On today's episode of gathering the Kings. If you're heading the right direction, keep going or pick that one hat that you think would be the easiest to get rid of. And try to get rid of it. You are listening to Gathering the Kings with Chaz Wolfe featuring fellow 78 and even 9 figure business owners who have real battle scars from business and life, but have prevailed as the king that they are designed to be.
We welcome high performing entrepreneurs to the stage in order to reveal the real of the real on what it takes to build successful business today. We dissect the good and bad decisions they've made along the way Chaz give a true and accurate picture of the journey of success and how you too can get there. Through this dialogue, you will learn the value of growing your network and surrounding yourself with power players and Kings like today's guest.
Grab your pen and notebook because we're about to dive in. What's up everybody? Chaz Wolfe. Gathering the king's podcast. I got Mister Patrick Walker on the king stage today. My man. How you doing today? I am doing excellent, and thanks for having me. Of course. Yes. We appreciate you just carving out a little bit of your time. You're in a a a in an industry, honestly, that I have not yet had on the show.
So I'm excited to kinda dig in here because, man, this industry has been high highs and low lows in the last little bits. And so I'm excited for you to be able to share some of those Losses, wins, victory, struggles, the whole deal. So, Patrick, tell us what kind of business did you have? I have a brick and mortar travel agency. Yes. We still exist. There are not a lot of us out there, but we are here. Something people don't know. It's it's actually a free service.
If you go to cruise line x, it cost you $5 and you become to me. It'll actually probably be less because I know the tips and tricks and all that cost you nothing in. And the cruise line gives me a little kickback. So it's a good win win for everybody. Yeah. So it's almost like a group purchasing in that way where where you don't it's free for the customer, but you just you have an agreement with with the folks that you're booking travel through. Correct. Correct.
That's amazing. I I I love I love that concept. It is difficult sometimes for the folks that I know with that same business model, not in travel, of course, but the same business model to to, like, break through to their customers that it doesn't actually cost them anything. Do you find the same thing in your industry? Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then a lot of some of them get it that I've done travel for a while, but the people are neutral. They're like, no. I don't quite understand.
Or they they think it's like, I have inventory and they said, well, how about a little discount? I'm like, I it's like, Like an Apple Watch. It's 399. It's 399. It's 399. Unless I have some group power behind me. And so then sometimes it's actually less, but Right. Right. Yeah. It's not like you've prepackaged, you know, 10 trips to the Bahamas that you're trying to now sell. Correct. Correct. Very cool.
Okay. So before we kinda get into your your story and the backdrop a little bit here, I wanna know at this level, I mean, because you know, from my understanding, you're crushing it. From the from the notes that I've seen that my my team has left for me. Not only have you been crushing it, but you've been continuing to crush it. The especially last couple of years. So you're at this certain level of success, and you're still doing it. Why? Well, one that everything's tied up in it. I I have to.
But, it kinda gets in your blood, the business side of it, and the travel. It's a phenomenal fund the industry. You know? Yeah. Other industries are necessary. They're just not as fun. So I I get to sell fun. So it's it's a good good situation to be in and it's it opened up a world of stuff. I didn't know there were stuff out there. I've kinda jumped into it blind. So there's just the whole world out there, literally.
Yeah. You know, that that took me a second to wrap my head around what you just said there because it there literally is a whole world. I love it. Okay. So tell us a story. How, like, not just this business, or was this the first business? I know that you kinda did some interviewing looking around a little bit. This is kinda what you landed on. Tell us the story. Oh, yeah. No business experience and pretty much no travel experience. We had a lot.
We had a large family, military, So we our travel was kinda where we lived. So Sure. Yeah. I went to a franchise expo, and I liked our logo, and here I am. You know, is that that's kinda like how, you know, the the the one wife randomly picked the the final four based on the mascots. Is that Yeah. Is that kinda the same thing? Yep. So you like the logo, you go over to their booth, you ask for more information, or they they call you hot, like, us.
I walked up to Booth and I'm like, that's a really cool logo. It's a it's a ship, a ship Compass Rose combination, and and he's like, yeah, we're a travel agency. I'm like, that's dumb. The Internet's gonna kill you. He said, just because you take you said that here, take this. I won't talk to you now and go home, read it, and then Call me back because here I am. Wow. Okay. Wow. There's there's obviously a lot that happened, but I wanna I wanna back up for half a second.
You showed up to this event or this, like, showroom of sorts is like, what was it? It was actually a virtual expo. You take a little emoji and you walk around and you turn and look at a booth and go to the next one. I had some criteria. You know, I didn't I didn't wanna have to, deal with teenagers as far as hiring and firing. I'd Okay. Yeah. The whole void conflict thing. So, you know, fast food was probably out. Yep. Yep. And I wouldn't even half I didn't even have to own my own business.
