Matt Dallas
Professionally, Matt Dallas owns and operates three Stroll neighborhood newsletters in Gilbert. He and his team work with Agritopia, Seville, and Val Vista Lakes to help connect neighbors while introducing top local businesses and giving through partnerships with non-profits. Their mission is to make a positive difference in Gilbert through the work they do serving these communities. He is obsessed with constant improvement in his business, hates email, and loves the challenge of running and growing his business in an industry that some people said was dead before he even started 10 years ago.
Personally, Dallas lives his life with his faith as his top priority, followed by his marriage and daughters.
Episode Transcription
Guiding Growth. Conversations with Community Leaders. In this podcast, we'll explore the human journey of leaders, their stories of humility, triumph, roadblocks and lessons learned. Come join us as we journey together and uncover the questions you've always wanted to know. This podcast is brought to you by the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce, providing resources, connections and belonging for business professionals and modern moments, an event and meeting venue in the heart of Gilbert and at Gilbert Independent, your valley. net dedicated to serving readers with good community journalism. The Gilbert Independent is a nonpartisan newspaper, an online site that covers our town's institutions, development and events.
Subscribe and follow Your valley. net Daily to stay up to date with latest local news. All right. So today we've got a new guest with us and who might that be? We do have a special guest with us today. This guest grew up in upstate New York but has called Gilbert Home for over a decade after years of corporate roles in sales and a challenging but rewarding journey into entrepreneurship. He took a leap of faith to create neighborhood focused public, that foster community and connection. Today, he's the proud owner and operator of three stroll neighborhood newsletters in Gilbert, connecting local businesses with the Val vista Lakes Agria and Seville communities.
His life's journey, including overcoming a significant health challenge has led him to live by the mantra. Gratitude, overcomes despair. Above all, he treasures his faith, family and the opportunity to serve his community. He's a longtime chamber member and friend. Please welcome Matt Dallas. Matt Dallas is in the house. Hey, Matt. Hey, good to see you. Glad you're here. We have your favorite part we do. Oh, that must be rapid fire. Would you rather sing in public or dance in public? Sing in public? What song? Paradise by the Dashboard Light with my wife.
That's our jam. What is one of your nicknames? Um, when I was a little kid, my dad called me madow, Matto. Matto. That could be your biggest name. Maybe. Would your 12 year old self think you are cool. I hope so. Yeah, I, I think so. Have you ever won a contest? Yes, I win everything. Hm. Would you ever skydive? Yes, I would, I have not. But I would. What is your favorite breakfast? So, my favorite, this is recent, but my favorite breakfast is my, uh, two raw eggs and protein shake and little meal replacement.
I call it my Rocky, my Rocky shake. Ok. What would be your favorite cheap breakfast? Favorite cheap breakfast? Like cheaper? Oh, I don't know. I like eggs and bacon and sausage and pancakes. Yes, those would be cooked. The drink is the right. Got it. Ok. I'm going to switch this one up. I'm going to say email or text message, text message. I don't check my email. Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? I am more of an introvert. Ok. Do you have a favorite book? Favorite like personal development.
Professional development is Straight Line Leadership. Ok. And last question, glass, half full or half empty, I would say probably half empty, half empty. I try to be half full, but I would say my wife would probably tell you half empty. So there's honesty in that. I appreciate that. Do you ever feel like your business is stuck? It's time to get traction and move it forward. Call Chris Spear, your business coach and Certified E US Implementer. They'll help you use the entrepreneurial operating system to get traction and achieve your vision.
Call Chris today at 4808483037. That's 4808483037. All right, let's start uh with upstate New York. Tell us what childhood looked like for you. Oh, man. So uh I grew up um when I was a little kid in Little Falls, New York, which is uh probably, I don't know, it's a little bit east of Utica. It's between Utica and Albany. And when I was in, I think fifth grade, we moved to Central Square which is north of Syracuse and, I don't know, I, I played baseball in high school and did sports and, uh, kind of grew up out some, somewhere out in the country.
Central Square is like, you know, we were kind of the hicks, you know, compared to, like the city of Syracuse. Um, teeny tiny towns. Super small. Yeah. So Little Falls probably had, I think around four, there's like, 4000 people live in Little Falls and Central Square is like 1800 people, you know, which, uh, you didn't realize how small it was until you moved to a place like this. And, like, the neighborhood has more people than that. Are you, were you an only child? I have a brother and a sis.
