EP 5 // Tim Cook

[00:00:14] Speaker A: All right, you guys. Hey, Michael here from the proper form podcast. Super excited for episode number five here with Tim Cook. Really excited for you to be here, man. Thanks for coming today. [00:00:22] Speaker B: Glad to be here, man. Looking forward to it. [00:00:24] Speaker A: Well, this is a little bit different. If any of you guys have watched our past few episodes, we were at a table. We have done a little bit of kind of remodeling upgrades to the space. So kind of moving forward. This is what our podcast space is going to be looking like, but really excited with our backdrop. Michael Child from Ford Filmco has done an amazing job with helping set this all up, but really excited. And this space is. Is really fun to be in, so. [00:00:47] Speaker B: Yeah, I love it, man. This is a dope spot. Looks cool. Yeah, it's awesome, bro. Yeah. [00:00:52] Speaker A: If you need any water, feel free to move your mic out of the way. That's for you. And we'll keep it rocking. I've got a notepad here. We'll kind of talk through some of these things. If I keep going back to it, no worries. But I want to start off a few things that you had mentioned to before we got started, and I asked every guest, is you kind of, let's say, like, labeled and defined yourself as child of God, husband, father of one, and an entrepreneur. Could you elaborate a little bit more on those? [00:01:17] Speaker B: Yeah, man. I believe, like, that's my. Like, my foundation, first and foremost. Being a child of God, following him and just leaning on him through hard times and storms, I think being a believer, you're gonna go through ups and downs, and however strong your foundation is, and whatever that is, he'll be able to pull you through, and so really resonate with that. Like, I haven't always been perfect. Like, I've made mistakes along the way, but having him as my foundation, he's carried me through some of those tough storms that I've gone through, and that's knowing that and seeing that, that's one of the most things I'm proud of, is being a child of God and having that as my lens and then being a husband to my wife, Alyssa. We've been married for six years. It'll be seven this April, and so. And it's been a journey, man. It's been, like I said, we've had our moments, had our ups and downs, and God really pulled us through a lot of that. And she's awesome. She's solid foundation of the family. We have a little one named Charlie. She's about to be one this may. [00:02:22] Speaker A: Nice. [00:02:23] Speaker B: That's like, my wife's little mini. It's hilarious. It's awesome seeing her as a mother and seeing her raise our child and just being able to see just how intentional and caring she is. And she's also a business partner. And so juggling all that, it's. If you don't have God as your foundation, running a business isn't easy at all. Running and having a marriage isn't easy, and being parents aren't easy. So throwing all three of those together, you gotta have a strong foundation with God and letting him guide you and keep you calm, gentle, and just patient during those hard times. [00:03:00] Speaker A: Yeah. And where did you guys meet? Did you guys have. Y'all been together for a long time, man, we met. [00:03:05] Speaker B: She actually, I was at a physical therapy clinic. I was doing return to sport, and she had got hurt. [00:03:11] Speaker A: You were working there? [00:03:12] Speaker B: Yeah, I was working there. Okay. And she had got hurt. She had torn, she didn't tear. She had a sprain. And I think her McL. And so I had to return to sport program, and, like, our friendship kind of started there. Like, our first conversation was about God. It was about a Bible study that she was doing, and then it. It just grew from there. And just watching how God just grew that relationship, cultivated it, and like I said, he was the foundation since the beginning, and so that's cool. Yeah, man. It's been awesome, bro. [00:03:41] Speaker A: That's awesome. And what sport was she trying to get back to? [00:03:45] Speaker B: Soccer. [00:03:45] Speaker A: Okay. She played high school and college. [00:03:48] Speaker B: Yeah, she played college at Midwestern State. [00:03:50] Speaker A: All right. [00:03:50] Speaker B: Yeah, man. And so fast fashion a lot of dudes. I know. That was another thing. I was like, she's quick. She's fast. Seeing that athleticism was like, okay, okay. I see. [00:04:01] Speaker A: Probably was a lot of her personality, too, or is. Yeah, definitely. [00:04:05] Speaker B: She still plays. She'll play co ed over in Richardson out there, and she bodies some dudes into the windows and stuff. And so, like, she doesn't look it, but once she's on that soccer field, that flip switches, and she's like, all go, man. [00:04:20] Speaker A: And did she play select growing up? [00:04:22] Speaker B: Yeah, she played, man. You're testing me now. She played, or I think sting was one, and then there was another one. Quinn Willis was her select coach. [00:04:34] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay, well, so my twin sister played select soccer for the defeaters, and she went to Texas A and m played soccer there, and then went pro for a couple years. So super similar. I bet they know. Probably around the same