So it's just one of the things I was looking into. Sure. And I took that perspective home, read it, Didn't believe the numbers. Google it researched it. I'm like, hey. These guys are telling the truth. And And did more due diligence. And here I am. Wow. Okay. So so in that moment, I wanna go back to that, what you just said there, because I I would have thought you were showing up to this, you know, franchise event to, like, okay. Which one am I gonna go with?
But it it sounds like there was an option, but you you said I didn't even have to own my own business. What? Tell us about that. What what was going through your brain? Yeah. I'm not that guy that I don't mind working for somebody else. I don't mind making people coffee. I mean, so but I wanted it and it's always been in the back of my head to own your own business would be Cool. So I went there without having to go. And I so yeah.
That's probably put me in a better place because then I didn't force the issue. Yeah. Yeah. And so do you think that that that's a, like, how you're raised or personality? Because, like, entrepreneurialism is obviously very unique. Not every it's not it's not designed for everybody, but you're you're kinda coming from the other side tracks a little bit saying like, hey. I'm I'm I'm crushing it, but maybe I'm not, like, the traditional entrepreneurial thinker. Yeah. I'm definitely not.
My dad was very, very laid back. I am. So I don't know if it's a internal trader. I caught it from him. I man, don't don't get me wrong. I wanna make money. I wanna crush it, but it's I don't have to be number 1 in the country if I'm making good money and the other guy's making more good for him. Right. Yeah. I kinda take that Chaz, like, it's not that you don't wanna win. Right.
But, you know, you know how to how to take a good loss also Chaz you know you know the reality of the situation and how to be strategic in the situation. And not be emotional about not being number 1 if you aren't number 1. That's kinda how I take it. I don't know. You wanna add anything to that? I don't know, but I do kinda have my eyes set on the top 10 in the country. We're we're we're knocking on that door. So I guess I got a little bit in me.
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I love I love everything that you just said, which is I can still be goal oriented. I Chaz still wanna crush it, but but maybe I've got a little different personality. I think it opens it to, you know, the listeners here that, you know, because it's because it's very different from my profile. My profile is, you know, like, there there's no grass underneath the feet, you know, Chaz I'm I'm pushing tar I'm pushing mindset. Like, it's a little bit crazy over here. You know?
Right. Right. But that's okay. Like, it we don't have to be the same person in order successful in business. I love that perspective. Right. Okay. Well, so you get started in the early years early on. I wanna know, like, beef before you're crushing doing millions, I wanna know a good decision that you made inside the business that you can look back on now and be like, Chaz was a that was a that was a turning point for us. So that's a little easy since I had no clue what I was doing.
One of the books, the e myth, Follow the plan. It's a franchise. Follow the plan. I should be open 5 days a week, 9 to 5. Well, I know when I'm gonna be open. Right. I need to make x phone calls a week. Wolfe, I'm gonna make x phone calls a week. So part of it was not knowing what I was doing actually helped me because Here's the here's the plan. Follow it. Right. And and you're just simple enough to go, okay. I'll do it. Wolfe, there was a pushback.
I'm like, I disagree with Chaz, but, you know, you took my money for to give me the plan book. I should There's there's reasons they gave you that plan book. Right. Right. Yeah. That's interesting from a franchise perspective. So we're kind of a little bit out of the you know, I kinda see this as 2 things. Like, you know, one being coachable, listening, because I I I that's what I'm hearing you say. You you read the ebook, the e myth, which is a fantastic book. You said, okay. Great.
I'm just gonna do it. Like, I'm just coachable. I'm just gonna I'm just gonna follow the script. But being a franchise owner myself now, I like you, I know that there are moments where I'm like, I don't think that's the best. Totally agree. Talk about that just from an angle of, like, Whether it's frustrating or, like, you you kinda skirt the system some time, you know, like, just give us some of the inside of the doing your own thing. Well, marketing is a big one.
They say, you know, the the print media flyers, and I, you know, just have a hard time with that. So I kinda did a little bit of both. I didn't quite do the numbers they suggested, and I tried other stuff. Yeah. Obviously, social media is huge in our industry because the trial has pretty pictures and pretty pictures work well with social media. That's right. That's right.
And and so are you do you, like, inside of the organization you kind of, like, an outlier, little, little black sheep in that regard where you're kinda off doing your own thing on social media? Nobody else is doing it? Oh, no. It's We we always talk. We're always trying. Corporate's always trying to rein us back in and say go down this path, but they encourage creativity. They they they they do a really good job of that. And when you win, they wanna know and pass that to everybody else.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And that's that's obviously a cool part about having a system or a network especially if they do allow for some creativity and and, you know, trying different things because sometimes things work. Sometimes Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they need to be taken out back as Mister Wonderful says from Shark Tank and and shot. You know? Okay. So the idea there or the good decision was to just, you know, kinda follow the script. Mhmm. Got the book.
