Unpacked with Ron Harvey
People Always Matter. Join Ron as he unpacks leadership with his guests.
Unpacked with Ron Harvey
From Pilot To Builder: Systems, Boundaries, Growth
We explore how letting go of people pleasing, building systems, and setting boundaries can transform a small aviation business and a leader’s life. James shares how coaching, health habits, and honest standards turned burnout into momentum and growth.
• shifting from technician to leader
• ending people pleasing and setting boundaries
• delegation with solution-first expectations
• installing simple, measurable performance standards
• marketing engine built to scale demand
• fixing the sales bottleneck with process and roles
• culture built on timely, respectful conversations
• health and discipline as business levers
• focusing on inputs over outcomes to avoid sabotage
• designing a company that runs without the founder
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This episode dives into James’s shift from being the “hero” in his aviation business to building a company that runs on systems, not him. He opens up about burnout, people-pleasing disguised as leadership, and how coaching helped him set boundaries, expectations, and a healthier culture. We cover his move from 4 a.m. manual outreach to a real marketing engine, a structured sales process, and simple performance standards that make accountability clear. James also shares personal habits that boosted his energy and mindset, plus the 60-day deployment that exposed every gap in a founder-dependent business. His lessons are practical: empower managers, document processes, and build a business that works without you. Perfect for leaders ready to trade heroics for structure, health, and scalable growth.
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Just Make A Difference: Leading Under Pressure by Ron Harvey
“If you don’t have something to measure your growth, you won’t be self-aware or intentional about your growth.”
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The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organization or entity. The information provided in this podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Listeners should consult with their own professional advisors before implementing any suggestions or recommendations made in this podcast. The speakers and guests are not responsible for any actions taken by listeners based on the information presented in this podcast. The podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or services. The speakers and guests make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in this ...
Welcome to Unpack Podcast with your host, Leadership Consultant, Ron Harvey of Global Core Strategies and Consulting. Ron believes that leadership is the fundamental driver towards making a difference. So now, to find out more of what it means to unpack leadership, here's your host, Ron Harvey.
SPEAKER_04:Good afternoon. This is Ron Harvey, the Vice President, Chief Operating Office for Global Core Strategies and Consulting. Back with you again, doing another podcast with another phenomenal guest, and you've heard from him before. And so we're super excited to have him come back and visit us again and continue to unpack, I mean, the world that he's in, the things that he's doing. And for all of you that are with us, thank y'all for joining us once again. Um, as I said, Ron Harvey. And I'm gonna hand the microphone to James and let him introduce himself, and then we're gonna go to work and unpack some stuff.
SPEAKER_00:Hey Ron, thank you so much uh for having me on the show again. Uh the first time was a great time, and um happy to be back. Uh, you know, if if they didn't watch the first one, a little bit about me. I'm a Air Force pilot. I fly for the KC-135 for the Air National Guard in Knoxville part-time and then full-time on an aircraft repair station in East Tennessee. Uh, we've got a team of seven, uh roughly$2 million in revenue and uh and growing. So um pretty much all I do is play with airplanes, to put it simply.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes. And the last time we were in the green room and we're having a good time in the green room before people come on, we always talk in the green room just just just to catch up with each other, you know. And James was sharing different things. So we'll get we'll unpack some of that as we go through. But life has changed since the last time you were on the podcast. Um, your your team is growing and you're in a different role. How has how have you made those adjustments and um is the first question. And then what are some of the challenges?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I um I want to say over the past year, that starting in December of 2024, um, you know, I really started investing in quite a bit myself, actually. Um, you know, there's a lot of things in my life going that I didn't think I really wanted it to go that way. Um, and I started working with a coach and you know, kind of started walking me through um, you know, people pleasing, and which this is going a little bit different direction, but it'll tie in. Yes. Um, and I realized, you know, wow, like I'm in a sales role and I have a team around me, and I am like just feeding off of pleasing everybody. And then what happens is, you know, it never is a recipe for success. So I started working uh with that coach to, you know, hand somebody an issue, and and uh, you know, I'd pretty much taught my staff that I I'm the answer to all problems. And so the first time I handed them an issue and and then they would be waiting for the answer. I'm like, no, I kind of expect you to to get that answer for me. Let me know what you find. Um, so there's uh we are at an airfield, so you probably hear the helicopter there. Uh oh, you're good.
