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
From Struggle to Strength: One Dad's Journey - Casey Wagonfield
The moment Casey Wagonfield's now-wife and her six-month-old son entered his life, everything changed. After years of job-hopping and questionable decisions, he suddenly faced a profound realization: "Now I've got responsibilities and a little human to take care of." This awakening marks the beginning of a remarkable fatherhood journey shared in this heartfelt conversation.
With raw honesty, Casey opens up about adopting his oldest son at age eight, revealing the beautiful truth that fatherhood transcends biology. "I'm his, he's mine," Casey affirms, describing how he's the only father his son has ever known. This chosen relationship forms the foundation of a blended family that now includes three children. Listeners will connect with Casey's candid admission about the differences in parenting boys versus his daughter: "You can't talk to her like you talk to the boys" – a learning curve many fathers experience.
The conversation explores how Casey's own upbringing shaped his parenting philosophy. Raised by parents who emphasized honesty and accountability, these values became cornerstones in his own household alongside faith, which grew central to their family through his wife's influence. A particularly touching moment comes when Casey shares his pride in his son's spiritual journey and requests to be rebaptized – a decision made entirely on his own.
Working parents will find Casey's struggle with work-life balance deeply relatable. After spending six months working in North Carolina while only coming home on weekends early in his career, he recognized the need for change as his children grew. This balancing act between professional ambition and family presence represents one of modern fatherhood's greatest challenges, as does teaching children to remain humble despite material comfort.
Casey leaves us with three powerful pieces of advice: spend more time with your kids, talk to them (and encourage them to talk to you), and keep them humble. These principles form the foundation of intentional fatherhood, creating a lasting impact. Whether you're a new dad finding your way or an experienced father looking to strengthen your connection with your children, this conversation offers both inspiration and practical wisdom for the journey.
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.
Speaker 2: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 the Quarterback Dadcast, casey Jaycox, your host.
Speaker 2:Here we are in season six. We are rolling along. We have interviewed, like you know, probably over 300, now it's like 315 dads or so, which just still blows my mind. I'm on the quest to get to a thousand. So if you're a dad out there with a story, reach out to me. I want to hear it, I want to share it, I want to celebrate it.
Speaker 2:But today's guest I actually met a few years ago when he was at the wide world of Bellflex and my good, dear friend, leslie Vickery, introduced us, but it wasn't the right time. And then my good man, roy Fazio at the AS group, had me out to speak and I'm on the golf course and I ended up meeting this, this gentleman, his name's. He's got a great name. His name's Casey Wagonfield love his first name better than his last name and uh, but we, we, we got a chance to connect and learn, learn more about what he's up to. And uh, play some golf, have some fun. Um, he is now now at, uh, simple vms.
Speaker 2:He is also the host of the staffing made simple podcast, which is something you want to check out. He's a red hawk, uh, but more importantly, he's a dad, and casey's we're going to learn today how how casey's working hard to become that ultimate leader or quarterback of his household. So, without further ado, mr wagonfield, welcome to the quarterback. Dad cast, my fellow casey man, thanks for having me. You bet I always love when I get to talk to another Casey, just because it's truly an elite name, as we all know it is.
Speaker 2:All right, joking aside, we always start out each episode gratitude. So tell me, what are you most grateful for as a dad today?
Speaker 1:I would say you know my kids still want to hang out with me. Um, and you know my daughter, you know she's at that age where she's nine years old and she's still got me wrapped around her finger. My sons are 17 and 16 and still want to hang out and ask, ask to go do things with me. So I feel grateful and a lot of gratitude towards the fact that you know I haven't experienced that where they don't want to talk to me yet, right, or you know that phase yet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's, I went through with my daughter and I and I, how I got her back was just sarcasm and but yeah it's, it's kind of a lonely world when that happens, man, to be honest with you, cause it's like you're, you're the, you know the hero, and all of a sudden you're like dad, you're such a douche. I'm like wait a minute. No, I'm not.
Speaker 1:And I know there's probably going to come a day where that does happen.
Speaker 2:So I'm just loving it right now until it does. No, I love it. Well, what I'm grateful for is I got, I got both. He'll be off to a sophomore year and my daughter's preparing for her senior year in high school. Um, again, I'm grateful for just spending time with them and really seeing, like, for example, today I took my, my dog, for a walk in between meetings and I came back and our workout room light was on.
Speaker 2:My daughter's got her headphones on and she's working out by herself. I didn't ask her, didn't say, hey, you should work out. Mean, I love that. She's has the habit of exercise. You know whether it's trying to be the best basketball player she can be now, but more importantly, just life skills, and so I love that, grateful for that. Both kids have embraced exercise and health and, um, you know, whatever you do in life and you can always exercise your mind. So I'm very grateful, grateful for that. Yeah, and you don't have to force them to do it. No, exactly, all right. Well, bring me inside the wagon field huddle. You're the quarterback. I'm guessing your wife's the GM, but he's the president. Talk about how you and your wife met and then tell me a little bit about each each member of the team.
Speaker 1:Sure. So funny story. My wife and I actually had worked at a company called Bahama Breeze. It's a restaurant oh yeah, I've been there Northern restaurant right In Cincinnati and she had worked there and she left and I became a server there two weeks later. So we almost had crossed paths five years before I ever met her. So we had met actually at a company.
Speaker 1:It was like a door-to-door business-to-business sales company and was like a door to door business to business sales company and they did like she was actually on the makeup side, she would sell makeup door to door business to business and I would sell certifications they would partner with like the Cincinnati Reds and spas and golf courses. And we met there. And she's going to hate that I'm saying this, but so I remember the first time we would get to work at 6 am, right, and they'd have the music planned and you know, get everybody pumped up for the day. And this girl would just have be so bubbly like and it almost annoyed me, like why is she so happy at 6 am in the morning? And you know, we we started talking a little bit. She had a son who was my oldest son.
