EXPERIENCE 229 | The Power of Strong Relationships with Bob Hewson - CEO of Colorado Youth Outdoors
In this episode of The LoCo Experience podcast, I sat down with Bob Hewson, the CEO and co-founder of Colorado Youth Outdoors,which will celebrate its 25th year in 2026! We started by inquiring the why around the organization’s focus on building relationships through traditional outdoor activities like fishing, archery, and trapshooting.
We talked about the importance of intentional one-on-one time in relationships - especially any parent-child relationship - and how his own upbringing influenced his career shift from corporate life to founding a nonprofit. Bob shared how the organization thrived during the COVID era due to its reliance on private funding and commitment to its mission, and positioned them for an upcoming expansion to a Colorado Springs area campus.
Bob also highlights the significance of having a strong board and community support in overcoming business challenges, and their future plans for a national presence. Additionally, we delved into Bob's personal life, including his family, kids, grandkids, and a memorable stint working in the fishing industry on Orcas Island.
Bob's story underscores the power of relationships in personal and professional life, and the principles involved in making them stronger. So please tune in, as I’m sure you’ll enjoy my conversation with Bob Hewson, CEO of CYO.
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Music By: A Brother's Fountain
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In this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast, I sat down with Bob Houston, the CEO, and Co-founder of Colorado Youth Outdoors, which will celebrate its 25th year in 2026.
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We started by inquiring the why around the organization's focus on building relationships through traditional outdoor activities like fishing, archery, and trapshooting, and then we talked about the importance of intentional one-on-one time in building relationship, especially any.
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Parent-child relationship and how his own upbringing influenced his career shift from corporate life To founding a nonprofit, Bob shared how the organization thrived during the COVID era due to its reliance on private funding and commitment to its mission and positioned them for an upcoming expansion to Colorado Springs campus.
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Bob also highlights the significance of having a strong board and community support in overcoming business challenges and their future plans for a national presence.
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Additionally, we delved into Bob's personal life, including his family, kids, grandkids, and a memorable stint working in a fishing industry on Orcas Island.
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Bob's story underscores the power of relationships in personal and professional life, and the principles involved in making them stronger.
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So please tune in as I'm sure you'll enjoy my conversation with Bob Husson, CEO of CYO.
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Welcome back to the Loco Experience Podcast.
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My guest today is Bob Houston.
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And Bob is the CEO and founder, I believe, of Colorado Youth Outdoors.
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Yeah.
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Co-founder Kurt, co-founder.
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Okay, great.
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Well, thanks for.
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Spending a a little time with me here today.
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You bet.
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Um, local Think Tank is doing our member event this fall at your facility, which you might not even know about.
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I did not know that.
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I'm glad to hear it.
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So, yeah.
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Yeah.
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I was hearing a little bit about the background of the organization and I've learned it before Uhhuh a little bit, but, uh, yeah, we're doing what we call Aim to Thrive.
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Fantastic.
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So kind of some, uh, leadership training, workshopy stuff.
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And then when is that?
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Uh, September 12th.
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Oh, good time to be out at the ponds.
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Yeah.
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It should be real nice.
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And then archery and fishing after.
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Oh my gosh.
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So you put a little bit of, uh, you know, skills training in the team, you're doing it right.
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That that's what we do best.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, for sure.
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Your team has been very, uh, accommodating, like just setting up tours and great communicators and.
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And Luke said you'd be a great guest on the podcast.
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Well, so when Luke tells me to do something, show up Luke.
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Uh, if, uh, if this doesn't turn out Yeah, yeah, exactly.
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A lot of pressure.
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Nope.
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Yep.
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So can you set the stage for listeners that might not be familiar at all with, with Colorado Youth Outdoors?
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Uh, I'm familiar with the North campus, but maybe describe the big organization first.
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Yeah.
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And then we will zoom back to how it all started, I think.
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All right.
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Yeah.
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Well, thanks for the opportunity to de to describe it.
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Um, well first, you know, Colorado Youth Outdoors is a 5 0 1 C3, uh, you know, charitable trust or a private charitable trust, which, you know, um, some people, you know, hear that and they think, oh, it's, you know, so private that can't be part of it.
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But private charitable trust just simply means that we really don't rely on, on, uh, public funding.
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Mm.
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And so, um, and we are so nobody can tell you what to do.
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You have a board of directors and stuff, I assume.
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Yeah, we still, yep.
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We, we have, uh, plenty for the board.
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Plenty of command.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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That, uh, um, but yeah, we have, you know, really it's our mission that, you know, drives us and, you know, our core values.
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So that's, you know, um, from board on down, you know, that, uh, that's what keeps us in our lane.
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Dwell on who you take money from, affects how you do your business.
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Well, you're in, in this era, you know, during this time with the new administration in, and, you know, uh, it's just the way it is.
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You know, if you're relying on federal funding hurt.
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Um, you're really adrift at, you know, depending on potentially dangerous spot each, each four years, you're probably really interested.
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Yeah.
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You're on the good side of the bad side of the administration in this kind of environment.
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And it's unfortunate, you know, we, we have some, uh, peer organizations that you are simply struggling because they had been, you know, become too well.
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The government gravy was too easy.
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Government gravy.
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Yeah.
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We just, you know, the COVID era, we, uh, we actually, you know, as an example, we thrived through the COVID era because, um, you know, private funds were still coming in.
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Yeah.
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Knowing that we were kind of the, the only game in town Right.
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That was still open.
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Well, plus you had a bunch of outdoor activities.
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Yeah, yeah.
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We could, we could separate they, I forget what they called us cohorts or something, you know, we had to have a.
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You know, groups of 10 cohorts and, uh, whatever that scatter all around the grounds.
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One group on this pond, another group on this pond.
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Yeah.
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So we were so fortunate.
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But anyways, um, uh, you had asked me to kind of get high level, so, uh, yeah, Colorado thought doors.
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Um, and, uh, I love this about our organization that I can describe Colorado Thought doors in one word.
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And that's relationships.
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Hmm.
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That's what we're about.
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Hmm.
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And you know, the title doesn't really say that.
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You know, the title says Youth, the title says Outdoors and, uh, totally get that.
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Um, but our mission, our purpose, um, our gift, uh, in the communities we serve, um, is all about relationship building.
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And we use traditional outdoor recreation to do it.
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So, Colorado Youth Outdoors, um, you know, we, uh, uh, while it may, uh, not stand alone, just fully describe who we are.
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Um, the one word relationships totally describes who we are.
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Okay.
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And you build relationships through activities a lot.
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Yeah.
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Uh, and through facilities.
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Yep.
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Also, right?
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Yep.
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So, so yeah.
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In, uh, so put those together.
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You know, you get, um, that's pretty good, Brian.
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You can use that if you want.
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Yeah, that's right.
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Right.
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Um, the, uh, you know, the secret sauce, if you will, is, you know, ensuring that, um, that there's, there's at least a pair, you know, there's two people working on our relationship, kind of takes two to tango and, uh, we just picked, you know, traditional outdoor recreation.
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'cause it's, it's fun.
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It's, you know, it's got a, a great heritage and for most people it's people together.
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For most people's new, again, and well could be brand new to some folks for kids especially, could be a reintroduction to those who have been there, done that, but never had the, didn't in the last 25 years.
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Yeah.
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Couldn't find a place to go and do it.
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Yeah.
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Um.
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And, uh, our sweet spot.
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Um, our flagship program is built for, uh, parents with their youth.
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So when we talk about the, the paired up, um, certainly we have thousands that come through, um, our program and they're, they could be peer to peer, it could be kids to kids, could be adults to adults, but really our flagship, I always say if we were McDonald's, our Big Mac would be what we call core.
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And that's where the parents attend with their children.
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And uh, and do you segment that even?
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I'm thinking that the relationships between father, son and father daughter are sometimes different.
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Our mother, son, mother daughter, we blend them all.
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We all together.
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Okay.
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Yeah.
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We have a, yeah.
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Our model, the PAC model, which it's one one which we're getting into it is Yep.
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It's always paired up, so it doesn't work.
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Uh, as well, it's not that we haven't done this, but it doesn't work as well when we have a parent and they're bringing two or three children.
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Right, right.
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Because everything is so built for paired up Well, and.
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Children naturally compete for their parents' attention.
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You, you got it.
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You know, and they're little birds and they should, that's part of the, the, if I say issue, um, the challenge.
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The challenge is that, you know, in life, um, especially as, as parents, and I'm one of them, that, uh, it's far too easy to, to try to, um, take care of everyone at the same time when, you know, what we've learned about relationship building is there's gotta be intentional one-on-one behaviors.
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Time.
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Yeah.
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And, uh, and focus.
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Um, and focus.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Really be that word.
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Intentionality is, is a strong word.
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Um, because, uh, oftentimes we, um, we just, we think we're, we're, we're servicing.
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You know, we think that we're supporting, um, those relationships that we find important, but when it's blended.
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You know, oftentimes those relationship, uh, uh, inclusions don't hit the mark.
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Hmm.
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And so this, this one-on-one time, you know, with, with, uh, being intentional about, you know, a, uh, adult and a youth, um, has really served us well for 25 years.
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I want to mention something while I'm thinking about it.
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Sure.
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But this, the workshop, uh, leader and the person that's gonna guide this thing, this event in the fall, is a guy that's been on the podcast a couple months ago.
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Greg Vanek is his name.
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Okay.
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And he wrote a book called Triple Crown Leadership with his father recently.
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Oh sure.
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Yeah.
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Um, which has probably a lot of similar principles.
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And when I asked him one of our, one of our.
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Ping pong ball questions.
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Uh, it became the, what's the best business advice you've ever had?
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Uhhuh, it was from his father, which, and the, and the advice was business is a set of relationships.
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Uh, uh, so if you travel I 25, I, I so agree with that, that we put it up on our, our banner on the interstate, you know, our business property and it is, is, uh, adjacent to I 25.
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And so if you're northbound on I 25, um, throughout the year, we put different slogans on there.
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But, um, one of the one banners I love the most is it's all about relationships.
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Yeah.
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And when people say what is all about relationships, I say everything right is all about relationships.
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And really every relationship is a one-on-one relationship.
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Whether you're talking about my relationship with Ava, my podcast producer, or with my wife Jill, or you and I, it's fresh.
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Yep.
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You know, we just met Yep.
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A minute ago.
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Yep.
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Not a minute ago.
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10 minutes ago.
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Yeah, sure.
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Um, but it's still already a relationship.
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You gotta, it just when you, when you take the time to just, you know, just absorb it for a minute and all the way to the point of which, you know, the, the power of relationships.
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And so if you think about, and how critical it is in the human form and how we, you, you know, how we get the most outta life.
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And while we're not, this is, we kind of back to who we are, but while we're not, um, a faith-based organization, we're certainly faith led and that starts with our leadership.
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Yeah.
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And, and I love that because we get the opportunity to, um, talk about, you know, use relationships to get us to whatever God, you know, or, you know, spirit that you believe you belong to and you follow.
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Um, I love the, the, you know, I, I see the, the, the audience with the question of, you know, who invented relationships, you know, it's so powerful and it's so needed, it's so integral to, um, a, uh, healthy life.
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There's gotta be an author, right?
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Somebody had to create it, somebody had to know how important Yeah.
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Relationships were going to be and will always be.
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Yeah.
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And so it, I tell you what, everything, you find that path of that all of economics, all of civilization depended upon relationships.
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Absolutely.
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Kurt.
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So, you know, I appreciate that.
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You, you, you know, you get it.
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And it's not that, you know, it's, it's that, uh, you know, well, and I, sometimes I jump ahead.
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Well, I love it to the point, I use this example of how, how, um.
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Um, ubiquitous.
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It is in, in everything we do, but sometimes, uh, especially kids that in no doubt, we have some programs that are built specifically for kids that are, uh, at what are labeled at risk.
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Sure.
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Yep.
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We, we use the term that everybody's at for children, everybody's at risk of not having a healthy relationship through the right life.
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But the ones that are actually in that demographic, um, sometimes they're not ready for working on relationship between peer to peer.
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Yeah.
00:11:51.390 --> 00:11:59.071
So we talk about, this goes all the way back to your point of it could be in economics, could be we, we use the, um, environment itself.
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We say, for instance, if you want to, um, you want have green grass, you know, we grow grass not to watch it be brown, but we want green.
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There's gonna be this relationship that you probably don't even think about, but the grass is relying on you to water it, to fertilize it, to weed it.
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Hmm.
00:12:15.541 --> 00:12:16.770
Because it can't do that on its own.
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Yeah.
00:12:17.041 --> 00:12:17.042
Yeah.
00:12:17.610 --> 00:12:21.721
And you're relying on the grass if, if that's what you want in your relationships is green grass.
00:12:21.725 --> 00:12:21.926
Yeah.
00:12:21.931 --> 00:12:22.081
Yeah.
00:12:22.081 --> 00:12:22.951
Sounds kind of corny.
00:12:22.951 --> 00:12:23.671
Sounds very low.
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Elementary.
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Well, yes, but you start there and then we get into, it's similar to, you know, next step might be, well, we're gonna go out fishing today and.
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How important might you think about a relationship with the fish and why is that important?
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Well, it's just like, you know, if you wanted to build a relationship with a friend that you, you don't know yet, you probably ought to find out about'em.
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Where do they like to eat lunch?
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Um, what do they do in the mornings and evenings?
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Where do they hang out?
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Well, fish is doing the same.
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Are you catch me and throw me back?
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Are you gonna eat me?
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Yeah, well, yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:12:56.971 --> 00:12:58.260
Are you gonna be a great steward?
00:12:58.260 --> 00:13:01.890
But a fish, you know, a fish a fish has to eat at some point, right?
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And it's gotta find locations in the pond that are conducive to its, you know, make its survival.
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So it's your job.
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To build a relationship, start finding out about, oh yeah, the sun's up high.
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So I guarantee you, I really, you wrote five love languages of this fish.
00:13:16.650 --> 00:13:19.235
I've, I've learned that this fish is gonna, I love shady shadows.
00:13:19.235 --> 00:13:21.275
Shady spots in the sunny the sunshine.
00:13:21.275 --> 00:13:21.426
Yeah.
00:13:21.426 --> 00:13:28.145
And so it'd be like, you know, and then take that into your, your life and, you know, there's a relationship that you're hoping to build with somebody.
00:13:28.505 --> 00:13:34.655
Um, they kind of go through those same, you know, steps about where do they, where are they at three o'clock in the afternoon'cause Right.
00:13:34.655 --> 00:13:36.395
That's when I have time to go see'em or something.
00:13:36.395 --> 00:13:40.596
Well, and I, I, I was on the board for a while and still do advocate for the Matthews house.
00:13:40.716 --> 00:13:40.985
Oh sure.
00:13:40.985 --> 00:13:41.931
I'm sure you've probably interaction.
00:13:42.051 --> 00:13:42.211
Absolutely.
00:13:42.211 --> 00:13:42.336
We have.
00:13:42.365 --> 00:13:42.546
Yep.
00:13:42.546 --> 00:13:43.145
Their programs.
00:13:43.145 --> 00:13:43.566
Some We do.
00:13:43.716 --> 00:13:43.836
Yeah.
00:13:43.836 --> 00:13:44.736
We support their program a lot.
00:13:44.826 --> 00:13:49.895
And they've become probably too unhealthily dependent upon the federal government for funding.
00:13:49.895 --> 00:13:51.485
We'll see, I, you know, I pray for them.
00:13:51.846 --> 00:13:55.235
Um, and what I wrote down here is, is.
00:13:55.515 --> 00:14:00.015
The absence feels like abandonment probably to a lot of teens.
00:14:00.015 --> 00:14:08.596
You know, it's not even that the parents are abandoning their relationship, it's just that there isn't much of one because dad's too busy or mom's too busy, or both mom and dad are too busy.
00:14:08.836 --> 00:14:09.615
You know what, Kurt?
00:14:09.615 --> 00:14:10.426
It can be.
00:14:10.485 --> 00:14:11.475
So you're right.
00:14:11.535 --> 00:14:12.375
You're absolutely right.
00:14:12.525 --> 00:14:25.696
Um, and that's what largely Christ that yeah, it, you know, those, that risk is some of that, um, sometimes from feeling that way, some of that occurs, um, in a manner that is, is, uh, very pronounced.
00:14:25.696 --> 00:14:32.566
And, you know, sometimes, you know, families just, uh, you know, sometimes parents don't fully understand the commitment takes to be a parent.
00:14:32.596 --> 00:14:32.716
Yeah.
00:14:32.716 --> 00:14:40.725
And so I, and I don't want to pretend like I know it all, but, but what I will say, what I can use an example is my own life where, um, even.
00:14:40.785 --> 00:14:40.846
Yeah.
00:14:41.355 --> 00:14:46.365
Um, watching our kids grow up and, uh, team sports, you know, sure.
00:14:46.395 --> 00:14:57.225
Doing the right thing, having our kids involved in, in extracurricular, but what you, what could sneak up on you is the fact that you're becoming a spectator.
00:14:57.346 --> 00:14:57.586
Right.
00:14:57.586 --> 00:14:58.426
More and more often get good.
00:14:58.426 --> 00:15:00.750
Well, the values are being created by the coach of the sport.
00:15:00.750 --> 00:15:01.275
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:15:01.485 --> 00:15:01.785
Or something.
00:15:01.785 --> 00:15:03.796
You get good at being a spectator.
00:15:04.500 --> 00:15:08.610
But you start to, uh, move away from being a participant.
00:15:08.640 --> 00:15:15.331
Meaning, you know how, if, if my son loves baseball or, well, I can tell you that was his sport, right?
00:15:15.331 --> 00:15:16.321
Our daughter's with volleyball.
00:15:16.921 --> 00:15:27.211
Finding ways in to participate, meaning how can I practice, how can I watch, you know, a practice and then take that home and be, and participate with my son, daughter, go ball around a little bit.
00:15:27.211 --> 00:15:27.961
Yeah, exactly.
00:15:27.966 --> 00:15:35.490
Rather than, rather than just relying on the coach or, you know, the, the, um, the team itself to, uh, um, feel healthy.
00:15:35.490 --> 00:15:37.591
There's, there's opportunities everywhere.
00:15:37.980 --> 00:15:45.750
And so it's like getting involved with your, your children's, uh, homework, even though if they seem to have a handle on it, rather than just saying, Hey, how are you coming along with it?
00:15:46.110 --> 00:15:50.765
Maybe have them teach you what, what they're learning and, um.
00:15:51.765 --> 00:15:54.586
You know, I, uh, I, you know, I, I I reflect a lot.
00:15:54.586 --> 00:15:55.936
Not to cut you off, but No, no, I'm fine.
00:15:56.025 --> 00:16:00.375
Uh, my mom founded my little league team when I was an 8-year-old.
00:16:00.855 --> 00:16:07.817
Uh, our town didn't have a baseball team and, and the next town away, you know, but she rounded up a bunch of kids and founded the baseball team Wow.
00:16:07.822 --> 00:16:09.767
And taught me how to catch ground balls mm-hmm.
00:16:09.773 --> 00:16:09.990
And all that.
00:16:09.990 --> 00:16:10.230
Mm-hmm.
00:16:10.311 --> 00:16:10.591
Mm-hmm.
00:16:10.811 --> 00:16:11.985
And, you know, she didn't work.
00:16:11.985 --> 00:16:15.166
She was a house mom of four kids, had plenty of work to do.
00:16:15.225 --> 00:16:15.796
Right, sure.
00:16:15.796 --> 00:16:16.125
Right.
00:16:16.125 --> 00:16:16.666
But that.
00:16:17.566 --> 00:16:22.905
Relationship of, of her investing in my favorite thing, which was baseball.
00:16:22.966 --> 00:16:23.385
Yeah.
00:16:23.446 --> 00:16:26.836
Like that's, I probably haven't given her enough credit for that over the years.
00:16:26.895 --> 00:16:31.336
Well and that's really, you know, and she coached it for three more years until I had to move up to the fast pitch leagues.
00:16:31.336 --> 00:16:35.716
You know, she wasn't ready for teaching that'cause she was an under underarm slow pitch player.
00:16:35.865 --> 00:16:36.615
Yep, yep.
00:16:36.676 --> 00:16:38.265
Oh, that's a, a great story.
00:16:38.265 --> 00:16:40.816
And, um, well, what a blessing that is.
00:16:40.816 --> 00:16:42.706
Like how many kids have that kind of an experience?
00:16:42.735 --> 00:16:42.855
Yep.
00:16:42.855 --> 00:16:45.796
Not it's one in a hundred, maybe that of that level.
00:16:45.916 --> 00:16:49.605
It's uh, it's probably, you know, I didn't realize it when I was a child.
00:16:49.905 --> 00:16:58.365
Took me till, you know, my mid thirties actually, you know, the kind of, the advent of CYO itself, that looking back, you know, in hindsight being 2020 for sure.
00:16:58.365 --> 00:17:04.395
But looking back at what my folks invested in our, in their children, myself and my brothers and sister.
00:17:04.576 --> 00:17:04.786
Yeah.
00:17:04.965 --> 00:17:05.476
And.
00:17:06.346 --> 00:17:18.286
Um, you know, we came from a family that didn't have much, you know, for means, you know, a, a teacher is, you know, for a dad and then four kids, you know, you just know that you're not gonna be afforded all these extras.
00:17:18.675 --> 00:17:20.506
Well, our, we didn't know any better.
00:17:20.506 --> 00:17:33.165
Our extras were, were literally a wicker basket with, with a picnic lunch in it, going to either, you know, a city park or, um, you know, I grew up in Loveland, so it wasn't hard to get into the foothills or the mountains.
00:17:33.615 --> 00:17:39.496
And, um, my parents, um, and I didn't understand fully then.
00:17:39.915 --> 00:17:41.326
I, they were intentional.
00:17:41.715 --> 00:17:43.846
About spending ki investing in their kids.
00:17:43.851 --> 00:17:44.080
Right.
00:17:44.086 --> 00:17:44.326
Right.
00:17:44.415 --> 00:17:47.895
And um, and that investment was hands-on.