SPEAKER_04:We can't hear it, so it's it's it's actually real well, so we don't hear it in the background. But can you talk? Yeah, can you talk on there, James? So what so you you recognize uh or somewhere a coach helped you recognize or you recognize that you're a people pleaser, and there are a lot of people that may be listening that find themselves in that same position. What was the biggest challenge once you realized, like, hey, the coach identified it, you agreed with it. What was the the most important thing you had to overcome to start addressing it?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I think typically anytime you're in a leadership position, um you you tend to, you're normally like the best at what you what you were, right? Like you're a good technician or a good what you know, whatever it was, and then they recognized that and moved you into a leadership position. And it's a completely different thing. It's like not even the same job. Um, and so I you know, I struggled a lot with, you know, you you almost get addicted to like solving everyone's problems, being the hero, you know, showing up being the hero. And then it's not sustainable and it's not healthy. And actually, uh, you know, what I came to learn is you're actually you're actually kind of manipulating people doing that. And that really took me a long time to wrap my head around. Um, you know, when you're not true to yourself and you're not real with somebody, like you're actually you're doing them a disservice and you're manipulating them, and um started viewing that in a bad way. And I was like, wow, you know, I've been doing that for years. Um and and so um, yeah, my relationships have have strengthened significantly, and I've gotten a lot more performance out of my staff, and we're setting up actual systems, uh sustainable systems, not just me do everything. Um, to where we're, you know, we we may take a uh uh a jump this year, I hope, into multiple digit um, you know, uh multiple million dollars. So um it's uh it was tough though.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yeah. So so we are talking, we're in the green room, and we're talking about, you know, you got you get promoted, and and oftentimes, you know, um, I believe, you know, for for promotions, people promote you for what you're what they want you to be, not what you used to be. How much did you have to shift once you got promoted just to not be the technical expert? And was that a stretch for you? Um, like getting out of this role of the subject matter technical expert, and that's not what they want you as you go forward, whole different responsibility and role. How how tough was that?
SPEAKER_00:It it's really tough because you're actually sabotaging yourself um as a leader by and the problem is you know, I'm a pilot and I'm an I'm an actual airframe and power plant mechanic with my inspector's authorization, like I have all the ratings like to do the work. And normally somebody that's in my position, like in my business, is normally not they're just an owner, you know. Maybe maybe they're a pilot, and that's it. So they have you know, they have no choice, they have to rely on their team uh to get the answers. Um, so I'm in a unique position where I've got a great opportunity to just step in every single time, and um it's not sustainable. You cannot do that.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. How hard was it for you, though? I mean, because you you're right, you know, um, you'll see something and it's easy to just fix it, and it may seem small, but what what damage does it call to the development of your team when you just step in and do these things that you think are small?
SPEAKER_00:Well, but it'll keep you stuck. The pain is you're always gonna be uh extremely stuck. Like um, you know, I'd work yeah, it seemed like I'd wake up at six and get home at 10 p.m. every single night. And yeah, I had to sit down and think about like what in my day am I doing? You know, that I could have you know delegated some of this where I'd had a normal day. Um and I was like, well, I could have delegated this, could have delegated that. And then um, you know, then then what people say is you'll hear it, you know, like, oh, well, I can't trust anybody. Well, you know, that that's really often people say that. Uh, but that's really a cop out. You know, you you really need to, you know, hand something to somebody and and give them an expectation and timeline to turn it around. Um, and then you'd be surprised the results that you get. Um, and so um now when people come to me with an issue, I I really try hard. I've also like laid the framework with my team, like, hey, you know, if you come to me with a problem, I expect a solution when you come. So, you know, have as many as possible, two or three, and then the one that you think is the right one. So when when you come to me, I expect you to have a solution also.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, how do you do it, James? Because I mean, in in in uniform, you you know, you mentioned in the room when you do it, you do it much better, but in as an entrepreneur, there's still work to be done for you, you know. What because it's your baby, I guess, because it's something that that belongs to you. How are you you making the transition? Because you can do it. How are you making the transition to do it better as an entrepreneur? A lot of entrepreneurs listen to us. So, what what advice do you give to people that are stuck and not as good as they need to be at delegating and empowering? Because it's not sustainable, you'll never become that that's that multi-million dollar company if you keep doing everything yourself. What advice do you share with people that are listening that are in that same direction?