Speaker 1:Jonathan, who was six months at the time, does not know has never met his biological father. And I would say, know, I made a lot of bad decisions leading up to that point. I had a lot of jobs. I would job hop Right, and I think when she came into my life and Johnny came into my life, that's when it was like, oh shit, now I've got responsibilities and I've got little human to take care of. And so that's how I met my wife, my oldest son, johnny. I actually adopted him when he was eight years old. So you know, we wanted to do it sooner but you know, times were tight and we just couldn't make it happen at the time. So when he was eight, I adopted him legally and you know I'm the only dad he's ever known anyways, and if I have anything to do with the only one he will ever know. But you know, and I've even told him like, if he ever wanted to speak with his, you know, find him, I would help him, and you know, but he knows who his dad is.
Speaker 1:So that's how I met my wife and my oldest son, johnny, and my middle son, cameron. He is the mini me. Sometimes it drives me crazy because I can see myself in him, like I know where he got that from. But he's, he's the mini me. But I don't know why this kid has like a 12 pack and he eats skyline chili and like man. I wish I could have looked like that when I was your age, buddy.
Speaker 1:Wow and then my daughter. She's nine, her name's Adeline and you know I think I was blessed to have two boys first and then a daughter. It's so much different, right? My wife's like you know early on, you know you talk to your daughter and they just cry. She's like you can't talk to her like you talk to the boys. I'm like, okay, that was a learning curve. So now you know, the way I conversate with her sometimes is different than with the boys. But I had to adapt to that, I guess. But she's got me wrapped around her finger.
Speaker 2:Love it and what keeps the kids busy? What activities do they like to do?
Speaker 1:So Adeline's doing dance three, four nights a week. She does competitive dance on dance three, four nights a week. She does competitive dance. My middle son, he is in track and field so he does. He's in a summer camp right now like track outside of the school season. And my oldest son you know I'm a little bit bummed because he was playing football all the way up until 11th grade and his senior year. He's going into a senior year and decided he didn't want to play this year, so.
Speaker 1:But he's got other things on the agenda though, so I told him you're not just going to sit around and play Madden, you're going to find something else to do, but there's always something every single night of the week. It seems like Picking up, dropping off. Luckily, I've got one driver and one with a temp license, so it's eased up a little bit.
Speaker 2:I got a little bit of help there, so yeah, that's weird when I mean, I've been through that when both kids have their license and you don't, you kind of feel like, well, shoot, I'm running out of duties here and you don't need, they're not relying on you as much. But it's also cool to see see him kind of grow up and that's our job. Our job is to. We don't want them relying on us, we want them. We want them to go out and be able to go and and productive.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to set them up for success you know where they don't, they're not going to have to need. I don't say need me, but you know, rely on me, I guess.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's funny when you say I, um, I was one of those. I've mentioned this before on the podcast. I don't know if I shared with you, but I was one of those parents. Me and my wife were one of those parents. We didn't realize we were doing too much for our kids before it was like it was happening. And in COVID, when we got everything shut down, we we kind of realized like wait a minute, no, you can do this.
Speaker 2:And I read this book by a guy named Swen Nader who I was able to interview. Really good dude, he actually played for John Wooden, great story. People want to look that episode up. But he, uh, he wrote a book called you have not taught until they have learned. And it really made me think about like I was like damn. And so then back then my kids would be like hey, dad, can you make me lunch? No, make it yourself. Right, I went like cold Turkey the other way. And now, listen, now we got, I got short order cooks. I got they got the air fryer out waffle machine making me egg sandwiches. They're doing their laundry, doing dishes. I'm like this is, and you know, shame on me, I didn't, we were doing too much, but now it's, you know, I mean because it's like you want to be needed, but it's the exact opposite. Parenting is the exact opposite. You want them not to need you as much, so that they become self-sufficient. So you're a, you're a. Are you a diehard Red Hawk?
Speaker 1:Not really. I'm actually you can't see it on my shirt but North Carolina diehard Tar Heel. We go to Chapel Hill every year. We'd make the trip. Last year we went to Louisville because they were closer. But we're big North Carolina Tar Heel fans. Don't ask me why it's just been like that for 20 years. I've just always followed them. We actually took the kids to the Final Four game in Louisiana against Duke Carolina versus Duke. That was a bucket list game that I remember taking out Duke, the number one seed.
Speaker 2:A little little little teaser here on the podcast. Do you know the name? Seth Davis, who played for Duke. So he does ESPN. Yeah, so he is going to be a future guest in the podcast.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, very cool.
Speaker 2:I. I got to him and I'm like, oh, this is gonna be crazy. So I'm excited to uh shout out to Emmanuel, if you're listening, she, uh, she introduced me to him, so I'm uh, I'm excited to talk to him. Um, anyway, so I always like now learning about the guests or you as what, take me back to what was life like growing up and talk about the. You know the, the impact mom and dad on you, mom and dad had on you. Now that you're that you're a dad.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I owe everything to my parents. You know my mom actually just retired from 45 years. In education she was a principal. My dad actually worked for a company called Belcan, which was a spinoff of the first agency. That, or the first agency I worked with, was a spinoff of that. But I had a great upbringing, like you know, and I would say I probably put my parents through hell as a kid. You know I made a lot of bad choices as a kid and then throughout high school and even after high school, but I was always felt like I was grounded, you know, not grounded in trouble, but like grounded because of I knew where I came from, I knew I was making bad decisions, right, but I did it anyways. And obviously when I told you I met my wife, that's when I turned my life around truly.
Speaker 1:But I had a great upbringing, to be honest, with loving parents and grandparents. I had a great upbringing, to be honest, with loving parents and grandparents and you know, I think that's just helped me become who I am today my mom. I'm literally I'm another version of my mom. We are almost identical. But yeah, great, great. You know, I give everything all praise to my parents and even now, like like my daughter's with my mom today, she was with her all day yesterday. They're just so involved.
Speaker 2:That it's just awesome. So mom was a principal and dad was in staffing. Did I hear that right?
Speaker 1:No, he worked for Belkin Engineering no-transcript.
Speaker 2:dad, did they ever, uh, were you like the karma baby for them, like they made bad decisions and now they're paying for it?
Speaker 1:And then it was funny because my kids, will you know, stir something up or say something and my dad just laughs. He's like yep, you got that. You have that coming. That was you 30 years ago. Now do you have siblings? I do, you have that coming. That was you 30 years ago.
Speaker 2:Now do you have siblings?
Speaker 1:I do. I have one brother. He's a pastor in Dayton Ohio. Okay, yeah, four years older.
