On today's episode of Gathering the Kings. People are really what you need to focus on. It's simply because if you got a good team on the field, your other problem's shrink. Right? If you have bad people on the team, those problems metastasize. Okay? And then they compound, and you don't know where the next hit's gonna come from. Whereas, if you really are willing to open up the wallet and invest in good people. It affords you the luxury and the freedom.
Start working on your business rather than 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 a successful business today. Your 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? I'm Chaz Wolfe gathering the king's podcast. I'm your host. I've got Brendan McCluskey here on the king stage. My brother, how are you? Good, man. How about yourself? Yep. It's Wednesday. How can it not be a great day? Right? Absolutely. Absolutely.
There, you know, just it's another day. We got opportunity ahead of us. I get to talk to an amazing business owner like, you, how can it go wrong? That's what always my perspective is. You know, real quick, actually, on Chaz, it's funny. I I work for a guy Grant Cardone, maybe you've heard the name, pretty big guy in marketing and sales. Maybe listeners heard of him as well, but every day at the end of our morning huddle, we would say, you know, would go, what day is it?
Everybody say it's Tuesday. Tuesday was the best sales day. And so statistically speaking, so every day we'd say it's Tuesday. It's Tuesday. It's Tuesday. So that's kinda how I feel about every day except for Chaz. Saying it's the same day over and over, that'll mind trick you. There you go, man. I don't think it's Tuesday. Britney, what type of business do you have, my brother? Alright. So I'm the founder and president of TriNet Builders.
We're a Russian general contractor located in Baltimore, Maryland. I'd say we do about 58% government, 6% business to business. And, typically, we do higher or more complex projects. Right? So, like, we don't do restaurants. We do, like, Ruth Christmas. Right? We don't do hotels. We do rich calls. You know, on the government side, you know, we're doing a really cool project for the Smithsonian, right, the society institution. So it's, you know, all it is cottages, but it's passive house.
And these things are like net zero energy consuming houses Chaz, you know, basically at the very technical envelope of what your design can do. It's a we like the hard stuff. I'm also a partial owner of a a a real estate development, a company called Sabreza LLC with partners on with a group called Pemiligo partners that is looking to do a lot of large scale affordable housing. Love it. Yeah. That's a that's a hot topic, especially in the development world.
I know several guys here in Kansas City in that space and have gotten some government contracts to to be able to build some incredibly large projects. And so that's a very cool space. So, I'm thankful that you're here. We're gonna get into a bunch of cool stuff. I can only tell from your from your history here, but at this level in the game, before we get into the the nitty gritty, I wanna know what pushes you. What what drives you?
You've obviously had a an incredible amount of success if you're if you're saying I don't build hotels. I build Ritz Carlton's. But why, though? Why are you still doing it? Well, yeah, it's funny. It's just who I am. Right? It's not really a motivation or goal. It's just it's just showing up every day and leaving it on the field. Right? Like, I just don't know how to tick otherwise. Yep. You know, and and the other thing is, like, you know, it's been a hell of a trip getting to this point.
So now that I'm actually in a position where we got a degree of notoriety and brand, Right? It's like, I finally I'm finally in a position where I Chaz start inflicting some damage. Right? So I'm gonna take my shots. I love that. Do you think that Have you okay. This is a multilayer question. Stick with me here. Okay? So what you just gave was an incredible answer to me because it's like this level, you see the next shots that you can take, and you're like, I'm gonna take them.
But did you feel that way, like, 10 steps back looking at the steps that the shots that you're that you are taking now, like, you have you always kinda looked at, like, the next level as like, man, I'm ready. I got some shots. I'm gonna take them. Has that always been part of your DNA? Yeah. Yeah. But I'd also if I could offer a degree of wisdom here, right, it's it's been hard won. Right? So definitely my, like, twenties and thirties.
Sales. Like, every time I thought I Chaz it figured out, like, the rug got pulled out from underneath me. Right? Like, I was working for, you know, the related companies on Master Colorado, a multi $1,000,000,000 developments. I mean, I couldn't have been any sweeter of a deal. Okay. And then, like, leave it while there's anything collapsed. Right? So, like, you know, had to rebuild. I go back to business school. I go move back to Boston.
You know, but at the same time, you know, I I met my wife and, you know, like, here we are 10 years later, it was a beautiful family. You know, like, I feel as if, like, every time I thought I had to figure out fapes inside the act was a jerk, and then I felt like, like, really kinda like reinvent it all. So, like, now I tend to I I I tend to, like, attempt my my version of humility and how I see that path for me. Right?