age. Similar age. [00:04:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:04:49] Speaker A: I wonder if they ever played against each other. They may have I'll have to ask her. [00:04:54] Speaker B: My brother in law and sister in law, they both down at a and m right now. [00:04:58] Speaker A: Okay. [00:04:59] Speaker B: Yeah. So one is doing. He does marketing and stuff for a and m, and then she was the associate athletic director for a and m. Dang. Yeah. [00:05:06] Speaker A: That's awesome. Okay, so, man, you guys got little Charlie. She's turning one towards the end of May. Any more in the thought process? [00:05:14] Speaker B: Man? We won at least three. [00:05:16] Speaker A: All right. [00:05:17] Speaker B: Still want three after this. Like, first year has gone by, and like I said, we have the challenges there, but we want. We want at least three kids. We want a big family. [00:05:25] Speaker A: Awesome. If you don't mind me asking, how was kind of the pregnancy journey? How was y'all's birthing experience? Everything kind of the journey. [00:05:33] Speaker B: Everything was unexpected. Cause it was our first one, and it's. People always say, like, oh, like, you're gonna go through this. You'll be fine after this. And it's like, nah, that wasn't it. Like, she, like, Alyssa was like a rock star, dude. She was. Had some sickness just because, like, morning sickness for, like, a longer period than expected. [00:05:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:05:54] Speaker B: And then, like, those were waves just up and down. And I always tell the story. I remember driving. She was driving, and. Cause my driving made her sick. So she was driving, and she just pulls over, doesn't say anything. Gets out, throws up like nothing, gets back in, wipes the chin, just keeps driving. I'm like, yo, like, you need a break? Like, are you good? And she's like, no, this is my everyday. But we had an amazing midwife, Arnett Kelly. She was awesome, and she was able to, like, to guide us through all these things, all the questions that we had. And she was very, like, nurturing, but also, it was just very, like, easygoing. So that put us at peace. And so when it came time to deliver, she's like, all right, let's have this baby. And, like, it was a blessing. No. No complications. I would say smooth, but smooth in the sense of it was a good delivery, and so it was pretty cool seeing, like, that happen, your child being born, being able to hold your child when she first comes out. And it was just, like, probably one of the greatest experiences ever. [00:07:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:07:06] Speaker B: And then, like, the thing we didn't know, though, is, yeah, when your stay is up, they're like, all right, see ya. Like, yeah, you're like, all right. [00:07:14] Speaker A: What about thrown out to the. [00:07:15] Speaker B: I'm out on my own now, so. [00:07:17] Speaker A: Yeah, gotta figure out how to take care of the. [00:07:19] Speaker B: Figure it out. Yeah, but it's been, it's been an awesome ride. [00:07:21] Speaker A: Well, man, I know. I would love to hear more about kind of the entrepreneurial side. I wanna touch on that in just a sec. So we'll kinda throw that to the sideline for just a second. But becoming a dad to Charlie, you guys kinda getting into some business stuff too, which we'll touch on. How has kind of having a child and having a girl. I've got boys, so, like, different lenses, of course, but how has becoming a father kind of shaped and changed in good ways and maybe hard ways, your relationship with your bride and also kind of your balance of your work and your life and your personal stuff, man. [00:07:55] Speaker B: Being a girl, dad, is awesome. It definitely makes you more gentle, it softens you. Like, everyone says you're gonna get softer and not really knowing what it meant, but like, realizing and seeing, like, it really does, like, take you down a few notches because it's like you start thinking and seeing things in the eyes of, like, how would I want my daughter to see me? And what type of man would I want my daughter to date, marry, have a family with? And so I have to make sure that I resemble that in all facets. And I think that also trickles down into them, like, relooking at how am I in my marriage? Am I showing those things to my wife, who is also somebody's daughter that I would want my daughter to be proud of and I want my wife to be proud of? And so that's something that I feel great about seeing and identifying as, like a strong husband and strong father. [00:08:55] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:08:55] Speaker B: Because looking back, it's like going through that change not just for, not just for them, but also for yourself and growing and leaning on God to be who he set you out to be and sacrificing and pruning whatever it is that he is pulling you from to be the man and child of God that you're called to. I think especially with having a daughter, you see, I see everything differently. Yeah. I'm probably even more cautious. And whenever we go, I'm like, I'm like, looking and seeing, are my girls safe? Are we good? And more on guard, but also on guard from the enemy. Cause enemy's gonna try to attack you from any angle in any way. And any enemy