Transcript 0:00 [upbeat music] We're gonna help get things out. 0:11 Okay, guys, it's time to get a little energy for the night, and I gotta make sure that I'm drinking some water, so we're just gonna try and bang them both out at the same time. Today I'm going to be reviewing Hydro Rush. 0:25 Time to get up and start moving. Gotta reach out and grab my Crypto Rush from Hydro Rush. Let's go. We've gotta get this generator started, and we're gonna need the energy to do that and to go exploring. Five is up, Sam. 0:40 Give it just a taste test. All right. That rush is, you know, you're not rushed, but cheers, fam. The ingredients. Okay. You guys have magnesium in here, 66 milligrams. 0:56 Sodium, sea salt, 1,000. All right, that's pretty high. You got some potassium, keeps you nice and invigorated, keeps your bones and your joints going good, muscles from cramping up. And then creatine. 1:10 Um, a lot of people have been telling me about creatine, you know, um, very good things from, uh, from the weight training community. Yeah, let's see how this tastes. Okay. Not bad. All right, this is Hydro Rush. 1:20 [upbeat music] All right. 1:33 What is the one thing, Heather, you think small businesses get wrong when they are first trying to, let's say, start a business? Oh. Oh, gosh. Sales breath. Okay. Sales breath. Break that down. 1:48 [laughs] So, so let me, let me walk you through this. Yeah. So you start this business, and you are on this high. You have this amazing thing to offer people. Mm-hmm. Everyone's gonna want this. 1:59 And, um, then it turns into every single person you talk to, it is all you talk about, and you're leading with that. 2:07 And I don't know if you've ever been to, um, an event or been in a conversation with a new business owner and the first thing that they do, it's kinda like, um, kinda like somebody zeroing in on a target. 2:19 It's the same person who might follow you into the restroom with business cards in order to- [laughs] Mm. Oh, no. [laughs]... try and show you what they do. They're so eager, so excited. Mm. Right. 2:29 And it's interesting because of course you have this genuine excitement for what you built, um, but you're also kind of creating a repellent of sorts around you- Mm... because what do people like to do? 2:41 They like to talk about themselves. Right. And so I think a lot of times, um, new business owners are so eager to talk about this wonderful thing they're creating, that it, it sometimes has the opposite effect. Mm. 2:55 I, I always take it of like going out on a date or meeting someone for the first time, right? It's like you don't like, "Hey, you wanna get married?" Right? Like you, you gotta build up to it. [laughs] Right. Right? 3:06 Ask them something about themselves. Right. Right. Learn their name. Get to know them. Get to know them. [laughs] Not just like what you have to offer. It's like what do they have to offer, and what do they do? What... 3:16 You know, learn about them. It's not about you. It's always about the other person, right? So I think that's a really, really important point. I think more people should realize that too when they're trying to... 3:30 And, and I get it. You're excited about your business. You're excited about what you're doing and what you're y- what you're growing because you're doing something for yourself, right? 3:40 You're not doing something for others. So, um, why don't you share with me a little more about how you got started in your business too? 3:49 Because where we met was at the networking event which you put on, and I feel like that's part of your business or one of your businesses. 3:55 And so I'd love to hear more about, um, the different types of businesses that you have worked on and worked with other entrepreneurs to help them grow as well within the greater community of Colorado Springs. 4:08 Absolutely. Thanks for that. So we are NIA Colorado Springs, which is part of the Network in Action family. Network in Action is, um, a networking group model that is across the United States. 4:22 I believe we're in 42 states and 14 countries. And so with that, it's a franchise. Um, but we have so much freedom within our communities. 4:34 Every single community that has Network in Action is run by someone in that community. 4:40 Um, I decided to purchase it and bring it here to Colorado Springs because when I was exploring networking for my recruiting business, I didn't really find anything that necessarily resonated with me. 4:52 And it's interesting that you mentioned dating earlier- Yeah... because I really see networking as almost like a dating relationship. Mm. You're feeling things out. You're seeing what works for you. 5:03 And even though it is business, it's really personal as to what resonates with you. If you're uncomfortable in the room, you're not gonna get the most out of networking. Mm-hmm. 5:13 So we help business owners and book of business owners, so professionals in BD or project managers in the trades. 5:20 We help all of them be able to meet each other with intention, with the goal of starting relationships first. The idea is if you like someone, it doesn't matter what their business is, you automatically wanna help them. 5:34 And so the business piece actually comes second in the way that we operate and in the way that we try to, you know, encourage our network to interact with each other. 5:43 Uh, we talked a little bit earlier about that reciprocity, learning about others first, and that's a huge, a huge piece of it is: who is that human being versus what do they do? 5:55 So with that, um, NIA Colorado Springs, we have our network and action model, which is w- how we serve our community with closed networking groups. 6:03 You have one person per industry, and each of our meetings, which are once per month, are designed for people to be able to learn about business, grow together. 6:13 We have in-depth industry agnostic topics that apply to everybody, and they get to kind of become an opportunity to rely on each other throughout the growth of their business. 6:26 Then the events like where you and I met, um, those are our open events for the community. 6:31 We keep that free for Colorado Springs business owners and book of business owners to come and meet with each other with intention. 6:38 It's an awesome opportunity for us to be able to give back, gain some visibility in the community, and also show people how we operate. With some people it really resonates. 6:48 Other people might want something that's really strict. Every single week they're meeting, and, you know, they have this whole list of things that they have to complete. 6:57 Um, and people who really love that might wanna go a different direction, but a lot of times what I've heard is people don't want networking that's a part-time job. 7:06 So we try to make it really approachable for them, and even for the introverts who sometimes get scared walking into a room. You're holding a drink, you're trying to figure out who to talk to. 7:17 We bring activities that have more intention than that so it can relieve some of the pressure and awkwardness of meeting people for the first time, if that's not your jam usually. Mm, I love that. 7:29 And, uh, you know, no bias, but I did really enjoy your networking event that I attended a few months ago. Um- It was good... 7:36 and I would say I enjoyed it more than a lot of other networking events I've been to in the Springs, so I thought yours was definitely above a lot of the rest, not just because you had some interactive activities, which was great, um, you had good food. 7:50 I thought- [laughs]... the food was great. So I'm just gonna throw that out there. You came for the soul food. [laughs] Yes. The soul food was good. 7:56 I, I definitely rate a networking event, uh, by, you know, what they serve. You know, if they have food or not, that's kind of a big thing with me. 8:02 [laughs] Obviously, people, you know, they wanna enjoy themselves, and if you can offer some type of free food, that really gets them in the door. Um- Mm-hmm... 8:11 and then I found that your event too was, was quite a, a larger one than, uh, other events I've attended. I felt like there was a lot of people there, you know? So I feel like you were... 8:23 You've been doing it for a while too. And how long have you been running the networking event? So the networking events, we had our first one in June of '25, and we had six people. Okay. Wow. Last night we had one. 8:36 Um, we... One of our activities was making business owners build balloon towers as a competition. It was a blast. [laughs] We had nearly 80 attendees. Wow. And we filled up, um, this whole- Amazing... brewery. 