Like, you know, whatever the path god puts in front of me, I feel as if I'm here for the ride. I'm not with the shock collar on this. Right? So it's like, I wanna be that entrepreneur with vision, but I also wanna be my entrepreneur with his eyes open. Right? Like, I need to understand that the world around me is still changing even though I'm attempting to change the world. Right? Yeah. Wow. We'll have to quote that. It's such perspective.
Was there was that the moment the rug pulling under you, you know, 2008 nine frame that gave you this, like, maybe I take another look here, you know, now in life? Well, you know, I mean, I was a commercial construction. Alright? So when commercial construction included, Right? They didn't owe 809. Yeah. There was there's gonna be a couple year lag.
So I went back to business school and, like, you know, anybody in business school, we should start thinking about what's the business plan I wanna do. Right? And Right. I started realizing that's, you know, I I guess I'm gonna be this entrepreneur. Like, I always kind of expected. So I started working on some startups, you know, didn't really make a ton of money, you know, breakeven with a lot of hard, you know, efforts, but not really turn not really turning the quarter on it.
And Chaz the construction industry's kinda recovered, I migrated back into the industry as a junior partner with a Centimeters firm. And, yeah, it's like, you know, I gotta fell in love and knew that, like, construction is really where I belong.
Yeah. Yeah. To your point, I think that through some of those, like, difficulties, it gives us the perspective to know not only how to push or the shots that you're gonna take, but things to be grateful for helps us dial in, I think, especially as we have that more mature perspective, which is really what you've described.
What do you think or, you know, like, the guy who's listening who maybe hasn't been through the downturn yet, maybe he's thinking 2023 recession, whatever you're gonna call us, his first one. He's in construction. He's like you, but maybe 10, 15 years ago. What do you say to that guy who is built a you know, maybe a good little business. It's him and maybe a couple of guys. And he's he's got this Chaz on a shoulder, kinda like what you're describing this.
Like, I I can defeat everything, you know, and the rug hasn't been pulled out yet. Yeah. But you say to the guy before the rug gets pulled out. Be humble. Right? Because, you know, it's gonna you can bite you and you don't know when it's gonna happen or how it's gonna happen, I would lean up. Right? Like, one of the things that we're kinda positioning ourselves is, you know, Like, we were looking at explosive growths on it in 20 2. Right?
But I'm already starting to see, like, the storm clouds of the recession. You know, I just as a consequence of both like, the inflationary pressures commodities. Right? Like, just the inputs to the constructions. And I as the general contractor, I literally buy every wood, steel, copper, you know, concrete, all of it. You need to bring this, you know, has a a fuel surcharge as Wolfe. Right?
Between the inflationary pressures, as well as, like, the increasing cost of debt, We're seeing projects that were, you know, bidding in the past summer. Some of them are getting pushed. Some are getting delayed. Some of them just didn't cancel. Right? So, you know, I the good thing is I Chaz it up in the backlog that, you know, going into Sunnytree, then I'm gonna hit my my 22 numbers right off the bat. Right? The problem is I'm not seeing the growth going into it.
Yeah. So I have to be conscientious of, you know, I don't I've started to identify some good potential hires. Right? Yeah. I gotta pause on on some of those investments right now. Right? Because I don't wanna be in a situation where I want them to go in 2 to 3 months. Right?
Yeah. Yeah. And it's it's just So for that guy that hasn't necessarily been through the, like, the the the spin cycle yet, you know, just, you know, figure out where you can pinch and pull and, like, tighten up operations, maybe, like, put off heavy investments in equipment or, you know, any sort of big purchases and just write it out. Like, conserve cash, be ready for the fight. Yeah. That's good stuff.
Let's go into practically, you know, maybe in your 1st couple of early years, I wanna know of a good decision that you made in the business that can you know, be duplicated to the listener. They're taking notes. They're gonna write it down. They're gonna go implement whatever you say, write another business. What is it that they should go do? Okay. Also, like, for good decisions? Yeah. I'd say So, but, gradually, I I I applied to the Goldman Sachs Health Chaz well business program. Right?
So I'm like, I had a business undergrad. I had MBA. I had Wow. Almost 20 years of working for some of the best, you know, builders and developers in the country. It has a $100,000,000 projects and everything else. I started my company, but I was getting the clock. Right? So I got a call from a woman that was in charge of, like, community relations for a major developer. I mean, this is a project in Baltimore here called Port Covington.
You know, multi $1,000,000,000 program funded by the underarm guys. Right? Wow. Anyway, yeah, she's like, yeah, Brandon, we want you to apply this program now. Look, my company's on fire. Right? The last thing I thought I needed to do is go back into a classroom and and study. Well, I couldn't have been really any more wrong. Wow. Basically, what it did is it afforded me the headspace to start thinking strategically.
