ACE Your Virtual Business 0:03
Welcome to Episode 100 on the Live Blissed Out podcast. It's been quite a ride! I would have never imagined how much podcasting would enrich my life through conversations with amazing guests and learning and sharing helpful information with you. Thank you for being a part of this journey. You make every moment so worthwhile. To celebrate this milestone, I'm offering a chance to win a free ticket to our upcoming quarterly Zoom workshop, Social Media Saturday. Visit www.aceyourvirtualbusiness.podia.com to register for the drawing by joining our A list and get details.
Intro 0:39
Hello, action taker! Welcome to Live Blissed Out. A podcast where I have inspirational and informational conversations with business owners and subject matter experts to help you get the scoop on a variety of topics. Tired of hesitating or making decisions without having the big picture? Wanna be in the know? Then this is the place to go. I'm your host Marisa Huston. Helping you achieve bliss through awareness and action, so let's get to it. In this episode, Duane McHodgkins author of Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic, shares his personal experience as a successful business owner and ideas from his friends and networking partners who also have built successful careers. Dwayne is the owner and operator of Duane's Reliable Computer Services in Parker, Colorado, where he lives with Becky, his wife of 36 years and Misty, their long haired chihuahua. He has two grown children, Miranda and Parker, who gave him insight into the struggles of younger people during the pandemic. Dwayne has grown his business and adapted to changing conditions for more than 10 years, helping small businesses and individuals manage their technology issues. Prior to running his own business, Duane worked in a management capacity in a number of other successful companies. He learned about being innovative and resourceful while serving in diverse roles in the business world. To get your copy of Duane's book, visit amazon.com and search for Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic.
Disclaimer 2:12
The information opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. This podcast should not be considered professional advice.
Marisa Huston 2:25
Duane, it's wonderful to have you on the show.
Duane McHodgkins 2:28
Thanks, Marisa, I'm really happy to be here.
Marisa Huston 2:31
I am really looking forward to talking about your new book. It's so relevant to a lot of business people today and I think to life in general, because a lot has taken place. Explain to our listeners, what you're going to be talking about and how they can benefit from it.
Duane McHodgkins 2:48
The book is Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic and the bottom line on this book is how to stay essential. Now, this is a word that all of a sudden, we were all forced into last year, when the government decided that certain people were essential and certain people were non essential. I really believe that everyone is essential. So I decided that you know what, since we're all essential, let's figure out a way to make sure that we stay that way and that's what this book is all about. I interviewed people and I watched people and I found people that were doing things that were enabling them to not only survive, but thrive during the pandemic. So those are the things that I tried to get down in my book so that other people could learn from those and move forward. It's really about change. You know, change is going to happen regardless. So being aware, and staying on top of things, noticing that change is happening and we need to change with it is really what this book is all about. I even talked about a few companies that my gosh, they were huge companies. Blockbuster and Sears and they didn't change and look what has happened to them. I went on to talk about other companies that, you know, Netflix was kind of a competition for Blockbuster and one of them went away and the other one went on to be just huge. And now they're kind of the name for the entire industry. So that's kind of what the book is all about.
Marisa Huston 4:29
It's interesting that you talk about change being something that happens in all of our lives. It's something that is unknown, and we're resistant to because we like to always go towards the familiar. But the reality is we're changing every day. We're improving ourselves, we're learning new things, everything changes. Nothing ever stays the same. But I think what happens is we have our rhythm or things that we're used to doing and we tend to fall into that because it's comfortable, and then we don't notice those little changes that are actually taking place. And then when there's something big we have to apply, we step away from it because we're fearful of the unknown.
Duane McHodgkins 5:11
That's really true. One of the people that I interviewed for the book, her name is Nina Anderson, she does wine tastings. So as you can imagine, this hit her business pretty hard, because she was used to setting up a wine tasting party and going to someone's house and here's 12 people to do a wine tasting. Now, all of a sudden, she can't go to people's house. They can't have gatherings. So how do you do that? And she went through a pretty rough time for a few weeks, just thinking, you know, I've had this business for 11 years, and now I can't do anything. And luckily, her business, there's a lot of people in it, and they talk a lot. And that's another thing in the book that I talked about is talking to other people. Use the resources you have. And some of the people in her business figured out that you know, what, if we pre ordered the wine and ship it out to all the people, we can do this over Zoom. And they started doing that. What has happened is, where it used to be if you wanted to have this wine tasting party, you would invite local friends. So that would be your friends that live in the same town, your neighbors, things like that. Now, she can have wine parties with sorority sisters that haven't seen each other in 10 years. They're all over the country. And it's turning into something that she never thought the business would be. She's got family members that are having reunions. There's businesses that are using this to do team building exercises. Because now they can do this over Zoom, where before it was just in person. So her business is actually really grown once they figured this out. And they're still doing all of those in person ones but now a lot of times it's a hybrid where there might be a couple people that were invited that couldn't make it because they were out of town. Well, now they can get on Zoom, and they can still be part of it. It's all about change. It's all about figuring out how to make what you're doing continue to work, regardless of what's going on.
