The Uncommon Leader Podcast
Nov. 5, 2024

Fueling Ambition with Curiosity and Consistency with Luis Hernandez

Fueling Ambition with Curiosity and Consistency  with Luis Hernandez

Curiosity and fearlessness fueled Luis Hernandez’s rise from the inner city to becoming a leader and trailblazer in his family as the first to graduate from both high school and college. Join us on the Uncommon Leader Podcast as Luis shares how these qualities laid the groundwork for a successful career in real estate and a passion for long-distance running. Through childhood adventures and leadership roles, including leading the Latin American student organization in college, Luis has cultivated a unique leadership style grounded in authenticity and discipline. His journey is a powerful reminder of how embracing the unknown can forge paths to success and fulfillment.

Explore the compelling connection between running and leadership with Luis Hernandez, whose return to real estate in 2018 intertwined seamlessly with his dedication to running. In a candid discussion, Luis illustrates the transformative power of small, consistent efforts, drawing from his quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon. By surrounding himself with committed individuals and learning from their discipline, Luis emphasizes the importance of authenticity in leadership and personal growth. Discover how integrating minor habits, much like maintaining a consistent running routine, can lead to significant achievements in both personal and professional realms. This episode is filled with insights and inspiration, encouraging listeners to pursue their own goals with determination and authenticity.

Connect with Luis here: LinkedIn

Subscribe to Luis' podcast - The Wayfinder Show

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Did you know that many of the things that I discuss on the Uncommon Leader Podcast are subjects that I coach other leaders and organizations ? If you would be interested in having me discuss 1:1 or group coaching with you, or know someone who is looking to move from Underperforming to Uncommon in their business or life, I would love to chat with you. Click this link to set up a FREE CALL to discuss how coaching might benefit you and your team)

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Chapters

00:00 - Journey of Leadership Through Running

13:03 - Lessons of Authenticity and Discipline

16:23 - Discipline and Attention to Detail

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.101 --> 00:00:09.053
I remember like a couple of like 60-something-year-old ladies and that were like, running well past me, I'm in my mid-30s, I just run a marathon.

00:00:09.053 --> 00:00:09.983
I think I'm a big deal.

00:00:09.983 --> 00:00:22.006
But then after the run we go and we're hanging out and we're talking, and everybody there was talking about running a marathon or an ultra or something like that that week or the following week or they had just run 10 of them like in a week.

00:00:22.006 --> 00:00:24.208
And I'm just like, wow, this is incredible.

00:00:24.208 --> 00:00:27.734
And I'm like why don't they have a 26.2 sticker in the back of the car?

00:00:27.734 --> 00:00:34.627
And they're like, oh, because everybody here, does that?

00:00:34.646 --> 00:00:35.889
Hey, Uncommon Leaders, welcome back.

00:00:35.889 --> 00:00:39.253
This is the Uncommon Leader Podcast and I'm your host, John Gallagher.

00:00:39.253 --> 00:00:45.743
Today, I've got an inspiring conversation lined up with none other than Louie Hernandez.

00:00:45.743 --> 00:00:53.548
Louie shares his incredible journey from growing up in the inner city to becoming the first in his family to graduate from high school and college, eventually building a successful real estate business.

00:00:53.548 --> 00:01:02.490
Louie dives into how his natural curiosity and desire to explore not only sparked his leadership journey, but also led him to discover a passion for long-distance running.

00:01:02.490 --> 00:01:07.924
We'll explore how these experiences shaped him as a leader and influenced his approach to business and life.

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Plus, Louie gives us a sneak peek into his exciting new project, Running Away to Find my Way, and he shares lessons on discipline and authenticity that apply both on the track and in real life.

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This episode is packed with real insights, so let's get started.

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Is packed with real insights, so let's get started.

00:01:30.716 --> 00:01:35.007
Louie Hernandez, welcome to the Uncommon Leader Podcast.

00:01:35.007 --> 00:01:35.831
Great to have you on the show.

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I'm looking forward to having our conversation today.

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How are you doing?

00:01:37.496 --> 00:01:38.400
I'm doing great, John.

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Thank you for having me.

00:01:39.944 --> 00:01:41.911
Louie, I'm looking forward to our conversation.

00:01:41.911 --> 00:01:45.329
I know I had a chance recently to also be interviewed on your podcast.

00:01:45.329 --> 00:01:47.728
We'll talk about that a little bit more later on.

00:01:47.728 --> 00:02:01.251
But today you get a chance to talk about you a little bit more, and that jumps right into the first question I always have for my first-time guests Tell me a story from your childhood that still impacts who you are today as a leader or as a person.

00:02:03.114 --> 00:02:11.568
Yeah, so as a leader, I did listen to a few of your episodes and thought about this and you know I never really considered myself a leader as a kid.

00:02:11.568 --> 00:02:18.108
Um, but you know there's something that I used to do a lot, which was explore.