Right, and go back to, like, where did I make mistakes and how did I get off off plan? Cause I was more or less kinda stuck in that tactical firefighter survival of the Right? Yeah. It wasn't thinking long term. So I go into the program. It kinda allowed me to take a step back, look at what where we had sustainable competitive advantages. To exploit those. Right? Yeah. Get into the market segments that we really thrive at. Okay. And then ditch the stuff that wasn't making the city like.
And in fact, you know, that was that was a really transformative. So then the other tidbit of wisdom from that, I would say, is that it changed my perspective as it did for all the in the program. Right? Like, we all I was in this room with, like, 30 other auditors. I mean, everything you could think of restaurants, accounts, lawyers, landscape, and attacks, you know, really everything.
You'd you'd ask that if you'd serve me that group on day 1, we would have all said our biggest problem was cash flow. Our second problem was access to capital, and then we have we have to come up with 3rd one's a big arch people. Right? Sure. At the end of the program, people, people, and people, right, are really what you need to focus on. Right? Simply because you got a good team on the field, Right? Your other problems shrink. Right? Yeah. You have bad people on the team.
There's problems metastasize. Okay. That's right. They they compound, and then you you don't know where the next hit's gonna come from, whereas If you really are willing to open up the wallet and, like, invest in good people, it affords you the luxury and the freedom start working on your business rather than the business business. That's right. Yeah. You said the words are at the end as far as working on versus in. It dials back to what you said. I was in the fire fight.
I couldn't get a way I couldn't breathe. Basically, the the program allowed you just a freedom of space in your mind to be able to go somewhere where you hadn't been yet, to be able to think. And I think that that's just It's so simple that people miss it, you know, and and and for myself, even. There's so many years. I call it the warrior stage of business where you're literally in the fight, like the battle, sword, bloody, the whole deal. Right? I can't think about anything else.
Yeah. Go ahead. It goes to your point. Right? Like, you know, what you're doing here with this podcast and like the community you're building, you know, it's it's lonely at the top. Right? I mean, like, you might have a very, you know, collegial, like, relationship with your with your people, but, like, you're still the guy that signs the paycheck. Right? So so when you're dealing with problems, who are you talking to? Right? That's right.
And, you know, as much as I love my wife, like, you know, me bringing the stress from work and then dropping Chaz on top of our relationship and not holding the dynamic. Right? So Yeah. You know, having have an peer group of other business owners that know what you what it's like, what are going through some of the same sort of challenges. They're like, like, yeah. I made that mistake in a year and a half ago. Right?
Yep. It's it's really kind of nice to be able to reach out and have a community of people Chaz kinda know what it is you're going. Yeah. A 100%. I think that the stages that you're talking about, you know, you you find someone who's either been through it or currently going through it. And it gives you this talking point to be able to massage out the actual solution where if you don't, the only other option really is just to bottle it up. Like you said, it's lonely at the top.
That only lasts for so long before you implode. Let's put the script, though. I wanna know about bad decision that you made, something that just, you know, didn't go so well. Oh gosh. I make dozens of bad decisions, and I'm probably gonna make some more. Let's see. Alright. 3 big ones. Right? I would say that we started out under capitalized. Right? I I did the proper thing. I run out of proper business plan, had a pro form a, had a budget. Right.
Launched the company, knowing what my was for capital that I needed. Right? And I have less than 50% of what it was I had established. And I immediately, right, because, like, you don't know what you what where problems are realized. When you are undercapitalized. Okay. Again, it forces you into, like, a starvation mode where you're not able to investing the people who invest in the system. So it may Right. May have been trip a lot harder.
In that same business plan, like, is, you know, articulated what market segments we wanna be in and why we wanna be in those. And then demonstrating, like, complete lack of discipline, I was in a dog shape in the car. Right? Any job came by, I was going out. Right? Like, just okay. Okay. This is what we're gonna do. Dollar dollar dollar. Dollar. Yeah. Right. Like, there's a can of yours. And Like, that was that was also a very painful word expensive to to to the word. Right?
I mean, you Chaz a job where you lost the tens of a 100 and 1000 of dollars when you have it. And, you know, that It's funny. I I I I'm almost having a, like, a a bipolar perspective on it. Right? Just one moment. I'm like, I can't believe I lost all that money. In another moment, I I'm a little bit more forgiving on myself, and it's like, hey. I that was an expensive blessing. And, like, you know, I'm only wearing an today as a consequence of having to reverse that.
