The LoCo Experience Ep 286 | Scott Dillon & James Merkley w/ NoCo's United for Youth

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In today's conversation, I was joined by two highly active representatives from Northern Colorado United for Youth, formerly NOCO Unify.

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This organization of under 40 business leaders has been among the most active fundraising organizations in Northern Colorado since its founding in 2007.

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They're the creators of some of the best parties in the region, the Down and Derby Party every May, and the Suitcase Party every August, which we were on the heels of as we recorded this episode.

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Last year, they brought back the St. Patrick's Day Party, or Parade, to Old Town Fort Collins as well.

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James Merkley is an active member at Unify, and also CEO and Chief Creative at StoryPath Marketing.

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He's a local Think Tank member, and we're also both members of a somewhat similar but very different organization, Realities for Children.

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James has a diverse background of his own, largely focused on worship, music, marketing, and storytelling.

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Scott Dillon is the Business Intelligence Director at Poudre Valley REA, our local electric cooperative, and also serves on the Board of Directors for Northern Colorado United for Youth.

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Scott's journey helps explain his passion for kids' causes, and his involvement here is just one way he gives back.

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Storytelling and business intelligence are the sweet spot for these guests, so I know you'll enjoy, as I did, my conversation with Scott Dillon and James Merkley, representing Northern Colorado United for Youth.

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Welcome to the Loco Experience Podcast.

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On this show, you'll get to know business and community leaders from all around Northern Colorado and beyond.

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Our guests share their stories.

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And through it all, you'll be inspired and entertained.

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These conversations are real and raw, and no topics are off limits.

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So pop in a breath mint and get ready to meet our latest guest.

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Welcome back to the Loco Experience Podcast.

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I'm here today with James Merkley and Scott Dillon.

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And James is the CEO of StoryPath Marketing.

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But more importantly for today's episode, he is a member of United for Youth Northern Colorado, or Northern Colorado United for Youth.

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And Scott is also a member of that and also on the board of directors for United for Youth.

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And Scott Dayjob, Business Intelligence Officer for Poudre Valley REA.

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So, oh, and James, not Dayjob at all, but I guess conveniently or coincidentally or not at all, member of local think tank.

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Yes.

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So I think that's awesome.

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I think your organization is amazing in how...

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Just organic and long-lived already it is.

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How many years?

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We just completed our 19th year.

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Okay.

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So next year is the 20th year.

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Yes.

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More to come on that.

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Yeah.

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Shameless plug.

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Okay.

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It's going to be big.

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I remember I was like getting, I was approaching 40 by the time when you guys started.

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And not quite approaching yet, but I thought it was such a cool organization the way you founded it.

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And were you around right from the start?

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No.

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No.

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You came in new.

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You're fresher here.

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Yep.

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I'm six years in now.

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So about to embark on my last year.

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Oh, really?

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Before I age out.

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Oh, right.

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Because when you turn 40, you're out.

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Yep.

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Right.

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I guess I wasn't as old as I thought.

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I was only like 33 or something at first, but I guess I didn't really learn about it at first.

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I think there's a lot of that.

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By the time I really learned about it, I was like 37.

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I was like, eh, I'm going to be too old pretty soon.

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It's funny.

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We talk about this a lot.

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People don't know us as an organization a lot of times, but then when we throw out the events that we host, they're like, oh, that's you guys.

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It's like, yeah.

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So it's almost like the derby party.

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Yeah.

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The suitcase party.

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The things we do kind of precedes the organization, which I think is kind of how we want it in some ways to a degree.

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Yeah, we're kind of like behind the scenes.

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Do you do stuff beyond those big events?

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Because I know you raise a lot of money and donate a lot of money, and we can get more into that.

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But do you guys have monthly meetings and stuff where you're hanging out and doing stuff?

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I guess, Scott, why don't you set the stage?

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You're the grizzled veteran.

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Sure, grizzled for sure.

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And coming off a cold.

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Yeah, coming off a cold.

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So if he sounds a little different than dad usually sounds, because you know why.

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No, this is how I normally sound.

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Okay, gotcha.

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Um...

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No, I think so.

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Typical membership looks like we meet once a month on the first Monday of every month for about an hour.

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Usually over drinks.

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But we talk a lot of business.

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We try to communicate our needs.

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Like club business, basically.

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Club business, yeah.

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So imagining like a Rotary Club-ish kind of experience, but different, obviously.

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Yeah, just kind of herding the proverbial cats, if you will.

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Hey, we need four more volunteers.

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Yes.

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24 more volunteers for the suitcase party.

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Auction items.

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Guys, it's not too late next year.

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Get them in.

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Yep, yep.

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So we meet once a month.

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We try to keep it mostly business, but we have a little fun while we do it, kind of like at our events.

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And then our membership splits into different committees for each event.

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Um, so we have some expectations that you participate in at least one committee.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Um, those groups tend to meet, uh, once a week for the eight to 10 weeks preceding an event to kind of dot our I's and cross our T's to make sure we're as upright as possible when the day rolls around.

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Um, you guys were working hard at the St. Patrick's Day parade.

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Oh yeah.

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Yeah.

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Uh, I had 28,000 steps that day.

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Oh.

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It's like a Disneyland trip.

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Yeah.

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Maybe more.

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Yep.

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28,000 steps that day.

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And then our board of directors meets once a month as well to go over just kind of bylaws and.

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30,000 foot view business, if you will.

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Kind of the logistics, legalities.

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I imagine even...

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I don't know who... Like these big events that you do, they benefactor... Like usually like...

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One big one, is it?

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Or maybe like three different organizations each year?

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Yeah.

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Or a handful?

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Two to three.

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Is that the executive committee kind of, or is the board of directors kind of?

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Like who chooses that?

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That's a big deal, right?

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Because that's 100 grand or a couple hundred grand for each of them.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, James, you speak to that.

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I'll fill in the... Yeah, so there's a grant selection committee.

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I'm on that committee and several other guys are on that committee.

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And the board does a really great job of really handing off the selection of the grants to this committee to kind of sift through.

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I mean, there's thousands of applications.

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Everybody wants some of your money.

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And we have really clear categories and requirements of who we can support, who we can't.

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So that makes it easy on us guys.

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But also, we get to kind of like play the game of like what are kind of personal affinities or group-based affinities towards certain initiatives.

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We try not to play favoritism.

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We try and make sure that there's an equal spread of dollars in different directions.

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Just positive outlets.

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Yeah, yeah.

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For example, we had Debut Theater this year that we supported, which is a youth-based theater organization.

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And they do a fantastic job of creating programming for kids.

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So you have hyper- Well, and they're often overlooked because they're not pulling people out of abject poverty necessarily.

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Totally.

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But they might change somebody's life.

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Yes.

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And then you have the opposite side of that with like Sava, which is like sexual assault victims advocacy.

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So hyper, like really triggering kind of like work that's done over here, really positive work.

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Both are positive, but it's like different kind of outputs.

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So it's like we try and make sure we cover a lot of bases.

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And then I hear kind of almost like if I've been on the board for this organization, I'm a member of United for Youth for seven years, and I'm a –

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you know, a strong contributor here, and I love this organization.

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Like, we're probably going to get our at-bat, almost, as long as it's a great cause.

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Is there some, like, I know you have a selection committee and stuff, but it's got to be a little bit based on where the hearts are.

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Yeah, we abstain from voting if we have a personal connection or affinity to a nonprofit.

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Yeah, but then everybody's like, yeah, but James really loves this.

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We can certainly put our thumbs up into the equation.

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Yeah, yeah.

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I think it's impossible.

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I don't know.

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I'm just thinking out loud about how.

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But it's awesome because that way those that do the work really invest and they care about something.

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Yeah.

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They can really make a difference for those.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, it gets – it's a –

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It's a time-consuming process to narrow down to those nonprofits.

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My Rotary Club has a scholarship program.

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Yeah.

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And we give away – now it's growing to three.

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Oh, cool.

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Like 15 years ago – well, 12 years ago, we launched the first one, and then we could do two, and then we could do three now.

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Yeah.

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college scholarships yeah like being the selection committee for this college scholarships for these outstanding kids which is very subjective you know yes it's about grades and stuff but we're rotary club so mostly more than that we're about giving opportunity to kids that show a lot of promise and they come from a tough cover background yeah you know and and it's hard to be super objective in those kind of criteria

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Yeah, it certainly is.

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I mean, there's some objectivity to get, I would say, to narrow down the first cuts.

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Take it from 3,000 to 35.

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This organization clearly doesn't serve kids, or they're not in Larimer or Weld County.

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Those are the easy ones to disqualify.

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But we spent well over 400 hours of...

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interviewing the different organizations, getting more, like we want to take the dollars and see them spread as far as possible.

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Wow, that's cool.

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Whether that's for an immediate impact or it's something that's going to create impact over several years.

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So we really want to make sure we're being –

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Like when we ask for your dollars at these big events, you're entrusting us that we're going to make that dollar go as far as possible.

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Yeah.

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Cool.

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And hopefully.

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Can I ask from this suitcase party was just a couple of weeks ago.

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Mm hmm.

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Who got the money?

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Um, so.

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Or is that like how you do it?

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Yeah.

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Well.

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Like from this event or you guys do a couple of big grants based on all the events or how does that work?

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Yep.

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So we actually, we actually, um, make our pledges before any of the events.

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So, um, basically we decide we're going to allocate this much and then we set out to raise that much for the year.

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So 23 different organizations this year are the beneficiaries.

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You don't have the money in the bank before you make a pledge?

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No.

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Oh.

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One day.

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Yeah.

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One day.

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Yeah, no.

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So it's always a sprint for sure.

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But that's kind of...

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Well, these days with higher interest rates, it would actually work really good if you could have – maybe – I don't know.

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This is a big change, but maybe you should save like a third of it so that one day you can actually have the money in the bank ahead of time so you know.

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I don't know.

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Maybe that would take the fun out of it.

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Yeah, I think – The excitement.

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To a degree, maybe.

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To a degree.

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I will say, too, when you're strictly volunteer organization like ours – Yeah.

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The pressure of having to perform –

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It's significant.

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But it's probably kept us above water.

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The – like, guys, we're not going to make this unless we all do this.

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So there's not really an opportunity to rest on your laurels when you're 40 guys representative each of $10,000 of giving.

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Is that what you're expected to do?

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Well, no.

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No.

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But when we're getting $400.

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That's a party.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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Yeah.

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When we're handing out $400.

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No, I know you guys aren't writing $10,000 checks necessarily.

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Yeah.

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But you're like on the average, that's how much you got to pull in.

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Essentially.

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And that could be – and it's not necessarily you have to raise that much.

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Sure.

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Maybe you can give $10,000 in time or you have talent that brings $10,000 to the show.

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Sure.

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Connections.

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Yeah, that was always my gifting is –

242
00:12:57.383 --> 00:13:02.364
I never had any money, but I had, I knew people that had money that were cool.

243
00:13:02.625 --> 00:13:03.065
That's huge.

244
00:13:03.145 --> 00:13:04.945
You know, and thought I was cool.

245
00:13:05.245 --> 00:13:06.066
Yeah.

246
00:13:06.106 --> 00:13:06.386
You know?

247
00:13:06.746 --> 00:13:07.026
Yeah.

248
00:13:07.326 --> 00:13:19.429
It, I mean, it, it all comes together in a unique way that having the safety net would be great, um, from like a stress level perspective, but it might actually take away from the, yeah.

249
00:13:19.629 --> 00:13:20.790
The directness of the mission.

250
00:13:20.910 --> 00:13:25.651
That sense of urgency is critical to development.

251
00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:31.684
So, James, take me through your calendar a little bit, if you don't mind.

252
00:13:32.084 --> 00:13:32.324
Yeah.

253
00:13:32.344 --> 00:13:40.190
Like, we just had the suitcase party, which maybe you want to start there and describe, like, what is the general experience of that?

254
00:13:40.390 --> 00:13:41.891
I've been a couple times.

255
00:13:42.031 --> 00:13:43.552
It's been a few years, if I'm honest.

256
00:13:43.792 --> 00:13:44.793
Yeah.

257
00:13:45.333 --> 00:13:52.158
And so, like, yeah, tell our listeners that haven't been what that experience is like.

258
00:13:52.990 --> 00:14:00.916
Kind of think of Premier Northern Colorado event, one of the top listed events in Northern Colorado and probably in the state as a whole.

259
00:14:00.936 --> 00:14:03.078
I mean, tickets are like a couple hundred bucks.

260
00:14:03.158 --> 00:14:03.518
Yeah.

261
00:14:03.698 --> 00:14:04.719
Very bougie affair.

262
00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:06.440
Super bougie.

263
00:14:06.520 --> 00:14:06.740
Yeah.

264
00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:08.441
But you're coming to have a great time.

265
00:14:09.542 --> 00:14:11.644
Really, it's like a... And it's not really bougie people.

266
00:14:11.664 --> 00:14:11.724
No.

267
00:14:11.764 --> 00:14:14.946
It's just non-bougie people that get bougie for a change.

268
00:14:15.097 --> 00:14:19.079
Yeah, and you have a wide variety, a wide mix of young, old.

269
00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.380
It's kind of like a wide grouping there.

270
00:14:21.761 --> 00:14:27.964
But people who have a passion for this community, they know kind of the mission of this is to come have a good time for a cause.

271
00:14:29.585 --> 00:14:35.908
I think part of the ethos of why this party originated was because there's a lot of gala work.

272
00:14:35.928 --> 00:14:40.651
There's a lot of like the consistent rhythmic programming in the nonprofit space.

273
00:14:40.671 --> 00:14:44.353
But there was really nothing that was like, can we create something that's just strictly fun?

274
00:14:44.933 --> 00:14:46.575
Like strictly like let's have a good time.

275
00:14:46.595 --> 00:14:47.777
We're not going to try to make you cry.

276
00:14:47.797 --> 00:14:49.639
Read your checkbook or whatever.

277
00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:53.545
And there's nothing wrong with those activations from those nonprofits.

278
00:14:53.925 --> 00:14:55.487
I think they're very valuable and important.

279
00:14:55.667 --> 00:14:58.391
My company supports them, you know, in other ways.

280
00:14:58.451 --> 00:15:00.053
And we see results from that.

281
00:15:00.474 --> 00:15:02.616
But I do think like there's something powerful about –

282
00:15:03.157 --> 00:15:03.777
We're showing up.

283
00:15:04.117 --> 00:15:05.078
We're having a great time.

284
00:15:05.238 --> 00:15:06.378
We're doing a ton of fun.

285
00:15:06.458 --> 00:15:15.161
And the reason we call it suitcase is because in tradition, traditional fashion, people literally can win a trip that night that they literally hop on a plane.

286
00:15:15.181 --> 00:15:16.161
Oh, you don't have to anymore?

287
00:15:16.741 --> 00:15:17.962
This year we did it differently.

288
00:15:18.522 --> 00:15:19.002
Weather.

289
00:15:19.142 --> 00:15:20.022
Weather inclemented.

290
00:15:20.182 --> 00:15:22.903
Oh, because it was storms or something?

291
00:15:23.063 --> 00:15:23.263
Brutal.

292
00:15:23.283 --> 00:15:24.224
Brutal.

293
00:15:24.484 --> 00:15:25.564
There were a lot of...

294
00:15:25.935 --> 00:15:31.799
It was one of the reasons I didn't come is because we were picking up our exchange student like two days after the party.

295
00:15:32.440 --> 00:15:35.382
So it was like – and we had to go down to Denver and pick him up and stuff.

296
00:15:35.402 --> 00:15:39.305
And we're like, hey, so sorry, but we're in Vegas or wherever.

297
00:15:39.665 --> 00:15:43.808
And you're going to have to get a shuttle home and we'll be there in two days.

298
00:15:43.828 --> 00:15:45.630
I don't know.

299
00:15:46.050 --> 00:15:47.731
That was part of like what if I would?

300
00:15:47.991 --> 00:15:48.592
Yeah.

301
00:15:48.612 --> 00:15:50.253
But you didn't have to in this case?

302
00:15:50.413 --> 00:15:53.995
Well, so there were a few factors this year.

303
00:15:54.015 --> 00:15:55.216
Okay.

304
00:15:56.337 --> 00:16:00.880
The Fort Collins-Loveland Airport is shut down for runway widening.

305
00:16:01.660 --> 00:16:02.041
Oh.

306
00:16:02.101 --> 00:16:04.642
So we wouldn't have been able to take off after 8 o'clock.

307
00:16:04.662 --> 00:16:06.023
Right from there like they normally do anyway.

308
00:16:06.063 --> 00:16:10.086
So we had already arranged for a trip to Hawaii this year from DIA.

309
00:16:10.106 --> 00:16:10.366
Okay.

310
00:16:10.686 --> 00:16:11.087
Okay.

311
00:16:12.287 --> 00:16:20.752
With the anticipation being we were going to leave the next day on a party bus and let our guests enjoy the full night instead of being rushed out of the party.

312
00:16:20.772 --> 00:16:21.912
Show up here by noon tomorrow.

313
00:16:21.933 --> 00:16:22.873
We'll be fine.

314
00:16:22.893 --> 00:16:26.375
So day in the life of a Unify pre-event.

315
00:16:26.475 --> 00:16:29.377
We're all kind of setting up Friday during the day.

316
00:16:30.297 --> 00:16:37.161
And somebody texts me and says, hey, did you know there's a hurricane in Maui?

317
00:16:37.901 --> 00:16:38.501
Oh, damn.

318
00:16:38.661 --> 00:16:39.782
It was one of our Unify guys.

319
00:16:39.902 --> 00:16:40.462
It was there.

320
00:16:40.602 --> 00:16:42.083
Yeah.

321
00:16:42.703 --> 00:16:44.284
And I go.

322
00:16:44.524 --> 00:16:48.646
One of my former, well, the Chiba Hut founder, Scott, lives in Hawaii now.

323
00:16:48.686 --> 00:16:49.026
Oh, doesn't he?

324
00:16:49.046 --> 00:16:50.107
We were texting him.

325
00:16:50.147 --> 00:16:50.447
Yeah.

326
00:16:50.667 --> 00:16:55.989
So he, I, no, I had no idea.

327
00:16:56.089 --> 00:16:56.390
Right.

328
00:16:56.790 --> 00:16:57.090
So we.

329
00:16:57.110 --> 00:16:58.510
Might not be the best time to go.

330
00:16:58.631 --> 00:17:03.753
So we huddle and start looking at weather patterns because all of us are equipped to do that.

331
00:17:04.233 --> 00:17:05.574
Sure.

332
00:17:05.594 --> 00:17:12.261
And ultimately decide, you know, it'd be safer to send them the next week.

333
00:17:12.401 --> 00:17:13.582
So we hop on the phone.

334
00:17:13.622 --> 00:17:15.063
We change the reservations.

335
00:17:15.103 --> 00:17:17.005
We get everything pushed a week out.

336
00:17:17.566 --> 00:17:23.111
And that's just a standard, like, unify event fire that nobody really sees.

337
00:17:24.232 --> 00:17:29.376
And then I take a lot of pride in our group being all volunteers that we –

338
00:17:30.057 --> 00:17:34.759
You know, we all have frustrations about how things go at the event.

339
00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:41.582
We were supposed to have skydivers at this year's suitcase party that landed in the event to determine who won the prizes.

340
00:17:42.022 --> 00:17:42.122
Oh.

341
00:17:42.362 --> 00:17:42.883
We couldn't.

342
00:17:43.123 --> 00:17:43.983
Oh, because of the weather.

343
00:17:44.063 --> 00:17:48.705
There were downdrafts all around them to where the plane wouldn't have had anywhere to land.

344
00:17:48.865 --> 00:17:52.887
Were you like Random number generator?

345
00:17:52.927 --> 00:18:17.197
I jumped off a bus Landed in everybody's arms No I created a virtual prize wheel On the fly You know not as Amazing as skydivers would have been But at the end of the day Everybody has a great time They're there to support the kids And maybe hopefully Have a chance at winning the big prize

346
00:18:17.397 --> 00:18:19.198
I will say this though.

347
00:18:19.218 --> 00:18:22.600
We, we had an opportunity.

348
00:18:22.860 --> 00:18:25.622
The skydivers said they would do it.

349
00:18:26.202 --> 00:18:35.608
We were ready to roll a helicopter out of that hangar that night in front of all the guests for a plan B and they scrapped it at the last minute.

350
00:18:35.628 --> 00:18:38.950
So we are always trying to make the best event possible.

351
00:18:39.010 --> 00:18:40.471
So I guess for listeners sake,

352
00:18:41.412 --> 00:18:55.963
in the future are you thinking about and it's probably a board meeting level decision perhaps but like it has been one of my hesitancies of like okay I have to be like ready to go at the end of this party if I win

353
00:18:56.983 --> 00:19:00.387
You know, I think that is a great question.

354
00:19:00.427 --> 00:19:03.090
And I haven't always wanted to undergo that.

355
00:19:03.411 --> 00:19:06.074
Frankly, I'm not always ready for that.

356
00:19:06.094 --> 00:19:06.554
Yeah.

357
00:19:06.574 --> 00:19:07.495
Because I probably won't.

358
00:19:07.616 --> 00:19:10.879
I've got a 1 in 400 chance to win or something, right?

359
00:19:10.979 --> 00:19:11.260
Yeah.

360
00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:14.644
I think a lot of people have that hesitancy.

361
00:19:14.904 --> 00:19:16.846
And I think this year showed us that...