being Satan and like, looking and seeing, like, how can I crumble this family? And I think that starts with the father, because I think if the father is absent, then if you're leaving the mother to just raise the, raise the child, like, there's no leader. Not saying that women can't be leaders, but we're. God has created us as men to lead our families. And so if you take that component out of it, I think that's where the family falters and family falls. And so when it comes to business, um, it's really making sure you're living it that same exact way. Not putting business over family, but putting family over business. Not meaning you won't have long nights and long hours, but also being able to listen when your wife is saying, hey, you need to pull back a little bit. [00:10:32] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:32] Speaker B: Or, hey, you need to be. Spend more time and not get so caught up in what you're doing. Like, now, like, my wife is really good about if, like, I'm on my phone and Charlie's arrest is like, hey, she's watching you. Like, put the phone down and, like, spend some time with her doing whatever it is. And so I'm very aware of that. Cause I think as men, we can get caught up in our provided role of, I gotta make sure this happens, this goes, and having that balance and that anchor as someone like, hey, everything's good. [00:11:03] Speaker A: Yeah, well, it almost kind of, and I've seen this in areas of my life, sometimes with being a business owner and trying to do the grind, and you can start to use that provider leader as almost kind of the crutch or the excuse to be like, well, you know, I'm doing my best. I'm trying, but using that time to really listen and accept your wife's word for what it is of the honesty and the truth of, hey, Charlie sees you on your phone, or, hey, detach a little bit from the world and be present with us. Like, that is a thing that I'm constantly working on daily with when I'm getting home with my boys and trying to turn off my mind. And there's some days it's a blessing and a curse. I live really close to my work. Like, I could literally walk to my house, and there's many days where I'll do a couple laps driving around the neighborhood before I get home, because it's like, I just. I need a few extra minutes just to really detach and unwind and prepare myself for the madness of pulling into the home with the boys and being respectful of, like, man, they've probably had a busy, long, exciting, tiring day, and I also have, too. And being aware of that. Taking ownership of the things you can take ownership of. But, man, how would you say that that kind of relationship with your wife and with Charlie, your little girl now, what are some key points that you've taken away and you're appreciative of what you had growing up or some. Also some things that you guys are kind of adapting as husband and wife and father and mother to Charlie. Maybe not in something bad that you had growing up with your parents and with her parents, but things that you guys are seeing from your childhood that you're kind of adapting or changing with the way you parent Charlie. [00:12:40] Speaker B: Yeah, man, it's. It's awesome. Because my parents and her in laws, like, we kind of grew up in similar ways. Like, the way that both our fathers are with our mothers and the way our mothers are with our fathers. So we have that there's some differences, but we have a lot of similarities. I've been able to witness my father just being cool, calm. I've never seen my dad raise his voice, and my dad's probably only said, like, two cuss words. Yeah, they were at me. Cause I was, like, being a knucklehead about something. And, like, those are like. And that was when I was in high school and had my head at my butt. And it's like. And my mom would. Cause he'll. He'll sit there. He'll give you a lecture for 2 hours, like, sitting around the table, like. And he'll, like, analogy the mess out of you. But, like, when I heard that, I was like, oh, okay. Like, I need to. I need to tighten up. But it's like, it's even, like, with her, like, just getting to know my in laws and which we call them lolly and pop, like, which they want to be called lollipop. [00:13:45] Speaker A: Yeah, because grandma and grandpa, those are for old people. They're same with my parents. [00:13:50] Speaker B: So even being, like, around them and witnessing, like, just the love, and they're, like, big on family. Like, my family is. And, like, just the traditions and whatnot. And I think that's something that we both are. We're blessed with and able to hold on to is the traditions we want to start. But with that, both our families have their own traditions. And so when you're trying to balance, like, okay, we gotta create our own. Like, yes. Like Christmas. Everyone is. My family's in Fairview. Hers is in plano. We're right here in McKinney. So it's like, before Charlie, we're, like, bouncing around, doing the rat race, and then with charlie, we're like, okay, this day is for them. This is for us, and this is for them. So you get more structured because you want to create your own traditions and take what we both have from both families and put them together. I think one thing someone's told me is that, you know, you have to sacrifice what you