8:50 It was incredible. Everybody gets a drink ticket. If you drink alcohol, you can use it for that. If you don't, there's always other options. Um, and we had food lined up. This time we had... What was it? 9:01 We had, um, pub sausages, salad. I think we had french fries too. I never get to have any of the food, so I'm so glad it was good. I'm always talking. [laughs] Aw. So I appreciate the feedback. [laughs] Yes. 9:14 Oh, man, it was so good. And yeah, you should always try to grab some, you know? I know you get hungry as well, but still, I know there's all the things going on, and yeah. 9:23 And I was gonna suggest too to even make it a little more impactful is have someone, like, do a video or something of the event so you can promote it more after- Yes... for the next one, or get someone to... 9:34 'Cause, you know, everyone's got phones these days. You don't even need to hire a professional videographer. That's not what I'm saying. 9:38 But I'm like, you know, just, like, having someone that is, I guess, helping you is like, "Hey, can you just shoot a few video clips here and there?" Yeah. 9:46 And it's just, it's that easy to put some music behind it, and it's, like, just show people, uh, a, a minute or less. Because that is huge because everyone's on social media. 9:57 And so, um, doing that I think would really help visibility as well. But it, it also sounds like you don't... 10:02 There's, there's no short of that because [laughs] it keeps growing anyway, but, you know, it just- We're having to look at a bigger venue now, which is- Yeah. Awesome. That's a good problem... 10:11 um, a fascinating problem to have. [laughs] Very good problem to have, yeah. And so, um, so let's break it down a little bit. So you offer the free events, but if people- Mm-hmm... 10:20 like, wanna join your actual, um, like, community, like, what's the membership look like? Like, how does that work? And then once they do join as a member, do they get other access to other networking groups, I guess? 10:32 Like, more exclusive groups? Is that how it works, or- Yes. Okay. So our closed networking groups meet once per month. Okay. And we have those in-depth topics for people to dig into. Mm-hmm. 10:42 Um, one that we did recently that was my favorite agenda was who not how. Mm. 10:47 Um, and if you're not familiar with that, the thought process behind it is who do we need our, in our network versus how do we do everything ourselves? 10:55 As business owners, a lot of times we have this arbitrary thing that we need to accomplish before we pull in a bookkeeper or marketing support or a social media expert. Mm. 11:06 And these are things that will grow our business, but we try and take 'em on ourselves. 11:10 And let's face it, unless you go into business for one of those things, you probably aren't gonna be the best at it, and it's gonna be really time consuming, and it's gonna fall down to the bottom of the pile. Mm. 11:21 So what we approached as a group was who do we need in our orbit? Like, what are we missing? What's maybe a task that we're taking on that is not beneficial for our time? Um, also dug into is that person in the room? 11:35 Is that somebody who if we can't afford it, can we barter and be able to gain that resource? 11:41 Have we ever been a who for somebody else, where we were able to help support them, and how did that feel, and is there someone where we can maybe be a who for them? Right. 11:50 And so throughout all of these smaller discussion groups and, you know, coming back and recapping as the, the entire member group, um, we're able to learn from each other. We're able to grow together. 12:01 We also share referrals. Um, those referrals, we ask our members to give 12 referrals per year. A lot of other membership groups, um, you know, their closed networking groups, have one per week. 12:13 And quite frankly, we see that as a lead. If you're handing out a business card, that's not a referral. That's- Right... you handed out a business card. And so we try and make sure- Well, I guess so. [laughs] Right? 12:23 And so we try- Yeah, yeah... to make sure everything's with intention. Mm-hmm. You know, there's a human being- Love that... meeting a human being. And so we much more value the quantity- the quality over the quantity. 12:35 Mm. Um, so with that, we have one person per industry in each of our groups. Our established group has been meeting since September. Our second group is launching here in 10 days. I am so excited. Wow, congrats. 12:49 And we already have a wait list for a couple industries in our next group. Wow. 12:53 Colorado Springs can hold up to 12 groups based on our population and, um, number of private businesses here in town, and we hope to fill that up in the next 10 years. I love that. Oh, my gosh. 13:07 Um, so what's the one thing... 13:08 And I, I know you've said several things just now of how you separate yourself from other networking groups, but, um, what's the one thing that you feel like you can separate yourself more than anything? 13:20 Like, what, what do you bring to the table that's different than other networking groups? It's hard to say one. I have two in mind, but I'll lead with- Okay, it's good. You can do two. [laughs] Okay, okay. Thank you. 13:30 Hey, it's good. I would lead with the relationship first approach is very unique. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. A lot of networking can feel, um, almost performative and exhausting. 13:38 I know that's how I feel walking into a room, 'cause I'm not the natural person who can just have a drink, work the room. That comes very unnaturally to me, and I, 13:48 I will do those events if it's somebody else's event, but I try to avoid them. Mm-hmm. So we try to make sure that we have that relationship first piece, which is not something I had seen in the city. That was a gap. 13:59 Um, and then also we're professionally led, and it's really interesting because there are companies that have been in town longer than I've been alive, and they are volunteer-led. 14:09 So if you are a member, you're gonna have a volunteer position, whether it's for president, vice president, treasurer, um, new member ambassador. I take all of that away from our members. 14:21 They are welcome to participate as much as they would like if they wanna take something on, but they are never gonna be volun-told that they need to do something. Mm. 14:29 That's, "This is my business, this is my world, and I will make sure it is done so you can show up, relax, have your drink, have your snacks, and form relationships." Mm. "And then learn and grow during our meetings." 14:42 I love that. I love that. So, um, what else do you do? I feel like you do many other things- So-... n- not just the networking group, so. Yes. Okay. 14:52 So I mean, as far as my personal life, my gosh, you and I have talked about running- Mm-hmm... a lot. Um, running is a huge part of it. I feel like marathon trainers, it's kind of a constant process. 15:04 [laughs] But you ha- you weren't always a runner, right? You just kinda started? No. So, um, it's kind of been an interesting transition. Growing up I was never athletic. Mm-hmm. Never really did anything. 15:16 Um, I, uh, became a mom in 2020 when the world shut down. It was an interesting timing. Ooh. And, um, I had a really basic desk job. 15:29 You know, I worked as a recruiter for 15 years, and come 2020 it was, I was always at home. And so I did have quite a bit of weight gain, and noticed I was far less healthy than I wanted to be. 15:43 So it was 2022, I decided I am going to go and ride a century ride, which is a 100-mile bike race. There was no race in me. It was completed. [laughs] Wow. And I had no idea what I was doing. 15:59 And the first time I actually clipped in, um, to my bike, you know, clipless pedals, but you're still clipping in- Hmm... I didn't clip out in time. I fell and I broke my arm. Oh. And it was new bike day. I was so sad. 16:12 Oh, my God. That's horrible. So I still have a battle scar on my bike, um, from that. But it was six months later that I did that 100-mile race. And- Oh... um, it, it made me kind of realize that I can do hard things. 