362
00:19:17.587 --> 00:19:21.089
We thought the appeal of the party for a long time was leaving that night.

363
00:19:21.770 --> 00:19:28.774
And I think the success of this year with the extreme pivots that we had to make showed us that that's not why people show up.

364
00:19:29.975 --> 00:19:30.736
It was a record year.

365
00:19:31.036 --> 00:19:34.498
You should do something cooler if you do.

366
00:19:35.198 --> 00:19:44.444
Like you should keep it the suitcase party so the experience is cooler if you're just ready to roll and you just roll because that actually...

367
00:19:45.585 --> 00:19:46.385
is pretty cool.

368
00:19:46.486 --> 00:19:46.746
Yeah.

369
00:19:46.786 --> 00:19:47.766
Not everybody can.

370
00:19:47.926 --> 00:19:48.506
Yeah.

371
00:19:48.567 --> 00:19:50.287
Like I got kids and stuff in there.

372
00:19:51.508 --> 00:19:58.591
So they're going to call mom and dad Friday night at 11 PM and be like, Hey, we won.

373
00:19:58.611 --> 00:19:59.072
Yeah.

374
00:19:59.612 --> 00:20:03.854
I know we mentioned this three weeks ago, but yeah, the kids will be at the house.

375
00:20:03.874 --> 00:20:05.475
You have to pick them up by 6 AM.

376
00:20:06.075 --> 00:20:08.716
Maybe we just include childcare in the package.

377
00:20:08.736 --> 00:20:09.216
Maybe.

378
00:20:09.336 --> 00:20:11.958
I don't know.

379
00:20:11.978 --> 00:20:14.199
We've talked about pet care and childcare.

380
00:20:14.219 --> 00:20:14.319
Yeah.

381
00:20:15.800 --> 00:20:18.322
I would like to see it kept as a thing where you could.

382
00:20:18.662 --> 00:20:18.982
Yeah.

383
00:20:19.143 --> 00:20:21.625
But there are just so many people for whom they don't have that.

384
00:20:22.265 --> 00:20:28.290
Even my wife and I don't have any kids, but it's still hard to be like, okay, if we win, we're gone tomorrow.

385
00:20:29.051 --> 00:20:34.496
And if we don't, then we've got this, the week ahead that's our normal life.

386
00:20:34.656 --> 00:20:34.996
Yeah.

387
00:20:35.657 --> 00:20:38.699
Well, and that event in particular, I mean, there's...

388
00:20:38.739 --> 00:20:39.320
It was a weekend?

389
00:20:39.340 --> 00:20:39.440
Yeah.

390
00:20:40.290 --> 00:20:42.131
This year was, we wanted to.

391
00:20:42.551 --> 00:20:44.351
If you're going to Hawaii, you don't want to freaking.

392
00:20:44.391 --> 00:20:46.752
Well, Hawaii aside.

393
00:20:46.792 --> 00:20:47.292
Four days.

394
00:20:47.332 --> 00:20:50.513
If you had to go through security at DIA, we wanted to extend your time.

395
00:20:50.533 --> 00:20:51.653
Yeah, yeah.

396
00:20:51.773 --> 00:20:52.854
Right.

397
00:20:52.994 --> 00:20:56.315
But typically it's a two night, three day thing.

398
00:20:56.455 --> 00:20:56.815
Total.

399
00:20:57.115 --> 00:20:58.395
It's more of a sprint.

400
00:20:58.455 --> 00:20:58.815
Yeah.

401
00:20:58.975 --> 00:20:59.536
Historically.

402
00:20:59.596 --> 00:21:00.576
But Hawaii is different.

403
00:21:00.596 --> 00:21:00.856
Yeah.

404
00:21:00.956 --> 00:21:01.116
Yeah.

405
00:21:01.136 --> 00:21:02.737
I don't want to go to Hawaii for three days.

406
00:21:02.817 --> 00:21:03.077
No.

407
00:21:03.137 --> 00:21:03.297
Yeah.

408
00:21:03.317 --> 00:21:04.277
This was a five day.

409
00:21:04.437 --> 00:21:09.959
And the event in itself has so many activations that are so fun beyond just even winning.

410
00:21:09.979 --> 00:21:18.802
So it's like I think the winning factor of the event is so profound and cool, but that's not what keeps people coming back.

411
00:21:18.822 --> 00:21:19.303
That's what I'm saying.

412
00:21:19.323 --> 00:21:19.543
Yeah.

413
00:21:20.003 --> 00:21:21.623
But it would be cool to keep that front and center.

414
00:21:22.224 --> 00:21:22.784
Oh, yeah.

415
00:21:22.824 --> 00:21:23.024
100%.

416
00:21:23.164 --> 00:21:25.465
I think that's always going to be the underlying theme.

417
00:21:25.985 --> 00:21:26.645
Yeah.

418
00:21:26.685 --> 00:21:28.226
You know, there's a lot of history there.

419
00:21:28.246 --> 00:21:33.608
I think, you know, one of the beautiful parts about having to pivot this year is it –

420
00:21:34.368 --> 00:21:41.813
unlocked some freedom for us to not be handcuffed to this one concept and still find success.

421
00:21:42.554 --> 00:21:43.274
So that's great.

422
00:21:43.334 --> 00:21:50.479
But to James's point, I think I would guess the vast majority of people that show up to that don't show up to win the trip.

423
00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:50.779
Right.

424
00:21:50.819 --> 00:21:54.021
They show up for the spectacle, the band, the entertainment, the silent auction, the food, the beverages.

425
00:21:54.041 --> 00:21:54.322
Yeah.

426
00:22:01.235 --> 00:22:04.156
I'm going to bounce it back to James for what's, what's next.

427
00:22:05.057 --> 00:22:05.357
Yeah.

428
00:22:05.397 --> 00:22:06.778
What committee is up on deck.

429
00:22:07.078 --> 00:22:09.499
So technically a grant selection committee is up.

430
00:22:09.639 --> 00:22:09.999
Okay.

431
00:22:10.019 --> 00:22:11.680
Cause now you raised X money.

432
00:22:11.820 --> 00:22:12.020
Yep.

433
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:13.401
You made a bunch of pledges.

434
00:22:13.441 --> 00:22:15.082
Hopefully you even made more money than that.

435
00:22:15.182 --> 00:22:15.462
Okay.

436
00:22:15.522 --> 00:22:15.742
Yep.

437
00:22:15.962 --> 00:22:16.202
Yep.

438
00:22:16.242 --> 00:22:17.583
So December, right.

439
00:22:17.603 --> 00:22:20.244
Is when we open, uh, October, October.

440
00:22:20.364 --> 00:22:20.564
Yep.

441
00:22:20.804 --> 00:22:28.068
And then, uh, we start combing through and we make our selections and then going into next year, it's pretty hard and fast to commit and, uh,

442
00:22:28.508 --> 00:22:33.950
We have a really fun process of delivering the news in person to all the nonprofits we select.

443
00:22:34.170 --> 00:22:34.370
Yeah.

444
00:22:34.510 --> 00:22:39.512
Scott, um, got to trick a bunch of nonprofits this last year, which was hilarious.

445
00:22:39.572 --> 00:22:39.972
Why?

446
00:22:40.212 --> 00:22:40.412
Yeah.

447
00:22:40.432 --> 00:22:41.613
I got to lie to them.

448
00:22:42.173 --> 00:22:44.834
We, we were forced to buy the board or something.

449
00:22:44.954 --> 00:22:49.775
They think we're showing up to ask them grueling questions about their operations.

450
00:22:49.795 --> 00:22:51.496
Deeper into the nomination process.

451
00:22:51.556 --> 00:22:52.096
Yeah.

452
00:22:52.176 --> 00:22:56.298
So they're all prepared with stacks of documents and we're like, actually we have documents for you.

453
00:22:56.358 --> 00:22:57.258
And that's like the, the,

454
00:22:57.638 --> 00:22:58.618
Yeah, the selection.

455
00:22:58.638 --> 00:22:59.179
Here's a check.

456
00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:00.679
Yeah.

457
00:23:00.819 --> 00:23:03.920
Here's an IOU, actually.

458
00:23:04.040 --> 00:23:07.021
That's probably one of my favorite pieces of the puzzle.

459
00:23:07.121 --> 00:23:16.745
But from there, we get into, I don't know what the decision about St. Paddy's Day was, but that's probably going to be our first one of the year if we do it.

460
00:23:16.805 --> 00:23:18.205
If you do it, okay.

461
00:23:18.546 --> 00:23:19.186
It was a beast?

462
00:23:19.366 --> 00:23:19.646
Is that...

463
00:23:20.689 --> 00:23:21.890
A lot of logistics.

464
00:23:21.910 --> 00:23:23.471
Because it was coming back, right?

465
00:23:23.671 --> 00:23:25.893
Like, let's touch on the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

466
00:23:25.913 --> 00:23:27.714
Because it was gone for a long time.

467
00:23:28.494 --> 00:23:29.895
It was gone from.

468
00:23:30.296 --> 00:23:31.116
Like, pre-2020?

469
00:23:31.416 --> 00:23:32.217
Yeah.

470
00:23:32.237 --> 00:23:34.038
It was a COVID casualty?

471
00:23:34.198 --> 00:23:36.820
I think 2019 was actually.

472
00:23:36.860 --> 00:23:37.841
Oh, even before COVID.

473
00:23:37.861 --> 00:23:38.241
Yeah.

474
00:23:38.641 --> 00:23:50.934
Um, and unfortunately, um, I know at that time it was canceled due to an unfortunate accident at an unrelated parade, um, locally at the Windsor Harvest Festival.

475
00:23:51.575 --> 00:23:59.824
Um, and unfortunately we, we also just recently had a unfortunate event at a parade type affair here in Fort Collins.

476
00:23:59.844 --> 00:23:59.944
Yeah.

477
00:23:59.964 --> 00:24:00.124
Yeah.

478
00:24:00.144 --> 00:24:00.244
Yeah.

479
00:24:00.264 --> 00:24:00.365
Yeah.

480
00:24:01.245 --> 00:24:02.465
We're going to weigh things.

481
00:24:03.506 --> 00:24:05.166
We're going to weigh things objectively.

482
00:24:05.226 --> 00:24:08.447
Yeah, the toilet fat obviously is what we're talking about for those listening.

483
00:24:09.027 --> 00:24:28.672
And like Greg was talking about this at the Realities for Children ambassadors meeting recently about just the pressure against organizations to have these kind of events because of the – just the cost and the organizational and the roads are closed and this and that.

484
00:24:31.312 --> 00:24:36.015
Like, shit happens and people die.

485
00:24:36.715 --> 00:24:37.095
You know?

486
00:24:37.335 --> 00:24:44.699
And, like, taking community events away won't make less people die, really.

487
00:24:44.759 --> 00:24:44.999
Right.

488
00:24:45.459 --> 00:24:49.401
Like, if you really boil it down, this is not a dangerous thing.

489
00:24:49.521 --> 00:24:50.662
Like, stuff happens.

490
00:24:50.742 --> 00:24:53.003
It's humans moving around together and stuff.

491
00:24:53.723 --> 00:24:55.825
But it's not going to – it will probably decrease.

492
00:24:56.285 --> 00:25:05.072
It will probably increase longevity for humans in northern Colorado to keep doing cool stuff like this because it connects us to each other in some capacity.

493
00:25:05.092 --> 00:25:11.216
And we're not just all Amazon lifestyle, you know, live at our house maybe with our kids.

494
00:25:11.336 --> 00:25:15.640
And we know our Amazon guy and our postman and –

495
00:25:17.100 --> 00:25:21.283
you know, our sister or something, but like we need to connect with each other.

496
00:25:21.523 --> 00:25:22.383
And so, I don't know.

497
00:25:22.884 --> 00:25:24.305
It's a, it's a tough subject for me.

498
00:25:24.705 --> 00:25:25.025
Yeah.

499
00:25:25.045 --> 00:25:25.625
Tough cost.

500
00:25:25.786 --> 00:25:26.166
The way.

501
00:25:26.946 --> 00:25:27.427
For sure.

502
00:25:27.567 --> 00:25:35.252
I think it's, um, it's just one of those things we want to make sure we react to and don't overreact necessarily.

503
00:25:35.312 --> 00:25:41.876
So we have the benefit of, well, if I'm invited next year, I promise not to run over anybody this time.

504
00:25:42.236 --> 00:25:43.297
You got to be in the parade again.

505
00:25:43.317 --> 00:25:47.643
You had one of the best floats, I guess, truck.

506
00:25:48.163 --> 00:25:48.564
Yeah.

507
00:25:49.285 --> 00:25:49.525
Yeah.

508
00:25:49.585 --> 00:25:57.034
No, it's trying to make it fit our mission is the other, I think, big piece.

509
00:25:57.595 --> 00:25:57.795
Yeah.

510
00:25:59.757 --> 00:26:04.180
It's it's one we don't necessarily have our arms wrapped around on how to monetize.

511
00:26:04.380 --> 00:26:05.521
Yeah.

512
00:26:05.901 --> 00:26:18.429
And so someone actually painted a really nice picture for us visually about it when we were kind of feeling like we didn't really accomplish our mission.

513
00:26:18.449 --> 00:26:20.811
And they said that was the single biggest grant.

514
00:26:21.391 --> 00:26:39.038
you've ever given this community and the amount of kids that showed up to witness that joy like that's kind of that for me a little bit yeah yeah um which like we hadn't looked at it that way i saw tens of 10 000 kids yeah you know i honked my horn and when they looked at me and did this you

515
00:26:39.438 --> 00:26:41.259
So, um, my siren blew it.

516
00:26:41.600 --> 00:26:41.900
Yeah.

517
00:26:42.080 --> 00:26:46.704
So it's one of those things that it might just be a different type of giving than we've done before.

518
00:26:46.784 --> 00:26:47.004
Yeah.

519
00:26:47.044 --> 00:26:52.408
So it was cool to see, I mean, growing up in Fort Collins, you, you've been here pretty much your whole life, right?

520
00:26:52.428 --> 00:26:52.648
Yeah.

521
00:26:52.668 --> 00:26:55.070
It's like the staple early twenties.

522
00:26:55.090 --> 00:26:55.430
Yeah.

523
00:26:55.550 --> 00:27:00.214
The staple of this community that was really tragic to lose when it went away.

524
00:27:00.294 --> 00:27:06.398
And so many friends and family members, when I was telling them, Hey, I'm a part of this group bringing this back.

525
00:27:06.558 --> 00:27:07.419
They were like, okay.

526
00:27:07.539 --> 00:27:13.442
Finally, you know, it's like this like really cool resurgence of something that's really integral to this community.

527
00:27:13.462 --> 00:27:14.442
I could come in March.

528
00:27:14.483 --> 00:27:15.443
That's mid-March.

529
00:27:15.643 --> 00:27:15.863
Right.

530
00:27:16.083 --> 00:27:17.384
Or late February, whatever.

531
00:27:17.724 --> 00:27:19.665
Whenever St. Patty's Day is, it's kind of random.

532
00:27:20.445 --> 00:27:20.686
Yeah.

533
00:27:20.726 --> 00:27:21.126
Mid-March.

534
00:27:21.146 --> 00:27:21.826
You probably already know.

535
00:27:22.246 --> 00:27:22.587
Yeah.

536
00:27:23.507 --> 00:27:25.489
The board has already addressed this topic, right?

537
00:27:25.770 --> 00:27:26.791
Well, we don't know.

538
00:27:26.871 --> 00:27:28.473
Weekend before, weekend after.

539
00:27:28.493 --> 00:27:31.537
It kind of depends where it fits best.

540
00:27:31.557 --> 00:27:34.720
And then you've got the Down and Derby is always like early May.

541
00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:35.121
Yep.

542
00:27:35.281 --> 00:27:36.422
That's our next big one.

543
00:27:36.442 --> 00:27:37.444
May 1st.

544
00:27:38.004 --> 00:27:38.705
A lot of fun.

545
00:27:38.745 --> 00:27:39.766
Where is that these days?

546
00:27:40.107 --> 00:27:40.647
Where is it held?

547
00:27:41.208 --> 00:27:42.790
Or do you know where it's going to be next year?

548
00:27:42.810 --> 00:27:42.910
Yeah.

549
00:27:43.132 --> 00:27:44.733
It's been at the Greenhouse.

550
00:27:45.013 --> 00:27:45.813
Yeah, the Rain Dance.

551
00:27:46.294 --> 00:27:46.534
Yep.

552
00:27:46.554 --> 00:27:47.514
Golf course area there.

553
00:27:47.534 --> 00:27:47.734
Yep.

554
00:27:47.754 --> 00:27:48.815
It's a great spot for it.

555
00:27:48.935 --> 00:27:49.515
Three years.

556
00:27:51.657 --> 00:27:58.460
So we'll kick things off and start evaluating derby party and all things kind of next season.

557
00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:03.503
We're taking September off and then October we kind of just start the cycle all over again.

558
00:28:03.523 --> 00:28:08.225
And is there another event between derby and suitcase?

559
00:28:08.545 --> 00:28:08.785
Yes.

560
00:28:09.066 --> 00:28:11.027
The Kids Classic Golf Tournament.

561
00:28:11.047 --> 00:28:11.327
Oh, yeah.

562
00:28:11.347 --> 00:28:11.507
Yep.

563
00:28:11.907 --> 00:28:12.147
Yeah.

564
00:28:12.368 --> 00:28:13.288
Which is probably.

565
00:28:13.328 --> 00:28:14.689
When is that?

566
00:28:14.870 --> 00:28:15.850
When is the day?

567
00:28:15.890 --> 00:28:16.851
What dates do we do that?

568
00:28:16.971 --> 00:28:17.352
It's been.

569
00:28:17.572 --> 00:28:18.212
It's all over.

570
00:28:18.953 --> 00:28:19.454
Yeah.

571
00:28:20.094 --> 00:28:25.939
It is whatever Friday between June and July we can get on a private course.

572
00:28:25.999 --> 00:28:26.319
Yeah.

573
00:28:27.280 --> 00:28:31.402
That's a good course and doesn't have a bunch of other events going on that weekend.

574
00:28:31.662 --> 00:28:32.042
Yes.

575
00:28:32.722 --> 00:28:33.042
Yes.

576
00:28:33.102 --> 00:28:39.404
So we're very fortunate that Greeley Country Club has gifted us their course for the last two years on a Friday.

577
00:28:39.425 --> 00:28:40.565
Nice.

578
00:28:41.265 --> 00:28:45.567
So that we, you know, I think we get better turnout that it's a Friday event.

579
00:28:45.587 --> 00:28:45.787
For sure.

580
00:28:45.867 --> 00:28:49.128
People feel like they can maybe let loose a little more.

581
00:28:49.188 --> 00:28:53.910
You don't have four days of work the rest of the week as opposed to a Monday tournament.

582
00:28:54.690 --> 00:29:02.333
Um, it's actually turned into our second strongest event from a net profit standpoint, um, which is great.

583
00:29:02.553 --> 00:29:12.156
And I would say if you're a golfer and you've been to our events, um, again, shameless plug, it is, it is our unified parties on a golf course.

584
00:29:12.397 --> 00:29:12.597
Yeah.

585
00:29:13.017 --> 00:29:13.477
That's great.

586
00:29:13.577 --> 00:29:16.238
It's less golf tournament, more party on the green.

587
00:29:16.518 --> 00:29:16.778
Yeah.

588
00:29:17.479 --> 00:29:19.400
You don't need to be scratch golfer to have fun there.

589
00:29:19.420 --> 00:29:19.600
No.

590
00:29:19.640 --> 00:29:20.280
That's for sure.

591
00:29:20.641 --> 00:29:32.808
That's one thing that's annoying about some golf tournaments anymore is like the top seven or eight, ten teams are like kicking everybody else's ass by like a hundred strokes.

592
00:29:33.068 --> 00:29:33.809
Yeah.

593
00:29:33.829 --> 00:29:35.249
You know, because they're just like ringers.

594
00:29:35.270 --> 00:29:35.610
Yeah.

595
00:29:35.630 --> 00:29:36.510
Like full of ringers.

596
00:29:36.570 --> 00:29:37.611
And the rest of us are just like.

597
00:29:37.811 --> 00:29:39.832
Yeah, I golf four times a year.

598
00:29:39.852 --> 00:29:41.854
It's cool, you know.

599
00:29:42.414 --> 00:29:42.654
Anyway.

600
00:29:42.814 --> 00:29:51.200
I think it's pretty cool about that one because we raised so much money in that tournament, and there are hundreds of golf tournaments in this area over the summer.

601
00:29:51.220 --> 00:29:51.580
Yeah, for sure.

602
00:29:51.820 --> 00:29:54.782
And ours is still consistently one of the top producing.

603
00:29:55.302 --> 00:29:59.044
So bring the ringers if you need to, but you'll have fun even if you don't bring the ringers.

604
00:29:59.065 --> 00:29:59.885
Is that what I'm hearing?

605
00:30:00.265 --> 00:30:02.747
Yeah, and you've got chances at our events to win like –

606
00:30:03.367 --> 00:30:07.951
awesome prizes that aren't necessarily tied to being the best golfer on the course.

607
00:30:08.131 --> 00:30:09.012
Yeah, good.

608
00:30:09.292 --> 00:30:20.281
So you can walk away with, I mean, like two years ago was like a $6,000 cash prize by way of the helicopter golf ball drop.

609
00:30:20.702 --> 00:30:23.324
So we're always working on the next new thing.

610
00:30:23.444 --> 00:30:27.828
So before we leave, because we're going to jump into the time machine and get to know you guys.

