Explore the art of staying true to oneself amidst criticism with insights from Jim Stovall. Plus, get ready for Mother’s Day as Colleen Burns shares creative DIY gift ideas to make any mother’s day special and memorable. Don’t miss these engaging stories of authenticity, business acumen, and heartwarming efforts to give back to our communities.
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SPEAKER 07 :
welcome to the good news with angie austin now with the good news here’s angie angie austin here with the good news along with scott montgomery and we’re talking about his book how did you get here lessons of unconventional success he also runs a successful business and we’re going to talk today about being present showing up and also you know giving back to the next generation helping to teach these younger kids welcome back scott
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, thank you. Thank you. It’s great to be back, and I love our conversations. I hope the audience is finding them beneficial. We’ve got a lot to share, right?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. You were talking about your own son. He just finished his first year of school along with mine as well. I think his last final is today. And so you were talking about giving back to him but showing up and how you have more success in front of your customers than behind an e-mail.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, it’s so true. Today I had a staff meeting. We had our quarterly business review from the first quarter with all the leaders of my team, and I invited my son and a few other folks that could benefit from seeing and being aware of what topics are covered and what we go over. And all of the folks that are on my team that we’re client-facing had progressive conversations. And the thing that I think we called out most is that in those conversations, parts of the QBR that we’re going over, they’re in front of the customer. The partnering and being available to your customers is not done in email and it’s not done over the phone. It’s done in person, believe it or not. And it’s so important for in a business like mine where we consult school districts and we’re helping IT organizations as well as the businesses that our children are going to graduate college from to go into, being present and available in person is really a theme for today because It’s where we’re finding the most success and the most authenticity in growth, leadership, and opportunity. And so I thought, yeah, let’s talk about that today because we’ve watched customers of ours sort of slip and fade away, and we start showing back up and saying, geez, it’s been a couple weeks since I’ve been here. When we show back up, oh, well, let me send more money your way. Let’s get some more help from you, and let’s integrate you into our team, and let’s make sure we’re working as a collective in partnership. Then you are being treated as a vendor and hoping to sell something. And I think it’s really important that we talk about that as it relates to your son’s business too. Let’s talk a little bit about what he’s doing with that shirt business of his.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, his business name is Legend Vintage, and he started when he was 12. He’s 19 now, almost 20, so we’re going seven to eight years into this business now. And he got such a nice post on social media. I read it, and I even thanked the people. I don’t know them per se, but I said thank you for what you wrote on my – on my son’s Instagram page. And it says it showed a picture of my son’s store at sneaker con with all of his vintage because he started with sneakers, like reselling high end Nikes, etc. And we never bought a pair for him because you know, these these shoes are sometimes over a grand. And so you know, you’re spending at least two or 300 on a pair and then They go up in price and more than that in some cases. And we didn’t want to spend that much money to start his business. We’re like, we’re not buying you two $300 sneakers. You have to figure out how to do that on your own. So he started making money and using birthday money, Christmas money, and then making his own money. and reinvesting and then he got into this vintage thrift so now he’s got this mobile store and he posted a picture of it and he ran into some people he’s been in business with for a while and they couldn’t believe he had such a nice store with like flooring and wood cedar ceiling and lights and music and fans and heating and you know it’s really nice so anyway it says i gotta give kudos and flowers to legend vintage once again i’ve watched riley hustle during his lunch breaks at school to get to every possible event to grow his brand you know brother um super proud of everything you’ve built at such a young age your future is big And so I wrote to them and said that these are other business people that are adults because most of the people he’s done business with since he was 12. Well, they’ve been adults, you know, so a lot of grownups have known him. And so they are really proud of him. A lot of them, they’ll come up and talk to me and be like, I’ve seen your son and these events, you know, he does. They’re so labor intensive when he