16:28 Mm. And I feel like a lot of times we, we start to get into complacency, where, like, I'm really good at this. I'm only gonna do this. And, um- Yeah... 16:36 that made me realize I could do hard things, and then it ended up transitioning into running, because nothing is worse, I think you'll relate to this since you're a morning runner, nothing is worse than waking up so early, you have this motivation, you're ready to go, and as a cyclist, you realize you have a mechanical issue that you have to address before you can even start your workout. 16:58 [laughs] I hate that. I hate that, yeah. And so that's actually part of what transitioned me into, into running. Mm. And, um, I haven't looked back. I love it. Hmm. How long have you been running? 17:10 So I started January of '24. Okay. So it's been two and a half years. Beautiful. Nice. And, um, it's been 70 pounds lost since I started. Wow. And so it's been, um, definitely a journey. 17:25 And what's really funny is my, my daughter, she just turned six. Oh. She wants to be a runner. They have little kids cross country, and she will run that full half a mile herself- Oh, my gosh... 17:38 without stopping, and she is- Wow... so proud of herself. [laughs] Aw. She wants to do what mommy does, see? Yeah. I love that. I love that. You're- They're, they're learning from your experience, you know? 17:51 And I heard- Learning healthy habits. Mm-hmm, through their parents as they should, right? So- [laughs] I love that. 17:57 And, um, a- and I'm sure you, you know this, but, like, running by itself, it doesn't help you lose weight, right? Like, running- Mm-hmm... 18:05 helps keep the weight off for the food that you consume, but when your metabolism 18:11 works a lot faster and you're burning a lot more energy so you can eat more, and I'm, I'm sure you know this too, but I'm curious, like, when you started your running journey too, did, did you find yourself, like, wanting to eat better, wanting to eat healthier, wanting to consume more wholesome foods because you were more active? 18:29 Was that kind of like how it, it ended up, and then that's how you lost the weight? I'm just kinda- Mm-hmm... curious, did that kind of work hand-in-hand? Yeah, absolutely it did. 18:38 Um, uh, when you're running, you know, you're, you're operating on the fuel you put into your body. Mm-hmm. 18:45 If you're putting fast food and, and things that are really greasy into your body, your body doesn't work as well. Right. 18:50 And it feels more difficult to accomplish the same thing than if you had, you know, the proper amounts of protein and healthy fats, um, vegetables. 19:01 It's amazing how many of us just forget that vegetables can be part of breakfast. [laughs] Hmm. Right, right. But, but that was a huge part of it too. 19:09 Um, for a long time there when I was, when I was making changes, I was primarily plant-based. Yeah. 19:15 I've never been, you know, opposed to meat or anything like that, but most of my diet just ended up being plant-based because it was good fuel. Hmm. 19:22 Um, you know, and, uh, we, I say we because my, my husband went on that journey with me minus the running. [laughs] But- Aw, he's not a runner? You couldn't convince him? No. No. Yeah. 19:33 I think he would rather chew off his own arm than actually run with me. Um, I, you know, it's so funny. Our sport is every other sport's- [laughs]... punishment, okay? [laughs] Okay. Okay. 19:44 So when you're talking about people where, you know, in their, um, younger years they played, like, baseball or football- Mm-hmm... when they were in trouble they had to run, and so they don't think of it very fondly. 19:54 [laughs] Aw, that's sad. That makes me really sad, because I grew up playing soccer, and then from soccer I transitioned to running because we just ran so much on the field. It was really easy. 20:03 All you're doing is going back and forth. [laughs] Pretty much, with a ball. I'm like, okay, I'm doing the same thing but with a, without a ball this time, and I don't have teammates to, you know, mess me up now. 20:12 Now I- it's a solo sport mostly, so it's like... [laughs] That's an excellent transition though, 'cause you were- Mm-hmm... already doing drills. Yep. You already knew what your leg speed was. Like- Mm-hmm... 20:22 that's a fantastic transition. Yeah. It's easy. I think it's one of the easier sports to transition into. So, but with running, so you basically went from biking to running, which is not... 20:32 It, it's kind of a harder transition, right? 20:34 Those are, like, two different sports in, in, in a way, but I'm like, in tr- in, in triathlons, right, it's like you're biking, you're swimming, and you're running, and those are all three different types of actions you're almost like. 20:48 Mm-hmm. And I'm curious, like, do you think in the future you'd ever, like, attempt at a triathlon? So I, I thought about it a lot, 'cause a- of course, you know, the natural thought is, well, I've done marathons. Yeah. 20:59 I've done centuries. Of course you're gonna, you know, add in swimming. I'm not gonna lie, though, putting my face in lake water, I am... I'm, I'm a fire sign. I do not do well in water. Um- Oh... 21:11 I am quite frankly a hilarious swimmer. Um, I, I think I always look like I'm slightly drowning, but I'm not. Okay. So I would keep that out of there, but I'm still interested in multi-sport. Mm-hmm. 21:22 Actually up in your neck of the woods in Boulder, um, every spring they- Mm-hmm... have an event where you can do what's called a duathlon. Hmm. And that allows for running, cycling, and then running again. 21:34 So you skip the swimming portion. Oh, cool. Um, alternatively if you love swimming and not running, they do, I believe it's called aqueduct- Hmm... where it's swim, cycle, swim. Hmm. 21:46 Um, and so with that, I haven't quite crossed that out, but I've been so focused on trying to get the marathon time down. Hmm. 21:54 I just haven't really done much with cycling unless, unless I'm on injury watch and then we're stuck on the stationary bike. [laughs] Yeah. Don't want that. Yeah. That does not sound fun at all. 22:07 Um, so why, why are you so focused on trying to get a certain time? I, I wanna go to Boston. Okay. Boston Marathon- It's still my goal... is really my goal. It's, like, bucket list. Mm-hmm. Sure. 22:19 Um, n- not that I would actually race at all if I make it to Boston. [laughs] I would run, but it would be what we call party pace. [laughs] Sure. Sure, 'cause you're already there. You're just doing it- Right?... 22:31 to do it. Yeah, I love that. You're soaking in the sights. You're, all the signs that are up that the little kids hold that say, "Touch here for a power up," I'm gonna hit all of those. 22:40 I might take pictures while I'm running. I don't know. Wow. But, um, yeah, absolutely, that's my goal. 22:46 I see that as a bucket list item and, um, you know, kind of a, a badge of honor to be able to qualify, especially coming from not an athletic background at all. That would be an amazing thing to accomplish. I love that. 23:00 I love that. Do you have a certain year that you wanna hit that, or, like, when, when are, when is you hoping to accomplish that goal? I'm, I'm really hoping to make it to Boston 2028. That's the goal. Um- Okay. 23:12 That's a good goal... because I have, I have multiple, um, attempts lined up for 2027- Okay... before the September cutoff, so we'll see. Right. Isn't it, like, a lottery-based thing too, though? Well, there's lottery. 23:26 So the way they do it, if you qualify time-wise- Mm-hmm... um, let's say that your qualifying time, like, for me it's 3:35. Okay. 23:34 Having a 3:35 time, I can send in an application But they always get too many applications. Everybody wants to run Boston. Right. And so what they'll do is they'll create a buffer. 