I had a brother and sister at that time and I have a brother, sister and two other sisters. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So, baseball was your thing back then, huh? Yeah, it was ok. You had a great coach or mentor in that. Um, not, you know, not anybody that necessarily, like, stands out. Um, I mean, I had, you know, I was little league in high school and all that stuff. Um, but, uh, but now, like, I was kind of like, did my own thing and, you know, um, I don't know, I didn't have, like, one consistent coach, I guess the whole time that really made a big impact in college.
Like, I like my college coach. Um, I played in college. Uh, in Philly. Yeah, in Philadelphia. Yeah. Where did you go to college? So, I went to three different colleges. I went to school in, uh, well, when I went there it was called Textile. So it's Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. And that was when I was a freshman and played, played baseball there. We had, uh, we had some really great players and we were d two but we had some really great uh guys that went pro and everything.
So that was kind of cool. It was a cool experience. Um But, but a great coach um and then went to school in Tucson for a year at uh Pima Community College and then I finished up, I went, end up going back to New York for two years, finished up at Suny, Albany. OK. So how did you end up moving to Tucson? Tucson was, uh this is a lot of this is like pre internet. So there's things I probably wouldn't have done now because I can look things up on the internet that I didn't necessarily do before.
But I had this idea. My idea was I was going to go to Pima and play baseball and then jump to a higher level school. So, um my dad lived in Tucson and I thought, you know, from where I was in Philly, I might be able to make the pi a team and that totally didn't work out the way I thought it would, um, they recruited out of, you know, a certain place and, like, there was, they had tryouts but it was more just for show and I didn't realize all that at the time.
So I didn't make the team. Um, I think I probably should have, could have. But, uh, yeah, that didn't work out but it was ok. I spent a year in Tucson and I'm like, ok, what am I gonna do to finish up school and end up going back to New York? And what were you studying? I was a psychology and business major. Ok. So I'm curious because I still see that in you today in terms of like, just chasing something, like, I've got an idea and I'm going to take the risk and I'm going to do it.
Where does that come from? Oh, man. Um, that's a good question. I think. So. When I started playing baseball, I was terrible. Ok. Like, like, not very good at all. But you just wanted to play, I enjoyed playing baseball and, uh, when I was a fresh, so somehow I made the freshman team and it was a small town. Yeah. So I feel like I was kind of it. Ok. So, um, so I made the freshman team. Ok. And, uh, and I play, I didn't play very much.
I wasn't the best player on the team and I didn't get hit all season. Ok. So it wasn't a lot of at bats, but like all the at bats were not hits, which is bad, right? Going zero for like, it was probably zero for 1003 or 12 or something like that was bad. Um, but by my senior year, um I led our team in hitting and like it was all league and all these, all these things. Right. So I think, you know, I think going through that process kind of forged this, you can overcome things and make a different out, create a different outcome.
And uh I think that kind of played into the entrepreneurship, the cut coast stuff and it was always like up against the odds, trying to make something in a, in, in a challenging scenario, challenging situation. So, is that a space you thrive in? I think so. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think I do my best when things are the hardest. Ok. So college, what happens after that? Um Where do we skip anything in between there? So when I finished high school, I started selling cutco cutlery cutco knives.
And uh when I was a junior in college, I ran a cutco, I opened my first cutco office and um they have a summer program where you go open an office, right? And I was in Plattsburgh, New York, which is not that far from Montreal, but it's like the farthest northeast part of New York State. And that went pretty well and then went back for my senior year of college and then opened up another, uh, co co office in Utica, New York at the time and, uh, ran that for a while.
What got you into that, um, need a summer job, you know. It was like one of those. Like, that's how a lot of, a lot of people start Coco is. They need a summer job. They see an ad they go in for an interview and they end up selling knives, you know, and uh you just kept growing with it. Yeah. Yeah. It was challenging because you still have Cocoa knives in your home. When you think of that time, what are some lessons that you think you learned during, um, that during those experiences?