doesn’t have that that trailer store, which they just built. He has to load everything up in an SUV or truck, every single cart and really heavy leather jackets and NASCAR jackets and sweatshirts. And we’re talking like maybe eight racks full of clothing. Well, that’s hundreds of pounds of clothing that he has to drive up there. He has to first load it all up at our house. And then he’s got to drive to Boulder an hour away and unload and build all the racks, haul all the clothing by himself. sell all day long. He never sits. He stands the entire eight hours that he’s at any event. And then he loads everything back up by himself, then brings it back home. And he has to unload it to leave us our vehicle and then take his car back to school. So they’re good 12 to 14 hour days when he does these events. And he’s done multiple events this month while he’s been in school. And And he’s going to business school. And he has another job at Arc Thrift Stores where he works a few days a week, which, by the way, here’s my really cool update on all of this. So he had multiple events this month. And I’ve known the president and CEO of Arc Thrift Stores for many years. And what they do is they help people with cognitive deficits like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, et cetera, find work. When he first started at ARC, there were only five ambassadors. I believe they have well over 500 now of differently abled ambassadors. So it’s a huge nonprofit that helps people who are differently abled seek and find work that really fits their gifts. And really, their gifts are amazing because there’s such a joy in this organization because of the ambassadors. So anyway, my son works there, and he gets to work with ambassadors, and he’s, through the years of working with me, because I work with, you know, I do work with ARC, that he’s gotten to know the ambassadors and really has an affinity for kids who are young people that are, you know, different. And he loves it. He loves the ambassadors. Anyway, he asked the president and CEO if he could meet with him because he wanted to ask him about maybe doing some shadowing, because my… A friend that is the president, CEO, Lloyd Lewis, went to Booth School of Business, the Booth School, University of Chicago, and it’s always in the top five of business schools, sometimes number one. And some of the big mucky mucks in the business world, that’s where they went. And so, to make a long story short, He met with him on Monday, and he got hired for an internship with the president and CEO to learn about finance. And he kept him over that day to do the quarterly meeting on their financials. And Riley knows a lot of the business terms and the financial terms, and he was going over the P&Ls. And he’s like, Mom, this is how much it costs to open a store, and this is how much to give back to the community. And he’s just blown away that he’s getting this opportunity. So it’s Monday through Friday all summer long for four hours a day. He’s thrilled.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s great news, and I’d like to go back to what you said about his work ethic and how he sets up the trailer, and then he’s on his feet all day. The two things that I wanted to really point out on that that I thought were really commendable is he’s clearly following the right habits and setting the goals high, but he’s also, back to the original opener for me, he’s being present to his customers. He’s on his feet all day, and he’s interacting with them like he is this new internship and those at the arc that need his mentoring and his mentorship. And it’s really important that people stay in relationship and they be present and in the moment, not stuck behind their phones, not hiding behind email, and certainly setting yourself up for those successes, following right habits, setting those goals. But I really love what you’re talking about because it’s about interactive behaviors and being in the moment physically. It’s so important in so many different businesses.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, when you said that your business does better when you’re in front of the customers, I think back to his first job. It was at 15, and he worked at a Christian farm, and they did the Cherry Creek Farmer’s Market. And the guy told Riley that he was, like, doubling and tripling their sales from the prior year because when you walk by these booths at the Farmer’s Market, people are on their phone reading a book. They’re not really engaging you. And you kind of just want to walk by and, you know, not interact with them. But Riley, he never sits. He stands. And he’s like, hey, I see you on your bike there. I’ll bet you could use a boost of energy. I’ve got fresh honey over here. Let me get you a sample. Yeah, brother. You’re riding that bike. You’re out of breath. Come on. Let me give you a little boost over here. I hear that. Yeah. One guy put a tip in the tip jar because there were tips for, like, the kids. And he said, I’m putting a 10 in here.
SPEAKER 04 :
You get paid 100 results.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, he goes, I’m putting a $10 in here. I’m not even buying anything. Because he’s like, you are the best salesman at the market.