611
00:30:27.948 --> 00:30:28.148
Okay.

612
00:30:28.168 --> 00:30:30.430
Like going back to like five-year-old people.

613
00:30:30.850 --> 00:30:31.731
All right.

614
00:30:31.871 --> 00:30:36.655
But before we leave that, I've been involved with Realities for Children for a long time.

615
00:30:36.935 --> 00:30:40.478
Kind of a similar cause, but different membership organization and stuff.

616
00:30:40.498 --> 00:30:42.219
Are you guys friends with them?

617
00:30:42.339 --> 00:30:43.200
Are you competitors?

618
00:30:43.641 --> 00:30:44.882
Like they've got a golf tournament.

619
00:30:45.342 --> 00:30:46.583
You don't have a motorcycle ride.

620
00:30:46.603 --> 00:30:49.745
Like they just had a suitcase party.

621
00:30:49.826 --> 00:30:50.546
Similar timing.

622
00:30:50.826 --> 00:30:50.946
Yeah.

623
00:30:50.966 --> 00:30:51.107
Yeah.

624
00:30:52.027 --> 00:30:55.931
Um, they are, I wouldn't call them a competitor by any stretch.

625
00:30:56.411 --> 00:30:58.473
Um, very similar organization.

626
00:30:58.714 --> 00:30:59.614
They care about kids too.

627
00:30:59.915 --> 00:31:00.255
Yeah.

628
00:31:00.335 --> 00:31:00.495
Yeah.

629
00:31:00.695 --> 00:31:02.217
And have a purpose built around that.

630
00:31:02.417 --> 00:31:05.600
They have their, they have kind of their niche, I would say.

631
00:31:06.341 --> 00:31:09.744
Um, and we have ours and I would say not just realities.

632
00:31:09.784 --> 00:31:10.685
Your events are fun.

633
00:31:10.725 --> 00:31:11.846
Those are kind of lame.

634
00:31:12.166 --> 00:31:12.867
No, I don't think.

635
00:31:13.027 --> 00:31:14.128
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

636
00:31:14.488 --> 00:31:16.090
Totally teasing Craig if you hear this.

637
00:31:16.570 --> 00:31:27.414
Um, it's in that same, uh, there's emotion and I think a direct tie to the specific people that are going to give to that cause are going to be drawn to that cause.

638
00:31:27.434 --> 00:31:27.574
Yeah.

639
00:31:27.594 --> 00:31:30.615
And they do have kind of some heartstrings stuff related and all that.

640
00:31:30.635 --> 00:31:30.835
Yeah.

641
00:31:30.855 --> 00:31:38.017
You guys are a little bit more like, hey, we raise, we're having a fun time raising money for kids in a tough spot.

642
00:31:38.257 --> 00:31:38.497
Right.

643
00:31:38.558 --> 00:31:39.018
Yeah.

644
00:31:39.358 --> 00:31:39.838
And I think.

645
00:31:40.118 --> 00:31:41.139
And we do it in different ways.

646
00:31:41.159 --> 00:31:46.444
Well, and ultimately, if nonprofits that are supporting kids in this area win, who cares?

647
00:31:46.464 --> 00:31:46.744
Totally.

648
00:31:46.784 --> 00:31:48.886
As long as they're all winning, that's good for us.

649
00:31:48.986 --> 00:31:50.147
But it's nice to have a niche.

650
00:31:50.587 --> 00:31:53.590
Am I kind of correct in that differentiation a bit?

651
00:31:53.750 --> 00:32:02.058
And I think where NoCoUnify exists outside of those other nonprofits isn't just in the story that we tell at our events.

652
00:32:02.158 --> 00:32:02.618
It's that...

653
00:32:03.860 --> 00:32:06.644
Those organizations are going to do well on their own.

654
00:32:06.905 --> 00:32:10.010
We're not going to take any supporters away from them.

655
00:32:10.591 --> 00:32:17.102
What we actually do is supplement all of their efforts by pulling dollars that wouldn't otherwise get donated.

656
00:32:18.067 --> 00:32:21.511
through maybe some younger people that are just getting into film.

657
00:32:21.551 --> 00:32:22.892
That's part of the under 40 part.

658
00:32:23.133 --> 00:32:23.373
Right.

659
00:32:23.393 --> 00:32:23.513
Yeah.

660
00:32:23.793 --> 00:32:26.776
Like they're all fighting for the old people's money.

661
00:32:27.217 --> 00:32:28.178
Or grant dollars.

662
00:32:28.278 --> 00:32:29.980
Or grant dollars or this and that.

663
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.564
But in some ways you're trying to bring fresh juice into the equation.

664
00:32:33.584 --> 00:32:33.764
Exactly.

665
00:32:33.784 --> 00:32:34.084
100%.

666
00:32:34.245 --> 00:32:34.425
Yep.

667
00:32:34.785 --> 00:32:40.992
So it may be those people that can't give it the $10, $20,000 levels, but they can give it the $10, $20 levels.

668
00:32:41.032 --> 00:32:41.252
Right.

669
00:32:41.512 --> 00:32:42.753
Or even the $500.

670
00:32:42.894 --> 00:32:43.134
Yeah.

671
00:32:43.154 --> 00:32:43.314
Yeah.

672
00:32:43.574 --> 00:32:44.916
So the lots of those.

673
00:32:44.976 --> 00:32:48.880
Buy $200 tickets to a fancy event, but it's worth it because of the experience.

674
00:32:49.060 --> 00:32:49.520
Exactly.

675
00:32:49.620 --> 00:32:51.863
So kind of more experience motivation in some ways.

676
00:32:51.883 --> 00:32:52.043
Yeah.

677
00:32:52.143 --> 00:32:55.785
Yeah, and realities has such a good business footprint, I would say.

678
00:32:56.425 --> 00:32:57.285
Oh, solid.

679
00:32:57.726 --> 00:33:01.688
Unify, it's really a leadership development program.

680
00:33:01.748 --> 00:33:09.611
You're never going to find a group of talented A-list dudes that are as sacrificial as the Unify guys, period.

681
00:33:09.631 --> 00:33:10.812
You won't find that anywhere else.

682
00:33:10.832 --> 00:33:13.833
A little bit is kind of like what you're looking for in a Rotary Club or something.

683
00:33:13.873 --> 00:33:14.254
Totally.

684
00:33:14.334 --> 00:33:17.035
Very more refined where you've got the...

685
00:33:18.750 --> 00:33:26.582
the 38 year old guys mentoring the 27 year old guys and stuff and just trying to get stronger.

686
00:33:26.802 --> 00:33:27.203
Yeah.

687
00:33:27.243 --> 00:33:29.546
I'm just trying to keep up with the 27 year old guys.

688
00:33:29.686 --> 00:33:29.927
Right.

689
00:33:30.207 --> 00:33:31.129
Well, you can't anymore.

690
00:33:31.169 --> 00:33:31.970
You're almost 40 now.

691
00:33:32.190 --> 00:33:32.491
Yeah.

692
00:33:34.555 --> 00:33:35.255
They move, man.

693
00:33:36.876 --> 00:33:37.277
It's true.

694
00:33:37.357 --> 00:33:37.737
It's true.

695
00:33:37.757 --> 00:33:38.798
Yeah.

696
00:33:39.498 --> 00:33:51.665
Well, that helps me actually really understand your place in the marketplace a little bit better and consider you like a friend in that mission much more so than a competitor anyway.

697
00:33:51.845 --> 00:33:53.126
Not that I ever did, really.

698
00:33:53.186 --> 00:33:55.087
I just haven't really engaged in it much.

699
00:33:55.608 --> 00:33:56.088
And so...

700
00:33:56.208 --> 00:33:58.371
It's like as the tides rise, so do all the ships.

701
00:33:58.591 --> 00:33:59.212
Right, right.

702
00:33:59.232 --> 00:34:03.558
Well, and as kids suffer less, communities get stronger.

703
00:34:03.658 --> 00:34:04.019
Totally.

704
00:34:04.039 --> 00:34:04.399
Period.

705
00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:04.800
Kind of.

706
00:34:04.820 --> 00:34:05.401
Totally, yeah.

707
00:34:05.842 --> 00:34:10.308
So I feel like it's a good time for a break, and we'll jump back to the time machine when we come back.

708
00:34:10.588 --> 00:34:10.909
Sweet.

709
00:34:11.089 --> 00:34:11.369
Love it.

710
00:34:11.529 --> 00:34:11.770
Cool.

711
00:34:12.769 --> 00:34:15.092
This episode is sponsored by Loco Think Tank.

712
00:34:15.432 --> 00:34:18.515
Loco Think Tank provides peer collaboration for business owners.

713
00:34:18.836 --> 00:34:25.443
We build smart, safe places to help business leaders navigate every stage of the business journey, and we love what we do and who we do it with.

714
00:34:25.923 --> 00:34:30.148
Our model features gift-back-minded business veterans in the role of Loco facilitators,

715
00:34:30.588 --> 00:34:37.970
And we're always looking for abundance-minded individuals to add to our membership, facilitator team, local community, or to feature on this podcast.

716
00:34:38.310 --> 00:34:43.812
Listeners of this podcast who go on to become members of Loco Think Tank get their sixth month of membership for free.

717
00:34:44.032 --> 00:34:47.013
Just mention the Loco Experience podcast on your application.

718
00:34:47.893 --> 00:34:51.034
To learn more, visit our website at locothinktank.com.

719
00:34:51.274 --> 00:34:53.975
That's L-O-C-O thinktank.com.

720
00:34:55.877 --> 00:35:05.320
So, you know, since this is a men's organization here, this United for Youth, Northern Colorado United for Youth, will you see my card?

721
00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:07.581
Actually, Scott, if you could read my card for me.

722
00:35:08.722 --> 00:35:11.603
Scott and James, thanks for being on the Loco Experience.

723
00:35:11.923 --> 00:35:12.603
Here's the deal.

724
00:35:13.383 --> 00:35:18.525
You two thumb wrestle live for first choice between the local mix or crazy.

725
00:35:19.586 --> 00:35:19.966
Ginger.

726
00:35:20.186 --> 00:35:21.126
Crazy ginger.

727
00:35:21.146 --> 00:35:22.407
Hot sauce.

728
00:35:22.587 --> 00:35:23.227
Hot sauce.

729
00:35:24.885 --> 00:35:25.846
So that's those two there.

730
00:35:25.927 --> 00:35:35.176
So Old Town Spice Shop helps us by creating the local mix, everything shake, which is what it sounds like.

731
00:35:35.416 --> 00:35:36.978
You shake it on everything and it tastes better.

732
00:35:37.879 --> 00:35:45.807
The Crazy Ginger is a peach-based ginger and garlic forward with a heavy habanero hit.

733
00:35:46.923 --> 00:35:47.263
Sweet.

734
00:35:47.503 --> 00:35:48.744
That sounds good.

735
00:35:48.884 --> 00:35:49.604
But it doesn't matter.

736
00:35:49.845 --> 00:35:54.707
Like, even if you guys want different things, I want you to thumb wrestle for first choice.

737
00:35:55.127 --> 00:35:56.288
I got to stretch out first.

738
00:35:56.328 --> 00:35:57.528
And James has got big hands.

739
00:35:57.588 --> 00:35:57.928
Yeah.

740
00:35:57.948 --> 00:35:59.349
Like, I'm sorry for this.

741
00:35:59.369 --> 00:36:02.791
I'm bringing the reigning champions back out of retirement here.

742
00:36:02.811 --> 00:36:04.011
But Scott is strong.

743
00:36:04.071 --> 00:36:06.152
Like, he's a business intelligence officer.

744
00:36:06.212 --> 00:36:07.493
I wouldn't put it.

745
00:36:07.513 --> 00:36:11.495
Yeah, he'll tactically, like, run circles around my dumb...

746
00:36:11.975 --> 00:36:35.785
meat that stick so so winner of this thumb war and it's the standard one two three four i declare a thumb war and then go okay okay on air and then winner claims the spoils we might grab the one that you want we might do this at the next suitcase party right or even deciding about whether or not to do the march uh parade all the unified guys are pretty competitive

747
00:36:36.790 --> 00:36:37.611
Someone might get hurt.

748
00:36:37.631 --> 00:36:38.433
That's what I assumed.

749
00:36:38.453 --> 00:36:39.154
That's what I assumed.

750
00:36:39.174 --> 00:36:40.095
That's full contact.

751
00:36:40.115 --> 00:36:45.503
That's kind of why I wrote this into the thank you card was because I wanted to.

752
00:36:45.623 --> 00:36:46.104
Let's do it.

753
00:36:46.124 --> 00:36:47.185
Because that's what you raised.

754
00:36:47.385 --> 00:36:49.048
How many dollars did you raise last year?

755
00:36:49.962 --> 00:36:50.682
400,000.

756
00:36:50.862 --> 00:36:51.102
Right.

757
00:36:51.662 --> 00:36:53.323
That's like for 40 people.

758
00:36:54.043 --> 00:36:54.223
Yeah.

759
00:36:54.803 --> 00:36:56.563
Like 40 members raised 400,000.

760
00:36:56.583 --> 00:36:58.104
That's a lot of money.

761
00:36:58.504 --> 00:36:59.264
Yeah.

762
00:36:59.304 --> 00:37:02.625
And some of them wrote a check for half of that or something.

763
00:37:02.665 --> 00:37:05.085
Others activated everybody for that, it seems.

764
00:37:05.425 --> 00:37:08.866
Plus, they have events, and everybody works hard.

765
00:37:09.106 --> 00:37:10.186
Yep.

766
00:37:10.226 --> 00:37:10.546
Yeah.

767
00:37:10.686 --> 00:37:10.786
Yep.

768
00:37:10.886 --> 00:37:13.307
It takes a lot of effort to raise half a million dollars.

769
00:37:13.647 --> 00:37:13.867
Yep.

770
00:37:14.142 --> 00:37:16.844
I want to shout all those guys out too because they all have full-time jobs.

771
00:37:16.864 --> 00:37:18.444
They're running businesses.

772
00:37:20.586 --> 00:37:21.526
They've got families.

773
00:37:21.546 --> 00:37:22.927
They're business intelligence officers.

774
00:37:23.227 --> 00:37:24.648
Yeah, yeah.

775
00:37:24.748 --> 00:37:31.171
They've got families and those commitments that they upkeep, a lot of them are coaches or they sit on boards of other nonprofits in the community.

776
00:37:31.211 --> 00:37:37.615
So I just couldn't be prouder to be a part of and to know all the guys in this group.

777
00:37:38.115 --> 00:37:53.828
yeah do it all right let's do it all right thumb war all right so one two three four i declare a thumb war um so james doesn't really have oversight's thumbs yeah you're gonna gas me out it's like rocky versus the russian yeah i feel like

778
00:37:58.932 --> 00:38:00.113
If he dies, he dies.

779
00:38:00.273 --> 00:38:01.513
I'm just trying to.

780
00:38:01.533 --> 00:38:04.934
We're not going to have a stalemate.

781
00:38:04.954 --> 00:38:06.275
He's going to get tired.

782
00:38:06.315 --> 00:38:11.097
This is when you pay a lot of money to watch UFC and you're like, why did I pay all that money to watch UFC?

783
00:38:11.137 --> 00:38:11.737
You should have timed this.

784
00:38:11.757 --> 00:38:15.238
Okay, if this is the way the match is going to go, we're going to go.

785
00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:17.259
It's over.

786
00:38:17.439 --> 00:38:18.880
Poor tactical decision.

787
00:38:21.513 --> 00:38:23.054
That's awesome.

788
00:38:23.794 --> 00:38:27.177
I thought it was going to be like this grueling match, and then it was over.

789
00:38:27.237 --> 00:38:28.717
I was trying so hard.

790
00:38:29.538 --> 00:38:32.780
I was trying to grow my thumb to get a little, like, get an inch on it.

791
00:38:33.180 --> 00:38:33.781
I'm imp...

792
00:38:33.801 --> 00:38:36.162
I get to... You got the hitchhiker.

793
00:38:36.182 --> 00:38:36.322
I know.

794
00:38:36.342 --> 00:38:36.942
I can just pop it back.

795
00:38:36.962 --> 00:38:38.103
Yeah, you do have the hitchhiker.

796
00:38:38.123 --> 00:38:39.304
I can just pop it back over there, yeah.

797
00:38:39.824 --> 00:38:40.985
It also makes it vulnerable.

798
00:38:41.005 --> 00:38:41.465
You are great.

799
00:38:41.485 --> 00:38:44.087
Greatest drinks are also abilities.

800
00:38:44.547 --> 00:38:47.430
Yeah, I lost all my power after that.

801
00:38:47.450 --> 00:38:51.393
All right, Scott, we're going to get to know you here with a jump in the time.

802
00:38:51.493 --> 00:38:56.437
Oh, James, choose your – Have you had this one, the everything?

803
00:38:56.957 --> 00:38:57.458
I haven't.

804
00:38:57.538 --> 00:38:58.279
It's so good.

805
00:38:58.639 --> 00:38:59.279
You should take that.

806
00:38:59.520 --> 00:39:00.020
Okay.

807
00:39:00.020 --> 00:39:22.820
whatever dude you won like i have some of that at home but i still have some of it so but you're still you're like minnesota nice you're like i won the better prize but i'm gonna give it to you because you haven't had it yet that's right he hasn't had the hot sauce yet either no that's true that's what we do no co-unify i think no i think that's great yes all right scott you get the you get the shake here we go hot sauce

808
00:39:23.100 --> 00:39:24.681
This will make my wife very happy.

809
00:39:24.701 --> 00:39:26.583
Both are available for sale.

810
00:39:27.183 --> 00:39:30.626
The Crazy Ginger Hot Sauce is from Matador Mexican Grill.

811
00:39:31.206 --> 00:39:31.887
You can get it there.

812
00:39:32.587 --> 00:39:37.110
The local mix is from Old Town Spice Shop, and you can get it there.

813
00:39:37.371 --> 00:39:37.651
Nice.

814
00:39:37.911 --> 00:39:39.252
On their website or whatever.

815
00:39:39.492 --> 00:39:40.673
How did I do with my Vanna White?

816
00:39:40.933 --> 00:39:41.513
That was nice.

817
00:39:41.593 --> 00:39:42.574
Did I miss my calling a little bit?

818
00:39:42.594 --> 00:39:43.914
What do you think about Ginger there?

819
00:39:44.695 --> 00:39:45.755
She's real cute.

820
00:39:46.996 --> 00:39:48.097
I like her a lot.

821
00:39:48.117 --> 00:39:49.097
Her face is a peach.

822
00:39:49.277 --> 00:39:49.817
Oh, it's a peach.

823
00:39:49.857 --> 00:39:52.399
Because it's kind of vaguely not a person.

824
00:39:52.699 --> 00:39:53.279
Yeah, I like it.

825
00:39:53.479 --> 00:39:54.040
I see it.

826
00:39:54.060 --> 00:39:59.943
I had two real-looking people with crop tops and stuff on before.

827
00:39:59.963 --> 00:40:02.904
A crazy Ginger from AI, right?

828
00:40:04.385 --> 00:40:04.925
Good old AI.

829
00:40:04.945 --> 00:40:05.886
We changed it.

830
00:40:06.286 --> 00:40:08.027
Proportions are way off a little bit.

831
00:40:09.229 --> 00:40:18.189
They were fine I like Scott We are jumping in the time machine Okay

832
00:40:18.515 --> 00:40:22.217
We're back to your earliest memories.

833
00:40:22.738 --> 00:40:23.218
Oh, boy.

834
00:40:23.458 --> 00:40:23.658
Yeah.

835
00:40:23.838 --> 00:40:24.859
What do you remember?

836
00:40:25.299 --> 00:40:37.447
I've had such a crazy range of, like, when I was a baby or even in the womb up to, like, I don't remember anything before I was eight.

837
00:40:37.587 --> 00:40:38.288
Tell me for you.

838
00:40:38.748 --> 00:40:39.008
Yeah.

839
00:40:39.028 --> 00:40:39.949
Which is surprising to me.

840
00:40:40.249 --> 00:40:43.371
I kind of assumed everybody was kind of, like, in that three, four, five range.

841
00:40:43.451 --> 00:40:44.031
Yeah.

842
00:40:45.152 --> 00:40:45.672
Let's see.

843
00:40:45.692 --> 00:40:46.693
Yeah.

844
00:40:49.183 --> 00:40:54.868
earliest memories are probably baseball.

845
00:40:55.928 --> 00:40:56.509
Oh, really?

846
00:40:56.589 --> 00:40:56.969
Yeah.

847
00:40:57.750 --> 00:40:58.991
Like eight years old-ish?

848
00:40:59.111 --> 00:41:00.572
No, like probably four.

849
00:41:00.932 --> 00:41:01.833
Okay.

850
00:41:01.913 --> 00:41:02.574
Four or five.

851
00:41:02.854 --> 00:41:05.156
Your dad was a big baseball guy?

852
00:41:05.756 --> 00:41:06.877
No, my...

853
00:41:09.459 --> 00:41:15.682
I had the, I guess the fortune to have a bonus dad.

854
00:41:15.702 --> 00:41:16.482
Okay.

855
00:41:16.722 --> 00:41:26.786
My uncle, my uncle Kenny kind of stepped in and filled a role for me where my dad opted not to.

856
00:41:27.266 --> 00:41:28.607
And where were you?

857
00:41:29.945 --> 00:41:31.467
In Kansas City.

