The Power of Perspective - Overcoming Challenges and Building Meaningful Connections

Life has meaning. You have a purpose and things often happen for a reason. I always say when you sprinkle time and distance on it, it all makes sense, because perspective is power. If you have the right perspective, you can overcome and conquer challenging times. When my dreams changed, i never imagined customers, coworkers and competition would become supporters, friends and family. After successful bike week full of opportunities and accomplishments, i've never been more grateful for my journey. Let me tell you something Everybody struggles. The difference is some people choose to go through it and some choose to grow through it. The choice is completely yours. Which one you choose will have a very profound effect on the way you live your life. If you find strength in the struggle, then this podcast is for you. You have a relationship that is comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. Uncomfortable conversations challenge you, humble you and they build you. When you sprinkle a little time and distance on it, it all makes sense. Disagreements they stem from our own insecurities. You are right where you need to be Back on time. We can fight for the place we belong. When we hold a gun, we'll fight for the place we belong. What it do? what it do Goddamn. I'm so thankful to be back with you. I can't believe it y'all. Episode 154, and I hope y'all loud, proud Americans are wanting more because the podcast, properly, precisely, perfectly beautifully named share the struggle is back y'all. 154 consecutive episodes. That means you and me We are meant to be, because we ain't Mr Beat and we ain't Mr Weak. Hot damn, i love y'all, appreciate you, welcome back. If you've been a long time loyal listener of the show, i gotta let you know I love you. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. Let's make this baby grow. I appreciate each and every one of you. Don't forget you can find all things podcast at wwwsharethestrugglepodcastcom. How's it going y'all? How's your mom and them? Happy Father's Day. It's all the loud, proud Americans out there. Happy Father's Day. Kudos to all the real dads out there Picking up the slack for the deadbeat dads around the fucking world. Kudos to all the dedicated dads out there that make sacrifices each and every day so they can better their kids in any freaking way. Remember you are raising the future, you are fixing this country, you are shaping our direction. Thank you, dads. Happy Father's Day y'all. I appreciate you. Here you go, yo, your snaps and the claps. Oh, it's the claps and the snaps, claps snaps. Oh, hercules, look at him. Oh, there's Papa over there. Mm-hmm, would he get a fresh new tie for Father's Day? Oh, let me guess You guys threw him a barbecue but you made him cook. Yeah, that's perfect. Yeah, daddy loves to work. Oh yeah, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I know I heard a fun stat for you people. I was listening to my favorite radio station, which actually comes out of the DFW area, so Dallas, fort Worth area, and they were talking about holidays And I don't remember the rankings for all of them, but Father's Day was the 20th most popular holiday. 20th, motherfucker, i didn't know there was 20 holidays. Okay, i mean, man, yeah, i'm sorry dads, sorry y'all. You know we appreciate you, but clearly not enough. I think Mother's Day was like third or some shit. So, moms, you know what's up, you know what's up. Anyways, a little fun fact for you Now. I promise y'all we're going to do our best to have an upbeat show. We're going to do our best to not cry today. We're going to do our best to celebrate today, because I know we have come at you, we have popped you right between the blinkers with some hard-hidden, emotional episodes, and as beneficial as those are, as meaningful as those are And we really needed to record those episodes. And I think if you listen to those two episodes, there's a lot of strength and power to be taken from those episodes. And I want to say kudos to my wife. See, baby, i'm giving you the week off this week from recording because we've been man, we've been challenging you, but you came through, you pulled through, and I want to thank you for sharing your story, sharing your emotions, that heartache, that heartbreak. You sharing that with everybody. I know it will help somebody. So thank you for that. I love you And I'm giving you this week off And we're going to try to keep things on a more positive level. And when I say positive, i just want this to be an upbeat, fun-filled episode where maybe we can find some positivity, maybe we can laugh a little, we can share a little, we can learn a little. And today I'm going to focus on perspective, because our perspective is our power. What we perceive to be shall be Okay, loyal listeners, are you all ready for this week's lesson? Let's get it, gunche. Suck it in, crank it in 711, let your things look various, bryan. Look, make it leave, give it back. Give it back. I want to thank you for your effort. Make it clean. I am single. I can't be so single. I told you so. Alright, alright, alright. We back y'all. Big thank you to our sponsors of the show. B&d Flag Polls. That is, b as in Bud, the letter N and D as in Dreamer. B&d Flag Pollscom, home of the Titan Telescoping Flag Poll, proudly made in the USA. Don't spend another day With poll envy. Y'all, mm-mm-mm-mm, show off your patriotism today. Tell Bud and Dreamer the loud, proud American sent you. Y'all ready, you ready for this. Let's get into this Cause I have had One heck Of a stretch here. Okay, you guys know, if you listen to the last couple weeks of the show, we referenced my wifey and all the things that we've been going. Going through growing through, dealing with, getting over All those things, all those struggles. My wife's been beyond transparent with each and every one of you about All of life's difficulties. Right, she's been an open book. She's really just gone on here and just buried her soul to each and one of you And that's the reason why we started the show Off with a shout out to her. But I want to let you know during this time I've also been set up as a vendor at Bentley Saloon For Bike Week. You see, bentley Saloon is right in my hometown, orundel, maine, and There is a bike week in Laconia, new Hampshire, not too far The bordering state to us. This is the 100th anniversary of Laconia's bike week. So I have been a vendor at Bentley Saloon for the entirety of Bike Week. So basically, i set up on a Thursday And it ran all the way through that weekend Up until the following weekend, which was Father's Day. So I want to say I was setting up in total to Saloon. I think it ends up being like 11 days. Okay, so that's me getting ready for Bike Week, bike Week taking off, all those crazy things happening. But Saloon's always trying to do things To just get people's attention, to have people stick around, to have fun things to do, and I'm always involved in some of those things. And being a vendor for the entirety of Bike Week Is a huge blessing for me. But when you factor in the fact that We lost a pillar in our family during this time We lost Ali's Meme And the service was on Monday. So I went to the service with the wife And then, after the service and everything was done, i went back to the Saloon to open up. And then Ali, while dealing with learning to grieve And to mourn and to go through all these things, she's coming to the Saloon to kind of help me out. Just shows that she's really just such a