Yeah. But then I go right back. She's like, oh my god. I can't really. Alright? Yeah. And then I would say the last one was a a whack of understanding of being a profit boss and, like, what motivated people. Right? Like Sure. I I my entire career, I had done Wolfe, and people had throw money at me, and he kept me happy. Right? I thought that I could do that same, or what I failed to understand is there's some people that just aren't motivated to do the same thing.
So, you know, a relentless focus and care of my people. I think, over the type of people I bring into the company, but I think is really, really an area where I did poorly before. I'm doing a much better job now. Yeah. I obviously, all those are applicable, you know, for the 6 figure business owner who hasn't hit that 7 figure mark yet. It's like all of those seem so, like, regular life to them. Right?
Project, chasing job to job, like you said, whatever that is client to client, whatever their business is specifically. And then, you know, being scared to make the investment in the right people, all all of those things. And so I I'm reiterating it because I know that's how they're feeling. It's how you and I felt then as Wolfe. And there's this there's this click that happens at some point where they hear a guy like you right now on a podcast and they go, okay. Fine. I'm gonna give it a shot.
Right? I'm only gonna take this one type of project, or I'm only gonna hire people that I think are super high quality and the exact right fit. And and then they're gonna get CEO results because of something like this. And so I just think it's so valuable. It's just the action between them hearing you and going and doing it for the first time. Maybe a second time because it didn't work the first time. It doesn't mean that you give up.
It just means Chaz what what Brandon is talking about is is right. It's just a matter of you making it actually happen for your business. Yeah. Absolute. Hey, Charles Wolfe here. As many of you know, I have been on an absolute mission to help entrepreneurs from all across the country in many different industries level up their game and grow their business and intentionally connect with other entrepreneurs.
We do Chaz, obviously, through the podcast, but we also have a peer to peer mastermind group specifically for 7 to 9 figure business owners. We are bringing some of the best and most successful entrepreneurs and minds together in a regular and a super intentional way to not only grow our network, but to be able to leverage. And at a certain point in business, success becomes about leverage, leveraging time, leveraging resources, leveraging key relationships.
This is exactly what we're doing inside of the peer to peer mastermind group called Gathering the Kings, specifically for 7 to 9 figure business owners. So if that's you, if you're ready to level up your 7 to 9 figure business even to the next level and get around other big hitters just like you. I want you to go to gathering the kings dot com, flood a short application, and, it'll come to an application, call with me I wanna chat with you to see if it might be a good fit. Talk soon.
Vernon, what would you say about, like, process? Like, we talked about good and bad decisions. Decision comes across your desk today. How do you process that? Are there steps that you take, things that you that you weigh? Tell us about that. Mean, like, in terms of project opportunities? Yeah. Any of the above. Sales, projects, employees. Alignment. I would say if it's aligning with how I I've tooled the company and and built the company out. Right?
You know, we don't have a a large self performance. We have a couple guys on our team that, like, you know, actually swing cameras and do some work. But, really, the the carpenters simply picking it to make my superintendents like these. Right? So, again, It kinda speaks back to the point of, like, my job as the leader is to really provide the resources and tools for my people to be the most successful. But, like, I also don't lose sight of the fact that we are not a carpentry firm. Right?
I we are a general contractor. So we have strong PMs, you know, strong suits and attendants, I try to make my chicleinch at this time. Like, the easy way of having a couple handy guys around was like, don't start thinking with yourself and don't start becoming, like, a a drywall framing comes or or what? Right. Like, these are areas where I made mistakes early on, and, like, we're being undercapitalized. Like, we mushrooms to, like, nineteen people and I'll head all these guys on staff.
And I was like, I did not start a company to become do framing and drywall. I started a company to be a general contractor. So for all the way back and rebuilding the company, and rebuilding back up was one of those areas where we made a mistake. So the others, I so alignment and and identifying whether or not it fits within the strategic mission of where I'm trying to take because of that, if there's a metric that I really kind of focus on on anything, it's margin.
We have just grown our companies being lean, right, in certain regard and be able to compete with bigger firms. And as a consequence, when I go because they're the firms, unable to make clear margins. So those are the different products we're pursuing. Yeah. And the fact of the matter is, like, you know, having greater margin kinda like, you know, ice is over on the dot very domain so much, you know, that sometimes they're strategic.
You know, because you're trying to build a client and everything else, but, you know, you know, or miscalculations or mistakes happen, that margin goes to cover those losses. Yeah. 100%. The word alignment, I think, is such a great word, and you used it beautifully, but it's not necessarily a word that I hear a lot in business. You know, I the right person, right seat on the bus. Like, okay. That's fine. But, like, this alignment really means, like, it could be your core values.