Speaker 2:Okay, so growing up, and maybe you can think of a story that might align with this next question but even though he made some mistakes which, guess what? We all make mistakes, we're all flawed human beings. That's one thing. We haven't come and you also said something second, Casey, that, like you said, your dad worked for Belcan for 45 years. I had no idea what he did.
Speaker 2:One of the biggest reasons I started this podcast was the three words that I'm super passionate about around leadership and family is humility, vulnerability and curiosity. I think when and the goal, one of my goals when I started this podcast six years ago was figuring out ways to like have dads become more humble, vulnerable, to share where they suck or they messed up and then just helping instill more curiosity. So, um, uh, you know, whether you're a stay at home dad, whether you're an executive, whether you won the lottery, whether you are pro athlete, whether you're your kids, I always say your kids don't give two shits. They really don't. Your male ego says they do, but your proof like you had no idea what your dad did, All you cared about was hey, dad, can I get?
Speaker 1:can you give? Take me an ice cream. Hey, can I spend my johnny's house? Yep, well, it's like your book. I remember you talked about that when your dad, your kids, were asking what you do, like I make friends for a living.
Speaker 2:I love that my buddies actually made fun of me when I said that, because, like dude jay cox, you can't say that writer's gonna be asking for 50s at recess, like no, he's not. But that's what we do, we. When a friend needs help, you say yeah, I can help you. And if they you can't help them, you say hey, I'm not the right friend, but I'll find you a new friend. Um, but as you, relating back to you, like from a values perspective, if you can think back, like tell me what was like the top two or three, like most important things that that mom and dad tried to instill in you, that maybe you'll learn quickly or maybe took you took a while for you to learn.
Speaker 1:That they instilled in me. I would say honesty, they were big on that accountability. Those would probably be the two biggest that stuck with me. And you know I never I was always embarrassed if I got in trouble, like because it was like here I've got these two good parents. And you know I never I was always embarrassed if I got in trouble, like because it was like here I've got these two good parents, like you know they're.
Speaker 1:People are probably thinking like what the hell's wrong with this kid, like you know, came from a great family and no, don't get me wrong, I was not a criminal or anything. I wasn't getting arrested, but just making dumb mistakes, hanging out with the wrong crowds. You know, in high school and uh, and it took me a while to figure that out and my mom was always. My mom always had my back Right and uh and uh, even when I made those dumb mistakes, she would always be there for me and talk me through it and teach me a lesson, uh, but I'd say those are probably the biggest things that I feel like they instilled in me.
Speaker 1:Uh, and just being like I wouldn't be the parent I am today if I hadn't had them. As a parent, right, I mean, I've learned so much from them raising me and my brother that I try to do those same things for my kids now too.
Speaker 2:Now was your mom a principal where you went to school.
Speaker 1:She was a teacher in fourth grade at the elementary I went to. Okay, I think she was at that elementary for like two years before she came out and became a principal. And then I wasn't in her school anymore. No, I remember some guy. I remember one of my teachers in high school was like well, you think you can just get away with anything because your mom's a principal? Like what? Yeah, my mom doesn't even work here.
Speaker 2:Relax, bro, right, get off me. So honesty and accountability obviously two big, great ones, and a lot of times when I ask people these questions I mean those are just words, but until, just like a book, a book becomes wisdom when you apply them. These words and lessons become lessons or values when you apply them and you reinstill them and then you inspect them, or values when you apply them and you reinstill them and then you inspect them. So, um, is there a story you can think of where honesty or accountability was really instilled in you that your parents were? Just either you had to learn the hard way or you really learned. Um, the. The true value of that might speak to a dad at home.
Speaker 1:Uh, man, probably a lot of them. Um, I, to be honest with you, is just learning. You know, my mom always taught me, you know was the first person to tell me that you know you are who you hang around with, Right, you are an average of your five closest friends, essentially, Right, and I think that's why I was who I was, because the people I wasn't hanging around and it took me years to realize that you know. You know, when you're right out of high school and you know, the only thing you're looking you're thinking about is how you're going to spend your paycheck, Right, and no, it's not very few responsibilities still living at home. It took me a long time to realize that, but I'm super grateful that, even though it did take me a long time that you know, I changed who was around me, uh, and it just made me a better person in general.
Speaker 2:Um, now, when you grew up, were you playing?
Speaker 1:sports. Oh yeah, I was a big baseball guy until high school. Up into high school. Um, that was really my only sport in baseball. I was a diehard baseball guy.
Speaker 2:Okay, now did you think, did you learn the power of either honesty and accountability? School, that was really my only sport in baseball. I was a diehard baseball guy.
Speaker 1:Okay, now did you think, did you learn the power of either honesty and accountability through through baseball? Oh, a hundred percent. A hundred percent Now. And I coached my kids all through their baseball little leagues, all of their flag football teams. You know, that's something that I've just. That's one of my favorite things like being able to be the coach of my kids' team and teach them and the other kids it kind of sucks now that I'm not the coach anymore.
Speaker 1:They're getting older. Those are things that when I was playing baseball, I learned from past coaches that I had. That made an impact in my life and try to do the same for those kids.
Speaker 2:Have you, um, as you, as you can tell her, I'm trying to lean in on stories Like I don't. I don't know if you've I've shared the story before, um, but I I'll share it now and see if it might resonate with you. So when I I learned, when you said baseball and I heard honesty and accountability, you actually brought me back to when I was 11, when I first got into like overhand fast pitch and I remember the first pitcher I ever faced. He swore he looked like randy johnson and for those who don't know randy johnson, everybody he's six foot 11, lefty from the mariners, you know hall of famer and oh yeah this dude through.
Speaker 2:and so the first guy I ever faced he was a tall right hand guy, you know tall. Back then he was probably like 5'5", he looked like 7'4" and he could not hit water. If he fell out of a boat he was freaking throwing. It was almost the balls, almost going over the backstop. This is like my first.
Speaker 2:Behind you oh yeah, and I was scared, shitless At first. At that I'm like, oh God, all I was thinking just don't die, I don't want to die, this is not how I want to lose my life. And somehow I get a walk and just thankful to be at first base. Now I'm on first base. I'm like there's not a chance in hell. I'm going back in there. So like I got in the dugout like, okay, how can I get out of this? Next, at bat, ooh, stomachache. I'm out.