stand-up person And she's so committed to me and the business and our relationship That she's really just sacrificing for those things. But, as I mentioned to you before, i wasn't really going to spend too much time talking about this Because we know we've had a couple of difficult weeks Having this discussion. But I want to sprinkle some positivity on this Because we want to sprinkle some perspective on this, because during Bike Week we have the ceremony, we have the service If you recall Ali's car not shifting out of park You heard that story from the actual graveside service. Well, ali's Aunt, lisa, stuck around to help us. We get everything resolved. And then you know, since then the car has been in the shop And yada, yada, yada, things like that. Right, well, meme service was on Monday And on Thursday it was actually my wife's birthday. So my wife turned 31 this year on June 15th And I just want to sprinkle some perspective, some powerful perspective, on this, because on Thursday, during my wife's birthday, she got a message from her Aunt, lisa, saying you're not going to believe this. My son's baby was born today, on your birthday, and I got the phone call at 111. If you've been listening for the past couple of weeks, i think you just felt some goosebumps Because I did as I said it Now. I promised you I wasn't going to make you cry this week, but if you should have a few tears of joy, i don't think it counts. Okay, you can't hold that one against me, but this little boy was welcomed into the world On Ali's birthday at 111. If you recall those stories, ali received a call about her Meme at 111. Pretty powerful stuff, if you do ask me. So again, there's some perspective for you, right? A lot of times it just seems to be that we exit this life, we exit this world And we often add somebody else in our place, right? Have you guys experienced that with your family? Like a family member dies and then within 30 days or so, it seems like another one's getting welcomed to the family. It's kind of crazy man, it really is. But there's got to be some positivity there, there's got to be some hope there, there's got to be some encouragement there, and that's the reason why I wanted to share that. And to Lisa and Tony and to Colin, i really just want to say congratulations and welcome. Welcome to this world, you beautiful, little, loud, proud American. I know you're going to be rocking some made in USA merch Before you even know it. Little buddy, so welcome. But, lisa, thank you for sharing that. I wanted to share that with each and every one of you because There's something so satisfying about that. There's just the notion that maybe our spirit, our soul, our energy can live on in the family that we welcome after we move on. So I'm pretty crazy. I really wanted to share that to you. But I also want to really dig into the recap on Bike Week, because Bike Week for us was pretty damn phenomenal. Now, if you live in the Northeast, you might know we've been dealing with some serious rain. It feels like we've had off and on showers every day for a month, and I'm just gonna go ahead and say that we lost one entire day of business. On Saturday I lost a full day of business due to rain, because it rained so damn hard that not one vendor actually opened up. And during this time I actually have a great friend of mine and a former coworker of mine, mr BP, brian Palmillow. Him and his wife Christy, for the past few years have been coming up and covering me during Biker Rally. They cover me on this Saturday because I'm hosting the pin-up contest which I want to get into in a moment here. But Brian always comes up, him and Christy hold down the fort for me. They keep things rocking and rolling so that I don't lose out on the business and then I can uphold my other obligations. I felt bad because Brian and Christy made the journey here, which is over an hour, and nobody opened up, but they were here to hold it down for me. They were prepared to sit in the fucking rain and make things work just to make sure that the brand could benefit and that it could continue to grow. So, brian and Christy, i want to say thank you for that and that I love you for that. And oh, by the way, happy birthday. Oh boy, i know it was your birthday yesterday. So again, we're starting to really sprinkle in a little theme on the show here today, and that comes down to these connections, these relationships, these friendships, these family bonds, and how getting through life is so much easier when you have those And this is. You're really gonna kind of start seeing a theme here on some opportunities and some achievements, and it all comes down to our foundation and who we know and how we grow together. So Brian and Christy came down to hold it down for me, but we were unable to open. And the reason why I'm starting off with this segment when I talk about Bike Week is because, even though we lost an entire day of business compared to last year, we still beat 2022's Bike Week. You believe that? One last day, which also happened to be our biggest day, so one last day. Now, if you take your biggest selling day of the entire event and throw it out, then you take your next biggest selling day of the entire event and cut it in half because it rained almost the entire fucking day. You would expect to lose. You would expect to lose by a large deficit, but you know what? That did not happen. Y'all, we had such a strong Bike Week that, even with one less day and basically cutting our numbers in half on another day, we still beat last year by, i want to say, 500 bucks. Pretty unbelievable and really encouraging. It puts a whole new just emphasis for me on the season and the potential that exists for this season, and this was a week that really reinvigorated me. This was a week that really energized me when it comes to the potential for the business. Now, it was an extreme struggle for me and we're gonna get into that. We're gonna talk about some of the challenges that we had, but some really encouraging things happened, one of them being on the first Friday the first, you know, the first Hurrah of Bike Week I got a phone call from the organizers at the Freiburg Fair, where I have been doing the best I can to expand the size of my tent. I might have mentioned this to you guys before, but one of the theories I have is my setup at the fair limits our ability to make money, because it's such a narrow setup. When you get four or five people in there, it's too busy to move. People often walk by looking there. We look too busy, so they say I want to come back and far too often they don't even find you, so they can't come back. So I've been looking to expand my display, but that's not the easiest thing to do. It could be pretty damn difficult to actually get into the Freiburg Fair. I've been fortunate enough that I'm actually in the fair and I asked to move a little. I asked to grow a little and basically it resulted in me being able to move but not grow, and I let them know. If anything changes, please let me know and I'll take it and we'll make it. So that's a really confusing spiel for me to tell you that on last Friday I received a phone call from the organizers of the Freiburg Fair that said good news. I was out there with a measuring tape and we're gonna let you double your display. Oh, boys and squirrels, i can't tell you how much that means to loud pod America and how much that means to the brand. Now it's a much bigger task at hand. It's another, you know, $3,000 display to build. As far as the tent, it's doubling my rent, it's buying more grid wall, it's getting