I think it's the idea that you can do hard things. And that, and I felt because, I mean, I was very competitive so I had the whole baseball thing and I ran cross country and did track and stuff like that. But, um, overcoming the odds I think was something that attracted me to it because what I found out about Coco is that most people don't make it. So having some success was like, ok, I'm kind of outlasting that person doing better than that person. And I think that competitiveness kind of drove me.
Um, and then in ko at the time, it was the progression that the career progression was to move into a management role. It's kind of changed these days. But um but yeah, so I moved into this management role and then just continued on with that. Uh Are your siblings that way? No, they're not. No, I'm a first child. So our oldest child or whatever you call it. So I think that probably plays into it a little bit. So, is this, I know there's a health challenge that comes into play.
Is this the time in life that that occurs for you as well? Yeah. So I, uh, graduated uh, college in 2001, ran my office. Um, and so it was the summertime. So I would go from college. I left college early. I didn't, uh, well, I graduated but I didn't like go to the graduation ceremony or anything. I was like, I'm starting a business, you know. So, so I started, and we uh over the summer worked really hard and then in the fall of 2001, um, I was, I mean, I was young and kind of dumb and not, uh probably overconfident.
So I found myself in a situation where I was working way too much and it was cold and rainy and it's upstate New York. Um, in the fall it's not very nice and uh I got sick but I'm like, I got work to do and I was working like 211 22017 hour weeks. I mean, it was crazy. So I'm like, I'm in a self medicate. So I started taking all kinds of pills and potions over the counter stuff and, uh, trying to, like, get myself well and I just kept getting worse and worse and, uh, I end up going into the hospital because I'm like, there's something wrong with me.
So I go to, er, and, uh, they, they kind of misdiagnosed what was wrong and they kind of treated something and sent me home, like, within, I don't know, like 235 minutes and then I think it was like night time and by like, 21 hours later, morning time I was really sick. And, uh, I had to go back in and I had, um, I had double pneumonia so they admit me for the pneumonia and then, like, within a day or two I started having a really bad reaction and I developed this thing called Steven Johnson syndrome.
And, uh, within a few days I couldn't see, couldn't talk, I was in the IC U. Everybody's like, praying for me because they thought I was gonna die. I didn't realize this until afterwards. But, um, you know, like, and, and when I was a kid and, like, the church we went to, like, they prayed for like, all the people who are dying, you know? And like, afterwards I found out, oh, yeah, that we're all praying for you. Like, I only pray for them. Yeah. But, yeah, I was, I was, uh, in IC U for several days and eventually, um, there was a moment where it started to turn and uh eventually like started to recover.
And after about three weeks or so, I was out of the hospital but I was still pretty sick for, I don't know, it took like probably two or three months to recover. That was wild. Do you remember during that time? Like what, what was your headspace like? What were you thinking? Truly? Um Yeah, so that was probably one of the best things I think that happened to me. I was so focused on the business and we had all these goals and my team and everything and that all crumbled like I lost all that being in the hospital but, but wanting to get back to work and wanting to get back to the goals we were working on and all that, I think that really drove me and I, the, the thing that I remember the most from that time period was needing to build momentum because there were some things.
So you have the nurses and doctors trying to take care of you and, and I had this and I still have it. Um I have this notepad where I was to write, writing things down like they would ask me questions, couldn't see, couldn't talk. Um So I'd like to write answers and um there were some things I had to do to kind of take care of myself and help myself progress and I needed to do those consistently, like all hours of the night. But if I did them well, then I would start to have some momentum to get better.
And I saw this and I was like, ok, you know, I'm building momentum, getting better and eventually I got myself better enough to where I could go home. Yeah. Yeah, that's quite the ride. Um, yeah, it's a pretty gnarly thing. Like, I don't recommend people look it up, like the pictures can be real, real bad. Yeah. Is it a viral thing that you can autoimmune like reaction? And a lot of people most commonly it's a reaction to Ibuprofen plus some sort of prescription drug and when I was self medicating and trying to get myself better, I was taking all these different things, including Ibuprofen and Ibuprofen tends to have bad reactions to certain things.
So like if you look at especially antibiotics, if you look at antibiotics, uh most of them have a ibuprofen, an antibiotic and Steven Johnson's warning on them? Yeah. Yeah. Um I also think in that you found an important lesson of the difference of building a business dependent on you and building a team that can operate a business. Yeah, that was a huge lesson. Um That was really, I think important lesson for my life because I had uh an assemblance of a team. But everything relied on me and it was such a, an intense business and it was still very new business.