Speaker 2:So I fake a stomachache and uh, and I'm like, oh sweet, I have to face this guy and I, on the car ride home, my mom's like, hey, you feeling better? And I'm like, what are you talking about? She's like, well, you told me you have something. I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, my stomach hurts. She's like does your stomach really hurt? Like, well, no, I go. Well, then, why did you lie? I go because I was scared to face that kid. And she's like, okay, well, we're gonna talk when you get home. I'm like, oh, and her, my dad, talked, and then they both came up and said so here's your choices. Um, and you only have one. You're gonna call your coach right now and you're gonna tell him what you did. I'm like, wait, what? No, yeah, you're gonna tell him what you did. And then, um, uh, if you do that, then you won't be grounded, but you're going to.
Speaker 2:So I'd literally get on the phone, call my coach and he was just like what he's like? Well, I'm, I'm proud of you. You called me. I was 11 years old. Right, I'm 49. I can still see myself doing this. Then he goes all, right, case. Well, so we have practice Tuesday night. Be ready, I'm going to have you tell the team. And so I had to tell the team. At 11 years old, I'd eat crow twice. And I mean, those are the stories that, like I still have ground. You said that we're grounded. You know, think humble, like I just realized, wow, I'm not. And so I think I learned the lesson of like being a great teammate, going to, you know, fighting hard for everybody. And I learned, like the look in these guys' faces when I told Matt, but they, they welcomed me in because I was honest and I only never made that mistake again.
Speaker 1:they were all probably like man.
Speaker 2:We should have said art cemetery right, great idea yeah, but like I mean through sports and um, so some of these stories, I like I don't know if you agree or disagree this, but like I like sharing these things. Like obviously I'm airing myself out on a podcast right now if it helps unlock someone else's vulnerability, if it helps unlock someone else's be able to tell story, because the one thing all of us dads have in common is we're all flawed. No one's perfect. We all can get better. We all can find ways to be a better version of each week, each day. Um, so do you got any? You got any? You got anything? Uh painful like that you had you had to go through? That might be worth sharing on the podcast. Or, dad, that might help them lead better at home.
Speaker 1:Like as a kid like growing up or yeah. Oh man, there's probably a lot of those. Uh, I don't know. Off the top of my head, though, uh, a good one. Give me a second, we'll come back to that it's okay, that's all good.
Speaker 2:Um, so honesty, accountability, were the things in your, in your house? Um, do you ever find out from your wife, like, what were her parents, what were the big themes that she, she, was taught? And then, as you guys kind of come together as one now that like, hey, these are the things that are gonna be most important when we're raising the wagon filled boys and girls. These are the things that are going to be most important when we're raising the wagon filled boys and girls. These are the things that are really going to be important to us and our family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, faith, that's huge in our family and that's something that both my parents and her parents instilled in her. Her parents were divorced when she was about six or seven years old. She had a different upbringing, but I would say faith is the common thing for us. Like that's where it all starts for us. And I wasn't that. To be honest with you, I wasn't really a faithful guy. I wasn't, I shouldn't say faithful, but a godly person until I met my wife, even though, you know, went to church. My whole life.
Speaker 1:But you know, it was almost like just going through the motions. But that's something that now that we really lean into and is important to us both sides of the family.
Speaker 3:Intention, integrity. It recruitment. We are McCann Partners and I am Megan McCann, the CEO and founder. Mccann Partners is a Chicago-based IT recruitment firm. We support a growing portfolio of innovative organizations, from Chicago-based startups to companies with a global footprint. We are dedicated to creating a more equitable and diverse workforce and are proud that more than 70% of our talent placements since 2020 have been diverse hires. Since 2020 have been diverse hires. We take pride in our work and invest time to hone our skills. Case in point, our work with Casey Casey helped me and my team learn new habits of success and unlock the skills we already have been using the superpowers of humility, vulnerability and curiosity. If you, the listener, are curious about our experience with Casey and his impact on the team and our business, please reach out to me via LinkedIn.
Speaker 2:That's cool. I went to church a little bit growing up. I don't go to church now, not because I don't want to, I'm more of a spiritual guy, fair. So every morning I look at a Bible scripture. Sometimes I have no idea what it means, sometimes like Ooh, that spoke to me, right. But um, I do gratitude work every morning and one of the very first things I love writing in my gratitude journal is God, thanks for waking me up today, right, a hundred percent starts me off, and I literally find myself subconsciously smiling when I write that. Yep.
Speaker 1:You know, life is so short and to your point.
Speaker 1:you don't know if you're going to wake up tomorrow, right. You don't know if you're going to make it home from the store tonight, right. And we just got back from Aviante's connect and they lost their CEO last week at 55 years old. Like out of nowhere, just kind of happened. Um, it was kind of eye opening for me. I'm Like, wow, you know, I'm looking forward to hearing his keynote and he's always an awesome guy to talk with and just kind of an eye-opener. Like you just never know when it's going to be your time. So take advantage of your life now. Love your kids, spend time with them. At the end of the day, when we're gone, you know, matter of time before we're forgotten about, right. People have to go on with their lives. So make everything you can out of it now. And that's my goal in life is just, we're taking them to a concert tonight, just creating memories with them.
Speaker 2:You guys going to go see ZZ Top.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I wish That'd be cool. We're actually they're doing this thing up the road from my house. It's a country super fest and tonight's Darius Rucker. We're going to go see him. I love that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, true or false, I can play wagon wheel on the guitar.
Speaker 1:True, I can yeah, yeah, so random, of course you can. Yeah, actually, my kids, that's our theme song. He says is wagon wheel, wagon field?
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh there we go yeah, didn't even put that two together, unintended.
Speaker 1:Um. So how do you, how would, how would one teach faith? One teach faith. I think it's just all about you're loving everybody, right? Like finding the good in people, helping people. Um, that's how I see faith. Um is just being a kind person and helping others that that are in need.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, being nice will never go out of style.