23:45 They'll say, "You have to have been X number of minutes below the qualifying time for your age group, or for- Mm... for your category." Okay. 23:55 And so a lot of times, that's where you start having tiers in the lottery, is people work so hard to qualify for these times, but you really need to be aiming five to 10 minutes below that qualifying time in order to know- Ooh... 24:08 that you're able to get in. So you have to be faster than what it says, basically. You have to be, you have to be a lot faster, yeah. [laughs] Damn. That's hard. 24:16 But, you know, I'm thinking, though, let's say you don't make it in 2028. Mm-hmm. Don't you, like, as you get older, um, it's easier to qualify? [laughs] Mm-hmm. This is actually... 24:28 Okay, so that- [laughs] That's so funny. Yes. Once you start hitting a certain age, you get an- Yeah... extra five minutes. Exactly, yeah. Um, and I didn't qualify for 2027, and so- Yeah... 24:38 2028 is actually five minutes kinder to me. So- See? Yes. [laughs] So, so it helps as you, as you keep trying, because you're getting older every day, so... [laughs] By the time I'm 90, I've got this. 24:52 [laughs] Oh, my, you should really have gotten it by then. [laughs] Right? Right? Oh. But no, I mean, it's so- Yeah... interesting because you really are in a field of, you know, your, your peers, and- Mm... 25:04 you get to learn from others. I always watch... I don't know if you do this in races. No. But I always watch, um, the cadence of other people and their form. Mm. 25:13 And there are some people, they are just so graceful, and they look like a gazelle while they're running. Mm-hmm. And they have this beautiful long stride. Mm-hmm. 25:20 And, um, then I look at, I look at videos of me, and it gives me a lot of pause and reflection. [laughs] Not as effortless, huh? [laughs] No, no. It's more like an elephant, kind of like stomping- [laughs]... 25:33 as opposed to a gazelle gently leaping. Oh. You know- But hey, it gets the job done. [laughs] Yeah. I, I've heard too, it's, it's all about zone 2. I've heard that- Yeah... 25:44 you should be running at zone 2, and eventually the more you do it, your pace will quicken, and your heart rate will subside, and it'll be at that 140 beats per minute, whatever. 25:56 So it's like you're going slower, but you're moving faster. Does that make sense? Like... [laughs] You're making durability happen. Exactly. You're training your body, "This is what we're doing"- Mm-hmm... 26:06 without putting a lot of stress on it. Stress. And then you're also- Mm-hmm... teaching, you know, your, um, your cardiovascular that, okay, you can handle this. 26:16 So this pace that used to be, you know, a zone 3 now suddenly becomes a zone 2 with that lower- Mm-hmm... heart rate. It just becomes easier over time. Yeah. So yeah, it's all about miles. It's not about fast miles. 26:29 That's right. So just building up your heart rate more than anything to just, like, keep it at rest, or keep it as slow as possible. [laughs] But you're gaining speed as you're, like, [laughs] moving fast. 26:41 I know, it's crazy philosophy, but it, it works. It really does. And I know it takes a lot of ti- like, it takes years, literally- Mm-hmm... to get to a, a certain level. 26:50 And I was, like, really fascinated with David Goggins for a while. I read both of his books. And, um, he commented on one of, um, the few podcast episodes you can hear him on. 27:00 He doesn't usually do podcasts either, but, um, his most recent one was with Chris Williamson, Modern Wisdom. 27:07 If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend, because, um, he said something really interesting about his pace, and he can literally be in zone 2 at a 8:30 pace. Like, that's, that's what he does. 27:18 And, and, and minimum, like, 10-mile days. Like, he runs every day. Mm-hmm. But minimum 10 miles. So I'm like, "Damn." [laughs] His, his process is so interesting- Mm... 27:29 because it kinda goes against everything that we're told. We're told, "Take a rest day. Your body needs it." Mm-hmm. And his process is 12 miles every single day. Mm-hmm. Doesn't matter if you feel like it or not. Yeah. 27:40 And then what does he do? I believe it's two hours weight training after that every single day. I mean, most of us have, have jobs. [laughs] That's his job. We have to balance- That's the thing. Right. 27:52 He has the luxury to do that as a job now, right? Right. He either does that or he speaks, right? That's, that's basically what he does all day. 27:59 So, um, and he does about two hours of meditation, stretching every night before he goes to bed. Like, who has time for that? In addition to the strength? Yes. Oh, my gosh. Yes. That's wild. 28:10 A- and he stretches when he wakes up in the morning too, before his runs. He's, he's a big believer in stretching, by the way. Flexibility goes so far. 28:18 He used to never do it, and then, like, all of a sudden he noticed once he started doing it, his runs improved dramatically. So stretching, being flexible. Like, I do yoga. 28:28 Yoga is a massive thing that I do every single day before I go for runs. I should do more stretching before I go to bed, though. It's something I don't really do. I just don't think about it. I don't have a routine. 28:38 Maybe I should incorporate that. But- Mm... I know the more stretching you do, the, yeah, the better it is for your body overall too. Flexibility is, is really massive. Yeah, super huge for a runner, so. 28:50 I need to incorporate more of that, but my, my latest obsession when it comes to recovery has been the Theragun. It is- Yes... it is my favorite recovery tool. [laughs] I've done muscle scraping, I've done foam rolling. 29:03 Mm-hmm. But that Theragun right before bed, where you feel like- Exactly... all of your muscles are a bowl full of Jell-O, it is amazing. You sleep so well. [laughs] Mm. Yeah, I have one of those too. 29:14 I should use it more. Usually my shoulders. Mm. Maybe that's where all my stress is, in my shoulder area. And after a really hard run, um, I definitely feel it in my neck, shoulder area. 29:24 So with the Theragun, that would be amazing. Yeah, for sure. But no, I absolutely love that. So, um, tell me a little more about, um... 29:32 A- a- and I know this coincides with, um, business as well, like running, discipline, consistency, you know? 29:40 And I love to, um, align, uh, what we do every day, because I'm a big believer, you know, you're highly successful, or highly successful people, um, usually align with working out e- every day and exercising and some- and, and you can really tell a person's energy and alignment based off of oh, they worked out today, or, you know, they went to the gym or whatever. 30:01 And it's like, "Oh, they must be really successful." 30:03 Well, it doesn't guarantee that they're successful, but it, it's, I feel like it's one of the attributes, let's say, to highly successful people, that people work out every day. 30:11 So, um, with your running, um, how does that coincide with how you show up for people in your business? And besides the networking business, don't you have another business as well, or- [laughs]... am I mistaken? 30:21 Okay, yeah. Share me a little more about your, your business. Yeah. So, um, I'm also a recruiter. I have helped businesses with accounting, finance, human resources roles for years now. Mm. 30:34 And with that, you know, I've partnered with RIM Recruitment Partners. Um, and we help businesses where they feel like they're stuck. Mm. 30:44 Sometimes finding that right culture fit, and I'm sorry, you can throw AI at whatever you want, but you can't- Yeah... duplicate the human feeling- Mm... of when you're like, "Oh my gosh, I found this purple squirrel. 30:57 This is the right person." It can give you goosebumps as a recruiter. Mm. Yeah. And that's actually what led me into the networking business as well, is I had 15 years of putting people together- Mm... 31:09 based on culture fit to help businesses grow. And so, it- it's interesting. My husband always laughs at me and he's like, "You just talk for a living." And realistically, uh, uh, technically I do. 31:21 I'm- I'm always meeting with business owners, I'm meeting with candidates, I'm meeting with hiring managers. I'm learning, what are you really looking for? What's the story behind it? 31:32 And, um, I find that part so fascinating, just sort of how people phrase things and trying to read between the lines. Mm. Now, you had asked me about how running and working out kind of ties in with that. Yeah. 31:47 Um, it- it's fascinating because I was successful as a recruiter before I started really the fitness journey. But I feel like running has made me a much kinder person to both myself- Yeah... and others. Mm. 32:02 Much more understanding. And also the tenacity that it takes to accomplish, just the ability to finish a marathon. 