want, like, for, like, your wife. And it's like, it was a counselor I was seeing, and she just said, she's like, you know, you gotta. You gotta sacrifice even if you don't want to. Like, then we're talking about the holidays. Cause my family does a big thing. Christmas Eve, like, decked all out, christmas day and all this stuff. And, like, we would go to her parents, like, on Christmas night and whatnot. And so she's like, sacrifice Christmas to you for your wife. Sacrifice whatever she wants to do. It may not feel fair, but you're doing it for her. And seeing that and knowing who my wife is and her character, she comes back and she's like, well, let's make sure we do this with your family. And because I think when you have two people that are giving and not just take, take, and it's just. You're trying to out love and just give, just. Cause that's just how you are. Sacrificing isn't hard because you know that other person's gonna take care of you and do the exact same thing for you. [00:15:44] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, I completely get it. All of my family is here in the McKinney area. I've got three sisters and my wife's got five brothers. They're all more in the Houston area. But, yeah, it's such a blessing being so close with your families, but also remembering a. As the husband and kind of the leader and kind of first, the first forefront of kind of the relationship that, like. And we're also detached now. We've left our parents. Right. That's even biblically speaking, and starting our own families. So going back to what you said, starting our own traditions, being respectful and wanting to be present, communicating effectively to our parents or our in laws, but then also being respectful to the traditions that we want to cultivate internally and intimately with just our. Our little family that we're starting. And so, yeah, I felt that same thing. We did the same thing. We would. My wife's family does Christmas on Christmas Eve, and so we would drive to my birthday's on December 21. So I'll be. We would be here for my twin sister and I's birthday and do birthday shenanigans. Have fun. Head to Houston the 22nd or the 23rd. Do Christmas, Christmas eve on Christmas Eve, and then leave Christmas eve night or head back to Dallas Christmas morning to be with all my family. And then as our little boys have came into the world just over the past couple years, they're four and three, about to be five and four. We've kind of started doing the whole coordination of, like, okay, we're all at our in laws this year, and then we're all gonna be together next year. And it's been. It's been a journey, but it's been good. [00:17:15] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, we definitely. With her brother and then my sister. My sister's in Atlanta. Her brother is down in a college station. So, yeah. Trying to orchestrate, like, okay, my sister's coming this Thanksgiving. Your brother's coming this Christmas. And then they would flip because they would go see their wives or husbands family. And then we kind of got a good system. But, yeah, it's. It's definitely a juggle, for sure. [00:17:40] Speaker A: Definitely, dude. I mean, I would love to pivot a little bit, kind of into some of your entrepreneurial journey. I honestly. Do you remember how we met? Is it. [00:17:48] Speaker B: Man? Yeah, I want to say it was at the coffee shop. Like, when. [00:17:52] Speaker A: Or was it back when? With some of the supplement world, with my time with true labs, doing some fitness events. So we did a. We did a workout event with ATF adaptive training foundation at the hq. I don't know if we met there. [00:18:10] Speaker B: No, I didn't go to that. I know when they did that because then I also also did some stuff with performance course. I know pc and true labs had that tight connection. [00:18:19] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:22] Speaker B: And we may have bumped past, though. [00:18:25] Speaker A: I think we may have through that time. Then, of course, through just you opening up the coffee shop, which I would love to hear more about, and then just realizing the more and more I've got to know you. I know some of your team over there goes to. I go to citizens church in Frisco. I'm sorry. In Plano, and I've seen some of them there. Like, it's just the world is small. But, man, I know also, I think you guys were kind of starting the renovation process of that current building right as I was trying to get my studio open and just really, like, having the grace and the understanding of just the madness of timeframes and trying to. Being excited to get into your space and money and all that stuff. Could you share a little bit of. Kind of that journey, how it was, how it's going and where you're kind of planning on going next? [00:19:13] Speaker B: Yeah, man. When we were opening up the coffee shop, I was just transitioning previously, I was in business with built for it. I was one of the owners, and then just had some differences, business differences and stuff like that. So we separated, and then, like, going through that felt God is like, hey, open up a coffee shop. You like connecting with people. You like having relationships with people. And just every decision I've ever had in life happened over