00:02:18.108 --> 00:02:24.861
I've always been into, uh, you know, as a kid, on a bike I'd go and I'd bike outside my neighborhood and go far away.

00:02:24.861 --> 00:02:27.182
You know, as a kid on a bike, I'd go and I'd bike outside my neighborhood and go far away.

00:02:27.182 --> 00:02:30.245
When I was able to drive, I'd go drive further away and take a random exit on the highway right.

00:02:30.245 --> 00:02:33.385
And what ended up happening with that is that people start to follow you.

00:02:33.385 --> 00:02:35.306
You know most people in my neighborhood.

00:02:35.306 --> 00:02:37.268
They would stay in their neighborhood.

00:02:37.268 --> 00:02:40.750
It was very, you know, especially like in inner cities.

00:02:40.750 --> 00:02:48.413
You know your small building or your neighborhood or whatever is kind of your whole world, and I always wanted to explore outside of that.

00:02:48.774 --> 00:02:50.754
And what would happen is that people started following me.

00:02:50.754 --> 00:02:52.094
They would ask to tag along.

00:02:52.094 --> 00:03:10.431
At first they'd make fun of me, you know, like we do just rag on each other, and then they would all want to come along and we'd go and, you know, and discover other parts of the city or the state and, uh, you know, we we'd find in Rhode Island, you know, various beaches that nobody knew about, like hawk swings, and we jump off.

00:03:10.431 --> 00:03:29.985
It sounds crazy, but we jump off of like bridges and all all kinds of stuff to just go in, in, in, in, in, explore more and and because of that people would just follow me and and it just felt like and it would look to me for, you know, doing adventurous stuff and that was kind of my first thought of as a leader.

00:03:30.888 --> 00:03:41.509
And eventually, you know, I never looked for leadership positions but, like, when I got to college, I got really involved in the Latin American student organization and I got elected president of the organization.

00:03:41.509 --> 00:03:55.584
We actually grew it to the largest student organization, even larger than the Student Government Association during those years on campus, very diverse, it wasn't just Latin American, we invited everybody, and so those kinds of things just naturally kept happening.

00:03:55.584 --> 00:04:02.644
And as I grew older and I'd get jobs, I would naturally get put into leadership positions.

00:04:02.644 --> 00:04:10.235
I worked for the Boy Scouts of America, which was a big leadership organization, and just kept developing that.

00:04:10.235 --> 00:04:14.469
But it was never a conscious leadership, it was just kind of an evolution that just happened.

00:04:15.419 --> 00:04:21.124
When you think about that from an attribute standpoint, louis, what do you think it is about you that drew others to you?

00:04:21.124 --> 00:04:25.170
What were some of the attributes that maybe you didn't realize at then?

00:04:25.170 --> 00:04:28.074
But you look back on it now and you're like, yeah, I guess I was this way.

00:04:29.240 --> 00:04:33.838
Yeah, again, I think it's that curiosity, the desire to explore, see what's out there.

00:04:33.838 --> 00:04:36.776
I think a lot of people want to do that but they don't feel comfortable with it.

00:04:36.776 --> 00:04:39.646
There's a lot of fear behind it and I tend to be fearless.

00:04:39.646 --> 00:04:44.016
I just kind of jump and I see something I'm curious about and I just jump right at it.

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I'm not afraid to go talk to a person randomly just because they look interesting or go find something you know, pull over, take a random exit, get lost, those kinds of things.

00:04:55.016 --> 00:05:00.391
And I think people are curious about that and they follow somebody who feels confident in that you know.

00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:04.083
Well, I sense that you know that came along in a lot of ways.

00:05:04.083 --> 00:05:11.509
As I read through your bio, you talked about the inner city environment you grew up in, but you're the first generation to graduate from high school, college and post-grad.

00:05:11.509 --> 00:05:18.916
So even inside of that, you're curious and leading the way with your own family and you've built a successful real estate business.

00:05:18.916 --> 00:05:29.396
How did those attributes help you to build a successful business that maybe even talk about the challenges you faced along the way in terms of your own real estate business?

00:05:29.396 --> 00:05:32.548
Now we're really going to dive into your story about this project you got going on.

00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:34.983
Sure, sure.

00:05:34.983 --> 00:05:36.125
I mean, how's it helped?

00:05:36.125 --> 00:05:40.634
I think it's helped because I'm very fortunate.

00:05:40.634 --> 00:05:46.682
I can attract people to come in and jump into my journey, which is a is a blessing and a curse, right?

00:05:46.682 --> 00:05:53.345
So, uh, you know, if there's a business idea I have, I can somehow get the people to jump into it with me.

00:05:53.345 --> 00:05:56.194
I think they sense my passion and enthusiasm.

00:05:56.194 --> 00:05:58.920
Um, I can build a vision that we come around.

00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:16.351
However, it's a curse, I, because I think sometimes people do this because they want to follow that, you know, just like we all do with our leaders, right, you know where we want to people, our leaders go and they set a vision for the future, and then we fall in love with that vision.