32:12 Leave all timing aside, all of that, just finishing 26.2 miles is so much and it's so difficult. Mm. 32:21 And so just showing yourself that you can do difficult things, and especially if you're able to knock out like a hard run in the morning, you're like, "I have already done amazing things. This day is a piece of cake." 32:34 [laughs] There you go. I love it. 'Cause there are always, there are always unexpected things. In recruitment, you know- Mm... 32:40 you can go from being, you know, flying high, you've got this offer for a stellar candidate that you know is going to grow this business, to a really low of this candidate just declined because their spouse doesn't wanna relocate. 32:55 Mm. You know? And, um, so you've got these wild fluctuations, and I feel like having something steady is always, always a good way to go. We still have those fluctuations in running. Man, I had a bad day today. 33:09 You know, my knee is doing this wonky thing. I hope that it's not a long-term thing. But it's- it's very different. It's something that I feel like we have more control over ourselves. 33:18 And by having that piece that we can control, the other things, especially when we're working in people businesses, people are unpredictable. 33:26 It makes it a little bit easier to handle those because you did have control over one thing that day. Mm. Yeah, having control. Tell me more about that. 33:34 How in control do you feel with your businesses and just your life in general? Oh, gosh. Um, well, with a wild six-year-old, very little control [laughs] on that front. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. You just have one, right? 33:46 Just one? I just have one. I have no idea how people do more than one. She is a blessing. She is fascinating. [laughs] One of the coolest things to just sort of see how their minds work- Mm... and how they're learning. 33:57 Um, but definitely, uh, you know, any parent who says that, you know, they know what's coming with their child is probably lying. I feel like it's always a, a wild card [laughs] of what it's gonna be each day. 34:10 Um, with the businesses, you know, with people businesses, you just can't predict people. We- we do our best- Mm... but we can't control them, we can't predict them. 34:20 And I feel like part of the maturity that's come along with, you know, moving into in-person networking with NIA Colorado Springs, which I feel is very different from remote recruiting, 34:33 is understanding that it's okay that we can't control other people. Obviously as a recruiter, you're working commission only and you have to fill this role. What? Yeah, there's no base. There's no base. Oh, damn. 34:47 You eat what you kill. [laughs] Damn. Okay. And so, to, you can have these wild fluctuations, which is part of- Yeah... what also led me to, you know, really consider what can I do in my community? 34:58 Because, like, eye contact- Mm... seeing people in person, having those connections, knowing what's happening in your community, so wildly different, and there's also the sense of stability that comes with it. Mm. 35:10 I have some members that are just some of the most amazing people, and I'm so glad to have them in my network, and I get to learn from them too. 35:18 And that provides some stability that, you know, the recruitment side of my world doesn't necessarily provide, because it can be so volatile. And also, you look at market changes, you look at just, you know, 35:32 w- uh, if you are somebody who follows the jobs report that comes out every month, um- Mm-hmm... from the Department of Labor- Mm... I- I have followed that religiously for years as a recruiter- Okay... 35:43 and just seeing the volatility in that, you're like, "Okay, are we gonna be having work? Are we not?" Mm. Whereas with networking, people are always growing their businesses. Right. 35:53 And so that does provide that stability, which is- Got it... um, really comforting, and I find also fun. Mm. So would you say you enjoy your networking business more than your recruiting business, or? 36:06 You know, it depends. It depends. Yeah. I would say that I enjoy meeting amazing humans and helping them be able to grow. Mm. And- and that- that goes both ways. You know- Mm... 36:17 when we're, when we're talking about networking, when we're talking about a candidate looking for a job that's gonna provide for their family and, you know- Mm... have them achieve their career goals. 36:26 Um, or if you're talking about the flip side of recruitment with the hiring team, where they're like, "I have to build this incredible team for my business to grow so that I can take a vacation." [laughs] You know? 36:39 Right Those are, those are such impactful things to people. 36:42 So I would say I just, I, I love being able to learn people's stories and help point them in the right direction of what would be something beneficial for them from, you know, my resources and my network. Mm. 36:57 You're such a giver. Have you always been like this? Or like, I don't know, like your personality just speaks like, "Oh, I, I just wanna give back," you know? And I think that's really, really cool. 37:07 A lot of people aren't like that. They're not structured like that, so, um... But yeah, where did you learn this? [laughs] You know, it's, it's so funny you say that- Mm-hmm... 'cause I, I personally don't feel that. 37:16 Really? Um, I... Yes. Hmm. And I think, I think it's just something where, um, I like helping people. It brings me joy. I think a lot of people- Mm-hmm... say that. For, for me, um, 37:28 I, I just feel like if we help take care of other people, other people help take care of us. It's that reciprocity that we touched on when we first started talking. Mm-hmm. 37:36 Um, you know, the same reason that, you know, new business owners are like, "Here's this really cool thing that I have," and I have sales reps. Right. 37:43 You know, the opposite of that is that reciprocity, that how are we learning from each other? Because I realized once I started putting other people first, A, it calmed my nerves. Right. 37:53 If I was in a nervous state, you know, meeting somebody, it's not about me, it's about them. Right. And so that makes it easier for you to calm down. 38:02 And also, um, when we do that, people will tell us what they need, and sometimes things just like click. Mm-hmm. And when we do that, we stay top of mind for them. Mm-hmm. And so it all comes back. 38:14 Like, I see it as a synergy, you know? And, um, it does bring me joy helping others, so I, I can't really say where it comes from. It's just- [laughs]... 38:23 I've had a lot of time not being able to help others just in- Mm... you know, the work that I did, it wasn't available, and I started flipping things around where I wanted that to be all I did. Yeah. 38:35 No, that's really important. You said something earlier about relationships, and- Yeah... I'm curious, like, is that the way that you market yourself or you market your businesses? 38:45 Like, what are some strengths and then weaknesses that you found in building your own business or your- Oh, gosh... multiple businesses? Yes. Okay. 38:53 So I, I will go with, um, NIA Colorado Springs for answering this one, 'cause the recruitment business, you know, I have some wonderful clients that I've served that keep coming back as their businesses grow. And- Mm... 39:07 and I love that, but I feel like the in-person piece is, uh, gonna be more focused on what you're talking about. Mm-hmm. So with that, we do absolutely focus on the relationship piece. Um, NIA- Mm-hmm... 39:19 Colorado Springs, our tagline is rooted in relationships. Hmm. Love that. And what's really interesting, I see a ton of plants behind you, and I, I know that you are very much out in nature. Yes. 39:31 We spent, oh gosh, I think it was three or four months trying to- Mm... figure out what our promotional item, our little gift for people in our community would be. Hmm. 39:41 We finally settled on a little pot that comes with a seedling set to grow a mint plant, and it says, "Rooted in relationships" on it. And- Oh, I love that... 39:53 that, that's what we wanna be is, you know, whether you're a member of our group, which is how we monetize our company, or you're a member of our community who is helping spread the word that relationships being first is how you grow your business, we wanna be able to make sure that we are supporting them, we are thanking them, and we are staying top of mind for them as well. 40:17 Mm-hmm. You know, we're a resource first and foremost. Um, and so absolutely part of being a resource is forming those relationships. 