One Jordan: Strategies for Building Lasting Impactful Connections with Chris Welton

Speaker 1:
0:00

Well, I think networking has such a nasty stigma because I think a network marketing and multi-level that's just where my head goes when I hear that or or hey, do you want a network? Like really that you're asking me to spend money with you, like there's just a weird connection. But connecting for me is building relationships that are going to last. Look, one of the things I'm afraid of is people are going to do, take this Jordan book they're going to do a Jordan and they're just going to get a phone call and they're not going to do anything with it from me. So for me, connecting is building something that's going to be a long relationship and the majority of the people that I've wrote about in the book I've created relationships with.

Speaker 2:
0:44

Hey, uncommon Leaders, welcome back. This is the Uncommon Leader podcast and I'm your host, john Gallagher. In this episode, I had the privilege of catching up with Chris Welton, who shared the exciting journey he's been on since his last appearance on the show, a little over a year ago. This time, we dove into the release of his new book One Jordan, which quickly hit the Amazon bestseller status just days after its release. Chris outlined in his story about leaving his corporate job to pursue coaching and speaking full time, as well as the Joanne challenges that came with becoming a father to his new son, leo, who arrived six weeks early, facing life-threatening complications.

Speaker 2:
1:18

We explored the power of building meaningful connections in his unique One Jordan way of getting the attention of high performers, as well as the impact of overcoming self-doubt and rejection when that occurs as well. Chris also teased his new book, providing a glimpse into his powerful life story and the valuable lessons he plans to share. It was a truly inspiring and insightful conversation that I can't wait for you to hear. Let's get started. Chris Welton, welcome back to the Uncommon Leader podcast. It's great to have you on again, man.

Speaker 1:
1:46

How you doing, I'm doing wonderful Like I couldn't ask for a better trajectory that I'm on right now personally first and foremost, but then professionally he's really starting to take off as well.

Speaker 2:
1:59

This is really cool. I'm looking forward to chatting with you about your new book that just came out. Congratulations on receiving Amazon bestseller status already. It's just been out for a few days, so that's pretty cool For those of you listening in when you see this. It came out late February. You need to get a copy of this book. We're going to talk about it some, but I want to talk to you a little bit about what's been going on. Again, it's been a little over a year since I had you on the show. I believe that Uncommon Leaders are those that are lifelong learners. What's been going on in your life? What have you been learning? I know you've had a lot of stuff personally going on too as well.

Speaker 1:
2:31

Yeah, there's a lot. We could do a whole show just on that, probably, john Well, in August of last year, I decided to step away from my corporate job and to go full time into what I wanted to do, which was have a more positive impact on individuals that wanted to be impacted. Running big corporations and doing all these things I did in corporate America. We had great success, but you only impacted a small amount of people inside the company that wanted to be impacted. Everybody else just wanted to pay check. I just got to a point in my life where I'm like, okay, I need to do something bigger and broader. They say you die twice the day they put you in the ground the day people stop talking about. I wanted to create a legacy that maybe that lived on way past the time that I'd left this earth. So stepping away August 31st and jumping all into my coaching and speaking business was something that I just felt that I had to do. Then, of course, released a book in February, but the biggest thing that we've done is December 12th of last year.

Speaker 1:
3:34

Our son, leo, was born. What a blessing he's been. It's just been our fourth child. He's the only one living with us. Now we have two older children that are out on their own. We have a son, cj, who's in heaven, but it has been just an unbelievable journey to the last. Tomorrow he'll be 12 weeks old. That's my biggest accomplishment period. Regardless of best selling status and everything else, leo Christopher being here is just an amazing, amazing thing to have Love that.

Speaker 2:
4:08

I follow you on social media, Chris. You get a chance to see that store. I know how proud you are to be a dad of that new little guy, Leo. I know your son, who passed, has been a big part of your story as well, as you've gone on that journey. I appreciate you sharing that. I'm excited to hear about some of the new things you have going on professionally as well that change going into coaching and speaking and going away from some of that security that exists, if you will, in that space. That was the corporate job in corporate America. It can be tough but I'm glad to hear things are going well for you. But today we're here to talk about your book. One Jordan Just came out. Let's just start right there. I won't give a whole lot. Tell me the story behind One Jordan, why you wrote it and who you wrote it for.