more product, but it's all great problems to have and it's an encouraging message because it's all about that perspective, baby, and I'm feeling so positive about my current perspective, y'all. So I know that kind of came out of nowhere, but I'm excited, man, i'm excited. I wanted to share that with each and every one of you guys, so during bike week, to kind of set the scene for you. For most days what happens is during the weekdays the saloon opens up at 11 o'clock. On the weekends It opens like eight or nine for breakfast. What I do is every morning I get up and I try to remake stock. I try to reload things and bring it back to the saloon. So if I sell out of something I'm remaking something in the morning. So on the weekends you might be there until you know eight o'clock. Anyway, it's between seven and nine for the first weekend. Then during the work week you could be anywhere between five and eight. It all kind of depends on traffic and business flow and stuff like that. Right So long days because you figure you're either working in the morning before you go to work or you're working at night when you get back from work, if that makes sense to you. I'm kind of trying to burn the candle at both ends. And then in the meantime you're still trying to handle those things like going to a service, going to a funeral, going out to celebrate your wife's birthday, which was fantastic We were able to get together with some family and some friends, have some dinner and spend some time and being close with family and friends. When you're dealing with these difficult times. That's where the strength comes right And when you feel this support group and you realize that support group has such strong roots that you feel like you are growing the ability to conquer anything right. So this whole week I've been, i've been grounded and connected to to all of you, to the roots, to the foundation of who I am, of this podcast, of this brand, while also sprinkling in new relationships and watching things grow. So it's been an exciting week and I think you can probably hear that kind of coming out of me. I might be rambling a little bit here, but we are headed in the right direction because I'm just trying to sprinkle some seeds, some Johnny apple seeds, here through the fucking forest as we plant apple trees, these positive apple trees, as they grow. But now Bike Week at Dentley's presents an interesting challenge for me Because if you know me and you know the story, you know that I have 10 years experience working for a local Harley-Davidson dealership And during those 10 years of working at that dealership I spent a lot of my time cultivating relationships, building foundations right at Bet Me Saloon and connecting with my customers. So if you don't know the story of me and the world of Harley-Davidson. I started off as a sales consultant. I worked my way up. I was an events manager, a sales manager, a general manager and eventually a part owner. The majority owner got a divorce and a new girlfriend decided he really enjoyed not working and decided to sell the dealership. At that moment, at that time, my 30-year plan, my 40-year plan, my 50-year plan was gone. My world was rocked, my foundation was shaken. I did not know what to do. The wife and I really thought this was our life plan. When they brought me on as a partner, my ownership plan doubled, year after year after year for 10 years before I was able to potentially be in a position to buy out the majority owner And I was going to spend the remainder of my life owning a Harley-Davidson dealership, building generational wealth for my family, making that foundation, the fact that there would always be a Harley-Davidson dealership and the Liberty family was just the biggest thing I had accomplished when it comes to my work-life history, and an amazing accomplishment, one that I'm so proud of. But I became embarrassed of because it was taken from me. I became a shell of myself because what I built for myself and what I knew of myself was taken, it was gone, it was rocked, it was removed. So that struggle was difficult for me. It was a challenge for me, and when I decided that I wanted to start this brand and when I wanted to build Loud, proud American, the same week that the dealership was being sold, my wife lost her job. The two of us were unemployed for the same damn week. She was a manager of a veterinarian office, she was a manager of a vet's office, i was an owner of a Harley-Davidson dealership. We thought we were achieving the American fucking dream And all of a sudden, the blink of an eye, in one week we're both unemployed. Our worlds changed, it all changed in one damn week. But my wife looked at me in the eye and said Don't change your mind. Chase the dream. Don't sell yourself for a paycheck. And that's what we did. She went out, she found jobs, she figured it out And now she has a great job, one that she loves, that provides benefits for the family. And we're out here trying to strive and trying to make it. But when you go to Bentley Saloon and you sprinkle in Bike Week, some interesting challenges appear, because it really starts to tug on my heartstrings, it starts to pull on who I am and where I come from. It really starts to get under my skin that my dream was taken. As much as I'm refocused and recommitted and I'm redirected on something new, on this big, beautiful challenge for me and my family, it's hard not to think about what was taken from me. It's hard not to think about what's changed for me. And when all these customers, former customers and friends and coworkers and colleagues all come in and ask me how I'm doing And they all want to talk motorcycles and they all want to talk about the old dealership that I worked for and the old dealership that I used to own or be a partner at sponsors, certain things at the same damn location, all these things just tug at the heartstrings and it really shakes you. And for the first two years that I was set up as a vendor at Bentley Saloon it was real hard to overcome this. Like the first year I wasn't even there when my former dealership was putting on a bike show. I made sure to not go for those days. The next year I said, fuck that, i'm bigger than that. So I went during that time And then this year I was there the whole time and I forgot that I even had an event. It didn't even there was no recollection to me in my mind of that event, and it really took until the last day of bike week for me to start realizing some of these things. But this week I was so comfortable with my new plan, i was so comfortable with my new dream, with my new task at hand. I realized how much I've moved on from the world of Harley-Davidson. I realized how much I don't care about that old world of Harley-Davidson. For me Now what's interesting is, as I've grown to become comfortable not working for Harley-Davidson, i've learned to be more excited about what it is I'm trying to do for myself now and this big task at hand. What I didn't really focus on was some of the reasons why I might have spent 10 years at a dealership. I was trying to get this trickle down effects of relationships, of families that you don't realize. Now some things are obvious. You think about all the experiences and all the things and all the memories right. I understand all that. You think about the fact that if I did not work at that Harley-Davidson dealership, i don't meet my wife because I was hosting a wet t-shirt contest at the dealership when I met my wife. No, she wasn't in it, her friend was and she had massive jugs. But that's the whole other