a cup of coffee. And Patrick, our business partner, we. That's what we do. We met over coffee, just having life. Like, he was helping me through some transitional stuff. He was going through some transitional things. And then I remember God just saying, yeah, like, open up a coffee shop. Came home, told the wife, and she's like, what do you know about coffee? I was like, I don't know much, but Patrick has a lot of experience. Like, I think we say we do this together. So we talked, and our wives are like, oh, yeah, let's do this. And then as we started, we found the space. Took us probably three, four months to find that space. And then that was the first space we looked at, and it was the last space. We're like, yeah, this is where God's calling us. And it's supposed to be a four month project turnaround. Like, it's like, everyone we talked to four months and then ended up being a year and four months. So you go on that. You go on that train of limbo, of, like, okay, I gotta also do something to bring money in. And also looking at it from the standpoint of, we got to get this going. So having to juggle your time. And so that's when I spent a lot more time up at ATF with Dave and the guys and helping them out up there, man. Even had a part time job at Lowe's for a little bit outside lawn and garden. Loved it. It was. It was dope, man. Like, it was. It was, like, probably, like, the funnest things I've ever done. It was wild. And then as we're going to build in this coffee shop, still, just, like, meeting people, like, at the. In the garden center, like, oh, yeah. Like, and they're very. They just want to talk to you. And so then they start figuring out, like, oh, you're gonna open up a coffee shop? Like, yeah, it's gonna be right there, downtown McKinney. Come check it out. [00:21:17] Speaker A: That's good. [00:21:18] Speaker B: When's it gonna open? I don't know, but it's like, we'll be there. We'll be there. And it's funny, like, when we open the doors, like, seeing, like, all those people that you talked to that remembered, and they just came in and just showed support and love. But, yeah, like, that whole process, man, like, we, we had an investor, and it was, it was good. Like, we all trusted one another, you know? And it was one of those things to where we felt like we could do life. And I saw, like, I really look at business, it's in the sense of, like, can we do life together? Like, can we not look at everything from a transactional standpoint, but a relational piece of it? Because you're, you're basically saying, like, hey, we're going to start this business, and we're going to be in it for years and years and years. And so as we're going, you have your ebbs and flows. We have our grand opening. Everything's great, going good. We're able to put our impact on the community. And that was, like, the biggest thing that we prayed on for that space was that people would be able to feel like this is their home away from home. Like, no matter your belief, your background, your upbringing, like, we're going to just love on you because that's what God calls us to do. And that was the way that we felt. We could just extend God's kingdom and disciple, not by, like, our words, but by our actions and our actions of just love and care and being intentional, just getting to know people, like, getting to know the people that are coming in daily, not knowing what they're dealing with outside of the shop. But once they come in, it's like, you made that intentional choice to come in, whether you just, I'm just gonna grab a cup of coffee. But to us, you're intentional about coming in and wanting to have a cup of coffee. And that cup of coffee is important to a lot of people. Like, that first cup, if it's not good, it's gonna, like, set your whole day off. Your interaction with a barista up front, like, is bad. That's gonna set your whole day off. And so we just were very intentional about letting people know that you're not just a number. Like, you're a person. And so being able to, I meant a lot. Like, when people would sit there and say, man, you remember my name, angel, remember my order? And it's like, yeah, like, you're so and so. You get this, like, every other day, dude. And, like, how was your fishing trip that you went on? How'd you know? You told me, like, a week ago. You had it coming up. You know, so just stuff like that, that we, it meant a lot to us. And so with that man. Like, these last six to seven months have been great. We were going through a buyout with our current investor just because from vision and cultural viewpoints and standpoints, we didn't see eye to eye on. [00:23:48] Speaker A: Okay. [00:23:49] Speaker B: And so they didn't accept the offer. So this past Tuesday was our last day. Me, Patrick, his wife, and my wife, last day at collective. And so we got let go from collective, but, like, during that period, we had such a peace from God of him guiding our steps into whatever this next direction looks like. We know it's gonna be in downtown McKinney, and we know, like, that's where he's gonna have us planted. How that looks and what that looks like, we're still fleshing that out, but it's. It's been kind of like a trip these last few days, especially Tuesday, our last day. Like, our staff, man, they're awesome. They