SPEAKER_00:I think you need a coach. I do. I mean, I think you need some somebody to tell you this because for me, even though I had very clear like leadership training in the Air Force, yes, um, and you're right, like in the cockpit, I mean, I know my lever that I turned, you know, I left the gear handle, right? If I'm sitting in the right seat, the right seat person lifts the gear handle. You know, the left person does not, you know, reach over and just go ahead and lift the gear handle up in front of the other guy. I mean, that's a big no-no, right? Like, that's no, that's clear roles and expectations. Um, and so um I and I didn't, I just didn't see it outside perspective looking in. I thought I was, I actually thought I was doing the right things. Um, I I just could not see it until I had a coach. Um, I I would say my it it got really um, you know, at some point you your body's gonna start shutting down. You're gonna put yourself in the hospital or you're gonna start losing the relationships around you. You're not gonna have the financial success to st to endure, probably, right? Like if you if you can't figure out how to delegate, you're there's very I don't know how you're gonna succeed financially, uh, beyond what you can possibly do. Um, and so um it yeah, it was it was so good to start working with somebody and and um I saw the relationships in my life get better. I started I'm now I'm the lightest I've been, uh best best shape I've been in physically. Um, and my business is in the best spot it's been in. Um and it has real systems like my marketing system. I used to handwrite letters to people. I would mine the the FA registry and I would handwrite letters for you know, I would wake up at four and from four to eight a.m. I would write handwrite letters and then I'd show up to the shop and then try to run the shop too, and then then catch workup, then stay late, you know. Now I've got a marketing system that um where I was getting in that I was getting like one to two leads maybe a month or something. Now we're getting like 70 in a month. It's so much that my it created a whole new problem, which is our sales process. So and it and it works with or without me. The only thing I really need to do is shoot shoot the content and do podcasts for that that marketing system to keep going.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I love it. I mean, because what you what you're saying is hey, use the systems around you and the people around you so you don't have to get up at 4 a.m. Uh, you don't have to handwrite these letters, you don't have to do everything that I mean, it still has to happen, but but I think you spoke a lot of people just don't trust anybody's gonna do it as well as they can. When the truth is they may do it better than you.
SPEAKER_00:Uh no, they're there. You'd be surprised when somebody has nothing else better. You know, their sole thing is to only do that. Um, they can do it way better than you when you're juggling 25 different hats. You know, you're actually probably not good at any of them. Um, you know.
SPEAKER_03:So people listen to this podcast like I'm good at all of them. No, you're not.
SPEAKER_00:No, you're not. You're definitely not. You're like marginal at best. And um that you know, you you kind of get it depends. Somebody with an ego, too. It uh you get drunk with that. So um, and then you think you're doing good, but you're really not. I've learned that one again. A second big one was um my sales process that now I'm I'm fixing. Well, you know, there's like a pileup of like 200 leads, and all of them want my you know, my services, like legit, they're they're opportunities uh on a CRM side lingo. And okay, there's 200 people, and most of them want to talk to me for about an hour. That's 200 hours. Yeah, that's not gonna work. Yes, even if I sit down and text all of them, all I want, you know, the CRM helps, but you know, so I had to I had to find somebody that um could help me like nurture these leads and get them team up for me so that I only talk to them at the end when they're when they're ready to ready to close. Um, and I found somebody that does it way better, and she has nothing else better to do but that.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, and you want them to be good at where they are. I mean, I love it for entrepreneurs that are listening to use the systems. Um, it may make you feel good, but it will hurt your business long term. Hand it off to someone else, and and they're only three to four things. So figure out what you're supposed to be doing in your business, and it's not everything.