Speaker 1:Right, right, I know that's something that you talk about a lot in your book. Right, it's like treat people how you want to be treated or how they want to be treated. Right, like, um, I would say I would say that's probably my definition of of how I view faith. Um, and you know, obviously want to instill that in my kids and something that we talk about all the time. And my son, like he started taking his Bible to school and him and some buddies would just sit around in the morning before school and read Bible verses with each other. Like that's pretty cool. Like you know what I mean There'd be a lot of kids would be embarrassed to do that. Right, like he's got his WWJD bracelet on and he goes. He just came back from young life camp. He was like that was the best week of my life. Uh, he's like they took our phone for a week and we just got to be us. Like that's that just makes me feel like I must have done something. Right, yeah.
Speaker 1:You know he could have been. He could be a troublemaker. Don't get me wrong. They've all had their issues. Like we said, we all get in trouble sometimes. Right, just how, how you go about not doing it again, right how you act after that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, Do you know, john Ruffini I?
Speaker 2:do yeah, so John's former guest on the podcast Great dude, I'm sure you know. Uh, john raffini, I do. Yeah, so, john's former guest in the podcast great dude, I'm sure you know. Like, he's got three adopted kids. Okay, I didn't know that. Okay, she wrote a book about that journey. It's called a quest for alex. So you and him have something in common now. Um, it's actually a really really uh powerful story of how he went about him and his wife went about doing it. They didn't mean they're from different kids from different country that travel out and just uh, I think him using his curiosity and the and the um, obviously staffing, recruiting experience, but it was really it's a really, really cool story. And, um, so, adopting a child versus, and so your middle and your youngest is you, you know your blood, how was it ever challenging ever for you, like from a mindset perspective? Were you just like no, he's Johnny's, mine.
Speaker 1:He's mine. I mean I love all my kids the same. It doesn't matter if he shares my blood or not. Like that's my boy and we've had those conversations before. But yeah, I mean there's no hesitation at all, I'm his, he's mine. Like yeah, there's nothing, no contention with his brother and sister or anything. I mean they're brothers and sisters, just like he was my blood, so blessed for that for sure.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent Now. When they grew up and when you first shared that Johnny was adopted, did the siblings really confused? Did they understand?
Speaker 1:Um, I don't even know if my daughter is still, uh, how much she really even knows that nine years old, right, uh, but Cameron knows, and, uh, I think it took him, we had to kind of explain it to him, but he was just like, whatever, that's my brother, right, like, um, I don't, I don't think he understood it when it happened, cause, you know, at that time Johnny was eight or nine, so Cameron was probably six or seven, uh, so they just knew they were we're going to a courthouse and dad and Johnny were married, you know, doing the adoption. So, and I had I had so much, you know my old boss, uh, at Bellflex, he was adopted himself, uh, and he was a mentee, he's been a mentor of mine and helped me be a better person, just in general and in life, and, uh, he was there to support me too. So he came to the courthouse, uh, when I got my son adopted, or I adopted my son, and I thought that was really cool.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. So one of the other goals of when I started this podcast six years ago and obviously so much has changed and this is the thing. That's kind of a mind of its own now, and it's selfishly case. I get free therapy out of every episode too, which is fun, Keeps me grounded, keeps you just constantly learning. I think what I've found is that even in the world of executive coaching I do and performance work, sometimes we as parents we get going so fast, we let the day dictate us versus us dictating the day. Sometimes we don't slow down to realize, okay, if I'm a better dad, if I'm a better grounded husband, friend in my church, whoever it may be wow, if I'm a better dad, I'm a better grounded husband, friend and my church, whoever it may be Wow, that really translates into my work world. Now I can be a better version of myself there. So, as I kind of share that with you, have you sat back to think about how your faith journey or how just focusing on fatherhood has helped you in the business world?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, I want to be an example to my kids. At the end of the day, right, I want them to see me and say, wow, I want to be like my dad when I grow up, or I want to do this, or I want to do that and I want to. You know, that's my biggest goal and I think you know just business and you know, being in staffing for the past 15 years and trying to make a name for myself and grow within companies like they motivated me to do that. Right, they're my, my, what do they call it? My, why? Right, so I would say they're the reason I am who I am today, because I'm trying to be an impression on them to say, hey, you know, would dad do that or not? I want to make good decisions. I think I answered your question. I don't know.
Speaker 2:What's the hardest part of being a dad for you?
Speaker 1:I would say just not. I mean traveling. I've been gone for four days this week. You're going to be gone for three days next week. That's the hardest part for me is just not being here and, you know, leaving everything to my wife to do.
Speaker 2:So that's the hardest part for me is when I'm not around when you, when you're gone and then you come back. Have you had to learn how to kind of reinsert yourself when dad's gone versus just coming to the door, like you know, bowling a china shop?
Speaker 1:No, I mean shoot. My daughter's there waiting for me. She jumps up into my arms. My sons I do got to go to their room and tell them I'm home, but uh, but yeah, the days of everybody running up miss and dad are gone. But you know, I feel it like I want to be here with them, I want to hang out with them, I want to spend time with them. We go out back and play cornhole all the time, right. We go shoot hoops out front all the time and you know I'm not here.
Speaker 1:It kind of stinks. But that's the hardest part for me is just when I'm not around. And you know, early on I did a lot of traveling. Like there was a time where I spent six months in North Carolina and only came home on the weekends. This business called and I put up fires or whatever it was. And you know, as my kids got older and they're in diapers at that point, but as they got older, that's when I had to have that conversation at work like, hey, you know, I'm going to start coaching my kids teams. My kids are getting older. You know, they're not just crapping in diapers and not talking anymore. Like I want to be around a lot more. So that's when I, you know, I asked that I didn't travel as much at that point and wanted to be here and make sure that I was around.
Speaker 1:And and I'm grateful that they were able to work with me on that, and not that I didn't travel, but just wanted to be around more, you know, as they got older, and coaching their teams and things like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know one. One question that I like to ask dads too is like an area your the dad, your dad game, that might not be where you want it, or you realize it's a gap and if you're honest yourself, like what, tell me what would be an area of your dad game that, like you realize this? This is a spot that I know I can become better.