Anything specific from that script Chaz we're calling it or or the plan that that really work for you. Chaz was like, wow. Like, I because I listened to this, it really put things in motion for me. No. I mean, at kind of the whole package deal, there's not one particular thing that it stands out. K? And so from the email, I'm think I'm I'm thinking, like, you know, you you you have a mindset. You're you're building a team. You're kinda putting people in place.
You obviously have a pretty large team now. Anything that you wanna share there that that those things have, like, helped you build the team. I'm just kinda looking for maybe a nugget or something that that the listener can grab on. Currently, yeah. Now I'm, I had to go back and reread it. I quit building a team, selling travels, fun, during COVID, it was a lot of time. It was just me and not the team. So I became a salesman, a technician, as of the from the book.
Right. So I had to I'm Out of necessity. Yeah. I'm smack dab in the middle of needing to to go from a salesman to a business owner and Chaz, yeah, that's my current fun struggle that I'm going through. Yeah. Yeah. We call and gather in the kings, we call it the warrior to king transition. And it's the same. Right? Because the warriors in the battle every day got blood on the sword. You know?
And the king the king's so valuable that, he's gotta sit at a at a position that we can see, and it can't be in the individual battle. So Yeah. I'm writing that down. That's exactly word that I'm not, and I need to be. Yeah. Well, I love the I love the the acknowledgement that you know that you're on this journey. I'd love to know a bad decision that you made somewhere in there. Like, give us the juicy details. Give us a story, Patrick. Come on.
Sliding into 100% sales, not leading the team, neglecting them. Not not out of being a negative. It's just fun to sell travel. Yeah. And, you know, it's hard to give up a lead if I'm the one that answered the phone. Sure. Yeah. And so what I hear you say goes back to the technician. You're you're in the seat and you like it. Yeah. Yeah. That's all Chaz would have been the bad decision. That one At at first, it start off necessity. I'm the only team here, so you had to do that.
Then that becomes fun. Then you get good at it. Yep. Then the team slowly builds and you don't realize you're not doing that. So that would I would have started building the team and coaching earlier instead of just realizing it in the last year, that would have that would have been a I think growth would have been having faster. Sure. Yeah. And and to be specific here, obviously, because there's a lot of listeners. I mean, they're all different types of businesses listening, but Right.
I think that a lot of entrepreneurs do lend toward people and having conversations, which often then puts them in the seat of a salesperson, Whether they know sales or not or have his history, especially if you do have a history, then you'll automatically go to that seat. You know? And so what I'm hearing you say is that you you stayed in the seat too long. And if you had if you had gotten out of the seat, replace somebody else, is that you kinda mentioned that because it was fun.
It partially in there. Did you think, like, maybe maybe I'm just I'm good, and I don't know if I Chaz bring anybody else on, like, maybe trust issue, anything like Chaz? No. I did not have that. I've always been willing to bring people on. Maybe since I liked it, I didn't search for it or push it as hard as it Right. It's supposed to, but Yeah. If my office door is open and somebody's selling, it's and I can't. I have to go out there and at least listen and then hold my tongue.
So it's It's a challenge still. Yeah. You know, it's interesting. There's been some very similar, feelings that I've felt. I think every business owner does as we transition out of the technician you, as you said, or out of the warrior stage. And we realized there's that these things that we like doing or things that we've just done for so long And and I'll give you one example, almost the exact same thing for the benefit of listener here.
Just recently, even, I I operate a lot of email accounts. I got 8 businesses lot of employees, a lot of things going on. And so I just recently hired, a personal assistant. I have lots of leads that take care of a lot of things. I'm I'm a great delegator, but I just hired a personal assistant in the last year, and there were some email accounts that I've just it's the first thing I do. It's not due at several times during the day. It's the last thing I do at the end of the night.
Like, I'm on it. You know, and I'll tell you what. I've just now gotten to the point where I'm I'm still faster than she is. Meaning, I can I see the email come I could I could handle it? Right? But I know eventually when she logs in, she'll get to it, and she takes care of it. And then it is. It's good. So it's a scenario of, like, I'm about to delete the email account from my phone where you need to remove yourself from the sales floor.
You have to because because you love it, you're right there. Like, I would just keep doing it. I would keep doing the email over and over, which then, although I can do it, that time could be used elsewhere. It could be in my morning routine. It could be you know, spending time with my kids in the afternoon or whatever whatever it is. Same thing with you. Right? It's just Yeah. Literally. Well, I'm telling you right now. Game changer. But But in all seriousness, it's like, we have to recognize.