SPEAKER_00:Um, this one I was tempted to do it in the same same thing. Um, you know, all of a sudden we identified, okay, we've got a big sales bottleneck, this is a huge problem. And okay, two options, right? Like I sit down and I do I work from 4 a.m. to to 10 p.m. and I I neglect every other portion of my business. Yeah, you can do that. You can, or you start developing a system that's sustainable, right? Like I can only do that for maybe a a month, yes, and then I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna start losing things that are important to me, maybe my health. Yes, yes, so so I I forced myself on this one, even though it was tough. I wish I would have I wanted results faster, but it's like so it took me four weeks to really install a better sales process, and uh we're we're just now starting to see results from it.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I mean it's never too late to start for those of you out there and you're on the fence, you know, you're hearing like really, you know, James, it works. Um, just put it in place and you're never too late to start, you know. Um, if you wait tomorrow, then you're just one day later. But but put something in place. How do you how did you create a culture? Because going from people pleasing to holding people accountable and creating an environment where they will be open and honest with you, how did you you create that kind of environment in the work in your in your company?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I'm still working on it right now. And my my staff is still small, so we'll see how it scales. But um, you know, crew I uh I I hired a coach uh over the past like three months ago, yeah. Um, and another one to just specifically help me and um the manager that works for me to install. We've never had management, you know, any sort of formal management system in place whatsoever to to guide behaviors or the culture or the outcomes. And we always just you know thought they should be doing the thing that they're supposed to be doing. And what the heck, why aren't they doing the thing? And then and then we get all pissed off and and let them go, right? Like it is like, well, who really failed them? No, we did. And so we the first thing we started working with this coach, and he's like, So let's, and I'll put this in layman's terms or something. He's like, Okay, so you guys work in a maintenance shop, let's say, let's say how how long does it take to change an hour or a tire? And we're like, Oh, it takes two hours, you know, or something like that. He's like, pretty, pretty confident, right? Like, it takes two hours to change the tire. I was like, Yeah, I mean, 99% of the people can change it in two hours, depending on what's going on, as long as nothing crazy happens. He's like, Okay, what happens when somebody takes six hours to change the tire? What what what happens then? And it's like, do you what do you tell them? And it's like me and me and my manager looking at each other, and we're like, Well, no, we don't. He's like, Yeah, I know what's going on here. You're not having conversations with people. You you gotta have crucial conversations and speak up when things aren't working for you, and ideally, like right away.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I mean, which which is hard for a lot of leaders um to have crucial conversations, yeah, especially if you're trying to make everybody happy. Yes, yeah. If you want everybody to be happy, the last thing you want to do is say something that that doesn't create happiness. Um, and sometimes having that critical conversation for making sure people um are meeting your expectations, is but you want everybody to be happy. Sometimes it's just no, it's not that they're unhappy, you may feel unhappy and not good about it, but people want to know when they failed you and they want to know when they're not meeting their standard, and they want to know how to get better. So we owe that to them, but you still should do it respectfully. So avoiding it is not a good way of getting getting it done. So when you start thinking about you know the growth you've had in in your company as an as an entrepreneur, you brought someone on as a manager. How important is it for you to get out of the way and let that manager do what you used to be the best at?
SPEAKER_00:Uh well, I don't know if I was the best at being a manager. I don't think I've ever been the best at that role, but um it it has been hard because I you know, for for instance, when we start working with this coach, is like, well, what happens when who does the performance review? Well, James does the performance review. You know, what happens when expectations aren't met? Well, James, James has a talk with them. It's like you guys see a problem with this?
SPEAKER_03:Yes, everything is James.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I and then I wonder why, you know, the the culture's not not working well and why you know performance drops when I'm not here, you know, when I'm out flying or doing something else that I need to be doing for the business. It's uh it's just a light switch, right? James is in the shop, you know. They we get work ahead of them. James is not in the shop, they don't do anything, you know. I wonder why. I wonder why.
SPEAKER_03:The only one that can enforce it is James.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes. Wow. So when you start thinking about the the over the year, you've you've you know you've you've had a coach, you brought someone on to help you out, which is really, you know, congrats to you for that. What do you think is the the thing that you've grown the most in since the last time that we've had a conversation on the podcast? What what has really changed for you and and your personal development?
SPEAKER_00:I've I've worked a lot on myself. Um uh really working with with a uh kind of a I would say 2024 was a year of me investing in myself and it and it actually sounds cringe worthy, you know, back then, like for me to think about, oh, why would I ever, you know, because I I felt I thought self-sacrifice equaled loyalty. That's not true, right? Like you need to somebody broke this down to me and was like, James, like that if James shows up and he's the 10.0 version of himself, is that better or worse for your wife? I'm like, well, better. What about for your team? Better, you know, what about for your friends around you? Better. He's like, see what I'm saying? Yeah, you've got to work on yourself, you gotta make a better version of yourself. And that's I I feel like I've done the work um over the past year of of really kind of identifying areas where you know I can improve. And uh some have been really hard, um, especially people pleasing and and uh trying to uh kind of emotionally uh the the other thing is taking it home, right? Like, oh, why is that person upset? It's like James, that's not your like, dude. You you're gonna crawl inside of the back of their brain and try to figure out why they're upset. You can't do that. Like, um you you need to you know give them the opportunity to tell you and then move on, right? Like you can't fix them. I'm manipulative that is.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I love that you're you know your level of vulnerability and transparency. So so you have a military background, um, which which people will automatically think leadership management has some exposure experience. Um, and you're you're an entrepreneur, which people also make some assumptions that you should have it. When did you realize like even with all of that, that you were not prepared for what was next and what you needed to be?