Speaker 1:I would say, sometimes just being chippy with them, you know, like you know they do something and rather than being calm about it, you just kind of like flip the script on them real quick, like hey, well, you know, uh, that cause I always look back then after that like was that necessary? Did I need to do that? Right, like that's I feel like where I could be better. It's like stay, step back, take a breath and think about it first before you just, you know, yell or do something. You know, and you know, because the last thing I want my kids to feel is like they can't talk to me and they can't, you know, so that I would say that's probably where I could is just kind of taking a step back, right, and not just yelling for something stupid.
Speaker 2:Would you characterize that as patience or something different?
Speaker 1:Oh, a hundred percent, yeah. Yeah, there's times that I do have a little patience, and I think I could work on that, especially from the kid's perspective too.
Speaker 2:I swear this podcast has helped me become more patient, right, I think as a competitive person, that's usually the, the counterbalances. You're super competitive, you're super patient. You want to now time you know the time kills all deals, mindset, and but you still got to meet people where they are. You got to meet your sales folks, your recruiting folks, your clients where they are. You got to meet your kids where they are and if they're. That's why I think curiosity is such a superpower when you ask questions and help them come to the answer, versus you always telling them the answer.
Speaker 2:Yep, um, that, and I think it's, and I always tell dads too. It's like you don't need a podcast to have these types of conversations. You could meet a couple buddies for a coffee once a week, grab a beer once a week, do what you got to do. But if you really want to challenge yourself, to be in growth mode, I mean, why wouldn't we want to be a better version of ourselves? Why wouldn't we want to be a better dad? Yep, you know, not always fun to admit what we suck at, but the thing is we all suck at things.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, your kids are, you know, almost out of the house. Mine are not far from it, my, my oldest too. So you know it's, it's gonna be different then too. It's like, yeah, you're still a dad, but you know, they're gone, like, and just living every minute that I can while they're here. And I mean shoot, nowadays, I mean they might be living at home a little longer after high school. Uh, with how hard it is to to uh just get going to the real world right now.
Speaker 1:But, yeah, just living every day to the fullest and uh and uh, embracing all the challenges too, um, that come with it.
Speaker 2:What's the, if you think about your, your most challenging moment as a dad? Um, that maybe gives you strength to that. You got through this moment. Um, tell me what comes to mind.
Speaker 1:Um, that's a great question. I mean, that could go so many different directions. Um, I mean, I would say probably something with my, my oldest son. Like you know, when we were early on dating you know it was was times were tough and we're living paycheck to paycheck and you know we were actually we were getting money for child support at that time and I felt bad that we're getting money from this guy and it felt like I was a loser and I couldn't support my family, and so that was a motivation for me to be better. And when I got to a point where, okay, now I can support my family and I don't need this guy's a hundred dollars a month or whatever it was, I was like we need to make this, this move, and that was challenging for me, like, early on like feeling like I was worthless, like and that was it was.
Speaker 1:It was. I don't know when that happened. It was like I felt so great that was like all right, well, finally, this guy has no opportunity today to ever come back in his life now Like he signed away his rights. I don't want any of his money ever again, don't ever want to hear his name. But those years leading up to that were challenging, like cause. I felt like I wasn't being the best version of me, right? Um, and you know, it started when I met her and I met Johnny and a year later Cameron came along. Um, uh, just happened really quick and growing up was had to happen, right, I mean at the end of the day, yeah, that's, that's I love.
Speaker 2:I love vulnerability shared there, because I know there's, I know there's a dad out there that's probably going to this exact same thing. Right, and, and sometimes admitting that is hard, that's we got to put our ego aside and realize it. Um, but you know, I mean, I can think of very, you know, challenging times, whether it's through my own sports world or through parenting or through business, and I think I find that people would rather hear about where people suck or struggle than life's rainbows and ponies. And man, look at him, he's always doing, he's always went. No, you got to work your ass off for these things and go through these tough times, which shapes us. To your point about earlier. You know, you know mistakes you made gave your parents probably a heart attack, but it shaped you, yep. You know, made you either stronger, learn, reinforce what's right versus wrong, not that your parents didn't do a good job, but you said we have to go through that pain ourself, yep.
Speaker 1:And that was like you know, my goal now is like make sure they don't make those mistakes right, my kids don't make those mistakes. So now I got to make sure I'm staying ahead of it to make sure and have those conversations and sometimes I'll tell them stories about the dumb shit I did when, where I am now. If Life 360 was available back then or iPhones had cameras back, you know we weren't using Nokia brick phones. You know I probably might not be here today. And that's one thing that I tell my kids is you know everything's recorded nowadays and you know up till 18, you know you've got everything handed to you, but 40 for the next 40 years after that, the mistakes you make up to 18 can affect that.
Speaker 1:Um, so make those good decisions now. Um, you know it's not about being cool in school. You're not going to remember 95 of these people or talk to these people after you leave high school. Right, you're gonna. You're gonna stick with your best friends. Um, so make the good decisions now, because it's only going to lead to a better life. You know when you have to get into the real world and work for 45 years.
Speaker 2:Right, yep, exactly as what's been um your most proud moment as a dad.
Speaker 1:Proud moment, oh man. Uh, hell out of proud moments as a dad. Um, you know, I, my son actually, uh, probably maybe not my most proud, but the most recent. He asked me if he could get rebaptized. He wants to be rebaptized. So he said, found another, you know his journey with God and I was just I thought that was really mature of him and just just super proud that that he. You know I didn't ask him if he wanted to be rebaptized, but he's just something that he's passionate about and it's changed his life, going to young life and in that church. So I mean, that's the most recent, probably, thing that I could say, like that's cool.
Speaker 2:Do you know why he wanted to do it? Get re-baptized.
Speaker 1:He's just been on this journey with God over this past year when he started going to Young Life, hanging out with those kids, and this past year, like, he's just been a lot more spiritual and you know, it just kind of came out of nowhere. He's like, and I was like, dude, I'll 100% support you, Like we'll get that set up. We go to a camp every year. We were going to do it this year up in Lake Erie, but I think we're going to do it here locally now. But I don't know that just kind of made me a little emotional, Like that's cool man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well that it says it gets a credit to mom and dad. You're raising good kids If, like they, they see that stuff at a young age. And, um, you know, I think I, I I'm of the belief, I like, I like spirituality and having conversations. And then, you know, you know not to get too far off the tracks here, but, like, how do we know what religion is the best religion and what's right for you? It doesn't make it right for them. And, um, I've met some fantastic people that are all different types of religions. Like who am I to judge what's right or wrong?