40:26 You know, there was one person that I met with recently, he had come to one of our open events, and we scheduled a one-on-one, um, which is what I do usually a dozen times a week. 40:36 [laughs] I'll have coffee dates with people. Cool. And, um, with him, you know, he was launching his new business. He was like, "Man, I would love to meet somebody in this industry, this industry, this industry." 40:48 I'm like, "I have people in all those industries. I'll send some introductions." Mm-hmm. You know? And from there it's up to them to really build those relationships. 40:56 But I saw him last night at our event, he told me, he's like, "Man, this person that you introduced me to, exactly the right person for me to meet for me to be able to grow my business. 41:06 We have a standing meeting now every week." And- Yeah... um, there are a lot of opportunities for me to serve their clients. And like- Hmm... that's what we wanna do. 41:15 He's nurturing a relationship, and we're helping support that initial contact to make it happen. I love that. I love that. So how does that make you feel? Oh, it makes me feel amazing. Are you kidding? I... 41:29 [laughs] Okay. [laughs] So last night after that event, there were, um, a number of people where we had just gotten such positive feedback and similar stories to, um- Mm... to what this gentleman had said. 41:39 And, uh, my husband and I, we, we high-fived. [laughs] Power. We were like, "We nailed it. High five." Love it. 41:47 And, um, you know, it just, that's what we're here for, and that's what gives us validation because realistically- Right. Mm... business is hard. 41:54 You know, I've had some times where I've sat here and I'm like, "What is happening?" You know, we haven't had a new member, or we had a poor attendance at one of our events, and obviously- Hmm... you have to reflect. 42:06 We can always take a look at it and be like, "Oh, it's May, December, everybody's doing graduations, blah, blah, blah, so they're not showing up." Right. We can always push it on something outward- Mm-hmm... 42:15 but what we should always do is take a look inward. What, what could we have done to maybe work around that? Could we have said that it was an event that was focused on us supporting grads within the community? 42:27 And maybe we had, you know, some sort of a fun activity that they did, um, you know, that was specifically for creating banners or something like that where you're having everybody come together to... 42:39 Um, 'cause we always have competitions, and oftentimes they're physical competitions, like with the balloon towers last night Right. [laughs] And it's just like, what can we do? 42:48 How can we brainstorm something that's different that will prevent this from being an issue next time, as opposed to just blaming it on an external source? Mm-hmm. Um, and I think it's a different mentality. Uh, 43:01 some people go one way, some people go another way, and we've chosen to always look inward. What can we do to make a better experience? Hmm. I love that. You're so intentional, I think. We try. 43:12 [laughs] More, more people... Well, more people need to do that, obviously. If you're running your own business, you're gonna care so much, and it's that care that's a tie-in with that intention that I... 43:22 really speaks volumes to how much you care, right? How much you show up for people, how much you really want to help people. 43:31 And this is something that I found even in entrepreneurship as well, of like a lot of people become entrepreneurs because they really want to help more people, right? 43:41 They just don't wanna help the same people every single day, 9:00 to 5:00, right? Like, they, they wanna help different people. They wanna help... 43:49 They wanna solve problems in the world, in the real world, and they have these great ideas, you know? 43:55 So looking forward with the networking group and even your recruiting group, um, I, I would say sp- specifically the networking group, but it's like, where do you see it going, you know, in the next few years? 44:06 How do you want it to grow? Um, yeah, what are some goals that you have that you, you really want to achieve? Because, you know, I heard your running goals, which is amazing. Yes. Yeah. 44:16 Uh, but I'm like personal goals are great, but like business goals obviously will definitely take it to, to the next level, and so I'd love to hear more about that. Absolutely. Running shoes are expensive. 44:26 We have to be able to pay bills. [laughs] Right. Seriously. Right. And so, you know, as we look at NIA Colorado Springs, um, the market- Mm-hmm... will support up to 12 NIA groups here within Colorado Springs. Mm-hmm. 44:40 And we wanna max that out. We wanna have it be when somebody starts a new business, they keep hearing about Network in Action and NIA, and it's not, "Does that make sense for me?" 44:51 It's, "Which group is the right fit for me?" Mm-hmm. That's our goal. Within the next 10 years, we wanna have all 12 groups built out. Um- Wow... you know, we're one year in. We're launching our second group. 45:01 We have a wait list for our third group that we're planning to launch within the next six to 12 months. Wow. And so as we're taking a look at it, it's interesting because, um... 45:12 So there was an article that I had, um, that I had read where you have this kind of cycle as a business owner. You start out and you have this, uh, uninformed optimism. You're flying high. 45:26 That's when sales breath kicks in. You're so excited. I have this cool new thing. Everybody's gonna love it. [laughs] Then you go into uninformed pessimism- Hmm... 45:35 where you kind of fall down a little bit and you're like, "Man, uh, this isn't working the way I thought it would. I am not hitting those sales goals." Mm-hmm. "What, what changed?" 45:47 Then you go into the informed pessimism stage where you're like, "Okay, I, I know what I'm doing, and I know why it's not working and why, why am I doing this business?" And a lot of times that's where people give up. 46:00 And that's the part where, um, when we hit that point as a business, we actually worked with a business strategist, and we went through an intensive program to figure out what is our voice, what do we do? 46:14 But a lot of people just give up right there- Yeah... which is disappointing because right after that informed pessimism stage, you start hitting informed optimism. 46:24 And informed optimism is where you actually generate results, is where you start to pick up steam, and I feel like that's where we are as a company right now. 46:32 We've gone from six people being at our first open networking event to last night having almost 80. We've gone from- Wow... 46:40 working so hard to get my first few members to launch a group to now launching our second group- Wow... and having a wait list for a third. And so, um, 46:51 with that, I really feel like understanding that there are gonna be those lows is- Mm-hmm... a, a huge piece of business ownership. 46:59 Um, and, and that's the part that I feel like we've finally started, like, working our way through the lowest low because now we have a plan for moving upward. Hmm. I love that. And you know, business takes time. 47:12 It does. I don't think people realize how much time it takes. It's not like social media or the internet. It's like, it's not super high speed. No. 47:18 [laughs] Um, and, and it shouldn't be like that too because ultimately relationships take time. They do. So they take time to trust someone. Trust takes time. Mm-hmm. 47:29 And you can't have trust without, you know, having an understanding. Communication takes time, and I think a lot of people need to understand that you need to slow down and, like, think and 47:43 be really concise and clear with what you really want to give to the world, and the world will begin attracting back to you, right? Like your wants and your needs and your goals, right? 