story. If I don't work for Harley-Davidson, i don't meet my wife, right, and some of those things are the obvious things that you think about And I'm so thankful for the friendships that I've made along the way and working there. But this week I really had more perspective sprinkled on my plate And you guys have heard me say many, many times that when you sprinkle time and distance on it, it all makes sense. And this week, at the end of bike week, so much made sense to me And it really confirmed to me all the reasons why I needed to be at that dealership, because this week I had some interactions that really changed me, that really hit me in a different way. Let's start with this one The biggest competitor to me when I ran this dealership, the biggest competitor came into my tent Like we were old friends Because since I left the dealership that I worked for, my biggest competitor for the first two years used to call me and ask me if I wanted to come back to the world of Harley and they would offer me a job. And we buried the hatchet and we had great conversations And I've referred customers to them And it's just been a reciprocating, beneficial relationship where you just want each other to do well And the fact that you're able to bury that competition hatchet in the sand is such an amazing feeling. And so Bert, the sales manager from my biggest competitor back in the day, la Harley Davidson, comes in to my tent and we just share a conversation like old friends And he takes his wallet out and makes a purchase. He buys for me to support me. He grabs stickers to put at his shop, to put on his toolbox, to share with the dealership. I want you to think about this for a minute. For 10 years we were each other's biggest competitors. For 10 years, our biggest competitors. This man has, i want to say 45 years in the Harley Davidson world, 45 years in that dealership. We were the biggest of competitors. Here he is supporting me, encouraging me and having dealership conversations with me, encouraging me to the fact that you made the right choice, you got out of this business at the right time, you did things the right way for you. I can't tell you how much that means And a lot of you might think why would you take advice from a competitor For me. I appreciate that advice because that's human, that's transparent And you can tell he's just somebody that cares and he's being honest. And the fact that you're willing to share those conversations totally surprises me about somebody, because how many competitors would pick up the phone and call their biggest competitor, their biggest nemesis, and say, hey, do you need something, can I help you with something? And then do that again a year later. And then a year later they come into your booth and they see how you're doing. And then a year after that, they come into your booth and they spend money with you and they're taking advertisements for you and they're out promoting you. What kind of person does that? That is a stand up person. I wish we established this connection a lot sooner in our relationship, because both of our businesses would have benefited from that. So for all you business owners out there, maybe think about that for a moment Is there some common ground that you could maybe establish with some competition? that wouldn't feel like competition? Because, in the grand scheme of things, i think we're all in this life for the same damn reasons. We're not out here to hurt each other. So an amazing life lesson that I learned, and one that really could have shaped and changed the way that most of us did business right. So there's a whole new perspective for you, but so blown away by those conversations and by your support. So, bert, i know you're probably never going to hear this message, my friend, but I just want to say thank you And I can't express to you how much it means to me that you stopped in and just gave me that respect and have those conversations and showed me your support. I can't believe it, my friend. I really truly appreciate that And I will continue to send business your way Because your actions prove to me what type of person you are. A few moments ago I mentioned to you that Brian and his wife Christie came down to hold down the fort for me to run the Loud Pod America Content for me. Me and Brian were coworkers at that same dealership. We both worked in sales together. Our friendship, our connection, our bond that feels like family grew so much more after leaving that dealership, after taking the opportunity to push record on this podcast, to getting in front of a microphone during the pandemic and sharing my message with the world. It really reconnected me and Brian And we've been so tight ever since. But that's another relationship that started in those four walls. It's another relationship that started while I was working for that Harley-Davidson dealership. When I think about some of the people that I met in those four walls, some of those relationships that I have made, some of the opportunities that were created based off of working for that dealership So many of you listening right freaking now are past, nevercross, our stories never intertwine if I'm not working there, and this week there was so much emphasis on that fact. This week I had multiple previous customers come in and see me, congratulate me, share stories with me and just connect with me. Right, and you think about all the experiences we had and the transactions made, the relationship made. So many people came in this week and it wasn't about, hey, how you're doing, since you don't work there, how do you feel about not selling motorcycles? How do you? you know, i heard this negative thing about your old dealership. I heard this positive thing. None of that was relevant, none of that existed. It was about the relationship. It was about Them and me, a connection, a bond. Right, that means something. For the first time, i spent a bike week, not answering questions about what I used to do. I spent a bike week encouraged to tell the stories about what I want to do, what I am doing, what I get to do, and So much of that Comes from what I use to do. Now, to sprinkle some real serious power on some of those connections and those things that I used to do and how they're gonna Present some things that I'm about to do, i'm gonna tell you this that one of my biggest, most loyal customers when I worked at that dealership has become a tremendous friend, a loyal listener of the podcast, dedicated supporter of the brand, and, and we're so intertwined and connected That this week I will actually officiate the wedding for him and his fiancee. Think about that two Strangers looking to make a transaction, becoming customers, friends, family. Eric, i Know you're listening. I Want to say thank you and I look so forward to Getting to officiate your marriage And to start that chapter in your life. I'm proud of you, brother, and I love you. And On this united train on Wednesday during bike week, i was able to finally sit down, to take a break and to have dinner with a former employee, a great friend, a brother from another mother, mr D down, derek down, and And his fiancee, shannon, we sat down for some dinner. It's been a long time We got together, maybe a couple of years since we really got to sit down and be together. I think I maybe almost two years ago or so. They came to a Freiburg fair when I was set up and Derek and Shannon, me and my mom, walked around playing games and hanging out at night. But it's been a long time since we really were able to just kind of sit down and and just