Episode Transcript
Glenn Harper [: 00:00:00
Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Entrepreneurs podcast. I’m Glenn Harper.
Julie Smith [: 00:00:04
Julie Smith.
Glenn Harper [: 00:00:04
What’s going on, Julie?
Julie Smith [: 00:00:05
You know, it’s still summer, but we’re getting ready for that back to school season.
Glenn Harper [: 00:00:10
Well, all I know is I have a real coffee the whole way. They’re out of decaf today, so I don’t know what’s going on.
Julie Smith [: 00:00:15
You should have hooked up a fan so you don’t sweat through the whole.
Glenn Harper [: 00:00:17
Podcast and that’s okay. Well, we’ve got an interesting guest today. I’d like to introduce Neil Rogers, owner and VP of sales and marketing at Rogers Marketing, the promotional marketing firm in New England, not to be confused with the England proper where the motto is get, keep and grow. His niche is to identify company products that fit the brand of his customer to reach his client’s ideal customer. If you do not want to grow, do not hire him. If you want to grow your company to which. To that which you dream about, perhaps a consultation would be in your best interest. He is also co founder of Positive Activity, which is a great program that helps one achieve their goals with the the one step at a time plan, which we all know, but somehow find it impossible to execute.
Glenn Harper [: 00:00:58
He’s a bestselling author of bar tips. Everything I needed to know in sales I learned from behind the Bar. Apparently good communication skills, including listening to customer wants and needs. You can actually learn how to serve them. His path to success has been an interesting one to say the least. But as we all know, the weave of life is what makes it satisfying. Even though he hails from Melrose, Massachusetts, not to be confused with the real Melrose Place in California, he thrives the New England area, bringing his energy and passion to get all that one is marketing services, books, and a great keynote speaker. Thanks, Neil, for being on our show.
Neil Rogers [: 00:01:31
Happy to be here, guys.
Glenn Harper [: 00:01:33
Excellent. Well, I tell you what, we like to get a little background. Our clients get to know them a little bit, I guess, because it’s important to kind of figure out where you came from and how it all happened. And says you grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts, a mere mile from Reverie Beach, America’s first public beach, where he attended Melrose High School.
Neil Rogers [: 00:01:51
All right, first of all, we’re going to, we’re going to, we’re going to give you a little Boston. It’s Revere. It’s Revere, dude.
Glenn Harper [: 00:01:57
Revere. All right.
Neil Rogers [: 00:01:58
Revere, dude. Okay.
Glenn Harper [: 00:02:00
Yeah. All right.
Neil Rogers [: 00:02:01
So yes, so yes, we did, we did do a little Revere beach now and again. Although My accent is kind of tapered a little because I live in New Hampshire, but Massachusetts is right there.
Glenn Harper [: 00:02:11
Yeah, you’re. You’re technically in Massachusetts, but you’re really in New Hampshire, which is funny. It’s right on 5%.
Neil Rogers [: 00:02:16
I’m 5% richer for it too, baby.
Glenn Harper [: 00:02:18
There you go. That’s right. I was wondering why you left. Was it the taxes? I was wondering what the motivation was there. So you grew up, you grew up in the area in, In Melrose. What was that like? Would you have siblings?
Neil Rogers [: 00:02:28
Well, it was just. Yeah, it was a, you know, it was a family town. It was a wonderful town to grow up in. I was seventh of eight of a negative, negative Irish Catholic family. So that was. That was always interesting. And so how I got into what I’m doing, I believe I’m the only guy. We had teachers, we had plumbers, whatnot.
Neil Rogers [: 00:02:50
But as far as the people business, I’m the only one that was ever in. Though my sister did a stint at. At a place called Not Bailey’s, so she waited tables there. But other than that, I think I’m the only one that’s ever done, you know, hospitality business. Then I’ve been in sales for 40 years. So it was I. Overcoming. Coming some of those.
Neil Rogers [: 00:03:12
Some of those negative influence. And by the way, no acts around my family. I love my family. I love my parents and all that. It just the environment. We’ve all discussed this together. It’s not like it’s, you know, where I’m telling any stories out of school. You and my parents are great, but it was just a different way back then.
Neil Rogers [: 00:03:27
So it was, you know, let’s just say criticism came quick where, you know, compliments came long and the. Let’s just say the Socratic method was not practiced in the household. So.
Glenn Harper [: 00:03:39
No.