SPEAKER_00:Well, we hit a wall. Um, I mean, you're just you just hit the wall, and you're either gonna when you do that, you're you're gonna either start losing relationships, you're gonna start maybe abusing sus substances that luckily I get drug tested through the Air Force, so that's not an option, but um, you know, you're what something's gotta give, right? Um, and you're not gonna achieve the success that you want. Um, and so um I I yeah, I I think you either you either look in the mirror and say, okay, I'm the one holding this back, or you you I mean, probably a lot of people quit, right? They they say that's the pain point in business is kind of like write around 10 direct reports and one million dollars is like that's the pain point. Most people either they either take the next step or they quit.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yeah. And that's important because there are going to be different pain points depending on where you start a business, become a million-dollar business, your team grows. There's things that you got to make adjustments to once your team, you know. And I love that you say, hey, you know what? If your team gets better and you're not getting coaching or someone's not helping you get better, at some point you become ineffective as a leader for that organization because you're not growing. So professional development, if if you're listening, it's super important that you're constantly getting better. You know, what's the you know, the different version of you every year, and how do you intentionally do that? So when you when you're thinking of an organization and building trust, one of the things that's shown up a lot, you know, trust is is is very challenging to in in today's time. How do how do you go about you know continue to work on building trust within your own organization?
SPEAKER_00:I think you got to be true with yourself to begin with. I mean, that sounds like a cop-out answer, but uh, I learned it firsthand. Like when you're not true to yourself, people actually don't respect you and they do not trust you. That does not build trust or loyalty to go around and just try to make everybody happy. So you need to be true to yourself. And um, for me, I I I like being a good person. I really do. I like to take care of everyone around me. But you know, the question becomes are you doing it for uh their loyalty or are you doing it because it makes you happy? Um, and so when I when I sat down, I'm like, okay, so if I take the guys out to lunch, what am I doing? You know, well, I how about I do it for myself? I just like to do it rather than with some sort of underlying expectation. Um, and then if and then when you start trying to uh well when you don't set boundaries, just people don't respect you. I mean, you could be in the grocery store in the line or anywhere. Um you'll start showing up the takers, but when you finally set an expectation, just like you're saying with the team, people people want to be told when they're not not meeting expectations. Um they're not doing great all the time. And so when you actually tell them, hey man, uh you know, this is uh, you know, there's a two-hour tire change, took six hours. What happened? Yes. Okay, well, next next time, do you think you can do it in two hours? You know, so you're telling me you you're you know, you uh are taking accountability, you agree that you can do this in two hours next time. Okay, let's do it.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, I love it. How do you do so? For for when you when you're working with individuals and you're you're not being open and honest, um and you don't give people feedback, how damaging is that for you as a as a as an individual and as a as a uh organization?
SPEAKER_00:Uh well, I think the wheels will come off at some point because the culture won't be there. Um, especially in an organization where you have power, like it becomes a gimme, gimme, gimme. Yeah. Like as soon as somebody wants, you know, some soup, somebody wants a raise, you know, and you give them a raise, even though it's to your detriment, right? Like, even though you can't afford it. Let's let's put it that way. Let's say somebody comes in your office and like, I want to raise with with let let's say you know the company's not making any money, any more money, and you know, they haven't gained any more skills, they just want more, you know, and then you can't actually afford it, but you say yes. Um, that's not good for them, it's not good for you. And uh the culture will start coming up coming undone, and the rest of the team will see it, and then you know, it just becomes a gimme, gimme, gimme, and you're just going around uh making uh trying to make other people happy, even to your detriment. And so setting a healthy boundary and actually loving them and be like, hey man, um, you know, I hear you. Okay. Um, unfortunately, right now, this is all I can afford. Or um, you know, if you could take these things off my plate, then we could talk about it.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes, I love it. Have you have you, you know, one of the things you mentioned earlier I love to unpack a little bit is when you're doing something because either you know it makes you feel good or you're doing it because you want to to almost do it so you they owe you something. It's almost like this guilt trip. Uh, I'm gonna do this and then they're gonna have to do it. Has that ever gotten you in trouble?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. It subconsciously, I I do feel like I'm a good person. I tried to do the right thing. So I never in my brain was I intentionally trying to manipulate somebody or something, but that's what you're doing. When you're not true to yourself, when you're not true to yourself and um you don't set boundaries, you're I I forget the saying, but it I think people that are um a lot of successful people in life come from a traumatic childhood. Um there's a an immense amount of studies that show that. And typically the the saying for that is or the term for that is called codependency. And so you're hyper-aware of your emotional surroundings because that's what you had to do to get by when you were a child. Uh but as an adult, when you don't set boundaries with people, you can it can take you into financial ruin. You could you could uh bring on another partner and uh make a really bad decision when you know in your heart it's not good for you. And so if it's not good for you, there's no way it can be good for them either.