00:06:16.372 --> 00:06:17.052
We want to follow them.

00:06:17.500 --> 00:07:05.050
However, I think a lot of us do that without doing our own internal work to discover what is our vision for ourselves, without doing our own internal work to discover what is our vision for ourselves, you know, and as you come to over time, when the initial you know excitement wears off, you go back to feeling the way you felt before and you start to think okay, you know, this isn't my vision anymore, it's Louis' vision, or something you know, and that's when the challenges really develop right, and so I've learned to build businesses that help people incorporate their visions for themselves, and I like to think of it more as my goal is to create a world that will allow you to build your greatest vision of yourself, right.

00:07:05.192 --> 00:07:07.783
So within real estate, that's kind of easy.

00:07:07.783 --> 00:07:28.446
You come and a lot of people get curious about it because for many reasons, it's a sexy business, right, you can make a lot of money, you can lose a lot of money and all that but, initially they get attracted for what it can do, and then I really dive deep at the beginning with somebody about why they want that, where they want to get to and how to get them there.

00:07:28.947 --> 00:07:43.742
And then, once we get past that initial survival within the business piece, my goal is to really uncover what really drives them, what really gets them excited and what is their vision for themselves, and then help them build that.

00:07:43.742 --> 00:07:46.387
So it's no longer my vision, it's me helping them.

00:07:46.387 --> 00:07:48.973
So, it you know, build that.

00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:49.940
Interesting.

00:07:49.940 --> 00:08:03.452
I like that because, when you think about it, when you can convey your vision, but when somebody else can attach their vision, their values, to your vision, your values, it can be a momentum that you create to to get that to go forward Absolutely.

00:08:03.452 --> 00:08:06.101
Now you ultimately ended up in Colorado.

00:08:06.101 --> 00:08:09.649
Uh, and this is where you started to get into long distance running.

00:08:09.649 --> 00:08:17.440
So I'm just going to like end the sentence there uh, colorado, high elevation, you decide to get into long distance running.

00:08:17.440 --> 00:08:19.805
How do you decide to get in a long distance running?

00:08:19.805 --> 00:08:21.543
How does anyone decide to get in a long distance running?

00:08:21.584 --> 00:08:28.214
for one thing, yeah, actually it started a little bit before Colorado In 2010,.

00:08:28.214 --> 00:08:29.509
I was really depressed.

00:08:29.509 --> 00:08:37.017
I had a big loss in my business right from real estate, and I saw an old friend who was getting into running a marathon.

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He wanted to run a marathon.

00:08:38.729 --> 00:08:42.669
I'm like, oh, that's interesting, kind of came up with a way of doing it.

00:08:42.669 --> 00:08:47.111
Long story short, I ran the first marathon and then we moved to Colorado.

00:08:47.111 --> 00:08:49.634
Long story short, I ran the first marathon and then we moved to Colorado.

00:08:49.634 --> 00:08:53.157
I thought it was just going to be a bucket list item, check it off, move on.

00:08:53.157 --> 00:09:01.624
But when I got to Colorado and I didn't know anybody, I had one real to get to know people.

00:09:01.624 --> 00:09:07.634
My only other interest was I used to brew beer at that time, so I started getting into homebrewing.

00:09:07.634 --> 00:09:15.197
I mean, I was already was already into home brewing, but I started going to visit the breweries here because there were a lot of them here and they all had run clubs.

00:09:15.197 --> 00:09:16.489
I'm like, oh, this is a great way to meet people.

00:09:16.791 --> 00:09:19.259
So, I just go and start going to run clubs.

00:09:19.259 --> 00:09:30.821
And then there I went and I remember there was one called the Pearl Street Runners in Boulder, colorado, and started going pretty regularly and to Colorado and started going pretty regularly and I thought, hey, I just ran a marathon, I'm a big deal, whatever.

00:09:30.821 --> 00:09:34.264
I had a 26.2 sticker on the back of my car, yeah, like I can hang.

00:09:34.264 --> 00:09:50.011
And even on that very first one run there were, I remember, like a couple of like 60 something year old ladies and that were like running well past me, I'm in my mid thirties, I just run a marathon, I think I'm a big deal, you know, and and um.

00:09:50.011 --> 00:10:05.480
But then after the run we go and we're hanging out and we're talking and and, and everybody there was talking about running a marathon or an ultra or something like that that week or the following week, or they had just run 10 of them like in a week and I'm just like, wow, this is incredible.

00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.024
And I'm like why don't they have a 26.2 sticker on the back of that car?

00:10:11.690 --> 00:10:13.892
And they're like oh, because everybody here.

00:10:13.912 --> 00:10:14.613
does that Not an accomplishment?

00:10:14.633 --> 00:10:15.312
anymore right yeah.

00:10:15.653 --> 00:10:21.979
Exactly, it was so humbling, so, so humbling, and so, yeah, obviously I ripped the sticker off.