Neil Rogers [: 00:03:39
Sounds normal.
Glenn Harper [: 00:03:40
Yes.
Neil Rogers [: 00:03:41
It’s an interesting. Yeah, it was like my. It’s kind of okay, here’s the highway and here’s my way. So you make the choice.
Glenn Harper [: 00:03:46
Well, you’re not technically the black sheep, but you certainly did it different way than everybody else. Is that something you knew from an early age or is that something you. It just kind of fell into.
Neil Rogers [: 00:03:56
Well, first of all, Neil was never going to be an engineer or a doctor or anything of that nature. So I was always a little bit glib, you know, can sing a little bit, could play a little bit. I dance, those types of things. And so I use what I had my tools. So I really had people intelligence, you know, so. And as I think that’s the Proper term that Howard Gardner called it, but it was interpersonal skills and interpersonal intelligence. So he called them intelligence. He defined the nine different types of intelligence in this book called the Frame of Mind.
Neil Rogers [: 00:04:35
And I wish I knew that back then. My self esteem would have been a lot better at the age of 18, 19 years old.
Glenn Harper [: 00:04:41
So isn’t it funny how society puts pressure on what you do or don’t do and you feel it, you don’t even know why because you’re just trying to be you. It’s weird, isn’t it?
Neil Rogers [: 00:04:51
Yeah. Well, again it’s. I literally, I went up to my. So again the, the way things went back then, I mean I played, I played three sports for 12 years. I think my parents came to four games. It’s all changed again, the wax, the grind. They never went to my brother’s games or sister’s games or anything, but it just was what it was. So it was just a different time.
Neil Rogers [: 00:05:13
So the support that you would get today, where we’ve got our kids mapped out from DNA right up until. And they’re still. I was just brought to tears when my 31 year old son left the other day and it’s like my parents back. Move on. Please go.
Glenn Harper [: 00:05:28
Yes.
Neil Rogers [: 00:05:28
Not leaving in my house. He does live alone, but he stays at our place in Plymouth, Massachusetts for the summer, most of the summer. So. But I literally went to my mother in May of my senior year and said, is there something I should be doing next year? Literally. I mean it was, it was just like that and waiting for us to make the decisions and you know, you should go, maybe you should go to school. All right, let’s try school. So it took a couple of swings and misses at that. But all the while I stayed in the hospitality business and, and really have no answer for flunking out of two community colleges.
Neil Rogers [: 00:06:04
But it just happened. But then I decided when I got into the hospital, well, when I started bartending, I always washed dishes, bus tables, you know, cooked all that stuff. Then I started to get in front of the house and I started bartending. And that’s where I really decided that my life’s work will be taking care of people, making them happy, you know, serving them. And that’s, that’s really where it all came from. And oh, by the way, when I poured that first drink and someone looked, you know, after, of course, I asked her some questions. What would you like? Why like, oh, would you like how about a, how about a Sea Breeze? That sounds interesting. What’s in that? Well, that’s vodka.
Neil Rogers [: 00:06:43
Vodka, grapefruit with a splash of cranberry shoot, cranberry juice and a lime. Let me try that. Poured the drink. She took a sip out of it and I got a. Well, that’s lovely. I was for a moment there, I said, maybe I have something here, right? But I knew it was not. I knew I didn’t want it to be my life’s work because, you know, the thought of. And by the way, I have all the respect in the world for hospitality people working Friday and Saturday nights in order to make a living was not really terrible.
Neil Rogers [: 00:07:12
What I was looking forward to. So it was like, so, so that’s when people would suggest, hey, Neil, with your personality, the way you work with people yet, have you thought about sales? I said, sure, but I still got to get that elusive degree. But I got. What I did was I developed the process. Much like you’ll hear, let me throw up. Happy to send you a copy of my book, by the way. The, the. You’ll read in the book, you’ll.
Neil Rogers [: 00:07:37
And all that. It’s just everything is about process. And the process I had for school was. I don’t know if you guys know this, but they like you to show up.
Glenn Harper [: 00:07:47
Apparently that’s important.
Neil Rogers [: 00:07:48
Yeah, they like you to listen, actively listen, take notes, ask a question or two, answer a question or two, do an extra credit. Credit deal, show up at the office hours. Kind of sounds like sales, doesn’t it?
Glenn Harper [: 00:08:05
Very simple.