47:55 So but it takes time for that to happen, right? It's not like instant, and I feel like we have this whole instant gratification thing going on, maybe due to technology, due to the internet, due to AI or social media. 48:09 So I'd love to hear your take on that and just like, just how do you, how do you overcome that, and do you struggle with that as well? It is... I'm sorry. As far as the actual difficulty of, of business? 48:24 Uh- Yeah, yeah, of like slowing down and, like, struggling with the whole instant gratification thing. Oh my gosh, the instant gratification thing. 48:31 I think any new business owner that starts out, we always have that idea of what our sales are gonna be. Mm-hmm. Um, and a lot of times we have this idea of who we are supposed to be in order to make that happen. Mm-hmm. 48:42 Um, I myself have found myself feeling less authentic In the beginning. Mm-hmm. Because I was like, "I'm gonna hit these sales numbers. These are the people who have done it in other markets." 48:53 And also keep in mind, your market may be different than, you know, other markets where your business type has been incredibly successful. 49:01 Um, here in Colorado Springs we are very relationship based, but we are also very slow to adopt new things. If something is new, we have a little bit of a knee-jerk reaction. Um- Mm... 49:13 and that's just, that's normal in our community. And, um, with that, I think a lot of business owners do have this idea of who they're supposed to be. 49:24 I found myself wearing clothes that were different than what I would normally do, wearing makeup that was different than what I would normally do, 'cause I saw all of these, all of these people who, you know, were doing networking and who were influencers. 49:34 And, um- Mm... I realized partway through your vibe attracts your tribe. Right. And- Totally... you, if you're your authentic self, some people are not gonna like that. Yeah. And you know what? That's okay. Okay. 49:48 And- Not your people [laughs]... that's not, that's not necessarily gonna be, like, the people- Mm-hmm... 49:53 that, um, are gonna cheer you on or, you know, are really gonna be your cheerleaders, a- adopt into, you know, whatever your business is, work with you as a customer. 50:04 You're gonna attract the people that you wanna work with when you're true to yourself. Mm-hmm. So whether that's your messaging being a little bit different. You know, we're, we're a little weird. 50:14 In our events we always have something funky. 50:16 We've had, you know, people, um, you know, have to do different competitions that were silly and made them laugh, and we had to be silly ourselves and step out of our comfort zones because we believe laughter helps build relationships. 50:30 Oh, totally. Um, but with, with, with new business owners, you know, absolutely as you're kind of like navigating through everything, social media is a huge piece that's gonna tell you what you think you should be. 50:42 Mm-hmm. But really looking inward and figuring out what resonates with you, who you are, and, um, you know, what you want to present to the community and what you want to attract. 50:53 Just taking a few minutes to really dig into that as your own brand. Because as a business owner you can put whatever you want on paper, but if you're not reflecting it, it's a very different world. Right. 51:05 Well, people buy from people, right? Mm-hmm. So you really have to establish some type of personality, some type of- Yeah... um, friendliness, I would say, if you want business as well. 51:16 And just learning how to connect with people goes a long way too. And something you said earlier, which kind of just brought to my attention how initially, let's say, some entrepreneurs are, are a bit anxious. 51:27 I don't wanna say scared, maybe fearful about connecting with others. Isn't that the whole point of being an entrepreneur is learning- Yeah... how to connect with others? 51:33 So I, I don't know, I just found that kind of ironic. I'm like, sure, there's introverts out there, right? Mm-hmm. 51:38 But then there's extroverts too, but I know some great introverts that are just, they, they know how to talk to people still. They, they, they just find their energy being by themselves, right? So- Mm-hmm... 51:46 I don't know, I, I just found, found that kind of funny. I'm like... I, I don't know, I just, sure, they're not an expert, let's say. They don't talk for a living every day like you and me do, but- [laughs] Yeah... 51:57 there's, I, I think there's this, I guess there's this confidence, right? 52:00 So maybe you can, you can figure out who, you know, the newer entrepreneurs are versus the other ones, or the ones that are just starting out maybe based off of their confidence level. I don't know. 52:10 Is that something that you find, or...? So it, it's hit or miss. Eh, sometimes yes. Mm. Um, you know, a good example is yesterday we had somebody where he has been building his business. 52:21 His business is very much focused on computers, okay? Mm. So he's behind a screen a lot. Oh, okay. And he was like, "I realized I need to be networking." He had signed up for our event. Okay. 52:32 Um, you know, we had reached out to him on LinkedIn and, you know, invited him. And, uh, when I spoke to him a couple days before the event, 'cause I gave him a call, told him, you know, had his RSVP. Mm-hmm. 52:43 He, he told me he was really nervous. He's like- Yeah... "I normally don't do face-to-face. You know, normally I am through a Zoom call." Mm-hmm. And you know, I let him know how we operate, that, you know, he won't be 52:57 just going around talking to random people. 'Cause for me, like, I try and make that work and I speak to many entrepreneurs as well who try to make that piece work where you're working the room. 53:08 And even if you are an extrovert, it can still be uncomfortable because if everybody in the room is already in a conversation, how do you, how do you integrate into that? Mm. How do you join that conversation? 53:21 And it's, there's an art to it. I see people do it all the time, and I am always blown away, um, when they do it successfully and they just- Yeah... have that personality where they can. Yeah. 53:32 But even experienced networkers, um, within groups or whatnot, and experienced entrepreneurs can still have a lot of anxiety with that. So I wouldn't say it's only new people. 53:42 Sometimes there are new entrepreneurs where they come from a sales background, and they just attract people. 53:48 They walk into the room and all of a sudden they're in this group of eight people, and I don't know how they do it. It's just, um, you know, their personality, and they could be brand new and still be like that. Hmm. 53:59 I could see that too. Yeah, I guess it depends the type of field you work in too. If you're- Mm-hmm... behind a computer all day, yeah, you're not really connecting with people, right? 54:07 And if you don't do that on a constant basis, you kinda just... Y- y- you, it, it takes practice with anything, right? Definitely. So it takes practice to talk to people. 54:17 It takes practice to connect, communicate, um, and be really clear with, um, your intention of, you know, what am I here to say to this person, uh, to get them to like me and trust me and wanna work with me? 54:31 [laughs] And that's often- At the end of the day... not just one interaction, you know? Right. You're 100% right. People do business with those they know, like, trust, and value. Mm-hmm. Right. 54:39 Value comes from the first three. Trust usually comes over time. Right. Likability is definitely a personal thing. I can't make anybody more likable. [laughs] But I do try to get people to know each other. [laughs] Yeah. 54:51 Well, they can work at it too. I've seen people start from, you know, some, at one s- place, and then-... move in or slowly become more likable because, let's say, they know how to ask the right questions. Mm-hmm. Right? 55:05 They know how to focus more on other people rather than on themselves. When you immediately do that, you become instantly likable, right? Because people love talking about themselves. 