Not only did you recognize that you were in the seat, but now you're recognizing that you have to physically remove yourself, like, physically out of the way Right. So that that they can they can go do their thing. You got good people on your team? Oh, man. It was awesome. Yeah. Good team. It's a lot of fun. Yeah. So so so you let them do the thing. Right? Okay. I wanna know from a from a team building perspective, you said if I had just build a team earlier, okay.
Well, now you have the team now. What would you what what if what have you learned as you built this team? Anything around hiring, around personalities, around putting people in different seats. I wanna know that. Everybody's not the same as me. Idea. I just like doing it. I don't need anybody to tell me. I did a good job. So it's really hard for me to do recognition. I understand the power of it. But it almost feels fake when I do it since it's not me.
And then I then I become I feel like I'm disingenuous. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Delivering something that you know they need, but they are not naturally wired to give. Right. Yeah. So how do you do it? Well, I mean, to to my my shame for the most part, I don't, but I'm getting better at it. Sure. Trying to actually have a notebook real or imaginary on each person and what works and schedule time.
I'm trying to get better at that where I just call or email or talk to and not have an agenda just to kinda see where it leads. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The, the opportunity to connect. Right. Right. Human to human. It's a big deal. A lot of times in big corporations, you know, it's obviously the the difference of working for someone like us in a in a small business, very fast paced, you know, quick moving, lots of changes. Someone that works in more of a corporate environment, they're a number.
They know they're a number. Oh, yeah. Everybody knows their number. You know? We we've all been there if we've we've worked in that environment or we at least have heard of it. And so that's kinda like the one advantage we have being smaller is that we could we could pay attention to the details. But sometimes those things get lost. I, myself, is just as guilty, you know, birthdays and little little calls, little text. Hey. How things going?
Hey. I remember you saying this about your husband's blah blah blah. How's that going? You know? All those things matter. What would you say around, like, the people that you've hired Obviously, travel is in a unique space. Like, has it been difficult to hire people? Have you had to convince people that travel's good? Like, they had to convince you that travel was good. You know?
Well, they're all independent contractors, and this industry kinda gathers people that have been successful in other stuff, and they're leaving the hustle and bustle, but they're not ready to get out of the game. So So that that's good and bad because they work as little as or as much as they want. Right. Right. So you're building you're building a team of of basically salespeople, but that that, wanna be part of the game kinda at their at their level. At their level.
And, it doesn't attract the hardcore salesman. You know, I Right. Joke about solar people. They're good at their job, and they're salespeople. And this does not it gathers people that are passionate about travel. Yeah. Yeah. What what do you think is the the struggle in gathering those types of people. Some of them don't need it. They're not using this to to to pay bills. So they're like they're like oh, I'll talk to you later. I'll talk to you later.
And then, you know, maybe 2 years before somebody you've been talking to actually joins the team. Right. Right. Yeah. Not a lot of urgency. Yeah. Now there are people that use it to for the for their for their money and that, you know, they come in strong. Is there and younger because because a lot of them are older. So those are the ones that, you know, are exciting to find. And but those are fewer and far between.
And now with the end with the marketplace, you know, even harder because there's plenty of jobs out there, at least in in North Texas. Right. Right. And so, is it Is it, you know, a requirement for them to be there in the office, or can they work virtually? Oh, absolutely. They can do either one. No requirements at all other than answering your emails from your clients. There you go.
Yeah. So you gotta you've got a nationwide opportunity, really, but, you just happen to have a brick and mortar spot. Yeah. And it's kinda fun. I mean, I I use that word a lot in this industry, but sitting around here. You know, sometimes we get half a day's work because we get wrapped in our mind at Bora Bora, and we're looking at pictures and seeing how the most Yeah. Price effective way to get us or clients there. So we go to those roads a lot.
You know, it's interesting that you just you took me back. You took me back. I'm I'm seventeen. I'm working at Foot Locker. I love shoes. I think I've got, at that point, like, you know, 75 pair of tennis shoes. Because when you work at Foot Locker, you get a discount, and you spend all your money on Foot Locker. And so is Chaz the same thing with travel? Like, do you Oh, yeah. Yeah. And, yeah, I'm I'm taking trips constantly. Oh, I mean, and they're coming good friends. One of our new agents.
It's a lady. And he's like, yeah. You've cost me more money than you've made me. Yeah. Yep. Exactly. Yeah. You know, the the But if it's a passion, right, if it's an excitement, it Oh, no. They're they're going on trips that they wouldn't have done otherwise. Seeing new places. Now he said it totally jokingly. They're having a good Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's just feeling a different area of their life. Not not necessarily the pocket book, because they're spending it all, but Okay.