Neil Rogers [: 00:08:06
Yeah. So I, I’d like to make it harder, but it really isn’t. I mean, I think, you know, certain things, you know, obviously different paths when you’re working with different clients or whatnot, you’re going to have, you’re going to have to adjust. And it didn’t work exactly the same way this time. What do we do now? And I’m right in the middle of one of those right now. Absolutely right now.
Glenn Harper [: 00:08:28
You know, it’s funny. You know, it’s funny. When you’re a bartender, you are literally the gatekeeper of the people coming into that bar if they’re going to have a good time or not. You literally can set the tone by the service. A good drink, good conversation that sets the tone. When you walk in and you feel like the bartender is going to take care of you, engaging, give you a good drink, give them a special. And every time you give them look, they come and help take you out. It changes.
Glenn Harper [: 00:08:56
As a patron, your entire vibe of going into a bar, you can be the hero for your group of getting them, help them Getting drinks, it’s just the craziest thing. I don’t. I mean, I’m sure you notice that.
Neil Rogers [: 00:09:07
Look who just walked in. Yeah, Glenn and Julie are here tonight. What’s going on, guys? What do you have, Julie? You’re going to have that vodka soda, splash of crayon like you always do.
Glenn Harper [: 00:09:16
Everybody, 20s? Yep.
Neil Rogers [: 00:09:18
That IPA. You always want the new IPA. Let me tell you about a new one. The local guy brought it in the other day. It’s marvel, a little hoppy, but I know how you like the hop.
Glenn Harper [: 00:09:27
Maybe you were the norm guy before. Maybe you set the tone for cheers before. Maybe you’re that guy.
Julie Smith [: 00:09:31
Well, I have a question though, is you talk about reflecting in that key moment of like, oh, this is my strength and oh, this is the path I need to take. As you reflect and kind of look back at your childhood, do you see where, like, maybe you had tendencies to go that route instead of, you know, the other routes that you could have gone as you. I don’t know, it’s just interesting. If that was always there, it just wasn’t. Didn’t hit you with a two by four until then?
Neil Rogers [: 00:10:03
Well, there was always a little layer of entertainment in my background. Not, not to, you know, I started playing the piano as a kid. I. But yet I really started to play it the last three years. And that’s like 53 years later and it’s like it’s a whole new game. But yeah, so I had a little bit of that, a little bit of, you know, like I said, a little joke telling, little, you know, always telling, you know, the jokes around the table, whatnot. And then also, you know, at a party, I, you know, I can dance, you know, so that’s always, it’s always a popular thing for to four four, you know, to show, you know, demonstrate. So.
Neil Rogers [: 00:10:43
So, yeah, so that part of it, the performer. I mean, right now, my favorite thing to do. The only thing I’m frustrated now with my music right now is I’ve got no way to perform until November. Oh, geez, I got to find some. I got to find some way to do it or I’ll have people over and we’ll stop, I’ll play and sing for them. Or actually, I had the window open the other day in my place in Plymouth. The guy says, yes, I’m playing the piano. I said, no, that was me.
Neil Rogers [: 00:11:07
Oh, okay. Now, believe me, he probably didn’t have the most discerning ear in the world. So I’m not going overboard with my talent. I mean, but to answer your question, Julie, yes. I think that part of it was always there. And then I think God’s honest truth, I think I was in such. I wasn’t in desperate straits, but self esteem was really low. I mean, when you flunk out of a community college, it’s low.
Glenn Harper [: 00:11:33
Yeah.
Neil Rogers [: 00:11:34
It’s not, it’s not. It’s not a fun feeling. And the interesting thing was I didn’t. It wasn’t at the first semester. I did fine. I. Fine. It was B.
Neil Rogers [: 00:11:43
B student. Right. I just lost all interest. I had no passion. I had no passion. I had no. Where am I going with this? Why am I now taking history again? Didn’t I just take this crap? You know? So I’m thinking that’s what it was, but I don’t really have a solid answer for it. I think that’s what it was.
Neil Rogers [: 00:12:01
And then of course I probably liked a little. A good time a little too much. Right. You know, so I was, I was, let’s just say otherwise. Persuaded. Persuaded elsewhere at times. So. But yeah, I think that’s it.
Neil Rogers [: 00:12:14
But I, I do. But it’s a great question. I. I don’t know, other than the fact that I. I just like people and I like to, you know, to have a good time. And then when you. But I also wanted to be successful, you know, I started seeing people. So I started, I started.