Speaker 1:
4:52

Yeah, it was crazy how it all came together. I saw a post on social media from somebody that we all follow and know, bradley. He said it was telling a story about hey, this is a great way to connect One Jordan shoe and send a handwritten note. I'm like I love that. You can tell I'm a big Jordan fan, like if you ever see me speak at events, I always have Jordans on. That's my thing.

Speaker 1:
5:15

I was at the Make a Wish Foundation event this weekend in Charleston, south Carolina, and we auctioned off one custom Jordan, raised $7,500, which covered one wish for one child. Then we turned around total with everything we did that weekend, raised 700,000 and took care of 93 wishes. So the Jordan has been something that I've looked up to my whole life about. A teenager when the Jordan brand came out and it was something that has cultural significance and that shoe has transitioned over five generations or five decades I would say. I'm 51, my son's 12 weeks old. We both wear Jordans. Like think about that, right, that's just the craziest thing ever. So when I saw this was an idea or strategy, I'm like, okay, well, I have this list of people that I want to connect with. I know who my who's are right. Who do I want to connect with? That seem to be untouchable. So I said you know what? Let's give it a shot. So I took one shoe. I reached out to Damon West, who's just super impactful in my life Great speaker, great author and now one of my personal friends and I got a shoe size by sending him some DMs over Instagram. This is before he got real big. It's hard to get to him through Instagram now. Luckily I have his personal cell phone number, but he responded. So I sent him a shoe in his size and a handwritten note that said if you want the other shoe, give me a call. And it worked. And I was like, okay, this is amazing, right. So I started working on another list. I added Ben Newman to the list who's now. I just got off a call with Ben a few minutes ago. Ben is a personal friend of mine now, and all because of sending that one Jordan shoe.

Speaker 1:
7:07

Here's the kicker, the funny thing about it. As in, I said, you know, maybe I should write a book. I always wanted to write a book. Maybe I should write a book about this story. What a great tool, for I don't like to use the word networking I like to use connecting better Networking to me has kind of a negative spin on it. That's where everybody stands around and drinks and helps somebody can connect. But so I thought what a great way to get this story out there, to share with people that, hey, you can do the same thing.

Speaker 1:
7:34

So when I decided to write a book last April and in May I'm with my good friend Renee Rodriguez, we're down in Miami, we're at this small little event working on my speaking, because I'm a student of that industry, so I've always got to get better, to become a better speaker and I said, hey, I wrote this, I'm writing this book, renee, I'd love for you to write the forward. He said, sure, tell me what it's about. So I tell him and he goes. You know, I'm the one that told Bradley about that. Like we came up with that strategy. I said, no idea, that's crazy, right? So Renee's gracious enough to write the forward. There's a chapter in there about Renee Rodriguez, how I impacted my life. And then I just took off and went with it and the people I've connected with. It's been amazing, not just to get in the door with him, but how the relationships have gone since then I mean I just was texting yesterday with David Meltzer, right, like if you know David Meltzer, he's like he's a powerhouse.

Speaker 1:
8:29

John Gordon and I text last week about the book. He congratulated me. John Gordon's a guy that I can reach out to right now with questions, right, and get answers. Coach Michael Burton, I've become really close because I sent one Jordan, like I'm just an average guy that took something and implemented it and was able to run with it. Now this book has been on fire. We were number one best seller in six categories, which I didn't. Honestly, I was so nervous that anybody might even buy the book, like besides my friends and family. I mean, you were on my call and then I came out so I knew you were gonna get one. So like I thought that that may work. But it's been an amazing journey so far and it's just getting started.

Speaker 2:
9:10

Pressure touched on so much just in that, and one of the things that I heard, even a couple of times, even at the end, maybe a little self-deprecation, where you talk about you're just an average guy or an ordinary guy, which you're not, but I'm sure there were things that went through your mind as you're trying to connect with these. I think it's a high performers is on the front of your book, but you talk about those folks that might seem a little bit out of reach for us. So I believe one of the barriers to that with many people is this self-doubt or lack of self-confidence. You could debate about the word and definition. How did you overcome that when you went through that? And or did you experience that as you went through?