It could be your mission statement. It could be You know, like, what what where are we going with this company and then does this person fit? Does this project fit? Do am I doing the right things? Are we building something that I didn't mean to build? Like, I just think it gives this, like, a, like, a flowing word, but it's pretty pointed also. It's like, kinda both hand where it's like alignment. Are we in alignment? Are we working together on this? Are we Are we headed in the right direction?
Are we in agreement? Like, it it can just mean so many very, very powerful things. I just love how you depicted Chaz. You wanna add anything to that? Yeah. Well, I mean, and, again, like, I'm not shit. I'm passing 0 judgment or or having any sort of degree of as arrogance attention at all, like, 0. Right? We are committing competitive building armies. Right? Right? Because the guys that do that too so well. Right? Like, they have it down to a science. The margins are tight on instantly.
They execute and they execute the execute. They their entire company is designed to build artists like Dunkin' dollars or whatever, like, large scale franchise like that. Right? Yep. Where we thrive is where there's an enhanced level of engagement, I and we need to always Wolfe the owner or the client's hand for a higher incentives. Right? Like, we're doing, like, like, over my shoulder, the inner harbor here in in Baltimore, we're doing gonna be one of the nicest restaurants in town. Right?
And it's at the it's at the Ritz Carlton. It's gonna be this really high and Mediterranean restaurant, and it's Beautiful. I plan to submit an award on it. Right? But the guy, I can do that very well. Right? I can't do about to do it very well. So Right. You know, I can do very technical government work. Okay. I can't pave, like, pave the road at the Social Security Administration. Right?
That and that's what I mean by alignment in terms of, like, does it the people I have on on my team are very talented at certain things. Okay? They're not talented in others. So I make sure that I'm going after work that fits our skill sets. Totally. Yeah. Well, and and you even hired them specifically to fit Correct. That's the the direction that you wanted to go to begin with. So it it all should be in alignment. Yeah. Well, from an ethical standpoint, you touched upon that. Right?
You know, you need to make sure that people have the right professional bearing, right, and they're like the right ethical compass in order to know that they're gonna be making decisions that you would support. Yeah. Yeah. They're an extension of your brand. I wanna switch over to the speed round here, Brandon. You mentioned important Chaz. You kinda threw out, you know, margin.
I wanna if that if you can only pick the one thing to track, would it be margin and then give me a little bit more beyond that if that's the case or maybe something different? Yeah. I mean, I I would say margin, right, because it all kinda comes back to that. You know, we in in construction, we usually measure time a lot, but If you're there longer, it compresses margins. Right?
So, like, you know, it really, like, the the one thing that I care about most, I'd rather do, you know, I'd rather do 10% on 20,000,000. Right? The 2% on a 100. Right? Yeah. But it's it's Like, it's the same amount of money. It's a lot more work. It's a lot more risk exposure when you're doing revenue. Right? I think revenue is kind of is Yes. You need to drive that number up. Right? You wanna get from 6 figures to 7 to 8 and beyond.
Yep. However, like, making sure that you're making margin is Yeah. Paramount. Right? There's no point to have $30,000,000 of problems if you're not making any money. Yeah. A 100%. And I and I think so many people get wrapped up in the top line. Obviously, it's what sexates what we talk about, even, you know, 7 and a figure like what we were just mentioning. But if you're not keeping any of it, Right? That's right. And that doesn't make us bad people for wanting to keep it. Right?
I think that there's a there's a misconception there, especially even in the trades. I feel like You know, a lot of my clients are in the trades, and a lot of my friends are in the trades. And there's this, like, you know, misconception around money where, you know, I don't wanna charge too much because then then, you know, they don't feel like they're doing a service to the homeowner or, you know, they're giving their guys pay, but then they won't pay themselves.
And What would you speak to that just from, like, such a high perspective that you have in this world of the trades? Anything to share there on that topic? Yeah. I mean, it's funny. You're right. Cause I feel as if sometimes, like, you know, those of us that are ambitious and are are are trying to make a man. Like, we are criticized for it, but, like, We're also putting a lot out there. We've taken on a lot of risk, you know, with with risk coming with war.
Yeah. So I think that it's important for us to, you know, knock fields if you're being vilified. I think it was like, look, you know, you can do. Here's the other you can also choose as a business owner. You got an awful lot of freedom of what kind of was it. Right. For example, right, we got 2 products we got in plenty right now. One of them I I love both of them. One of them is there's a a guy in Cherry Hill, which is like, a sociological arm of a, like, depressed area of Baltimore.