Neil Rogers [: 00:12:31
I would say I started to mature, you know, I mean, it’s one of the things. I graduated high school at 17 years old and I wouldn’t, you know, I was, you know, I was, I was, you know, it was very, very difficult with coaches. And let’s just say I didn’t, I wasn’t coachable. I become very coachable. And, and oh, by the way, as soon as. Especially in school, once I figured it out. But even once I got that, that place where I went, okay, I’m going to do this. I’m at least going to stop pouring drinks.
Neil Rogers [: 00:12:56
I was very. I was pretty good at it, you know, I mean it’s very fast, quick hands, all that stuff. So. And then I would have. On certain nights in this one place, tea is in Boston. I’d have a little. I’d have a little, little gallery because my. We were moving so darn fast because you had 13 cocktail waitresses and food waitresses.
Neil Rogers [: 00:13:16
You had people on the right, people on the left, shout and shout and shout and shout. The micros is porn. So you had to. It was kill or be killed.
Glenn Harper [: 00:13:24
I’m going to go on a limb here And I think I’m right on this. But would you say that you are probably. I’m going to use one word, I’m going to use another word. You’re probably, I think you’re a facilitator, but more like a catalyst. When we drop Neil in somewhere, things are going to happen and whatever those things are, you’re going to get the thing happening. Whether it’s the party going, the engagement going, the business is happening, the sales is happening. You are the catalyst. When they drop you in, things happen.
Neil Rogers [: 00:13:56
I think that’s, that’s, that’s a good assessment. I mean I, I, I, we always, our family, we call it the make it happen team because we also have a son with autism. I have a 34 year old boy with autism. We had. Well to the, as relates to the book, right. So the book buddy of mine who flies back and forth from California, he came when he, we can always came to comes and visits us here and he said I read your book, I love the book. Is that how you did the other stuff? I said yeah, same stuff, same process. So it’s, it’s, it’s all, it’s, you know, you’d asked about the little things in your, in, in your, in your notes and yeah, it’s all about the little things.
Neil Rogers [: 00:14:39
So paying attention to details, fine, you know, find details. Random acts of kindness, you know, bring success and happiness and so the, yeah.
Glenn Harper [: 00:14:51
So, so that’s the question. We always like to, we get to this point and then we can go the other way. But the, the point is like at some point you’re working for the man, doing your thing, you’re being the catalyst, you’re, you’re doing something for somebody else. And all of a sudden you’re like, I got to do something for myself. What, what was that definitive thing that happened?
Julie Smith [: 00:15:10
Well, I think we could probably define it by talking to him for the last 15 minutes and is he wanted to do it his way, he wanted to do his process. And again I’m just guessing over here, but that’s my guess is that you decided you didn’t want those rules or to be put into a box. You wanted to create your own.
Neil Rogers [: 00:15:28
You’re absolutely right. I don’t know. It was a complete conscious decision. It just that I worked for my first successful sales job was when I was with food distributor and so I stayed, got back in the food business. Right. So I’m selling two restaurants and hospitals and whatnot. And you know, I, I took a, I think it was they used to measure it by weeks for some reason, but three thousand dollar week territory and in 18 months it went to 30,000. So it went from 300, whatever, 350,000 to a million eight or something like that.
Neil Rogers [: 00:16:02
Just by doing what you every day process and bartending on the road. Which is something I realized before it went. When my daughter was being honored here on. I live in a golf community here now and she was up at the, up at the clubhouse and she was just honored as one of the 30 to watch under 30, you know. You know the chamber, they’ve got an award for everything. So the guy who brought five guys burgers to New Hampshire was there and he was a great guy. And you know, my speaking is just how you hear it. You know, I practiced my chops at Toastmasters and I got evaluated one time and she goes, Neil, speech was unbelievable.
Neil Rogers [: 00:16:41
But you used the word gonna. I said, oh yeah, it’s a real word. Guess what, I’m gonna do it again.Glenn Harper [: 00:16:47
Yeah, it’s a real word.
Neil Rogers [: 00:16:48
It’s just the way I go. So this guy was kind of that kind of guy. And when you see the book, you’ll see it’s all I wrote a book I could read, right. So just said I When you get premal. I don’t know if you guys have worked in hospitality, but they get the team together, talk what’s 86? What’s a wine of the night? Whatever, whatever the. Whatever that is. And then there’s a little bit of a speech. And the speech, you know, goes something like his was we’re not in the burger business, we’re not in the fry business, we’re not the soda business, we’re not the shake business, we’re in the hospitality business.