Well, that's great. I I wanna know about decision making. Kinda going back to the business here. You've obviously made a lot of decisions over the years. You've gotta you've gotta, a really you know, really hot little kicking business over there. When you when a decision comes to your desk around, like you said, maybe some different types of advertising or maybe to you know, employees or whatever. Is there a certain process that you go through or maybe like a discipline?
No. And I say that pretty strongly because I want there to be, and that's part of my personal growth over the last year. Just trying to become more disciplined and you know, oh, that's shiny. I think we should do that marketing. Or Right. Yeah. I've I've had that problem before, and some of them take care of themselves. You know, you can't the phone rings once a day for new internet. Like, well, no. There's no decision to be made on that one. Sure. Actually, I have your internet.
Why are you calling me again? Right? Yeah. I've had that happen. Okay. And so thinking about, like, you know, strategic decisions, it that's kind of on on the docket as you're continuing in this in this transition in this in this Right. Becoming a king, as we as we say. So that's great. Okay. Has there been any sort of, like, discipline in life that you're that you kinda just maybe you live by Chaz you're known by.
I just wanna I'm looking for a nugget here that maybe it just, like, some, like, a phrase that you live by that you'd wanna share with the listener. Not a particular phrase, but, right when COVID was starting to slow down, I realized I needed it in all aspects, you know, I was showing up and doing the minimum. So, you know, decided to hit the gym, hit the books again, kind of how I found you. I've, you know, listened to Ed Mylette podcast and Chung found this and saw this and found you.
Nice. So kind of all aspects of my life for the last year and a half just trying to up the game Chaz oh, the up the game is the term I used. There you go. I love that. Chaz covers all areas. It does. It does. Yeah. And and I love how you gave some examples there of some different areas of life because it doesn't always have to be business.
And I think a lot of a lot of, you know, entrepreneurs or, I mean, obviously, we're about our business, but, like, man, that translates how you do one thing is how you do everything. I'm a big fan of excellence. And so, you know, whether they show up at the gym, whether they're showing up for the family, whether you're showing up for for your employees, that type of a thing, it makes a big difference.
Oh, no. I can tell the difference within 2 weeks from starting to go back to the gym and affected the business in a positive way and the family life. Wow. How like, I mean, I know. But I want you to I want you how how? How did how did it affect? 2 weeks later going to the gym? Come on. Well, I just did. The tell well, I mean, you're a little depressed from, you know, the the world shutting down your business. Like, basically, they said, you can't make any money anymore. Bye. Yeah. Necessary.
Not. It still hurt. Big deal. And then I'm realizing that, hey, you know, even if it shuts down to the point where we go out of business Chaz you can't stop living your life. So I gotta Right. Start living. Is it tombstone and get busy living or get busy dying? Yeah. There you go. Yeah. Because it's one or the other. Right? Right. Truly is. I mean, obviously, COVID, like you just said, being a, you know, mean, you were you were shut down, basically. Nobody was traveling.
In those moments, did you think it was over? Not at first. You're starting to, circle the wagons a little bit near the end. And if it's over, you know, how do we protect ourselves? For the first 2 thirds of it. It, you know, I didn't have enough time to think too much about it because there was still a ton of work to do. There's no money to be made. You had to take care of customers, rebook them, do this. There's a just a ton of stuff to do. So so that kept me engaged.
It kept me in front of customers the good part. The bad part is I couldn't, you know, go do something else till the world open back up. Right. Right. And so when you realized or when when did you realize that that it wasn't over and that you just kinda had to, you know, like you said, dig in. It kinda just our corporate called and said, hey, you're doing a good job. Your numbers are good. I'm like, oh, I didn't I didn't I didn't have no idea.
In this business, if you have a a good month, you don't see the reward for that for 18 months, you know, if I you get paid when the truck customer travels. So we were just doing our thing, and I didn't know I was doing good till they called and said, you're doing good. Do you wanna talk to a small group? I'm like, oh, I didn't know I was doing good. Yeah. Wow. And so that kind of gave fuel to the fire. It it Wolfe move up. Like Oh, absolutely. And, how I got there, just did the process.
Oh, you know, I didn't know as well the process. I was taking care of customers. I was starting to take care of the team better then. Just doing the daily stuff that needed to be done. Yeah. And didn't you think that it was heightened because of everything that was just going on and you kinda just dialed in, or was it just you were already on that trajectory anyway. It was gonna happen whether COVID happened or not.
Yeah. I was already heading in the right direction doing all the right stuff or enough of the right stuff to make a difference. Yeah. Would you say that that's kinda, like, looking back, I mean, there's always the, you know, the the the toil, right, the struggle and, like, the the oomph to get it something going. And and then you hit success, And then everybody sees it and they're like, wow. You you've you've always been successful, but they didn't see, you know, all the all the rest.