I'd just started it in May and it was, this is Sept uh October or no, I'm sorry, this is November. So from May to November of 250 and uh everything relied on me. So me being out for three weeks and then in order to recover, they wanted me out of the cold and the wet and the rain and all that stuff. So I ended up coming to Arizona for a couple of months. So, um, like being out here, like everything went away and I had to restart everything from scratch when I went back. Yeah.
So that's why, that's why you ended up here then. No. So I went back to New York. Um, um, my dad was out, was living in Arizona at the time. So it was kind of like a respite from all the upstate New York. Um, but I still, but I had these, all these unmet goals and, you know, and things are undone unfinished, I guess. And, uh, in the Cutco world, there's a big push that happens in January. So you work really hard and you start things in January, but I missed that whole thing.
So I had to restart in February, which is not impossible, but it's really difficult, but I went back to New York, restart everything in February and we, um, did really well, we set all these records over the summer for that area. Um, but at the end of the day I just, I realized I shouldn't be there. Like I needed to leave and find warmer drier areas wasn't good for my health. So that's when I came out here again. Yeah. And what did it look like then when you get out here?
And so because you're walking away from a state and what you thought might be your career. Yeah. I, I became, I don't want to say probably transient might, maybe the best. Like, so I worked at a couple of different jobs. I worked here for a while. End up going back to cut co kind of bounce around. I, I bounced around different parts of the country for a little while. Like, doing a job here, working there, working in a family business kind of doing things. Went from Arizona for a while to New Jersey to Florida and eventually ended up back in Arizona.
But finding yourself along the way. I think so. Yeah. Do you have during that time in your life? Any specific lessons that stand out or people that stand out? Um, thats a good question. I, ah, I had some interesting family experiences with business and fam where business and family intersect. And, uh, I learned some good lessons and some, uh, difficult lessons going through that. But, uh, but, yeah, I mean, I think with all this life stuff, I don't, I think it all adds to, you know, who you are and you know what you do going forward. Yeah.
All lessons. Ok. So then you're here, you're back to Arizona. Any, what does family look like for you at this time? Have you met your wife? Yeah. So I had met my, my, my life, I met my wife along the way. Um, but yeah, we had met, um, when I was here and then before I left and, and I was in Florida for a time and we decided that, um, you know, we were going to really commit to the relationship and she moved to Florida with me and we lived there for about a year or so.
Um, yeah, actually about eight months, we, we lived in Florida for about eight months and then we decided we were gonna move back to Arizona together. So that was, uh, that was interesting the day though. Here's how I remember when that was the day we left, we were driving from Orlando West and when we got into Louisiana, um, we got off at a rest stop to get gas and by the time we got gas, they closed the highway because Katrina was coming through and we got caught in evacuation traffic.
So it was like that day when Katrina was coming through and we ended up way in northern Louisiana, like trying to find a hotel to stay at. Um, we, we were on the road for like 210 hours that day or something. So that's how I remember like when we last scar. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, so that's when we headed back here and then we've been back here ever since and when it, when you arrive here, how do you, I mean, eventually you build this amazing careers. Yeah. So, um, you know, I still kind of bounce around job wise for a little bit, but I ended up in corporate America.
I did corporate America stuff for, like, 103 years and I decided working for somebody else is not for me because I'd done the coco thing work for myself and then working for somebody else. It just didn't, I, I'm not a very good employee. Um So I just realized I have to go do my own thing. Um That's very insightful. I feel, I wish we had known each other back then. I could have just told you that. But no, I'm saying like he's so he pushes the envelope. I mean, you're always, you're always um beat to the sound of your own drum.
And I think that that's what makes great entrepreneurs. I think so. Yeah, I think, I think certain people need to feel like they can invest in themselves and do their own thing and they feel confident enough to take risks. Yeah, absolutely. Um OK, so you shared something with us that I'd love to dig into a little bit. So you said that you used to be consumed with fear of failing in business. You've overcome that. So I'm curious how you've overcome that. But then you also said, I'm still concerned about letting people down.