Neil Rogers [: 00:17:23
I looked at my wife Lori, point of context. I met her. She, Laurie was a food waitress at. At the place Tea. As I was talking about earlier, I said I’ve never left the bar business. I’ve been bartending on the road for 35 plus years. At the time now it’s approaching 40 and. But the.
Neil Rogers [: 00:17:40
But yes. So that was that food job was the only job I had where I worked for a company. And it just like it wasn’t so. It wasn’t constrained, but it was also that, I don’t know, going to the office and listen to, you know, terrible. It was like, you know, and. But I learned, don’t get me wrong, I learned a lot now. And you’ll. One of the greatest lessons I learned was there and that was.
Neil Rogers [: 00:18:07
But it was given to me By a mentor. Jim Gallhue. Right. Jim Gallahue said to me, you know, and he was the tops of the trees guy, so I’m following him like a puppy dog. What can I do for you? I, I deliver stuff for him. I, I tend to bar at his Christmas parties. All these things. He says, if you forget everything else I’ve told you, remember this one thing.
Neil Rogers [: 00:18:27
Whenever anything goes wrong, always start here. Start here. How could I have done better? Right. What was my role in this? There’s something disarming about that, that when you, when you don’t lash out. Oh, my God, the truck driver. Oh, the. Probably the guy in the warehouse picked that wrong. Did the customer service girl mess up again? No, you keep that all inside.
Neil Rogers [: 00:18:54
Let me take some ownership on this. Let me solve the problem. Right. So, but from there, so now I’m pretty successful here.
Julie Smith [: 00:19:03
But do you think that was the key to your growth? Like that unlocked some of that growth aspect for you personally?
Neil Rogers [: 00:19:10
Oh, sure. It for me especially as I, you know, as I relented to learn and to take mentorship and sales management, if you will, and not think everybody else was wrong. Right. I thought, I think that, that, that is, I think that’s been a huge success of. Part of my success over my life. Especially now we’re in the, we’re in the promotional business and we’ve got vendors and you know, they mess up. They do all the time.
Glenn Harper [: 00:19:36
All the time.
Neil Rogers [: 00:19:36
But you know what? I never, I never, I’m never the one that says, you, you, you, you, you, you. Now, not 100%, don’t nobody bats a thousand. But, but they, but, but by saying, you know, 99% of the time, we get a fair shake on anything that happens. Most of the time they just take care of it. If I think we’ve got a piece of it, we take our piece. There’s something disarming about that. Something, you know, you’re going to get better service and all that. But, but the next.
Neil Rogers [: 00:20:08
Just to finish up your question, Julie, because I know we get ranty here, but the, the, the next gig. So now I’m, we’re recently married, 1987, you know, Lori’s working at fidelity making 50 plus a year. I’m now making 50 plus a year. We got a car, you know, 1987, we got 100 grand coming in and we’ve got, you know, get a car and, you know, all the, all the, all that. And so my friend of mine who couldn’t make my wedding sold me sold. He had a manufacturers Rep firm in the athletic footwear and apparel business. He comes to, he comes to my house, gives us our gift and say, you want to come work for us? And I knew they were successful and I knew it was independent. I said sure do.
Neil Rogers [: 00:20:54
So I went there and we did, we did great stuff together. They’re, they’re all over my book. Matter of fact, I’m creating a new ring that for positive activity. Their logos on one side of my logos on the other. So, but, but yeah, and then it was just, but then the process kicked in, you showed up. So I think, I think the guy that had the territory with before me was negative stuff doesn’t sell. Nobody wants Etonic shoes, nobody wants this, Nobody. Instead of like just going to make it happen.Neil Rogers [: 00:21:30
So I think in the end I think it was $250,000 territory that I turned into, you know, based on the commissions I made because I can’t remember the approaching 10 million.
Julie Smith [: 00:21:41
So what do you think is the key to your growth? Mindset? Because you obviously had a huge shift throughout your career to get you to where you are. But what do you think the key to that is for our listeners?