SPEAKER_04:So you mentioned, James, um, as we we give it uh to wrap up, you've mentioned a couple of times, you know, that you're lighter than you've ever been, you feel healthier and you're happier. How important was it for you to gain control of your own health while while doing you know the multiple things, your family, your business, your military career, and sometimes you'll lose taking care of you. How important and what would you share with people that are listening? Self-care and making sure you you take care of you. What would you share with the audience?
SPEAKER_00:Um, yeah, just taking a simple 30-minute walk in the mornings or at some point in the day at all, just walking outside is a huge step to your mental stability and and your health. You'll start dropping away significantly just on a 30-minute walk. Um, but somebody told me this a long time ago. I mean, I still haven't seen it all the way with me, but you know, your your physical fitness is the directly linked to your bank account, too. Um and uh I think it it teaches you discipline and ultimately um exercise. It's really, really stressful to do what we do, especially if you're an entrepreneur and you're doing this, uh building it. But anyone in a leadership position, uh, or any really any position, um, it's it's very difficult to do this without any sort of um you know help. And so doing a little bit of exercise, whether it's a walk, whether it's workouts, it it it decreases your stress and uh you end up showing up better. So it goes back to that 10.0 version, right? Like if you you know, if you if the 10.0 version of yourself showed up, it would be better for everyone around you.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes. I love it. And I'm glad that you're using like the the different versions, you know. Analogy I always use with everyone, and I asked them, hey, you know, when did when did iPhones come out? And people like, yeah, about 2007. I say, yeah, what was that first version? Like, what are you talking about, Ron? I said, Yeah, what was that first version? It was called iPhone. I say, what version are they at today? And people like 16 or 17, I say, so you think in 20 year, you know, 20-year mark, you know, so they're at about 18 years of being on the market and they have 16 versions. I say, if they're smart enough to know that there has to be a different version of themselves almost every year. Like, are you doing the same thing for you to make sure that you're still very valuable resource for the people that you that are looking up to you and depending on you? So I think you're right when it comes to health, when it comes to mental health, or it comes to you know taking care of yourself and educating yourself um and going to get the the technical skills you need or the educational credentials that you need. What is it if you look at yourself? What version are you this year and what version should you be next year? So I love that you're saying that because it's so important.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, that's a tough one. I don't know. I don't know, maybe I would say three years ago, I was probably version like 3.0.
SPEAKER_03:Like it was not it around, like, wait a minute, I'm still at 3.0. I need to be at a different version and before I do better now than I was.
SPEAKER_00:I know I'm a much better version of myself. I I I really like who showed who's showing up right now. This version of myself, I really enjoy. Um, and I'm and you know that I I suppose pride, right? Like, is it you know it it's not the right word, but you know, you can be you know proud of like the performance that you're doing or the work that you did. And I've never in my life been able to say, well, you know, I'm kind of proud of myself that I've made this progress, but now I'm able to say that. And um I encourage you to get there, right? Like those out there listening, get there.
SPEAKER_04:I have a question for you. As I listen to what you're sharing, uh a different question. I was giving a wrap-up, but this question showed up as you were speaking. Can success sometimes get in the way of future growth?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think you start to get drunk on chaos sometimes. Um, and so for whatever reason, and I I kind of have gone through this too, like even relatively recently where we started having a lot of success in our marketing, you know. Well, if you're kind of used to always being hand of mouth, or really things are always tight, or you know, there's always some sort of fire, and you you're the one that's always going and putting out, you're getting something from that. Yes, and each person's different, you gotta work through that yourself, but um you're Body can actually start to like revolt when you start losing that. And uh they call it self-sabotage, right? Like and I I try to um I try to at least I'm I'm not you know I still sabotage myself, and um you know I try to just be if you can just get to the point where you're being aware about it, you know. Okay, what's the best version of me? What well if I if I walk for about 30 minutes a day, and that's that's one thing for me that will get me to my closer to my goal. So um when I start skipping that a lot, that's sabotaging me getting to my end goal. Um there could be all kinds of stuff. It and for me, it's like you know, okay, there's 200 leads, um, and me not setting up a system fast enough. Am I sabotaging myself? Yeah, because I still why because I I still get something out of you know working crazy amount of hours and uh you know being the guy that fixes it.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yes. One of the things that the word that's shown up as I listen, you know, um, for all the stuff that you're sharing, which is phenomenal for our listeners, the word that's coming to mind is is is self-discipline. I mean, where does that play in all the things that you're mentioning? How disciplined do you have to be to stay on course with it? Because some days you you actually don't feel like doing it, you may not feel your best, or something went wrong and and or something happened in the family, or you got some bad news, or you didn't win that sale, or you lost the sale. Things happen that can make you just like, I don't want to do it. I just I just want to go somewhere, put my head in the sand, and when I pull it out, I hope everything's gone away. How important is it for you to stay disciplined?