Is it is that does that Mirror here. Is that like in to your story? Yeah. A little bit. Yeah. Well, act the our industry was so affected. A decent amount of the customers say I'm glad you made it. I know it's hard, but there is some of that, you know, oh, okay. Your business owner, you always have money. I'm like, No. If there's no revenue, there's no money.
Right. But, you know, I was getting to the point where I, like, well, I'm going to be successful whether I get him, quote, normal job or not. And I'm gonna do the right things and, timed well with the world starting to open back open. All the cruise lines started to get back in the water. So work the timing was good. Yeah. I think, just in my mind, I'm thinking it's the it's the story of an entrepreneur. Like, we're we're we're digging, you know, we're grinding. We're doing the the work.
As you said, I was already meeting with clients. I was already doing the things with the team. I was already you know, making all the right moves, you had you had mentally, you know, leveled back up. You're going to the gym. You're doing your thing. You're listening to podcasts. And and so, like you said, whether whether the world had opened back up yet or not, you were gonna find a solution because you, at that point, had kinda resoluted that Look, I'm the one that's gonna solve this.
So I gotta bet on myself, and then and then that's it. Like, whatever the actual thing is that gets it solved, I don't know. Right? But but I'm gonna head in this direction betting on myself. It's kinda what I'm picking up with your or is that what you're saying? No. No. Exactly right. You know, the, you know, you're early on. You still weren't sure know, if this thing Chaz lasted 2 more years, we wouldn't have made it. So bet on yourself is not just this business only.
It was, you know, I gotta be ready to take take on the next thing, whatever that happens to be. Right. And I was still doing that when the call came and said you're doing good. I didn't even know Chaz we were. Yeah. And I can only imagine that moment of going, okay. Wolfe, alright. Well, let let let's let's keep going. Like, you know, it's got that shot in the arm and you you get a second wind almost. Right? Oh, no. Exactly so.
I think that's about when you know, I went from one podcast to looking for others and ran across yours. Yeah. Well, and you just you up the ante. Right? You you you push a little harder at the gym. You go a little further on the run. You listen to another podcast, you know, whatever. Right. Have you ever had any of those moments that that that moment we're kinda describing where it's like, and you just, like and it just propels you to another level. You've been doing the right things.
It wasn't like the circumstance, but it was, like, the the extra juice, you know, that you needed. Has that ever happened? To you in a in a different realm of life? On a different realm of life. Not that I can think of off the top of my head. Mean, but I've been going through it for the past, you know, 6, 8 months. So it's I'm kinda still in the middle of it having it and enjoying the ride. Yeah. Yeah. And so what are you what are you doing now to keep keep, you know, adding on?
Like, because I've, obviously, motivation, inspiration. Like, those things are great, but they fade. Right? Right. How do you how do you keep at it and how do you keep leveling up? Or what do you say? I'm in the in the searching for going from a technician to on your thing. Obviously, your your system might sound like it's a perfect fit. Looking for the podcaster books in that realm, not just Right. Motivation, but the technician to owner's face looking for those books, which I haven't found.
I'm this is fairly new process wanting to to look for that sort of stuff. I don't have a business coach. I thought of that. You know, you don't. Do I go to a 3 day Tony Robbins thing? Right? I know. Yeah. I mean, I think the listener has literally thought all these things. Right. Right? And so I the reason why I'm kinda pressing in on this a little bit is not not to exposed that you are just now going through that.
It's it's the fact that because you're literally going through it right now, it's probably a lot like what our listeners are thinking of. You know? And they're thinking, man, I have some things put together, but I really don't have a lot of other things put together. And I need maybe some insight or maybe it's a coach or maybe it's that or maybe it's a seminar, all these things. And so what would what would you say? Because even though you're still in it, you're you're a a few steps ahead.
You've got some massive revenue in comparison to most of these guys that are listening. So you you've kinda like, pressed into the sales side. That's why you've got the revenue, and now you're fill you're kinda forming out the structure of the business. That's why we're talking about these things that we're talking about now. For the guy that's listening who may be, you know, he's still six figures. He's still he's do he's doing exactly what you're doing.
He just doesn't have maybe as much revenue. What would you encourage him or her to do at this moment? If you're going in the right direction, then then just keep going. So I like I think I got a long way to go, but I think I'm going in the right direction. I'm looking for the right things. Maybe I'm worried that once I get there, you know, Wolfe, I okay.
I've checked that box and then fade out, but I guess that's a different struggle for so keep going in the the right direction if you're going in the right direction. If you're not, identify those areas and easier said than done, but fix it. Yeah. I I love the answer. I mean, it's just so simple. We we I think we over complicate Well success. Well, that's a good point. I mean, like, the gym was a a good example.