SPEAKER 04 :
I love it. Well, and it’s not even about salesman. It’s about the holistic opportunity of partnering with the customer, seeing what needs to be done to fulfill. And you’re there for a reason. So you can satisfy your goals, their goals, meet your objectives. And it all is so satisfying and so much more rewarding than just the transaction of an email or the transaction behind the scenes on the Internet. And I think for me, in what I wrote about and in my How You Go There workbook that’s a companion guide to the How Did You Get Your Lessons of Professional Success, it’s about following those exercises and then tracking those results. I have found in my business, my full-time business, you’re talking about your son and his successes, there’s always a better result if you can be present and in person. And Zoom does count, I guess, when there’s certain times, but Just really, really wanted to use that as today’s theme because I think so many people miss that. And as my son comes home from college, he’s actually in the office today, and he’s crafting up introductory emails. And I said, when you get any responses to those, you can rest assured you’re going to be on a plane to go meet with that customer. There’s our investment. Just like your son. Hey, I see you on the bike over there. Come over here and get some honey because you clearly need to be recharged. You still have to set the email. You still have to set up the tent. You still have to set up the trailer. But once you’re there, be present and be with those customers. Such an important aspect of leadership and development and growth for the next generation.
SPEAKER 07 :
And when you said show up, you know, in that face-to-face interaction, et cetera, I put more into that. Showing up for me is not just like punching the clock that you are there. I remember when I was in high school and I worked at – Boulder Community Hospital. I went to school in Boulder and then went to CU. And when I went to high school and then went to CU. So I was there, I think, for seven years. And the sweet little old ladies, they figured out that if you punched out at seven minutes until the top of the hour, you’d get paid the full 15 minutes. But if you punched out eight minutes before the top of the hour, you would not get paid for that full 15 minutes because it was every 15 minutes you got paid. Not how you want to do it. They would be lined up at the, you know, to punch their time card right at the, just lined up, you know, and you stick it in and it punches the time. And so they’d want to do seven minutes before the hour, not eight minutes before the hour. And they would wait until that second. And then they’d all, you know, rush the time clock, you know, like click and then do it. It just made me laugh because, yes, and don’t get me wrong. These are all really great ladies. That’s not showing up. No, showing up is like actually doing a really good job to the best of your abilities every single day.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right. And not sitting on your phone at the tent where you’re trying to sell stuff at the local market. It’s actually engaging with the patrons. It’s trying to be progressive. And it’s a rewarding style and approach in any business, whether you’re at a farmer’s market, you’re at a consulting firm, or you’re you and I trying to spread what we’ve experienced to the next generation. It’s really, really important stuff. I love it.
SPEAKER 07 :
I love it too and I’m just so excited to see our kids and for your son to be able to get a response and to fly and meet with the client and for my son to work with a financial whiz who’s grown this company. They have over 30 stores in Colorado. And to see how the business is run and how they’ve grown it. And then, but also for it to be a nonprofit where I just saw Charles Barkley the other day saying the big cars and big houses don’t matter. Like how much can I give back? How can I help change people’s lives? You know, fund scholarships and make a difference. And our good friend Jim Stovall, who’s written over 60 books now, that’s his big thing. He opened the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship at his alma mater. And it’s just so cool to see people who get a sense of purpose for giving back. He said, every year when we do our scholarships, I ask for the one person, the next on the list who didn’t get a scholarship. And I use that person to fuel me the whole next year because I want to be able to give more scholarships the next years. The next year, yeah.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s really heartfelt. Yeah, that’s heartfelt, big time. So important.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, yeah, making the money and the giving back. And so I like it that there’s that added element of the nonprofit and working with people. All right, I want to make sure people can find you, Scott, and maybe your other business in addition to your books.