Okay. This guy just runs a football touring like a like a on it for kids. Right? Yeah. A lot of these kids have broken home. Right? They're like, the family situation was a little bit rough. Maybe the dad's missing. This guy's using the football tournament as a surrogate family. Right? And, like, get get these kids the football player had been shown that I'm messing around on the quarters and, you know, getting into trouble and getting into violence and stuff like that. Right?
Yeah. Normally what this guy is doing. Well, you know, he had a contractor, like, half bill of a clubhouse where they were gonna use, you know, for Yep. And wasn't at film and, you know, doing laundry again to make sure the kids have a place need, you know, to, like, do some tutoring and study work to make sure that they, you know, keep their grades up. You know? They just there's a contractor we're gonna have on this guy and, like, you take on a job like Chaz, because it's like, alright.
But I don't have a construction gun. I don't need to misfold me money over this thing, but I see a social needs. Right? This need this this guy who's out there in the streets and keeping these kids alive. Right? Yeah. Literally. He needs help. Right? So you take on a a job like Chaz. Because it it helps us provide a sense of purpose.
And in fact, it really resonates well with our staff and health and our team, right, because We're building projects in the station and, you know, usually higher end stuff, but, like, by taking on products that have a social need, right, it, yeah, it gives an it enhances or reinforces Chaz sense of purpose of why we're doing this. Like, why why did I start a company? Right? Right? Another one that we're doing is a it's a it's a homeless shelter for veterans out in the rural part of Maryland.
Right? So now, again, why are why am I messing out and moving them a Right? Well, because there's a need for it. And, like, no one else is capable of doing it. We're able to do this, you know, effectively a cause. Right? And, you know, it has a great end solution, and it gives assistance of purpose. Yeah. I think I think we as entrepreneurs, like, you know, if I make money on other jobs, but it helps me Do that good work elsewhere? Yep. I I think no shame with that.
Yeah. Well, I think even matching these two things together, what you were just talking about as far as specifically making margin, right, making profit, and then being able to pay your guys to go do a project for a thing that you're not making any money, The only way that that's possible is because you made money on the other one. Correct. Exactly.
So if you don't make the margin when you need it or when you when it's when it's plausible, it's not like you stole from this guy, you provided a great project, and he is probably happy that he paid you that much. And then you're able to utilize that as the influencer in your community, which is what a king is, and you just transition that over to another project that you're able to help this other, you know, social need, which I just think there's just obviously so many benefits to Chaz.
But the the connection here between margin and being able to serve others. I tell my teams all that all the time. You know, whether it's in my franchises where we're selling, you know, $80 fruit baskets. It's like, guys, If we had an average ticket of a 150 as opposed to 50, there's more more for you, more to do cool stuff as a team, more to give away when we when we sponsor families on Christmas. Like, there's just more. It's not like me necessarily needing to take more home.
It's there's more for everybody. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. And, you know, it's not for nothing. Like, even the clients that I'm building, like, these restaurants or hotel and supports means They themselves have businesses that you got them to this point. Right? They have money. They got it from somewhere. They themselves, you know, made margins somewhere. It's Yeah. It's a virtuous cycle. Exactly.
What do you think would you recommend Chaz, like, a resource book, podcast, something like that for an entrepreneur who's looking to grow other business? That's a good question. I read a lot, but I I tend to I tend to read everything. Right? Like, I it's not I'm just always business related. Like, I yeah. I try to, like, just Sucking as much information as I can. Wolfe that. One book, it it's somewhat acceptable. It's in this business related, though, it was a book called an extreme candor.
Have you heard of I haven't, actually. Who's the author? Scott, I can't think of her name. She she was, she was, like, a a b an HR big, like, Wizzo for all the big tech stuff. Right? So, like, Google, Facebook, Sure. Microsoft and, you know, it's doesn't really apply to what we do for a day to day running a small business. Right? It's just it's just not the same. Right? Right? Yeah. Big Tech and what we do is dissimilar. Save 1 real critical component.
One of the things she was always hyper critical, is that often, especially in, like, technical areas, people Wolfe get promoted into management roles. Right? It might be a really good coder or really good engineer. But, like, as a consequence in their competency, they would move push them into a manageable. Wolfe, management skills and technical skills aren't necessarily transferable. Right?
And the fact of that is, like, you know, to to dumb this down, it's like you're taking, like, you know, your star 1st basement and putting them in the out Like, why are you doing that? Right? Like, you keep people that are really good at their jobs and you're passionate and you're happy, you know, allow them to kinda plateau where they wanna be. Right? Yeah. Again, giving them resources and support.