Speaker 1:
9:45

Oh, I experienced it a lot. I mean, the truth is the book was supposed to come out in October last year but multiple times towards the end I told myself I probably shouldn't do it. You know it's hard to explain. You wanna do something like that, so you take off to do it. And my biggest struggle with life is finishing. Like, to be honest, like I'm really good at starting, finishing hasn't been my strength. So as I push towards the end of this book, I've got a wife who's very supportive, who's the I mean, she helped me with a ton of stuff in the book and she's like we gotta get this out, we gotta get this out, we gotta get it done, we gotta make it happen.

Speaker 1:
10:26

I had plenty of self-doubt. Like the cool thing was is I had this massive moment of joy Like the first. Like nine people I sent shoes to responses right away Like oh my God, this is like so easy. And then Dan Martell, who I love and respect, said I'm not interested, send the shoe back. Like oh man, this guy did it. Man, and I, to be honest with you, at first I was like how dare you send the shoe back? That's so disliked, that's that. My thought was like look, and luckily I had introduced I'd given them.

Speaker 1:
11:04

I talked to the book he wrote buy back your time and given it to ideas to my coach, adam Roach, and Adam had reached out to Dan and got his mastermind. So Adam and him were talking and he says Dan, he tells Dan, you need to get on the phone with us. Well, like this he goes. Well, you know, the Jordan thing was kind of gimmicky, whatever and he said you just need to talk to me. So I get a text message from Dan Martell and we do a 10 minute conversation and when I get off that conversation, when I get off that conversation, I was still mad at him.

Speaker 1:
11:37

Honestly, I was still like how dare you? You know, I'm on, I'm writing this book about one Jordan. I sent you a shoe like and then I had this epiphany after I listened to the callback and I said he's exactly who he said he is in the book he wrote. Not very many authors can say that they write a book to sell it right. So that was one of my funnest chapters to write is is because it was all like dude, he put me in my place, which I needed to be, but he was still super kind to me. On the call he was says I've got 10 minutes you attend. That's my time. I'm here to serve you.

Speaker 2:
12:17

So love that as terms of going through as well in terms of the it's not 100% going to work every time, in terms of when you're trying to connect and learning how to receive a note. Specifically, dan Martell I've read his book as well. By back your time, found a very impactful for me in terms of reading it through, and that guy knows the importance of saying no, there's no doubt about it. He knows the importance of his time and what that means in terms of revenue and things like that for him, and certainly in terms of relationships. He talks about that in his books too. So I appreciate that and that's cool. You got a chance to have that conversation with him. Let's talk about maybe one of the yeses that was more powerful for you. You've had a chance, through this one Jordan practice, if you will, to connect with new mentors now, new colleagues, new friendships that are made. Is there any one of them that really stuck out to like man? That was really cool and a story that you want to share with the listeners.

Speaker 1:
13:09

I mean the best one has been been new, like that's been. That's been the one that's been the most powerful as far as what we've evolved it into. I mean it's just been this unbelievable relationship we've built in just over the last like 14 months. I mean it's been really cool and the stuff that we've been able to do, like him inviting me to meet him in Orlando, where I live, at an event, and that's how I was able to meet John Gordon face to face and Ben is so supportive of me. He's like we're in the green room. He's like, well, and you'll be in this green room one day. It'll be your green room. Like you have a powerful story to tell and share and you're this special person. This is going to be your green room one day.

Speaker 1:
13:52

And he said come on, let's go walk out on stage. We walked out on stage in this Dr Phillips Theater, which is this beautiful theater in downtown Orlando. I mean, when we're staying on the stage, he said how's that feel, you know? Like he put me there right. Like in this is a guy I sent a shoe to, but I look up to this the number four performance coach in the world. Like not just a guy I'm like. He's somebody who's very impactful. You can see the shoe right behind me there. That's the one that Ben and I share. You know, he kept one shoe and sent one shoe back and wrote some nice notes and stuff, legacy and some other things on the shoe for me, oh wow. So we have that impact. Every time I'm on a call with him he's promoting me, like we were just on a call with like a hundred and something people. He's like if you don't have Chris Walton's one Jordan book yet, you're missing out, like you know. So that relationship has been probably the most impactful, probably the most surprising one, though.