Neil Rogers [: 00:21:56
Well, I think, I think that you have to start your day positively. You cannot start, oh my goodness, what are we going to do today? Because the problems are solved. So we are giddy with positive activity. It’s the practice because my wife and I are yogis and we believe that everything’s a practice, nothing’s a perfect, nobody’s going to bat a thousand. But it’s the practice of getting your mindset right. So you’re in a place of positivity. Now. Research will tell you the positive.
Neil Rogers [: 00:22:29
You sells 37% more and is 31% more productive. You’re healthier and all these other benefits, right? And, but that takes you to a place of creativity. So creativity is divergent thinking, you know, solution providing so that we’re never in, we’re always in the solution mode here, you know, and that can and something get cropped up like the other day, my 34 year old man with autism, he’s got to have his wisdom teeth out. Okay, here we go. Let’s do it. How are we going to do it? I’m trying to find, you know, dialing around who’s getting, who takes Medicaid and all this stuff. But it was, but I didn’t go, oh my God, this is, well, how are we ever going to do this? Just picked up phone, stop making phone calls, you know, just pick it up.
Julie Smith [: 00:23:19
I, I think one of the keys, though, to that is you somehow switched your mindset to be coachable and I think.
Neil Rogers [: 00:23:27
Oh, absolutely.
Julie Smith [: 00:23:29
That just opened the door for you in regards to the possibilities and opportunities.
Neil Rogers [: 00:23:36
I think you’re spot on, I believe. Yeah. Yeah.
Glenn Harper [: 00:23:39
It’s funny too. A lot of entrepreneurs that are listening to this show are. It’s scary to grow. Like, can we serve a customer? How big do we want to get? They don’t, they haven’t defined. They’re not positive about it and they haven’t defined what they want to do. And if they’re positive and define it, then they go grab you and they just drop it right in and then they just roll. Right. I mean, that’s how it’s supposed to be, correct?
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:07
Yeah. I mean, you may have. Right now we’re staring down. I’m not going to be 67 years old. I have no desire.
Julie Smith [: 00:24:15
You don’t look a day over 35.
Glenn Harper [: 00:24:16
You’re just a kid.
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:17
Thank you very much. And I’m riding from Plymouth. I brought Province down on Sunday for writing in memory of a friend of mine who decided last year didn’t want to live anymore. Cycle against suicide. So. So that’s almost 100 miles at 67 years old.
Glenn Harper [: 00:24:33
Hopefully it’s downhill the whole way.
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:34
Ah, this, believe it or not, there.
Julie Smith [: 00:24:37
Is an electric bike. What are you talking about?
Glenn Harper [: 00:24:38
That’s true.
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:39
There. Oh, there’s no, there’s no cheating in this guy.
Glenn Harper [: 00:24:42
Good man.
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:42
I’d show you my legs, but that would be. That wouldn’t you know, that’s my, that’s my line. I goes, are these the legs of a 67 year old? And plus, I’m not 60.
Glenn Harper [: 00:24:49
We got to know our limitations. We can’t show all that stuff off.
Neil Rogers [: 00:24:52
Right.
Julie Smith [: 00:24:53
So, so at what point do you go off on your own and start your own consulting? So you’re, you’re doing this with your friend and you know, making waves and then we’re.
Neil Rogers [: 00:25:05
Okay, so where was that? Let’s, let’s, let’s talk about a failure. Let’s not. Nobody bats a thousand, right?
Julie Smith [: 00:25:10
So I don’t fail. We never fail.
Glenn Harper [: 00:25:12
Never fail.
Neil Rogers [: 00:25:13
So, so yeah, I like that. Pivot. Yeah. R and D, rip off and duplicate. Yeah. Okay, good. So, but yeah, so let’s be pivoted after this one challenge and because I decided after being successful, selling out the foot apparel, I could, I could start a computer software training company. Makes sense, right?
Glenn Harper [: 00:25:32
Why would you.
Neil Rogers [: 00:25:33
But, but through circumstances and all sorts of finance guys and whatnot, I wound up with this business and it’s, it was, it was a franchise that we own. We’re independently owned and operated and it was in logo business. I had been in the logo business. I done it with my apparel. The, the apparel rep. As a rep. We, I had, we had a line called the Game and it was all custom. It was all, some of it was licensed products.
Neil Rogers [: 00:26:00
But, but we got into, we were also custom, so we did. So I said, this is right up my alley. And my wife and I jumped in and she actually really led the charge because I was still repping something else to try to continue the income flowing. And we’ve had a 29 year run and it’s been great. Awesome.