00:10:21.979 --> 00:10:27.423
I just was like in awe of, like all these people who did these great things and I'd go and I'd try to run with them.

00:10:27.423 --> 00:10:54.559
Obviously I couldn't, but I I would work to hang out with them more and more and um and uh, and from that I learned that they were just like remarkable people and they just had these values, um and they, they said about, uh, they were very accomplished in many areas of their lives, you know, as parents, as business owners, as you know, in their corporate careers, whatever it might be, they were very successful and and they happen to run regularly all the time, you know.

00:10:54.559 --> 00:11:15.902
And so it just kind of made me start thinking differently by in humbling me quite a bit, you know, just just being around and and just kind of set that journey that I fell in love with it and I and I saw they had these big goals I couldn't even imagine, right, like one of them, they kept talking about how they're training for Boston.

00:11:15.970 --> 00:11:16.691
I'm like, what does that mean?

00:11:16.691 --> 00:11:18.513
Oh, the Boston marathon, oh, what does that mean?

00:11:18.513 --> 00:11:28.645
Even though I went to college in Boston, I didn't really know what that meant and, um, and I thought, okay, yeah, I'll just train run fast for 26 miles and I'll qualify for Boston.

00:11:28.645 --> 00:11:30.937
Then it's not that easy.

00:11:30.937 --> 00:11:41.664
So I made that a big long-term goal and started working towards it and started associating myself with other people who were working towards it and I kept helping.

00:11:41.664 --> 00:11:53.865
Yeah, just change my whole mindset about how to go about life, which translated to more successes as a father, as a husband, as a businessman, as a you know and everything.

00:11:54.106 --> 00:11:56.336
So so I love that as a as a mindset shift.

00:11:56.336 --> 00:11:57.763
You found your tribe.

00:11:57.763 --> 00:12:04.761
Uh, other folks are interested in what you were doing and they it sounds like they raised the standard for you as well.

00:12:04.761 --> 00:12:05.491
They raised the.

00:12:05.491 --> 00:12:09.594
They raised the bar with regards to what it meant to be, first of all, to be a runner.

00:12:10.336 --> 00:12:19.033
And there was much more than just, to your point, putting your shoes on and running 26.2 miles as fast as you can, but there was something there for you and you kind of said that at the end.

00:12:19.033 --> 00:12:32.216
With regards to mindset and it maybe leads into kind of the essence of our discussion today, louie as a leader is that when we can find purpose in something that we do, that's bigger than the activity itself.

00:12:32.216 --> 00:12:34.043
You mentioned you're working on a project.

00:12:34.043 --> 00:12:36.893
You're called Running Away to Find my Way.

00:12:36.893 --> 00:12:40.720
Maybe that's the title of a book one day or whatever it is.

00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:59.280
But a little bit of that and the mindset was there a point in time where you had the awareness like, oh yeah, this like connects to how I'm developing as a person, as a leader, as a husband, as a father, or was there some moment that it struck you or it just happened over time?

00:13:00.831 --> 00:13:02.575
I think it developed over time.

00:13:02.575 --> 00:13:27.280
I just started realizing, especially once I went back into real estate it was around 2018 and building my team and building my brokerage, a lot of the people I was attracting into it were runners, and so when I'm giving an analogy to describe to them how to buy a home or how to invest in property or what have you, I would use running terminology, and so it just kind of connected.

00:13:27.802 --> 00:13:29.705
Yeah, and it was very natural.

00:13:29.705 --> 00:13:32.239
You know, and, uh, and, and it's authentic, right.

00:13:32.239 --> 00:13:36.394
I know people who go and they use chess, or even running sailing, what have you.

00:13:36.394 --> 00:13:38.660
These are all great analogies, but they don't really know them.

00:13:38.660 --> 00:13:42.619
Uh, so it was a lack of there's a lack of authenticity in them.

00:13:42.619 --> 00:13:46.657
Right Interviewed a guy who, uh, compares his business to chess.

00:13:46.657 --> 00:13:51.519
He's playing chess where everybody's playing checkers, and I asked him hey, do you play chess?

00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:52.755
He's like, oh, not really.

00:13:52.755 --> 00:13:55.499
You know my daughter's learning, so I'm playing with her.

00:13:55.499 --> 00:13:59.520
So, you know, I think there's a little bit of inauthenticity.

00:13:59.520 --> 00:14:00.936
People use it for marketing terms.

00:14:01.190 --> 00:14:02.967
But for me it's the real deal.

00:14:02.967 --> 00:14:06.392
Right, I belong to the tribe of running and people can feel that.

00:14:06.392 --> 00:14:18.799
And so when you can interpret that that people understand in that world, to something real life for them, then it becomes really easy to grasp that concept.

00:14:19.421 --> 00:14:21.081
Okay, so let's test your authenticity.

00:14:21.081 --> 00:14:28.626
Then Tell me one of the lessons that you've learned as a runner that you now use as a leader today.