It's, you know, not it's not everyone does not need to be on a on a cycle promotion and advancement, like, and having that sort of conversation with people, I think, is really important. Yeah. And another book that I read, it's a little bit dated now. My old old boss might have me read. It was called beyond belief. There's a lot of a lot of wisdom in that book, but one kernel of knowledge that I I liked in that one was you know, checking the ego and, like, understanding what is driving people.
And I have found that time and time again like, especially in negotiation, how powerful the tool is. Oh, yeah. What do I want? Stay focused on that. Do I need my email, Shucks? I don't submit That's not what this is about. We're kings. Right? Like, I don't need, like, I don't need that affirmation. I already know it. Right? Yep. Exactly. It's more of what am I really after. And so often people do leave their ego or or their vulnerabilities rather than focusing on what their goals are.
It's really powerful to, you know, focus on what you want and just be, you know, laser focused on getting it. Yeah. That's so good. It's all the things that we've heard. But hearing them again, maybe hearing them in a slight different way from you today, hopefully, is changing somebody's perspective. What do you think about intentionally networking or Masterminding with other entrepreneurs. I don't think there's really any sort of substitute for it. I would be perfectly honest with you.
They like I said, like, you know, it's lonely up top. Right? You know, you don't really have a peer group, like, in his day to day workforce where I think you Chaz kinda talk to you. Like, we talk ultimately about our problems, but, like, you know, there's something that I can't really talk to my my people about. Right? Yeah. The other thing is is that there's there's listening to be shared. That's right.
Yeah. So I I think that it's where we all Thinking this on is the step above me on, like, the the normal social pressures, of a Korean. Right? You know, like, we we also have to be good you know, fathers and husband, you know, brothers and sons. Right? Like, we're we're we're juggling all these other Wolfe Chaz well as being a business owner. And I think being able to talk to people to understand the enhanced level of stress and burden of these taken on or take it upon ourselves.
Yeah. I think that there's really no substitute for it. Yeah. I like what you just said there because it doesn't come up on the podcast a lot. It comes up quite a bit in in our mastermind group, but this connectivity between all these different things that we do. Yes. We're a business owner. We're here talking about business today, but like you said, we're husbands, we're Wolfe or husband's wives, fathers, mothers, as entrepreneurs, all these other things also.
And so the business affects All of it. All of it and or vice versa. You know, the all of it can affect the business. And so it's different than just clocking in, clocking out at a job where you can kinda leave that. It's it's a whole another living, breathing thing, and they absolutely are either flowing together or they're not. One's building the other up, or it's not.
And so I think that's just a really, really good point that you brought up because a a lot of people just right here, I'm laser focused. I'm gonna get a million bucks or 10,000,000 a hundred million bucks, and they kinda just, like, forget about all the things that come along with that, that they need to focus on. Also, it's not just about the money. Not just about the family.
It's gotta be about both or it's gotta be about the other things that we even like, the community involvement, the the social things that we're involved with. Like, There's a lot of things inside of a kingdom, and we have to be aware of those things because we're the only ones that are paying attention to all of them together. So it's like it's like it's like our duty, actually. Yeah. Well, you know, you you you still perfectly to it. You know, why am I getting involved with any problems? Right?
Well, it's like, it's not me, so and if not now, when. Right? Like, all of us tell ourselves, like, oh, when I make it, I'm gonna give it back. Right? Right. What is makes it? Like, where where do you planning success? And what did you ever get to Chaz? No. Like, I need to have $18,000,000 on an account, right, somewhere. So the 2 have made it. Right? That's a false that's a false scoreboard. Right?
And if it anything I learned, like, living in places like, asking, doing my ultra wealthy kind of development. It's not a lot of unhappy rich people. Right? Yes. So, like, that's a I I, yes, be proud of that number and and focus on margin. Like, I'm not gonna, like, contradict myself. But at the same time, like, identify what it is makes you happy. I'm like, who do you wanna be? I mean, what's the change you wanna see in the world?
And the fact of the matter is you, you know, when you started a business, you've also giving yourself a degree of freedom that a lot of people don't have. So, you know, be creative. Figure out how you can bring what your services and your business is. To your community and just just solve a problem. Doesn't have to be a big one. Doesn't have to be all of them. Just just figure something out. Like, just push country in the right direction. And, like, all of us know small business owners have it.
Yeah. Yeah. The freedom and the choice. You know, I I think that it's responsibility, duty, whatever you wanna say. Yeah. And, man, you can either do it or you're not. And and some people, unfortunately, just kinda crumble But if you can if you can tie it back, basically, what you're saying, to these other things, as the fuel, it it gives us then the longevity or the persistence to be able to you know, press through some of those moments. I've got one last question here for you, Brandon.