858
00:41:31.547 --> 00:41:34.430
So Independence, Missouri, actually.

859
00:41:34.450 --> 00:41:36.251
So a little suburb of Kansas City.

860
00:41:36.271 --> 00:41:37.553
Your mom and dad were split up?

861
00:41:37.913 --> 00:41:38.253
They were.

862
00:41:39.034 --> 00:41:42.077
And your uncle kind of became baseball dad?

863
00:41:42.177 --> 00:41:42.597
Yeah.

864
00:41:42.677 --> 00:41:47.502
So my mom was terminally ill from my earliest memories.

865
00:41:50.064 --> 00:41:51.906
And my aunt and uncle.

866
00:41:52.146 --> 00:41:52.887
And your dad split?

867
00:41:53.834 --> 00:41:58.698
No, they got divorced before that for good reason.

868
00:41:59.359 --> 00:42:08.847
But very fortunate to have an aunt and uncle that kind of took me in so that I could stay with her and not have to go live with him until –

869
00:42:09.567 --> 00:42:10.847
Um, she passed when I was 10.

870
00:42:11.828 --> 00:42:17.569
Um, I did go stay with my, my bio dad, um, after that and survived it.

871
00:42:18.229 --> 00:42:23.530
Uh, and, uh, but again, very fortunate to have had such a positive example.

872
00:42:23.550 --> 00:42:26.571
Is this your mom's brother or her sister?

873
00:42:26.811 --> 00:42:28.751
Um, her sister and her husband.

874
00:42:28.851 --> 00:42:29.072
Yeah.

875
00:42:29.132 --> 00:42:30.532
Her sister and her husband.

876
00:42:30.552 --> 00:42:30.912
Yep.

877
00:42:31.192 --> 00:42:35.433
And, uh, they had, um, they had a daughter who I call my sister and, uh,

878
00:42:35.593 --> 00:42:36.594
Wow.

879
00:42:36.774 --> 00:42:40.258
I have a wonderful niece and nephew from her.

880
00:42:40.279 --> 00:42:41.300
And how did your mom pass?

881
00:42:41.340 --> 00:42:42.781
Was it cancer?

882
00:42:42.882 --> 00:42:46.245
She had adult onset cystic fibrosis.

883
00:42:46.486 --> 00:42:47.287
Wow.

884
00:42:47.347 --> 00:42:48.508
She passed when I was 10.

885
00:42:48.668 --> 00:42:48.888
And...

886
00:42:55.096 --> 00:43:17.259
hard times for sure sure but uh like i said i i just um family stepped up it sounds like yeah i got to see you know i got to see a great example of the kind of man i did not want to be and i got to see a great example of the kind of man that i did want to be yeah and uh what was your position um my position yeah in baseball

887
00:43:17.823 --> 00:43:21.447
Oh, pitcher, shortstop.

888
00:43:21.668 --> 00:43:21.788
Yeah.

889
00:43:21.828 --> 00:43:24.290
Wherever I could get as much action as possible.

890
00:43:24.411 --> 00:43:25.231
Yeah, yeah.

891
00:43:25.251 --> 00:43:26.453
Third base if they needed you.

892
00:43:26.573 --> 00:43:26.893
Yeah, yeah.

893
00:43:27.053 --> 00:43:27.794
Yeah, I couldn't pitch.

894
00:43:28.655 --> 00:43:29.396
Yeah, bench.

895
00:43:29.616 --> 00:43:32.720
I played a lot of bench.

896
00:43:33.340 --> 00:43:35.843
No, but yeah.

897
00:43:36.624 --> 00:43:37.765
Yeah, pitcher, shortstop.

898
00:43:37.785 --> 00:43:38.646
But I remember...

899
00:43:39.547 --> 00:43:44.832
Just being in the backyard with a wiffle ball bat, like the big yellow wiffle ball bat.

900
00:43:44.872 --> 00:43:47.114
What was then kind of Uncle Jeff or something?

901
00:43:47.134 --> 00:43:48.395
You want to mention him?

902
00:43:48.455 --> 00:43:49.135
My Uncle Kenny.

903
00:43:49.335 --> 00:43:49.896
Uncle Kenny?

904
00:43:49.996 --> 00:43:50.376
Yeah.

905
00:43:50.416 --> 00:43:50.616
Yeah.

906
00:43:50.636 --> 00:43:56.862
So just hitting wiffle balls in the backyard until the sun went down.

907
00:43:57.022 --> 00:44:02.366
Well, that's cool for somebody not in your household to just come and spend time with you.

908
00:44:02.386 --> 00:44:02.807
Yeah.

909
00:44:03.047 --> 00:44:04.268
Or whatever, like that, that time.

910
00:44:04.548 --> 00:44:06.830
Yeah, it was... Shout out to Uncle Kenny.

911
00:44:06.990 --> 00:44:07.630
Oh, for sure.

912
00:44:07.890 --> 00:44:10.532
Yeah, so many shout outs to Uncle Kenny.

913
00:44:11.253 --> 00:44:12.174
And my Aunt Laura, too.

914
00:44:12.234 --> 00:44:13.735
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention her.

915
00:44:13.755 --> 00:44:14.575
For sure, for sure.

916
00:44:15.556 --> 00:44:17.177
But baseball was that memory for you.

917
00:44:17.357 --> 00:44:18.518
Oh, yeah.

918
00:44:18.958 --> 00:44:22.101
We're going to bounce to you for first memories before you bounce back, James.

919
00:44:22.241 --> 00:44:23.402
What do you remember?

920
00:44:24.763 --> 00:44:25.743
There was a bright light.

921
00:44:25.803 --> 00:44:27.184
And where were you?

922
00:44:27.204 --> 00:44:28.485
Yeah.

923
00:44:29.066 --> 00:44:30.627
I saw a lot of weird... No, um...

924
00:44:31.645 --> 00:44:32.608
Oh, gosh, I don't know.

925
00:44:32.628 --> 00:44:37.278
It's funny because baseball is part of my early memories as well.

926
00:44:38.641 --> 00:44:40.204
Played a lot of baseball growing up.

927
00:44:40.284 --> 00:44:42.129
Probably first memory-wise.

928
00:44:43.991 --> 00:44:49.176
So my family and I went to Mongolia and lived there for a good stint of time.

929
00:44:49.336 --> 00:44:49.997
Oh, really?

930
00:44:50.017 --> 00:44:51.378
So a lot of, and it was pretty early.

931
00:44:51.398 --> 00:44:51.859
When you were how old?

932
00:44:52.459 --> 00:44:53.320
I was four.

933
00:44:53.681 --> 00:44:54.341
Oh, wow.

934
00:44:54.461 --> 00:44:56.904
So I don't remember a ton before four.

935
00:44:57.004 --> 00:44:58.586
I'm sure there's probably some memories of surfers.

936
00:44:58.606 --> 00:44:59.146
Some little baggies.

937
00:44:59.206 --> 00:44:59.707
Yeah.

938
00:44:59.727 --> 00:44:59.887
Right.

939
00:45:00.187 --> 00:45:02.550
But a lot of memories from when we were there.

940
00:45:02.750 --> 00:45:07.934
Right, because it was all new, so you were probably baking those memories in firmer even than some of the older ones.

941
00:45:08.054 --> 00:45:11.276
Yeah, and it's such a, you know, kind of visceral memories.

942
00:45:11.336 --> 00:45:13.598
Like, it was pretty third world at that time.

943
00:45:13.738 --> 00:45:14.058
Sure.

944
00:45:14.158 --> 00:45:14.719
And so...

945
00:45:14.959 --> 00:45:17.101
Were there, like, missionaries or something?

946
00:45:17.181 --> 00:45:18.321
Yeah, my parents were.

947
00:45:18.341 --> 00:45:19.062
Okay.

948
00:45:19.182 --> 00:45:21.804
And so we lived in Ulaanbaatar, which is like the...

949
00:45:22.264 --> 00:45:48.971
capital city of mongolia now i guess they found oil and it's turned into a oh pretty metro interesting for the most part yeah but then it was like slums you know um pretty shaping well mongolia has such a difficult resource environment yes right like it's like yeah can't grow crabs can't really raise animals yeah can't really like we can live and eat roots and stuff i don't i mean they have more than that but it's

950
00:45:49.511 --> 00:45:51.293
Like, it's the step, right?

951
00:45:51.333 --> 00:45:53.174
Like, it's a very challenging...

952
00:45:56.097 --> 00:46:01.001
There just isn't, like, a fountain of dollars, like what a lot of countries rely on.

953
00:46:01.101 --> 00:46:06.085
Yeah, before there was oil, there was a lot of nothing, and it was just very impoverished.

954
00:46:06.165 --> 00:46:13.170
And now, I guess, my mom went back about 15 years later, and I guess, like, very developed now, which is interesting.

955
00:46:14.091 --> 00:46:16.313
But it's still high disparity between...

956
00:46:16.940 --> 00:46:18.301
the wealthy and the poor.

957
00:46:19.522 --> 00:46:26.748
But I think there's very few places in the world where you see kids who are homeless just in your day-to-day.

958
00:46:26.768 --> 00:46:27.969
Wow.

959
00:46:28.109 --> 00:46:29.930
So that was pretty shaping, transformative.

960
00:46:29.950 --> 00:46:32.972
And it was also like, I would say for my family,

961
00:46:33.833 --> 00:46:35.474
Like we didn't have much.

962
00:46:35.494 --> 00:46:41.538
We had this tiny little probably 600 square foot apartment for two kids and our parents.

963
00:46:41.758 --> 00:46:44.780
And we just bonded over things like Legos.

964
00:46:44.841 --> 00:46:46.682
And we had this little hallway.

965
00:46:46.722 --> 00:46:47.462
I keep knocking that.

966
00:46:47.562 --> 00:46:52.386
We had this little hallway where we got some hockey sticks and we would play like floor hockey.

967
00:46:52.406 --> 00:46:52.946
Hallway hockey.

968
00:46:53.046 --> 00:46:53.446
Yeah.

969
00:46:53.927 --> 00:46:55.548
And I just I remember that vividly.

970
00:46:55.608 --> 00:46:56.789
And yeah.

971
00:46:56.809 --> 00:46:59.230
So some really fond memories of being there.

972
00:46:59.250 --> 00:47:00.411
How long did you stay?

973
00:47:00.691 --> 00:47:01.432
Close to two years.

974
00:47:01.932 --> 00:47:04.834
Yeah, so, yeah, it was pretty transformative.

975
00:47:04.854 --> 00:47:11.377
For what it's worth, before I forget, but my mom founded our Little League baseball team in my hometown.

976
00:47:11.537 --> 00:47:11.897
Oh, cool.

977
00:47:12.137 --> 00:47:14.719
We had a hometown of like 150 people.

978
00:47:16.120 --> 00:47:26.405
And she founded a baseball team when I was eight, and we took it until I was 11, and then at 12 I could go into the fast pitch league.

979
00:47:26.485 --> 00:47:26.745
Nice.

980
00:47:27.406 --> 00:47:31.668
And I was likewise a shortstop pitcher, third base, basically.

981
00:47:31.908 --> 00:47:56.760
yeah nice oh third base that's a tough position yeah you're just getting beat up my buddy tom get his teeth knocked out on third base that's uh it's a tough spot my brother played that and it was exciting though yeah yeah shortstop is a little more rational yeah a little more time to react yeah right yeah exactly so cool well and we were you know relatively poor as well so it sounds like we've all had some resonant uh baseball and

982
00:47:57.937 --> 00:47:58.977
Yeah, what's the deal with that?

983
00:47:59.037 --> 00:47:59.458
I wonder.

984
00:48:00.518 --> 00:48:03.659
I don't think that's the case nowadays in order to play baseball.

985
00:48:03.679 --> 00:48:04.479
So bring us back.

986
00:48:04.800 --> 00:48:05.180
Yeah, right.

987
00:48:05.220 --> 00:48:11.322
You can't even get to play baseball unless your parents are rich and they can spend $40,000 a year on your coach.

988
00:48:11.342 --> 00:48:12.322
Travel team.

989
00:48:12.342 --> 00:48:14.303
Travel team, yeah.

990
00:48:14.503 --> 00:48:16.744
Bring me to high school, Scott.

991
00:48:17.485 --> 00:48:19.847
Um, high school was, were you with your dad?

992
00:48:19.867 --> 00:48:27.034
Like most of that time I was, um, I was with my dad, um, starting at 10 until 10 until 18.

993
00:48:27.674 --> 00:48:31.738
Uh, um, also in Kansas city still.

994
00:48:31.966 --> 00:48:36.990
No, this was in a very small town in Missouri called Coal Camp.

995
00:48:37.931 --> 00:48:40.233
Coal Camp is known for two things.

996
00:48:41.294 --> 00:48:44.517
It's known as being the town you drive through on your way to Lake of the Ozarks.

997
00:48:44.957 --> 00:48:45.257
Okay.

998
00:48:45.377 --> 00:48:50.682
And for having two state highways that intersect, Highway F and Highway U.

999
00:48:50.762 --> 00:48:50.882
Okay.

1000
00:48:51.142 --> 00:48:54.725
And there's a giant sign that says FU right when you drive through.

1001
00:48:56.627 --> 00:48:57.508
It's meme-worthy.

1002
00:48:57.528 --> 00:48:58.268
You can look it up.

1003
00:48:58.328 --> 00:48:58.709
That's awesome.

1004
00:48:58.809 --> 00:48:59.750
Yeah, that's great.

1005
00:49:00.931 --> 00:49:01.771
A very small town.

1006
00:49:01.911 --> 00:49:05.094
Not a high hope society necessarily.

1007
00:49:05.114 --> 00:49:06.034
Yeah, no.

1008
00:49:06.194 --> 00:49:15.862
Great town full of great people that kind of took me in and let me be, you know, one of their own.

1009
00:49:17.303 --> 00:49:23.928
So high school sports, high school activities, as many things as I could sign up for to not be home, I did.

1010
00:49:23.948 --> 00:49:24.648
Yeah.

1011
00:49:27.002 --> 00:49:29.004
two a day, two a day practices.

1012
00:49:29.024 --> 00:49:30.365
That's nothing.

1013
00:49:30.385 --> 00:49:30.965
Give me three.

1014
00:49:31.185 --> 00:49:33.267
Yeah.

1015
00:49:33.307 --> 00:49:34.047
All the clubs.

1016
00:49:34.127 --> 00:49:37.490
So showing up to school at four 30, getting home at 10 o'clock at night.

1017
00:49:38.451 --> 00:49:47.758
Um, uh, you know, straight A's, everything I could to get, not necessarily out of that town, but just out of that home.

1018
00:49:48.498 --> 00:49:51.801
Uh, uh, so, uh, did he remarry?

1019
00:49:51.841 --> 00:49:56.164
Was there, you have other kids or anything like other, uh, step siblings or anything?

1020
00:49:56.315 --> 00:50:00.098
I have a stepbrother that's significantly older than me that I never really saw.

1021
00:50:00.118 --> 00:50:01.619
He was already kind of out of the picture.

1022
00:50:01.679 --> 00:50:01.979
Yeah.

1023
00:50:02.139 --> 00:50:03.220
I guess he's a half brother.

1024
00:50:03.420 --> 00:50:03.860
Right.

1025
00:50:03.980 --> 00:50:05.462
And then he never remarried.

1026
00:50:05.522 --> 00:50:08.804
He had a, I guess, a common law spouse while I lived there.

1027
00:50:08.824 --> 00:50:14.068
I can't give enough testament to her either for kind of saving my life.

1028
00:50:14.888 --> 00:50:19.932
Um, and being the, uh, intermediary to take the, the bludgeonings, um, in my stead.

1029
00:50:20.952 --> 00:50:27.457
Um, so, uh, RIP to, to her, we lost her in 2019, uh, to cancer.

1030
00:50:28.357 --> 00:50:31.519
Um, so, um, but, uh.

1031
00:50:33.242 --> 00:50:46.352
Is that part of your driver for this organization, United for Youth and stuff, like that suffering that you silently kind of went through and still got straight A's and was on the baseball team?

1032
00:50:47.292 --> 00:50:55.158
Yeah, you know, I think I was probably always looking for a way to pay

1033
00:50:56.336 --> 00:51:03.702
pay it back, um, and realize, um, thank you would never be enough.

1034
00:51:04.603 --> 00:51:14.951
But if I can maybe pay it forward, uh, to those kids that need, need that and don't have it.

1035
00:51:16.112 --> 00:51:22.477
Um, that, uh, you know, there's a lot of, there's a lot of situations in life that,

1036
00:51:23.577 --> 00:51:27.698
things you have to go through and then there are things you get to do.

1037
00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:39.782
And I'm in a situation, uh, by the grace of God and the people that surrounded me that I now get to help those kids.

1038
00:51:40.282 --> 00:51:43.983
And I'm so, it could, it could certainly be the opposite story.

1039
00:51:44.083 --> 00:51:48.825
I like to, uh, share just a little reflection on humankind.

1040
00:51:48.865 --> 00:51:49.905
Sometimes that there's, uh,

1041
00:51:50.505 --> 00:51:58.931
you know, the fund that you sign up for and oftentimes pay for, you know, going to adventure parks or doing this and that, that you really don't ever remember.

1042
00:51:59.831 --> 00:52:05.595
But the struggles, the camping trip where it rained the whole weekend, the suffering together.

1043
00:52:06.155 --> 00:52:12.560
And that's kind of what you're doing with this organization a little bit is like signing up to suffer together a little bit for a good reason.

1044
00:52:12.720 --> 00:52:13.720
Yeah.

1045
00:52:13.740 --> 00:52:14.361
Yeah, that's good.

1046
00:52:15.021 --> 00:52:17.543
Sorry to reflect that directly, but.

1047
00:52:17.783 --> 00:52:19.205
No, it's apt.

1048
00:52:20.667 --> 00:52:20.928
Sorry.

1049
00:52:22.770 --> 00:52:22.970
Cool.

1050
00:52:23.211 --> 00:52:24.112
Well, thanks for sharing that.

1051
00:52:24.132 --> 00:52:25.174
Yeah, thanks for asking.

1052
00:52:26.705 --> 00:52:31.626
James, bring me to your middle school or high school or whatever.

1053
00:52:31.686 --> 00:52:33.866
Coming back from Mongolia must have been different.

1054
00:52:34.246 --> 00:52:35.087
That was, yeah.

1055
00:52:35.427 --> 00:52:41.848
Yeah, it was definitely one of those culture shocks, you know, coming back to the States and whatnot.

1056
00:52:42.188 --> 00:52:43.268
We weren't there long enough.

1057
00:52:43.288 --> 00:52:44.028
And where had you been?

1058
00:52:44.969 --> 00:52:45.569
Fort Collins.

1059
00:52:45.729 --> 00:52:46.889
Okay, you're a townie.

1060
00:52:47.009 --> 00:52:51.650
Yeah, I grew up here pretty much here my whole life for the most part.

1061
00:52:52.850 --> 00:52:56.433
But yeah, so came back to Fort Collins, kind of just got integrated.

1062
00:52:56.453 --> 00:53:00.316
And were your, like, set the scene with your parents a little bit for me, if you don't mind.

1063
00:53:00.336 --> 00:53:00.436
Yeah.

1064
00:53:00.456 --> 00:53:05.419
Like, you were missionaries, so usually that's like, were they professionals before that?

1065
00:53:06.060 --> 00:53:06.320
Yeah.

1066
00:53:06.360 --> 00:53:09.943
And then, like, decided to do this crazy thing and changed their whole life?

1067
00:53:10.203 --> 00:53:14.366
Yeah, my dad was, like, basically a software engineer, I believe.

1068
00:53:14.546 --> 00:53:16.928
Okay, back when computers barely... Yeah, yeah.

1069
00:53:17.388 --> 00:53:23.269
Yeah, and he had a really cush job and just felt like kind of this calling.

1070
00:53:23.789 --> 00:53:25.670
And my mom felt the same thing, same time.

1071
00:53:25.690 --> 00:53:27.690
They could probably tell the story a lot better than I could.

1072
00:53:27.710 --> 00:53:28.010
Sure, sure.

1073
00:53:28.070 --> 00:53:28.930
They just built it.

1074
00:53:28.950 --> 00:53:30.931
They're just trying to think about the dynamic a little bit.

1075
00:53:30.991 --> 00:53:32.451
Yeah, yeah.

1076
00:53:32.991 --> 00:53:35.491
And they just kind of knew we needed to do this.

1077
00:53:35.531 --> 00:53:38.632
They knew it was going to be a short time period, not like forever.

1078
00:53:38.652 --> 00:53:41.132
That's still pretty cool.

1079
00:53:41.152 --> 00:53:43.533
For people to imagine a couple years away from...

1080
00:53:44.623 --> 00:53:45.304
Americana.

1081
00:53:45.764 --> 00:53:45.944
Yeah.

1082
00:53:45.984 --> 00:53:47.425
That's pretty unusual, though.

1083
00:53:47.465 --> 00:53:47.886
Yeah.

1084
00:53:47.906 --> 00:53:49.467
So kudos to your folks in that.

1085
00:53:49.627 --> 00:53:49.787
Yeah.

1086
00:53:49.827 --> 00:53:52.209
So you come back, and you're where?

1087
00:53:52.249 --> 00:53:53.330
Back here in Fort Collins.

1088
00:53:53.630 --> 00:53:53.811
Okay.

1089
00:53:54.011 --> 00:53:55.632
So, yeah, in high school.