00:14:28.626 --> 00:14:29.626
What's one of the lists?

00:14:37.669 --> 00:14:38.010
Sure, one of them.

00:14:38.010 --> 00:14:39.553
There's a lot right and I'm up to 14 points that I've done.

00:14:39.553 --> 00:14:40.716
I'm trying to get to 26.2.

00:14:40.736 --> 00:14:41.599
26.2, I love that.

00:14:41.599 --> 00:14:45.246
26.2 life lessons from being a runner.

00:14:45.246 --> 00:14:46.710
That's impacted my leadership, dude.

00:14:46.710 --> 00:14:48.033
We don't need running away to impacted my leadership, dude.

00:14:48.033 --> 00:14:48.313
That's your.

00:14:48.313 --> 00:14:50.057
No, we don't need running away to find my way.

00:14:50.057 --> 00:14:50.477
That's the.

00:14:50.477 --> 00:14:51.801
That's the uh, that's the name.

00:14:58.330 --> 00:14:58.649
That could be it.

00:14:58.649 --> 00:14:59.030
That could be it.

00:14:59.030 --> 00:14:59.892
Um, there's a, I think, yeah, we'll see.

00:14:59.892 --> 00:15:00.613
We'll see where it evolves to Right.

00:15:00.613 --> 00:15:09.946
So but I think, uh, one of them is one really good one If, for example, is is just uh about is just about discipline, doing the small things every day.

00:15:10.570 --> 00:15:16.123
So when I first started to try and get better qualify for Boston, I made it a longer goal.

00:15:16.123 --> 00:15:27.046
In 2014, I made a goal of qualifying for Boston by 2020, which meant I had to chop off nearly two hours off of my current marathon time.

00:15:27.046 --> 00:15:28.041
I was initially a 4.52 marathoner.

00:15:28.041 --> 00:15:30.182
I had to get below 3, two hours off of my current marathon time, right, I was initially a 452 marathoner.

00:15:30.182 --> 00:15:32.725
I had to get below 310 at that time.

00:15:33.225 --> 00:15:40.003
So, to do that, as I went and started surrounding myself, it's hard not to incorporate other things.

00:15:40.003 --> 00:15:45.616
There's one way of just surrounding yourself with other people who are there, right, but the other one is about discipline.

00:15:45.616 --> 00:15:50.144
I realized, okay, I had to run more and regularly, right.

00:15:50.144 --> 00:15:58.639
So I, before I, joined a running group and I was running two days a week and a long run on the weekend, right, and, and those two days a week were usually workouts.

00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:05.554
So all I did was run hard and then the other days I didn't run and and so, um, I learned I had to.

00:16:05.554 --> 00:16:09.019
Really, I saw the people who were running faster.

00:16:09.019 --> 00:16:17.142
They were running every day or at least like five, six days a week, right, and we celebrated this young lady in the group who had like an eight year streak.

00:16:17.142 --> 00:16:23.881
That meant that she ran every day, every single day, for at least one mile, and one mile is not a lot.

00:16:23.922 --> 00:16:24.604
Anybody can do it.

00:16:24.604 --> 00:16:26.836
You know you can, but most people can do it, but you know it really takes a lot.

00:16:26.836 --> 00:16:27.217
Anybody can do it.

00:16:27.217 --> 00:16:34.217
You know you can well, but, but, um, well, most people can do it, but you know it really takes a lot of discipline to do that, you know, and at first I was like, yeah, no big deal, I'll do that.

00:16:34.217 --> 00:16:35.321
Very simple, easy.

00:16:35.321 --> 00:16:55.519
But I found myself at like 1130 at night, not having run sometimes, and I hadn't brushed my teeth and go run around my neighborhood for a mile just to check that box, you know, and over time that becomes a real, it becomes a real discipline.

00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.845
You know something you just do every day, just like brushing your teeth.

00:16:59.431 --> 00:17:01.077
And so and you need that right.

00:17:01.077 --> 00:17:04.760
So that's one right there that I learned.

00:17:04.760 --> 00:17:08.017
You know the other one, another good one is you got to do the small things.

00:17:08.017 --> 00:17:13.027
Uh, do the things that nobody's when, nobody's watching right.

00:17:13.047 --> 00:17:14.951
Like again the little runs, or.

00:17:14.951 --> 00:17:19.261
But you know that's easy, Cause now there's an app that tracks all that stuff.

00:17:19.261 --> 00:17:27.164
But you also got to do like things to mitigate your uh, your, your um, uh, uh from from getting injured, right?

00:17:27.164 --> 00:17:28.888
So what does that mean Doing core work, right?

00:17:28.888 --> 00:17:30.869
So what does that mean Doing core work, right?

00:17:30.869 --> 00:17:40.767
So doing planks every day and a few pushups and a few you know sorry calf raises and different little things like that.

00:17:40.787 --> 00:17:41.829
Yeah, calf raises, exactly yeah.