So I'm curious what all of that looks like for you and what that means to you. Yeah. So when I started this 210, I started a little over 219 years ago and it was really, like you said, a leap of faith. It was, I don't know if I can do this, but I know some other people have done it and I think I can do it. And I went into, I actually went into it pretty overconfident and I was very quickly humbled. Um But, uh, but then I realized like this is a real thing, like I have to make this work and I had this constant like, fear of failing and the business not working.
And I mean, most businesses don't work at, you know, after some number of years. Right. So I had this constant fear of that for years and years. Um But the more I overcame these like smaller challenges, the more I felt, you know, I kind of moved away from that. And, um, even up till last year, about a year ago, we had a pretty big challenge in the business and I just came to a place last year where finally, I think all kind of went away. But, um, but I think over time, my, as my faith increased, my fear decreased and last year specifically around like December time.
So it was around this time last year. Um I just had this point where I feel like my faith pushed out any remaining fear of failing in the business. And I, I also think it's interesting when we talk to leaders who've overcome challenges, I think sometimes it is the fear that actually drives them with their success, I think, yeah, I think to a degree, like it can be very useful. Um But then you got to find something else to drive you because once that fear is gone you gotta find something else.
And, uh, and, and, you know, for me, I've tried to find some other things. But, um, yeah, but I mean, I still don't want to let people down. Right. Like I have a lot of people that I think, um, rely on me and, um, you know, I like that. I like that pressure and maybe that's where the motivation is now. Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's about doing the best we can for the people who we're connected to. And I think to some extent that comes from life experience and maturity where you shift that motivation. Right. Maybe. Yeah.
I mean, it sounds good. That sounds good. Yes, it does. Ben hasn't gotten it. I'm still trying to, do you, have you ever been a coach or a teacher of any sort? Yeah. Well, I mean, with Coco, um, I had, you know, big sales teams and a lot. I mean, that was really coaching, you know, it was, and I've coached like sports, my daughter's sports teams but, you know, from, um, creating results perspective, you take these kids just like, I was like, I was 22020 when I started, take these young kids who are 1718, 1920 years old and, um, teach them how to, how to sell, how to communicate in a way that produces results, you know.
And, um, yeah, that was, I, I enjoy that. Like, I really enjoyed, you know, coaching those teams and, you know, you know, having successful sales teams along the way. If you could go back to talk to the Matt, who was in those college years or in those cutco years, what would you say to him? Um That's a good question. I uh can I, I want to put a plug in for somebody? OK. So, so um a few years, I can't remember when it was probably a year or two after college.
I had a friend who wrote a book and the whole book was this exact question? OK. So, so what he does is he, he asked a bunch of us, um, you know, that question and uh um I can't remember the name of the book now, but it is John Broman is who wrote it. But uh but my, my answer to that is, I think still the answer now that you're capable of more than you think you are because I, I don't know I, I didn't realize what I was capable of until later and I would look back at certain times and be like, man, I didn't think we could do that, but we did it.
We probably could have done more. So trying to constantly in, you know, remind myself or encourage myself that. Yeah, you're probably capable of more than you think you are. Yeah, that's great. I like that too. So, when does the newsletter business really start then? Is that? Yeah, that's 2014. So I uh I was between jobs I left pre previous job, had interviewed and had a start date ready to start this new corporate job. And I was like, I cannot do this anymore. So I took this big league of faith.
It was like April uh of 2014 and I called my new employer and told her I can't do it. And she said, well, what are you gonna do? And I said, I'm gonna start a neighborhood newsletter and there's like silence. This is a big, like corporate job, like salary, the benefits, the whole thing, big company. She's like, ok, good luck. Um Yeah, and it was at that point, the, the um uh the boats were burned, the ships are burned and it was, you know, uh I think that was Cortez that did that.
But um, but yeah, it was time to move forward and uh that was like May of 2014 and just start hustling and, you know, um, there's a guy who actually has an office in this, like, in this plaza right over here. Um, just a little bit west of here, like, parking a lot over and I'll never forget he was the first person I met with and he, before I, before I met with him, uh, I told him what I was going to be doing. He's like, oh, yeah, I love it.