1090
00:53:55.652 --> 00:53:57.674
A little roll of bringing into the high school, yep.

1091
00:53:57.794 --> 00:53:58.454
Yep, yep.

1092
00:53:58.555 --> 00:54:03.038
Just, yeah, went to a small private high school, Heritage Christian Academy.

1093
00:54:03.058 --> 00:54:03.559
Oh, yeah.

1094
00:54:03.579 --> 00:54:06.221
My mom taught there, so we were able to get me in there.

1095
00:54:06.281 --> 00:54:06.741
Yeah, right.

1096
00:54:07.021 --> 00:54:07.362
She was...

1097
00:54:08.042 --> 00:54:13.323
I really give kudos to my mom because she wanted to give my brother and I, like, really good education.

1098
00:54:13.383 --> 00:54:20.545
And so she got this job that is an awesome job, but not as high-paying as she could have gotten in the public system.

1099
00:54:20.565 --> 00:54:23.965
But you get, like, free pass to the school if your mom works there.

1100
00:54:24.005 --> 00:54:24.866
Yeah, yeah.

1101
00:54:25.146 --> 00:54:32.567
And, you know, my wife's brother and his family, all their kids went to Resurrection Christian.

1102
00:54:32.667 --> 00:54:32.867
Yeah.

1103
00:54:33.487 --> 00:54:34.788
And that is a sacrifice.

1104
00:54:34.988 --> 00:54:35.088
Yeah.

1105
00:54:35.108 --> 00:54:35.808
Like, it costs a...

1106
00:54:36.368 --> 00:55:00.800
grip yeah uh and like and the teachers don't make as much either no such a crazy system we have here where it's like okay you could have a private charter school but you can't have any of the money that we give to all the other schools to do school without the control facet right yeah it's it's so wild like they what is it 25 000 a student 30 000 a student or something like that they just don't get yeah it's crazy

1107
00:55:01.220 --> 00:55:06.285
Yeah, and Heritage is a fantastic place, like a fantastic institution.

1108
00:55:06.765 --> 00:55:09.007
They've been around for over 50 years now.

1109
00:55:09.027 --> 00:55:09.428
Is that right?

1110
00:55:09.668 --> 00:55:10.649
So I'm really privileged.

1111
00:55:10.669 --> 00:55:14.893
I used to be part of a men's basketball league that played there on Saturday mornings.

1112
00:55:14.973 --> 00:55:17.855
So you probably – Kevin McGinley and – Yep.

1113
00:55:17.935 --> 00:55:18.436
Yep, yep.

1114
00:55:18.516 --> 00:55:19.497
He was my basketball coach.

1115
00:55:19.897 --> 00:55:20.838
Cool.

1116
00:55:20.978 --> 00:55:21.619
So, yeah.

1117
00:55:21.659 --> 00:55:23.401
Yeah, I don't really know how the group was assembled.

1118
00:55:23.421 --> 00:55:26.503
It was everything from doctors to realtors to –

1119
00:55:27.464 --> 00:55:29.327
Whatever I was, you know, at the time.

1120
00:55:29.407 --> 00:55:29.667
Yeah.

1121
00:55:29.847 --> 00:55:30.047
Yeah.

1122
00:55:30.448 --> 00:55:30.668
Yeah.

1123
00:55:30.788 --> 00:55:35.754
So graduated from there and, yeah, just kind of planted in this community after college.

1124
00:55:35.914 --> 00:55:36.635
So, yeah.

1125
00:55:37.616 --> 00:55:39.439
Were you like academic?

1126
00:55:39.499 --> 00:55:40.320
Were you sporty?

1127
00:55:40.400 --> 00:55:43.904
What was your kind of, you said baseball a little bit, at least early on?

1128
00:55:44.219 --> 00:55:45.080
I was the...

1129
00:55:45.381 --> 00:55:51.609
So I have high-functioning Audi HD, which is a really fun hybrid.

1130
00:55:51.629 --> 00:55:53.512
That's different than ADHD?

1131
00:55:53.572 --> 00:55:56.456
It's a really fun hybrid of ADHD and autism.

1132
00:55:56.796 --> 00:56:00.061
It's like this melting pot of the two, and it's great.

1133
00:56:00.521 --> 00:56:24.600
um not sarcastically but um the the perks of that is that you can kind of they call it chameleoning i guess it's like where you as on the autism side you can kind of flow in and out of every circle um and you can fit in it's not like you're one thing or not another thing so i was in everything i was a nerd i was a jock i was an academic i was i wonder if i've got this

1134
00:56:25.160 --> 00:56:29.963
Honestly, I think a lot more people are neurodivergent and don't realize it.

1135
00:56:29.983 --> 00:56:31.383
I definitely am neurodivergent.

1136
00:56:31.403 --> 00:56:31.683
Yeah.

1137
00:56:31.703 --> 00:56:32.424
I know that part.

1138
00:56:32.484 --> 00:56:32.824
Yeah.

1139
00:56:33.484 --> 00:56:35.545
And I only got diagnosed a couple years ago.

1140
00:56:35.786 --> 00:56:36.146
Interesting.

1141
00:56:36.166 --> 00:56:37.426
So late stage.

1142
00:56:38.287 --> 00:56:40.948
Late stage, it sounds like cancer or something.

1143
00:56:40.968 --> 00:56:41.148
Right.

1144
00:56:41.168 --> 00:56:41.849
You're not going to die.

1145
00:56:41.869 --> 00:56:42.449
Late life.

1146
00:56:43.650 --> 00:56:46.611
But yeah, so had a lot of friends from a lot of different communities.

1147
00:56:47.412 --> 00:56:50.293
The curse of this is that you never feel like you belong anywhere.

1148
00:56:50.353 --> 00:56:50.613
Yeah.

1149
00:56:50.793 --> 00:56:53.355
So you can fit in everywhere, but you don't feel like you belong in anywhere.

1150
00:56:53.375 --> 00:56:53.955
I wonder if that's...

1151
00:56:54.639 --> 00:56:54.901
Yeah.

1152
00:56:55.002 --> 00:56:55.325
Yeah.

1153
00:56:55.346 --> 00:56:56.294
Part of our affinity even.

1154
00:56:56.870 --> 00:56:58.851
Yeah, but I've retained a lot of that to this day.

1155
00:56:58.871 --> 00:57:00.611
I still love playing sports.

1156
00:57:00.631 --> 00:57:01.952
Well, you can love everybody.

1157
00:57:02.032 --> 00:57:04.533
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1158
00:57:04.753 --> 00:57:05.653
It's pretty cool.

1159
00:57:05.673 --> 00:57:09.995
And kind of bringing it back to Unify a little bit, the guys are not one-dimensional.

1160
00:57:10.035 --> 00:57:13.516
There's guys from all different backgrounds, upbringings, cultures.

1161
00:57:13.676 --> 00:57:15.637
Some are business owners, some are professionals.

1162
00:57:15.677 --> 00:57:22.000
Some never had a tough experience like the one we just described here a little bit.

1163
00:57:22.040 --> 00:57:23.160
Others went through a ton.

1164
00:57:23.500 --> 00:57:24.180
Yeah, totally.

1165
00:57:24.241 --> 00:57:25.441
And it doesn't really matter why you're there.

1166
00:57:25.642 --> 00:57:26.683
Yeah, exactly.

1167
00:57:26.883 --> 00:57:28.164
Yeah, it's really cool.

1168
00:57:28.524 --> 00:57:32.166
Let's talk about your professional experience early on.

1169
00:57:32.727 --> 00:57:32.967
Yeah.

1170
00:57:33.027 --> 00:57:34.368
And did you go to school here too?

1171
00:57:34.388 --> 00:57:37.590
I went to school in Asylum Springs, Arkansas.

1172
00:57:37.850 --> 00:57:38.130
Okay.

1173
00:57:38.171 --> 00:57:41.333
Yeah, I decided to trade a small town for an even smaller town, I guess.

1174
00:57:41.953 --> 00:58:07.918
don't know the rationale there but um yeah i went there it was a tiny little college called john brown university out there small community um but yeah got a career in a little bit of vocational ministry a lot a bit of music and music professional music around the area so guitar singing primarily yeah a little bit of everything was that part of your growing up years all the whole time too or is that something you picked up later i

1175
00:58:07.978 --> 00:58:12.503
I picked that up kind of in high school, I think is when I picked up electric guitar.

1176
00:58:12.523 --> 00:58:14.204
Chameleon with the band people?

1177
00:58:14.224 --> 00:58:14.525
Yeah.

1178
00:58:15.245 --> 00:58:17.788
I more did it because I thought it would help me pick up the girls.

1179
00:58:18.349 --> 00:58:20.190
Spoiler alert, it did not.

1180
00:58:20.271 --> 00:58:21.632
Not even close.

1181
00:58:22.253 --> 00:58:23.694
You've got to be better looking than that.

1182
00:58:24.135 --> 00:58:26.377
I bet your wife, and she's really cute.

1183
00:58:26.657 --> 00:58:28.259
Yeah, it worked out in the end.

1184
00:58:28.339 --> 00:58:28.899
In the end.

1185
00:58:28.919 --> 00:58:30.761
Maybe it didn't have anything to do with the music.

1186
00:58:30.801 --> 00:58:31.122
Yeah.

1187
00:58:31.582 --> 00:58:40.607
But no, so I learned from their vocals and then kind of all the five-piece band instrumentation.

1188
00:58:40.627 --> 00:58:41.128
Classic stuff.

1189
00:58:41.168 --> 00:58:42.208
I can figure all that out.

1190
00:58:42.248 --> 00:58:42.548
Dig it.

1191
00:58:42.568 --> 00:58:46.571
Yeah, so I did that for about 10 years before starting StoryPath.

1192
00:58:46.631 --> 00:58:47.151
Is that right?

1193
00:58:47.351 --> 00:58:47.571
Yeah.

1194
00:58:47.691 --> 00:58:50.193
In basically worship ministry kind of a capacity.

1195
00:58:50.393 --> 00:58:54.275
Yeah, worship, supplementing bands, playing for different studio projects.

1196
00:58:54.295 --> 00:58:54.415
Wow.

1197
00:58:54.435 --> 00:58:55.296
Just kind of wherever it was needed.

1198
00:58:55.316 --> 00:58:56.877
Just really piecing it together a little bit at a time.

1199
00:58:56.897 --> 00:58:57.057
Yeah.

1200
00:58:57.237 --> 00:59:00.379
So you've never really worked for like a real company.

1201
00:59:00.399 --> 00:59:00.659
Yeah.

1202
00:59:00.877 --> 00:59:04.438
I worked for not a huge company, no.

1203
00:59:04.518 --> 00:59:08.899
The largest, at least local company, would probably be the Matthews House.

1204
00:59:09.439 --> 00:59:09.719
Wow.

1205
00:59:09.939 --> 00:59:14.039
Worked for them, but nothing substantial.

1206
00:59:14.059 --> 00:59:16.240
Did you ever bump into me when you were working there?

1207
00:59:16.600 --> 00:59:17.560
That's a great question.

1208
00:59:17.580 --> 00:59:24.621
I don't know, because I was on the board until 2016, but I've been an ambassador forever and have been to a bunch of events and things.

1209
00:59:24.641 --> 00:59:25.522
We probably did.

1210
00:59:25.562 --> 00:59:27.522
Yeah, I was a youth advisor there.

1211
00:59:27.822 --> 00:59:50.365
sure yeah that's what jill started as too my wife uh so anyway yeah really fond memories of that was another kind of like yeah brutally a hard job for no money yeah um but very ethos oh gosh or for sure yeah set your whole life on a different path yeah totally totally scott what was that like when you were 18 and you were like okay i could do what i want now uh

1212
00:59:52.306 --> 00:59:52.746
Terrible.

1213
00:59:53.467 --> 00:59:57.930
Um, like, uh, the freedom, uh, was not good for me.

1214
00:59:57.950 --> 00:59:58.951
A little too much freedom?

1215
00:59:58.991 --> 00:59:59.351
Yeah.

1216
00:59:59.831 --> 01:00:02.994
Um, like the, Where were you at?

1217
01:00:03.014 --> 01:00:04.014
Were you still at Kansas City?

1218
01:00:04.675 --> 01:00:07.016
Uh, actually a small town called Warrensburg.

1219
01:00:07.116 --> 01:00:09.118
So Central Missouri State University.

1220
01:00:09.458 --> 01:00:09.718
Okay.

1221
01:00:10.138 --> 01:00:12.200
Um, they give you a baseball scholarship or whatever?

1222
01:00:12.500 --> 01:00:19.305
Uh, no, different, some injuries and, uh, but, um, uh,

1223
01:00:20.940 --> 01:00:31.792
You know, went to college, partied too much, stuff that, you know, I just finally had the – I could take a breath, right, to not.

1224
01:00:32.693 --> 01:00:37.359
Well, you've been kind of performing at a high level for a long time despite really no support.

1225
01:00:38.500 --> 01:00:42.044
So to crash from that is not surprising.

1226
01:00:42.204 --> 01:00:43.565
Yeah, so it's...

1227
01:00:43.885 --> 01:00:44.765
So no apologies.

1228
01:00:44.985 --> 01:00:45.405
Oh, yeah.

1229
01:00:45.806 --> 01:00:51.128
I mean, hard lessons learned in that realm.

1230
01:00:51.188 --> 01:00:54.489
So I did that for a couple years.

1231
01:00:55.410 --> 01:01:00.452
Managed the 2.23 GPA or somewhere thereabouts.

1232
01:01:01.192 --> 01:01:06.434
Just above the Mendoza line, so to speak.

1233
01:01:07.214 --> 01:01:08.294
Enough to be enrolled.

1234
01:01:10.355 --> 01:01:13.356
And had a few losses.

1235
01:01:13.976 --> 01:01:19.238
My grandma and grandpa and uncle, not my Uncle Kenny, a different uncle, kind of all passed away.

1236
01:01:19.938 --> 01:01:21.619
And I just needed a change.

1237
01:01:21.979 --> 01:01:28.821
So on a whim, kind of came out to Colorado, toured CSU.

1238
01:01:31.102 --> 01:01:32.463
You're like, I'm flunking out of school.

1239
01:01:32.503 --> 01:01:34.464
I better go to this more expensive out-of-state school.

1240
01:01:34.504 --> 01:01:35.024
Exactly.

1241
01:01:35.044 --> 01:01:35.464
Yeah.

1242
01:01:36.305 --> 01:01:37.185
I just needed a change.

1243
01:01:37.225 --> 01:01:37.966
Yeah.

1244
01:01:38.046 --> 01:01:45.550
To those that know how good I am at directions, I got lost on the tour, if you can believe that.

1245
01:01:46.971 --> 01:01:53.555
Much to my fortune, I ran into a cute blonde who gave me directions and her phone number.

1246
01:01:53.575 --> 01:01:53.895
Yeah.

1247
01:01:54.855 --> 01:02:22.568
um now here we are 17 years later were you playing guitar was that the secret i was not did she have her guitar goggles i was just lost puppy dog see it doesn't work yeah for young people i also had hair then too so that helped what's this young lady's name uh brook um yep she's uh so 17 years uh later we're on our second stint in colorado um we tried it back in kansas city for a few years and um

1248
01:02:23.168 --> 01:02:24.549
We missed the mountains.

1249
01:02:24.609 --> 01:02:25.670
We missed the fresh air.

1250
01:02:25.710 --> 01:02:31.516
We missed, uh, we miss our family there, but, uh, we, we definitely feel like this is home.

1251
01:02:31.776 --> 01:02:32.056
Yeah.

1252
01:02:32.096 --> 01:02:41.945
So, so you came to go back to work for, you said somebody that you'd worked for previously in some capacity, uh, but was then a banger at Poudre Valley REA.

1253
01:02:41.985 --> 01:02:42.266
Yeah.

1254
01:02:42.626 --> 01:02:48.411
Another, uh, another prominent Ken in my life, uh, had been my boss previously, uh,

1255
01:02:49.312 --> 01:02:51.075
He funny story about Ken.

1256
01:02:51.135 --> 01:02:57.563
When I put in my notice at our old company where we were kind of the two two pieces of the glue that held everything together.

1257
01:02:58.264 --> 01:03:03.792
I told him I'm going to HR after this to tell them I'm putting in like a month's notice.

1258
01:03:04.192 --> 01:03:05.493
because I'm moving away.

1259
01:03:05.513 --> 01:03:05.613
Yeah.

1260
01:03:05.633 --> 01:03:05.733
Yeah.

1261
01:03:06.093 --> 01:03:12.736
And he went to HR and put in his notice right before I did so that he got to be the first one.

1262
01:03:12.956 --> 01:03:18.099
So of course I came clamoring to work for this individual again.

1263
01:03:19.179 --> 01:03:22.421
Um, but, uh, no, very good mentor.

1264
01:03:22.441 --> 01:03:24.862
Um, very, uh, very,

1265
01:03:27.303 --> 01:03:28.264
Very sacrificial.

1266
01:03:29.925 --> 01:03:38.369
And unfortunately, he no longer works with me, but he left me an amazing opportunity.

1267
01:03:38.389 --> 01:03:39.550
That's a good organization there.

1268
01:03:39.610 --> 01:03:44.993
I know that they've had a good reputation for leadership and community engagement for a lot of years.

1269
01:03:45.233 --> 01:03:45.573
Oh, yeah.

1270
01:03:45.693 --> 01:03:48.475
It's totally, it's the first time I've worked for a nonprofit.

1271
01:03:48.515 --> 01:03:54.317
And they probably let you leave early sometimes to go do United for Youth committee meetings and stuff.

1272
01:03:54.517 --> 01:03:57.759
They are very supportive of my philanthropic endeavors.

1273
01:03:59.079 --> 01:04:01.701
Quite frankly, I couldn't have, I couldn't have.

1274
01:04:02.961 --> 01:04:06.084
done the things I've done with noco unify if it weren't for their support.

1275
01:04:06.164 --> 01:04:08.186
So, uh, very grateful.

1276
01:04:08.286 --> 01:04:10.287
I couldn't be sitting here today if they hadn't.

1277
01:04:10.468 --> 01:04:10.648
Right.

1278
01:04:10.668 --> 01:04:12.910
You had to get off an hour and a half early just to be here.

1279
01:04:13.190 --> 01:04:16.653
So yeah, very supportive family of coworkers I've got there.

1280
01:04:16.793 --> 01:04:16.973
Cool.

1281
01:04:17.453 --> 01:04:17.613
Yeah.

1282
01:04:17.854 --> 01:04:21.176
James, let's pick your journey up in a similar timeline.

1283
01:04:21.296 --> 01:04:28.362
What, uh, so you, you spent 10 years kind of do a little bit of this, a little bit of that kind of right.

1284
01:04:28.402 --> 01:04:29.143
Finding yourself.

1285
01:04:29.495 --> 01:04:40.899
Yeah, a lot of it came down to realizing what was sustainable and what wasn't, and so trying to plant myself in places where sustainable salary would make more sense.

1286
01:04:41.099 --> 01:04:43.800
Well, you met a woman along the way somewhere, too.

1287
01:04:43.820 --> 01:04:44.701
I did, yes.

1288
01:04:44.901 --> 01:04:55.465
I came back from college one summer, and my now wife, Erin, met her at a kind of kids' care camp that I was working at for that summer.

1289
01:04:55.805 --> 01:04:56.166
Okay.

1290
01:04:56.426 --> 01:05:04.776
And if you want to meet a person, just spend a bunch of mornings where you're dead tired and you have to deal with little kids for an entire summer.

1291
01:05:04.897 --> 01:05:07.700
And you'll know if that person's a good person or not by the end of it.

1292
01:05:08.021 --> 01:05:08.621
Right.

1293
01:05:08.781 --> 01:05:09.843
And she was the best.

1294
01:05:09.903 --> 01:05:13.608
And so I was like, went from friendship to like very quickly like.

1295
01:05:14.428 --> 01:05:16.210
oh man, I need to ask this girl out.

1296
01:05:17.310 --> 01:05:19.031
How old a guy were you at that time?

1297
01:05:19.051 --> 01:05:21.033
I was 19, 20?

1298
01:05:21.193 --> 01:05:21.513
Oh, wow.

1299
01:05:21.533 --> 01:05:23.354
Yeah, very young.

1300
01:05:23.494 --> 01:05:27.477
So she was bopping around with you through all these career phases.

1301
01:05:27.757 --> 01:05:28.057
Yes.

1302
01:05:28.097 --> 01:05:38.585
So I pulled the classic bad guy move of asking her out to date me and whatnot, and then I bolted back to college.

1303
01:05:39.945 --> 01:05:41.547
So we did long distance and like,

1304
01:05:42.427 --> 01:05:43.588
That was not fun.

1305
01:05:43.849 --> 01:05:49.876
So when I finally got back and got my first job, we were pretty quickly married after that.

1306
01:05:49.896 --> 01:05:51.377
I knew pretty much right away.

1307
01:05:51.557 --> 01:05:52.959
So you're quite a few years married already.

1308
01:05:53.339 --> 01:05:55.161
Yeah, we're 11 years going on 12.

1309
01:05:55.181 --> 01:05:55.302
Wow.

1310
01:05:55.342 --> 01:05:56.403
That's a young guy.

1311
01:05:56.423 --> 01:05:58.305
That's pretty impressive.

1312
01:05:59.206 --> 01:05:59.887
When it works, it works.

1313
01:06:00.087 --> 01:06:02.750
And what led you kind of along the marketing path?

1314
01:06:03.320 --> 01:06:08.787
Yeah, so really started visually, just visual marketing, video production.