I'm like, at the lab and the Facebook, we need to eight men over that are fifty that went up their game. I'm like, okay. And I went there. He said, do you wanna sign up? I'm like, That's it. So, well, I'm gonna yell at you in 3 days a week. I'm like, okay. Here here I am. Here. Yeah. And and he's been yelling at me ever since. Yeah. Yeah. I think you're right, man. I think that, whether it's the guy yelling at the gym or the business coach or or the group or whatever. There's lots of solutions.
You know, I was as you mentioned, obviously, Gavin the Kings, we we we put a solution out there for folks. And so it's like, whatever you're looking for, you can find it. But if you're not looking Well, that's a good point. Not gonna find anything. You know what I mean? Yeah. I was listening to your podcast for a little bit lately and didn't even know about the the gather than the Kings part probably because the I'm lazy. I had to hit play on the podcast and don't read the thing below.
Yeah. We don't We don't, we don't we don't we don't try to spam people, but, you know, the the the, like, I'm a big fan of the the the person listening here is what they need. Right? And so with that being said, I'm I'm curious to know I mean, obviously, it's been this trajectory, and we'll kinda end with some speed round questions here in a second, but wanna know before we leave off this topic. How did you've been on the right track and you're and you're, like, the persistent. Just keep going.
That was your answer. Just keep going. I love it. How did you for business side, you you gave us the gym and you kinda just had to, like, reset. What if you have someone listening right now who's feeling defeated? They're searching. Right? They're listening, but they don't really know what they're looking for maybe, but they're defeated. They got they're wearing too many hats. Like, it's completely overwhelmed. What would you say to that person as far as, like, just keep going?
How does that sound to them? Well, I certainly have the too many hats going on, and I still do. And but I was just I was just doing it. I've finally got to where and actually once I got used to it, it's kind of fun now because they're happy about it. I'm I can give away clients, and I couldn't do that before. Yeah. And so that was one thing that was hard that I can do now, and I enjoy doing it because they get excited.
And I get excited because I don't have to be on hold for 4 hours trying to get something fixed for them. Yeah. And I can work on the business. So advice is if you're heading the right direction, keep going or pick that one hat that you think would be the easiest to get rid of and try to get rid of it. Yeah. It's huge. For for the listener, I hope that, you're paying attention because Patrick has been super vulnerable, really.
About his journey, and I think that it's it's the same story for all of us. It's just a matter of where we are in the journey. And so Chaz he's giving you a bunch of really, really good stuff here. Okay. We're gonna transition to the speed round. I'm gonna ask you a couple questions here, different angling here. First question is if you could dwindle your entire business down into one metric, what would it be?
The one I would like to track, and then this is probably cheating because this is the one everybody wants to track. Nobody can is what marketing works. Yeah. Tough. Oh, that's really tough. Especially if you lack a little bit of discipline in the in the organizers, numbers diving deep into the numbers. Another metrics I like to track is the ticket of the sale. You know, I wanna to move into the larger ticket items.
Yeah. And this smaller ticket items actually take up just as much time, sometimes more. Right. Right. Deal with more clients, potentially more headache for the same amount of revenue as less clients, less headache. Potentially even more revenue. K? What book? You already mentioned the E myth. Is there any other book that specifically you Wolfe recommend for a 6 figure business owner? The the e myth, if you read it at the beginning, read it again.
Because at the beginning, I just read it because they told me I had to. And now I'm like, oh, that all makes sense. And the second one Chaz kinda helped me, and it was right at the beginning of this new journey was the atomic habits. I enjoyed that. Yeah. It's great, poke. What was your what was your takeaway on that book? Obviously, there's lots, but what was your takeout? Very simple. I mean, guess, to keep it simple, we the atomic habits do the little stuff. Yeah. Do the little stuff.
Yeah. Do the little stuff that's associated to who you are. Right? Your identity. Right. And is it is it from that book about, you know, the all you gotta do is knock one stroke off a golf game and you raise your revenue by 30,000,000 bucks a year if you're pro, Yeah. I don't I don't remember exactly the the the number on it, but but, yeah, like, that's obviously like you said, that's the atomic habits. It's it's focusing on the little thing and then making the the small adjustment.
You know, one other thing, I don't I don't normally do this with with books, but one thing I got from that book, it's it's a two sides of the same coin is to to make the easy things easy. The things that you wanna do easy Oh. And and the bad things difficult. You put put blocks, put put make it difficult. Remove remove the Oh, that's good. I gotta hide them from your desk. You know? The things that you wanna do make it easy. You know? Yeah. I do remember it now that you said that.