Yeah. What's up? I wanna know if you could whisper in the younger Brendan's ear. What would you say? Say don't worry. Not a thing. I really don't think it'll be alright to figure it out. Like, there are definitely times earlier in my career. I was, you know, I was concerned. I was worried because I'm not missing the mark. You know? Even getting into construction, probably, honestly, like, a lot of my buddies ended up in, like, financial gigs and stuff like that.
And here I was, like, sitting on boots. You know, I was right at the time, but I was at a construction site and, you know, loud noises and everything else. And I didn't know if I was making a a very deep and sad decision. Right? If I want if I wasn't thinking of this thing's real, but here I am, you know, 20 years down into my career path, You know, I I'm I'm a business. I'm a beautiful family. I'm doing an interesting work. When we do, you'll figure it out. Yeah. I love that.
What do you say to the guy? One one one other question, actually, that just popped in my brain. Talking about the trades, like this difference of you wearing boots but yet a tie on the job site. What do you say to the guy? Who maybe it's all he's known, and maybe he like he started the business because that's all he's known, and he's never felt maybe worthy of something more. Right? But we know that, actually, it's it's a huge opportunity. Right now.
What would you say to that guy who maybe doesn't have the confidence to put the tie on with the boots, you know, in this example? Well, I mean, definitely know your work. Yeah. There there's all there's dignity with all one. All one. Right? And, you know, the fact that I have a heck of a lot more respect for you know, a lot of the train's guys that, you know, bust their butts every day. They wake up early, say, in the same lake, you know, and really build the world around us. Yeah. It's good.
You know, the guy living is, you know, spamming me with emails every day. Right? Like, not Chaz guy's not, you know, what does he contribute? Nothing. Right. But, you know, that electrician, that HVAC guy that, you know, that drywall framework. I mean, you wanna talk about a tough job, like, you know, hub and sheetrock upstairs all day long. You know, it's it's hard work.
So take pride in what it is you're doing and be proud of yourself and know that you're like, you're actually somebody that's making a positive difference. Yeah. You said it, if not you, and now who and when. And I think that that both of those apply to really to all of us. So thank you for that. But specifically to the guy that's in the trades, man, if there's ever been a time, it's now. Well, yeah, well, the average construction worker's like, well, like, what are you sixty years old? Right?
Like, you know, there was just not enough for us. Right? And so, like, the market's right for innovation, but, you know, there's upward pressure on wages all the time. No. Well, trust me. I'm seeing it on the other end. Right? I'm in business sometimes, but my barge is getting compressed every night. But, yeah, like, you know, Be proud of what it is you're doing and, like, you know, like, that sort of works out going anywhere.
Like, I think AI has all sorts of potential for disrupting a lot of sales and engineering jobs. You know, definitely, you know, white collar jobs, but, you know, someone's gonna go out there with pipe reg. Right? Like, that's not going away. Very good. Well, Brandon, how can the listener find you if they're in the Baltimore area? How can they solicit maybe a project from you? How can they just wanna reach out and maybe pick your brain.
Yeah. Probably the best way to reach find me and try me is on his LinkedIn, you know, for a friend of McCloskey. We're trying to build this. But, yeah, we're know, try to build this dotcom since our website, you know, there's all sorts of ways to contact us to do that. That's awesome. Well, you've been incredible here today. Such great feedback and just honesty. Just really, really appreciate you sharing. Of course, just the time that you've given here.
I don't take lightly, and I hope the listener doesn't either, but We appreciate you being here. Blessings to your family, blessings to your business. And, again, just thank you for being here. Yeah. Likewise. Shaz, you know, best of you and yours. You know, have a great way, and thanks for the opportunities. Absolutely. Thank you for listening to Gathering the Kings today. I hope that you were able to pull out a few nuggets to go apply into your business right away.
More importantly, though, I hope that you're realizing that it takes more to be successful than just being by yourself doing it all on your and multiple different industries and now interviewing over 2 or 300 other very successful 7, 8, and 9 figure business owners is Chaz It's tough to do it alone. And so gathering the Kings exists to bring together successful entrepreneurs. In fact, we are putting together 1000 kings, specifically who are grateful, but not done.
We're intentionally assembling kings who fight tooth and nail for their business, family, and communities, and here's what we believe Chaz in the pursuit of excellence in those areas, that it ignites within us the responsibility to govern power and forge a lasting legacy. So if that relates and and resonates with you, and you know that you need people around you, sharp, qualified other very successful business owners. I want you to go to gathering the king's dot com.
Want you to take a look at what we're doing and see if it makes sense for you to be part of our pursuit to 1000 kings. Talk soon.