1315
01:06:08.968 --> 01:06:11.992
I've always had a fascination with it ever since I was a kid.

1316
01:06:12.993 --> 01:06:17.899
Talking about initial memories, my summers oftentimes consisted of...

1317
01:06:18.480 --> 01:06:26.043
my parents' old tape camcorder, and my brother and I filming the dumbest garbage mini films.

1318
01:06:26.063 --> 01:06:28.785
Dude, we're going to set the ramp up, and you're going to jump your bike over it.

1319
01:06:29.145 --> 01:06:29.705
Totally.

1320
01:06:30.305 --> 01:06:35.708
And we would plug it into the TV and then loop it, and then we rinse and repeat every day.

1321
01:06:36.288 --> 01:06:44.596
And so getting into my career, I had friends who went into professional film and commercial videography and production.

1322
01:06:44.696 --> 01:06:48.880
And so anytime- You didn't have any of those kind of experiences really or the education?

1323
01:06:49.100 --> 01:06:51.302
I really didn't from an educational standpoint.

1324
01:06:51.382 --> 01:06:56.387
I just asked them, I was like, hey, I'll stand there, I'll hold mics for hours, I'll run coffees.

1325
01:06:56.427 --> 01:06:58.469
I just want to be in the environment and learn.

1326
01:06:58.929 --> 01:07:01.872
So throughout college, there was a lot of opportunities to learn and then-

1327
01:07:02.472 --> 01:07:10.838
And the professional space, you know, now being on that side of the thing, somebody that offers, you know, to do this stuff for free and, you know, doesn't expect pay.

1328
01:07:10.878 --> 01:07:12.159
I'm like, are you sure?

1329
01:07:12.219 --> 01:07:12.779
Yeah, come on in.

1330
01:07:12.820 --> 01:07:13.760
Yes, we could use more of those.

1331
01:07:14.481 --> 01:07:15.241
Yeah, totally.

1332
01:07:15.301 --> 01:07:19.004
So don't recommend that to people, by the way.

1333
01:07:19.024 --> 01:07:19.925
Your time is valuable.

1334
01:07:20.005 --> 01:07:29.972
But so I learned School of Hard Knocks and then kind of that led me into the editor chair where I actually developed a lot of my propensities in that realm.

1335
01:07:30.813 --> 01:07:33.978
It's really vision is where you excel, right?

1336
01:07:33.998 --> 01:07:35.920
You kind of understand what you want to get to.

1337
01:07:36.361 --> 01:07:36.842
Exactly.

1338
01:07:36.962 --> 01:07:44.393
Yeah, building the story and kind of creatively pulling out the good stuff and leaving behind the bads.

1339
01:07:44.794 --> 01:07:45.155
It's hard.

1340
01:07:45.595 --> 01:07:46.175
It's very hard.

1341
01:07:47.376 --> 01:07:49.336
So kind of had an aptitude for that.

1342
01:07:49.356 --> 01:07:58.120
And then in 2020, a friend of mine who was in the mortgage industry at the time, I think he still is in Tennessee, he hit me up.

1343
01:07:58.140 --> 01:07:59.940
He's like, hey, James, I know you're a creative guy.

1344
01:07:59.960 --> 01:08:01.221
I have this project.

1345
01:08:01.261 --> 01:08:08.524
I want to highlight the businesses of Windsor that are slowly reopening and having some hard time getting their footing and foot traffic again.

1346
01:08:08.584 --> 01:08:10.284
And I was like, sure, I could do that.

1347
01:08:10.304 --> 01:08:11.605
I'll use my camera.

1348
01:08:11.625 --> 01:08:13.285
Let's do it for the homie hookup, you know.

1349
01:08:13.325 --> 01:08:14.546
And like, yeah.

1350
01:08:15.186 --> 01:08:18.228
And we did this project and highlighted these local businesses.

1351
01:08:18.528 --> 01:08:20.309
Are you talking about Windsor, Colorado here?

1352
01:08:20.449 --> 01:08:20.649
Yeah.

1353
01:08:20.909 --> 01:08:21.149
Okay.

1354
01:08:21.529 --> 01:08:26.192
And I wish I had more business acumen back then to track actual numbers.

1355
01:08:26.352 --> 01:08:27.273
Right.

1356
01:08:27.333 --> 01:08:35.297
But according to him, that year, that following year, his business nearly 10xed in terms of the amount of volume he was doing.

1357
01:08:35.397 --> 01:08:37.038
So this video that you did for him...

1358
01:08:37.758 --> 01:08:39.220
Brought him all kinds of attention.

1359
01:08:39.240 --> 01:08:39.720
Tons.

1360
01:08:39.740 --> 01:08:40.641
Traffic and whatever.

1361
01:08:40.942 --> 01:08:42.023
So that impacted him.

1362
01:08:42.063 --> 01:08:46.788
The businesses that we represented, they're still alive and afloat, even post-COVID, and they're stronger.

1363
01:08:46.828 --> 01:08:53.155
And they all reported that they were doing really well in terms of traffic and revenue increase and whatnot through a down season.

1364
01:08:53.175 --> 01:08:53.275
Yeah.

1365
01:08:53.916 --> 01:09:00.064
And that was the first time I had seen storytelling and marketing like yield results for the community.

1366
01:09:00.604 --> 01:09:07.634
And so I was kind of like this professional kind of like musicians plus like doing the vocational ministry thing.

1367
01:09:07.674 --> 01:09:09.116
And I was like, I want to do that.

1368
01:09:09.356 --> 01:09:11.299
How do I do more of that?

1369
01:09:12.019 --> 01:09:15.103
So I decided to just kind of plant the business seed in the soil.

1370
01:09:15.123 --> 01:09:16.365
And I was like, I'm not going to water it.

1371
01:09:16.405 --> 01:09:17.426
I'm not going to fertilize it.

1372
01:09:17.446 --> 01:09:18.187
I'm not going to do anything.

1373
01:09:18.547 --> 01:09:20.029
I'm just going to see if it grows by itself.

1374
01:09:20.049 --> 01:09:23.233
Because if it does, then I know that I could pour energy into it.

1375
01:09:23.293 --> 01:09:25.176
And it's probably going to be even better.

1376
01:09:25.196 --> 01:09:25.456
Yeah.

1377
01:09:26.057 --> 01:09:50.577
um and sure enough it was just kind of word of mouth especially northern colorado yeah it just like i got to the point in less than two years where i was like i i'm doing 80 hours jobs yeah i either need to quit this and do this or figure this out so yeah i decided the latter i was gonna jump all in and do this and so how long has it been now um it's been six years yeah technically awesome

1378
01:09:50.717 --> 01:09:50.997
Yeah.

1379
01:09:51.258 --> 01:09:52.879
And so it's kind of evolved from there.

1380
01:09:52.919 --> 01:09:58.985
We started just video photo production and then we just saw holes in the market that no one was really filling.

1381
01:09:59.065 --> 01:10:01.747
And a lot of times we'd be handing off our creative work.

1382
01:10:01.787 --> 01:10:12.497
I'm one of those that has paid good money for good videos before and then had lack of skill in distributing it or breaking it up or whatever, using it properly.

1383
01:10:12.617 --> 01:10:13.237
Yep, yep.

1384
01:10:13.718 --> 01:10:14.658
And that's the hardest piece.

1385
01:10:14.718 --> 01:10:23.462
And so we decided let's just cover all the bases if we believe in what we do and our methodology, our ethos of storytelling into the market space.

1386
01:10:23.762 --> 01:10:26.603
Storytelling-driven, full-service marketing.

1387
01:10:26.723 --> 01:10:28.284
Is that how you describe yourself?

1388
01:10:28.404 --> 01:10:29.785
Yeah, I should pay you to market us.

1389
01:10:30.065 --> 01:10:33.406
Well, you know, the cobbler's kids always never have those shoes.

1390
01:10:33.446 --> 01:10:33.906
That's right.

1391
01:10:34.207 --> 01:10:34.627
That's right.

1392
01:10:35.287 --> 01:10:41.731
I feel like it's a good time to jump into the purpose-driven questions segment, if we may.

1393
01:10:41.851 --> 01:10:42.112
Yeah.

1394
01:10:43.292 --> 01:10:48.176
Thank you to Purpose Driven Wealth of Thriven for sponsoring our Purpose Driven Questions segment.

1395
01:10:48.976 --> 01:10:53.779
At Purpose Driven Wealth, they believe financial clarity leads to a life of contentment and purpose.

1396
01:10:54.740 --> 01:11:02.281
Their mission is to help guide clients using a values-driven, stewardship-based approach focused on provision, contentment, and enjoyment.

1397
01:11:03.341 --> 01:11:14.223
With more than a century of experience, Thriven helps individuals and families navigate life and business transitions and prepare for the future while creating space to live generously and give back in meaningful ways.

1398
01:11:15.263 --> 01:11:19.824
To learn more about Purpose Driven Wealth, please call 970-330-7411 for a complimentary initial consultation.

1399
01:11:24.605 --> 01:11:25.806
And now, on to the questions.

1400
01:11:27.046 --> 01:11:32.429
So this is thanks to Purpose Driven Wealth for sponsoring the Local Experience Podcast.

1401
01:11:32.889 --> 01:11:36.011
They've got a list of kind of questions that we might reflect upon.

1402
01:11:36.791 --> 01:11:39.932
And we haven't really gotten into some of the deeper topics, so I like that.

1403
01:11:41.313 --> 01:11:45.495
Well, here's one for you, James, since I just talked to you along this line.

1404
01:11:45.615 --> 01:11:50.858
Can you describe a business decision you've made that didn't make sense on paper?

1405
01:11:51.978 --> 01:11:52.839
And what was the outcome?

1406
01:11:53.059 --> 01:11:53.279
Hmm.

1407
01:11:55.136 --> 01:11:57.618
All of them.

1408
01:11:58.639 --> 01:12:02.142
Man, to single one out is really hard.

1409
01:12:02.202 --> 01:12:08.947
I think the pain point of a business owner is that you're constantly making decisions and you have no idea what the outcome is going to be.

1410
01:12:08.967 --> 01:12:11.249
But you're like, this is what I feel is going to be best.

1411
01:12:11.309 --> 01:12:12.069
Fail small.

1412
01:12:12.270 --> 01:12:12.550
Yeah.

1413
01:12:12.570 --> 01:12:13.951
Hopefully win big once in a while.

1414
01:12:14.231 --> 01:12:15.653
and fail forward, you know?

1415
01:12:15.673 --> 01:12:16.033
Yeah, yeah.

1416
01:12:16.053 --> 01:12:22.780
It's like, and I think a really crucial one was when I brought in my business partner, Grayson Reed.

1417
01:12:24.241 --> 01:12:25.323
Tremendous human being.

1418
01:12:25.943 --> 01:12:32.070
Value him in more ways than beyond just the roles that he covers and the ways he helps me lead our organization.

1419
01:12:32.090 --> 01:12:32.610
But like,

1420
01:12:33.771 --> 01:12:35.112
That's scary.

1421
01:12:35.132 --> 01:12:35.652
For sure.

1422
01:12:35.692 --> 01:12:38.873
It's scary to jump into a partnership and be like, all right, here's my baby.

1423
01:12:38.893 --> 01:12:41.414
Do you want to raise this baby with me?

1424
01:12:41.434 --> 01:12:43.034
Not dissimilar to entering into a marriage or something.

1425
01:12:43.054 --> 01:12:43.455
Totally.

1426
01:12:43.515 --> 01:12:44.375
Right.

1427
01:12:44.615 --> 01:12:47.376
And it's been really effective and good so far.

1428
01:12:47.536 --> 01:12:47.976
Awesome.

1429
01:12:48.056 --> 01:12:49.617
And so I would say that's probably the best one.

1430
01:12:49.637 --> 01:12:53.178
That's kind of what allowed you to do kind of the full spectrum marketing in some way.

1431
01:12:53.238 --> 01:12:53.478
100%.

1432
01:12:53.558 --> 01:12:53.938
Is that true?

1433
01:12:54.118 --> 01:12:54.279
Yep.

1434
01:12:55.659 --> 01:12:57.200
I've got one for you, Scott.

1435
01:12:57.740 --> 01:13:07.366
Is there a relationship or circumstance that's really having an impact on your sense of purpose and engagement?

1436
01:13:08.687 --> 01:13:10.568
Either is right now or has.

1437
01:13:13.064 --> 01:13:16.727
Yeah, I mean, certainly the ones that I talked about already.

1438
01:13:18.208 --> 01:13:25.094
I think my daughter, Finley, who will be seven soon.

1439
01:13:27.096 --> 01:13:32.281
My wife and I, my wife, incredibly strong woman.

1440
01:13:32.381 --> 01:13:33.081
I've watched her.

1441
01:13:33.962 --> 01:13:42.027
go through, um, an exceedingly hard time in, uh, getting Finley here first and foremost with three losses before her.

1442
01:13:42.127 --> 01:13:42.367
Wow.

1443
01:13:43.008 --> 01:13:46.750
Um, and then since Finley, we've had, uh, we've had three more losses.

1444
01:13:47.211 --> 01:13:47.851
Um, wow.

1445
01:13:48.611 --> 01:13:48.832
One, uh,

1446
01:13:49.852 --> 01:13:55.176
One of which was a stillbirth last August 22nd.

1447
01:13:56.356 --> 01:13:58.478
Definitely for those six, they couldn't be here.

1448
01:13:59.899 --> 01:14:02.320
I feel implored to...

1449
01:14:05.856 --> 01:14:10.020
make sure those kids that did make it here, uh, have really good experience.

1450
01:14:10.080 --> 01:14:10.520
Yeah.

1451
01:14:10.661 --> 01:14:11.601
Yeah.

1452
01:14:11.662 --> 01:14:12.382
Um, that's so cool.

1453
01:14:12.522 --> 01:14:21.291
And then we are, God bless her for like, we miss my wife and I miscarried a couple of times and we never really got pregnant again after that.

1454
01:14:21.611 --> 01:14:25.074
And so we, and we didn't really pursue Ivy or things.

1455
01:14:25.114 --> 01:14:26.996
We just started taking an exchange to it.

1456
01:14:27.056 --> 01:14:29.999
It's kind of, you know, I was like, here's that option.

1457
01:14:30.039 --> 01:14:30.679
But for her to, uh,

1458
01:14:31.540 --> 01:14:35.822
Like every time you got pregnant, she was facing up to the chance that she knew it might be a miscarriage.

1459
01:14:36.023 --> 01:14:37.203
Yeah.

1460
01:14:37.523 --> 01:14:38.964
And that's so admirable.

1461
01:14:40.605 --> 01:14:40.885
Yeah.

1462
01:14:41.125 --> 01:14:42.886
Anyway, for what it's worth, I think that's all.

1463
01:14:42.946 --> 01:14:43.667
And you're pregnant now.

1464
01:14:43.867 --> 01:14:44.607
We are, yes.

1465
01:14:44.687 --> 01:14:46.809
We're expecting our second.

1466
01:14:46.989 --> 01:14:49.610
And knock on all the wood.

1467
01:14:49.810 --> 01:14:51.591
We are 34 weeks and...

1468
01:14:53.352 --> 01:14:56.253
No known health conditions to speak of.

1469
01:14:56.353 --> 01:15:02.134
And, you know, people ask frequently, like, how it's going.

1470
01:15:03.934 --> 01:15:07.415
It's a marathon of walking on eggshells, I would say.

1471
01:15:07.455 --> 01:15:07.775
Right.

1472
01:15:07.795 --> 01:15:10.236
I can only imagine.

1473
01:15:10.416 --> 01:15:14.537
But feel, you know, fortunate to be in this situation.

1474
01:15:14.617 --> 01:15:15.617
Yeah, exactly.

1475
01:15:15.637 --> 01:15:17.057
So definitely.

1476
01:15:17.558 --> 01:15:18.198
God bless you.

1477
01:15:18.898 --> 01:15:19.498
I'll be praying.

1478
01:15:19.876 --> 01:15:20.476
Oh, thank you.

1479
01:15:20.657 --> 01:15:21.497
I appreciate that.

1480
01:15:21.657 --> 01:15:24.679
But, yeah, they're all my why.

1481
01:15:25.199 --> 01:15:26.079
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

1482
01:15:26.239 --> 01:15:26.600
Did that.

1483
01:15:27.560 --> 01:15:34.624
James, we talked already a little bit about your parents were, like, missionaries in Mongolia when you were four.

1484
01:15:36.465 --> 01:15:38.446
Tell me about that faith journey for you.

1485
01:15:38.606 --> 01:15:41.687
And did they have, like, a long-term calling?

1486
01:15:41.707 --> 01:15:44.009
Were they freshly on fire at the time?

1487
01:15:44.049 --> 01:15:47.190
Like, what was their circumstance and yours?

1488
01:15:47.250 --> 01:15:48.251
Because I think that's an interesting...

1489
01:15:48.852 --> 01:15:52.417
Like faith is a different thing in America than it was 200 years ago, right?

1490
01:15:52.457 --> 01:15:52.677
Right.

1491
01:15:53.018 --> 01:15:56.924
And even today it's different than it was 30 years ago when I was a kid.

1492
01:15:57.144 --> 01:15:58.005
Yeah.

1493
01:15:58.125 --> 01:15:59.708
40 years ago when I was a kid.

1494
01:16:00.077 --> 01:16:04.518
Yeah, my parents are first-generation Christians.

1495
01:16:04.538 --> 01:16:05.258
Okay.

1496
01:16:05.358 --> 01:16:06.319
So they definitely raised...

1497
01:16:06.339 --> 01:16:08.499
So they both came to faith from not in faith.

1498
01:16:08.559 --> 01:16:10.200
Yeah, yeah, I think in college.

1499
01:16:10.480 --> 01:16:10.880
Okay.

1500
01:16:11.220 --> 01:16:15.121
And it was kind of in the Jesus movement days, you know?

1501
01:16:15.181 --> 01:16:15.821
Yeah, yeah.

1502
01:16:16.641 --> 01:16:22.383
And so definitely my brother and I were raised in that culture with that faith orientation.

1503
01:16:23.143 --> 01:16:29.185
the best way I can describe my faith journey is it's, it's the things that I've experienced that I can't explain away, you know?

1504
01:16:29.846 --> 01:16:39.489
And, uh, my, my process in faith has always been, um, what have I experienced and what am I supposed to learn from that?

1505
01:16:40.229 --> 01:16:42.170
And where is it supposed to lead me?

1506
01:16:42.930 --> 01:16:44.311
Um, and so,

1507
01:16:45.751 --> 01:16:58.055
A lot of ways, like I said, I thank my parents for setting me up in my faith journey in the ways that they did, teaching me various things that are crucially important for just the development of my own person.

1508
01:16:58.815 --> 01:17:01.936
Just the way your curiosity approaches the world in some ways.

1509
01:17:02.216 --> 01:17:03.236
Yeah, yeah.

1510
01:17:03.456 --> 01:17:07.738
And they taught me methodology and ethos of how to be a better person than...

1511
01:17:08.878 --> 01:17:09.719
I probably should be.

1512
01:17:09.819 --> 01:17:10.780
Would have defaulted to.

1513
01:17:10.900 --> 01:17:11.621
Yeah, yeah.

1514
01:17:12.281 --> 01:17:20.909
I think that's kind of part of the goal, right, even of faith of all sorts, but especially Christianity is kind of be a better person than you otherwise would be.

1515
01:17:21.089 --> 01:17:21.950
Totally, yeah.

1516
01:17:22.790 --> 01:17:32.319
Yeah, and the rest I've kind of developed on my own in relationship with what I believe to be God and what I believe to be sovereignty.

1517
01:17:32.679 --> 01:17:33.159
Yeah.

1518
01:17:34.060 --> 01:17:35.421
it's my own experiences.

1519
01:17:35.461 --> 01:17:38.562
I could never tell somebody else, this is what you should believe.

1520
01:17:38.722 --> 01:17:38.942
Sure.

1521
01:17:39.382 --> 01:17:50.387
Um, but I, I think some of my favorite conversations in the world are when I get to talk to people who have had their own experiences and we can kind of weigh the notes a little bit.

1522
01:17:50.407 --> 01:17:50.647
Yeah.

1523
01:17:50.687 --> 01:17:51.468
It's like, Holy cow.

1524
01:17:51.488 --> 01:17:53.529
This is, this is crazy how similar they are.

1525
01:17:53.549 --> 01:17:55.549
And yet we could believe totally different things.

1526
01:17:56.090 --> 01:17:56.270
Um,

1527
01:17:56.970 --> 01:17:57.470
So, yeah.

1528
01:17:57.490 --> 01:17:57.670
Cool.

1529
01:17:58.390 --> 01:18:01.492
Scott, you carried away on that kind of same general topic.

1530
01:18:01.532 --> 01:18:05.793
You talked a little bit about thank God and a couple hints toward faith.

1531
01:18:05.893 --> 01:18:12.435
But, like, what was that for your mom, for your dad, for your Uncle Kevin and your aunt?

1532
01:18:12.635 --> 01:18:13.796
Like, or is it?

1533
01:18:13.996 --> 01:18:15.716
Yeah, tell me, if you're willing.

1534
01:18:16.176 --> 01:18:16.997
In regards to what?

1535
01:18:17.157 --> 01:18:17.717
Kind of faith.

1536
01:18:17.877 --> 01:18:21.098
Were you, like, in a church, were you cared for in that way ever?