Speaker 1:And so, um, I mean, I'm the type of person I'm just going to judge you by your character, like you know, and you got bad character. You're probably not religious, right? I mean, to your point, you know, whatever religion you are, you believe in, it usually comes out in your character, right? Or if you're not religious and not say you can't be a good person and have good character and not be religious, but that's my personal opinion yeah, I think more like be the, the servant leader.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's someone who's just always looking out for others, which is great skills we can teach for our kids. And you know, sometimes everything doesn't always have to be a teaching moment, but I I sometimes believe, why not? Why not if you can reinforce the story, either through our own struggle or through doing something the right way? Or, you know, one phrase that came to me through this entrepreneurial journey was you know, the difference between recognition and appreciation, I think, is time. Recognition sometimes takes us to give. You know, give people money or an award, or take Johnny to ice cream. Or appreciation, just as slowing down and say, hey, thanks for unloading the dishwasher you didn't need to do it, but saw it. Or thanks for doing laundry, thank you. You know, these are the things I'm talking about right around where you go out of your way to help.
Speaker 1:You know? Um, yeah, it's funny, is it's? Anytime we go somewhere, like in downtown cincinnati, right, there's a homeless population, cameron like will start giving them all money and like I'm not talking about here's, here's a dollar.
Speaker 1:He'll be like just unloading his wallet, like giving this guy $20. And and you know, and it's one of those things I'd talk to him like hey, that's awesome, dude, I'm so proud of you, but let's save some money for inside. Like nobody asked him to do that, and he just felt bad and was like I would like to give this guy some money and like to think that I instilled some of that in him, that just being a caring kid and wanting to see people do better. You know, one of my biggest struggles too, I think to go back to that is just making sure that they stay humble too Like, cause sometimes I think I do too much for them, you know, and just keeping them humble too Like sometimes I have to remind them, like you know not every kid has a PlayStation 5 in the room, a TV on the wall, virtual reality, an iPhone, access to anything that they want.
Speaker 1:scooters, electric scooters you guys have the world at your fingertips here, but I want to make sure you stay humble. So that is something that I have struggled with, that I need to get better at. And but I do think that they are humble kids. But just keeping that mentality too, that not everything's going to be given and given to you and you're going to have to work for it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, humility is, and I think there's there's there's people who say they're humble and what they're not. And humility is it's back to your point about character it's it's going out of your way. You know my football coach in college. I've showed this before and I love sharing it because it just re-humbles me. It's like he goes Casey, if you ever have to tell me how good you are, you're not that good when you're great, I'll tell you you don't. And so I um again, like I think I think stories of struggle can keep people humble. Um, whether it's whatever I mean for me, playing position, a quarterback, that helped me stay humble, because it was always. I was. Yeah, I got the limelight, but I was with 10 other guys and do their job. I was gonna suck and so I was so great. Same thing in sales. That's why I was my back office folks, my ap folks, my you know, your consultant care people, your recruiting team, like they're you're. If they don't do their job, I'm nothing right.
Speaker 1:Gotta have right people in the right place to seats.
Speaker 2:Yeah and I think about maybe transition to business a little bit like that's one thing in the staffing industry. It's I still see it in the work I do Like it's amazing people's ego and how they think they're unreplaceable. And I always say listen, guys, I was a number one rep for 10 years and when I left they didn't go out of business. Right, miracle guy, when you dial 911, my phone doesn't ring, right, I'm not that important, well, aware of it, right? So yet some people get in their own way and they think they are. And I think those are the things that, if you're, when I say that you're like uh, shoot, is he talking to me? If you kind of had that feeling in your stomach and you're listening at home like maybe it is and maybe. But what a gift if you give yourself that thing to slow down, you get her away. Maybe ask for help, ask your wife, ask your friend.
Speaker 2:Hey, is my ego in the way Everybody see what they say.
Speaker 1:You know, yeah, and I've always tried to be that person that that doesn't have that ego Right, Like um cause that that's always been a pet peeve of mine, Like the egotistical, the person that comes in that's cocky and I don't know. I guess that says a lot about their character, right?
Speaker 2:I agree. Yeah, they'll be ready to hear how good you are when the time's right, but let them ask first. Right, let them ask first. So tell me a little bit about so you're now working for a company called SimpleVMS for people who have never heard about it. Or tell me what you guys are up to and how can people learn more about what you guys are doing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so SimpleVMS is a vendor management system primarily in contingent workforce. So we centralize our clients' contingent workforce, so every aspect of their contingent workforce, from job requisitions to invoicing, to time and attendance, to reporting and metrics and dashboards. So when companies are using 10 different agencies and 20 different sites and 10 different invoices and sending job requisitions out through email and not knowing who's sending who, just central to one portal that them and their clients can use to give them peace of mind and have a visibility of their contingent workforce.
Speaker 2:Essentially, and your podcast talk about that and how can people find it?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so Staffing Made Simple. It is not about simple DMS, it's truly just a it's. We're bringing on experts in the staffing industry, staffing professionals, buyers that run contingent workforce, contingent workforces and it's really just to be a tool for staffing professionals to grow right. So anything from we've had legal episodes two buyers on that talk about about here's what gets me to respond to a staffing email, here's what gets them to the table, here's what keeps them around. You're going to be talking about winning the relationship here in a few episodes. We're really pumped to have you on. So it's really just to be an asset to the industry where they can come for tips, knowledgeable, actionable takeaways that they can, you know, put into their business. And the last thing we wanted to do is make it a pitch for SimpleVMS Figured. You know it's a good way to build some credibility and you know agencies want to partner with us and we want to give them more tools to succeed.
Speaker 2:Love it. That's so cool. We'll make sure that's linked in the show notes so people can find out more about that and learn and grow through some of these episodes you've already had and continue to have things that you know what wisdom you shared, stories you shared, maybe stories I've shared that dads could take, maybe call it two or three actionable things to be thinking about, where they can kind of look at themselves in the mirror and say, hey, these are things that I can maybe do differently or better to become that ultimate or quarterback leader of their home. Tell me what's two or three things that come to mind that they can take from our episode today three things that come to mind that they can take from our episode today.