Speaker 1:
14:45

That was Tark El Musso, and those of you who are fans of HGTV, tark El Musso is the original flipper flop guy and his story is like blew my mind. But that was an example. That chapter is an example of resilience, because we scheduled it. It was canceled and then they wouldn't respond and then their publicist said we're not going to do it because he's got a book coming out, and so I just sent him the second shoe anyways, and I just sent a note and said, hey, man, enjoy the shoes. I'm sure at some point we're going to share a stage. Have a great day. Two days later, I got a call from these people. He wants to do the pocket, so I didn't expect that. Honestly, I thought that was over and I was going to leave that chapter out of the book and move on.

Speaker 2:
15:34

Hey listeners, I want to take a quick moment to share something special with you. Many of the topics and discussions we have on this podcast are areas where I provide coaching and consulting services for individuals and organizations. 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. It's an opportunity for us to connect, discuss your unique challenges and explore how coaching or consulting can benefit you and your team. Okay, let's get back to the show. That was my favorite chapter as well that story, just in learning more about him as well. I love the way you laid the book out in terms of different stories Again, both yeses and noes that you went through. In terms of understanding that, as you touched on something early on, you mentioned there's a difference between networking and connecting. What's there for you? What's the difference in those two words? How do you distinguish between the two?

Speaker 1:
16:37

Well, I think networking has such a nasty stigma because I think a network, marketing and multi-level. Just where my head goes when I hear that, or hey, do you want a network? Really, you're asking me to spend money with you. There's just a weird connection. Connecting, for me, is building relationships that are going to last. Look, one of the things I'm afraid of is people are going to take this Jordan book, they're going to do a Jordan and they're just going to get a phone call and they're not going to do anything with it from there. For me, connecting is building something that's going to be a long relationship. The majority of the people that I've wrote about in the book I've created relationships with. I was just texting with Andy Elliott two days ago. This guy's on fire. Andy reached out to me that was in the book and congratulated me, like, hey, when are you going to be in this part of the country? Let's get together. It's been amazing. Connecting is something you're going to do to build long term. You connect with your spouse, you connect with your best friends. You connect with the people that are important in your life. This is a way to build that circle.

Speaker 1:
17:45

I had the fortunate I was so fortunate to get some time with John Maxwell back in November. John was talking about you know, understanding what those relationships and the importance of connecting and going deeper with people are, and understanding that mentors it's not what they used to be. You don't have to actually know a mentor. You can have a mentor. You listen to a podcast or read their book. They become your mentor. So I wanted to change my circle because I felt my circle was getting stale. So that's the one, jordan. I started building a new circle and my circle is really exciting, right, like I mean, just, I was literally at the Make a Wish Foundation event in Charleston last weekend and my table was the CEO of Forbes Publishing, like sitting right next to me. Right, like, so who do you think's gonna do my next book? Right, I mean, like, think about that, I'm a guy who just wrote this book that nobody really knows. And I'm sitting next to the CEO of Forbes book. Adam Witte is my table mate, like it's the craziest thing ever, right?

Speaker 2:
18:52

Yeah, small World. And by being intentional, chris, I think you create those opportunities absolutely. And again, as I followed your journey over the past year and a half since we met, I think it's been one that's been phenomenal in terms of the intentionality that you have in building those relationships and going after it, and I know that your story has been not all good in terms of what you still continue to go through ups and downs. So I appreciate you sharing some of those ups and downs with us when I think about how others can learn from you. Maybe what are some tips you might have to help folks break out from their comfort zone of not wanting to ask or afraid of being saying no. What tips would you have for?

Speaker 1:
19:35

You know, I'll go back to one of the lessons I learned when I first started selling cars and having to make phone calls. Right, because I was afraid of the phone, like most people are. No is the reason you're a salesperson if you're in sales, because if everybody said yes, you wouldn't need salespeople, right? So getting on the phone or reaching out or trying to connect, you're gonna face some rejection. That's just part of it, right, but it's not gonna kill you. You have survived 100% of the rejections in your life so far, right, and until you understand that, you're gonna be stuck where you are and that's okay. Like, not everybody wants to do one Jordan, not everybody wants to make all this money, not everybody wants to be on podcasts or whatever. That's okay.