Marisa Huston 7:24
And I'm so glad you pointed that out. We are lucky in the sense that we have technology that enables us to do something different that perhaps was not available 20 years ago, even. Now, what she's done is she's extended her reach. Because typically we're so used to only talking to people that are within our community. But now we're realizing what a big wide world it is out there and that we have the opportunity to touch more people. Now we can do both. It just really changes the landscape and actually could benefit you in the long run.
Duane McHodgkins 8:01
Exactly. One of the rules that I talked about in here is rule number six, stay on your customers radar. It's the Top of Mind model. And during the pandemic, there were a lot of people that said, you know what, I don't like Zoom so I'm just not going to do it. Well, that might have been fine for the first couple weeks. But as it got extended again and again, the people that were embracing the technology, they were out there still meeting people, they were meeting people on Zoom. They were meeting new people, not just existing customers or friends, they were meeting new people and growing during this time where other people that weren't doing that they were on the sideline, they'd sideline themselves,
Marisa Huston 8:44
Because if you're not doing it, somebody else is.
Duane McHodgkins 8:48
Exactly. It's all about growth, and just being able to look at it and say okay, maybe I can't do it the way I used to do it, but here's a new way to do it and it may be even better. You never know.
Marisa Huston 9:02
Exactly. That's the thing is that we think that this is a terrible thing. But then we try something new and then we go...Why didn't we do that before? This actually turned out a lot better than I would have expected. So sometimes it's just trying new things and being open minded. I think it's important too to think outside the box. Let's say that you were a makeup artist, and you relied on your customers to come over to your location and then they pretty you up with makeup for whatever event. But now you can't do this. You can't meet them in person. Typically your response will be okay, that's it, my business is over. I can't do this. But thinking outside the box and saying okay, I can't physically do it but what's stopping me from teaching them how to do it online? Maybe I start a course. Maybe I do a live workshop. Maybe I do one on one consultations and I walk them through how to do it. I don't physically have to be there and I can still help my customers look beautiful. There are ways around it. You just have to be creative.
Duane McHodgkins 10:06
That's true. And in my book, I talk about a lot of companies that did just that individuals too. There was a photographer that realized that she couldn't meet these people in person and she didn't want to do photo shoots with masks and everything like that. So what she started doing was going to people's houses, and she would take their picture through the window. And it turned into people love this. She would post some of it on social media and people really enjoyed this. They thought, you know how artistic this is. And her business grew during this too, because she figured out a way to do it. You know, she didn't just say, oh, well, you know, I can't meet people in person so I guess my business is done, I'll have to do something else. No. She figured out a way to continue to do it in just a different way.
Marisa Huston 10:57
Yeah, to take what you perceive as a disadvantage and turn it on its head, and perhaps even make that more advantageous than you would have expected.
Duane McHodgkins 11:06
Exactly. There were bars that they decided that they would send people ingredients for drinks, and then at a certain time, they would all jump on Zoom and they would have a virtual happy hour. They would teach you how to make the drink and then you could be there with all of your friends on Zoom and enjoy the drink. So it's a way that they found to keep their customers engaged. Who would have thought that you would go on a Zoom meeting with the local bar and learn to make a drink?
Marisa Huston 11:36
And that sounds like so much fun, too. I think it's different.
Duane McHodgkins 11:39
Yeah, there's just so many examples of this. So when I started seeing all of this stuff, I thought, wow! There are people that regardless of the situation, they're going to end up on their feet. They're not going to just stick their head in the sand and be an ostrich. That's what I found. And those are the people that I highlighted. It's actually 11 rules in here, ranging from using this time to grow, to living beneath your means, to staying positive.
Marisa Huston 12:07
Oh, yeah, mindset is a huge deal, Duane. And I think that it's just not letting these obstacles stop, you. Instead, flip them on their head and say, How can I make it better? How can I improve? And they're always going to be exceptions to the rule. But there's always a way around a situation.