00:17:42.230 --> 00:17:44.638
Yeah, and you got to eat healthier.

00:17:44.638 --> 00:17:46.155
You can't just eat crap all the time.

00:17:46.155 --> 00:17:47.737
You can't be drinking beer all the time.

00:17:47.737 --> 00:17:51.398
These are things that people are watching, but if you're not doing it, you know you're not going to make progress.

00:17:51.398 --> 00:17:53.156
So there's no real integrity there.

00:17:53.470 --> 00:17:59.662
So it's the same thing in business, right, like you can show up especially when I was young I thought it was a smooth talker and what have you.

00:17:59.662 --> 00:18:05.098
So I just show up to anywhere without preparing, know that nobody's watching whether you prepare or not.

00:18:05.098 --> 00:18:09.265
But they know, and if you show up well prepared, you're probably going to get the business right.

00:18:09.265 --> 00:18:14.752
You've, you've done all the stats.

00:18:14.752 --> 00:18:18.451
You know what you know in real estate, like looking at all the competition, going to check them out, see talking to the agency and what's actually.

00:18:18.451 --> 00:18:20.857
You know what kind of traction they're getting.

00:18:20.857 --> 00:18:23.676
You know seeing how yours is going to stack up against the others.

00:18:23.676 --> 00:18:31.517
You know comparing it to different times in the market that are equivalent.

00:18:31.517 --> 00:18:37.057
You know that that shows your preparation and and then you're more likely to get the business than than not.

00:18:37.137 --> 00:18:43.880
Right, so that that's all the little things that, when you touched on this one already, too, is setting long-term goals.

00:18:43.880 --> 00:18:48.263
You mentioned the Boston Marathon and setting that up Right, and how do you, how do you, set your goals for your business?

00:18:49.830 --> 00:18:52.457
Yeah, so now I'm transitioning towards um.

00:18:52.457 --> 00:18:55.804
My, my big goal now is in three years.

00:18:55.804 --> 00:18:58.219
Uh, I haven't really thought beyond the three years yet.

00:18:58.219 --> 00:19:00.932
Um, sometimes I've made longer term goals and I haven't.

00:19:00.932 --> 00:19:16.334
But we have a big shift in our family, uh, where in three years we should be empty nesters and my wife and I would really like to go and have a nomadic life for a little while, go, just take off randomly, live in different parts of the world.

00:19:16.875 --> 00:19:22.854
So we want to create a business that um will provide for that, right?

00:19:22.854 --> 00:19:26.402
So so, and it's our podcast, the way finder show.

00:19:26.402 --> 00:19:31.378
So, uh, we want to build a business around that to to get there.

00:19:31.378 --> 00:19:36.613
So now, that's the intention to build a business around that to get there.

00:19:36.613 --> 00:19:37.434
So now, that's the intention.

00:19:37.434 --> 00:19:41.483
We have to create a way of monetizing that, and that's something we're working on and we have to figure out.

00:19:41.483 --> 00:19:42.252
What does that mean?

00:19:42.252 --> 00:19:44.884
We have other sources of income too.

00:19:44.884 --> 00:19:45.807
That'll help as well.

00:19:45.807 --> 00:19:52.500
So it doesn't have to be that big, but we really enjoy this and it we we'd like to work on.

00:19:52.500 --> 00:20:03.679
So, so we have the big long-term goal and then we'll work a little bit all the time now to to, you know, figure out how to get there.

00:20:03.799 --> 00:20:09.241
So, yeah, I love that, and you've interviewed me for your podcast, the Wayfinder Show.

00:20:09.241 --> 00:20:12.674
I'm looking forward to, you know, at least sharing that with others.

00:20:12.674 --> 00:20:25.483
I often say I don't like to hear my voice and others, but I'm glad we've been able to reciprocate to have you on here and again, I just love the big vision of what you want to do with regards to that podcast.

00:20:25.483 --> 00:20:28.049
You just spent some time podcast movement.

00:20:28.049 --> 00:20:38.071
Obviously, if folks are still on or they listen to podcasts as a tool, they are curious about the trends that things are going on.

00:20:38.071 --> 00:20:49.512
You mentioned, before we hit the record button, you had just attended the podcast movement show, which is, I think, the largest show that brings podcasters together to really learn about new things that are going on.

00:20:49.512 --> 00:20:56.596
What are some of the trends that are happening right now inside a podcast that you're seeing that maybe you could take advantage of?

00:20:58.021 --> 00:21:04.137
Yeah, the, the two biggest ones that kept coming up over and over were, uh, uh, ai, like everywhere else.

00:21:04.137 --> 00:21:09.952
You know just the use of it, uh, it's, it's incredible how much uh of an effect it has on it.

00:21:09.952 --> 00:21:14.137
You know, as you know, probably all the software we use in this now has AI built into it.

00:21:14.137 --> 00:21:17.280
Um, so that's pretty interesting.

00:21:17.280 --> 00:21:20.523
And then the other one is a video.