unwind. So it was great to sit down with the two of them and catch up. Derek started as a customer. He came into the dealership looking to buy a Harley with his hit at the time girlfriend and his dad and We just kind of had this connection. He ended up looking for a job. He was driving a produce truck and You know I really just saw more for him that nothing against driving a produce truck. But there was something in his personality that I thought would be really successful in sales and We hit it off and I started training him in sales and he came on the team and You know he was shy at first and he didn't believe in himself as much as I believed in him and his abilities. And you could quickly see him pick those things up and and to become successful and our relationship, our friendship, only grew from there Eventually. What often happens in the world of Harley-Davidson is, you know, people move on, they come and they go, and Derek decided to go to school for HVAC and he started taking these other jobs. And I sat down with Derek for dinner and He told me that he's a sales manager. He's a sales manager for the place He works at now. That blew me away. I've seen that for him and I knew that for him. But to hear it from him, it just blew me away because he was telling me how he was recording a commercial on the radio and The fact used to be so intimidated to have conversations with people. I remember One of the first times he was making sales calls I plugged my headset into his phone and I sat next to him to listen and He got on an answering machine and he started off great. And then it just it just started to run in downhill. Okay, he just turned right into. Tommy boy was running downhill and we were having an event And I was like, hey, man, all I want you to do is call, thank them for coming in invite him to an event, and You know, we'll just kind of leave it at that. So we started off the voicemail doing great and then it turned into so Party is a, we're having a. We're having a party this weekend, yeah, okay. And music, this is be food, you can have some beers. I mean it's gonna be, there's gonna be be a his free beer. And This weekend. This is Derek. I'm getting shot at, i gotta go and He's up the phone and I couldn't. I couldn't even turn around, but I was trying to be as cool as I, as a cue, can I look at him and was like, okay, i mean, could have been worse. And I said, dude, here's the positive man. Those are two young kids That are probably gonna hear that voicemail and think it's the funniest fucking thing ever And they're gonna think that you're messing with them and you just invited them to a party that has free beer. They're gonna love you, bro. There's nothing wrong with that, and This is how we make mistakes and we learn from mistakes, right? What Derek was like to go from that voicemail to being comfortable on the radio is Is such polar opposites. And he said to me I Wouldn't be a sales manager if it wasn't for you. Fuck, he was like man. I never thought I could sell anything. I was just driving truck and that's what I like to do. That's what I was happy with. But You saw something else in me and because of that, this is what I'm doing. That blew me away. That's one more thing. That's one more reason why I needed to work at Harley-Davidson. Those conversations, the ability to bet on someone, to invest in someone, to trust someone, to train someone, to show someone We were meant to be together. I was meant to be at that dealership for a past across, to help him to be on the road that he needed to be on. Now, to make things even cooler, while sitting at dinner, derek and Shane, and hand us a wedding invitation and Asked me if I would officiate their wedding and Host their reception. You damn right, can you guys understand this? I Have competition coming to shake my hand to encourage me, to support me. I have co-workers coming in to volunteer, to work for me. I have co-workers coming in asking me to marry them. I have a Customer that's now family asking me to marry them. I have multiple customers coming in to encourage me. Those are all the reasons for me that 30 year plan, that 40 year plan, that 50 year plan. That wasn't my plan. My plan, my mission, was 10 years. My 10 years on that plan expired. I'm off to a new plan that what I thought was the mission was the 50 years in Harley-Davidson. It wasn't. The mission was the 10 years. The mission was to touch as many people as you could possibly touch in 10 years. The mission was to make as many memories, as many fuck ups, as many milestones as you possibly can in those 10 years. And if you do it right and you treat people right, it'll all come back around. So the fact that I'm being asked to Officiate two weddings, the fact that I'm getting the support, this encouragement, shows me that was the mission. That was part of the plan. That shit Might have been the entire plan. Because I met my wife, i changed my life. And there's a couple more people that I want to touch on because there's another Customer mine that started as a customer that's Blossomed into a hell of a lot more than that. Because a friend of mine, kevin Teuni from Rhode Island, used to drive This Reeve truck and I was on his route and he would always stop in and we would talk motorcycles and shoot the shit and We just connected. There was something about Kevin that reminded me of my brother. There was something about Kevin that reminded me of my brother That's in prison, that I don't get to see, and So many times when Kevin would come and stop at the dealership and chat with me, it connected me to my brother and And Kevin I know at some point you're gonna hear this message, man, and I Should have told you Saturday night when we were hanging out, man, but I Didn't realize it, brother But there's been times where you would stop in and see me at the dealership and it just felt like I was chatting with my brother that I don't get to see, and And Saturday night Felt like I was ripping shots and drinking beers with a brother I don't get to see with a brother that my wife has never met, because I see my brother's kids more than he does, because my brother is in prison. He's been there shit for the past ten years. But there's something about about Kev's energy, his personality, who he is, how he acts, how we treat people That reminds me of my brother if my brother had his shit together, reminds me of my brother if My brother tried harder Reminds me of my brother if he cared more about people than he does himself, because Kevin has all those qualities And Kevin has a life that my brother could have had had he made the right choices, had he made the right decisions. So Kevin's that example for me. It didn't start that way. But Kevin first rolled into the dealership. I remember seeing him outside and I went outside and talked to him. We had motorcycles all stretched out on the front in front of the doors, all lined up and just Shooting the shit and chatting motorcycles and that's all it was. And then every time Kevin would come up I'd remember him, but I don't know the conversation and he just kept getting further and further. We kept getting more and more invested. It was months or a year before I realized this dude reminds me of my brother and At that point we already had that foundation and it just kind of Just drove it home for me, right, it just made a difference for me. And Then Kevin ends up introducing me to his son, little Kev Kev Jr, and Kevin's like a Brother that I never had, a brother that actually wants to be my brother because I have too many that just don't want to be. That