00:17:47.895 --> 00:17:48.721
I mean, it was, yeah.
00:17:48.721 --> 00:17:48.881
Yeah.
00:17:48.885 --> 00:17:49.756
You know, they were right.
00:17:49.756 --> 00:17:50.506
They were present.
00:17:50.566 --> 00:17:50.746
Yeah.
00:17:50.776 --> 00:17:52.576
They were really present at the time.
00:17:52.816 --> 00:17:53.445
Much like your mom.
00:17:53.445 --> 00:17:55.786
Oh, my dad was teaching me to be a farmer at the same time.
00:17:55.816 --> 00:17:56.236
Gotcha.
00:17:56.385 --> 00:17:59.715
You know, so, well it was free labor to him, but I was still learning how to be a farmer.
00:17:59.776 --> 00:18:00.135
Yeah.
00:18:00.195 --> 00:18:00.465
Yeah.
00:18:00.526 --> 00:18:12.316
Well I think that's actually, I think that's, you know, part of the, the healthy fabric of farming families or, you know, those in ag businesses is that, uh, you know, they're relied upon to, you know, help each other out.
00:18:12.645 --> 00:18:21.556
And that whole, while they, I'm sure they, they kind of square about the know cousin square about, oh man, a hot day out on the, in the field or all that.
00:18:21.556 --> 00:18:28.605
And, but at the end of the day they look back and go, not anymore a fabulous, the air conditioning on the news stuff primo.
00:18:28.846 --> 00:18:29.026
Yeah.
00:18:29.026 --> 00:18:36.316
I actually wanted to, uh, interject also a quote from my guest last night, which was, uh, Moses Horner from Horner painting my landlord here.
00:18:36.346 --> 00:18:36.796
Yeah, sure.
00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:37.040
And he.
00:18:37.496 --> 00:18:42.145
Was reflecting on business and life and not grass, but he said, healthy things grow.
00:18:42.895 --> 00:18:47.965
And when I reflect that toward relationships, that's like what you're trying to do too.
00:18:48.056 --> 00:18:48.415
Yeah.
00:18:48.506 --> 00:18:56.546
And I, uh, um, I love a, an another phrase that we use, you know, it's, uh, CYO where we're relationships grow.
00:18:56.550 --> 00:18:56.770
Oh.
00:18:57.016 --> 00:18:58.705
And so fits right in.
00:18:58.705 --> 00:18:59.546
We're vibing here, huh?
00:18:59.695 --> 00:18:59.996
Yep.
00:19:00.056 --> 00:19:07.316
And, uh, um, and maybe that's, you know, part of the, you know, the horners that know about CYO, which I, we very much appreciate.
00:19:07.316 --> 00:19:09.385
They, uh, um, we've had their support.
00:19:09.385 --> 00:19:21.056
So hey, um, you know, it's just you, it all blends very well and, uh, um, but yeah, this is about our organization is Yeah, get back to it all about, well, it's just, you've got a few campuses.
00:19:21.056 --> 00:19:21.931
Now let's get back to the big picture.
00:19:21.931 --> 00:19:22.675
It's all about growing.
00:19:22.675 --> 00:19:22.976
Yeah.
00:19:22.976 --> 00:19:23.816
Growing relationships.
00:19:23.816 --> 00:19:25.286
So yeah, back to the big picture.
00:19:25.286 --> 00:19:27.746
So we have been blessed, um.
00:19:28.590 --> 00:19:30.990
To, uh, watch our organization.
00:19:31.020 --> 00:19:44.941
Um, well, one is survive, but the, the beauty is that we've, we've actually been able to thrive in what will be 25 years of CIO next year, 2026, we celebrate our silver anniversary.
00:19:44.941 --> 00:19:47.911
If this is fun enough for both of us, then I'll have you back for your 25th year too.
00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:48.810
Yeah, there you go.
00:19:49.111 --> 00:19:58.776
Um, love to and, uh, but along the way, um, not only have our programs grown locally, right here at, uh, what we call the Swiss campus, so this is the OG here.
00:19:58.776 --> 00:19:58.935
Yep.
00:19:59.236 --> 00:19:59.326
Yep.
00:19:59.536 --> 00:19:59.746
Okay.
00:19:59.750 --> 00:20:01.306
This is, I thought, so this is headquarters.
00:20:01.306 --> 00:20:01.576
Yep.
00:20:02.026 --> 00:20:07.125
Um, but, uh, we've, we've, um, always had a program down in Colorado Springs.
00:20:07.125 --> 00:20:13.756
It wasn't, uh, fully vetted, it wasn't our full program, and we certainly didn't have a home base like we do at Swift Ponds.
00:20:13.756 --> 00:20:17.776
We were, we were, uh, using other, uh, other people, facilities.
00:20:17.780 --> 00:20:18.527
Facilities and stuff.
00:20:18.527 --> 00:20:18.528
Yep.
00:20:18.532 --> 00:20:19.665
And we're really good at that.
00:20:19.726 --> 00:20:24.405
Um, you know, bootstrapping, they call that in business, so we call it big borrow and steal.
00:20:25.096 --> 00:20:28.276
Well, kind of the same except non-profits get away with the stealing part there.
00:20:28.276 --> 00:20:28.336
Yeah.
00:20:28.336 --> 00:20:28.605
Right.
00:20:29.421 --> 00:20:30.256
In the, be in part.
00:20:30.556 --> 00:20:39.135
But, uh, um, two years ago, we, uh, um, made a commitment as board members to, uh, formally invest in Colorado Springs and.
00:20:39.526 --> 00:20:45.766
Look at how closely we could emulate what we have up here with, you know, a, a facility that we could call home base.
00:20:45.796 --> 00:20:45.885
Mm-hmm.
00:20:46.215 --> 00:20:50.480
So I hired an executive director, uh, Marty is the equivalent of Luke up here that you mentioned.
00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:50.481
Okay.
00:20:50.941 --> 00:20:52.605
And, uh, Marty's done a fabulous job.
00:20:52.605 --> 00:20:55.546
He's been in the, uh, Colorado Springs community for a long time.
00:20:55.546 --> 00:20:58.576
So those relationships, you know, making it important.
00:20:58.875 --> 00:21:05.895
And, uh, we just, uh, you know, uh, earlier this year, um, signed a MOU on a piece of property Oh, okay.
00:21:05.895 --> 00:21:07.036
That we're investing in.
00:21:07.036 --> 00:21:07.365
Gotcha.
00:21:07.365 --> 00:21:14.955
But we've had the program up running for the past two years under the formal program of, um, and using our model, the PAC model.
00:21:14.955 --> 00:21:17.266
So we wanna make sure we spend a little time on the PAC model.
00:21:17.266 --> 00:21:17.326
Yeah.
00:21:17.326 --> 00:21:18.405
Do you wanna jump into that right now?
00:21:18.435 --> 00:21:18.885
Yeah, sure.
00:21:18.976 --> 00:21:19.246
Yeah.
00:21:19.306 --> 00:21:22.486
Pact, um, you know, PACT can be spelled in many different ways.
00:21:22.486 --> 00:21:24.675
Our PACT is PACD.
00:21:24.855 --> 00:21:25.125
Okay.
00:21:25.215 --> 00:21:27.915
And the P stands for participate.
00:21:28.425 --> 00:21:33.076
Um, the A stands for appreciate, C is communicate and D is dedicate.
00:21:33.465 --> 00:21:33.946
So when.
00:21:35.205 --> 00:21:39.615
It, it really, you'll see this when you come out as a, you know, the group that you're gonna come with.
00:21:39.976 --> 00:21:40.455
Yeah.
00:21:40.455 --> 00:21:40.651
Um, you know.
00:21:41.355 --> 00:22:00.645
Uh, the, when folks use our campus and whether they're using our instructors or their own, they, um, to even be part of, of c's, uh, facilities and, and recreation, um, you have to have some understanding in some appreciation for pact the PACT model.
00:22:00.675 --> 00:22:05.385
So when, uh, folks could be a school group when they come in, they're gonna learn about.
00:22:05.665 --> 00:22:07.705
Participate, appreciate, communicate, and dedicate.
00:22:08.155 --> 00:22:17.246
And because that, you know, again, what pays our bills, you know, those who are donors and supporters of CYO are really supporting, um, relationship building.
00:22:17.726 --> 00:22:24.086
And so let's say there's a group that would love to come and just purely fish because we do have a great fishery.
00:22:24.506 --> 00:22:25.496
Um, I get it.
00:22:25.645 --> 00:22:31.286
Um, however, if this isn't a, a, a stepping stone towards a stronger relationship.
00:22:31.435 --> 00:22:32.996
And start relationship building.
00:22:33.566 --> 00:22:39.776
Um, you're probably not going to, uh, be able to use the facility because we have another group that would love to come in.
00:22:39.986 --> 00:22:46.016
They still want to fish, but they want to fish and learn about and use the pact model while through their experience.
00:22:46.016 --> 00:22:46.256
Cool.
00:22:46.375 --> 00:22:56.726
So our, our, uh, our facility, so built into our like, uh, fishing and archery experience, arche will be that trap shooting probably You, uh, fire, I thought about doing the trap shooting.
00:22:56.726 --> 00:22:57.746
Should we do the trap shooting?
00:22:57.806 --> 00:22:59.816
Oh my gosh, Kurt, are you, is that a question?
00:22:59.846 --> 00:23:05.336
Well, I'm like really good at it and I hate to embarrass everybody by like, being good at something everybody else is trying.
00:23:05.336 --> 00:23:05.635
Yeah.
00:23:05.665 --> 00:23:12.266
One of those, I shot a lot, I played a lot of duck hunter growing up and I shot a lot of birds, you know, and it just, no, I, I love it.
00:23:12.266 --> 00:23:16.076
I, but maybe, um, think about the others who haven't had the experience.
00:23:16.105 --> 00:23:16.346
Right.
00:23:16.346 --> 00:23:17.816
And where else are they gonna go to do that?
00:23:17.846 --> 00:23:23.125
I guess so, so, um, I would highly recommend it and, um, and it could be optional for those that don't wanna.
00:23:23.415 --> 00:23:23.746
Sure.
00:23:23.746 --> 00:23:24.885
Make guns go banging or whatever.
00:23:24.885 --> 00:23:25.429
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:23:25.486 --> 00:23:28.306
They want to wanna fling arrows or you will fling arrows.
00:23:28.425 --> 00:23:28.455
Okay.
00:23:28.486 --> 00:23:34.215
Oh, it could be how we,'cause it's our, it's an internal member event and they have a plus one that they can bring.
00:23:34.695 --> 00:23:34.786
Oh yeah.
00:23:34.816 --> 00:23:39.346
But how I can incentivize is we've only got 12.
00:23:40.006 --> 00:23:43.096
Uh, trap shooting spots at each of these hour slots.
00:23:43.425 --> 00:23:46.066
Well, we, the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can get into there.
00:23:46.125 --> 00:23:46.185
Yeah.
00:23:46.185 --> 00:23:48.375
We have a lot more space than that, but, well, I know, but I can lie to them.
00:23:48.375 --> 00:23:50.925
You can, well, this never anymore.
00:23:50.925 --> 00:23:51.976
They're gonna listen to this.
00:23:51.976 --> 00:23:52.965
So you ruined it.
00:23:52.965 --> 00:24:00.915
But no, I, you know, what I, and while we talk about, you know, trap shooting, it, it's unique in the fact that trapshooting is one of the things.
00:24:00.915 --> 00:24:11.326
Well, any, anything you have to do with the firearms, it, we really have an opportunity to talk about appreciate and, and you, especially those who have grown up around firearms.
00:24:11.326 --> 00:24:12.046
Mm-hmm.
00:24:12.051 --> 00:24:16.441
And we might lose sometimes that know, you never appreci a pointy in that something somebody might not.
00:24:16.471 --> 00:24:16.760
Yeah.
00:24:17.026 --> 00:24:23.056
Well, and just, just the bang and the, you know, and the, the recoil and appreciating that not everybody comes.
00:24:23.401 --> 00:24:25.500
You know, prepared for the same thing.
00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:34.681
And so, you know, in, just like in relationship building, we have to, so oftentimes we miss, um, the, the appreciation moment for where these people are coming from.
00:24:35.070 --> 00:24:48.060
And as they're coming into this new relationship, um, there's just a, uh, uh, um, critical aspect of success in the relationship building to truly take the time to appreciate where this person's coming from.
00:24:48.060 --> 00:24:54.691
From, because they might, I mean, all the way to the point they, it, it's easy to be an anti-gun person, you know?
00:24:54.695 --> 00:24:54.816
Yeah.
00:24:54.816 --> 00:25:07.500
That there's a, there's a big, you know, sure there's population of it and, and for whatever reason, but if I truly want that person to share an experience that, you know, I'm just like, oh, but you probably don't know how much fun it is.
00:25:08.506 --> 00:25:12.766
I've got to come and meet them in the middle and appreciate where they're coming from.
00:25:12.766 --> 00:25:12.855
Sure.
00:25:12.855 --> 00:25:22.246
They may have had been in part of a horrific, uh, yeah, been taken off sage by a bank robber or have a, a inadvertent firearm, you know, a firearm go off inadvertently.
00:25:22.665 --> 00:25:31.246
And, uh, that's important and, and ultimately there may be a reason to say, you know what, we don't have to do any, you know, shooting.
00:25:31.695 --> 00:25:38.056
We can go fishing, we can go fishing, we can flinging arrows, or you know, we can simply go for a walk and, and talk about the experience that you had.
00:25:38.056 --> 00:25:39.675
That sounds like a really tough one.
00:25:39.675 --> 00:25:40.546
You're not quite over it.
00:25:40.605 --> 00:25:40.786
Hmm.
00:25:41.536 --> 00:25:42.796
Yeah, so that's relationship.
00:25:43.605 --> 00:25:47.655
But I, I, I, uh, we're very proud of the campus in whole.
00:25:48.016 --> 00:25:54.705
Um, but we're, uh, specifically proud that we were able to bring a firearms, uh, range.
00:25:55.201 --> 00:25:58.951
Into what is now, you know, kind of central, northern Colorado.
00:25:59.040 --> 00:25:59.310
Right.
00:25:59.310 --> 00:26:01.560
You know, and uh, that doesn't happen every day.
00:26:01.560 --> 00:26:01.651
Right.
00:26:01.651 --> 00:26:04.590
Well, and your property's so amazing with how many ponds you have out there?
00:26:04.596 --> 00:26:05.236
12 ponds.
00:26:05.280 --> 00:26:06.090
12 ponds.
00:26:06.090 --> 00:26:08.040
You know, water's so scarce around here.
00:26:08.040 --> 00:26:09.451
Can I take my boat out there?
00:26:09.780 --> 00:26:11.701
You, uh, well, you could take your boat.
00:26:11.701 --> 00:26:12.601
You just can't put in the water.
00:26:12.601 --> 00:26:14.520
Is that what you're looking like?
00:26:14.820 --> 00:26:15.840
How about my paddleboard?
00:26:15.901 --> 00:26:16.411
There you go.
00:26:16.471 --> 00:26:17.310
Yeah, we do actually.
00:26:17.310 --> 00:26:17.941
You know, it's, yeah.
00:26:17.941 --> 00:26:21.181
Do you have like a membership program where I can just pay You do not, yeah.
00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:23.010
Honestly, that's a revenue builder there.
00:26:23.010 --> 00:26:25.590
I would probably pay, I don't even have to fish.
00:26:25.596 --> 00:26:25.796
Mm-hmm.
00:26:26.026 --> 00:26:26.316
Like.
00:26:27.046 --> 00:26:32.596
A hundred bucks a month just to have those nice ponds to paddleboard around to make sure that it's loud and clear to all your listeners.
00:26:32.895 --> 00:26:35.175
No, we do not have a pay to play.
00:26:35.685 --> 00:26:38.655
We'll probably open, so I was sneaking at night now is what you're saying.
00:26:38.655 --> 00:26:43.786
That's called trespassing and uh, there's, yeah, but the patrols are probably really infrequent out there.
00:26:43.786 --> 00:26:46.246
No, we have a great relationship with our sheriff's department.
00:26:46.246 --> 00:26:49.965
Yeah, my car would probably stick out like a sore thumb if I was parked anywhere around there.
00:26:50.115 --> 00:26:52.185
Yeah, no, we, uh, how hard is your fence to climb?
00:26:52.276 --> 00:26:55.096
It's not that hard, but, uh, still don't do it.
00:26:55.102 --> 00:26:55.695
That's not an invite.
00:26:55.695 --> 00:26:55.965
Okay.
00:26:57.556 --> 00:27:00.526
Stay with your programmatic, uh, you know, part of coming out there.
00:27:00.526 --> 00:27:04.756
Well, it would be pretty cool, you could just indicate water or two ponds for the recreational floaters.
00:27:04.760 --> 00:27:05.230
No, I love it.
00:27:05.621 --> 00:27:05.951
Love it.
00:27:05.951 --> 00:27:18.645
And we get that often we, we, uh, we get that often as to, you know, um, hey, can I, you know, is there an opportunity where we could come in and pay a fee and have, you know, the privilege of doing, you know, whatever.
00:27:18.976 --> 00:27:23.145
And it's, it's purely because we are so busy.
00:27:23.510 --> 00:27:27.500
Um, yeah, we have very little capacity Kurt, to, so we're lucky to get a spot out there.
00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:27.711
Kind of.
00:27:27.711 --> 00:27:28.401
You really are.
00:27:28.401 --> 00:27:28.461
Yeah.
00:27:28.461 --> 00:27:32.961
I mean, I'm not, it's not that you're privileged, it's just that you're fortunate to find a space.
00:27:32.961 --> 00:27:37.520
Well, and we're doing stuff like, we're not a faith oriented.
00:27:38.060 --> 00:27:38.151
Mm-hmm.
00:27:38.181 --> 00:27:42.681
Or you know, and you're not even, you could been, it sounds like we could've been plenty of church, but we're also about relationships.
00:27:42.711 --> 00:27:42.861
Yeah.
00:27:42.861 --> 00:27:43.371
You know?
00:27:43.375 --> 00:27:43.405
Yeah.
00:27:43.411 --> 00:27:48.651
And, and in this case, our members were giving them one pass to bring one person.
00:27:48.651 --> 00:27:49.280
That's cool.
00:27:49.340 --> 00:27:53.090
Whether that's a coworker or their spouse or a business friend.
00:27:53.090 --> 00:27:54.441
Seems like relationships.
00:27:54.445 --> 00:27:54.566
Yeah.
00:27:54.566 --> 00:27:54.685
Yeah.
00:27:54.746 --> 00:27:55.851
That's, yeah.
00:27:55.851 --> 00:27:58.490
So I'm ready to pack it up, you know, it's cool.
00:27:58.490 --> 00:27:58.941
I like it.
00:27:59.270 --> 00:28:00.141
I'm vibing with that.
00:28:00.351 --> 00:28:00.411
Yeah.
00:28:00.471 --> 00:28:02.540
So it's, it's a pretty small team overall.
00:28:02.540 --> 00:28:02.840
Then.
00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:05.871
Oh, can you tell me where in Colorado Springs is this new place?
00:28:05.871 --> 00:28:06.681
Or is that too early?
00:28:06.681 --> 00:28:07.550
Oh, heck no.
00:28:07.941 --> 00:28:08.721
I'm excited to tell you.
00:28:08.721 --> 00:28:11.300
So, and for those who, I lived down there for a few years.
00:28:11.300 --> 00:28:11.330
Oh.
00:28:11.330 --> 00:28:12.111
So I'm familiar.
00:28:12.111 --> 00:28:13.310
But our listeners might not be.
00:28:13.310 --> 00:28:15.771
Here's your test where you're familiar with Tucci Farms.
00:28:16.816 --> 00:28:18.496
No, come on Kurt.
00:28:18.496 --> 00:28:19.340
You couldn't maybe been there.
00:28:19.340 --> 00:28:19.846
Maybe, I don't know.
00:28:20.056 --> 00:28:20.895
Gimme some roads.
00:28:20.901 --> 00:28:22.605
The old, the place where you'd get free pumpkins.
00:28:22.905 --> 00:28:23.175
Mm-hmm.
00:28:23.236 --> 00:28:24.405
Um, on the south end.
00:28:24.405 --> 00:28:26.925
South, south of, uh, south Academy Boulevard.
00:28:27.016 --> 00:28:27.286
Yep.
00:28:27.346 --> 00:28:28.486
Y'all I 25.
00:28:28.486 --> 00:28:28.635
Yep.
00:28:28.635 --> 00:28:28.786
Yep.
00:28:28.786 --> 00:28:30.381
What, what's interesting is head to fountain kind of.
00:28:31.046 --> 00:28:31.921
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:28:31.921 --> 00:28:33.451
Um, fountain Fort Carson.
00:28:33.451 --> 00:28:33.570
Yeah.
00:28:33.570 --> 00:28:38.040
We're actually, we're right across the interstate from the entrance to Fort Carson.
00:28:38.046 --> 00:28:38.296
Right, okay.
00:28:38.296 --> 00:28:38.496
Yeah.
00:28:38.500 --> 00:28:38.701
Yeah.
00:28:38.701 --> 00:28:42.451
And so I was just there not too long ago there, like south to south side Johnny's and stuff.
00:28:42.451 --> 00:28:42.601
Yeah.
00:28:42.601 --> 00:28:47.730
There's a, uh, an old, uh, farm called Tu Dick Ucci was the guy.
00:28:47.736 --> 00:28:47.816
Okay.
00:28:47.820 --> 00:28:48.990
Ucci Farms.
00:28:49.020 --> 00:28:54.931
And, um, before he passed, he gifted the property to, um, the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.
00:28:54.961 --> 00:28:55.260
Oh yeah.
00:28:55.471 --> 00:29:00.511
Which they have a real estate arm, so they, they hold it under their real estate arm and, um.
00:29:01.070 --> 00:29:02.631
Kinda until they find the right user.
00:29:02.631 --> 00:29:02.721
Yep.
00:29:02.871 --> 00:29:09.500
And so we approached them and, uh, um, we, you know, um, hey, heard you have this property.