That was definitely in my takeaways, but I'd forgotten it. That's a good one. Yeah. It's it's such a powerful book. I remember reading. I listened to it, actually. Mhmm. And as soon as I before I was done, I ordered the physical book And as soon as it hit done, I hit repeat with the book in front of me doing both, you know, listening and and I studied it is really what it was. Right. So, Chaz good stuff. Okay. Next question is, do you intentionally network or mastermind with other entrepreneurs?
Yes. For a long time, I just did it with whoever. And he's like, oh, look. I gave out 76 business cards. I got 76, and then nothing ever happens. Right. So I got a little better and found a group that was just fun, but no business. Now I do it more strategically. I found a networking group here that's about business and about leads, but it's not so structured that it's not fun. Good, good group. So I'll do that. And then I'm in the process of doing other stuff.
Obviously, the your program sounds like a good fit. I joined a couple of sales Facebook groups. Yeah. That's great. So that would count as well. Yeah. Of course. And and it sounds like, you know, I love I actually love how you broke it up. I've never had anybody say the difference. The difference between networking and Master Mining is networking is you're doing it under creating relationships to grow the business.
It's for sales, for leads, And then, obviously, on the relationship side, the mastermind side is to to grow you Right. Right. To, you know, so that you can grow the business. Good stuff. Okay. Last question here for you, Patrick, and we'll end it with this. If you lost it all, if if you know, going back to that moment in COVID where, you know, you're circling the wagon, if you Wolfe. And it it actually just there it all went. What what would you do right now? I I joke that I deliver mail.
I was in the military a long time. The government check shows up whether you work hard or not. Not saying mail people don't work hard, but there's a little bit of but I got the bug a little bit. I think I might have to find something else, not a clue what that would be. Yeah. Yeah. You wouldn't, I mean, it's funny that you that you bring up, you know, the the government check, you know, because it's it's again, it goes back. I just I'm tying this back to the beginning of our conversation.
It's so different from maybe what you would think of as necessarily, like, the entrepreneurial way of thinking. But but like you said, now you got the bug. So you've seen what's possible. It'd be difficult, man. Like, if you're sitting there doing the same thing every day, same check, No no up and down, no challenge. I mean, you probably fall asleep with the wheel. No. That's a good point. My other government job in the military was a challenge. So it's a good point about the I would get bored.
I do get bored easy. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's the entrepreneur in you going. I don't have any problems to solve. Oh, yeah. I like solving problems. That's right. Well, Patrick, it's been incredible, have you here. I wanna give you just a quick moment here. How can the listener connect with you? How can you help book our trips and our our upcoming vacations and our company trips. And how can we connect with you? Do you want me to plug the actual letters like my email address? Yes. Give it to us.
Wolfe, I want I want people to email you, get to your website, all the the whole 9. Okay. P walker@expediacruises.com. Facebook is EC Frisco. And then down below, I'm sure in the Chaz, you'll have all my links What else? I'd I'm obviously on LinkedIn and Instagram. Even though I need to get better in Instagram, a travel industry, I should be all over that. It's just beautiful places. That's right. Yeah. Very good. Well, the the listeners can can reach out.
Of course, we'll put all the links below, like you said. There to know somebody who's not only crushing it, but going through the same business, struggles and victories that who can also book your travel, that he's your guy. Taking time for yourself to plug travel in general, taking time for yourself is is big. You know, if you burn out the extra money sitting in your bank account doesn't do much good if you if you lose your your health or family or whatever burnout means to you.
Yeah. Yeah. That's huge. You're right. I've got I I don't I'm not flying anywhere, but I've got an elk, hunt coming up with my dad here in a little bit and I'm I'm I had told my team this morning that I Chaz see the light, you know, the light at the end of the tunnel where I get to, like, shut the phone off and go to the wilderness for a couple of weeks and Oh, no. All the cruise lines do it.
And I don't know if there's other ones out there, but that timer on your your phone, you look up, you know, 39 days to your to your to your cruise or your vacation. So That's right. That's fun. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, I think that that would be like, oh, no. I only have 39 days left. You know, I gotta go fast. I gotta get more done. Yep. Right. Anyway, Patrick, you've been incredible. We wish you nothing but success.
And blessing on your business, your family, all that you that you get your hand to. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you for the opportunity. I enjoyed good talking with you. It's good stuff. Absolutely. Thanks for listening to gathering the Kings. We hope you got a ton of value today and learn a thing or 2 about taking your business to 7 figures and beyond. If you desire more and want a community around you to help you get there, I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com.
That's gathering the king's dotcom, and I want you to apply for our next becoming a king 90 day intensive. We are extremely exclusive by nature as a group. What that means that we're really wanting only the entrepreneurs who take their business and targets super serious to apply. So if that's you, you think you got what it takes, to level up your business, I want you to go to gatheringthekings.com and apply. And we will see you on the other side.