I'm gonna sign up. You'll, I'll be your first advertiser. So I go meet with him and uh he's like, that's never gonna work. He's like, I'm not gonna advertise it with you. This is a terrible idea. He's like people have tried this before. It never works. And uh but I took that like that was the first one I was like, heartbroken. Um But that was great because it was great motivation to make it work. So every time I drive by his office, I kind of smile a little bit.
Did he ever, ever with you or? No, no, I never been back to talk to him. Um I always want to send him like a bouquet of flowers, you know, like we're having our 10 year anniversary. So I was thinking about like maybe I send him flowers and 193 doesn't know that he motivated you. Um No, I I'm thankful though for that. Like that was, that was great. But yeah, so that's May of 14 and, and the way the business works. You have to meet people in the neighborhood and find people to advertise.
And by, um, by the fall we found enough of both those and we started January was our first issue. Uh, January 15. Uh, so that makes December the issue. We're actually, we're working on this morning, finishing up, um, our 120th issue for Elvis, The Lakes. And, uh, yeah, now we're moving into year 11. How do you continue to stay inspired in what you're doing now? That's a good question. Um I think it's all the people, like all the people that, uh you know, whether it's the advertisers who rely on me or people in the neighborhood who love what we do.
Um You know, we're trying to find more people who love what we do, you know, like trying to, um, do well for them, I think, um is what drives us now. Yeah, it's, it's not just me, it's my team too, you know, but, but I think we have, we're aligned in our mission, I think. And then you move into different neighborhoods. So it evolves, right? So, yeah, so I started valves the Lakes and then in uh people started asking me about Agri topia. I kind of became aware of a gratia figured out who lives there and that kind of stuff.
And, and I met some people in the neighborhood and in January of 2017 decided to give it a shot and by August, we had that one up and running. So then I was doing Velvet Lakes and Agria and then about two years ago, there was an opportunity to acquire the Seville publication and our team uh acquired that one. So for the last two years, we've been running Seville as well. So we have all three of them. Yeah. Do you think you'll expand beyond that? Um I don't wanna say never but not, not in the sweet spot for now.
Um Yeah, for now, let's say for now. So you never know. I mean, I'm definitely open to it. Um Given the right team structure, we definitely could um my team, so, so when uh Holly's like, we should do more, you know. Uh So I don't know, maybe we'll do more, maybe, maybe not, but I'm open to it. It just has to be the right, the right opportunity and have the right team in place to do it. So what's on the horizon then? What's coming up with this next um with the publication publication?
But just you in general, what do you see in the next 35 years or so? Um Well, you know, my wife and I, we have some personal uh goals that we're working on and uh some things that we're really aligned right now, I think on, on those which I think is important. Um But uh just do, just do well for the, for the communities, just grow what we're doing and um, and just continue to evolve. Like there's little thing, I mean, business is constantly changing, right? Especially marketing, you know, like marketing is constantly changing and just staying in front of it and continue to do a good job, continue to innovate, continue to, you know, iterate and, and, and, you know, test things out and, um, you know, just continue to get better and, and grow the business.
We, uh we had a little bit of a milestone last or I guess this month with Seville as our 1st 50 page publication, which compared to where I took it over, like that's a, that's a good milestone to have. Um But then just continue to push that and grow it and for me to grow, I think, I think the business only grows as much as I grow. So I have to, I have to outpace the business, my personal professional growth if the business is gonna keep growing and um you know, that can be hard balancing everything in life and business and, you know, 10 years is a long time.
But uh but I've, you know, I have like a five year plan for the next five years and, you know, work on that and see where it goes. I appreciate that. I actually think forecasting too far out is not realistic anymore, I think, yeah, and balancing is actually what life is all about trying to figure that out and the constant ebb and flow of it. So, yeah, there's definitely a constant, there's this book called Peaks and Valleys. And it's one of my favorite books is small. It's like, um, I think Spencer Johnson, it's one of those like, who moved my cheese kind of books.
And, um, yeah, I mean, it's the, the Peaks in the valleys and, uh, navigating those. And, um, yeah, it's, uh, it's quite the journey, you know, I love it. Yeah. And it's interesting when you say the business will only grow as much as I'll allow it or as long as I'm not blocking it. Right. And that's so true because so many businesses that's usually how it is, it's the leader that's kind of holding it back off. I mean, I learned a number of years ago, I'm the, I'm the bottleneck and I got to get out of my business's way out of my team's way and let them thrive.