00:29:09.921 --> 00:29:12.891
We didn't hear they had em, we went and looked at it like, do they have water too?
00:29:12.891 --> 00:29:14.480
Because Fountain Creek flows right through it.
00:29:14.570 --> 00:29:17.601
So different from what we have up in Swift Ponds.
00:29:17.961 --> 00:29:23.421
Um, they don't have, uh, ponds yet, but, um, well, with Trump in office, you can pawn that thing up.
00:29:23.786 --> 00:29:24.590
There you go.
00:29:24.951 --> 00:29:30.171
Um, we, uh, we really celebrate the fact that, you know, there's this beautiful stream, right?
00:29:30.171 --> 00:29:32.000
The mainstream that comes through Colorado Springs.
00:29:32.030 --> 00:29:32.392
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:32.451 --> 00:29:33.560
And we're gonna celebrate that.
00:29:33.560 --> 00:29:45.921
But, um, yeah, I mean, uh, just today, you know, um, we were in conversations about how we're gonna activate, you know, uh, certain portions of the property and, uh, we acres, we look great things, acres.
00:29:45.921 --> 00:29:52.760
So the total campus is 220 acres or 200 acres, I'm sorry, 220 here, 200 acres.
00:29:52.760 --> 00:29:55.371
And we'll activate 87 acres of that.
00:29:55.891 --> 00:29:56.431
Right away.
00:29:56.431 --> 00:29:57.300
I mean, we're doing it right now.
00:29:57.300 --> 00:29:57.691
Wow.
00:29:57.695 --> 00:29:57.756
Wow.
00:29:57.990 --> 00:30:04.861
And so, um, yeah, our, our fall semester will be the first class.
00:30:04.921 --> 00:30:05.550
Oh, so you're busy.
00:30:05.671 --> 00:30:06.030
Yeah.
00:30:06.060 --> 00:30:10.351
First class fall semester will be our first class of, they'll shoot archery down there.
00:30:10.351 --> 00:30:12.871
They'll have an air rifle towards the station, uh, range.
00:30:13.230 --> 00:30:17.881
Uh, they won't shoot because right across the street is, uh, Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex.
00:30:17.941 --> 00:30:18.181
Oh.
00:30:18.211 --> 00:30:25.861
Which is a beautiful complex, and, uh, we have, um, time with them already set up that, you know, CYO gets, uh, oh.
00:30:25.861 --> 00:30:27.996
You can do trapshooting and different things if you want to.
00:30:27.996 --> 00:30:28.395
Mm-hmm.
00:30:28.476 --> 00:30:29.875
Well, an air rifle shooting is pretty cool.
00:30:30.096 --> 00:30:32.851
Oh, you ought see how busy our air rifle.
00:30:32.971 --> 00:30:33.181
Uh.
00:30:33.385 --> 00:30:35.455
Ranges on swift lawns.
00:30:35.516 --> 00:30:35.635
Really?
00:30:35.635 --> 00:30:37.016
Oh, oh, here's the deal, Kurt.
00:30:37.016 --> 00:30:37.076
Out.
00:30:37.076 --> 00:30:38.756
So here's a, another example.
00:30:38.780 --> 00:30:40.316
What, what would you recommend as an air rifle?
00:30:40.316 --> 00:30:44.096
A a kind of a generalist user kind of thing?
00:30:44.101 --> 00:30:44.455
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:44.455 --> 00:30:48.175
If you want something that goes about 800 feet per second, which is, you know, very accurate.
00:30:48.296 --> 00:30:48.445
Yeah.
00:30:48.506 --> 00:30:52.226
Um, uh, which can tell you it also can be deadly to small orit.
00:30:52.586 --> 00:31:00.236
Um, Stoger makes a fabulous, you know, um, air rifle for, you know, a hundred and maybe even like a hundred bucks, 150 bucks.
00:31:00.236 --> 00:31:00.590
Right, right.
00:31:00.895 --> 00:31:05.306
And, uh, um, but I'll tell you what's more popular, okay.
00:31:05.665 --> 00:31:09.715
Is the old Daisy Red Rider BB guns, I don't know.
00:31:09.715 --> 00:31:10.405
I don't know how many we own.
00:31:10.405 --> 00:31:11.246
We own a bunch of them.
00:31:11.576 --> 00:31:19.346
And, uh, so our, our summer campers, that's what's, you know, right now we have, uh, summer camp going on along with our, our core classes.
00:31:19.346 --> 00:31:28.316
But, um, summer camp, what I find is so cool, um, the kids are there from Monday through Thursday and then the parents join them on Friday and the.
00:31:28.631 --> 00:31:29.980
Kids get to be their guides.
00:31:30.040 --> 00:31:49.151
Well, lo and behold, and they get to go show, crush their parents whatever they want, you know, and, uh, may you watch, you just watch the army of people going to the air rifle station, the lion, and those parents want to, you know, these adults, they're out there plinking these metal targets with the, the old, uh, red Rider or Bebe Gun.
00:31:49.211 --> 00:31:49.451
Love it.
00:31:49.451 --> 00:31:49.452
Love it.
00:31:49.458 --> 00:31:51.820
Where you can actually watch the bebe in the right light conditions.
00:31:51.826 --> 00:31:52.605
Yeah, exactly.
00:31:53.986 --> 00:31:57.221
So, um, one of those maybe 250, 300 feet per second?
00:31:57.851 --> 00:31:59.566
Uh, yeah, probably even less than that.
00:31:59.566 --> 00:31:59.766
Yeah.
00:32:00.125 --> 00:32:01.526
150, something like that.
00:32:01.526 --> 00:32:02.621
Yeah, just under 200.
00:32:02.621 --> 00:32:03.431
Gotcha, gotcha.
00:32:03.431 --> 00:32:03.881
Interesting.
00:32:03.941 --> 00:32:04.151
Yeah.
00:32:04.151 --> 00:32:05.260
But they'll still sting you.
00:32:05.530 --> 00:32:12.701
So you got probably what, you have half dozen staff at the north location and then just a handful of one or two or three south.
00:32:12.730 --> 00:32:14.861
Well, and then a bunch of volunteers, I would imagine.
00:32:14.861 --> 00:32:15.040
Yeah.
00:32:15.040 --> 00:32:17.861
Or contractors or what's your, what's the business model?
00:32:17.891 --> 00:32:18.911
Yeah, thanks.
00:32:18.941 --> 00:32:23.530
Um, so we have, uh, I think we're up to.
00:32:23.611 --> 00:32:26.070
I wanna say 14 full-time staff.
00:32:26.101 --> 00:32:26.760
Okay.
00:32:26.760 --> 00:32:26.761
Okay.
00:32:27.151 --> 00:32:33.871
And which includes, you know, Marty's our only full-time staff down in Colorado Springs, so, um, 13 up here.
00:32:33.990 --> 00:32:37.411
Um, and then he's here to grow so he can get a half-time helper or something.
00:32:37.411 --> 00:32:37.590
Yeah.
00:32:38.250 --> 00:32:44.221
And then, and then we have, uh, a probably 45, maybe 50 part-time staff.
00:32:44.371 --> 00:32:44.790
Oh, wow.
00:32:45.211 --> 00:32:45.540
Okay.
00:32:45.540 --> 00:32:45.786
So it's a big group.
00:32:45.965 --> 00:32:48.361
And then, so like program leads and different things like that, right?
00:32:48.361 --> 00:32:48.540
Yeah.
00:32:48.540 --> 00:32:53.760
Program experts at shooting, officating, arche staffers and, and counselors and stuff like that too.
00:32:53.760 --> 00:32:55.320
Well, so you use that word.
00:32:55.320 --> 00:32:57.300
And we, we stay away from counselors.
00:32:57.361 --> 00:32:57.601
Yep.
00:32:58.201 --> 00:33:00.300
So it has a, a little bit of a clinical know.
00:33:00.931 --> 00:33:02.040
Yeah, you're broken.
00:33:02.161 --> 00:33:02.580
Yeah.
00:33:02.641 --> 00:33:02.911
Yeah.
00:33:02.941 --> 00:33:08.641
So, um, but pro staff, well we have instructors and pro staffers and, um, um.
00:33:09.016 --> 00:33:12.105
And that just means that they've been formally trained on the PACT model.
00:33:12.135 --> 00:33:12.586
Okay.
00:33:12.586 --> 00:33:18.586
And so, so they might not be a social worker background or things like that.
00:33:18.586 --> 00:33:18.885
Even.
00:33:18.891 --> 00:33:23.056
Not even, we, we employ several, uh, public education, you know, teachers.
00:33:23.205 --> 00:33:23.385
Yep.
00:33:23.415 --> 00:33:25.935
Um, but we don't target that specifically.
00:33:25.935 --> 00:33:35.836
We, um, you can really have a, uh, next to no background in, um, traditional outdoor recreation.
00:33:35.836 --> 00:33:39.885
You know, you don't have, you don't have to be an avid fly fisherman or an avid archer.
00:33:40.336 --> 00:33:47.296
Um, but what you have to be ex, you know, just, uh, uber avid about, enthusiastic about the mission relationships.
00:33:47.550 --> 00:33:47.671
Yeah.
00:33:47.675 --> 00:33:47.806
Yeah.
00:33:47.806 --> 00:33:54.105
If you want to, if you want to help folks, um, build relationships, you can, you can come pretty raw into our community.
00:33:54.105 --> 00:33:58.455
So it's almost like a paid partners volunteership kind of thing That's Yeah.
00:33:58.455 --> 00:33:59.955
It's a, as a part-time employee.
00:34:00.046 --> 00:34:00.316
Yeah.
00:34:00.320 --> 00:34:00.711
Um, yeah.
00:34:00.945 --> 00:34:03.556
But, and there a lot more responsibility obviously and stuff too.
00:34:03.556 --> 00:34:05.266
But you get to do things that are.
00:34:05.790 --> 00:34:07.020
Relationship building.
00:34:07.020 --> 00:34:07.681
Absolutely.
00:34:07.681 --> 00:34:07.740
Yeah.
00:34:07.861 --> 00:34:10.755
Um, in that case, in the case of these folks, not as.
00:34:12.106 --> 00:34:14.865
Like you're building relationships between other people mm-hmm.
00:34:14.891 --> 00:34:15.331
Is your focus.
00:34:15.331 --> 00:34:15.690
Mm-hmm.
00:34:15.945 --> 00:34:18.826
You're help, you're fostering, you're facilitating.
00:34:18.826 --> 00:34:19.050
You're supporting.
00:34:19.056 --> 00:34:19.635
Facilitating.
00:34:19.635 --> 00:34:19.905
Yep.
00:34:20.295 --> 00:34:32.206
Um, and so, uh, yeah, there's a formal training that, um, you go through and, you know, we're always looking for, we, we'd love to fill the pipeline with, uh, potential instructors.
00:34:32.326 --> 00:34:32.505
Okay.
00:34:32.505 --> 00:34:35.266
And again, you have to, you have to, you sha to be an instructor.
00:34:35.266 --> 00:34:38.056
You shadow an instructor, um, for the first semester.
00:34:38.206 --> 00:34:38.385
Yeah.
00:34:38.445 --> 00:34:42.346
And, and again, we're, we're fortunate in our core class, it's, it's a full semester.
00:34:42.465 --> 00:34:43.815
It's a 14 week program.
00:34:43.815 --> 00:34:44.235
Wow.
00:34:44.235 --> 00:34:47.356
And so, you know, you get a lot of, so you get a lot of skillset.
00:34:47.385 --> 00:34:47.626
Yeah.
00:34:48.135 --> 00:34:48.690
If you wanna do that.
00:34:48.690 --> 00:34:48.891
Yeah.
00:34:48.891 --> 00:34:51.556
So you shadow for a semester is the shadowing volunteer.
00:34:51.615 --> 00:34:51.856
Yep.
00:34:52.126 --> 00:34:52.335
Yep.
00:34:52.666 --> 00:34:53.326
Get paid the shadow.
00:34:54.490 --> 00:34:56.405
Um, just, and you don't pay much for the part-timers either?
00:34:56.726 --> 00:34:56.806
Probably.
00:34:56.806 --> 00:34:56.885
No.
00:34:56.885 --> 00:35:18.311
Just like in life shadows are free, so, um, but, uh, uh, but you are, you know, you're, you're, um, gaining expertise and understanding and then, uh, yeah, if you, you know, get in involved in the class and then, uh, you can, um, if everything goes well, you can become an instructor, which you're still underneath a pro, what we call pro staffer.
00:35:18.371 --> 00:35:18.581
Yep.
00:35:18.731 --> 00:35:18.851
Yeah.
00:35:18.851 --> 00:35:22.300
But you're, uh, you know, you're basically the right hand man to whomever.
00:35:22.306 --> 00:35:22.485
Yeah.
00:35:22.490 --> 00:35:22.780
Yeah.
00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:25.871
And then, uh, ultimately to oversee.
00:35:26.641 --> 00:35:30.570
A group of instructors and a group of, uh, volunteers that are hoping to be instructors.
00:35:30.811 --> 00:35:31.951
You become a pro staffer.
00:35:32.010 --> 00:35:32.460
Yeah.
00:35:32.460 --> 00:35:32.461
Yeah.
00:35:32.550 --> 00:35:34.351
So what a cool structure that you've built.
00:35:34.411 --> 00:35:34.650
Yeah.
00:35:34.650 --> 00:35:35.371
It's really, it's great.
00:35:35.371 --> 00:35:43.380
I mean, I'm guessing that it started much smaller than that, and you just kinda solve problems that you discovered along the way in creating this, our early beginnings.
00:35:43.440 --> 00:35:46.110
Um, it's, it's fun, but it's a little bit scary.
00:35:46.110 --> 00:35:49.021
You know, we didn't, we, we didn't always have a site.
00:35:49.050 --> 00:35:50.581
We didn't always have the facility.
00:35:50.641 --> 00:35:50.971
Oh, really?
00:35:50.971 --> 00:35:52.380
So we started as, can you Yeah.
00:35:52.380 --> 00:35:53.701
Take, take me back to the scene.
00:35:53.701 --> 00:35:54.630
What were you doing?
00:35:54.630 --> 00:35:56.221
Did you have like a day job and stuff?
00:35:56.221 --> 00:35:56.550
Well, yeah.
00:35:56.581 --> 00:35:57.030
Okay.
00:35:57.030 --> 00:35:59.101
So yeah, if you wanna go way back to the beginning Yeah.
00:35:59.101 --> 00:35:59.206
Just, yeah.
00:35:59.210 --> 00:36:00.481
Well, we'll go all the way.
00:36:01.050 --> 00:36:03.570
We, we go all the back to when you're like a first grader.
00:36:03.630 --> 00:36:04.291
Eventually.
00:36:04.380 --> 00:36:04.920
I was a first grader.
00:36:05.190 --> 00:36:05.340
Yeah.
00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:09.001
But we're gonna just zoom back to, well, that's two years ago, so that's hard.
00:36:09.240 --> 00:36:11.460
But, but I want to hear just like where you were Sure.
00:36:11.460 --> 00:36:12.751
What was your place in life?
00:36:12.751 --> 00:36:12.780
Okay.
00:36:12.811 --> 00:36:15.601
When the first, uh, sprouts of CYO started.
00:36:15.751 --> 00:36:16.081
Sure.
00:36:16.170 --> 00:36:16.501
Okay.
00:36:16.505 --> 00:36:16.565
Well.
00:36:17.126 --> 00:36:18.356
Yeah, let's just go for it.
00:36:18.445 --> 00:36:30.536
Um, so, uh, yeah, I got a degree at CSU, went to Hawk Company, which is a local company, you know, water analysis company, and um, uh, now part of Dana or something.
00:36:30.541 --> 00:36:30.760
Dana.
00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:31.081
Mm-hmm.
00:36:31.081 --> 00:36:31.561
Dan Company.
00:36:31.661 --> 00:36:31.880
Yep.
00:36:31.880 --> 00:36:35.005
And, uh, that happened while I was, um, with Hawk.
00:36:35.005 --> 00:36:39.476
I was, uh, originally employed by the family of the Hawk family.
00:36:39.476 --> 00:36:39.536
Yeah.
00:36:39.536 --> 00:36:47.126
And then, uh, Danaher came in and purchased, uh, Hawk and, uh, folded into their big model, the Danaher Business Model System.
00:36:47.186 --> 00:37:02.155
And very fortunate I was at the right place, right time, you know, and so my career advanced quickly and, uh, got into, um, uh, a role, uh, through, um, in the engineering group, the r and d group, whereas, um.
00:37:03.030 --> 00:37:06.391
I was asked to go look at different companies for their intellectual property.
00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:06.601
Hmm.
00:37:06.721 --> 00:37:15.601
Well, that meant some of the companies, you know, Glen, uh, Danaher's a global company, and so when they ask you to travel, sometimes the travel is, uh, extensive.
00:37:15.751 --> 00:37:15.931
Yeah.
00:37:16.021 --> 00:37:20.610
And so, uh, we had, uh, purchased a company in, uh, uh, Manchester, England.
00:37:20.701 --> 00:37:23.400
And we had companies, well we companies all through Europe.
00:37:23.731 --> 00:37:33.210
And so I spent a lot of time in, uh, um, you know, just outside of London in Manchester and then, uh, but also up in Berlin and Dusseldorf and Okay.
00:37:33.240 --> 00:37:41.641
So, um, my, uh, role and responsibility, you know, I, I spent a lot of time away from my family and, um, yeah.
00:37:41.820 --> 00:37:43.561
My wife, wife and I absentee two.
00:37:43.576 --> 00:37:43.735
Yep.
00:37:44.275 --> 00:37:45.121
Two young children.
00:37:45.210 --> 00:37:45.451
Yeah.
00:37:45.541 --> 00:37:56.371
And, um, it's, so, it's, it's, it's, it's tough because it, it affords you, you know, they compensate their, their folks well, and so yeah, we were making a living that a lot of vacation time.
00:37:57.001 --> 00:38:01.740
You just, and when you come home, I found myself, you know, uh, making sure that our kids.
00:38:02.416 --> 00:38:08.565
Uh, when we, we did, we, you know, I never went to Disneyland as a kid, ever, you know, never thought of myself ever being able to Right.
00:38:08.565 --> 00:38:14.025
But my kids, you know, because we had, you know, um, we had finances that were different than how I grew up.
00:38:14.416 --> 00:38:17.956
Um, we were able to afford, you know, you really can kind of go do whatever you want, right?
00:38:18.255 --> 00:38:23.536
And however, um, I remember Disneyland builds memories, but it doesn't really build relationships there.
00:38:23.536 --> 00:38:24.255
You, you know what?
00:38:24.255 --> 00:38:28.155
I didn't think about that, but that, that has some staying power for sure.
00:38:28.576 --> 00:38:37.425
Um, but, um, it was, uh, you know, came home from one of my trips and my wife met me at the door and she has her career too.
00:38:37.576 --> 00:38:43.365
And, uh, and so we were both, you know, building on our careers and thinking that we're doing the right thing for our kids, you know?
00:38:43.485 --> 00:38:43.876
And, uh.
00:38:44.775 --> 00:38:49.516
And we were, you know, our, our, our kids, you know, we had a, we had a, a good relationship, right?
00:38:49.516 --> 00:38:49.576
Yeah.
00:38:49.576 --> 00:38:55.485
But going to the next level of great really meant we, we needed to find how to spend more time.
00:38:55.485 --> 00:38:56.175
Intentionality.
00:38:56.175 --> 00:38:56.985
Intentionality.
00:38:57.045 --> 00:38:58.815
And so my wife met me at the door.
00:38:58.815 --> 00:39:00.260
I remember coming home and I was like, uhoh.
00:39:00.826 --> 00:39:03.525
And, uh, she said, this just, this isn't working.
00:39:03.646 --> 00:39:11.596
You know, you being gone and, you know, and then come back and shuffle the family again and, you know, kids kind of get to know you again.
00:39:12.405 --> 00:39:15.702
You know, and I'm thinking that's So you were gone like for a month at a time stuff it like Yeah.
00:39:15.706 --> 00:39:16.726
Several weeks at a time.
00:39:16.726 --> 00:39:17.056
Yeah.
00:39:17.295 --> 00:39:21.106
So, um, uh, and, but that's kind what we were all doing.
00:39:21.315 --> 00:39:24.141
And you in my prime years of Yeah.
00:39:24.141 --> 00:39:27.496
You know, being a young professional and, um, so.
00:39:28.440 --> 00:39:28.951
Um, yeah.
00:39:28.951 --> 00:39:35.911
Even if you weren't traveling, you were still busy as get out, you know, you got a banker this or that, trying to get established, you're still working 60 hours a week.
00:39:35.911 --> 00:39:36.121
Yep.
00:39:36.210 --> 00:39:37.141
And I love my job.
00:39:37.141 --> 00:39:37.710
That's the other thing.
00:39:37.710 --> 00:39:40.650
I love the staff, love my job, love the company I work for.
00:39:41.041 --> 00:39:47.701
So everything seemed to be in line except for, you know, there was a tug of, um, what is my real purpose?
00:39:47.701 --> 00:39:52.050
You know, is it going out and trying to make as much money as I can for the family?
00:39:52.440 --> 00:39:56.431
Um, or, you know, where's this at?
00:39:56.431 --> 00:40:01.621
And then I reflected back to, you know, again, my family as I grew up, we, we didn't have that right.
00:40:01.740 --> 00:40:04.201
But yet we had something very special, you know?
00:40:04.501 --> 00:40:10.260
And so, you know, it was the next, I think it was the very next travel trip that I took.
00:40:10.650 --> 00:40:18.510
I, you know, sketched out a business plan that, um, would basically take me away from that company and we'd start a nonprofit.
00:40:18.541 --> 00:40:18.931
Wow.
00:40:19.081 --> 00:40:23.880
And so, um, but I knew I didn't have the expertise to really.
00:40:24.300 --> 00:40:25.471
Um, dial it in.
00:40:25.471 --> 00:40:35.940
And so my, my family, the whole family, my brothers and sister, my parents, all educators, and, uh, I was kind of the black sheep in that, uh, um, you know, getting in sch, nerdy.