00:21:20.523 --> 00:21:22.987
Video is just uh it is now.

00:21:22.987 --> 00:21:33.140
Youtube is now the number one place where people are going to to get onto podcasts, which I don't have a big uh audience there, you know, I, I I've got one recording on there.

00:21:33.140 --> 00:21:37.619
So it's definitely a place to grow and it's going to continue to grow.

00:21:37.619 --> 00:21:43.800
And I think a lot of the service providers are shifting towards becoming more video first versus audio first.

00:21:45.329 --> 00:21:48.380
Hey listeners, I want to take a quick moment to share something special with you.

00:21:48.380 --> 00:21:56.359
Many of the topics and discussions we have on this podcast are areas where I provide coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations.

00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:09.723
If you've been inspired by our conversation and are seeking a catalyst for change in your own life or within your team, I invite you to visit coachjohngallaghercom forward slash free call to sign up for a free coaching call with me.

00:22:09.723 --> 00:22:17.800
It's an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your unique challenges and explore how coaching or consulting can benefit you and your team.

00:22:17.800 --> 00:22:20.569
Okay, let's get back to the show.

00:22:23.758 --> 00:22:24.961
I think that's amazing.

00:22:24.961 --> 00:22:26.463
The trend in and of itself.

00:22:26.463 --> 00:22:28.789
Ai is obviously changing everything.

00:22:28.789 --> 00:22:30.796
It's changing podcasting and what happens.

00:22:30.796 --> 00:22:39.076
The progress of YouTube and I just got on about 20 episodes ago started working with YouTube as well.

00:22:39.076 --> 00:22:41.422
But you're exactly right, it's so funny.

00:22:41.442 --> 00:22:54.036
My son is 27 and we were sitting in the living room yesterday and he's flipping through podcasts on YouTube to watch some of the folks he likes to listen to whether it's Joe Rogan is one that he loves to listen to.

00:22:54.036 --> 00:22:58.121
Theo Vaughn is somebody who's getting a lot of attention right now.

00:22:58.121 --> 00:23:11.164
He's got six and a half million followers on his YouTube podcast and you're like my goodness gracious the influence that can be had on YouTube is pretty powerful.

00:23:11.164 --> 00:23:13.433
No doubt that's something that I think you know.

00:23:13.433 --> 00:23:24.073
It's like we have to be there and I look forward to seeing what's possible in your podcast as you, as you continue to grow and monetize, because YouTube is one of those primary spaces to monetize as well.

00:23:24.073 --> 00:23:41.815
Absolutely, when you think about um, the influencers, whether it's you know in your business and running um, or maybe it's you know in in your leadership growth, louis, who, who is who has been a positive influence, uh, on your personal development?

00:23:41.815 --> 00:23:48.718
Is it an author or a podcaster, or a family member who's made a difference in your life?

00:23:49.018 --> 00:23:49.998
Definitely a lot.

00:23:49.998 --> 00:23:51.378
My mother is a big one.

00:23:51.378 --> 00:23:56.901
My mother, you know, is this little like, barely four feet ten Colombian woman.

00:23:56.901 --> 00:24:01.303
Doesn't know English, doesn't even have a high school education.

00:24:01.303 --> 00:24:27.363
You know, she had to drop out at a very young age, her and all her siblings growing up on a coffee farm in Colombia, to support the family and work the farm, and then moved to the city of Medellin, um and, and she's just a really wise soul with a lot of great, you know, one-liners in Spanish that ring in my head all the time and um, give me your best one in English though.

00:24:29.309 --> 00:24:38.478
Yeah, Um, there's one that roughly translates to those who are unselfish and share with others.

00:24:38.478 --> 00:24:47.686
You know, give to others, like unselfishly, get to eat from where nobody knows there's food, kind of thing.

00:24:47.686 --> 00:24:57.981
You know, Okay, so and so, yeah, it's one of those and actually kind of goes in line with another person that I follow.

00:24:57.981 --> 00:25:00.726
That has been a big influence on me.

00:25:00.726 --> 00:25:04.838
He wrote the book called the Go-Giver and we actually got to have it's Bob Berg.

00:25:04.838 --> 00:25:09.309
We actually got to have him in episode 100 of our show, which was a real treat.

00:25:09.490 --> 00:25:33.541
But that book changed my life and it really is a lot about just giving, giving, giving unselfishly, not with an intention in mind.

00:25:33.541 --> 00:25:45.087
We all think about in our younger years as men, those you know, whether it's directly from that person or that cause or in another way, like the universe just gives back to us in a very profound way, right.

00:25:45.087 --> 00:25:56.559
So it's a lesson, it's a saying my mother would teach me as a kid that I didn't understand that I got now more through the book the Go-Giver, which has been a great influence on me, yeah.

00:25:57.099 --> 00:26:00.483
Yeah, moms would say, when the student is ready, the teacher will arrive sometimes.

00:26:00.483 --> 00:26:02.645
Maybe sometimes it's not her, maybe sometimes it's others.