Um Which is, it's hard, like sometimes I, I loosen the reins too much, sometimes I'm too controlling and that's a hard balance to find, I think. But I've definitely learned that my business can only grow as much as I grow. And if I'm not growing, the business isn't growing, there's so much truth to that because I also think watching so many business owners, I don't think anyone will ever care as much as that business owner. Um Even if they have the most fantastic team, but also you have to trust and, and get out of the way and, and finding how to make that work is not easy, not easy at the chamber right now is going, oh, my gosh.
She finally, she finally gets it. I'm out of the way. I'm here today. That's awesome. Ok. You got anything else for him? Well, you, you've shared a few different book titles with us. So, any other books that you come to mind now that you want to share that you can remember? I know I have a good, I haven't updated my goodreads account in the longest time. Um I think I, what is the book I just listened to? Um, I think it was built to sell, it was kind of an obscure book but I found it on Audi on audible and it just talks about, um, you know, I think, I think, I think this is super important with business.
I think you need to have the end in mind. You need to build it as if you're gonna sell it, even if you never sell it, but build it as if you will because to what um you mentioned before, the issue that I had in Utica when I was sick is I didn't have a team to run the business. And as I built this business and expanded the most important thing for me was to build systems and processes and you kind of alluded to a lot too long of a um Forecaster Plan and uh you know, we both do the E OS like Traction book.
Um That's a great book. Um the E Os Model and talks about, you know, a three year plan and, and um I think looking out into the future is super important. Um but uh but back to, I guess back to the book, like uh Traction is, is a great book. Um I'm a huge fan, we did the whole, um, book club at the chamber of a straight line readership that it's, that's a hard book to find. It's super expensive. If you can find it, there's a PDF of it online, but that is a amazing book, I think for, for anybody in business.
Um, I don't know, I'll probably think of other books. Peaks and Valleys is a good one. there's probably 100 other thee revisited is like foundational, I think for any business thing they should all read that. Um, yeah. Well, I say that I don't like to plan too far out. What I mean is you should have a vision for 10 years but you should be willing to, to tweak that vision and, and let it, uh Morph as you Morph. Um, and I also think having an end of mind is important, not just in business but in life too.
Think about who is it you want to be and who do you want to be surrounded by? Yeah. Yeah, I totally agree. I think, you know, there, there's the book who not how, which I think is really important to, to realize like, who, you know, needs to be not just in your life but like part of your business and, and that kind of thing. Um And for me, you know, going back to the whole mission getting people aligned, it was really a few years ago, I came to that point of don't want to keep doing this.
I was five years in and I'm like, man, I want to keep doing this. How do we do it and why am I doing this? And that was all part of that traction E OS process. And I came to my mission or kind of the vision was to make a positive difference in Gilbert through these neighborhoods that we serve, which sounds great. Everybody wants to make a positive difference, right? But it's like, how do you actually do that and the way we do that, I realize and, and this is what we've really leaned into and this was in the fall of 19.
So right before 2020 we lean into these three things and it made all the difference in the world, but it was connecting neighbors in the community, introducing local businesses and then giving through partnerships with nonprofits. And when we focus on those three things, our business thrives and uh and that all supports the mission of making a positive difference. So that's, you know, at the end of the day, what we're trying to do with this business. I love it. It's absolutely what you do. Thank you for the way you serve Gilbert and I appreciate your time today and being able to connect with you.
This is great. I really appreciate it guys. Thanks for joining us today, of course. And I know everybody out there enjoyed this one as well. So if you would like these in your inbox, join our tribe and subscribe and we'll gladly send them your way and the next one comes out. Thanks for listening, guiding growth, conversations with community leaders. Ben, let me ask you a question. How do you see other community members being involved in this podcast? This is going to be a great opportunity for so many people in the community to have a chance to be heard if they want to tell their story or if they just want to be part of this journey with us and help sponsor in a way that helps bring more people to the table with us.
So I think there's many opportunities at hand whether you want to again be on the show, reach out to us, let us know what your story is and how you think you could be part of it. We'd love to hear from you. Reach out, let us know and we'll see if we can make that connection.