went, got a card and had, like, a lot of regulars come and sign it and so forth. So that's when it's, like, what our mission was, what we felt our purpose was. Like, it actually took place. Like, just from. Not just, like, the love and support from our regulars, but, like, our staff and the impact it had on them when we had to let them know. And it was just touching and their words that they left us with and their love and kindness. And during that, it's the impact that you felt that you left on people. And that's, like, kind of what helped majority of us kind of get through, like, the mourning phase. You got anger and you're upset, but really, regardless of how we felt, the interaction between us and the investors, like, took place. And if we feel, like, wronged or whatnot, we're at peace because we've given it to God, and God is the one that's going to handle everything else. And so it's like, we just sit back and we just trust in him and just honor him. And even honoring, like, the investors as well, like, it's. It'd be easy to go and just, you know, all the anger and frustration and just throw it out, you know? But it's. That's not what I feel God has called us to do and just, like, honoring them through that and being respectful of what God would want us to do, because you have the flesh that saying, you know, handle it, ABCD and e, and it's like, I got a boy I know now. Like, he's like, burn the house down. You know, that's like, that's, like, his viewpoint. I'm like, no, God's not saying we do that. God saying they're like, they're also his children, too, you know? And so it's, if I was to react in a way that didn't honor God against his children, then I'm not living my life according to what he's asking me to do. [00:26:22] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And you're not, like you said, you're not gonna be perfect. You guys are gonna have those mixed emotions. But, I mean, I think just from the story and what you guys have been through, thinking that that first space was gonna be in four months to a year and four months, and just the impact you guys have had in such a short term, it, one shows just the care and the intentionality and the heart that you guys have and your staff and your wife and just the flow of that. But secondly, like, man, I hope you're encouraged and that it's not just the location or the building that makes the space, it's the people. And you guys have done a great job of that. I've experienced it being there, and I've really loved what you said. I've never really thought about and obviously kind of plays into being a training, running a training business, and, like, you never know what people are walking in with, you know, and the opportunity that they are choosing to come to your location, to that physical location, and then trust, you know, the conversation and the coffee or maybe the training experience that they might get with some of my team. Like, that's something that I don't take lightly, and I know you don't take lightly. And being intentional with remembering that they went on that trip or remembering their drink is something that it goes a lot further than most people would think. So, man, I'm excited to see what you guys do, where you guys kind of go from here, but also encourage and want to encourage you that people that have been coming there because of the physical location, I would feel confident to say that they're probably going to continue to follow you guys wherever you go. And of course, again, like you said, hope for the best for that space and what's going to continue to be provided there. Um, but just, you know, kind of that membership and that family that you guys have created is going to continue to support you guys and follow along you guys with your journey. And something I just thought of as you were talking about that I thought was really cool about you working at Lowe's is like, man, you. You said you're working like the home and garden side, right. Is a vision that God gave me about a year or so ago was like this root system. And as I kind of continue to expand, a lot of this, like, vision and entrepreneurial process that I'm on through my gym space and gym builds and this podcast is that, like, man, I just see all these roots that are going to be kind of continuing to grow to build relationships and build impact. And I just think that's very interesting that God had you in the home and garden space where like, you're literally working with plants that have roots and are growing and are becoming, you know, beautiful and colorful and, you know, this big dude working in the home. Like, if I saw you there, I'd be like, I'd be intrigued and also maybe intimidated. But, like, man, this guy can, like, work with his hands and his feet and know some home and garden stuff. I just think that's really cool and kind of maybe an ironic, you know, correlation to just the roots that you guys have planted here in downtown McKinney. In McKinney. And so, yeah, man, I just, I think there's going to continue to be fruit because you guys are choosing the kingdom over, you know, just the quick, you know, transaction or whatever. [00:29:31] Speaker B: Yeah, man, and I appreciate that, man. And it's one thing, like, I, like, I always tell people, like, I don't know if