SPEAKER 04 :
Oh, thank you. Yeah, so you can find the consulting services firm. is www.WorldGateLLC.com, and we support staffing needs for the SLED markets, state, local education divisions. And my book and the companion guide can be easily found and purchased at HowYouGoThere.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Excellent. Thank you, friend. Thank you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
It’s that time of year to start cleaning out your closets, basement, and garage by donating to Arc Thrift. With 34 thrift stores and 15 donation centers across the Front Range, you have almost 50 different locations to donate your gently used clothing and items you don’t need anymore or are taking up space in your home. ARC will also take large furniture off your hands by scheduling a pickup through the ARC website. Any soft goods you choose to donate, you can just put in bags, while hard goods need to go into boxes. This helps ARC turn their 5,000 weekly donations per store into resellable items immediately. With spring around the corner, donate the spring and Easter clothing that is too small or just sitting in a closet to help out another family. And while you’re there, get your Easter decorations and clothing. To schedule your large furniture pickup or to find the nearest Arc Thrift Donation Center or store location near you, go to arcthrift.com.
SPEAKER 06 :
Flatville is listening to the mighty 670 KLT.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey there, friend. Angie Austin and Jim Stovall here with the good news. And today we are talking about his winner’s wisdom column titled Message from a Master. How fitting, Jim Stovall.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, thank you. I’m certainly not referring to myself. Late last year, I undertook a project that is completely unique in my 60 books and 9 movies so far. And I undertook to write a sequel of sorts to a John Steinbeck novel he wrote 60 years ago. Yeah, and it will be out next year, and I’m excited about it. But in the process of preparing myself to write that book, which is a little like going to the Louvre and looking at the Mona Lisa and saying, you know, I think Leonardo did a good job on that, but there should be one more thing over here. Let me pencil that in here. So I realize it’s been an exercise in… egotism to write on top of Steinbeck and I’ve tried to do it and thankfully the Steinbeck family and the scholars and everybody have been so gracious and it’s been a fun project and it’ll be out next year but in the process of doing that I had an opportunity to read everything he wrote for publication and dozens and dozens of letters he wrote to Carl Sandburg and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and all these people that he corresponded with and So many, many things he said, and a lot of those quotes are included in the book that will be out next year. But he said the only thing that will escape criticism is mediocrity. Only mediocrity escapes criticism. If you’re really, really bad, you’ll be criticized. And if you’re really, really good at something, you’ll be criticized. And we have a tendency to want to avoid criticism. And the only way to do that is to be mediocre, and that is never a good course. And so what we have to do is prepare ourselves for criticism. And everybody that puts themselves out there in the public, whether it’s you, Angie, or me, or John Steinbeck, you get criticized. I mean, it’s an invitation. Everybody that can sit and listen to an hour of radio, or pick up one of my books, or watch one of my movies, They bought a ticket which entitles them to criticize me. They now have the invitation to criticize Jim. And I’m very thankful that 99% of all that we hear from readers or viewers is positive, as I know yours is. But you still get those things every once in a while where, wow, somebody doesn’t have anything better to do than… then get on your case for something. And you have to be prepared for that. But if we can always remember that the price of not being mediocre means you’re going to get criticized sometimes. And I think that’s what Steinbeck told us, and it’s important. And you have to divide that criticism from, is this a well-meaning person that really has a good point here? Or is Is this just somebody trying to get in your face and say something, you know?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, it’s interesting that in the article you talk about ice cream, and I’ll have you explain that in a minute. But one of my colleagues who would always kind of try to cut the joke short when we were like on the set, when we were on the air, kind of like, um the the fathering or mothering you know the the fun we’d be having if we’d be joking around and she’d be like oh no no no no there’s no time for that let’s move on to serious matters or oh no that’s not nice and we’re like being sarcastic or laughing and everybody on the set’s laughing and it would always be like you know the bad mom the bad dad that would come in and break up the party and she told me once she said um you know My agent told me that vanilla is the best way to be on the air because a lot of people maybe like pistachio or they may like chocolate, but everybody’s okay with vanilla. So if you’re vanilla, I’m just kind of like, you’re not making the jokes. You’re not straying. You’re not doing anything weird with your