00:26:02.645 --> 00:26:10.238
But I love that, louie, I appreciate the project that you're talking about and I look forward to what's possible.

00:26:10.238 --> 00:26:13.385
I love the thought of 26.2 ways I think that's very curious.

00:26:13.385 --> 00:26:18.518
I know one of the books that's had a positive impact on me is the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:19.220
And.

00:26:19.259 --> 00:26:28.894
I remember John Maxwell, the author, being interviewed on a podcast and they said why did you write 21 laws and why not 22 or 25?

00:26:28.894 --> 00:26:30.657
He said because there's 21 laws.

00:26:30.657 --> 00:26:35.298
It's not like it was just him kind of being very straightforward and saying that's what I had.

00:26:35.298 --> 00:26:36.101
I had 21.

00:26:36.101 --> 00:26:39.834
So you're at 14, maybe it's a half marathon to get started on your first book.

00:26:39.834 --> 00:26:41.396
Don't wait for perfection.

00:26:41.396 --> 00:26:46.798
And and uh, you, you go to the full marathon over time as you continue to grow in your role.

00:26:46.798 --> 00:26:57.605
I've loved our conversation today, louie, when you think about growing your podcast, so tell folks where they can find your show as well as connect with you.

00:26:57.625 --> 00:26:58.450
Yeah, thank you for that, john.

00:26:58.450 --> 00:27:03.442
I've enjoyed the conversation as well, both when I had you on and now today.

00:27:03.442 --> 00:27:06.198
Our podcast is called the Wayfinder Show.

00:27:06.198 --> 00:27:11.123
You can find it on all of the medium and mediums out there except YouTube.

00:27:11.123 --> 00:27:13.798
We have a channel, but not everything is there yet, but it's coming.

00:27:13.798 --> 00:27:22.660
But anyways, our website also has all of our episodes and the links to every episode on on all the different mediums.

00:27:22.660 --> 00:27:24.807
It's called it's just wayfinder showcom, so you can find us there.

00:27:24.807 --> 00:27:26.934
We have a newsletter that comes out every week now too.

00:27:26.934 --> 00:27:30.191
Uh, so I I have these four questions at the end.

00:27:30.191 --> 00:27:33.263
You may remember we call them world, world famous Wayfinder 4.

00:27:33.263 --> 00:27:41.711
And my newsletter is basically just my own Wayfinder 4 for that week that we share with others and what the upcoming episodes are.

00:27:41.711 --> 00:27:48.051
And it's really the most fun I'm having in life right now is with the Wayfinder show.

00:27:48.732 --> 00:27:54.414
I will make sure to put the link in the show notes for folks to have and in the social media posts that I put out there as well.

00:27:54.414 --> 00:27:57.761
Louis, it's been a blast and yeah, I have my one question.

00:27:57.761 --> 00:28:03.299
I don't have my four, but my one that I end each podcast with as well, and I'll give you the last word.

00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:05.029
I'll give you a billboard.

00:28:05.029 --> 00:28:08.253
You can put it anywhere you want to Denver, right by that airport.

00:28:08.253 --> 00:28:09.977
There's millions of people going through there.

00:28:09.977 --> 00:28:10.857
You could put it right, right there.

00:28:10.857 --> 00:28:16.064
What's the message you're going to put on that billboard you want folks to see, and why do you put that message on there?

00:28:17.085 --> 00:28:17.746
I thought about.

00:28:17.746 --> 00:28:26.810
You know, my initial idea was to the nike's famous just do it um, but that's probably a little bit too cliche.

00:28:26.810 --> 00:28:35.560
So I was gonna say just just give and don't worry about the results after that.

00:28:35.560 --> 00:28:37.643
Just give, just give.

00:28:38.084 --> 00:28:43.199
Just give, appreciate that and I appreciate that, especially again as a message from your mother.

00:28:43.199 --> 00:28:44.536
I appreciate you sharing that as well.

00:28:44.536 --> 00:29:15.316
I do believe from a faith standpoint that the more that we give, the more that we will receive, but it may not be necessary as long as we don't have, to your point, worrying about anything to be returned to us, but that we be servants to others and that's going to be very positive, louie, and I think what you're doing is really cool, what you've done to overcome many things, what you've done to connect your passion with what you want to do in your business, and I wish you the best with the Wayfinder show going forward.

00:29:15.316 --> 00:29:16.699
Thanks for being on the show.

00:29:17.300 --> 00:29:18.063
Yeah, thank you, John.

00:29:21.730 --> 00:29:24.480
And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon Leader podcast.

00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:25.654
Thanks for tuning in today.

00:29:25.654 --> 00:29:33.119
If you found value in this episode, I encourage you to share it with your friends, colleagues or anyone else who could benefit from the insights and inspiration we've shared.

00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:40.678
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00:29:40.678 --> 00:29:47.613
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00:29:47.613 --> 00:29:50.781
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