00:40:35.940 --> 00:40:36.001
Yeah.
00:40:36.106 --> 00:40:36.666
Little more entrepreneurial.
00:40:37.166 --> 00:40:44.701
So, and, but, so I went to my, uh, my, uh, brother Tom, and, uh, I said, Hey man, you are the most clever.
00:40:45.181 --> 00:40:48.900
You know, you, you write the best, uh, um, uh, uh.
00:40:49.576 --> 00:40:50.565
Uh, what do they call it?
00:40:50.596 --> 00:40:56.295
Um, class, um, essays or whatever, or Well, the, yeah, the, the, um, curriculum class.
00:40:56.295 --> 00:40:56.686
Curriculum.
00:40:56.715 --> 00:40:56.985
Oh, sure.
00:40:57.045 --> 00:40:57.315
Okay.
00:40:57.376 --> 00:41:03.465
And he was a science teacher, and, uh, I said, you know, and he shared the same dream about, you know, getting families together.
00:41:03.465 --> 00:41:06.916
He saw what, you know, what that great fabric we had as a family.
00:41:07.456 --> 00:41:13.275
And so, um, he wrote a, uh, curriculum that, uh, much of which is still intact today.
00:41:13.695 --> 00:41:17.201
Um, and, uh, he was actually our first employee, so, um, okay.
00:41:17.481 --> 00:41:22.911
My, I, my wife allowed me to give you 150 bucks if you write this thing with 12 hours of your life.
00:41:22.971 --> 00:41:23.271
Yeah.
00:41:23.271 --> 00:41:23.360
Right.
00:41:23.690 --> 00:41:31.251
So, um, but you know, we're, we're, you know, our family is, has a long, uh, history of being, uh, coaches and successful coaches.
00:41:31.251 --> 00:41:46.371
And so you use that coaching and, and a, a set curriculum and, um, so quickly, um, we were successful, um, CYO, um, and, uh, and so you like, tell your boss one day, told my boss one day, Hey, you got this plan and I'm gonna, I'm gonna leave the company.
00:41:46.490 --> 00:41:46.791
Yeah.
00:41:46.945 --> 00:41:49.251
And, uh, and it, it, that was tough.
00:41:49.251 --> 00:41:54.110
Was were you not tempted to like start first a little bit or you couldn't really do it, you had to travel.
00:41:54.110 --> 00:41:55.846
I had to go to Berlin, had to go, you know, whatever.
00:41:56.326 --> 00:42:01.606
I, you know, I stayed well, I, I committed to the company that I would stay till they found my replacement and we kind of.
00:42:02.251 --> 00:42:03.420
Probably on both sides.
00:42:03.420 --> 00:42:04.530
They drug it out a little bit.
00:42:04.530 --> 00:42:08.550
I probably drug it out a little bit and, you know, used contract services.
00:42:08.610 --> 00:42:09.811
I, I became a contractor.
00:42:09.811 --> 00:42:09.960
Right?
00:42:09.960 --> 00:42:10.201
Right.
00:42:10.260 --> 00:42:18.690
And that, that helped us, you know, afford, but the eventuality was, we're gonna, I was gonna quit that, that was, you had to build a new boat to float in.
00:42:18.690 --> 00:42:23.161
So, you know, my wife and I, much smaller boat, we talked a lot about that.
00:42:23.161 --> 00:42:33.451
And we set some milestones, some markers of, yeah, hey, you know, we'll watch how this thing works and if it's not working, you know, right up to a certain milestone, you're smart enough, you could get another job if you need to.
00:42:33.451 --> 00:42:33.541
Yep.
00:42:33.570 --> 00:42:38.610
I'd go right back to where I was, you know, and, uh, so, uh, the risk wasn't that high really.
00:42:38.610 --> 00:42:42.121
I'd love to, I left a in great, uh, great standing, I think.
00:42:42.121 --> 00:42:48.510
And, uh, I'm not saying they would hire me right back, but, um, it was, uh, so we started the foundation in 2001.
00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:53.130
I formally left talk in 2003, so that was that little bridge period.
00:42:53.550 --> 00:42:57.661
And, uh, but you know, we, I was never gonna make enough to, you know.
00:42:58.141 --> 00:43:01.471
Build a trust that would, you know, financially be stable.
00:43:01.471 --> 00:43:04.920
Well, and even now, your salary probably might be less than it was.
00:43:04.920 --> 00:43:05.731
Absolutely.
00:43:05.731 --> 00:43:06.001
Yeah.
00:43:06.061 --> 00:43:12.690
So I left there with, um, uh, and it, so this is where I, you know, the purpose in my life.
00:43:12.751 --> 00:43:15.271
Um, where, well, it's really how old were you?
00:43:15.271 --> 00:43:16.110
Where Guide and I met?
00:43:16.201 --> 00:43:18.780
We, uh, I was, I was just turning 40.
00:43:18.960 --> 00:43:19.081
Yeah.
00:43:19.081 --> 00:43:20.940
I left the Hawket when I turned 40.
00:43:20.940 --> 00:43:21.871
So you're 65 now?
00:43:22.170 --> 00:43:23.130
62.
00:43:23.340 --> 00:43:23.545
Oh, okay.
00:43:23.606 --> 00:43:25.706
I'm, yeah, because you have 25 years next year.
00:43:25.706 --> 00:43:26.465
2003.
00:43:27.206 --> 00:43:27.945
In 2001.
00:43:27.945 --> 00:43:29.106
Next year is your 25 year thing.
00:43:29.106 --> 00:43:34.800
So I was 38 when, when we launched Sea Whale, but I left Hawk in, in when I was 40.
00:43:34.860 --> 00:43:35.161
Okay.
00:43:35.610 --> 00:43:37.981
So that's when I, the math thanking too, roughly.
00:43:38.070 --> 00:43:38.670
Okay.
00:43:38.670 --> 00:43:39.630
Uh, similar.
00:43:39.630 --> 00:43:40.945
Uh, well, that's a big, that was a big gear though.
00:43:40.951 --> 00:43:41.371
Leap of faith.
00:43:41.431 --> 00:43:42.273
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:43:42.630 --> 00:43:45.570
So, uh, but yeah, leap of faith that, um, yeah.
00:43:45.570 --> 00:43:47.476
You said you, I, well, I.
00:43:48.420 --> 00:43:50.130
Grew up in a Christian home is awesome.
00:43:50.130 --> 00:43:52.710
You know, my mom was our Sunday school teacher, so we could never Ms.
00:43:52.710 --> 00:43:53.041
Church.
00:43:53.041 --> 00:44:01.501
And, um, however, in the Lutheran church and I, you know, think highly of, of, of that, but the experience was religious instead of relationship.
00:44:01.740 --> 00:44:01.831
Yeah.
00:44:01.831 --> 00:44:08.820
And so, um, you know, when I said that I didn't, I really was exploring my purpose in life and, you know, some might call it a midlife crisis.
00:44:08.820 --> 00:44:16.081
I just, it just, I, I didn't have as much purpose in life and I knew I had gifts that I, that I could share.
00:44:16.380 --> 00:44:20.791
But where I was at, uh, in my career, I did, I couldn't find that place.
00:44:20.791 --> 00:44:22.385
So started the foundation.
00:44:23.731 --> 00:44:25.501
Started learning how to pray.
00:44:25.561 --> 00:44:34.110
That words meaningful to me, um, uh, became very, you know, let my emotions, you know, really drive some of my decision making.
00:44:34.110 --> 00:44:47.161
Whereas before, it was always very cautious and, and pre-planned and, you know, go through, uh, a little bit of, uh, not a little bit, a lot of, you know, um, uh, you know, thinking trials and errors about making decisions like that.
00:44:47.161 --> 00:44:50.161
But I let let things just kind of run.
00:44:50.190 --> 00:44:53.041
And, uh, so, and God opened doors.
00:44:53.190 --> 00:44:57.121
I felt like God said, well, I, I guarantee he said, you know, I'll take care of it.
00:44:57.210 --> 00:45:00.525
You know, just, you gotta go and you gotta just quit your job.
00:45:01.110 --> 00:45:03.210
And don't worry about the finances.
00:45:03.210 --> 00:45:05.641
They'll work, it'll find, it'll, you know, we will find a way.
00:45:06.601 --> 00:45:09.686
I'm telling you, Kurt, after five years of CYO.
00:45:10.695 --> 00:45:11.505
I didn't see that.
00:45:11.655 --> 00:45:13.306
I, I panicked really?
00:45:13.335 --> 00:45:15.496
Um, yeah, I started another company Oh, wow.
00:45:15.496 --> 00:45:19.065
And ran it alongside to try to offset like an engineering company or something?
00:45:19.096 --> 00:45:19.425
Nope.
00:45:19.425 --> 00:45:20.806
It was totally different.
00:45:20.806 --> 00:45:28.456
And, uh, and it, you was bringing some revenue into the house, however, um, it was, you know, detracting from the mission.
00:45:28.460 --> 00:45:28.905
Yeah, yeah.
00:45:28.905 --> 00:45:34.306
I just couldn't focus and Well, and your relationship with your kids wasn't getting any stronger, what you were trying to do two full-time jobs.
00:45:34.755 --> 00:45:35.085
Yeah.
00:45:35.085 --> 00:45:35.146
Yeah.
00:45:35.146 --> 00:45:39.255
I was back to, you know, I imagine anyway, way too much, um, on my mind.
00:45:39.255 --> 00:45:45.076
So, um, I remembered, you know, what I felt was God saying, you know, I'll take care of this.
00:45:45.076 --> 00:45:46.096
Just, you gotta go.
00:45:46.516 --> 00:45:51.615
And so at the same time, and so at the, the, the reality was we were going broke.
00:45:51.646 --> 00:45:59.746
CIO, you know, my wife and I had, had come real close to the, the biggest milestone that we said shows that this isn't gonna work.
00:46:00.286 --> 00:46:05.445
And, uh, that was rapidly approaching and we, part of this was.
00:46:06.541 --> 00:46:09.481
Um, I'm, I'm, I, I'm sure I'm a control freak.
00:46:09.481 --> 00:46:16.380
I'm, I'm, you know, I, I, I, I've been told that just you're trying to do everything and, uh, um, I thought I could do it on my own.
00:46:16.561 --> 00:46:19.291
And, uh, there were plenty of people out there willing to help.
00:46:19.291 --> 00:46:26.880
And, um, there's a, there was what we called the Core four that was just fabulous, fabulous families, and they'd do anything for CYO.
00:46:26.880 --> 00:46:30.780
They'd been through the program and they just, you know, yeah, just, just would do anything.
00:46:30.780 --> 00:46:37.981
And so I relied on them as a Core four, but I never thought about what a board, a really good board could do.
00:46:38.101 --> 00:46:38.400
Yeah.
00:46:38.581 --> 00:46:39.300
And, uh.
00:46:40.365 --> 00:46:43.666
Uh, so brought in some business people Yeah.
00:46:43.695 --> 00:46:50.085
Who, uh, also fully understood the power of, of what Cwell had was Stan one mission.
00:46:50.085 --> 00:46:50.295
One.
00:46:50.385 --> 00:46:50.985
Stan Everett.
00:46:51.106 --> 00:46:51.976
Stan Everett.
00:46:52.036 --> 00:46:52.215
Wow.
00:46:52.215 --> 00:46:52.905
You bring him up.
00:46:52.905 --> 00:46:54.615
He's, well, because that's where I first was at your property.
00:46:54.615 --> 00:46:57.045
I just was thinking with the Legacy project.
00:46:57.045 --> 00:46:57.047
Legacy Project.
00:46:57.076 --> 00:46:57.706
Okay.
00:46:57.710 --> 00:46:57.976
Yeah.
00:46:57.976 --> 00:46:58.065
Yeah.
00:46:58.065 --> 00:47:00.240
Let's, can we put a pin and do, I'll come back to it.
00:47:00.240 --> 00:47:01.155
Let do,'cause he is important.
00:47:01.186 --> 00:47:01.516
Okay.
00:47:01.576 --> 00:47:04.606
Um, and, uh, but no, the answer is no.
00:47:04.606 --> 00:47:05.835
Stan's never been on our board.
00:47:05.896 --> 00:47:08.956
Um, but I, I he offers his support.
00:47:08.956 --> 00:47:10.246
He would add value if he wanted to.
00:47:10.251 --> 00:47:10.440
Yeah.
00:47:10.440 --> 00:47:10.641
Yeah, yeah.
00:47:10.646 --> 00:47:10.846
Yeah.
00:47:10.846 --> 00:47:11.956
Aaron's one of my best friends.
00:47:11.956 --> 00:47:13.215
He's, uh, Aaron.
00:47:13.215 --> 00:47:13.606
Questions Aaron?
00:47:14.655 --> 00:47:17.295
So, um, boy, we could go off on one tangent.
00:47:17.295 --> 00:47:18.795
Well, we, we got extra time.
00:47:19.186 --> 00:47:20.385
Amy, do you got extra time today?
00:47:21.990 --> 00:47:22.440
Not really.
00:47:22.471 --> 00:47:22.681
Okay.
00:47:23.161 --> 00:47:23.610
Alright.
00:47:23.610 --> 00:47:24.210
That's great.
00:47:24.271 --> 00:47:36.331
But, uh, back to, you know, we put a board together and uh, um, and I allowed board members to find other board members and not, not rely on what, and you were a good engineer and a good r and d guy, this and that, but you didn't really know business.
00:47:36.510 --> 00:47:36.570
No.
00:47:36.570 --> 00:47:36.900
Really?
00:47:36.905 --> 00:47:37.016
No.
00:47:37.016 --> 00:47:44.130
And you know, in finance, that was, you know, the one class I got a D in in college that I had to take over was accounting.
00:47:44.190 --> 00:47:45.360
Accounting 1 0 1.
00:47:45.811 --> 00:47:46.231
Come on.
00:47:46.471 --> 00:47:46.650
Who care?
00:47:46.650 --> 00:47:47.010
It's boring.
00:47:47.010 --> 00:47:47.670
I struggled.
00:47:47.670 --> 00:47:51.360
I barely pulled on a c just saying it, but I think I just thought it was gonna be that easy anyways.
00:47:51.690 --> 00:48:05.791
Um, so brought in, uh, business people and it was, I, it blew me away when, uh, um, the board said, well, the first thing we're gonna do is, um, we're gonna write the ship and we're gonna go out and get a loan and it's gonna be banks dollars, not.
00:48:06.210 --> 00:48:07.771
Marine and Bob's dollars I see.
00:48:07.771 --> 00:48:08.670
That are funding this.
00:48:08.670 --> 00:48:09.420
I'm like, wait a minute.
00:48:09.420 --> 00:48:13.561
Why we, we already, we couldn't pay back a loan if that's what we're gonna do.
00:48:13.561 --> 00:48:13.891
Right.
00:48:14.340 --> 00:48:18.420
And, uh, but it wasn't about, it was just taking the, the heat off of Yeah.
00:48:18.451 --> 00:48:19.740
You know, the, the family element.
00:48:19.740 --> 00:48:20.041
Right.
00:48:20.070 --> 00:48:22.170
'cause you'd probably racked up a bunch of credit cards and stuff.
00:48:22.291 --> 00:48:24.541
No, we maybe not that it was just our, it was saving.
00:48:24.541 --> 00:48:25.650
But you were tied as a drum.
00:48:25.710 --> 00:48:31.170
Yeah, we were, we were, we were, we were, you know, dipping into savings like our, our retirement.
00:48:31.260 --> 00:48:31.650
Right.
00:48:31.650 --> 00:48:39.240
You know, and, and so anyways, um, uh, my wife would hate it that we're talking about our finances, but, um, the, uh, it's better now.
00:48:39.300 --> 00:48:39.751
The, yeah.
00:48:40.050 --> 00:48:41.490
That's the only way I can talk about now.
00:48:41.971 --> 00:48:43.081
But anyways, um.
00:48:43.400 --> 00:49:01.971
So we, we saw that, and then at the same time we recognized that what we called, um, uh, site-based programming, meaning we would go CCYO was in many communities and many more than we are today because we, um, our, we brought our programs, programs to high schools.
00:49:02.001 --> 00:49:02.331
Yeah.
00:49:02.360 --> 00:49:06.590
And we had in teach a instructor hour bound thing or whatever you're saying, people into each of these.
00:49:06.590 --> 00:49:11.030
And so we just, we used the high schools as our, you know, for, certainly for our classroom stuff.
00:49:11.451 --> 00:49:17.780
But, and then that's where the big bar on steel came from, is that we had to go to find the local, you know, shooting range.
00:49:17.780 --> 00:49:17.931
Right.
00:49:17.931 --> 00:49:20.630
We had to go find live body waters to go fishing.
00:49:20.630 --> 00:49:21.081
Right.
00:49:21.110 --> 00:49:22.340
Um, archery ranges.
00:49:22.670 --> 00:49:25.161
And so we were out there, we were really good at right.
00:49:25.161 --> 00:49:26.481
Shaking hands and, you know.
00:49:26.541 --> 00:49:26.751
Yeah.
00:49:26.751 --> 00:49:29.210
And archery range is like, well, we're never busy on Tuesday nights.
00:49:29.210 --> 00:49:29.811
We'll take it.
00:49:29.871 --> 00:49:30.351
You got it.
00:49:30.726 --> 00:49:33.021
And so 50 bucks whatever bucks session, that's perfect.
00:49:33.110 --> 00:49:34.820
Whatever took, and, uh.
00:49:35.925 --> 00:49:37.215
But very inefficient.
00:49:37.215 --> 00:49:37.275
Yeah.
00:49:37.485 --> 00:49:39.106
And, uh, very costly Scattered.
00:49:39.255 --> 00:49:39.556
Yep.
00:49:39.556 --> 00:49:40.786
Scattered quality.
00:49:40.786 --> 00:49:43.485
You know, we had some, uh, you know, it was tough.
00:49:43.516 --> 00:49:54.465
And again, you know, I was, I, uh, my, my brother was leading, um, the, the, uh, programs out of the Thompson School district where, but we were in different school districts along the state.
00:49:54.465 --> 00:50:01.096
So I was, I was traveling a lot back and forth, trying to help, help program, you know, and travel lifestyle.
00:50:01.096 --> 00:50:02.481
And, uh, but um.
00:50:03.510 --> 00:50:13.440
So the board, that same board that talked about, um, you know, where the finances were gonna come from for a while, um, it was the same board that was intact when the eventful day.
00:50:13.771 --> 00:50:29.731
Um, we got a notice, we got noticed from, um, uh, the Swift family, which is, um, you know, the, uh, upon passing of Louis Swift, he was the gentleman who, uh, developed, if you will, that put the ponds in at Oh, okay.
00:50:29.731 --> 00:50:30.541
Swift, swift Ponds.
00:50:30.541 --> 00:50:31.590
That's why we call it Swift Ponds.
00:50:31.771 --> 00:50:32.041
Yeah.
00:50:32.101 --> 00:50:34.596
And Louis Swift was a developer in the, in the region.
00:50:34.601 --> 00:50:34.681
Oh.
00:50:34.681 --> 00:50:37.170
And was he gonna build houses around all that or something?
00:50:37.170 --> 00:50:40.320
No, in the future, he, he had a, he, he put a conservation easement on it.
00:50:40.411 --> 00:50:40.650
Okay.
00:50:40.650 --> 00:50:44.431
Even though the interior did have, uh, room for houses or was platted for homes.
00:50:44.550 --> 00:50:44.701
Yeah.
00:50:44.701 --> 00:50:49.036
But 213 acres of the 240 acres, um, um.
00:50:50.340 --> 00:50:51.090
That we were on.
00:50:51.510 --> 00:50:56.221
Um, he had in his will was to be gifted to a charitable cause.
00:50:56.490 --> 00:51:01.530
And fortunately he had mentioned, because we were fishing in the ponds, we were, you know, quote unquote leasing his ponds.
00:51:01.530 --> 00:51:02.010
Oh, right.
00:51:02.010 --> 00:51:03.840
So we had this, we built a relationship Yeah.
00:51:03.840 --> 00:51:04.501
Very early on.
00:51:04.561 --> 00:51:04.860
Yeah.
00:51:04.891 --> 00:51:08.521
But upon his passing, um, you know, it was just kind left open.
00:51:08.521 --> 00:51:19.260
And the, the, the, the kids, um, were, you know, uh, looking at his, we pick you trying to, well, yeah, they, they said instead of something like CYO, let's, let's ask CYO if they want it.
00:51:20.070 --> 00:51:21.150
And, but get this.
00:51:21.150 --> 00:51:27.090
So, um, uh, and the board said, you know, uh, the board at the same time was looking at, we need a new model.
00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:27.601
Right.
00:51:27.630 --> 00:51:34.981
And, uh, maybe the model would be moving from site-based programming to facilities based programming, meaning rather than us go to them.
00:51:34.981 --> 00:51:35.130
Right.
00:51:35.130 --> 00:51:36.210
Let's have them come to us.
00:51:36.210 --> 00:51:36.420
Right.
00:51:36.481 --> 00:51:41.460
If we can find a centrally located facility, nothing more centrally located.
00:51:41.460 --> 00:51:41.641
Right.
00:51:41.641 --> 00:51:42.721
Between Fort Collins and Loveland.
00:51:42.721 --> 00:51:43.231
Exactly.
00:51:43.231 --> 00:51:43.411
Right.
00:51:43.411 --> 00:51:44.070
On the interstate.
00:51:44.460 --> 00:51:46.800
So, uh, so anyways, um.
00:51:48.135 --> 00:51:55.246
In the interior of the property was 27 acres and it was platted for estate homes.
00:51:55.516 --> 00:51:55.786
Mm.
00:51:56.025 --> 00:51:59.715
And it happened to be the Wil, the widow of, of Louis who owned that portion.
00:51:59.956 --> 00:52:02.835
And she, you know, at the time, didn't wanna make that part of the gift.
00:52:03.255 --> 00:52:11.715
So, um, the board said, you know, boy, we'd love to, um, take this gift, however this isn't gonna work'cause we're gonna be held repo.
00:52:11.775 --> 00:52:13.681
You know, we're we got guns, it doesn't go well.