hair. You’re not going out on a limb with the colors you’re wearing. You’re very beige-ish. Then you’ll receive less criticism. And I thought, gosh, I just don’t have it in me to be beige. Like I like to laugh. I like to have fun, you know, have a giggle here and there. And I just can’t imagine just like wanting to be vanilla so that I get less criticism or… I guess, to be honest with you, maybe she’s smarter than I am in that fact that more employable, you know, that you’ll rub people, fewer people the wrong way. Because I remember one of my general managers, like he hired me and the news director and liked me. But then his wife didn’t like that I was funny. She didn’t like that I tried to be funny. So then they came to me and said, we really want you if the anchors engage with you when you are doing the weather toss or whatever. And they say something funny or they want you to respond. I said, well, how do I not respond? Or how do I not be myself? And then the assistant news director said, well, just tell them you’ll get back to them on that later. Okay, so he tossed this to me. It was really hot out there, Angie. Kind of like that guy you dated in the 90s. Ha! I’ll get back to you on that later, Ed. It’s like the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, right? But they wanted to curb who I was. And I’m like, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree. You should have hired someone else because this was within six months of them hiring me. And I’m like, but they liked my sense of humor. So what is this? And then I found out later when that guy was gone, the general manager was gone, his wife didn’t like me. And every morning she’d say like, I’m so sick of her trying to be funny and make jokes, like tell her not to do that anymore. And so it really came from the general manager’s wife, but I just can’t be something I’m not in order to please those few people that can’t stand me.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Uh, I, I did say in this column that, uh, you know, I’ve met people that literally don’t like chocolate ice cream. Well, I, all right. Um, everybody’s entitled to their opinion. I, I, I think that’s great. And, uh, You know, and it’s just, you know, oftentimes criticism is nothing more than somebody’s opinion. And we all have them. I mean, when I first got into the film business, I started studying all these films. And I have a small theater here at Narrative Television, just a viewing room. And I started screening films on the weekends with one of my colleagues. Since I’m blind, they could kind of help me through this. And You know, I started with the list of films, the greatest films of the 20th century. I said, okay, that’d be a place to start. And many critics agree the top film, or certainly one of the top films, is Citizen Kane. I watched it three times. I do not like that movie. I don’t know what it is about that movie. I do not like it. And it doesn’t mean it’s not a great movie. I just don’t like it. And… I would never openly criticize Orson Welles or the film itself. It’s just not my cup of tea. And, you know, there’s all kinds of those things. So, you know, we have to separate the criticism. Is this constructive criticism? Somebody trying to make us better? Or… Is this just somebody trying to rattle our cage? Because a lot of critics or people, nitpickers, will come by and try to rattle your cage. And if they can and you react, they’ll just keep doing it. That’s their payoff. But if you just don’t let it bother you, they will go away and bother somebody else. So, you know, I think if you’re not being criticized, you know, you really have to look at how mediocre am I? I mean… You know, because if you rise above the crowd or if you fall below the crowd, people are going to criticize you. And if you’re not getting criticism, you’re probably right there in the vanilla middle of the pack. I heard a great preacher say one time, if you’re not coming in, running into opposition, you’re probably going the wrong way. And I believe that’s true. I mean, you know, if you’re not constantly running into challenges and struggles… You’re probably floating downstream and not doing anything.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, like how you say, as you go through your day to day, pay attention to your gifts and ignore the critics. And, you know, be the flavor you are really is what I say, because it’s so hard to be a different flavor. You know, one of my girlfriends is on the radio and received a lot of criticism over the years for being kind of out there. Her dad said, well, it’s like a parking lot of cars, and you’re going in there to buy one. Some people like the yellow VW Bug, some like the Mercedes. I’m the yellow VW Bug, but that’s not everybody’s cup of tea, and that’s okay. That’s all right. Jim, I want to make sure people can find you. What’s the best place for us to locate you?
SPEAKER 03 :
Jim Stovall, S-T-O-V-A-L-L, jimstovall.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Excellent. Thank you, my friend.
SPEAKER 03 :
Be well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, if you are just joining us, this is Angie Austin with the good news. Mother’s Day just around the corner. And one of our favorites has some ideas for us. She is mom on the run, Colleen Burns, and a mom to six boys. And she definitely knows what makes a mom feel celebrated. Welcome back, Colleen.
