for? Just let it happen?
Speaker 2:there's not, unless the house on fire. Why, right? Be flexible, that's. That's a great, a great point. Like being flexible, go with the flow a little bit, you know, but like your, your regimen, your structure has helped you be successful in life and business. But sometimes that we got to like, put that at bay. I, I'm the same way, I'm the same way, and so what well said, talk about how to. How, on the Sam's Hill, did you get into staffing?
Speaker 1:So that's a funny story, right? So early in my career, I was actually traveling almost all the time. I was in a sales role. I was on the road 40 weeks out of the year Crazy life. I was getting paid to see the Us when I'm in my early 20s, um, and I'm having a great time, you know, traveling with a good group of guys to see a couple different people every week. Um, obviously, I shared earlier what happened with my, with my folks, and I realized it was started to realize after a couple years that that really wasn't a long-term lifestyle. Right, there's fun in that. And then you start seeing people who decided to do it for 20, 25 years, and I respect them, but it just wasn't something that I necessarily wanted to pursue. With everything that happened to my folks and the journey that was ahead for my mom, I realized that I really wanted to be back and I wanted to be doing something that had value and had purpose. And so it's ironic, this is before the 2008,. You know, financial disaster.
Speaker 1:But the final two industries, casey, I was looking at was the mortgage industry which I was like oh, that's a good one because you know I can help people, you know, get their first home or get a loan or move to a bigger home or the other. One was staffing and I was drawn to it from the fact and I think a lot of it was how my parents raised us and my father and everything. You know, what is better than helping a company solve a problem and help a person find an opportunity? Like it just spoke to me.
Speaker 1:Um, so I got started. I cut my teeth, uh, early on at robert half, had a ton of fun there and you know how that structure is built and you know had a lot of fun going through it. And then I had an opportunity to join Signature. I was there for 15 years all the way through the transaction and then some to what is now Dexian and then two and a half years ago I had an opportunity to join Equilium and having a blast still. And while my role has changed as my career has gone on and sat in different seats, I still am drawn to the fact that we are taking a person giving an opportunity helping a company or client of ours solve a problem or hopefully multiple problems, and I still love it.
Speaker 2:I still get a kick out of it, and you've been doing it for 20 years, right, 20 plus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, as you say, I'm sitting here going oh boy, it is about that time. It's about 20 years now.
Speaker 2:So cool, Okay, Well, before we make sure people know how to learn, actually before I go to that so if people have not heard about Ecolium and they want to learn more, they've never heard of the company ever talk to us, like you're talking to your grandma, who's nits and doesn't know anything about staffing and doesn't know anything about Ecolium Tell us about what you guys are doing, the problems you're solving and how can people learn more 100%.
Speaker 1:So we are a 25-year-plus company that maintains a startup mindset. We're focused on a number of different verticals, from both the contingent consulting, direct placement, eor, aor, workforce solutions, but focused primarily within the healthcare space, engineering space. We have a low voltage specialty niche. We have a finance and accounting focus as well and all the pieces that go along with that, and then our technology play as well. But, like I said, those are the main verticals with all those different solutions. So a lot of our clients will come to us for a holistic approach where, hey, I need, you know, payroll help, I need contract help, you can solve any direct and we are a shop that's able to deliver all of that.
Speaker 1:It's unique from the fact that we're multi generational in our ownership group, so we're actually in our third generation. Second and third generation are still actively involved, but that transition has already started. They we do a great job of making sure which is, I think, why we were able to get along so well that our values matter a great deal to us, how we treat one another, how we want to behave and perform internally for one another, casey, and then carrying that out to our clients. And carrying that out to our clients and carrying that out to our candidates and our contractors. That matters and that's what binds us together right, and if we're operating with those shared values, we're optimistic we'll keep finding success and hopefully keep finding growth and providing more opportunity to the folks that are on our team.
Speaker 2:Love it. Well, I was fortunate to meet your fellow executives in Nashvilleashville and I didn't realize that it was a multi-generational thing. When I met the brothers and I met father was like yeah, and it was like everybody at home, like sometimes family's like, oh, it's family business and it must be drama. No, there's not. And it was like the most genuine yeah, uh, authentic, uh. I I felt lovely, I was like such a cool story and I think he's the, you're the founder's got a book coming out too.