00:52:13.681 --> 00:52:13.920
Yeah.
00:52:13.920 --> 00:52:17.896
We're gonna have these estate homes that are gonna probably dictate to us what we can and can't do.
00:52:17.896 --> 00:52:19.215
And we don't want to do that.
00:52:19.215 --> 00:52:19.576
So.
00:52:20.626 --> 00:52:23.746
This is, this is, I love sharing this, uh, story.
00:52:23.746 --> 00:52:24.436
It's a miracle.
00:52:24.465 --> 00:52:25.456
The Providence stuff.
00:52:25.695 --> 00:52:26.626
Um, yeah, exactly.
00:52:26.626 --> 00:52:32.925
So the board said, unless we can find somebody who can write a check for$1.2 million, we're gonna have to turn down this gift.
00:52:32.956 --> 00:52:36.226
'cause that's what the, um, widow wanted for that 27 acres.
00:52:36.226 --> 00:52:36.556
Yeah.
00:52:36.556 --> 00:52:36.556
Yeah.
00:52:37.126 --> 00:52:40.365
And we were like, oh man, you know, and we gotta do this pretty quick.
00:52:40.365 --> 00:52:41.385
So, you know Right.
00:52:41.565 --> 00:52:44.385
Putting a capital campaign together might not work.
00:52:44.385 --> 00:52:50.985
And, but I had met a gentleman through the course of the early years, um, his name was Charlie Gates or is Charlie Gates.
00:52:50.985 --> 00:52:51.016
Okay.
00:52:51.076 --> 00:52:55.485
Um, Charlie Gates was the, from the family of Gates Rubber Company.
00:52:55.545 --> 00:52:55.965
Okay.
00:52:55.965 --> 00:52:55.967
Yeah.
00:52:55.990 --> 00:52:56.451
And Mr.
00:52:56.451 --> 00:52:56.690
Gates.
00:52:56.690 --> 00:52:57.076
Yeah, I remember that.
00:52:57.076 --> 00:52:58.456
Down in Denver, north Denver.
00:52:58.456 --> 00:52:59.530
There's a Gates Recovery Building.
00:52:59.626 --> 00:52:59.775
Yeah.
00:52:59.775 --> 00:53:01.425
Gates water tower and stuff.
00:53:01.425 --> 00:53:02.476
And, and, uh.
00:53:02.971 --> 00:53:03.240
Mr.
00:53:03.240 --> 00:53:14.085
Gates and I, um, were, we were, this is through a couple other relationships that, you know, uh, you know, that I, that they ultimately got me to this relationship with Mr.
00:53:14.085 --> 00:53:14.431
Gates.
00:53:14.431 --> 00:53:20.550
And so, you know, credit goes to so many folks and great stories along the way, but ultimately, Mr.
00:53:20.550 --> 00:53:23.760
Gates, um, and I had built this relationship.
00:53:24.541 --> 00:53:33.630
And for over a year, almost two years, um, we, he, he would ask me how it's going, wanted to see CYO you know, grow, prosper, keep you grow.
00:53:33.900 --> 00:53:37.380
And, you know, I, I never once did I ask him for a dollar, right?
00:53:37.411 --> 00:53:40.110
I just asked for some wisdom and right experience.
00:53:40.260 --> 00:53:43.530
You'd have been scared to death to ask him for 10 grand, but now you had to ask him for a million.
00:53:43.530 --> 00:53:55.231
He, yeah, he told me one day, we, um, he said, uh, by golly, Bob, you know, um, someday it's gonna click, someday we're gonna figure out how to get these kids, you know, um, get, get fi.
00:53:55.231 --> 00:53:59.130
He really, he was an avid hunters fisherman, but really into the shooting sports.
00:53:59.130 --> 00:54:04.440
So he said, I just can't believe that it's so easy for a kid to, you know, that has golf courses on every corner.
00:54:04.771 --> 00:54:06.210
But yet, where are these shooting ranges?
00:54:06.210 --> 00:54:12.090
How are we gonna teach firearm safety and allow them to explore the opportunity to, you know, become avid, uh, sportsman.
00:54:12.811 --> 00:54:15.751
And, uh, he said, I just think I, I believe in you.
00:54:15.931 --> 00:54:17.760
I think CYO is gonna be an answer.
00:54:17.851 --> 00:54:19.351
And so he left me with this.
00:54:19.621 --> 00:54:23.760
He said, um, um, he said, uh, Bob.
00:54:24.106 --> 00:54:30.166
The day that you have a project that you need my help, you know you're gonna need to come to me, right?
00:54:30.286 --> 00:54:31.425
And I said, yep, Mr.
00:54:31.425 --> 00:54:33.070
Gates, you'll be the first one to know about it.
00:54:33.070 --> 00:54:35.925
This was before you knew about this and didn't even know about Swift Ponds.
00:54:36.376 --> 00:54:38.445
Swift Pond's opportunity comes up.
00:54:39.181 --> 00:54:39.675
But Mr.
00:54:39.675 --> 00:54:41.641
Gates had passed two months prior.
00:54:41.670 --> 00:54:41.911
Oh.
00:54:42.331 --> 00:54:53.670
And, and I'm telling you, Kurt, this is, you know, this is the, the, the meat and potatoes of the story is again, you know, I felt oh my gosh, you know, missed it by that much.
00:54:53.760 --> 00:54:55.201
And not that I was ever a doomsday.
00:54:55.201 --> 00:54:59.251
I'm, I'm a eternal optimist, but there was a tugging in my heart Sure.
00:54:59.251 --> 00:55:02.701
That I, that said, I need to call, I need to call his office.
00:55:03.121 --> 00:55:09.601
And so I just blindly called not knowing who was gonna pick up the phone because I knew who it wasn't gonna be.
00:55:09.751 --> 00:55:10.110
Right.
00:55:10.110 --> 00:55:12.811
But I was so hoping that it was his secretary.
00:55:12.811 --> 00:55:14.070
He had a personal secretary.
00:55:14.101 --> 00:55:14.311
Yeah.
00:55:14.521 --> 00:55:18.360
And she answered the phone and she said, Hey Bob, you know, how you doing?
00:55:19.201 --> 00:55:19.443
You had a, oh my gosh.
00:55:19.443 --> 00:55:19.681
Relationship with her a little bit.
00:55:19.681 --> 00:55:19.771
Yep.
00:55:19.771 --> 00:55:27.240
Well, she set up all our appointments and she said, uh, I'm so sorry, you know, that the, the, um, funeral wasn't a public, it was family only.
00:55:27.240 --> 00:55:33.601
And, um, but um, I said, well, I certainly wanna call and pass my condolences, however.
00:55:34.981 --> 00:55:39.960
I have this thing, I have this question and I don't know where to go with this.
00:55:40.320 --> 00:55:44.431
And the whole time I'm feeling really sheepish about making this call.
00:55:44.791 --> 00:55:51.661
And because to me, you know, I'm gonna sound like an ambulance chaser and get, this is what she said.
00:55:51.661 --> 00:55:53.041
She said, oh my.
00:55:53.041 --> 00:55:56.311
She said, well, what, what were you hoping to, you know, talk to Mr.
00:55:56.311 --> 00:55:56.971
Gates about?
00:55:56.971 --> 00:56:00.001
And I said, well, I'm really cautious in this.
00:56:00.001 --> 00:56:03.271
She said, uh, well that's because you don't wanna sound like an ambulance chaser.
00:56:03.815 --> 00:56:05.820
I said, oh my gosh, you said it just what I want.
00:56:06.181 --> 00:56:07.411
And she said, tell me about it.
00:56:07.411 --> 00:56:13.501
And I told her about the project and she said, you know what, before I retire, I called on a Wednesday.
00:56:13.501 --> 00:56:20.550
And the reason why I know it was a Wednesday is because she said, I retire on Friday, the coming Friday, two days later.
00:56:21.030 --> 00:56:23.041
And she said, before I retire.
00:56:23.626 --> 00:56:25.215
You're gonna have a meeting with his daughter.
00:56:25.335 --> 00:56:27.856
'cause I think she'll be interested in hearing about this.
00:56:27.976 --> 00:56:31.246
Okay, so Diane, his daughter, you're like, my schedule is open.
00:56:31.516 --> 00:56:32.385
Yeah, exactly.
00:56:32.746 --> 00:56:36.045
And, uh, I went down to Denver, met with, uh, his daughter.
00:56:36.856 --> 00:56:38.356
She said I'd love to come up and see it.
00:56:38.356 --> 00:56:43.487
My, my brother and I, they came up and just cut, you know, to simplify it.
00:56:44.521 --> 00:56:46.891
Guess who wrote a$1.2 million check.
00:56:47.010 --> 00:56:47.161
Yeah.
00:56:47.161 --> 00:56:47.356
Mr.
00:56:47.356 --> 00:56:47.905
Mason daughter.
00:56:47.905 --> 00:56:48.481
And she's like, she's, yep.
00:56:48.541 --> 00:56:49.471
She said, I see it.
00:56:49.590 --> 00:56:50.971
Um, I think the vision's great.
00:56:50.971 --> 00:56:55.891
And so they, um, gave us the funds to acquire the 27 acres.
00:56:55.891 --> 00:56:56.010
Yeah.
00:56:56.010 --> 00:56:57.661
We took, put the two pieces together.
00:56:57.900 --> 00:56:58.050
Yeah.
00:56:58.081 --> 00:56:59.940
Board said, yep, let's go for it.
00:57:00.391 --> 00:57:04.081
And that was in, uh, um, 2007 that that occurred.
00:57:04.201 --> 00:57:04.351
Okay.
00:57:04.351 --> 00:57:12.121
2008 we actually acquired the, the land and uh, um, and is the 27 acres where the buildings are and stuff now?
00:57:12.121 --> 00:57:12.210
Yep.
00:57:12.240 --> 00:57:14.851
'cause that's out of the floodplain, I'm guessing It's outta the floodplain.
00:57:14.851 --> 00:57:16.380
It's not part of the conservation easement.
00:57:16.385 --> 00:57:16.505
Yep.
00:57:16.726 --> 00:57:19.146
And so we, you know, that's where build whatever you want the shooting range in.
00:57:19.561 --> 00:57:19.800
Yep.
00:57:20.041 --> 00:57:23.041
And, and it happens to, it's just, it's so perfectly Yeah.
00:57:23.130 --> 00:57:23.280
Neat.
00:57:23.521 --> 00:57:24.030
Aligned.
00:57:24.030 --> 00:57:24.300
I'm sorry.
00:57:24.300 --> 00:57:24.960
Of a big baby.
00:57:24.960 --> 00:57:26.641
Like, I get emotional when I hear miraculous stories.
00:57:26.641 --> 00:57:32.311
So tell them, do I tell that story without it, it, it driving me to that it, um.
00:57:33.376 --> 00:57:35.536
This is the epitome of relationships.
00:57:35.536 --> 00:57:35.596
Yeah.
00:57:35.626 --> 00:57:38.686
I mean that is, and I, the thing that pains me the most is that Mr.
00:57:38.686 --> 00:57:39.766
Gates didn't get to see it.
00:57:39.766 --> 00:57:41.865
You know, I mean, he gets to see it, depending what you believe.
00:57:41.865 --> 00:57:42.735
You might be seeing it right now.
00:57:42.735 --> 00:57:42.826
Oh yeah.
00:57:42.826 --> 00:57:43.246
Totally.
00:57:43.485 --> 00:57:43.876
Totally.
00:57:43.876 --> 00:57:44.385
I get that.
00:57:44.596 --> 00:57:45.615
I, and I believe that.
00:57:45.675 --> 00:57:51.226
But, um, so anyways, um, uh, yeah, with a board said, let's go for it.
00:57:51.226 --> 00:57:55.335
We put together and then we started the capital campaigns, plural.
00:57:55.365 --> 00:57:55.425
Yeah.
00:57:55.576 --> 00:57:59.445
Some of them, um, were, you know, typical campaigns were made up public.
00:57:59.445 --> 00:58:02.206
Others were just meeting and greeting with folks.
00:58:02.206 --> 00:58:05.626
There's a lot of fabulous community members in Northern Colorado Yeah.
00:58:05.655 --> 00:58:06.826
That are passionate.
00:58:06.885 --> 00:58:08.806
Wasn't it hard to find, figure out who they were?
00:58:09.556 --> 00:58:10.666
Uh, how did you go about that?
00:58:10.876 --> 00:58:15.740
Uh, I mean, some of these are names that are, everybody knows household names and companies that, you know.
00:58:16.690 --> 00:58:16.981
Yeah.
00:58:17.201 --> 00:58:17.420
Yep.
00:58:17.451 --> 00:58:24.556
That, that, um, that, and they're, they're, um, some want to, you know, you know, they're, they're okay with their names.
00:58:24.556 --> 00:58:26.806
So there's a reason why it's called Richardson Hall.
00:58:26.925 --> 00:58:36.615
For example, the Richardson family, you know, Kurt, Nancy said, well, I'd love to, you know, our boys are totally into the, uh, traditional or recreation as as they are too.
00:58:36.615 --> 00:58:39.856
And yeah, they said, you know, if there's something we can do for you, let's, let's get her done.
00:58:39.945 --> 00:58:40.155
Yeah.
00:58:40.215 --> 00:58:42.195
And so they were, you know, part of that.
00:58:42.195 --> 00:58:50.356
And as, so I, I, I caution myself to even bring up one name'cause there's, I bleed out so many people that have, I believe out too many dropped, dropped opportunity here.
00:58:50.440 --> 00:58:50.780
But, um.
00:58:51.826 --> 00:59:01.365
So anyways, what started with, you know, how would we ever even come up with our first million has turned into, I think we've invested somewhere around 12 million into that campus.
00:59:01.606 --> 00:59:01.846
Oh, wow.
00:59:01.846 --> 00:59:02.686
Over those years.
00:59:02.686 --> 00:59:06.045
Building the building, you know, doing the, the vertical construction.
00:59:06.045 --> 00:59:16.936
Bringing, you know, when we, when we acquired it, when we acquired the ponds and, um, I mean, there were still reclamation permits that had to be closed and finalized and Yeah.
00:59:16.965 --> 00:59:20.210
There were no, there was no infrastructure and any maintenance on anything ever.
00:59:20.210 --> 00:59:21.047
Well, there's no infrastructure.
00:59:21.050 --> 00:59:21.130
There's no power.
00:59:21.130 --> 00:59:22.547
Oh, no roads, no power water.
00:59:22.552 --> 00:59:23.085
Oh, really?
00:59:23.085 --> 00:59:23.806
Any Oh, dang.
00:59:23.806 --> 00:59:23.956
Yeah.
00:59:23.956 --> 00:59:24.525
It was raw.
00:59:24.615 --> 00:59:25.396
It was gravel pits.
00:59:25.396 --> 00:59:25.936
Yeah.
00:59:25.936 --> 00:59:25.936
Yeah.
00:59:26.025 --> 00:59:36.826
And, uh, so you can imagine, you know, well for those who come today, I, I, it, and it, and I'd be one of'em if I did not know what I know about that, I couldn't see it.
00:59:36.826 --> 00:59:36.916
Right.
00:59:36.916 --> 00:59:39.826
I couldn't see the path to where we, how successful we've been.
00:59:39.826 --> 00:59:41.505
But that's how blessed we are.
00:59:41.596 --> 00:59:41.806
Huh.
00:59:41.985 --> 00:59:48.286
And, uh, it's just an amma the community just rallied around this really cool spot.
00:59:48.525 --> 00:59:48.735
Yeah.
00:59:48.826 --> 00:59:50.690
And, uh, continues to do so.
00:59:51.465 --> 00:59:52.456
And so here we are.
00:59:52.635 --> 00:59:54.646
So what's, uh, what's next?
00:59:54.646 --> 00:59:59.235
Like do you have imaginations of taking this to more communities, uh, beyond Colorado Springs?
00:59:59.266 --> 00:59:59.775
Absolutely.
00:59:59.956 --> 01:00:05.686
Um, you know, we're Colorado Youth Outdoors, but, um, there's no, there's no boundary for relationship building.
01:00:05.715 --> 01:00:11.445
And so we believe that, um, there should be a national presence someday.
01:00:11.505 --> 01:00:11.775
Yeah.
01:00:11.775 --> 01:00:11.777
Yeah.
01:00:11.925 --> 01:00:30.045
And, uh, you know, the spoiler alert for, uh, our 25th, uh, anniversary, but you know, right now we're, we're really looking, uh, seriously, um, you know, performing the due diligence in what this would, what CYO would look like on a national level, um, you know, a national youth outdoors.
01:00:30.045 --> 01:00:36.106
I have another introduction I wanna make to you is, uh, one of my former facilitators, Allison Seabeck, do you know her already?
01:00:36.465 --> 01:00:39.195
Boy, I, I do Allison and Dave Seabeck.
01:00:39.195 --> 01:00:41.775
Uh, she was with Prosci.
01:00:41.985 --> 01:00:42.376
Okay.
01:00:42.436 --> 01:00:43.155
For a long time.
01:00:43.155 --> 01:00:45.226
She was actually the, she took over from the founder.
01:00:45.226 --> 01:00:49.905
When the founder sold to private equity, she was, became the president and CEO Gotcha.
01:00:49.965 --> 01:00:52.186
And grew that and her big innovation.
01:00:52.186 --> 01:00:59.266
She was kind of the head of global expansion for them, and Prosci used to just deliver all the goods on their own.
01:00:59.266 --> 01:00:59.356
Mm-hmm.
01:00:59.596 --> 01:01:07.096
But she developed the program by which they could develop subcontractors that could deliver the Packed way, God, the Prosci way.
01:01:07.096 --> 01:01:07.155
Yeah.
01:01:07.606 --> 01:01:10.876
That were already business coaches, that already had client bases that needed this.
01:01:10.876 --> 01:01:12.346
I need to Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:01:12.346 --> 01:01:14.056
Always introduce you to her as well as Greg.
01:01:14.056 --> 01:01:14.971
The, the, the.
01:01:15.510 --> 01:01:16.590
The Triple Crown leadership.
01:01:16.860 --> 01:01:18.001
I think both of those might be fun.
01:01:18.001 --> 01:01:18.271
Appreciate.
01:01:18.721 --> 01:01:19.110
Yeah.
01:01:19.380 --> 01:01:19.561
Yeah.
01:01:19.561 --> 01:01:21.721
Because it really will be, because that's the secret, right?
01:01:21.780 --> 01:01:34.471
It's the pact model that we will, you know, be able to, you know, share with, but training other people to deliver the goods effectively and monitoring their adherence to the model and stuff like that is probably the secret sauce.
01:01:34.501 --> 01:01:41.130
And having, um, how, how fortunate are we to have what would be, I think the national training center right here in Fort Collins, you know?
01:01:41.130 --> 01:01:41.791
Sure, of course.
01:01:41.791 --> 01:01:43.201
Who doesn't wanna come to Colorado?
01:01:43.501 --> 01:01:45.090
You know, the OGs facility.
01:01:45.240 --> 01:01:46.016
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:01:46.335 --> 01:01:46.458
I like it.
01:01:46.463 --> 01:01:52.561
So, um, so anyways, well hopefully that'll be worth, uh, you spending your time here today that Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:01:52.771 --> 01:02:04.351
Like, well, it's all about relationships and so, um, uh, I look for'em and I think we, all those who do look for relationships wherever they go, I think are rewarded with finding relationships that are meaningful and.
01:02:04.965 --> 01:02:06.045
I want to call a short break.
01:02:06.045 --> 01:02:06.135
Sure.
01:02:06.135 --> 01:02:08.235
'cause I'm starting to have to go potty.
01:02:08.266 --> 01:02:08.536
Okay.
01:02:08.536 --> 01:02:10.396
And, uh, I've got a couple things I wanna circle back to.
01:02:10.516 --> 01:02:10.815
Gotcha.
01:02:11.025 --> 01:02:11.715
Alright, let's do it.
01:03:01.266 --> 01:03:09.456
So, I wanted to bounce back a little bit to kinda that transition to kind of a more professional organization and having a board that gave feedback mm-hmm.
01:03:09.786 --> 01:03:14.436
That I'm guessing that was kind of your first experience with, you know, quote unquote peer advisory.
01:03:14.467 --> 01:03:20.766
You know, what local think tank does, or had you gotten perspective outside of, I guess your brother and some other.
01:03:21.157 --> 01:03:23.376
The, the, the famous four or whatever they were called.
01:03:23.376 --> 01:03:23.436
Yeah.
01:03:23.496 --> 01:03:23.887
Core four.
01:03:23.887 --> 01:03:25.027
Core four, yeah.
01:03:25.086 --> 01:03:37.086
So, um, that's a great question I had, uh, it, um, you got me thinking about, you know, some of the similarities or differences, um, in, you know, advisorship, let's call it.
01:03:37.146 --> 01:03:43.927
And, uh, really what it comes down to is, you know, um, who you, you, uh, trust, you know, your trusted advisors.
01:03:43.956 --> 01:03:44.347
Yeah, yeah.
01:03:44.347 --> 01:03:47.947
You know, I mean, you get a lot of advice and, um, everybody couldn't tell you what to do.
01:03:48.036 --> 01:03:57.936
Um, and certainly through my, you know, working 16 years at, uh, at Hawk and, and then Danaher, um, you know, you work with a lot of fabulous business professionals.
01:03:57.936 --> 01:03:58.086
Sure.
01:03:58.086 --> 01:04:11.106
I mean, some, many, my boss, uh, at the time when I was leaving, uh, was a Harvard grad, and, um, he had been, you know, in, um, you know, some great companies and so some extreme wisdom, you know, in that respect.
01:04:11.677 --> 01:04:14.376
But, and I shouldn't say, but I should say.
01:04:14.436 --> 01:04:16.746
And, um, there, there's.
01:04:17.257 --> 01:04:29.827
Always room for the kind, the relationship piece, you know, the trusted moving into, you know, just, you know, having wisdom brought to you and what, um, in informs that just are raw.
01:04:29.827 --> 01:04:38.856
But when you build a, when you have truly have a relationship and you have that respect and, and you and trust, um, it's such a bigger thing.