Duane McHodgkins 12:28
There is always a way around. Yeah. I talked about this in my book, too, that there's the TV show The Shark Tank. And you see people that go on there, and these are just average ordinary, everyday people, but they didn't like the way something was they found a way to make it better, and in the process made their life much better. And that's a recurring theme in this book is, you know what, if you don't like the way things are going, you have the power to change it. Find a better way and go for it.
Marisa Huston 12:59
I know that you're passionate about this book, because the thing that really drives you is you want to open people's eyes. You want to give them other alternatives and help them see that there are solutions to the frustration that they might be feeling with the way things have been turning out with their businesses. Are there any particular things that you want to share right now with our listeners that they can possibly do that will help them take that next step? There could be people right now that are saying, I haven't even started. I've given up because I feel like there's really no way for me to get past this. And then there are people that have already pivoted, and have discovered that this has been the most wonderful thing. Is there anything in particular that you'd like them to take away in terms of what they could do right now?
Duane McHodgkins 13:49
Yeah, rule number nine. And that is don't just sit there do something. During the pandemic, there were so many people that, okay, so they're not working in the office, now they're working from home, or maybe they got furloughed, and so they would get up in the morning, or maybe they get up in the afternoon and they would just sit there and binge Netflix on TV. And then they were just going, wow, I don't know what to do. Well do something. Get up, get dressed, take a shower, start your day. Just by starting your day you're so much farther ahead of people that decided not to start the day today. And once you do that, then you do the next thing. It's like anything else. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Take one step forward.
Marisa Huston 14:35
Yeah, it's important that you mentioned that because doing something could even be as simple as reading your book. It could be as simple as turning on a YouTube channel that is motivational, that teaches you something, broadens your mind. Maybe listen to an audio book, read, anything that will help develop yourself. Because what happens is those creative juices start coming out and rather than feeling down and frustrated and hopeless, now you can look towards...How do I solve this problem and make it better?
Duane McHodgkins 15:08
That's true. When you don't do something you do you feel helpless. But just taking that first step makes it so that, okay, I have made it one step further than I was. If you take one step today, and you take two steps tomorrow, you're that much better off. It's just continuing to move forward. And if you are in a time where you can't really move forward, plan to move forward. Another chapter in the book is rule number two, use the current time to grow, and I called it the butterfly model. So basically, what that means is, if you're stuck in that cocoon, then work on yourself, make yourself beautiful, or you know, improve your mind, do whatever you have to do so that when you finally can get out of that cocoon, you're a butterfl and you can fly, you can be free. You're not still crawling around on a branch. If you can't move forward right now, take some schooling, learn stuff on YouTube, read a book. Any of those things to improve yourself so that you will be ready to go the next time you are able to.
Marisa Huston 15:11
Yes. And sometimes people say, well, I can't do this, because there's no time. Well, this is the one time we have time because we really can't leave our houses, there's so many restrictions. So now we can say, alright, I'm going to take a step back. And I've heard so many stories, just like the ones you share in your book about people that have been transformed for the better because they broaden their horizons and that thing they've been putting off, they've now tackled. And that really helps us then think outside the box and do something different. Because sometimes that's what you need.
Duane McHodgkins 16:46
That's so true. That is a recurring theme in it. People that just, they didn't give up. They just kept trying. I talked about Charity, and she was a personal chef. And during the pandemic, she had to pivot, oh, boy, dozens of times. She kept trying things and if something would work, she'd stick with it. If it didn't work, she would dump that move on to the next thing. And she came out of the pandemic with her business much stronger than it was going in. And it's because she didn't give up. She kept saying, you know what, I'm gonna find a way to do this. And over time and just trying things and not being afraid to try things she improved dramatically.
Marisa Huston 17:28
Yeah. You get so stuck in your ways, and you push back. All of these things take time, especially when you're learning something new. Just like what you did when you wrote your book. Didn't you have to learn that whole process? I mean, writing a book is not simply sitting in front of a computer and putting some words together. You had to figure out that process from start to finish. And that took a lot of time, and a lot of trial and error, learning, figuring things out. And that can be scary. But if you didn't do it, then you wouldn't be able to share the stories of all these people that are benefiting them and their business and helping other people do the same.