1537
01:18:21.824 --> 01:18:27.425
Um, no, I would say I've been probably church adjacent, but faith heavy.

1538
01:18:27.785 --> 01:18:28.205
Okay.

1539
01:18:28.505 --> 01:18:29.166
If that makes sense.

1540
01:18:29.186 --> 01:18:30.306
Yeah, no, it does actually.

1541
01:18:30.786 --> 01:18:31.726
Um, I feel like.

1542
01:18:32.066 --> 01:18:33.866
So even all through those years and then.

1543
01:18:34.367 --> 01:18:34.667
Yeah.

1544
01:18:34.687 --> 01:18:39.328
It seems like Missouri to me feels like a little Bible belt ish where most people are kind of expected to go to church.

1545
01:18:39.428 --> 01:18:39.768
Yeah.

1546
01:18:40.188 --> 01:18:49.710
And I feel like looking for it kind of, kind of to what James just alluded to those like experiences that felt like they were.

1547
01:18:50.490 --> 01:18:51.030
Providential.

1548
01:18:51.310 --> 01:18:52.451
Yeah.

1549
01:18:53.351 --> 01:19:05.039
Or just like, you know, still still being connected to maybe people that aren't necessarily physically here anymore and seeing little hellos here and there.

1550
01:19:05.259 --> 01:19:08.441
Like, hey, I'm taking that from.

1551
01:19:09.441 --> 01:19:37.253
like grief at first to like a okay maybe I'm supposed to slow down and and pay attention to what's going on around me and practice gratitude for all of my blessings or I'm moving too fast I actually have a Actually have a very recent Third-party example that ties to unify that sure is one of those scenarios, so Life is heavy

1552
01:19:39.474 --> 01:19:44.058
When you're part of NoCo Unify, you bring real life with you.

1553
01:19:45.539 --> 01:19:54.907
And one of the things you gain in Unify is kind of a brotherhood of people that you get to lean on when life gets heavy.

1554
01:19:55.007 --> 01:19:56.989
A young guy, rotary, but done very well.

1555
01:19:57.129 --> 01:19:58.570
Yeah.

1556
01:19:58.710 --> 01:20:07.738
I can speak for personal experience of a tragedy of what that foundation feels like and the support that's there.

1557
01:20:07.878 --> 01:20:08.018
Yeah.

1558
01:20:08.638 --> 01:20:09.079
I want to go.

1559
01:20:09.419 --> 01:20:10.981
We talked time machine earlier.

1560
01:20:11.001 --> 01:20:16.066
I want to go back into a time machine a little bit with this story.

1561
01:20:16.146 --> 01:20:20.911
So our most recent suitcase party, the trip was to Hawaii.

1562
01:20:23.274 --> 01:20:26.878
We had a former Unify president, Jeremy Holt.

1563
01:20:27.839 --> 01:20:30.120
I know, Jeremy, he actually recruited me to the Matthews House.

1564
01:20:30.321 --> 01:20:32.302
Oh, no, really?

1565
01:20:32.322 --> 01:20:33.103
Way back in the day.

1566
01:20:33.583 --> 01:20:37.827
So former Unified president, he bought the trip in the live auction.

1567
01:20:37.907 --> 01:20:38.627
Thank you, Jeremy.

1568
01:20:38.788 --> 01:20:39.528
We appreciate it.

1569
01:20:41.270 --> 01:20:46.274
And had the fortune of going with some other past Unified presidents on the same trip.

1570
01:20:48.556 --> 01:20:51.580
While they were in flight, keep in mind this is a flight.

1571
01:20:51.600 --> 01:20:51.940
This year?

1572
01:20:52.080 --> 01:20:52.741
This is this year.

1573
01:20:52.781 --> 01:20:53.342
To Florida?

1574
01:20:53.562 --> 01:20:55.364
I'm saying this is a week ago.

1575
01:20:57.786 --> 01:21:03.373
While they're in this flight that we had to change from the day it was going to leave to a week later.

1576
01:21:04.473 --> 01:21:19.298
Um, they got to sit next to one of the flight attendants, um, who was just kind of doing a transfer to her next flight and they got to chatting her up and, um, talking about why they were going and why she was going.

1577
01:21:19.358 --> 01:21:21.279
And they talked about, they won this trip.

1578
01:21:21.719 --> 01:21:22.440
in an auction.

1579
01:21:22.520 --> 01:21:33.029
And she mentioned something that, um, she had maybe kind of heard of this group, no co unify, which is to be on an international flight, highly unlikely, highly unlikely.

1580
01:21:33.870 --> 01:21:41.697
And she was like, yeah, I feel like it's been a long time, but my dentist, I think used to be in no co unify.

1581
01:21:42.818 --> 01:21:58.690
And Jeremy during his presidency had become friends, really good friends with a close – with a unified member who unfortunately after the suitcase party in 2016 took his own life.

1582
01:21:59.611 --> 01:21:59.771
Oh, wow.

1583
01:22:00.191 --> 01:22:02.133
Like the night of the suitcase party.

1584
01:22:04.075 --> 01:22:04.415
So –

1585
01:22:04.675 --> 01:22:06.896
Like a member of your organization.

1586
01:22:07.276 --> 01:22:07.516
Yeah.

1587
01:22:07.856 --> 01:22:08.957
His name was John Nelson.

1588
01:22:09.117 --> 01:22:15.900
So let this be a shameless plug in September, by the way, for mental health.

1589
01:22:15.940 --> 01:22:17.541
If you need help, ask for help.

1590
01:22:17.561 --> 01:22:18.261
There's no shame.

1591
01:22:20.762 --> 01:22:21.863
But Jeremy was really tight.

1592
01:22:22.143 --> 01:22:23.784
And that's what NoCoUnify is.

1593
01:22:23.844 --> 01:22:26.445
So Jeremy took in John's dog.

1594
01:22:26.645 --> 01:22:32.888
Like, that's how close these relationships are, where John's dog became Jeremy's dog for a long time.

1595
01:22:32.968 --> 01:22:33.188
But...

1596
01:22:35.090 --> 01:22:39.896
John Nelson was a dentist and he was this flight attendants dentist.

1597
01:22:41.053 --> 01:22:42.054
uh, that was on this flight.

1598
01:22:42.094 --> 01:22:46.295
And she had heard about, and she had heard about unify through him in the dentist chair, presumably.

1599
01:22:46.415 --> 01:22:46.715
Yeah.

1600
01:22:47.295 --> 01:22:51.257
He's like talking about unify while she's getting her teeth checked out or whatever.

1601
01:22:51.477 --> 01:22:55.279
So, I mean, Jeremy obviously feels the goosebumps, right?

1602
01:22:55.359 --> 01:23:02.601
That this person knows one of my former best friends, unify member, this connection to unifies there.

1603
01:23:02.841 --> 01:23:09.324
And, uh, um, it'd been the, actually the day they were on the flight was the anniversary of his death.

1604
01:23:09.344 --> 01:23:09.404
Um,

1605
01:23:10.144 --> 01:23:10.725
Oh, wow.

1606
01:23:10.805 --> 01:23:14.488
So that's one of those like provincial moments.

1607
01:23:14.508 --> 01:23:15.850
There's things you can't explain.

1608
01:23:15.930 --> 01:23:16.310
Exactly.

1609
01:23:16.330 --> 01:23:18.312
Like maybe there's a little God in there somewhere.

1610
01:23:18.492 --> 01:23:18.672
Yeah.

1611
01:23:18.692 --> 01:23:18.973
Yeah.

1612
01:23:19.093 --> 01:23:19.473
Totally.

1613
01:23:19.533 --> 01:23:22.656
Kind of a perspective I have as well.

1614
01:23:23.417 --> 01:23:24.878
So you're not God dismissing.

1615
01:23:25.139 --> 01:23:25.399
No.

1616
01:23:25.479 --> 01:23:26.520
Perhaps God adjacent.

1617
01:23:26.640 --> 01:23:27.201
Yeah.

1618
01:23:27.481 --> 01:23:27.801
Yeah.

1619
01:23:27.841 --> 01:23:29.703
Maybe we'll find you a little closer sometime.

1620
01:23:29.903 --> 01:23:30.965
Yeah, exactly.

1621
01:23:31.045 --> 01:23:36.271
So definitely one of those stories that I got goosebumps hearing it.

1622
01:23:37.313 --> 01:23:44.502
And it didn't happen to me, but it was one that invited me to pause and reflect and feel closer.

1623
01:23:46.444 --> 01:23:47.004
You guys ready?

1624
01:23:47.385 --> 01:23:47.685
Ready.

1625
01:23:49.045 --> 01:23:49.906
I'm ready, yeah.

1626
01:23:50.186 --> 01:23:52.187
We'll see if I made the right choice.

1627
01:23:52.207 --> 01:23:53.327
Give this a little dribble.

1628
01:23:53.407 --> 01:23:56.509
Whoops, a big dribble.

1629
01:23:57.369 --> 01:24:00.050
There's nothing on that chip right there, which is sad.

1630
01:24:00.390 --> 01:24:02.912
That's the one I was going to go... Oh, never mind.

1631
01:24:03.992 --> 01:24:05.933
So we'll just...

1632
01:24:05.973 --> 01:24:07.714
I'll pass this over close to you guys.

1633
01:24:07.734 --> 01:24:08.114
You can...

1634
01:24:08.614 --> 01:24:11.715
You can swing your microphones a little bit, grab the chip that you prefer.

1635
01:24:11.735 --> 01:24:13.356
All right.

1636
01:24:13.536 --> 01:24:14.596
I'm going for the juicy one.

1637
01:24:14.616 --> 01:24:15.617
I'm going for the juicy one.

1638
01:24:15.637 --> 01:24:17.197
Well, if you're going big, I'll go big too.

1639
01:24:17.257 --> 01:24:17.718
All right.

1640
01:24:17.738 --> 01:24:19.558
There's a competitive landscape here.

1641
01:24:19.698 --> 01:24:20.198
That's right.

1642
01:24:20.499 --> 01:24:23.600
And go a little bit away from your microphone while you're chewing.

1643
01:24:23.620 --> 01:24:25.961
You don't want us to chew these directly into the microphone?

1644
01:24:25.981 --> 01:24:26.201
ASMR.

1645
01:24:26.221 --> 01:24:32.283
These are way better than the tostada chips or whatever where they really crunch, crunch, crunch.

1646
01:24:32.303 --> 01:24:32.903
That's true, yeah.

1647
01:24:32.923 --> 01:24:34.044
These have gone much faster.

1648
01:24:34.064 --> 01:24:34.364
Cheers.

1649
01:24:36.547 --> 01:24:39.288
And what I'm looking for is just some tasting notes.

1650
01:24:39.328 --> 01:24:41.228
Sell some more crazy ginger hot sauce.

1651
01:24:41.248 --> 01:24:43.108
You can get this at Matador Mexican Grill.

1652
01:24:43.228 --> 01:24:44.528
Thanks, Paul and company.

1653
01:24:44.728 --> 01:24:45.169
That's good.

1654
01:24:46.069 --> 01:24:46.609
That is good.

1655
01:24:46.889 --> 01:24:47.889
I feel like... Spicy.

1656
01:24:50.390 --> 01:24:52.710
There's a lingering heat.

1657
01:24:53.690 --> 01:24:56.611
Well, it'll keep going a little bit for a while.

1658
01:24:56.631 --> 01:24:57.331
Yeah, it's definitely like...

1659
01:24:57.471 --> 01:24:58.811
It's a creeper, I would say.

1660
01:24:58.891 --> 01:24:59.211
Yeah.

1661
01:24:59.391 --> 01:25:01.031
I get the peach, though.

1662
01:25:01.091 --> 01:25:01.311
Nice.

1663
01:25:01.331 --> 01:25:02.172
You get the sweetness there.

1664
01:25:02.212 --> 01:25:03.912
It's definitely... Cabanero's really strong.

1665
01:25:08.497 --> 01:25:10.838
I'm the worst guy to ask about like salsa tasting.

1666
01:25:10.858 --> 01:25:12.658
Cause I'm like, it's either spicy or not.

1667
01:25:12.959 --> 01:25:13.999
Oh, you just have it off on.

1668
01:25:14.159 --> 01:25:14.919
Yeah.

1669
01:25:14.939 --> 01:25:15.279
Yeah.

1670
01:25:15.319 --> 01:25:15.539
Yeah.

1671
01:25:15.840 --> 01:25:17.280
It's on the buttons.

1672
01:25:17.360 --> 01:25:18.741
It's on for you.

1673
01:25:19.001 --> 01:25:20.061
Aaron, Aaron loves me.

1674
01:25:20.081 --> 01:25:21.502
I'm from the Midwest.

1675
01:25:21.542 --> 01:25:22.262
You want another one?

1676
01:25:23.002 --> 01:25:26.583
Um, how much more talking do I have?

1677
01:25:26.603 --> 01:25:29.124
We've got another 15 or something.

1678
01:25:29.164 --> 01:25:29.264
Um,

1679
01:25:32.541 --> 01:25:33.282
It's very good.

1680
01:25:33.362 --> 01:25:34.803
So after I'm done talking.

1681
01:25:34.823 --> 01:25:35.303
After we're done.

1682
01:25:35.383 --> 01:25:35.644
Okay.

1683
01:25:35.664 --> 01:25:36.765
That's very Minnesota nice.

1684
01:25:36.825 --> 01:25:37.846
Yeah.

1685
01:25:37.886 --> 01:25:39.026
Kansas City nice, I guess.

1686
01:25:39.167 --> 01:25:39.547
It's good.

1687
01:25:39.567 --> 01:25:41.148
I'm going to let you do the rest of the talking.

1688
01:25:41.308 --> 01:25:41.589
Yeah.

1689
01:25:41.889 --> 01:25:43.110
I'm sweating.

1690
01:25:43.250 --> 01:25:44.111
Okay.

1691
01:25:44.151 --> 01:25:50.516
Well, we might have a problem that we can only solve with liquor.

1692
01:25:51.797 --> 01:25:54.458
So I'm going to go grab the Whizcal and we'll sample.

1693
01:25:54.618 --> 01:26:00.681
And then you guys decide who's going first on the Loco Experience, which is the craziest story that you're willing to share.

1694
01:26:00.701 --> 01:26:03.122
That was a pretty crazy story, but it's not really your story.

1695
01:26:03.222 --> 01:26:03.942
Yeah, that's something.

1696
01:26:03.962 --> 01:26:05.363
So I'm going to give you a pass there.

1697
01:26:05.423 --> 01:26:05.663
Okay.

1698
01:26:05.683 --> 01:26:06.063
Yeah.

1699
01:26:06.083 --> 01:26:07.544
But you guys decide who goes first.

1700
01:26:08.464 --> 01:26:11.405
I'll come back with a half shot of Whizcal for each of us or so.

1701
01:26:11.566 --> 01:26:11.786
Yeah.

1702
01:26:12.426 --> 01:26:15.047
And then we'll drink that and then we'll tell stories.

1703
01:26:15.127 --> 01:26:17.288
I feel like that should be our tagline for Unify.

1704
01:26:17.328 --> 01:26:19.929
There's not a problem we can't solve without liquor.

1705
01:26:19.949 --> 01:26:23.010
That could be just for board meetings.

1706
01:26:23.030 --> 01:26:25.871
Yeah, yeah.

1707
01:26:26.251 --> 01:26:28.252
That's the motto of the board retreat, for sure.

1708
01:26:28.412 --> 01:26:35.354
Do you want a line for Chaser?

1709
01:26:35.414 --> 01:26:35.915
Yes, please.

1710
01:26:38.296 --> 01:26:41.977
Luckily for you guys, I have freshly grown and harvested...

1711
01:26:43.007 --> 01:26:43.588
Nice, yeah.

1712
01:26:43.648 --> 01:26:47.092
I know, I was blown away, this guy's ability to grow citrus in Colorado.

1713
01:26:47.112 --> 01:26:49.595
Yeah, you spent some time in Florida or something?

1714
01:26:49.615 --> 01:26:52.358
When you came in, you were like, is that a lime tree growing?

1715
01:26:53.078 --> 01:26:54.539
Oh, no, I could just see the one.

1716
01:26:54.579 --> 01:26:57.501
Yeah, I was like, I've just, I don't see those here.

1717
01:26:57.521 --> 01:26:58.161
Right.

1718
01:26:58.902 --> 01:27:04.445
No, it's been growing for a few years now, and it has, I've got, this is probably lime number eight right now.

1719
01:27:04.605 --> 01:27:05.485
Yeah, that's awesome.

1720
01:27:05.505 --> 01:27:07.146
You guys are going to chase this shot with?

1721
01:27:07.427 --> 01:27:09.868
What is that, what was that kombucha you made a while back?

1722
01:27:09.888 --> 01:27:10.849
That was really good stuff.

1723
01:27:11.089 --> 01:27:15.531
Oh, I've been making that for, ooh, I've been making that for five years, actually.

1724
01:27:17.713 --> 01:27:20.614
It's basically just sweet tea with a scoby, and it's amazing.

1725
01:27:20.634 --> 01:27:21.395
It's amazing.

1726
01:27:21.655 --> 01:27:22.175
Yeah, it's yummy.

1727
01:27:22.836 --> 01:27:24.277
I just finished my bottle, actually.

1728
01:27:25.217 --> 01:27:26.238
Who wants the biggest one?

1729
01:27:28.219 --> 01:27:30.060
Jake.

1730
01:27:32.242 --> 01:27:32.702
Thank you, sir.

1731
01:27:32.722 --> 01:27:34.763
All right.

1732
01:27:35.384 --> 01:27:38.005
All right, so, yeah, you could have some tasting notes.

1733
01:27:38.045 --> 01:27:41.067
Yeah, more chips and sauce if you want.

1734
01:27:41.127 --> 01:27:41.708
Cheers, guys.

1735
01:27:42.028 --> 01:27:42.428
Cheers.

1736
01:27:42.508 --> 01:27:47.091
Salute to good tidings and good fortune.

1737
01:27:50.914 --> 01:27:51.134
Mmm...

1738
01:27:53.242 --> 01:27:54.002
That's WizCal.

1739
01:27:54.602 --> 01:27:55.143
WizCal.

1740
01:27:55.383 --> 01:27:58.104
So it's like whiskey plus Mezcal.

1741
01:28:00.384 --> 01:28:01.165
Hybrid spirit.

1742
01:28:01.765 --> 01:28:02.785
Seed and spirit distilling.

1743
01:28:02.905 --> 01:28:07.767
Thanks, Seed and Spirit, for being our spirit sponsor.

1744
01:28:08.287 --> 01:28:13.069
They're opening their tasting room at the former Funkworks in about six weeks.

1745
01:28:13.329 --> 01:28:13.489
Okay.

1746
01:28:13.509 --> 01:28:13.729
Nice.

1747
01:28:13.789 --> 01:28:15.009
Maybe two months, something like that.

1748
01:28:15.970 --> 01:28:16.950
So it's very exciting.

1749
01:28:18.130 --> 01:28:18.571
That was good.

1750
01:28:18.591 --> 01:28:19.091
That is good.

1751
01:28:19.111 --> 01:28:19.791
That was really good.

1752
01:28:19.951 --> 01:28:22.632
Have you decided who wants to go first?

1753
01:28:26.338 --> 01:28:50.765
I'll let you go first Alright, alright Mine's not that crazy Debating between two I mean like I jumped out of an airplane Perfectly good airplane With a parachute though I think so No, just kidding Someone had a parachute Yeah That one was pretty crazy What's the other one You're choosing between?

1754
01:28:50.785 --> 01:28:50.825
Um

1755
01:28:52.861 --> 01:28:54.842
I would say probably airplane is crazier.

1756
01:28:54.862 --> 01:28:55.142
Okay.

1757
01:28:55.422 --> 01:28:55.822
Actually.

1758
01:28:56.002 --> 01:28:56.482
Let's hear it.

1759
01:28:57.342 --> 01:29:00.884
The other one is like I stole a Sonic sign from Sonic.

1760
01:29:01.004 --> 01:29:03.364
Like an actual lit up sign.

1761
01:29:03.424 --> 01:29:03.865
Yeah.

1762
01:29:04.325 --> 01:29:05.105
Like drive up his.

1763
01:29:05.685 --> 01:29:05.865
Yeah.

1764
01:29:05.885 --> 01:29:07.506
I don't want to incriminate myself though.

1765
01:29:07.646 --> 01:29:09.186
Is the statute of limitations.

1766
01:29:09.206 --> 01:29:10.287
Has it been over seven years?

1767
01:29:10.487 --> 01:29:10.747
Yeah.

1768
01:29:11.267 --> 01:29:11.587
Yes.

1769
01:29:11.788 --> 01:29:12.228
Okay.

1770
01:29:12.268 --> 01:29:13.209
So we're probably good.

1771
01:29:13.369 --> 01:29:13.589
Yeah.

1772
01:29:13.829 --> 01:29:15.370
I think I want to hear the Sonic.

1773
01:29:15.431 --> 01:29:17.112
I think I want to hear the Sonic story.

1774
01:29:17.192 --> 01:29:17.873
I can't do too.

1775
01:29:17.893 --> 01:29:19.334
It's just not that luxury.

1776
01:29:19.414 --> 01:29:20.335
It's not that like zazzy.

1777
01:29:20.355 --> 01:29:21.576
It doesn't make you look that great.

1778
01:29:21.736 --> 01:29:22.997
Well, no, it's just not that zazzy.

1779
01:29:23.037 --> 01:29:25.239
It's like we saw the sign and we stole it.