01:04:38.947 --> 01:04:42.547
And so you, this is a great opportunity for me to talk about Stan Everett.
01:04:42.547 --> 01:04:44.286
And I, I hope he appreciates that.
01:04:44.391 --> 01:04:50.467
I, I, I'm gonna take some time to talk to him about, um, I was told I never, I didn't know Stan.
01:04:50.527 --> 01:04:59.047
Um, and I made a call one day'cause I just simply wanted to get rid of some concrete and I wanted some dirt brought in, uh, to the, the property.
01:04:59.047 --> 01:05:02.512
And Stan had a development nearby, and so I just, maybe you got some extra dirt.
01:05:02.751 --> 01:05:13.327
I said, Stan, I, you know, we've never met, but here's who I am and blah, blah, blah, and running this little, uh, you know, organization and, um, and I could just tell, I mean, just the patience.
01:05:13.746 --> 01:05:17.916
The, the, uh, interest to really fully understand what, uh, my objective was.
01:05:18.487 --> 01:05:20.916
And I thought, man, I've gotta meet this guy someday.
01:05:21.516 --> 01:05:26.467
And so, and I was told by others that, yeah, someday, Bob, you ought to, you really ought to be intentional about mm-hmm.
01:05:26.737 --> 01:05:28.987
Finding out where Stan is, build a relationship.
01:05:29.436 --> 01:05:35.677
And so we met at Legacy, legacy Project, and, uh, like was it at CYO?
01:05:35.827 --> 01:05:36.786
Was he Nope.
01:05:36.786 --> 01:05:36.789
No, nope.
01:05:37.237 --> 01:05:37.536
This one.
01:05:37.536 --> 01:05:38.646
This was what, before then?
01:05:38.976 --> 01:05:40.567
Yeah, we were, we went to different locations.
01:05:40.567 --> 01:05:41.016
Yeah.
01:05:41.021 --> 01:05:41.032
Yeah.
01:05:41.257 --> 01:05:45.697
And, uh, um, I, I fell in love with the subject matter.
01:05:45.726 --> 01:05:46.177
I really did.
01:05:46.476 --> 01:05:46.717
Yeah.
01:05:46.717 --> 01:05:54.577
And then, uh, but I probably more importantly, I really, uh, um, appreciated the leadership and, and the, the, the approach Yeah.
01:05:54.577 --> 01:05:55.027
That Stan took.
01:05:55.027 --> 01:05:57.036
He's one of the most patient guys I've, I've ever met.
01:05:57.456 --> 01:06:02.436
And, uh, um, and a and a, a fabulous working professional, very wise.
01:06:02.827 --> 01:06:04.027
So anyways, um.
01:06:04.851 --> 01:06:11.271
You know, picking where you elect to, to really, um, allow yourself to be filled with what you would call wisdom.
01:06:11.902 --> 01:06:25.672
I think that's the difference of just having, you know, some, and the core four were more than buddies, but we, we really, we, we gravitated to each other through just being buddies, and then we started sharing wisdom and then.
01:06:26.161 --> 01:06:30.121
That expanded to the point where we started recognizing where our weaknesses were.
01:06:30.211 --> 01:06:30.391
Mm-hmm.
01:06:30.632 --> 01:06:33.331
Or are, and we start filling in those gaps.
01:06:33.692 --> 01:06:41.911
And when you're being intentional about, you know, searching out those who, you know, have a toolkit that would, is useful to your cause, is very, yeah.
01:06:41.911 --> 01:06:43.141
Is, is needed and useful.
01:06:43.172 --> 01:06:47.282
Oh, we have this big piece of real estate and who knows more about real estate than Stan Everett.
01:06:47.371 --> 01:06:48.181
Yeah, exactly.
01:06:48.181 --> 01:06:48.811
That kinda stuff.
01:06:48.961 --> 01:06:50.012
And uh, or whatever.
01:06:50.041 --> 01:06:51.961
I guess he's never been on your board, but he's never been on board.
01:06:51.961 --> 01:06:53.731
But he certainly gets calls, but that philosophy Absolutely.
01:06:53.911 --> 01:06:54.121
Right.
01:06:54.121 --> 01:07:02.851
Well, he, he and I have had the chance to work together on a couple things and it's just, well, before I let you continue, I wanna reflect on, that's kind of part of the local think tank model too.
01:07:02.911 --> 01:07:03.152
Okay.
01:07:03.331 --> 01:07:07.427
In my experience as a banker, I've seen kind of people really skilled at different things, Uhhuh.
01:07:07.742 --> 01:07:15.422
And so when I'm doing my job really well, I'm grabbing people that are really skilled at different elements of business and different kinds of business because that.
01:07:16.836 --> 01:07:20.436
Diversity of perspective really benefits everybody in the room.
01:07:20.436 --> 01:07:21.427
Sure, sure.
01:07:21.427 --> 01:07:25.806
It's, you know, I mean, having, um, and no big gaps, right?
01:07:25.806 --> 01:07:33.427
There's, there's, and the gaps, um, suddenly appear and you're like, okay, so you, there's not the smarter, you are the dumber.
01:07:33.427 --> 01:07:36.427
You realize you've been, and you still are in some ways.
01:07:36.427 --> 01:07:36.757
Yeah.
01:07:36.762 --> 01:07:39.726
And you, and, and, and you start to see opportunities.
01:07:40.056 --> 01:07:46.117
Um, but you, you recognize that, well, that that's only an opportunity if we backfill with the right people mm-hmm.
01:07:46.356 --> 01:07:49.117
To help us get there and really get the most outta that opportunity.
01:07:49.626 --> 01:07:52.717
And, uh, and these things happen on the fly, Kurt, as you know.
01:07:52.717 --> 01:07:53.106
You know what I mean?
01:07:53.106 --> 01:07:53.347
Yeah.
01:07:53.481 --> 01:07:57.907
I can't even, well, and providentially like somebody's put in front of you that you really, actually need at the time.
01:07:57.907 --> 01:07:57.996
Yep.
01:07:58.161 --> 01:08:02.047
And, and it could be, and it, it many times shows up as a challenge to begin with.
01:08:02.407 --> 01:08:07.237
And then you turn that into, you know, could this be an opportunity with the right people?
01:08:07.626 --> 01:08:09.637
Most times it turns into opportunities.
01:08:09.637 --> 01:08:09.907
That's neat.
01:08:09.936 --> 01:08:10.806
It's just so cool.
01:08:11.197 --> 01:08:30.577
And so, um, I appreciate, um, you know, you've got me very interested in, in, uh, um, the think tank, you know, uh, uh, element and how you're, how you're going about that, because we are blessed in, in this community being, it, it, it's so diverse, but, and, and broad, but it also is, um, very deep.
01:08:30.756 --> 01:08:35.466
We have, we have some extremely well seasoned voices out there.
01:08:35.497 --> 01:08:35.856
Yeah.
01:08:35.856 --> 01:08:35.858
Yeah.
01:08:35.917 --> 01:08:40.087
And what more is more important in this community is that they're willing to share.
01:08:40.356 --> 01:08:48.096
I mean, I can only imagine in, in some of the tactics districts, you know, in, in, like in California where everything's privatized, everything's siloed.
01:08:48.127 --> 01:08:48.216
Mm-hmm.
01:08:48.457 --> 01:08:51.582
And it's important for them to keep it that way in some respects, right?
01:08:51.582 --> 01:08:51.702
Yeah.
01:08:51.702 --> 01:08:51.822
Yeah.
01:08:51.891 --> 01:08:56.646
Well, for some reason in our, in our community, there's this willingness to share.
01:08:57.426 --> 01:09:02.856
I have yet to come across somebody that didn't want to participate in some way.
01:09:02.856 --> 01:09:06.787
It doesn't mean that they wanted to fully vet into a board member, but, um.
01:09:07.101 --> 01:09:15.261
But they certainly were willing to share what they knew and or who they knew that might be of assistance.
01:09:15.261 --> 01:09:15.622
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:09:15.622 --> 01:09:29.122
And I, I'll tell you, if there's, um, an element of success that I would share with the, um, the next generation or those who are interested, it's, um, you'll, uh, I be willing to go out and ask Hmm.
01:09:29.122 --> 01:09:33.381
You know, be, be willing to'cause that, that, that takes, there's a little talent there.
01:09:33.742 --> 01:09:37.492
Um, but you've got to understand that you're not gonna know it all.
01:09:37.822 --> 01:09:42.591
And so therefore you gotta have a a, um, you gotta be good at asking others.
01:09:42.832 --> 01:09:51.622
I just, uh, just today I should, maybe I shouldn't even talk about this, but we can edit it out if we need to, but Alma has been my right hand gal for the last four plus years.
01:09:51.712 --> 01:09:51.981
Okay.
01:09:52.042 --> 01:09:53.002
Operations manager.
01:09:53.002 --> 01:10:01.311
And earlier this year, she kinda raised her hand and said, I think Loco needs more talent in marketing and sales than we have, and.
01:10:02.197 --> 01:10:05.226
I don't wanna be that, and you can't afford that while I'm here.
01:10:05.317 --> 01:10:05.466
Right.
01:10:05.466 --> 01:10:08.886
And so, like, I'm, I'm gonna slow fire myself and we're gonna fight Wow.
01:10:09.546 --> 01:10:10.176
The right person.
01:10:10.237 --> 01:10:19.476
And today she got a, a job offer from a local accounting firm in a administrative support role for$10,000 more than I've been paying her.
01:10:19.537 --> 01:10:19.627
Yep.
01:10:20.046 --> 01:10:27.337
Uh, she's 22, no college degree, but she's upskilled herself so fast at Loco that she's now qualified for.
01:10:27.396 --> 01:10:28.702
Uh, is that cool?
01:10:28.987 --> 01:10:30.006
And that's rewarding.
01:10:30.037 --> 01:10:30.636
Oh, I love it.
01:10:30.662 --> 01:10:30.942
Yeah.
01:10:30.942 --> 01:10:31.101
Yeah.
01:10:31.106 --> 01:10:31.237
Yeah.
01:10:31.237 --> 01:10:32.046
I'm so proud of her.
01:10:32.466 --> 01:10:32.947
Absolutely.
01:10:33.247 --> 01:10:42.817
We, uh, we, you know, um, it's interesting you, in that, I'll take this maybe down a, a path that wasn't fully intended, but we chase any squirrel around here.
01:10:42.817 --> 01:10:42.877
Yeah.
01:10:42.907 --> 01:10:44.226
You know, CYO is a business.
01:10:44.301 --> 01:10:57.846
I, I, I get a kick out of, um, folks and I'm still some, I have great friendships that, you know, come from, uh, my past profession and, uh, and sometimes you'll get, um, in a conversation and just nonchalantly as say, um.
01:10:58.402 --> 01:10:58.671
Yeah.
01:10:58.671 --> 01:11:03.697
But back in the business world, and I'm say in the real world where people think about money and stuff, right?
01:11:03.702 --> 01:11:03.891
Right.
01:11:03.891 --> 01:11:14.152
And I said, if you don't think the nonprofit world is you built on business, you'll, you're, you're seeing it, you'll run through the wrong lens.
01:11:14.152 --> 01:11:16.761
You just gotta set it up to build a fat salary for the executive director.
01:11:16.766 --> 01:11:17.056
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:11:17.391 --> 01:11:17.896
Yeah's what?
01:11:17.896 --> 01:11:18.617
It's all about's mission, right?
01:11:19.296 --> 01:11:19.457
Yeah.
01:11:19.457 --> 01:11:19.697
Yeah.
01:11:19.997 --> 01:11:24.981
And, uh, so, um, uh, people will ask me often, you know, well, what, what's in it for you?
01:11:24.981 --> 01:11:25.612
And the trust?
01:11:25.612 --> 01:11:29.692
You know, this, your private charitable trust, so do you own it when you leave?
01:11:29.692 --> 01:11:30.322
I'm like, no.
01:11:30.396 --> 01:11:32.216
The trust, trust owns everything.
01:11:32.601 --> 01:11:35.391
The intellectual property, the physical property, everything.
01:11:35.631 --> 01:11:40.011
And that's the fun part, is that, you know, it's just we're building equity in this trust.
01:11:40.011 --> 01:11:40.311
Yeah.
01:11:40.372 --> 01:11:45.412
That's gonna be hopefully in this community forever, and then gets to be emulated in other communities.
01:11:45.412 --> 01:11:45.771
Yeah.
01:11:46.192 --> 01:11:50.481
You should listen to my podcast from a few weeks ago with, uh, Constantine Ger Ggi.
01:11:51.652 --> 01:11:54.381
He's a Russian economist at UNC.
01:11:54.787 --> 01:12:03.396
Uh, but he, his big passion as we were talking is things that catch enough traction organically to, to spill out of Northern Colorado.
01:12:03.457 --> 01:12:03.636
Yeah.
01:12:03.636 --> 01:12:05.976
And that could be the big driver to our success.
01:12:05.976 --> 01:12:10.867
'cause we're, we're running out of the attracting really smart 30 year olds juice.
01:12:11.016 --> 01:12:11.167
Yeah.
01:12:11.167 --> 01:12:12.516
'cause it's too expensive to live here.
01:12:12.577 --> 01:12:13.296
Yeah, absolutely.
01:12:13.356 --> 01:12:29.377
And so those ideas like Telus outdoor gear that I just had on recently and, and, and your thing, frankly, like what an even an economic impact of bringing, you know, hundreds of instructors.
01:12:30.636 --> 01:12:30.787
Out here.
01:12:30.787 --> 01:12:31.237
Payroll.
01:12:31.237 --> 01:12:31.686
Yeah.
01:12:31.716 --> 01:12:31.926
Yeah.
01:12:31.926 --> 01:12:34.207
I mean it's, and yeah, and you're, these are good jobs.
01:12:34.296 --> 01:12:36.096
We, we have great jobs.
01:12:36.096 --> 01:12:41.766
We pay well, I, you have those programs and you're gonna take some margin from those programs and bring it back here and keep building the trust to do more cool stuff.
01:12:41.766 --> 01:12:52.777
Well, and, and people think, you know, I think it's, it would be very easy to think about, well, the, the economy that's built around, um, you know, traditional outdoor recreation so that, you know, the shooting sports fishing and all that.
01:12:52.777 --> 01:12:55.987
And, and you know, certainly there's plenty of retailers in the area.
01:12:56.346 --> 01:13:00.551
Um, shields being one of the biggest, you know, in that, in or Liberty firearms and stuff.
01:13:00.551 --> 01:13:12.516
Liberty and, but, but the mom paw shops of Rocky Mountain Shooter Supply, shoot, and I, I, we've never, we've never taken the time to really do a study as to how we are support, you know, what kind of, um, uh Oh.
01:13:12.726 --> 01:13:12.907
Right.
01:13:13.176 --> 01:13:16.952
If you create a bunch of shooters for them, they're selling a bunch more ammunition and guns.
01:13:17.341 --> 01:13:17.631
Yeah.
01:13:17.891 --> 01:13:21.877
And, uh, I'm sure there's great business models out there, but, but my point being.
01:13:22.296 --> 01:13:29.077
These people who, um, they, they support us, not because they expect that to be in their return.
01:13:29.346 --> 01:13:30.846
Maybe in some, you know, some form.
01:13:30.846 --> 01:13:30.936
Sure.
01:13:31.327 --> 01:13:34.356
But they're doing it for the fact that this is healthy for the community.
01:13:34.386 --> 01:13:34.686
Yeah.
01:13:34.777 --> 01:13:37.596
Relationship building families, you know, health of families.
01:13:37.987 --> 01:13:41.101
Um, that's, that's what makes, makes this thing click.
01:13:41.317 --> 01:13:43.926
And I was gonna say, that's what makes a, a great donor.
01:13:44.136 --> 01:13:46.867
Really what I, I, I say I use the word investor.
01:13:46.957 --> 01:13:47.256
Yeah.
01:13:47.256 --> 01:13:55.777
And so these are people who are willing to make an investment in CYO, which then they expect this investment to, you know, um, radiate out.
01:13:55.896 --> 01:13:56.077
Yeah.
01:13:56.136 --> 01:13:57.457
Um, and the ripple effect.
01:13:58.072 --> 01:13:58.311
It.
01:13:58.311 --> 01:14:00.891
And we've, we, I, I, so far so good.
01:14:00.891 --> 01:14:02.931
What I can tell you is yeah, 20 some years of this.
01:14:02.931 --> 01:14:05.391
Do you have a good relationship with the Community Foundation here as well?
01:14:05.391 --> 01:14:05.782
We do.
01:14:05.782 --> 01:14:08.362
We actually actually have a fund at the Community Foundation.
01:14:08.511 --> 01:14:08.662
Oh, great.
01:14:08.692 --> 01:14:09.021
Okay.
01:14:09.021 --> 01:14:12.471
For those listeners that are, are wondering where, uh, or they need to go.
01:14:12.471 --> 01:14:22.702
Well, and if somebody donates an awesome property to the Community Foundation in Steamboat or in, oh boy Sterling or something like that, you know, they could, uh, pass it along to a good operator.
01:14:22.731 --> 01:14:45.981
Well, what I will tell you is, um, you know, again, I don't have the background, uh, to, um, call myself even, even, you know, uh, efficient at it or effective, but, um, planned giving, you know, this, there's so many assets that, that people or families or, uh, corporations own and they don't see, they don't see the full asset value.
01:14:46.011 --> 01:14:54.412
I mean, just, they're, they're trying to figure out where that, that value would be and whether it it comes to CYO or other nonprofits.
01:14:54.921 --> 01:14:55.252
Um.
01:14:55.671 --> 01:15:03.891
If they, they use that as a planned gift in a, like a piece of property and, uh, um, oh, you, you, it's amazing.
01:15:03.891 --> 01:15:05.692
You get Uncle Sam out of the pocket a lot.
01:15:06.141 --> 01:15:06.292
Yeah.
01:15:06.351 --> 01:15:07.822
They, they receive benefits.
01:15:07.822 --> 01:15:08.061
Yeah.
01:15:08.122 --> 01:15:18.622
And, but, but, um, and as important, or more important is the legacy that they've created when somebody can activate it and use it to its highest and best purpose.
01:15:18.622 --> 01:15:18.771
Yeah.
01:15:18.771 --> 01:15:20.152
Like that gravel pit was just laying there.
01:15:20.152 --> 01:15:24.112
It was approved, but nobody had the balls to take on the project'cause it was too hard or whatever.
01:15:24.112 --> 01:15:24.652
Who knows?
01:15:24.652 --> 01:15:37.431
And I use this as an example, excuse my, that they, uh, look, they that, um, think, well let's, let's, you know, oil and gas obviously is a, a hot topic around here and a big topic and employs a lot of people.
01:15:37.431 --> 01:15:40.612
And it, it brings a lot of funding into, you know, our, our region.
01:15:41.002 --> 01:15:48.532
And, uh, and certainly they've, they've, they've, uh, we have their attention, uh, through CYO and uh, um.
01:15:48.891 --> 01:15:52.912
But they also get labeled as, you know, rape and pillage of the lands.
01:15:53.212 --> 01:15:54.442
And spoiled of the lands.
01:15:54.567 --> 01:15:54.787
Yep.
01:15:54.862 --> 01:16:00.471
And when, when in fact, you know, they, they are some of the best stewards of, you know, the land.
01:16:00.487 --> 01:16:03.502
And the more energy we have, the stronger we are as a nation.
01:16:04.072 --> 01:16:05.061
Tell you what, you can't survive.
01:16:05.061 --> 01:16:11.782
So I use this example, Kurt, that I say, you know, when we get into these discussions again, it's about ha having relationships.
01:16:11.782 --> 01:16:26.271
And if you wanna a relationship with your natural resources, think about, um, the accountability that Louis Swift had when people physically saw him raping what they said, raping pillage of the resources they had excavators out there just hogging ground out outta there.
01:16:26.271 --> 01:16:26.662
Yeah.
01:16:26.667 --> 01:16:28.131
Hogging out the gravel, the aggregate.
01:16:28.702 --> 01:16:32.242
And, but we say, okay, well for one, why was he doing it?
01:16:32.242 --> 01:16:32.992
Well, what do you think?
01:16:32.992 --> 01:16:36.471
Our roads and homes and all that, they don't make him out a ferry dust.
01:16:36.471 --> 01:16:36.532
Yeah.
01:16:36.532 --> 01:16:36.652
Right.
01:16:37.551 --> 01:16:38.931
So, so there was a need.
01:16:39.322 --> 01:16:41.242
He's, he was helping fulfill a need.
01:16:41.242 --> 01:16:42.261
Did he make money off it?
01:16:42.261 --> 01:16:42.801
Absolutely.
01:16:42.801 --> 01:16:46.671
He had every right to, but just like that was a mineral being extracted.
01:16:46.912 --> 01:16:47.032
Yeah.
01:16:47.032 --> 01:16:48.171
Our oil and gas, same deal.
01:16:48.502 --> 01:16:57.591
But what I, what I love to get to the end of conclusion of is had he not done that right, where are the fish gonna live?
01:16:58.131 --> 01:16:59.811
I mean, if, if you're enjoying fishing.
01:16:59.811 --> 01:17:00.141
Yeah.
01:17:00.202 --> 01:17:01.971
I haven't caught a fish yet on land.
01:17:02.032 --> 01:17:02.271
Yeah.
01:17:02.271 --> 01:17:04.311
And that's all that used to be was farm country.
01:17:04.702 --> 01:17:10.341
And so to when, when people think beyond just, what is it the puter goes through there?
01:17:10.341 --> 01:17:12.862
Or is it just a little stream that the, that's, uh, the groundwater.
01:17:12.867 --> 01:17:13.282
It's groundwater.
01:17:13.282 --> 01:17:13.761
Groundwater.
01:17:14.002 --> 01:17:15.532
Oh, it's not connected to the river system?
01:17:15.561 --> 01:17:15.832
No.
01:17:16.072 --> 01:17:17.481
Groundwater is connected.
01:17:17.481 --> 01:17:19.822
That's, well, it is getting a little technical, but Yes.