SPEAKER 06 :
Great to be here. Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, I was just looking at DIY gifts for my mom because she’s in her 80s and she likes to do things with her hands. I was looking for like crafts and things because she does that with me and with some of the grandkids. So any ideas in that arena?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, yeah, that’s a great area in which to look for Mother’s Day gifts because it’s more memorable if you can personalize things like cards, T-shirts, even water bottles. You can do that with this new Cricut Explore 4. If you’re not familiar with Cricut, it is so easy. If you’re a crafting person, you’ll love it. If you’re not a crafting person and you want to learn to craft, it couldn’t be easier. It’s now two times faster than the other machine. You can cut over 100 materials like vinyl, iron-on, or cardstock. It’s a perfect gift to brighten the lives of the moms around you. You can upload and cut your designs or choose from over 1 million images and designs in the Cricut Design Space Library. I don’t know if you know, but they have licensed with companies like Disney and Harry Potter and Marvel and recently just Peanuts. So if you want to make a shirt with your favorite characters, Design that. If you’re going to Disney World and make your own Mickey Mouse shirts, you can do that. It’s a lot cheaper than buying it at the park, obviously, and it’s a great family project. One of my favorite projects is a self-care box. This is a great gift for yourself or for a friend who could use some pampering. You design the top of the box, make it personalized, and you fill it with cozy clothes, a candle or oil, beauty products. It’s a great thing to open up when you want some alone time.
SPEAKER 07 :
I have seen these. They are so cool. I’m actually sending this to my girlfriend for an idea because she makes blankets for pets, you know, so she can personalize them. All right. Cool. Right. All right. How about I’m the mom that’s always at all the tournaments and all the games and, you know, with the sore rear end sitting in the stands. Any ideas for us?
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. We’re the ultimate cheerleaders, aren’t we? Yes. The soccer pitch, the baseball field, the court side, the pickleball court, whatever it is. And why not be more comfortable? I’ve been seeing more of these GCI stowaway portable chairs at sporting events. And there’s a good reason, because they actually rock. They’re like a rocking chair with this unique patented technology. And believe me, sitting is believing. You’re not going to find a more comfortable, portable chair. It’s light. You can move it around. You can keep it in the back of your car or at home. You can stow it away in the off-season because it packs down so small. But it’s light and it’s very supportive. It’s very comfortable. And for extra convenience, there’s even a caddy you can put on either arm of the chair to store your water bottle and your phone. And if no one gets this for you for Mother’s Day, buy it for yourself because you’ll get plenty of use out of it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Awesome. Okay. All right. You know, there’s just so many choices out there. I was just looking for my mother-in-law as well, what to get her, and it can be a little overwhelming. Any tips when you just really don’t know what to get?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, yeah, that’s the key. I think moms fall into two camps, don’t you? There’s the mom who wants to spend her entire day with her kids, and then there’s the mom who just wants a break. And neither one is the right answer, but if you can determine which one it is, you can then try to find a gift that will fit more with her needs. So if the mom wants to spend time with her family, you can look for a new park to explore. Buy her a book. I just found this book, 100 Parks, 5,000 Ideas. You can find a new trail to hike or bike, or you can buy a family game that you can all play together. If you’re somebody, a mom who wants to be alone, well then put out a bathrobe and some bath salts and whatever. a lovely playlist on the speaker and then give that mom some space and some time. Another great idea is our gifts of service. I mean, I love those. One of my sons always helps me with the yard work every year and we’re making memories while we do it. So it’s like a twofer. Another one likes to make me a meal. So, Those are always great gifts, and moms do appreciate that when you take the time. You know, taking time is so important.
SPEAKER 07 :
Oh, I like that idea. I like that a lot. Okay. Thank you, Colleen. Where do we go to get more info? You can get more information at dailylounge.com. Always great to have you, Colleen. Thank you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you for listening to The Good News with Angie Austin on AM670 KLTT.