feeling of being accepted, that feeling of just being welcomed, that feeling of being family. It's special, man. When I was able to sell Kevin's son, kevin Jr Motorcycle to welcome him to that world of Harley-Davidson, to get him on his first bike, that was fucking powerful. And that's not the only bike, kevin, his family, they've traveled from Rhode Island to Maine to buy motorcycles. I sold his brother a motorcycle. I sold his niece, megan, two motorcycles. I've sold their friends motorcycles. And what's been pretty damn awesome is going up until a conia Leading into bike week. Kev Jr traded his motorcycle with his uncle for his uncle's bike. So they're skidding cycle through the family bikes that I was a part of and Kev and his dad and his boys from Rhode Island Rode up here for bike week and they made a fucking special trip to Maine to get together, to tear it down together and it was fucking unbelievable, because it blows me away to think. Number one we made a connection strong enough to travel from Rhode Island to Maine to do business. That connection from Rhode Island to Maine for business became Rhode Island to Maine for family And that means more to me. Then you fucking know That's a reason for me To show me. This is why you worked for Harley. This is why you were there for ten years. Your plan is different now. You achieved all you needed to achieve. You achieved Every goal you set for yourself and you didn't realize your biggest achievements Where you had to come, because there were the relationships that you built that are now showing so fucking strong. Perspective is power the fact that I wake up today and realize my mission Was completed with Harley-Davidson. I Thought I had a 50 year plan and maybe I did, but maybe I got my 50 year goals all Accomplished in just 10. So it was time to move to something else. When I was spending time with with Kev and Kev junior and the boys from Rhode Island and shooting the shit and catching up, there was some real positive things that were tossed around, and one of them was big Kev telling me how In life it just pays to do the right thing, to take care of people, to try to help people, and He was talking about this gentleman that he saw her at bike week from Maine That was taking his motorcycle off the trailer and had a mishap and fucked his foot up real bad and You know he couldn't. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't move the motorcycle, he couldn't load anything. And Kevin the boys went over and was like hey, man, you need some help. And they loaded up his bike And they helped him out and did all these things for him to get him back on the road. And then on the way to Maine They had a mechanical failure. They lost them. You know, something happened on the wheel with one of the trucks, like the chase truck, and Somebody from Maine pulled over and started helping them work on it. And that same person went home and got tools and came back and went home and came back, a Good Samaritan for Maine returning the favor, not knowing That these good Samaritan's from Rhode Island just fixed somebody from Maine. That's the circle of life. Y'all That's positive in, positive out. That's what it's all about helping each other out. When are we gonna get that? Why are we gonna understand that America? we can fix America By fixing each other, by helping each other, by lending ourselves to each other, by being compassionate, by living life with passion and compassion, having a willingness to go over and help. What do not understand about that? We're all here for the same reasons, man. We're not here to compete with each other. We don't need to. We don't need to fight each other. If we truly just helped each other and realize we all want the same amount of life, we surely could enjoy this life a hell of a lot more than we do. Big Kev was telling me how much little Kev loves the podcast and believes in the brand and supports me, and It was just humbling me, man, because I know how hard little Kev works. And Kevin, all you're listening right now, brother, and I know you probably worked your ass off today and, based off the stories with your old man, you're probably holding the baby in one hand and doing dishes with the other, because that's the kind of fucking dude You are. And those are the stories that I got from your old man about you. And if you thought I was proud of you before, it doesn't compare to how proud I am now. So the fact that you and your girl are betting on yourselves and your dreams. Kev closed his business to go to work for consistent income So his wife could open a business, a hair salon, and chase her dreams. I was told by all the boys She's the best damn hair stylist on all of Rhode Island. I'm proud of you and I see big ass things for you and I can't thank you enough For being in my life and for support and me. Brother, when we were sitting around chatting, we were outside of the custom bike shop there. Kev made a comment about me working for Harley-Davidson and becoming a partner and said People like us, we can't afford that. We work our ass off for that. That fucking hit me, bro, because it's absolutely right. And then this world too many people don't realize if you work your ass off, it'll be alright. Too many people in this world look for the handout to any people in this world. Don't put their handout, put your hand out. Meet people, encourage people, help people, change people, do good by people. If you live your life of passion and compassion, you invest in yourself, your friends, your family, your community, you can't go wrong. So to my boys from Rhode Island I love you, i appreciate you. I can't thank you enough for your belief in me, your confidence and your support, and I'm so damn proud to call you family And y'all are one more reason Why I was meant to work at that dealership. It is crazy y'all. Perspective is power. I've never felt more at peace with my decision and my plan than I am Right now, damn. And the words of famous poet and philosopher Curtis James Jackson the third aka 50 cent sunny days wouldn't be special if it wasn't for rain. Joy wouldn't feel so good if it wasn't for pain. You know what? Let's double dip on some quotes. Let me drop some Marilyn Monroe knowledge on you. Here's a Marilyn Monroe quote. I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself. And sometimes good things fall apart, so better things can fall together. Marilyn fucking Monroe, go check. Lao Proud American is a lifestyle brand dedicated and determined to represent the American spirit, with an unrelenting commitment to provide made in the USA products. If you would like to join the 2% of Americans that buy American and support American, head on over to wwwLaoProudAmericanshop. Together we can bring back American manufacturing. Ooh, ooh, ooh. What it do, what it do, damn baby. I'm loving this episode with you. I hope you found some power in perspective back there y'all. What a fucking amazing week, man. What an amazing week. Some shit happened that really changed me, that molded me, that convinced me I'm headed in the right direction and also granted me some amazing opportunities. And I want to shed some light on two more things that make me feel oh so right, because Friday night I was able to DJ in open for a national recording artist all the way from Ocala, florida, kendall Tucker and his boys. You guys might have heard me, if you've been listening along, mention the fact I was gonna have the biggest musical opportunity of my life opening up for a fucking national recording artist. This dude is an absolute stud. You