01:17:19.822 --> 01:17:23.421
But I mean, on the surface it is not as the, as the pooter flows, so are ponds, you know.
01:17:23.421 --> 01:17:23.752
Okay.
01:17:23.756 --> 01:17:24.356
Rise and fall.
01:17:24.356 --> 01:17:24.596
Okay.
01:17:24.596 --> 01:17:24.716
Yeah.
01:17:24.721 --> 01:17:24.921
Yeah.
01:17:24.981 --> 01:17:31.822
And so, but um, point being, you know, if fishing is important, could you imagine if we didn't have gravel pits?
01:17:31.912 --> 01:17:32.091
Right.
01:17:32.721 --> 01:17:34.881
I mean, this is, we're, we're a tight or reservoirs plain desert.
01:17:34.971 --> 01:17:37.671
If drinking water is important, maybe we should have, yeah.
01:17:37.671 --> 01:17:42.051
One of my favorite bumper stickers is, uh, save the Pooter stored in Glade.
01:17:44.332 --> 01:17:46.881
I, well, the fact that, yeah.
01:17:47.391 --> 01:17:55.493
Well, now you're gonna take me, I'm a water guy and, uh, boy would, I love to get heavy into that, but, um, we don't have an extra hour today, so that's okay.
01:17:55.497 --> 01:17:55.577
Yeah.
01:17:55.577 --> 01:17:55.697
Yeah.
01:17:55.697 --> 01:17:55.896
Um.
01:17:56.452 --> 01:18:02.752
So, uh, using, you know, having a relationship with our natural resources, having a relationship with, well, the silver lining of community.
01:18:02.902 --> 01:18:05.181
Hey, they're digging these big holes, getting all this grow water here.
01:18:05.181 --> 01:18:06.346
Oh, wait, now we got this holes.
01:18:06.346 --> 01:18:06.771
What could we do?
01:18:06.952 --> 01:18:07.551
Yeah, yeah.
01:18:07.551 --> 01:18:08.452
What could we do with this?
01:18:08.721 --> 01:18:09.202
Yeah.
01:18:09.502 --> 01:18:15.862
And, uh, so, um, that's kind of like my recycling of, uh, savvy business veterans for our facilitator roles.
01:18:15.862 --> 01:18:16.462
You know, I love it.
01:18:16.612 --> 01:18:17.391
I kinda the same thing.
01:18:17.391 --> 01:18:18.771
Seriously, it's an underutilized resource.
01:18:18.771 --> 01:18:20.572
Don't just retire and play golf all the time.
01:18:20.572 --> 01:18:22.131
Like, go do something hard.
01:18:22.162 --> 01:18:26.572
Do you want to, you want have a, a special morning come to CYO on a Tuesday morning.
01:18:26.572 --> 01:18:28.311
This is a plug for the Sportsman's group.
01:18:28.582 --> 01:18:28.612
Okay.
01:18:28.612 --> 01:18:45.502
Anybody who's retired and has a, you know, whether you have a history in being involved in traditional outdoor recreation, you know this, you know, if you classify yourself as a sportsman and you're looking for something to do, you know, if you're finding yourself spending too much time watching, you know, t TV on a Tuesday morning.
01:18:45.591 --> 01:18:45.742
Yeah.
01:18:45.921 --> 01:18:47.511
Every Tuesday morning.
01:18:47.841 --> 01:18:53.091
Outside of Christmas week, every Tuesday morning at CYO at eight 30 in the morning.
01:18:53.122 --> 01:18:53.391
Okay.
01:18:53.601 --> 01:18:54.862
A group of sportsmen.
01:18:54.952 --> 01:19:02.931
They're, it, the group's probably got, we probably have 45 guys officially on there, but you know, any given Tuesday, you're gonna see 20 to 30.
01:19:03.261 --> 01:19:05.362
They come for biscuits and gravy and coffee.
01:19:05.391 --> 01:19:05.721
Okay.
01:19:05.992 --> 01:19:08.962
They come because they, they're, they're a volunteer base.
01:19:09.021 --> 01:19:09.532
They, okay.
01:19:09.561 --> 01:19:10.822
They, you know, they're retirees.
01:19:10.822 --> 01:19:11.962
They're on call, but for some do.
01:19:12.021 --> 01:19:12.231
Yep.
01:19:12.292 --> 01:19:16.042
And they get, um, they get a, uh, um, and it's very structured.
01:19:16.042 --> 01:19:21.021
The first 15 minutes is just general BS time, you know, people get big fish story time.
01:19:21.021 --> 01:19:21.171
Yeah.
01:19:21.171 --> 01:19:21.172
Yeah.
01:19:21.381 --> 01:19:24.516
And, uh, but then Luke leads the conversation.
01:19:24.516 --> 01:19:34.462
He has a, a handout, the agenda, and he talks about development of, you know, what's going on in development, what's going on in programming, and what's going on in facilities.
01:19:34.612 --> 01:19:34.912
Okay.
01:19:34.917 --> 01:19:35.127
And.
01:19:35.657 --> 01:19:44.537
So, um, the sportsmen find what's interesting to them and in development, for example, they, we may be talking about our next big fundraiser.
01:19:44.537 --> 01:19:44.777
Sure.
01:19:44.896 --> 01:19:49.546
And the sportsmen are, they're, their claim to fame is they're the parking crew.
01:19:49.756 --> 01:19:54.287
So any event that has a big, you know, influx of, of cars Yeah.
01:19:54.287 --> 01:19:54.287
Yeah.
01:19:54.527 --> 01:19:56.596
They're out there flagging parking people.
01:19:56.596 --> 01:20:00.796
They do a fabulous job and uh, um, holiday lights for example.
01:20:00.796 --> 01:20:01.252
Holiday lights.
01:20:01.256 --> 01:20:01.516
Lights.
01:20:01.516 --> 01:20:01.756
Yep.
01:20:01.817 --> 01:20:02.056
Yep.
01:20:02.117 --> 01:20:02.686
Exactly.
01:20:02.686 --> 01:20:02.957
Yeah.
01:20:02.957 --> 01:20:03.646
Winter wonderland.
01:20:04.096 --> 01:20:17.327
And, uh, but maybe they want to, they want to interact with the programming and so they find out, like tonight, um, is trap shooting and I bet every one of our trap houses has a sportsman tonight pulling the clays.
01:20:17.447 --> 01:20:17.657
Hmm.
01:20:17.686 --> 01:20:23.027
Simply just doing that so the pro staffers can do what the instructors can do, what they need to do, how cool is that?
01:20:23.117 --> 01:20:31.457
And, um, but if it's, um, facilities, and this is where mowing, you can only imagine on, you know, we now have 2,220 acres we had to give.
01:20:31.957 --> 01:20:36.247
20 acres up to CO but, um, for the expansion of the interstate, that's fine.
01:20:36.426 --> 01:20:37.266
That's a whole nother story.
01:20:37.537 --> 01:20:45.966
But, uh, um, the, uh, so they're on mowers, you know, we have beautiful zero two mowers or, or they wanna drive a tractor and Yeah.
01:20:46.056 --> 01:20:52.657
Um, or they're about, you know, they want to, uh, get involved in our farming operation, you know, the irrigation, and it's, oh, do you farm out there?
01:20:52.686 --> 01:20:56.886
Yeah, we have, uh, out the s some gardens kind of, we have, uh, you have an alfalfa field.
01:20:56.917 --> 01:20:57.157
Oh, okay.
01:20:57.186 --> 01:20:59.167
And then, uh, we have Christmas tree farm.
01:20:59.317 --> 01:20:59.527
Yeah.
01:20:59.617 --> 01:21:01.122
And, uh, we pumpkins.
01:21:01.122 --> 01:21:07.627
It would be really cool if you've got all the water rights to actually go beyond that and build, like, teach the skill of gardening.
01:21:07.926 --> 01:21:08.796
Well, here's the deal.
01:21:09.037 --> 01:21:11.976
We, we get, it's very, it can be very technical.
01:21:11.976 --> 01:21:13.716
You're like, welcome to start that program, Kurt.
01:21:13.716 --> 01:21:13.896
Yeah.
01:21:14.167 --> 01:21:16.056
Well actually I'll say Kurt, you're one step behind.
01:21:16.212 --> 01:21:18.067
We're already, we're doing some cool stuff.
01:21:18.487 --> 01:21:22.146
Um, but water, um, we do have, uh, significant water rights.
01:21:22.237 --> 01:21:24.097
Uh, it is wonderful and, uh.
01:21:25.087 --> 01:21:26.766
Another billionth of Louis Swift.
01:21:27.127 --> 01:21:32.646
And, uh, but part of that has been, you know, the, the water rights were built for flood irrigation.
01:21:32.646 --> 01:21:35.226
That's, you know, what, how they quantified how much water we needed.
01:21:35.226 --> 01:21:35.646
Yeah.
01:21:35.646 --> 01:21:35.648
Yeah.
01:21:35.707 --> 01:21:41.346
Well, flood irrigation is the most in, it's, it's efficient for the crop, but it's inefficient water, uh, usage.
01:21:41.436 --> 01:21:41.646
Yep.
01:21:41.917 --> 01:21:51.877
And so, um, being responsible stewards, um, we spent some money, and we still have one field that we flood irrigated really more for demonstration purposes.
01:21:52.506 --> 01:22:01.476
But then we bought a pivot so that we can, you know, show the, um, uh, the, uh, the fraction of the water that we need to grow the same crop.
01:22:01.957 --> 01:22:06.877
And then just as of two years ago, Luke, uh, uh, put in drip irrigation.
01:22:06.877 --> 01:22:07.207
Oh, wow.
01:22:07.207 --> 01:22:09.157
So now we're just dripping the Yeah, yeah.
01:22:09.157 --> 01:22:11.167
The trees that we want water.
01:22:11.407 --> 01:22:13.537
And so we can show all three.
01:22:13.971 --> 01:22:15.712
Um, technologies.
01:22:15.712 --> 01:22:16.072
Yeah.
01:22:16.072 --> 01:22:16.282
Yeah.
01:22:16.282 --> 01:22:24.141
And, uh, uh, you know, and, and when people say, well, why do you, you know, how do you, uh, justify the expanse or whatever farming?
01:22:24.502 --> 01:22:27.952
So that's part of our, our relationship with our, our property.
01:22:27.957 --> 01:22:28.252
Yeah, yeah.
01:22:28.252 --> 01:22:30.981
You know, it's, it's gotta be just like that relationship with that fish.
01:22:30.981 --> 01:22:32.362
I can have that with a cucumber.
01:22:32.367 --> 01:22:32.657
Yeah, exactly.
01:22:32.721 --> 01:22:33.681
Or a tomato plant.
01:22:33.712 --> 01:22:38.572
Well, how do you think, you know, when we, we go into a fundraiser of pumpkin patch or something?
01:22:38.721 --> 01:22:38.931
Yeah.
01:22:38.992 --> 01:22:41.061
Um, how does that get there?
01:22:41.061 --> 01:22:51.141
Well, you've gotta have a, a, a plan and you've gotta develop a relationship with what kind of soils would be conducive to, you know, growing pumpkins over here, alfalfa over here, and trees over there.
01:22:51.561 --> 01:23:03.712
Um, it, I, I get, I get really jazzed about all this an hour on that, but, but I get, you know, uh, obviously the, the, um, the, the pinnacle is when we're teaching folks how to build relationships with one another.
01:23:03.981 --> 01:23:04.221
Yeah.
01:23:04.221 --> 01:23:04.282
Um.
01:23:05.662 --> 01:23:08.511
We're gonna have to keep moving, otherwise we'll run out of things.
01:23:08.511 --> 01:23:08.692
Let's go.
01:23:08.902 --> 01:23:08.962
Yeah.
01:23:08.992 --> 01:23:11.301
Um, do you wanna do the ping pong ball challenge?
01:23:11.301 --> 01:23:12.171
Don't even know what that is.
01:23:12.742 --> 01:23:14.271
So I should say yes.
01:23:14.271 --> 01:23:14.902
You should say yes.
01:23:14.902 --> 01:23:15.471
Yeah, yeah, sure.
01:23:15.471 --> 01:23:18.141
So you're gonna, you're gonna pull three, three balls out of there.
01:23:18.141 --> 01:23:19.596
You can grab it all the way over to you if you like.
01:23:19.596 --> 01:23:24.556
Is this, uh, each is attached to a, uh, unusual or interesting question.
01:23:24.921 --> 01:23:26.212
Is this how they do the Powerball?
01:23:26.542 --> 01:23:28.282
Kind of like, I don't, I don't play Powerball.
01:23:28.282 --> 01:23:28.431
Don't.
01:23:28.431 --> 01:23:28.521
Good.
01:23:29.122 --> 01:23:30.292
Yeah, I think so.
01:23:30.771 --> 01:23:35.721
And, uh, so these are kind of random question hour and um, we a lot of times tie a prize to it.
01:23:35.752 --> 01:23:37.197
Uh, what is the prize answer?
01:23:37.197 --> 01:23:37.756
We'll answer it differently.
01:23:37.761 --> 01:23:43.431
It could be like a day pass to a Colorado Youth outdoors activity or something for two if you wanted it to be Gotcha.
01:23:43.431 --> 01:23:44.061
Something like that.
01:23:44.061 --> 01:23:44.452
I don't know.
01:23:44.692 --> 01:23:45.141
Yeah.
01:23:45.141 --> 01:23:45.202
Yeah.
01:23:45.322 --> 01:23:46.237
We'll, we'll hook you up.
01:23:46.282 --> 01:23:47.601
We'll put it out there on the internet.
01:23:47.721 --> 01:23:47.962
Okay.
01:23:48.322 --> 01:23:51.051
Um, what's the, what's the numbers of those ping pong balls that you got?
01:23:51.051 --> 01:23:51.801
I have a 10.
01:23:52.582 --> 01:23:52.971
Okay.
01:23:53.362 --> 01:23:54.261
We'll start with that one.
01:23:54.622 --> 01:23:54.891
Okay.
01:23:54.891 --> 01:23:56.452
I have a 10, 15, and 30, so.
01:23:56.452 --> 01:23:56.631
Okay.
01:23:56.752 --> 01:23:56.992
Alright.
01:23:56.992 --> 01:23:57.742
I can remember those.
01:23:57.771 --> 01:23:57.952
Okay.
01:23:57.952 --> 01:23:58.851
You can put back if you want.
01:23:58.851 --> 01:23:59.752
10, 15, 30.
01:23:59.811 --> 01:24:01.131
I'll write it down so I can't forget.
01:24:03.127 --> 01:24:08.436
So the number 10 question, what's a hobby or skill you've always wanted to pick up, but haven't yet?
01:24:10.207 --> 01:24:13.957
Boy, I'm pretty good about going after the things that I want to do.
01:24:14.016 --> 01:24:16.386
Um, but I, uh, my wife will laugh.
01:24:16.777 --> 01:24:18.037
I've always wanted to play the banjo.
01:24:18.247 --> 01:24:18.636
Okay.
01:24:18.936 --> 01:24:21.606
And she even got me banjo lessons years ago.
01:24:21.606 --> 01:24:21.936
Oh, okay.
01:24:22.327 --> 01:24:22.627
Never.
01:24:22.627 --> 01:24:23.436
They didn't stick very good.
01:24:23.796 --> 01:24:24.636
I never did it.
01:24:24.636 --> 01:24:25.327
I never did it.
01:24:25.356 --> 01:24:26.947
Alright, so give, get back in there.
01:24:27.006 --> 01:24:27.306
Yeah.
01:24:27.412 --> 01:24:28.207
I, I dig it.
01:24:28.356 --> 01:24:28.747
I dig it.
01:24:28.987 --> 01:24:35.587
I noticed actually, I sent my wife a, uh, just today, uh, a note and said, do you wanna go see this, uh, ukulele virtue?
01:24:35.737 --> 01:24:40.612
So that's gonna be at AKA next Tuesday, so it's not quite a banjo, but, uh mm-hmm.
01:24:40.692 --> 01:24:42.756
Anyway, if you want some inspiration, you might go check him out.
01:24:42.756 --> 01:24:46.207
Well, I hope I know the difference between a ukulele and a banjo, but maybe I don't.
01:24:46.506 --> 01:24:47.197
I think they both go.
01:24:48.521 --> 01:24:48.811
Yeah.
01:24:48.846 --> 01:24:48.966
Yeah.
01:24:50.587 --> 01:24:53.707
What was the last thing you googled?
01:24:54.622 --> 01:24:59.301
Or, uh, used AI to search out like something that you were curious about?
01:24:59.782 --> 01:25:03.412
What was the last thing I Googled or AIed?
01:25:03.502 --> 01:25:04.612
Aren't those the same thing?
01:25:04.671 --> 01:25:05.061
Kind of.
01:25:05.067 --> 01:25:05.296
Oh, okay.
01:25:05.301 --> 01:25:08.271
I mean, I, I, I gr things sometimes instead of Googling it.
01:25:08.271 --> 01:25:10.462
Yeah, because I just want the, um, summary.
01:25:10.582 --> 01:25:20.511
The last thing, it, uh, it probably was, it, it, it wasn't today, but I think it was yesterday.
01:25:20.902 --> 01:25:30.351
Um, I needed some, uh, insight on, uh, some, so I guess, uh, uncover it, that we, we may be gaining some more land.
01:25:30.471 --> 01:25:30.681
Oh.
01:25:30.686 --> 01:25:37.702
And so I wanted a little bit of, uh, information on, um, a new entity that I'd never heard of.
01:25:37.731 --> 01:25:40.072
Um, that the go is a go through the USDA.
01:25:40.311 --> 01:25:43.311
And so I googled that and found out about this agency.
01:25:43.372 --> 01:25:43.641
Okay.
01:25:43.792 --> 01:25:43.971
Yeah.
01:25:44.032 --> 01:25:44.391
Interesting.
01:25:46.042 --> 01:25:46.761
Not very fun.
01:25:46.761 --> 01:25:47.721
That wasn't a, oh, this one.
01:25:47.721 --> 01:25:49.761
Your wife will like this one depending on the answer.
01:25:49.912 --> 01:25:50.271
Okay.
01:25:50.631 --> 01:25:52.011
Describe your first kiss.
01:25:53.992 --> 01:25:55.042
Well, that wasn't with my wife.
01:25:55.372 --> 01:25:55.761
Is that what?
01:25:56.296 --> 01:25:56.617
I don't know.
01:25:56.676 --> 01:26:00.261
It was, maybe you can describe your first kiss with her if you'd like to, if you'd prefer to.
01:26:00.261 --> 01:26:00.712
Oh, yeah.
01:26:00.742 --> 01:26:01.551
Uh, go that way.
01:26:01.551 --> 01:26:01.702
Yeah.
01:26:01.731 --> 01:26:14.601
Well, I will because it's, I think it's, it's another fun part of my life is, uh, um, before I ever dated my wife, before I ever kissed my wife, um, I knew she was gonna be my wife on my, my choice.
01:26:14.631 --> 01:26:15.981
I mean, I was gonna choose.
01:26:15.981 --> 01:26:16.976
You were, you were optimistic.
01:26:17.216 --> 01:26:17.902
I was hoping, yeah.
01:26:17.902 --> 01:26:21.256
But I, I remember we, uh, so you describe that circumstance a little bit.
01:26:21.256 --> 01:26:26.657
We both went to CSU and so I'd see her on campus and, uh, I was, I was being tell roommates intentional of stuff.
01:26:26.657 --> 01:26:28.341
You're like, was I'm gonna marry that girl.
01:26:28.372 --> 01:26:36.112
Well, it, my best friend, um, we were going to Washington's and we were out in the parking lot of Washington's, you know, Thursday night used to be the night at Washington's.
01:26:36.141 --> 01:26:36.381
Yep.
01:26:36.532 --> 01:26:42.351
And, uh, we were in the parking lot and I just happened to watch, I mean, she, she was in the parking lot also with her friends.
01:26:42.622 --> 01:26:47.752
She was walking by and I told my, uh, my buddy, um, I said, I'm gonna marry that girl.
01:26:48.082 --> 01:26:48.261
Huh.
01:26:48.381 --> 01:26:51.561
And, um, I hadn't even got her name.
01:26:52.011 --> 01:26:52.402
Did.
01:26:52.402 --> 01:26:55.372
I just, I had seen her on campus and there was something about her.
01:26:55.372 --> 01:26:57.377
So, um, what's her name, the first name?
01:26:57.381 --> 01:26:58.551
Her, her name's Maureen.
01:26:58.641 --> 01:26:59.091
I'm Maureen.
01:26:59.181 --> 01:27:00.171
And, uh, yeah.
01:27:00.231 --> 01:27:04.011
So, um, uh, yeah, fell in love.
01:27:04.162 --> 01:27:11.362
Well, I probably, I, I, I, I was very attracted to her weeks or months before as I saw her on campus.
01:27:11.542 --> 01:27:19.221
Um, but watching her walk across that, that parking lot, um, I probably had a few beers before I made that beer.
01:27:19.221 --> 01:27:21.899
Goggles were on that, that, well, I didn't have, I didn't go necess that necessarily.
01:27:22.311 --> 01:27:23.181
They were not necessary.
01:27:23.186 --> 01:27:23.902
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:27:23.902 --> 01:27:29.782
They weren't necessary, but I was probably that bold to tell my best friend, oh, that I'm gonna marry her.
01:27:29.841 --> 01:27:31.252
Did you go talk to her that night or anything?
01:27:31.252 --> 01:27:32.362
That night we danced at.
01:27:32.362 --> 01:27:32.752
Okay.
01:27:32.752 --> 01:27:33.322
The wash?
01:27:33.322 --> 01:27:34.582
Yeah.
01:27:34.582 --> 01:27:34.585
Oh, dig it.
01:27:34.585 --> 01:27:34.586
Yeah.
01:27:34.586 --> 01:27:34.587
Yeah.
01:27:34.591 --> 01:27:39.351
And then we started dating and so ultimately the first kiss probably didn't even happen that night.
01:27:39.351 --> 01:27:42.471
I think the first kiss was, uh, yeah, we just went for a drive and.
01:27:43.192 --> 01:27:43.402
Yep.