1780
01:29:25.739 --> 01:29:28.141
So it's just like late night college drives.

1781
01:29:28.161 --> 01:29:28.501
All right.

1782
01:29:28.541 --> 01:29:35.567
Well, let it be known that Mr. Merkley could have been arrested for at least a class two misdemeanor for stealing the Sonic sign.

1783
01:29:35.647 --> 01:29:36.528
And where in Arkansas?

1784
01:29:36.548 --> 01:29:36.728
Yeah.

1785
01:29:38.309 --> 01:29:39.291
Asylum Springs.

1786
01:29:39.571 --> 01:29:42.655
So sorry to whoever owns that Sonic.

1787
01:29:42.675 --> 01:29:43.416
I didn't really.

1788
01:29:43.656 --> 01:29:44.738
Sonic Corporate.

1789
01:29:44.898 --> 01:29:45.539
I don't know.

1790
01:29:45.759 --> 01:29:46.240
Who knows?

1791
01:29:46.580 --> 01:29:46.920
All right.

1792
01:29:46.961 --> 01:29:48.002
So the airplane.

1793
01:29:48.042 --> 01:29:49.364
Yeah, airplane.

1794
01:29:49.684 --> 01:29:54.450
My brother, my wife, and I, we all went and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.

1795
01:29:54.470 --> 01:29:56.473
The funniest part about this story is not...

1796
01:29:56.953 --> 01:29:59.974
Me, like, I was pretty, like, nervous talking the whole time.

1797
01:30:00.634 --> 01:30:03.375
My wife is, like, cool as a cucumber the whole time.

1798
01:30:03.415 --> 01:30:04.575
Like, she's not saying anything.

1799
01:30:04.595 --> 01:30:06.436
She's like, I'm chill.

1800
01:30:06.456 --> 01:30:06.876
I'm here.

1801
01:30:07.656 --> 01:30:13.258
The doors of the plane open, and she starts panting like a gorilla.

1802
01:30:17.959 --> 01:30:27.343
and gee just it would not stop and she got on the plane after so she had to go first so they get scooched all the way to the doors of the plane she stands up and all i hear is this

1803
01:30:29.804 --> 01:30:52.401
she's just gone she did it she did it and we're we're going down so i went after that and you were like man i was like it was cool it was yeah but um on the way down i see my wife she lands first and so my instructor is like half my size tandem or something yeah tandem okay yeah and i was like buddy like my wife's down there we gotta land like james bond like i gotta look like a badass in front of my wife he's like

1804
01:30:53.198 --> 01:30:55.180
nah, dude, we're laying it on our ass first.

1805
01:30:55.240 --> 01:30:58.283
I was like, come on, you can't do this to me.

1806
01:30:58.343 --> 01:31:03.067
And so we come in and just like...

1807
01:31:03.107 --> 01:31:06.290
So I looked like such an idiot in front of my wife.

1808
01:31:06.350 --> 01:31:09.153
And is your instructor on you because you're the bigger person?

1809
01:31:09.213 --> 01:31:11.415
I think I was sitting and he was standing.

1810
01:31:11.455 --> 01:31:13.397
That's how short he was compared to me.

1811
01:31:14.238 --> 01:31:15.259
It was pretty bad.

1812
01:31:15.359 --> 01:31:17.561
But yeah, that was a pretty wild experience.

1813
01:31:17.581 --> 01:31:18.202
So how long...

1814
01:31:19.022 --> 01:31:20.465
I haven't done that at all, actually.

1815
01:31:20.485 --> 01:31:21.566
How long?

1816
01:31:22.147 --> 01:31:23.970
Is it like five, ten minutes in the air?

1817
01:31:23.990 --> 01:31:24.911
It's like six minutes.

1818
01:31:24.951 --> 01:31:26.553
So it's like two minutes of free fall.

1819
01:31:26.573 --> 01:31:27.535
Oh, wow.

1820
01:31:27.555 --> 01:31:28.877
I don't know.

1821
01:31:29.278 --> 01:31:34.181
Yeah, give or take, and then like four minutes of like just... Yeah, just floating and looking around and whatever.

1822
01:31:34.441 --> 01:31:40.024
There's nothing as blissful as being like parachute opens, and then you're just... Yeah, I'm not going to die.

1823
01:31:40.124 --> 01:31:40.405
Yeah.

1824
01:31:40.425 --> 01:31:41.225
The parachute opened.

1825
01:31:41.485 --> 01:31:42.846
My instructor kept wanting to talk to me.

1826
01:31:42.866 --> 01:31:43.727
I'm like, shut up, shut up.

1827
01:31:43.887 --> 01:31:45.828
I'm just going to take a soak in.

1828
01:31:46.408 --> 01:31:48.349
But then he's like, hey, do you want to do this maneuver?

1829
01:31:48.389 --> 01:31:49.550
And I'm like, yeah, let's do it.

1830
01:31:49.590 --> 01:31:53.953
So he's like, grab one of the handles and just pull it towards your belly button as fast as you can.

1831
01:31:54.813 --> 01:31:58.894
So you go from here, here's the parachute, here's you, and you pull the ripcore basically.

1832
01:31:58.914 --> 01:31:59.694
Right.

1833
01:31:59.714 --> 01:32:01.635
And you go like this to the ground.

1834
01:32:01.895 --> 01:32:02.015
Oh.

1835
01:32:02.035 --> 01:32:04.496
So the thing keeping you from falling is here.

1836
01:32:04.576 --> 01:32:05.036
Sideways.

1837
01:32:05.056 --> 01:32:07.677
And you're sideways and you do this 360 maneuver.

1838
01:32:07.757 --> 01:32:08.237
For sure.

1839
01:32:08.457 --> 01:32:09.917
It was so disorienting.

1840
01:32:09.957 --> 01:32:12.838
It was cool, but it was so disorienting that like, he's like, you want to do it again?

1841
01:32:13.825 --> 01:32:15.868
Not if you want me to poop my pants.

1842
01:32:16.008 --> 01:32:16.890
I can't do this again.

1843
01:32:16.930 --> 01:32:17.210
Very cool.

1844
01:32:17.290 --> 01:32:17.731
It was bad.

1845
01:32:18.031 --> 01:32:20.054
You've actually sold it for me.

1846
01:32:20.555 --> 01:32:21.676
It's worthwhile.

1847
01:32:21.737 --> 01:32:24.120
I've wondered if it was worth the investment kind of.

1848
01:32:24.140 --> 01:32:24.280
Yeah.

1849
01:32:24.320 --> 01:32:29.588
I've done plenty of ziplines and different things, but not actually jumped out of a perfectly good airplane.

1850
01:32:29.728 --> 01:32:31.769
We did it in COVID, so we had to wear masks.

1851
01:32:31.890 --> 01:32:32.690
This was the weirdest part.

1852
01:32:32.710 --> 01:32:33.431
We had to wear masks.

1853
01:32:33.491 --> 01:32:36.313
I'm like, you can't breathe when you're falling.

1854
01:32:36.333 --> 01:32:37.994
Plus, who else is going to get my bugs?

1855
01:32:38.034 --> 01:32:39.095
Yeah, exactly.

1856
01:32:39.255 --> 01:32:41.997
If we're going to die, we're going to die.

1857
01:32:43.077 --> 01:32:43.458
Fun stuff.

1858
01:32:43.478 --> 01:32:44.098
Thank you.

1859
01:32:45.159 --> 01:32:45.699
My turn?

1860
01:32:45.799 --> 01:32:46.240
Your turn.

1861
01:32:47.360 --> 01:32:50.062
Would you like another chip before you undertake this?

1862
01:32:50.182 --> 01:32:50.763
You know what?

1863
01:32:50.803 --> 01:32:51.063
Sure.

1864
01:32:51.383 --> 01:32:52.304
There's one without.

1865
01:32:52.404 --> 01:32:54.946
No, I'll just kill me.

1866
01:32:55.166 --> 01:32:56.347
Not you.

1867
01:32:56.427 --> 01:32:56.987
I went heavy.

1868
01:33:03.060 --> 01:33:03.660
That is good, though.

1869
01:33:04.121 --> 01:33:04.561
It is very good.

1870
01:33:04.601 --> 01:33:05.101
I really like it.

1871
01:33:06.702 --> 01:33:06.942
Eggs.

1872
01:33:07.303 --> 01:33:08.183
Like, I want that on eggs.

1873
01:33:08.203 --> 01:33:09.304
Oh, it's great on eggs.

1874
01:33:09.324 --> 01:33:12.125
Honestly, it is the best on eggs.

1875
01:33:12.205 --> 01:33:12.766
Craziest story.

1876
01:33:12.786 --> 01:33:13.526
Fish tacos, too.

1877
01:33:14.007 --> 01:33:14.507
Oh, yeah.

1878
01:33:14.567 --> 01:33:15.267
Killer on fish tacos.

1879
01:33:15.287 --> 01:33:15.728
That would be good.

1880
01:33:17.450 --> 01:33:18.291
Now I'm just hungry.

1881
01:33:18.971 --> 01:33:20.132
It's dinner time.

1882
01:33:20.412 --> 01:33:20.712
Okay.

1883
01:33:20.732 --> 01:33:22.353
So my craziest story, let's see.

1884
01:33:22.933 --> 01:33:28.297
I was working at Sonic and this guy just ripped our sign off.

1885
01:33:29.297 --> 01:33:32.799
See me out there like, get out, get out.

1886
01:33:33.440 --> 01:33:33.680
No.

1887
01:33:33.780 --> 01:33:38.002
So I did work at Sonic for a little bit in college.

1888
01:33:39.964 --> 01:33:46.888
So college story, first college roommates, we lived in a,

1889
01:33:48.301 --> 01:33:49.341
Very prototypical.

1890
01:33:49.561 --> 01:33:52.422
Close your eyes and you can see this first college house.

1891
01:33:52.442 --> 01:33:54.042
There's holes in the drywall.

1892
01:33:54.603 --> 01:33:56.843
I mean, it's a four- How many people living there?

1893
01:33:57.103 --> 01:33:59.704
Four dudes sharing a three-bedroom house.

1894
01:33:59.764 --> 01:34:00.944
Right.

1895
01:34:01.064 --> 01:34:04.485
So the two young dudes have to share a bedroom.

1896
01:34:04.565 --> 01:34:06.165
Yeah, pretty much.

1897
01:34:07.406 --> 01:34:07.966
Couching it.

1898
01:34:08.406 --> 01:34:08.726
Right.

1899
01:34:09.206 --> 01:34:14.567
And in Warrensburg, Missouri- Occasional kick parties and stuff.

1900
01:34:14.587 --> 01:34:15.268
You have a house.

1901
01:34:15.348 --> 01:34:16.668
A lot of people don't even have a house.

1902
01:34:17.068 --> 01:34:18.829
So, exactly.

1903
01:34:19.069 --> 01:34:23.792
So, in Warrensburg, it's a college.

1904
01:34:23.872 --> 01:34:25.573
It's a party college.

1905
01:34:26.774 --> 01:34:29.075
One street of bars called Pine Street.

1906
01:34:30.476 --> 01:34:34.938
And one of our roommates at the time worked at one of the bars.

1907
01:34:36.319 --> 01:34:41.702
And at the time, Bam Margera and that crew was, like, doing college tours.

1908
01:34:41.802 --> 01:34:43.163
So, the Jackass crew.

1909
01:34:43.183 --> 01:34:43.843
Yes.

1910
01:34:43.923 --> 01:34:45.264
So, Bam Margera, Rab.

1911
01:34:46.325 --> 01:34:46.625
Yeah.

1912
01:34:48.403 --> 01:34:55.144
We man, uh, those guys were doing college campus tours and, uh, they wound up in his, in his bar.

1913
01:34:55.884 --> 01:35:02.946
So Bam Margera and Rab were there and I get a call from, this is circa 2020, 2006, 2006, 2006.

1914
01:35:03.246 --> 01:35:04.966
Okay.

1915
01:35:05.046 --> 01:35:05.586
Uh, 2007.

1916
01:35:05.806 --> 01:35:06.126
Sorry.

1917
01:35:06.746 --> 01:35:11.287
Um, I get a call, um, from my roommate who's at the bar.

1918
01:35:11.627 --> 01:35:13.567
It's like 11 o'clock at night.

1919
01:35:13.827 --> 01:35:16.948
I've got class the next day I'm in bed and he's like, Scott.

1920
01:35:18.042 --> 01:35:19.924
Go call everyone we know.

1921
01:35:20.565 --> 01:35:21.606
Go get the neighbors.

1922
01:35:21.686 --> 01:35:22.367
Get them to the house.

1923
01:35:23.008 --> 01:35:24.890
I told Bam Margera we're having a house party.

1924
01:35:25.090 --> 01:35:28.474
They're coming after the bars.

1925
01:35:28.534 --> 01:35:31.337
They're expecting us to have a big-ass party there in one hour.

1926
01:35:31.357 --> 01:35:31.457
So...

1927
01:35:33.259 --> 01:35:33.599
I did.

1928
01:35:33.920 --> 01:35:37.203
So I'm knocking on doors all up and down our street.

1929
01:35:37.263 --> 01:35:39.565
Like, please come to our house.

1930
01:35:39.845 --> 01:35:40.906
I know it's the middle of the night.

1931
01:35:40.946 --> 01:35:41.967
It's kind of speculative.

1932
01:35:42.027 --> 01:35:42.327
Yeah.

1933
01:35:42.387 --> 01:35:43.368
Like, we don't know.

1934
01:35:43.789 --> 01:35:45.510
Like, this is pre-iPhone.

1935
01:35:45.530 --> 01:35:48.953
This is like flip phone, hard texting.

1936
01:35:48.973 --> 01:35:49.434
Hard text.

1937
01:35:49.494 --> 01:35:49.834
Yeah.

1938
01:35:50.394 --> 01:35:51.535
Get to our house now.

1939
01:35:51.716 --> 01:35:52.957
A, B, C, go.

1940
01:35:53.057 --> 01:35:53.317
Yeah.

1941
01:35:54.558 --> 01:35:55.538
So, yeah.

1942
01:35:55.678 --> 01:35:58.259
So, they come eventually.

1943
01:35:58.420 --> 01:35:58.900
No way.

1944
01:35:59.080 --> 01:36:04.102
Rager, like a couch wound up on the neighbor's roof somehow.

1945
01:36:04.562 --> 01:36:07.183
How many people?

1946
01:36:07.383 --> 01:36:09.664
Like what time does the party really get rocking?

1947
01:36:10.544 --> 01:36:12.665
Probably 1 a.m. Until?

1948
01:36:14.648 --> 01:36:17.771
I didn't go to class the next day.

1949
01:36:17.851 --> 01:36:18.512
Sorry, teacher.

1950
01:36:18.532 --> 01:36:19.493
I partied with Bam.

1951
01:36:19.713 --> 01:36:21.875
So there were already holes in the drywall.

1952
01:36:22.015 --> 01:36:25.339
There were body-sized holes in the drywall after this party.

1953
01:36:25.419 --> 01:36:26.099
From bodies.

1954
01:36:26.199 --> 01:36:27.200
Like, it was...

1955
01:36:28.582 --> 01:36:28.962
It was...

1956
01:36:30.003 --> 01:36:34.269
At the time, you asked about bad business decisions earlier.

1957
01:36:34.289 --> 01:36:36.171
That was a bad business decision.

1958
01:36:36.191 --> 01:36:37.353
It was a bad life business decision.

1959
01:36:37.373 --> 01:36:41.398
We lost our security deposit for sure.

1960
01:36:41.739 --> 01:36:43.100
I don't think I can top that.

1961
01:36:43.481 --> 01:36:44.863
No, Van Margera.

1962
01:36:44.883 --> 01:36:45.504
What was he like?

1963
01:36:45.964 --> 01:36:47.526
I never talked to him.

1964
01:36:47.806 --> 01:36:49.368
I was like hosting.

1965
01:36:49.428 --> 01:36:50.709
He's like a mythical beast.

1966
01:36:50.729 --> 01:36:51.329
He was there.

1967
01:36:51.570 --> 01:36:53.331
I talked to Rab for a second.

1968
01:36:53.512 --> 01:36:56.535
Matt Damon's cousin, by the way.

1969
01:36:56.635 --> 01:37:00.078
And like when he tells you that, actually, I've never verified that.

1970
01:37:00.178 --> 01:37:05.003
But seeing him in person, I was like, oh, yeah, you look like Matt Damon.

1971
01:37:05.143 --> 01:37:07.726
So that's definitely my – I dig it.

1972
01:37:08.146 --> 01:37:08.707
My –

1973
01:37:10.088 --> 01:37:12.589
Yeah, that's on the top of my crazy time.

1974
01:37:12.689 --> 01:37:19.492
When I was first dating Jill, I started dating her in like May of whatever year that was.

1975
01:37:19.552 --> 01:37:23.434
But I was living in the basement with a house where two girls lived upstairs.

1976
01:37:24.134 --> 01:37:26.855
And we had some guys talk us into hosting their Halloween party.

1977
01:37:26.895 --> 01:37:32.238
They had like these old school computers with lights that would go to the computers and this huge playlist.

1978
01:37:33.298 --> 01:37:35.879
And a huge bunch of people had been coming to their parties for years.

1979
01:37:35.899 --> 01:37:37.100
They just needed a home for it.

1980
01:37:38.702 --> 01:37:45.466
And somebody brought a luge, a nice luge for our garage, which was really nice.

1981
01:37:47.267 --> 01:37:51.790
The 47 empty bottles of liquor at the end of the night was impressive.

1982
01:37:52.890 --> 01:37:59.894
And when I went to go get the third keg, there was all these people at the liquor store talking about this party at my house.

1983
01:38:01.295 --> 01:38:01.935
Randos.

1984
01:38:02.756 --> 01:38:03.036
What?

1985
01:38:03.096 --> 01:38:05.157
And so we ended up with like 250 people there.

1986
01:38:05.217 --> 01:38:05.938
Oh, my gosh.

1987
01:38:05.958 --> 01:38:06.578
And there was like...

1988
01:38:07.353 --> 01:38:08.513
cocaine in the bathrooms.

1989
01:38:08.533 --> 01:38:10.894
There was sex, drugs, rock and roll in the basement.

1990
01:38:10.914 --> 01:38:13.515
There was who knows what.

1991
01:38:15.795 --> 01:38:19.016
But we sold all these keg cups and stuff, right?

1992
01:38:19.036 --> 01:38:20.097
Because it was a keg party.

1993
01:38:20.137 --> 01:38:22.077
So we got five bucks a person or whatever.

1994
01:38:22.097 --> 01:38:22.417
Nice.

1995
01:38:22.737 --> 01:38:27.259
And then we rented equipment from Home Depot to clean all the

1996
01:38:28.279 --> 01:38:46.853
off-white carpets because the luge in the garage caused like mud to be tracked into the whole house for it was tragic and we we made like 25 dollars for like i don't know what like a combined 45 hours of labor to get the place ready and then back to shape

1997
01:38:47.145 --> 01:38:48.006
For a great time.

1998
01:38:48.346 --> 01:38:49.687
It was an amazing time.

1999
01:38:49.767 --> 01:38:52.469
For a great time, come to the Unify party for $25.

2000
01:38:53.250 --> 01:38:54.151
Suitcase party.

2001
01:38:54.311 --> 01:38:55.652
It's only $25.

2002
01:38:55.672 --> 01:38:59.856
It'll be way better than throwing a party at your own place.

2003
01:38:59.876 --> 01:39:03.238
You don't have to pay the security deposit.

2004
01:39:03.299 --> 01:39:04.820
Way better than a good college party.

2005
01:39:04.840 --> 01:39:06.761
Yeah, they'll pay the security deposit at the hangar.

2006
01:39:07.762 --> 01:39:11.826
So look for your tickets, I guess, next July, right?

2007
01:39:11.846 --> 01:39:13.867
Next August is the suitcase party 2027.

2008
01:39:13.887 --> 01:39:13.967
Yep.

2009
01:39:16.249 --> 01:39:17.970
Anything else you guys feel like we left out?

2010
01:39:17.990 --> 01:39:19.191
Oh, man.

2011
01:39:19.211 --> 01:39:20.292
You want another shot of WizCal?

2012
01:39:20.552 --> 01:39:21.533
No, man.

2013
01:39:21.553 --> 01:39:22.393
I, no.

2014
01:39:22.713 --> 01:39:25.675
We can tell the stories.

2015
01:39:25.815 --> 01:39:26.916
Well, let's just wrap it up then.

2016
01:39:27.056 --> 01:39:27.276
Yeah.

2017
01:39:27.456 --> 01:39:27.697
Yeah.

2018
01:39:28.017 --> 01:39:28.957
Thanks for being here.

2019
01:39:28.997 --> 01:39:29.738
Thank you for having us.

2020
01:39:29.758 --> 01:39:30.358
Godspeed, fellas.

2021
01:39:30.879 --> 01:39:31.419
Thanks for doing it.

2022
01:39:31.439 --> 01:39:31.659
Thank you.

2023
01:39:31.939 --> 01:39:32.580
Oh, thank you.

2024
01:39:33.340 --> 01:39:37.425
Hi, this is Kurt Baer, host of the Loco Experience podcast and founder of Loco Think Tank.

2025
01:39:37.906 --> 01:39:41.751
Every week, I explore intimate conversations with business founders and leaders.

2026
01:39:42.291 --> 01:39:47.378
And so I hope you'll join us this week and every week for a new episode of the Loco Experience.