could say possibly we look like we're related but you'll be brothers here, okay, just saying, just saying so. I mean, no wonder he's a stud, but Kendall's a fucking awesome dude, a super talent, talented guy. You can check him out. I'll put some links into the show notes for his YouTube channel, instagram stuff like that. He's done a lot of like crossover stuff. He's good friends with Colt Ford. He's got some tracks with Colt Ford. You guys might know that name, an amazing country singer, craig Campbell he's got a few tracks with and when I was talking with Kendall he told me he just recorded a track with Jelly Roll. Are you fucking kidding me? I'm fucking peanut butter jealous over here. He recorded the track with Jelly Roll. It's gonna come out in August. He's, you know, done collaborations with Bubba Sparks, with so many of these dudes, and Kendall came up to the saloon for his first time to Maine and he brought the band with him and I was gonna DJ to open and DJ to close. Now, if you know me, you know I beat myself up about my DJ abilities. I don't give myself maybe the credit that I should, but I know Kendall was traveling with his personal DJ, his professional DJ, and when you're kind of, you know, maybe putting somebody out, it doesn't create the best image and that's not what I wanted. Right, i wanted them all to be included. I wanted to be an inclusive, amazing experience, wanted them to have a great time. So as soon as Kendall made it to Maine, i got a phone call. I went to meet him, me and him connected and the rest of the band seemed kind of like who's this cat, which I fully get. Man, i understand, i respect that. So I wanted to do my best to make them feel welcome, comfortable. So we were trying to connect. I introduced Kendall to my wife while I was setting stuff up, the two of them just sat down and just started bonded man, they just started having conversations and flowing and connecting. I sat down, had some dinner with him and just started connecting with the boys and really just instant, instant connection, right, instant camaraderie there. That just is surprising, right, because you could be coming to town and just you could come rolling in as I'm the big time, i'm the big shot and you know you're working for me and you know that's the way you could have taken for an approach. But he didn't. He welcomed me, i welcomed him and we just fucking bonded and connected immediately he came in the tent, picked up a t-shirt, we talked Johnny Cash and tattoos and it was just, it was just an amazing experience and I was so nervous, right, as you guys can imagine. So I'm DJing to open, i'm trying to pump up the crowd. I had the conversation with his DJ like, hey, man, let's, let's share this. Bro, like I want you to be, you traveled man, i want you to do your thing, to be a part of your show. So he set up right next to me and basically, when I was done I would move my computer and then he would slide his in and get his mixer going and we just kind of tag team that action. So I opened for a couple hours and then Kendall and the boys took over, rock the house down and there's a song that Kendall does letters to heaven and I knew as soon as he started that song, when my wife started the process, those lyrics it was gonna hit her hard and it did. It really did. And later on, actually the night later, the next night, i was able to express to Kendall how much those lyrics and that message meant to my wife in that moment and so that was a nice, nice thing to share there. But I think it just shows an artist on the on the rise right. It shows an artist it's up and coming, that you're doing the right things, you're connecting with people man, your message is powerful. He always puts his faith first, his family, his country, and we just align on those philosophies and his message hit home. It connected. I remember the I'm gonna not basket Kendall at some time to come on the podcast with us so you guys can get to meet him, experience him, get his message, understand him a bit and hopefully we'll have an opportunity to share the stage again someday. But it was a fucking awesome experience. I thought he did an amazing job and at the end of his set the crowd wanted them to play more, they wanted him to go more, but they didn't have. You know, they're they're an original band, right, they do some covers. So I was coming up and he was like, hey, man, you got some country party music on there, let's collaborate you, you plug in, start playing some shit and we'll come over it. So I jumped on there and we started like dueling banjoes man, like they would pick a country song, give me some golf Brooks Friends in Low Places. I'd put that on, but not hit him with some Brooks and done. And then, you know, they would ask me for some Jason Aldeen. And we just kind of went back and forth and I mixed it up with the boys and it was awesome man, it felt special, it was the biggest musical accomplishment of my life and it's just powerful man and it's something that, if I still work for Harley, i never had. That opportunity, dude, i'm not available to do that. I never bet on myself enough to put myself out there to do this. So it's just one more reason, one more reason why I'm on the path I need to be on. So I close the night down. I did the best I could to make the boys feel welcome, to make them feel special, to connect with them, to show them a good time. And then the next day was the pin-up contest The single busiest day of the year for the saloon, as you heard me say a little while ago. It was raining so much we never got to open our doors for business, so we moved the pin-up contest inside and I DJed and hosted the contest at the same time from inside. And I'm just gonna tell you that I'm pretty fucking proud of my performance. I just feel like I keep getting more and more confident, and one of the things that I feel like is a feather in my cap here is you guys know, if you've been listening, i cooked my DJ computer. I have a whole new computer. I don't have all my music. I don't have things organized the way I want them. I've been working on that while I was at the saloon during slow times to try to get things to a certain point. But I'm missing a lot of things, but I still navigated everything And I feel like it was the best pin-up performance on my behalf to date. I did the best job hosting that I ever have And it just felt special man Like I know. Kendall reached out and said that he really had a good time. He was able to see some of the contest before they had to leave for their other performance And I got some great feedback from the contest And the panel of judges that are there. I've made some great friends with the judges over the years And my wife is a judge as well. This year we welcomed a new judge And that judge name is Steve Wallace of Southern Country Customs, and Steve Wallace might sound a little familiar to some of your race fans out there because Steve Wallace's dad is Rusty Wallace, nascar legend hall of fame race car driver Rusty Wallace, rusty and Bentley Warren, owner of Bentley Saloon, are great friends. Rusty and Steve started this custom bike business. They take motorcycles, trick them the hell out. The average starting price on these bikes is like $65,000, $70,000. And I'm going to tell you this, man, they were neighbors to us. There were a couple of tents down from us all week And the sound system in their motorcycles is louder than my DJ equipment, all right. So Rusty was there for most of the week hanging out meeting people And then he left it by the weekend And his son, steve, was a judge