01:27:44.091 --> 01:27:46.252
First kiss led to you leaned in.
01:27:46.252 --> 01:27:48.261
Uh, you, you, yeah.
01:27:48.292 --> 01:27:50.452
You know, I think at that time she was, she was ready for it.
01:27:50.631 --> 01:27:51.742
She was probably, uh, leaning.
01:27:51.891 --> 01:27:52.822
We probably met halfway.
01:27:54.921 --> 01:27:59.841
Uh, let's talk a little bit about why she thought you were, uh, worthy of that second date or third date.
01:27:59.931 --> 01:28:01.131
That took some time, Kurt.
01:28:01.162 --> 01:28:04.462
And, uh, she, she wasn't as convinced as I was.
01:28:04.462 --> 01:28:05.032
Um.
01:28:07.327 --> 01:28:14.976
Um, we, uh, it took us a while to, you know, figure out that that was gonna work and, uh, um, boy, it's worked well.
01:28:15.006 --> 01:28:16.476
We've been very, very blessed.
01:28:16.476 --> 01:28:17.256
How many years now?
01:28:17.676 --> 01:28:22.146
We will celebrate 35 years, uh, this coming November.
01:28:22.146 --> 01:28:25.837
And so we're gonna get a little bit early jump on that anniversary.
01:28:25.837 --> 01:28:28.716
We're going for two weeks, um, to New England.
01:28:28.716 --> 01:28:29.466
We're gonna travel.
01:28:29.796 --> 01:28:30.037
Okay.
01:28:30.037 --> 01:28:36.516
We've never experienced, neither of us been into Maine and spent some time there, but so we're gonna make that a color.
01:28:36.516 --> 01:28:40.296
We're gonna do it in, uh, the, uh, middle weeks of October.
01:28:40.476 --> 01:28:40.686
Yeah.
01:28:40.686 --> 01:28:41.587
To catch the colors.
01:28:41.587 --> 01:28:41.947
I dig it.
01:28:42.306 --> 01:28:42.516
I dig it.
01:28:42.516 --> 01:28:43.146
So we're really excited.
01:28:43.146 --> 01:28:43.806
Congratulations.
01:28:43.806 --> 01:28:43.926
Yeah.
01:28:43.987 --> 01:28:44.287
Thanks.
01:28:44.466 --> 01:28:44.527
Yeah.
01:28:44.527 --> 01:28:46.716
Talk about your, your daughters, is it?
01:28:46.777 --> 01:28:47.827
I have a daughter and a son.
01:28:47.827 --> 01:28:48.756
Daughter and a son.
01:28:48.756 --> 01:28:48.757
Yeah.
01:28:48.762 --> 01:28:48.841
Yeah.
01:28:48.877 --> 01:28:49.027
Yeah.
01:28:49.117 --> 01:28:53.856
Um, like it seems like you were kind of, even though you left your job'cause you were too busy, it seems like you were kind of busy.
01:28:54.546 --> 01:28:58.296
For a while, but did you find that intentional time with those Sure.
01:28:58.657 --> 01:28:58.716
Yeah.
01:28:58.716 --> 01:29:03.067
The kids through this experience and they're, what, what are they up to these days?
01:29:03.216 --> 01:29:03.577
Yeah.
01:29:03.606 --> 01:29:07.146
So, oh, we, we actually, uh, we do a one word description of the kids.
01:29:07.146 --> 01:29:10.867
Would you like to give each child a one word, uh, description?
01:29:11.046 --> 01:29:11.646
Yeah.
01:29:11.737 --> 01:29:11.976
Yeah.
01:29:12.067 --> 01:29:12.546
Easy.
01:29:12.846 --> 01:29:15.037
Uh, for our daughter, it's competitive.
01:29:15.247 --> 01:29:15.606
Okay.
01:29:15.756 --> 01:29:16.627
And for our, what's her name?
01:29:17.197 --> 01:29:17.676
Sarah.
01:29:17.766 --> 01:29:17.886
Hi.
01:29:17.886 --> 01:29:18.186
Sarah.
01:29:18.247 --> 01:29:18.516
Yep.
01:29:18.606 --> 01:29:21.186
And so, and for our son, entrepreneurial.
01:29:21.306 --> 01:29:21.636
Okay.
01:29:22.056 --> 01:29:27.457
And so, um, and I'm blessed in the fact that we, we have a family business.
01:29:27.516 --> 01:29:29.167
Um, the three of us they're involved with.
01:29:29.167 --> 01:29:29.317
Yep.
01:29:29.407 --> 01:29:29.766
CYO.
01:29:30.216 --> 01:29:30.426
Yep.
01:29:30.487 --> 01:29:32.976
Well, outside of CYO we have another, oh, another business.
01:29:32.981 --> 01:29:33.131
Okay.
01:29:33.131 --> 01:29:33.252
Yeah.
01:29:33.256 --> 01:29:33.277
Cuco.
01:29:33.966 --> 01:29:38.131
And so we get, we get to chat at least one time a week, if not.
01:29:38.841 --> 01:29:39.981
And what does that business do?
01:29:40.402 --> 01:29:41.841
Uh, anything that makes us money.
01:29:43.881 --> 01:29:48.742
And that's, that's really my, our son being the entrepreneur and our daughter being competitive.
01:29:48.981 --> 01:29:49.042
Okay.
01:29:49.042 --> 01:29:58.617
And so you mold those two and I get, I get to like, buying containers of Chinese goods and reselling them on the black market, or what, what are we talking about here?
01:29:58.636 --> 01:30:00.652
But, uh, well, here's a, here's a great example.
01:30:00.712 --> 01:30:04.192
Uh, so my, our, uh, son is in commercial roofing.
01:30:04.702 --> 01:30:08.481
And so when he called me one day and said, dad, there's, there's money in this idea.
01:30:08.872 --> 01:30:09.771
Well, great.
01:30:09.771 --> 01:30:11.032
There's money in all our ideas.
01:30:11.362 --> 01:30:12.891
And, uh, he just got find it.
01:30:13.162 --> 01:30:16.822
Anyways, as he, as he, he was taking off, uh, that's called ballast.
01:30:16.822 --> 01:30:19.582
That's on big, these are big roofs, you know, in commercial roofing.
01:30:19.582 --> 01:30:23.692
He's, he's, he, he puts roofs on the biggest of buildings in the state and beyond.
01:30:23.692 --> 01:30:28.011
He's, he's president of, uh, empire Roofing outta Denver, which he sees of many states.
01:30:28.042 --> 01:30:28.373
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:30:28.462 --> 01:30:29.122
And anyways.
01:30:29.662 --> 01:30:33.351
When he recognized how much rock they were taking off of roofs, right.
01:30:33.351 --> 01:30:37.101
He said, this is landscape rock, same rock that you're gonna go down and buy at the landscape from.
01:30:37.101 --> 01:30:37.221
Right.
01:30:37.252 --> 01:30:43.942
So we started, uh, buying the rock, salvaging off the roof roofs and then upcharging and reselling.
01:30:44.061 --> 01:30:45.471
Did you have to clean it up or anything?
01:30:45.502 --> 01:30:46.462
Uh, for the most part, no.
01:30:46.462 --> 01:30:53.391
Sometimes, sometimes rock that we were like, uh, this needs to, needs to go to, uh, like a, um, equipment yard, right.
01:30:53.391 --> 01:30:54.742
Like a heavy construction equipment yard.
01:30:54.771 --> 01:30:55.011
Yep.
01:30:55.011 --> 01:30:55.012
Yep.
01:30:55.072 --> 01:30:56.567
Or oil and gas and so, right, right.
01:30:56.787 --> 01:31:04.221
So that's just one example of, of many of things where we saw value that most people saw because it was going to the landfills.
01:31:04.252 --> 01:31:04.431
Right.
01:31:04.431 --> 01:31:04.702
Right.
01:31:04.702 --> 01:31:09.051
And, um, well, and I love that if you can divert stuff from the landfills and make money off of Absolutely.
01:31:09.231 --> 01:31:16.402
And so, um, that has turned into some, you know, other wild stuff that, um, and so we're maybe, we'll that on next year's podcast Yeah.
01:31:16.402 --> 01:31:19.582
It feels like we go for a longer one, but it allows us to, you know, get involved.
01:31:19.582 --> 01:31:25.402
You know, we're, we're obviously, you know, donors in at CYO and it, um, that plays a role in that.
01:31:25.402 --> 01:31:25.671
Sure.
01:31:25.671 --> 01:31:25.822
And you.
01:31:26.931 --> 01:31:29.752
Um, and was that started before, or was that started?
01:31:29.992 --> 01:31:30.952
No, Yuko came about.
01:31:30.952 --> 01:31:34.011
It's only been, uh, past five years or something.
01:31:34.011 --> 01:31:34.731
Okay, interesting.
01:31:34.792 --> 01:31:35.061
Yeah.
01:31:35.452 --> 01:31:39.832
Um, what about the, uh, no grandkids yet, I guess?
01:31:40.011 --> 01:31:41.421
Oh no, we have three grandkids.
01:31:41.421 --> 01:31:41.872
Oh, you do?
01:31:41.872 --> 01:31:44.601
Three children, two grand sons and a granddaughter.
01:31:44.601 --> 01:31:48.412
Oh, I usually, I do the, the one word description of the grandkids if I realize they're there.
01:31:48.412 --> 01:31:49.282
Should we try that too?
01:31:49.282 --> 01:31:51.051
How old are the, how old's the oldest?
01:31:51.051 --> 01:31:54.591
Yeah, the oldest is Harvey and, uh, Harvey's.
01:31:54.591 --> 01:31:55.162
Three.
01:31:55.671 --> 01:32:01.912
And um, gosh, that's gonna be harder for me to come up with a one word.
01:32:01.942 --> 01:32:02.212
Yeah.
01:32:02.212 --> 01:32:03.381
Especially if they're little There.
01:32:03.381 --> 01:32:03.652
There.
01:32:03.652 --> 01:32:03.891
Yeah.
01:32:03.891 --> 01:32:04.792
Haven't quite starting to yet.
01:32:04.792 --> 01:32:06.082
So it's Harvey and Hodge.
01:32:06.082 --> 01:32:07.221
That's our daughter's.
01:32:07.221 --> 01:32:07.702
Two boys.
01:32:07.731 --> 01:32:08.091
Okay.
01:32:08.152 --> 01:32:09.976
And then, um, ho Hoge, that's a fun name.
01:32:09.981 --> 01:32:11.481
Hodge is, Hodge is one years old.
01:32:11.872 --> 01:32:14.332
And so three and one for, on that side of the family.
01:32:14.362 --> 01:32:20.091
And then our son and his wife Preston just had their first, uh, child, which is our first granddaughter.
01:32:20.152 --> 01:32:20.481
Okay.
01:32:20.542 --> 01:32:21.742
And her name is Covey.
01:32:22.072 --> 01:32:23.301
Hi, co Covy Capri.
01:32:23.391 --> 01:32:25.702
Well, you won't hear this for a while, but hopefully you'll listen to this.
01:32:25.702 --> 01:32:27.412
Talk with grandpa when you're old enough.
01:32:27.442 --> 01:32:28.296
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:32:28.582 --> 01:32:29.962
He'll still be out there on the internet.
01:32:30.021 --> 01:32:33.561
We are so fortunate to, uh, we all live right here.
01:32:33.622 --> 01:32:42.261
Um, uh, Nate and Bertha, our son and his wife and Cove are in Bert that, uh, Sarah and her, uh, husband Taylor.
01:32:42.502 --> 01:32:42.561
Yeah.
01:32:43.101 --> 01:32:50.271
And, uh, their two boys, um, live on north side of Loveland Marina, and I live out West Loveland, um, in the Foothill.
01:32:50.271 --> 01:32:53.631
So we're, we're actually 15 minutes from each of our, our families.
01:32:53.692 --> 01:32:53.872
Yeah.
01:32:54.051 --> 01:32:58.282
And then, uh, do you keep a family dinner intentional cycle or anything like that now?
01:32:58.282 --> 01:33:01.282
Or is it just happen enough because of business and whatever?
01:33:01.311 --> 01:33:03.202
You know, Sundays would be that day.
01:33:03.261 --> 01:33:06.231
We, we get, we're, we're able to get together often.
01:33:06.292 --> 01:33:16.582
Um, but uh, we try to make Sundays, but our, our, um, son-in-law, Taylor, my wife's or my, our daughter's husband, he's a pa uh, pastor.
01:33:16.881 --> 01:33:19.221
And so Sundays, he's busy on Sundays sometimes.
01:33:19.221 --> 01:33:20.032
Yeah, Sundays are tough.
01:33:20.122 --> 01:33:20.601
Weird.
01:33:20.631 --> 01:33:21.266
Oh, isn't that weird?
01:33:21.587 --> 01:33:23.631
You know, they need to change that for us.
01:33:23.692 --> 01:33:28.612
But, um, so, you know, sometimes that complicates how, you know, a rhythm of, uh, getting together.
01:33:28.612 --> 01:33:35.391
But, um, you know, I look forward to, that's one of the things that I really, um, I, um.
01:33:36.051 --> 01:33:39.051
I, I'm in awe of the families who have that as a tradition.
01:33:39.442 --> 01:33:49.101
You know, our family, like I said, was, was, uh, together a lot, but with my dad being a swim coach, and it was around sports and stuff that we had to really, you know, uh, work our schedules.
01:33:49.551 --> 01:33:53.782
But finding a rhythm this month, finding a rhythm for, let's get kind of a perfect size right now.
01:33:53.787 --> 01:33:56.872
You got, you know, three couples and three kids, like, that's great.
01:33:56.872 --> 01:33:56.931
Yeah.
01:33:57.157 --> 01:34:04.042
Our, our, our Christmas Eve and Christmas is awesome and we just continue to, we're running outta space for the socks on our mantle.
01:34:04.462 --> 01:34:09.981
Um, but, uh, um, I, I expect that our son, uh, and his wife will have more children.
01:34:10.131 --> 01:34:14.032
Our daughter and, and her husband are done with the two boys, so.
01:34:14.827 --> 01:34:15.037
Yeah.
01:34:15.037 --> 01:34:18.546
The Houston family and then, you know, Sarah's last name and now is Mickelson.
01:34:18.546 --> 01:34:20.766
But, um, yeah, I look forward to it.
01:34:21.037 --> 01:34:23.466
The last segment is the Loco experience.
01:34:23.527 --> 01:34:23.707
Yeah.
01:34:23.766 --> 01:34:28.266
And that's the craziest experience of your entire lifetime that you're willing to share.
01:34:28.447 --> 01:34:28.716
Okay.
01:34:28.926 --> 01:34:29.766
With our listeners.
01:35:13.612 --> 01:35:15.202
Craziest experience.
01:35:15.202 --> 01:35:16.731
Craziest experience of my lifetime.
01:35:16.792 --> 01:35:17.181
Yeah.
01:35:17.362 --> 01:35:18.202
Oh my goodness.
01:35:18.202 --> 01:35:18.622
Yeah.
01:35:18.681 --> 01:35:21.532
Um, it could be a day, it could be a week, could be a month.
01:35:21.591 --> 01:35:23.542
Uh, you know, yeah.
01:35:23.542 --> 01:35:24.952
We didn't even really go back in the time.
01:35:24.952 --> 01:35:25.341
Capsule.
01:35:25.341 --> 01:35:26.962
It's a 5-year-old, uh, Bob.
01:35:26.962 --> 01:35:27.021
Yeah.
01:35:27.891 --> 01:35:29.721
Craziest experience.
01:35:29.721 --> 01:35:30.471
My goodness.
01:35:30.471 --> 01:35:34.341
Well, you know, I, uh, my first year of college.
01:35:34.716 --> 01:35:42.546
Um, I, I, um, my, my, my brother Tom and I both, we called each other and said, you know, this college thing is just not working.
01:35:42.846 --> 01:35:43.056
Okay.
01:35:43.056 --> 01:35:43.987
And so we quit.
01:35:44.287 --> 01:35:44.707
Okay.
01:35:44.707 --> 01:35:48.846
I mean, we quit like, and too hard to like, no, we're just not into it.
01:35:49.087 --> 01:35:50.136
Okay.
01:35:50.136 --> 01:35:50.140
It's too expensive.
01:35:50.140 --> 01:35:50.141
Oh, yeah.
01:35:50.317 --> 01:35:51.726
I don't know what we're gonna get out of it.
01:35:52.056 --> 01:35:57.756
Um, and, uh, um, and you know, it was coming out of our own pocket, so we knew Yeah.
01:35:57.787 --> 01:35:58.867
How expensive it was.
01:35:58.896 --> 01:35:59.256
Yeah.
01:35:59.256 --> 01:35:59.257
Yeah.
01:35:59.317 --> 01:36:00.997
And so this was in 1982.
01:36:01.716 --> 01:36:13.716
I, um, uh, I didn't go back to, um, college, uh, for several years, but during that time, crazy experience, he and I headed to, uh, um, uh, Washington State.
01:36:13.957 --> 01:36:14.226
Okay.
01:36:14.226 --> 01:36:17.317
To work on a fishing resort on the, on Orcas Island.
01:36:17.317 --> 01:36:17.856
Oh wow.
01:36:17.976 --> 01:36:19.867
Not knowing anything.
01:36:20.346 --> 01:36:22.386
We didn't know what we were getting into.
01:36:22.627 --> 01:36:24.337
We had heard about this job.
01:36:24.787 --> 01:36:24.966
Okay.
01:36:24.966 --> 01:36:30.277
We didn't even, we, we had to borrow money from our folks to get us up there, had to borrow their car.
01:36:30.877 --> 01:36:35.256
And, um, so we stayed up there and they were already not that happy because you were dropping outta car.
01:36:35.256 --> 01:36:35.752
Oh gosh, probably.
01:36:35.752 --> 01:36:35.912
Oh my gosh.
01:36:36.006 --> 01:36:48.306
Especially they, they, maybe it was maybe not so much as a surprise for Tom to maybe take some time off school, but for me too, you know, and, uh, then they're, you know, more mad at Tom for talking you into it too.
01:36:48.846 --> 01:36:50.466
You're bringing him up there in Washington.
01:36:50.737 --> 01:36:51.247
Come on, Tom.
01:36:51.247 --> 01:36:54.787
So, uh, we went up there and we worked out an island.
01:36:54.997 --> 01:36:58.237
And Kurt, it was, it, it had everything.
01:36:58.237 --> 01:37:01.417
It, it, it, uh, it was a lot of fun.
01:37:01.657 --> 01:37:04.537
It was a lot of new, um, experiences.
01:37:04.926 --> 01:37:08.192
And then it was, I mean, I just, it brutal long days.
01:37:08.252 --> 01:37:09.072
It sucked for a while.
01:37:09.311 --> 01:37:12.067
I mean, it just, it island life, not for me.
01:37:12.067 --> 01:37:14.556
You know, within months you recognize that.
01:37:15.532 --> 01:37:23.662
It's an island and all these people that are there that came by ferry or their own boat, they're the people that are there.
01:37:23.811 --> 01:37:23.872
Yeah.
01:37:23.872 --> 01:37:24.622
That's all you got.
01:37:24.627 --> 01:37:24.877
Yeah.
01:37:24.881 --> 01:37:25.192
Yeah.
01:37:25.192 --> 01:37:28.162
And so we got claustrophobic in a hurry.
01:37:28.162 --> 01:37:28.702
Interesting.
01:37:28.731 --> 01:37:32.752
But we were committed and, uh, we, how many people were on the island?
01:37:33.202 --> 01:37:33.981
Oh man.
01:37:34.042 --> 01:37:35.692
Not, you know, uh.
01:37:36.127 --> 01:37:39.502
I don't know, but it seemed like a hundred or four something at the time, you know?
01:37:39.521 --> 01:37:46.266
But I mean, it was, you know, there, I mean we had an influx of people, you know, visitors and stuff, but the people who were Islanders Yeah.
01:37:46.356 --> 01:37:47.886
The dating options weren't that great.
01:37:47.886 --> 01:37:48.846
No, no.
01:37:49.987 --> 01:37:52.777
Um, in fact, I, I, I, yeah, don't date the fish girls.
01:37:55.176 --> 01:38:03.141
Um, so it, you know, that was probably, you know, um, that, that, that's about as, yeah, you know, more different than anything else.
01:38:03.426 --> 01:38:11.077
You know, having, having, having business in Europe, different parts of the world, that was crazy, you know, too, and having some experiences with that.
01:38:11.077 --> 01:38:17.862
But, um, on my own choosing to go up and, and work on Orcas Island, it seems kind of outta character for what became your kind of, uh.
01:38:18.681 --> 01:38:19.912
Life as a Yeah.
01:38:19.971 --> 01:38:21.381
You know, corporate riser and whatnot.
01:38:21.386 --> 01:38:22.337
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:38:22.341 --> 01:38:25.851
Did it, did it prepare you more for going back to school then later?
01:38:26.152 --> 01:38:27.622
Oh, it certainly incentivized.
01:38:27.622 --> 01:38:28.912
I better get my butt back in school.
01:38:29.511 --> 01:38:30.216
That job sucks.
01:38:31.731 --> 01:38:39.322
I wasn't gonna be working on a fishing dock all my life and, uh, um, no offense I was up, I would like to go to Alaska and try that for a while.
01:38:39.322 --> 01:38:46.131
But, um, the, uh, no, it, yeah, it, it, it told me where I, you know, the next step and so, yeah.
01:38:46.341 --> 01:38:46.521
Cool.
01:38:46.881 --> 01:38:48.231
Well, I hope you've had fun today.
01:38:48.231 --> 01:38:48.457
I know I have.
01:38:48.462 --> 01:38:49.011
It's been great.
01:38:49.101 --> 01:38:51.622
And, uh, I wanna thank you, Bob, for being on the show.
01:38:51.622 --> 01:38:54.261
Thank you for the invite and, uh, we look forward to our next conversation.
01:38:54.471 --> 01:38:54.952
Sounds good.
01:38:55.011 --> 01:38:55.252
Alright.
01:38:55.252 --> 01:38:55.462
Cheers.