Speaker 1:I'd say you know, spend more time with your kids. Um, talk to your kids, um, ask them to talk to you. Uh, that's one thing with my son that just, really just recently, you know, felt like I couldn't talk to him about some things and um, but I kept being persistent and talking, and now he opens up to me and tells me things that he would have never told me again. So, talk to your kids, know what they're up to. That's huge, in my opinion. Make sure you're around and keep them humble.
Speaker 2:Yep, yeah, that's a good one. I mean I think it's cool to see, I mean you where you came from. You mentioned paycheck to paycheck. Obviously you're not paycheck to paycheck anymore. You've had a nice successful run, but you haven't forgot where you came from, right, and I think that keeps you humble. And so, you know, I always tell my kids too, like I don't ever want you to feel guilty for the things we have, but I want you to remember that this wasn't just given to me, right? And you know I don't know if you heard Mark Cuban his kids one day asked us hey, dad, are we rich? He goes no, I'm rich, you're not. I love that. Right, you know I mean, talk about humbling your kids, like whoa yeah right.
Speaker 2:That one's done a little bit.
Speaker 1:That one's done a little bit and you know my wife pushes me. Like you know, she's a successful career at GE Aerospace and she's been there for working there for 15 years, has made a name for herself, has grown there and you know that drives me like you know, she was a. She ran a business out of our basement while she worked at GE. She was working 80 hours a week early on while her kids were really young, just to make sure that we're have the things that we need. So she motivates me to to be better, um, and just to keep up with her really love it?
Speaker 2:Um, okay, it's now time to go into the lightning round, where I ask you, uh, random questions that make really no sense. I'm going to show you the negative hits of taking too many hits in college not bong hits, but football hits and my job is to ask you these questions, hopefully as quickly as I can, and also to try to get the giggle out of you All right.
Speaker 2:But I don't know what I'm going to ask you, but are you ready, let's go? Okay, true or false, I played college football with John Kitna. True, it is true.
Speaker 1:John Kitna. He came in when Casey or Carson Palmer went down in 2003.
Speaker 2:I was at that game. He was a central Washington Wildcat.
Speaker 1:And he's a coach in Cincinnati, I think now high school football coach.
Speaker 2:He was there. He was in Dallas. I've not talked to John in a few years so I don't know where he's at now, but yeah, he's. He's um, he's a man of faith too Big time. Yeah, I always liked him. Yeah, he's really. You want to talk competitive people? One of the most competitive people I've ever met. Oh yeah, um, what would be one genre of music that your, your friends at Simple VMS, would be shocked that you listen to, wow.
Speaker 1:They would be shocked that I listen to Probably I don't know classic rock. Maybe they all think I'm listening to Warren G and Nate Dogg because that's my go-to karaoke song, so probably classic rock They'll get in and hear, like you mentioned, zz Top earlier. I love getting in and jamming to some 70s rock.
Speaker 2:You're hooking a left on 2-1 and Lewis.
Speaker 1:Exactly. Just inside the LBC. It's funny because that was my. When I did my presentation at Avionte Connect, my fun fact was Warren G Nate Dog Regulate is my karaoke closer? Yes, I know all the words. No, I won't sing it right now, unless you ask.
Speaker 2:Oh, there we go. That's a cut, that's a great cut. Tell me your favorite comedy movie of all time.
Speaker 1:Oh Happy, gilmore hands down have you seen Happy Gilmore 2?. I have. I liked it. I liked it. I don't know why people are hating on it. I thought it was funny. It's more of a slapstick, but I mean, how can you not With all the 75 different cameos and Uncle John Bailey? It was great.
Speaker 2:And most second edition of the movie suck. A hundred percent I thought it was really good it was.
Speaker 1:It was, but they had to kill his wife off, though.
Speaker 3:You can't have a happily married happy.
Speaker 2:Gilmore, it just doesn't work. Yeah, that was pretty funny.
Speaker 1:Tell me the last book you read, winning the.
Speaker 2:Relationship. Did not know that that was not a shameless self-plug everybody.
Speaker 1:To be fair, I actually downloaded it on Audible, so but I'm going to call that reading the book.
Speaker 2:There you go. That's like me reading a bedtime story to you.
Speaker 1:Right, you read it to me.
Speaker 2:What if you and your wife are going to go on vacation right now? No kids, where are we going? Aruba, okay, it's my favorite spot. Okay, if there was to be a book written about your life, tell me the title. Uh, if there was to be a book written about your life.
Speaker 1:Tell me the title. Oh, that's a good one, dang, put me on the spot here. Um, the light switch that you know, that, that light bulb moment that helps you grow right like, and all the different stupid shit that I did, that I knew I was never going to do again.
Speaker 2:How about we call it? I finally turned the light switch on.
Speaker 1:I like that. I like that.
Speaker 2:Okay. So, I finally turned the light switch on, believe it or not, in case. Every airport the thing sold out. No one can get enough copies of this thing. Amazon can't print faster. Barnes and Noble is pissed because all the copies are gone. So now Hollywood's found out. You are now the casting director and I need to know who is going to star Casey Wagonfield in this movie.
Speaker 1:Chris Farley.
Speaker 2:Dale Fole. What's it? What's it? What's his Foley, matt Foley?
Speaker 1:Matt Foley living in a van down by a river.
Speaker 2:I'm a motivational speaker. Okay, last question, the most important one Tell me two words that would describe your wife.
Speaker 1:Intelligent and beautiful.
Speaker 2:Here we go. Lightning round is over. We both giggled, we both had fun. We've learned a lot about Casey, the dad where he came from. Learned about power of faith, the power of adoption, the power of growth, power of honesty, power of accountability and much more. We also learned about SimpleVMS and his new podcast, which we will make sure that's linked in the show notes. Casey, grateful for your time today. It's been fun getting to know you better. The hour flew by and I'm grateful for our paths across. Thank you, roy and the team of the AS group for creating that platform for us to meet. But I wish you and your team the best this year. I wish you and your family the best and again, thank you so much for spending time with me today. Appreciate you, man. We won't be strangers. Here we go.