55:14 So right there is a, is a great life skill. [laughs] Exactly. I will give you that. Absolutely. [laughs] And anyone can do that. Anyone can learn that. 55:24 I, I'm a big believer in that, and I'm a big believer in the abundance mindset of there is nothing fixed. 55:29 You can always learn, you can always grow, you can try new things, and I believe you're on that mindset or that wavelength as well. So, um, which I, I find you really likable because of that, right? 55:39 So it's like having similar [laughs] similar things that we enjoy from each other's personalities makes you more likable. See, that's another thing. 55:47 [laughs] True, but people, people have some personal responsibility in developing those skills. You know- Sure... it's not, it's not that somebody can tell you, "Here's how you become more likable." 55:58 You have to genuinely wanna do it, 'cause people can sniff out, you know, a lack of- Oh, for sure... um, a lack of authenticity a mile away, I feel. For sure. 56:07 Ooh, and that brings me to my, um, um, as we're kinda winding down here, I, I did have another point I wanted to make about authenticity, because I noticed you mentioned that a few times. Mm-hmm. 56:16 And so I'm curious, like, what's your, like, definition of authenticity, and how do you know when someone's being authentic and when someone is not? So authenticity can show itself, I feel like, in a few different ways. 56:29 Okay. Um, for me, I see it as what comes naturally. Mm-hmm. Now granted, if you're looking at, you know, humans in general, we have the id factor, which is our natural default, our lizard brain. Um- Mm-hmm... 56:42 but we also, as we continue to mature, have different things that have really taken over in our personality type. Mm-hmm. And so remaining true to that, I feel like is what being authentic is. 56:56 Um, for me, like something as simple as I very, very rarely wear heels. I am quite short, and I refuse to wear heels 99% of the time, um, because I personally don't like them. 57:12 And that's me being authentic to myself as opposed to adjusting myself to fit the room. Mm-hmm. The room can fit me, it's fine. Yes. [laughs] And so, um- [laughs]... 57:21 with that, I feel like it's sometimes it's hard to see who's being truly authentic, who's not. Mm. There's always different tells. I don't think a lack of authenticity is necessarily lying or anything negative like that. 57:36 It's just- Mm... are you being true to yourself? Are you comfortable in your own skin with the way you're behaving, the way you're presenting yourself, the way you're communicating with others? Mm. 57:44 And that comfort level, I feel like, is something that just attracts people. It attracts the right people. Mm-hmm. Definitely. 57:53 People like to be around other people that are comfortable, like comfortable in their own skin. And once you feel that comfort, it makes you wanna be comfortable too. Isn't that funny? Like [laughs] so- Yes. 58:05 I get that from you, and that's- Yeah... why I've enjoyed talking with you so much- Aw... over the times we've connected. Yeah. Um, and so that's, that's something where you just, you kind of feel it. 58:14 It's hard to put a pinpoint on it. Um- Mm. It's an emotion, right? Like- Mm-hmm. It really is... I mean, yeah, it's a feeling. And it's just so funny you mention that too, because I was just... 58:24 I, I did an interview yesterday. Oh, this one was really cool. Uh, it was in person though, and I was interviewing this photographer, and he was... 58:31 Um, I, I asked him a question about his style of photography or like what really moves him, or like what's a, what's a good, uh, photograph that tells an amazing story, you know? 58:40 Because, you know photographers, we, we have different styles of, of wanting to tell a good story, and he said his style is defined of emotion, how it makes him feel. He feels that's where his storytelling is wrapped up. 58:54 And he found most of the images, uh, about people, right? 58:58 And, and you really feel more once you see that person in the image, and that, that's how, that's how he was able to describe his type of photographic storytelling, so to speak, right? 59:08 And I, I thought that was a really great framing for like how we want others to feel what we're feeling when we're connecting with people, when we're building relationships, because we're humans at the end of the day, right? 59:21 We're not AI, we're not robots. Right. Um, we, we, we really want to have a good feeling with someone, and, and we w- we are really rooting for them. We want people to succeed, right? We, we also wanna succeed. 59:34 I mean, you know, it's- Mm-hmm... it's that reciprocity going back, but we really wanna see others succeed as well. We wanna help them, like you were saying earlier. 59:41 So, um, yeah, as we're winding down here too, it's like I would love to know what can we do, the audience and myself, of ways that we can help you within your own businesses and help support you. 59:54 Is there anything or like a one thing that you're struggling with within your own business that you can see that we could possibly help you out? Oh, my goodness. Well, what a wonderful question. Thank you so much. 1:00:05 You know, as we're, as we're taking a look at the Colorado Springs community, you know, we are local to this community. There are Network in Action locations across Colorado. 1:00:16 Um, but in the Colorado Springs community, if there is somebody who values relationships over transactions, that's somebody I would love to talk to. Mm-hmm. Whether they're a member or not, it really does not matter. 1:00:28 In order for us to be a resource for people in the Springs, which is our goal, we have to know who's here. Mm. We have to know who does what, who, you know, they specifically serve. 1:00:40 'Cause you might have three financial advisors and think, "Oh, I've already got financial advisors." 1:00:45 Each of them serves somebody else, and understanding that only comes from a conversation, only comes from being able to have that connection, having that moment, um, to learn more about them as a human as opposed to what do you do? 1:00:59 Saying I help people with finances could be I help, you know, families that speak Spanish and have not had the opportunity to have a financial advisor who speaks in their language previously. 1:01:10 Or I help business owners who are profitable try and minimize the tax implications of that profit. 1:01:17 Or it could be I help people who are trying to transition out of the workforce or, you know, their exit strategy for their business make sure that they're prepared for retirement. 1:01:28 Those are all three financial advisors and all three very different people, and different people that they serve. Mm. 1:01:37 So with that, um, if somebody who is a listener or yourself knows people within Colorado Springs who value relationships and are looking to grow, I would love to have an introduction and conversation. 1:01:52 They can check us out at niacoloradosprings.com. I am easily found on LinkedIn. I am the only Heather Blaszczyk out there. Wow. Um, and so with that, absolutely track us down. 1:02:05 We'd love to be able to learn more and be able to be a resource. Amazing. I love that, Heather. Where can people find you if they wanna connect with you besides LinkedIn? Are you on, are you on all the social medias or? 1:02:17 I am on Facebook. We have, um, Heather Blaszczyk on Facebook. Mm-hmm. We have NIA Colorado Springs on Facebook, also on Instagram. 1:02:26 Our TikTok is yet to come up, but we got some of those videos from last night that you were just talking about. Oh, snap. So that may be the connection you and I have. [laughs] Perfect. I love it. I love. 1:02:37 And with that, we'll end here. Thank you again, Heather. It's been such a pleasure, and, uh, we'll see you next time. Thank you so much, John. Yes, thank you, and don't hang up. 1:02:47 [laughs] I'm just gonna stop the recording. Okay. Because I've had that happen a few times. Hey, guys. I hope you enjoyed the episode. 1:02:55 If you wouldn't mind liking, subscribing, commenting, sharing, rating, reviewing, it would mean the world to me and Stella here if you did that, and it really would help support the show. 1:03:08 Thank you so much, and stay grateful. Right, Stella? Stay grateful? [laughs]