Speaker 1:Monty does have a book coming out. I'll probably drop a comment or two to help support that. Excuse me, that's his first one, but it's you know you go back to, you know everything that we're talking about here and everything that you do, and I'm thankful that you do such a great job with the podcast. Jerry and Monty got it going. Now it's Monty with his two sons, brad and Jordan, and his daughter Shannon, who is an amazing component of the company as well. But again, I think it's the family, I think it's the values. I think it's the family, I think it's the values. I think it's people buying in. I'll go with you that there's no drama, because there isn't, but there's always fun times in any business and I think we enjoy.
Speaker 2:I think we enjoy those moments too yeah, nothing's perfect but at least what I saw. It looks like a pretty, pretty cool spot and I'm I'm happy for you that you found an opportunity and maximizing your gifts and talents. We'll make sure everybody's. We'll tag Aquilium in the show notes, everybody, so you can learn more about him. We'll make sure Brian's tagged in the show notes All right Before we get into the lightning round. If you were to describe kind of what we talked about today, that dads or moms or whoever's listening can take like actionable advice from our conversation to kind of apply to their own life, to be that ultimate quarterback or leader of their home, tell me what comes to mind.
Speaker 1:I would say, you know it sounds generic but it's. It's, I think, the mindfulness and knowing the role that you're in and knowing the setting that you're in, with those barriers and boundaries. You know one thing that you know I've found and you know, I know you know you've had a lot of success before all this and staffing and everything else, and we're all wired like we were talking about earlier. It's Saturday, right, let it go? Is that we're go, go, go, go go. And what I found sometimes is that you know you don't necessarily have to do a full stop, but you can yield, you can give grace and if you can do those things for the folks around you and even for yourself a little bit, really good things happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love the word grace.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I love the word grace.
Speaker 1:A little bit, you know, even for yourself. Like I said, you know none of us are. You know, we all tried in our twenties and thirties, I'm sure, but look, none of us are going to be perfect, you know. So why not just embrace it?
Speaker 2:Well, like having grace in the staffing industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Think about a sales has a grace for recruiting, recruiting has grace for sales and watch some of the drama go. It's like no one's outside. I joke when I bring in like consult companies. I'm like how often does sales say, man, I can't wait to recruiting, really screws up and shits the bed on my jobs and it makes my clients mad and forgets to all these things. I really hope they do that like no one's doing that stuff. And for ourself, like I, I had to say like I'm I knew some volunteer work and we have one of our boards. We had this little drama thing hit and I was like people kind of got freaked out. Like we're volunteers, we're doing our best, give yourself grace, it's like. And when you kind of it's like, you may be like I feel like I'm in the, like I'm on the couch now, you're like the therapist, like you just give yourself it's like I don't know just kind of freeing mindset when you do that. So I'd love that you called that out yeah, and and it's.
Speaker 1:You know, look, you can't, you can't control all that. I was talking, you know we all have things that happen right. It's life right, Whether it was a flat tire or whatever. I was talking to a friend of mine and I was also talking to my brother about the same thing and obviously you know my brother knows me forever. So inside of so we've all had these things. Inside of 48 hours the heat went out, the car broke down and the dog wound up at the vet ER.
Speaker 2:Pretty low drama.
Speaker 1:I was, you know. Obviously it is what it is, but I was smiling my way through it. Versus, if I go back 20 years ago, forget about it. There, you know there would have been smoke coming out of my ears and everything else coming out of my mouth. And then you know for what it's going to happen. No, it's going to happen. No, you got to deal with it and it's going to go by. And then you're going to get right back on to what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Such a good reminder, such a good reminder for all of us, everybody. Well said, dude, this has been a blast getting to know you. It's now time to go on to the lightning round. Just like I said, I don't have a lot of these questions prepared. We started with a blank piece of paper. Everybody have full page notes, and so I will remind you. The lightning round is a time for you to answer these questions quickly.
Speaker 1:My job is to ask you them quickly and try to get a giggle out of you, was it?
Speaker 2:count that I already laughed. No, we're not going to count the one or mine laughing at my own joke. Are you ready?
Speaker 1:As ready as I could possibly be.
Speaker 2:Okay, true or false, your daughter got into horseback riding because you once were a jockey.
Speaker 1:False.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm laughing at my own joke. Okay, true or false? Mark Nussbaum once was a jockey. False, okay, if you were to go on vacation Right now, you and Casey, where are you going? Aruba, jamaica who I want to take you? Bermuda, bahama? Come on, pretty mama, name the song.
Speaker 1:There you go, beach Boys.