And me and him really didn't get a chance to chat much during the week, but he sat right next to Ali and the two of them just hit it off And he's just a genuine salt of the earth dude. And again, when we start talking about people that don't have to be everyday, people like Kendall could have come to town and been a dick. He wasn't. He came to town and he was a stud. Steve Wallace could have come to town. He could have been a dick Like his dad's Rusty Wallace. His business is extremely successful. They sell $100,000 motorcycles On the display case outside there in the parking lot. They had Tony Stewart's motorcycle, his dad's motorcycle, his personal one and a bunch of them to show how you can customize and things to buy. Very well off, successful dude. You don't need to cater to anybody. If you want to be a dick, you have the license to be a dick. He wasn't. He was a fucking stud. He was a great dude, salt of the earth, down to earth, just awesome guy. Him and the wife got along. They were busting jokes the whole time. I was shooting jokes his way from the microphone. We were just connecting. I did everything I could to make sure that dude had a great fucking time and to make sure he remembered Bentley Saloon and he remembered the loud, proud American. And I just wanted that connection to really just have that experience. And, man, me and Steve made some memories. Dude, we had a fucking great time. Him and Ali connected so well And I showed Steve a great time I know I did And, man, it was an amazing success. And then Sunday morning, before the boys left, before they headed back to Carolina, steve came in, bought some stuff for me, exchanged phone numbers and just committed ourselves to keeping the connection going and hoping to see each other in the future. And it's just mind blowing. It's absolutely mind blowing. I'm standing in my tent at this exact time. One of my best friends is there to visit me. We're shooting the shit. Steve Wallace comes in the tent, a legend's son right, which I want to also tell you guys. When I announced him during the day at the saloon, i never once said this was Rusty's son, because that's bullshit, right. This is Steve fucking Wallace. It's not Rusty's kid. I feel for everybody out there that has to try to pave their own way to push and move the shadow aside. So I didn't want to announce him as Rusty's son. He's Steve. Okay, he's his own fucking man and he paved his own fucking way. So Steve Wallace comes in my tent, gives me a hug we're making connections. He's getting stuff for himself and his wife, his guys are coming in to buy stuff. Bentley Warren rolls up He's a legend as well And I'm lucky enough to call him a close friend And he's, you know, endermingling and shooting the shit. And then, as they're walking out, burt from my ex-competition comes in to see me And all this stuff comes full circle. Man, that perspective is power, in that moment when you realize I'm right where the fuck I need to be And I'm so damn thankful for where I am Now. This weekend ended up being a tremendous success. It definitely kicked my ass. Long hours, late nights, man, i can tell you. Friday I had to get up in the morning, make some things happen, go to the saloon, work Friday, then close up my shop, go in and set up DJ for Kendall and then DJ to close. My Friday night. I put 17 hours in. So my Friday work day was 17 hours. I didn't sit very much during those 17 hours because I was in my tent making things happen in between customers. I might have been able to take a seat On Saturday. I had to get there in the morning, start moving my gear to get ready for the show with the rain, and then I went right through the pin-up contest into having a band that night and to DJing the bricks with the band all the way to closing the bar down at midnight. I worked 18 hours on Saturday. By the time I got home Saturday it was 2 in the morning. Me and the boys from Rhode Island went out to the campground, had a few more beers, so I was on my feet for 18 hours on Saturday. I'm not kidding you guys, i might have sat down, oh shit, three or four times just to throw some food in my yacker. Okay, now, when I was actually hosting the pin-up contest, i was eating a lobster roll, standing up, turning on my back to the crowd, djing and emceeing at the same damn time, so just putting the salt out there. And then Sunday, i was hungovered as fuck bro, not wanting to move, and when the day was done we had to pack everything up and load up the truck and I put in another 11 hours, my final three days at the saloon. I spent 46 hours at the saloon Three days, 46 hours. When I got up Monday morning I couldn't use my right foot. My right foot, to this day, still feels fucked. It's ballooned up. It's like a cabbage patch doll. It's all swollen. It does not want to move. It's got a real case of the stiflosis right now. Okay. And I kept asking myself why the fuck is my feet hurt so bad man, why can't I even walk? And Ali was like dude, you've been standing on cement on a bar room floor for your entire weekend. So I did the math 46 hours in three days. I can barely walk today, but I'm grateful for this motherfucking day. Hey, damn Bike week. What a blast it has been. But I can't keep celebrating now, y'all, because I got to finish up this podcast, i got a wedding to do this week and I'm headed to Augusta, maine, for my third year at Haley Lynn Memorial Barrel Race. I'll be up at the Silver Spore Riding Arena in Sydney, maine, just outside of Augusta. I'm going to set up as a vendor. I'm on a DJ, i'm going to have a great damn time because we do every damn time. So if you happen to be listening this week if you're on schedule and you listen on winning Wednesdays. If you're looking for some redneck adventure, some horse-related action, i'll see you at Silver Spore Riding Club. But until then, i need to say thank you to each and every one of you for supporting my American dream. Now go, wash your fucking hands. You have to help these avatars. That's it and that's all. Biggie smiles. If you found value in today's show, please return the favor and leave a positive review. Share it with someone that is important to you. Subscribe to our channel. Hit subscribe and help us grow our tribe. Are you interested in sponsoring the show? Maybe you're looking to be a guest on the show? Find all that you need to know about the show at sharethestrucklepodcastcom. Subscribe to Grow Our Tribe on Apple Podcasts, spotify, amazon Music, iheart Radio and all other major platforms, and don't forget to like and share our official Facebook page at Share the Struggle Podcast. If you're a loud, proud American and you find yourself just wanting more, you can find me on YouTube, on Facebook or the Face Page, as my mama calls it, just search Loud, proud American. If you're a fan of the Graham Cracker, the Instagram or the Tickety Tuck but the kids be a tickety talking the Tick Tuck. You can search Loud Underscore, proud Underscore American. If you want to join the 2% of Americans that support American manufacturing, head on over to wwwloudproudamericanshop to get your hands on some of that made in USA. Apparel and join the mission Mission 2%. Together we can bring back American manufacturing Music. A big old thank you to the boys from the Gut Truckers for the background beats and the theme song of the Share the Struggle Podcast. You can find the Gut Truckers on Facebook. Just search Gut Truckers and show your support to those Mother Truckers Music. I truly thank you for supporting my American dream. Now go wash your fucking hands, you filthy savage.