Duane McHodgkins 18:07
Yes. And while I was writing the book, I was actually putting a lot of the ideas that I had in the book into practice. For instance, I made sure I stayed positive. Another one is don't be afraid to ask for help. There were many parts of writing this book that I had no idea about. I know how to use a computer and to type words into a page. But once I had the information down, I didn't know what to do with that. And so I found people that helped me self publish this. Had I not found those people, had I not reached out to those people, I would probably still be trying to figure that all out. There's nothing wrong with asking for help. We can't all be experts in everything. So be an expert at what you're an expert in and for all those other things, ask for help. Find an expert and let's all work together on things. So that's how I was able to put the book out.
Marisa Huston 19:02
Yes. And don't you find that as you're doing something as well, the only way to really learn how to do it better is to apply and take action on that thing. So for example, when I was learning how to podcast, I knew the basic steps, but there were so many things that I really didn't understand until I started to do it. And so action is definitely required because you're going to make mistakes, you're going to have to make changes in the process. Even though you have the basics down, you're gonna have to make adjustments and that's part of the way it works. It's totally normal. And in fact, it's how you get better at things.
Duane McHodgkins 19:43
That's true. I've found that if you wait until you're an expert at something, you'll never get there and you'll never do it. You've got to take a chance. Once you've got the basics down, then start doing it and learn as you go and you'll improve over time as you do that. And that's that's the way that everything goes in life. The people that decide that they're going to wait until they're perfect before they do something, they'll never do it. So that's kind of sad.
Marisa Huston 20:11
Yes. Done is better than perfect. Duane, how do people get a hold of this book so that they can learn some of the lessons that you've learned from these people that you've interviewed and help them improve their businesses or think outside the box in ways that they didn't before?
Duane McHodgkins 20:30
The book is available on Amazon. So if you go on Amazon, and you search for Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic, you will find it there. I also have a Facebook page and so it's www.facebook.com/lessonsfromthebusinessheroesofthe pandemic.
Marisa Huston 20:46
Duane, I really appreciate you sharing this. I think we all need that inspiration to help us realize that there are always opportunities out there if we just open up our eyes and think positively and come up with different solutions to the problems that we're faced with.
Duane McHodgkins 21:03
Thanks, Marisa, it was a pleasure talking to you about this.
Marisa Huston 21:07
That's a wrap for this episode of Live Blissed Out. Thanks for listening and thanks to Duane McHodgkins skins for joining us on the show. If you have a question or comment for a future episode, all you have to do is go to www.speakpipe.com/lbovm, or click the link in the show notes to leave a brief audio message. If you find value in our show, please visit www.liveblissedout.com to reach out, subscribe and share on social media. This show is made possible through listeners like you. Thank you. So long for now and remember to keep moving forward!
100 - Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic
Episode description
Join the BUZZ - Text us your thoughts!
It’s been quite a ride! I would have never imagined how much podcasting would enrich my life through conversations with amazing guests and learning and sharing helpful information with you. Thank you for being a part of this journey. You make every moment so worthwhile.
To celebrate this milestone, I am offering a chance to win a free ticket to our upcoming quarterly ZOOM workshop…Social Media Saturday. Visit www.aceyourvirtualbusiness.podia.com to register for the drawing by joining our A list and get details.
In this episode Duane McHodgkins author of Lessons From The Business Heroes Of The Pandemic, shares his personal experience as a successful business owner and ideas from his friends and networking partners who also have built successful careers.
Duane is the owner and operator of Duane’s Reliable Computer Services in Parker, Colorado, where he lives with Becky, his wife of thirty-six years, and Misty, their long-haired chihuahua. He has two grown children, Miranda and Parker, who gave him insight into the struggles of younger people during the pandemic.
Duane has grown his business and adapted to changing conditions for more than ten years, helping small businesses and individuals manage their technology issues. Prior to running his own business, Duane worked in a management capacity in a number of other successful companies. He learned about being innovative and resourceful while serving in diverse roles in the business world.
To get your copy of Duane’s book, visit www.amazon.com and search for Lessons from the Business Heroes of the Pandemic.
In this episode we cover:
- Staying Essential
- Talking To Other People
- Stay On Your Customers Radar
- A Different Way
- Change It
- Do Something
- Keep Trying
- Put It Into Practice
Thanks so much for tuning in again this week. I appreciate you 🙂
Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the Feedback section.
Special thanks to Duane McHodgkins for being on the show.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
If you have a question or comment for a future episode, visit https://www.speakpipe.com/lbovm.
Also, don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE: Apple Podcasts | Android | Support the show (https://liveblissedout.com/resources/)
So long for now and remember to keep moving forward!