SPEAKER_00:I'll tell you, there's two things that come to mind on that. Um, one of them I'll share from one of the coaches is like, James, you gotta find your value from inside. And that everyone says that, but you got to figure that out like on your own. Um, but he's like, your value is just as much when you close 10 sales as it is zero, and you need to get there. You're that you're you're still the same valuable person regardless of the outcome. Um, you know, you just need to, and the term is resulting, right? Like, okay, well, if 10 sales, if I get 10 sales, then I'm really motivated. Well, what about if you get zero sales? Yes, then what? You know, then are you gonna go drink? Are you gonna, you know, are you gonna start doing things that sabotage you? So you can't. You can't focus on the result, you just gotta focus on the input, right? Like, you just gotta do the things that you know that will drive you closer to your goals. What's one thing that drives me closer to my goals? It's taking a 30-minute walk in the morning. It is, you know, and uh what's another thing? Oh, okay, calling people in a in a fast enough time, getting back to them, getting up, building a system that'll get people quotes, okay. Um, and and I'm able to do that with zero or ten or a hundred or thousand or a million, right? Like, and there is a saying, uh, you know, that that uh money um exaggerates the person that you are. So if you've got a bad drinking problem, money's gonna make that worse. If you um if you've got all this other stuff going on, if you're a massive people pleaser like I was, it's gonna make it worse. And so you gotta work on yourself and fix that. The the other thing though, um uh, because I I I definitely work in spurts, yes, um, is uh the the manager that works works with me um actually taught me he's like James, you you put down on your list what you're gonna do that day, and by God you're gonna do it, and then if you don't take care of it the next day, it's no big deal, and then the next day, or if on Wednesdays you do X and then that Wednesday something comes up, well, doesn't matter. Next Wednesday, you're gonna roll right back into it. It's not like you're just gonna go into a slide and never do it again. Um, and that for whatever reason that one resonated with me too quite a bit.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think that for for for me as I'm listening, you know, how do you have some some grace with yourself that that you know um, you know, what probably one of the better lessons I've learned, you know, as I've you know started doing leadership and spending a lot of time in this space is is I didn't always have to be right and I didn't always have to have the answer. And and that helped slow me down and not be so critical of myself because you know when you're in leadership, sometimes you feel like you you should have every answer all the time for everybody. And and that will will drive you to drinking you know real fast because the minute you don't, you feel less like you feel less capable, less qualified, and you didn't get accomplished what you want to get accomplished. And and even if you did 10,000 things right, you that one thing will derail you. And so I had to get to the place where you don't have to always be right for every single person for every scenario. Sometimes you just don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Man, I feel yeah, I feel that.
SPEAKER_04:I'm like, okay, let me get past this thing because it it it will it'll be a weight that you'll carry around forever that that will drag you down over time. And so I had to get to the place where I was okay with not knowing. Like, you know what? I really don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Let me let me ask you that this on there. What's ask you this question on that? Is what what was it that made it click in your head where you were able to finally kind of let go?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think it was it was more of maturity, and as the kids got older and life was changing fast, what used to be the answer was no longer the answer. And so it worked for maybe three years ago, but because the world was changing so fast, so like how do you expect to keep up with it unless you're gonna keep your face or your nose in a book all the time on the internet all the time? They're just things you don't know. Um, and I had to get past and have a military background as well. And as you go up and rank in the military, like saying you don't know was almost like sabotage.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah. And then you know the funny thing is you walk into certain rooms, everybody's got a front. I was like, I'm the one guy though in in the room like that. I'm like, I have no effing clue what we are talking about. Can somebody walk me back on this? And everyone else is thinking it, they just won't say it.
SPEAKER_03:A career ender.