Speaker 1:
20:19

But if you do, it's actually pretty easy. If you put the work in and you stay consistent with it and go after it. You just gotta believe that you're worthy of it. And the truth is I don't believe that I'm worthy of it a lot of the times. So I have to go back and remember my wins and remember the things that give me the power to get where I wanna go, and that's why that book is sitting on the shelf of Muhammad right now and it's never gonna leave there Right, and it's just starting to take off the podcasts that have reached out the people that are wanting me to be part of it. There's news channel that saw the book. I gave it away at the event that I was at this weekend in Charleston. They wanted to fly back up next week. They wanted to do a special on their local news channel for the book. I mean, those would have never happened if I hadn't just taken the chance to send a shoe.

Speaker 2:
21:08

Well, again, that's just the courage that you have, and you touched on this word and you said rejection Reminded me of a book that I'm in the process of reading right now. My wife and I are both reading and I have some friends that are reading it Jamie Kernelima's book Worthy Worthy. Yeah, and she talks about that. If you've heard her on other podcasts as well. She says rejection is God's protection. I guess I'll ask you this, because I know you've talked about another podcast and even on our story before. How has your faith played a part in this journey for you last again 18 to 24 months, as you continue to grow and go through the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and a new dad and all those things?

Speaker 1:
21:45

You know, my faith has definitely kept me focused and helped me understand how to be grateful along the way and know that I'm not in this battle alone and that God has put in people in my space to help me In so many times through life. I never realized that I think you've been trying to do that for like 30 something years and I just kind of just thought I just never saw that and they took advantage of it. But now I continue to get being put in the right places and I know that he has something to do with that right. So I'll share a brief story with you I haven't shared on any podcast yet.

Speaker 1:
22:24

The day before my son, leo, was born, we had to call 911 and take my wife to the hospital in Angeles. We thought we were losing Leo, and the truth is, I thought we were gonna lose her too when she delivered Leo. After she delivered him, she was in the operating room for over five hours, oh wow. And I was sitting with Leo by myself waiting for her, and it was until I told the story this last week. I didn't share it with people. I didn't realize First of all excuse the language what a badass my wife is. She made it through that, but how closely were we losing her and him both.

Speaker 1:
23:09

And I know that my son, cj, played a part in saving her and I know that God played a part in saving her. But, boy, your faith will get tested a lot. I mean, that's probably one of the other lessons, too is, my faith is tested on a regular basis. But you can see the little picture behind me. That's Leo, right there, when he was being our nephew was delivered. We had over 20 doctors in the delivery room. We had a special team brought in to deliver him and he was delivered six weeks early. But God is good man. I mean, he's showing me the things that I need to be doing to help other people and he's blessing me along the way, which is super impactful.

Speaker 2:
23:58

Chris, I appreciate you sharing that story and I'm so glad things did work out the way they did work out. And you're right, he is a powerful God and if we have big dreams, we pray for those big dreams. I mean, there are going to be times where we don't reach it. We're going to be tested absolutely. But if we don't ask, we always know what the answer is going to be and if we trust in a big God, then he'll bring us things that are really powerful, both into our personal lives and into our professional lives as well.

Speaker 2:
24:26

Something I've been talking with a mentor a bunch about myself really in terms of growth of a business, and what does it really mean is about growing the business specifically in terms of revenue, or is it about growing it in terms of what you've talked about in your book Connections and People and Impact and what's going to happen? So I do appreciate you sharing that. Chris. I appreciate your time today. I want to ask you just a couple more questions. We'll get a chance to see folks who will know where they can connect with you. But the book test I've talked about this with many authors each of the authors I have on the podcast. Somebody's going to read your book, you know the next month or so they really should, but they're going to then put it on a bookshelf and they're going to see it any year from now. They're going to see it on that bookshelf. When you think about the impact you want one Jordan to have, what do you want them to think, feel or do when they see that book a year from now?

Speaker 1:
25:19

That's a great question. No one's asked me that I hit John.

Speaker 2:
25:23

I'm glad.

Speaker 1:
25:23

I had one of them.

Speaker 2:
25:24

I knew you're on a lot of podcasts. I thought I might have one.