Julie Smith [: 00:26:19
So I have a couple questions that are the hardest questions of the whole podcast.
Neil Rogers [: 00:26:23
Yay.
Julie Smith [: 00:26:24
The first one is what is your superpower? And I think you’ve answered it several times, but maybe not directly.
Neil Rogers [: 00:26:34
I think it’s just, it’s just, it’s just making things happen. Connecting, you know, connecting dots is always things that, you know, we did that a lot in my, in the foundation. We have especially special needs kids. We had a special needs education, you know, oh, wait a second. These people do that. Those people do that. Okay, let’s put them all together. Now.
Neil Rogers [: 00:26:52
We’ve got something. So I would call myself. So here’s something. I want to put a bug in your head. There’s a company on getting started and I just invested in it called Hubside. And they’re going to, they’re going to measure your original iq, which is how creative you are. Basically. I’m not speaking for the company.
Neil Rogers [: 00:27:13
I might be messing this up a little bit, but I wrote a speech on it that I. And in that you have focal, you get take a score and you have focal augmenter, connector or expander. So focal will be that person that, you know. Let’s take a music metaphor plays what’s on the page. An augmenter will be a jazz pianist, which he sees, he or she sees a chord shot and they go, huh, what do you see? I’m going to play it this way this time, I’ll play it that way the next and maybe a third again. And then you have the connector, which in a music metaphor is the producer. So I’m going to have the session musicians and I’ve got your chart and we’re going to put all this stuff together and we’re going to come out with a product now that could obviously in business that could be the, you know, project manager or something of that nature. And then Expanders are just like Elon Musk, you know, those types of people.
Neil Rogers [: 00:28:10
Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, you know, take, take something from nowhere. So what are you going to do with information you get from AI afterwards? That’s kind of the thought, that’s kind of my interpretation of what, what it’s all about. So in that scenario, I’m a connector.
Julie Smith [: 00:28:28
Gotcha. And I have one last question. What is your end game?
Neil Rogers [: 00:28:37
Just I, the end game is just to remain happy and productive. I, I, I really, you know, we have a great life. You know, we’re, we, you know, we, we don’t owe anybody anything. We don’t, we could, we could stop tomorrow. Matter of fact, just ran into a buddy of mine whose company’s been bought twice and all he’s got. So we’ve never, we’ve never been able to have, you know, share in those fortunes of stock and all that stuff because we’ve been independent. But we have a wonderful life and the kids are doing great. I just can’t, I can’t be any happier than that.
Julie Smith [: 00:29:08
Well, I think the answer is there’s no end game for you.
Glenn Harper [: 00:29:11
There never is.
Neil Rogers [: 00:29:12
No, there’s no end game. I have no desire to retire.
Julie Smith [: 00:29:14
You’re not gonna stop, you know, too much. I think your growth, mindset and ability to help and like you said, put people, connect people, create those relationships. Why, why would you stop?
Glenn Harper [: 00:29:26
It would, you know too much. Why stop?
Neil Rogers [: 00:29:30
That’s what I, So this guy who said he was retiring yesterday, I ran into him and I said if I, you know, sent him, sent him a text after, you know, Joe, always. Gentlemen, great to see you. Yada, yada, yada. Congratulations on the retirement. I said I could go now, but I could have gone 10 years ago, but I like what I’m doing. He goes, I’m, he goes, I’m coming because what I wanted to say to him, I said, I didn’t want to say this because, you know, if your, your decision is to retire and you want to go golf and do whatever, have at it. But I wanted to say to him, you got a lot more to give. Guess what, he’s coming back next year after his non compete.
Neil Rogers [: 00:30:02
I said, good to hear, can’t resist.
Glenn Harper [: 00:30:05
Well, is there a, is there a plug you can put for somebody could get a hold of you that we can put on this podcast?
Neil Rogers [: 00:30:11
Sure. I just. Positiveactivity.net is, is, is the best place to where all our contact information is there and you get to read all about us. My speaker bio, Lori’s is there, too. We speak not only in business and business development, but we also speak on caregiving. And our next book is going to be how to Navigate the Special Needs World with Positive Activity.
Glenn Harper [: 00:30:36
Fantastic. Well, Neil, can’t thank you enough for being on our show. We look forward to running you again and again. I’m Glenn Harper. Julie Smith, entrepreneurial podcast. We’ll see you later.