Speaker 2:That a boy. Good job. I almost started singing, but I didn, but I didn't. Just I didn't want to like make this thing really go viral. And then next thing I know on the voice, and then they get just awkward for all of us.
Speaker 1:It could be, I'd still be cheering for you. I know a lot of other people who'd be cheering for you too.
Speaker 2:This is such a sarcastic day, everybody. I apologize for the shenanigans. Okay, Um, if I came to your house for dinner tonight? Casey is spending time with you. What are we going to have for dinner?
Speaker 1:Well, if she's in the kitchen helping, we're probably going to see some good steaks coming out, probably some fillets. We're definitely going to see some mixed vegetables, maybe some spinach, we're going to see some potatoes and then, if she's working the stove, you're definitely going to see some mac and cheese.
Speaker 2:It's definitely that I love mac and cheese. I like a good baked mac and cheese. I do too Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So good. She's at the stage where maybe it's not baked yet. It's just the fact that it's just super tasty.
Speaker 2:There we go. Hey, however, tell me the last book you read.
Speaker 1:The last book I read was Richard branson's second autobiography okay.
Speaker 2:Um, if there was to be a book written about your life, tell me the title yield don't stop okay now, yield, don't stop.
Speaker 2:You might have guessed, but I'm going to remind you that no one can get a copy of this thing because it's sold out. Sold out everywhere amazon, sold out book, barnes and noble. No one can find it. Every airport, I've even gone to Syracuse, new York's airport, it's not there. No one can find it. So now Netflix has decided to make a movie about this bad boy, yield. Don't stop and tell me who's going to star, the one and only Brian Levine in this critically acclaimed, hit new movie.
Speaker 1:A dream come true for me would be bring back Don Rickles.
Speaker 2:Donny, bring back Don Rickles. Donnie Rinkles, let's go. Solid choice. I think that's D-Dub's first appearance on the quarterback dad cast. I wish I could give you a t-shirt or a free bowl of soup.
Speaker 1:Mr Warks, if anybody has forgotten One of a kind, there we go. Remember who his booster was.
Speaker 2:No.
Speaker 1:His booster was Sinatra.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:I love.
Speaker 2:Sinatra, he got a starter. I did not know that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I did not know that. Okay, and then last question Tell me two words that would describe Casey.
Speaker 1:Sweet.
Speaker 2:Honest. There we go, lighting round's over. I was a train wreck and laughed at my own jokes and took us off all of the board. You did give me a courtesy laugh. I think was a train wreck and laughed at my own jokes and took us off all of the board. Uh, you did give me a courtesy laugh. I think times will. I'll still give you the nod.
Speaker 2:Uh, brian, this has been a blast, uh, getting to know you. I'm grateful how we met because you were so kind and and um, uh, just super nice about just like and complimentary, like, like it was, like blew me away. I was so humbled by it, like yep, like what you said about like the podcast and just was like I got to get this guy on just for me and I loved learning about you. Um, I'm inspired by how you live your life. I'm inspired by, um, just everything I've learned about you today.
Speaker 2:I think it's a really a fantastic story and I think that there's many dads at home that will that can hopefully take a lot from your journey in life, because I mean, I know I did, I have a page full of notes and hopefully there's a family out there or dad out there that's going through some co-parenting, they can say man, you know what? There is a better outcome for me. If people want to connect with you, they want to learn more about you. They want to learn more about well, obviously, tag and call you, but what's the best way people can connect with you?
Speaker 1:I think and I appreciate everything you said, Casey. I know you and I have been in each other's orbits for a long time and then, obviously, having the chance to meet Tennessee a few months ago and then grabbing lunch and thanks for talking me into spending time Because I've enjoyed it, it's been a blast. I love everything you're doing with the podcast. I love the diversity of the folks that you spend the time with and the guests and I mean everyone can learn from each other. We're just willing to share. So you being the catalyst for that is something that I know. I don't speak alone in being grateful for Anybody who's looking to connect or reach out. Linkedin is probably the best and easiest vehicle, and I welcome anyone who wants to connect and chat.
Speaker 2:Love it. We'll make sure this is he's connecting. I mean he's LinkedIn in the show notes. Everybody but brian have a fantastic holiday season, multiple holidays and hit the jet. Hopefully, case is going to hit the jackpot for those nine days and if you pick up another holiday, let her hit the jackpot even more absolutely.
Speaker 1:We'll see what happens when the amex bill shows up in january awesome, I'll talk to you soon, buddy take care.