Speaker 1:
25:28

The funny thing is, as I was writing the book, renee Maradrivias, who's my mentor, wrote the forward. He said we want to make sure this is a book that people continue to pick up. Chris, we don't want to make sure it's a book that someone reads once and puts down. So I want it to be a book that people go back to and draw strength from if they're being rejected when they're trying to commit. I appreciate you saying that I'm not an ordinary person, but here's the thing I'm the son of a drug addict. I was born with a limb difference. I was a college dropout. I've had a failed marriage. I've done a lot of stuff that's happened along the way.

Speaker 1:
26:12

I use this book to try to help people that have been in the same spots for me that can connect as well on a high level. I want to be a book people can go back to get strength from. You know what I'm going to use this strategy now. I saw it a year ago. I didn't do it. Thousands of people are doing it now, or whatever that may be, but find strength to connect and understand that they're just like you, the people you're trying to connect to. They're just like you. The majority of the people will respond when you do something bold Anything. One shoe and a handwritten note is pretty bold.

Speaker 2:
26:47

Yes, it is. So that's what I hear as well. Be bold in terms of going through that, chris. What's the next book coming? You know it's crazy.

Speaker 1:
26:56

Yeah, I have. So I was just in Dallas, texas, on Amber League Logos podcast two weeks ago and as we were finishing up the interview it's so funny because we talked about how small the world was earlier I walk out of the studio and Justin Roth is waiting to go in to do his podcast, which is just like it's such a small world, and him and I were having a conversation. I said you know what I realized this morning the day of that was I wrote the one Jordan book because I was afraid to write the book that I should have written and as I've talked to my mentors about that, they're like no, you wrote that book because that way people are going to know who you are as an author and it's going to be a bestseller and it's going to get out there. And now your next book, people are going to be waiting to buy it.

Speaker 1:
27:53

My next book is kind of be about.

Speaker 1:
27:57

It's really about my life story, my journey on overcoming obstacles and finding success and learning lessons along the way, and my idea behind it is to help people that are going through or have been through the same things I have and shorten the learning curve right, because that's the whole idea is for me to help people not have to go through 30 years of something to get where they want to go, but maybe let's get through five years and get where they want to go. The book is going to have some time tested strategies that I've used to overcome those things, but also it's going to get really deep about the stories and the challenges that were faced along the way. You know, maybe late 2025 that book will be out, because it's going to take a lot longer to write than this book did. But I'm excited to do it and it's.

Speaker 1:
28:44

If you're thinking about writing a book, do it, but know that it's not easy. You might think it may be Boy. It is not easy, but it's so worth it. That box shows up at your house and you open it up and your name's on the cover and you wake up the next day and it says best selling author and it's just man. It's crazy to see that.

Speaker 2:
29:07

Well, Chris, I'll be looking forward to that one coming out as well, but I hope you get a chance to enjoy the success of one Jordan for just a little while before you start down. Start down on that path again. So again, best wishes on that and congratulations on the book. Where can folks find the book? What's the best place to go?

Speaker 1:
29:24

You know I would prefer them to go to Chris Welton. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I prefer them to go to onejordanbookcom and go that way. It's also available through Amazon, but onejordanbookcom will take you to Amazon. It just gives me an opportunity for us to connect on a deeper level at onejordanbookcom. Or they can also go to chrisweltonlive. There's more information on there about how you can have you speak at your events. There's links to my podcast on there and just some other information. We've got some really good groups. There's a great group on Facebook called One Jordan Book. It's pretty interactive. There's a lot of people on there talking every day about the strategies they're using and LinkedIn. Those are probably the best spots to reach me.

Speaker 2:
30:05

Excellent. That's where I'm going to send folks to. I'll put the links to the show notes, chris Onejordanbookcom. That's where I'm going to send them. Make sure they have that Again. Thank you so much, chris. I hope that the best wishes on the success of this book.

Speaker 1:
30:17

Thanks, john, I appreciate it.

Speaker 2:
30:21

And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon Leader podcast. Thanks for tuning in today. 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. Also, if you have a moment, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only helps us to improve, but it also helps others discover the podcast and join our growing community of Uncommon Leaders. Until next time, go with Grow Champions.