SPEAKER_04:You want to end your career? I don't know. And I think it may it may be, but but that was a maturity point of you know, changing my mindset from the military mindset, you know, and I learned it more in corporate American and entrepreneur. That hey, you know, we were in a company and and there's just things I don't even know. I don't want to be the expert. And I had to get be okay with, hey, your team knows that's all you need to know. Like, who on your team knows what it is that that what that thing is? So I'll tell you, that's why it's it's a maturity thing. Um, it's a transition from you know one career to the next career, and then realizing just becoming smart enough. Like, if you're the only one that got the answer, your trunk, your company's in trouble.
unknown:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:That I was deployed last year uh with the Air Force. I was removed from my business thousands of miles away for 60 days. Wow. And all of a sudden, all the things that I could just jump in and fix myself, I could not do anymore.
SPEAKER_04:I mean, we may think of this like let's let's remove you for for two weeks, and you can't respond in your company for two weeks.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, and by the way, we didn't have the savings to make it through either. It was like now, like it's not like we had 60 days worth of cash built up where it's like, oh, it's no big deal, the pressure's off.
SPEAKER_04:Everything with it when everything goes wrong, everything goes wrong, and your team will show you that they're more than capable. And that that may be a good case study for some companies that will go through and say, let us remove you for for not even 60 days, let's just do it for 20 days, and you don't get to make any decisions in your company for 20 days. You're just gonna stand back, and you're not that you're not gonna be accessible. And how many people can really do it um across the board? I think that'll be a really good lesson, a lesson for everybody that you went through for 60 days.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and the problem was I had no systems in place, and especially with management leadership, uh, you know, the culture in the shop, sales, marketing. Um it really, really.
SPEAKER_04:Well, Jay, this has been great, man. As usual, I mean, I always enjoy. Um, as you as we as we wrap up, is there anything you want to share about your company, about the work or what you do? I mean, uh tons of people listen to the podcast. Is there anything you want to share about your company before we wrap up?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, if you're um, you know, many of my customers are small business owners and they um they own a private aircraft and or they uh they're looking to start taking those steps. Um, if that's something that you're thinking about, um it it's not like very few people own air airplanes, but it's definitely a doable thing. And so if it's something that's on your mind, uh I'm sure the contact info will be here. You can go to my website, www.spearmintaircraft.com. If you already have an airplane, I'd love to help you with it. But if it's something that you might even be thinking about, I'd um you know, I'd love to walk you through the process um and kind of show you the ropes of how do you buy an airplane and and how do you learn to fly it too. So um I'd love to help.
SPEAKER_04:Wow. Well, if I'm if I'm ever in Tennessee, I've I've never been on a private plane, so I'd love to go take a flight out with someone that's flying. So hey, let me go fly in a private plane.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'll take you up.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, like like let you take me up in the aircraft and you know, like wow, I never imagined it to be like this. So that would be a great trip. Um, so thank you for sharing your contact information. Any last-minute wisdom you want to drop, you want to drop for people that are listening?
SPEAKER_00:Uh we discussed a lot. Uh nothing just uh immediately jumps in my head, but Ron, I I really am looking forward to working with you, uh, especially as my business continues taking steps. And um, I I uh hope your listeners um enjoyed the show and I I really appreciate you.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, man. You're good. I enjoy, I mean, you're down to earth, and you got so much that you bring to the table from so many different angles as an entrepreneur, you know, as a veteran, as a person that went from managing to leading to figuring out what are the struggles, and everybody does. I think we're becoming better at just being transparent, even as a father. My father, I say things to my kids that my father never talked about. Like you just didn't hear, like uh none of you like be a kid. But I think it's a disservice to them to not learn from our life. And I think every leader, like, what are your people learning from your experience? Do they really have to be in the driver's seat? Why can't they learn from your experience? And when they get in there, they drive faster, more efficiently, and safer than you ever drove in your life.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, there's a lot there, man. That's really good.
SPEAKER_04:So I think that's what I would leave with everyone is is what are people getting from you that makes them better when they're in the driver's seat? Way before they become the driver. And I think we owe that to the next generation. So thank you for everything that you're doing. I look forward to working with you as well. So, everybody, we're gonna sign off, unpack with Ron Harvey again. Thanks for joining us. Share with your friends and your colleagues. And if you have anybody that you think would be a phenomenal guest, we do all things leadership and taking care of people. Um, so if you think that'd be a great guest to have those kind of conversations, we'd love to have them. Until next time, um, James and I will sign off and tell you thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks, Ron.
SPEAKER_02:Well, we hope you enjoyed this edition of Unpack Podcast with leadership consultant Ron Harvey. Remember to join us every Monday as Ron Unpacks Sound Advice, providing real answers for real leadership challenges. Until next time, remember to add value and make a difference where you are for the people you serve, because people always matter.