you're an office fan at all, but, yeah, like Michael Scott, he's crazy, right? Like, yeah, but I think he's like, probably one of the best managers that they're ever example of a manager. Like, yes, he does some quirky stuff, but if you look at the heart behind it, and one thing that he said during the episode is like, you know, we're not in the paper business. We're in the people business. And he's very intentional about, like, his staff, his employees and the people that he does business with. And so I think as crazy it is, it's like, I always like that stuff stuck with me. And it's when you make what you do about people, everything else takes care of itself. And if you're chasing a dollar, you're always going to be chasing that dollar. But if you're chasing people and you're chasing that genuine relationship and interaction with people because you want to grow with people, your business will flourish. Like, it's, you don't have to worry about your bottom line or your, your margins or am I hitting this or am I hitting that? But if you're doing it right by people, people will always take care of you. And so that's something that is always, like, huge and big to me. Yeah. And it's something, I think, with any business, like, if that's your model or people, like, you'll be successful. [00:30:53] Speaker A: Yeah, totally, dude. I 100% agree. And it's. It's not easy. Like, there's just a. It is a process. It is a long, kind of just continuing to wake up and choose to go care for people and build relationships and just, you know, believe that, like, the Lord's gonna take care of the rest. [00:31:12] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:31:13] Speaker A: And, I mean, that's. That's a big reason. I just want to kind of create and cultivate this space. I told you before we started, I want to do all of our podcast stuff in person. Cause I really want to be able to connect and look, you know, the interviewers are my guests in the eyes and have conversations before and after. And, you know, it's just. It's a fun time, and I'm just appreciative of this space to be able to do that. And I would love to hear a little bit more maybe kind of any vision that you have kind of moving forward. I'm sure you're still kind of working through the process on how you guys are going to be finalizing your time, but anything that you could share from successes and failures or mistakes, whatever, we learned from those as well. But anything you could share from some of those that you're excited to take forward into this new journey and things you might, you know, think could add value on, just, like, some of those changes that you see yourself maybe making or what you've learned from. [00:32:08] Speaker B: Yeah, man. I think from mistakes and stuff that. That we've made. Even mistakes made with. When I was working with the guys that were built for it, it's when you lose sight of your mission and you're not focused on what God is calling you to do and not living right by God. I think that's the first mistake. If you're not just living right and doing right. You know what I mean? And if you're living in sin, like, you're. It's coaching. If you're living in sin, you're not gonna win. Like, that's. That's part of it. And so I learned a lot from built for it, from that transition. And then when going with the coffee shop, looking back and seeing, okay, what mistakes did we make along the way? And it's honestly hard to look back and say, you know, we made mistakes, because it's like, if we were thinking we made mistakes and living in the past and not looking at what it is that we gained through that, even the hardships being like that lesson, I think the thing that we learn the most is don't change who we are, no matter what it is. Stick to your values, stick to your morals, stick to your vision, stick to your goals, as long as they align up with God and they align with honoring him. Now, from outside of that, if I'm looking at it from an operational standpoint, it's really looking at this new space that we go into, looking at all the things that we would change from a business structure. Definitely making sure, like, yes, as all things are going, making sure the other person that you're partnering with is a giver. And I had a good conversation yesterday with someone and they were just saying, you know, the reason why, whether you're a believer or not, like, and he said the most success he's ever had are people that are givers, whether they believe or they don't believe. And it's if both parties are giving and not taking, then that business is always going to be successful. But if you get the inkling that the person you're working with is going to take, take and not looking at it from how much can I give without looking for anything, not saying a financial component, but just giving heart, you know, the whole thing of don't let your left hand know what your right hand's giving. If so, cut it off. You know, I mean, so doing it in that sense and being mindful and aware of the people that you're, you're going to be doing life with, because if you're going to be starting a business someone, it's going to be like a marriage. You're going to be with them nonstop, day in, day out. There's going to be highs, there's going to be lows and how you handle that. Yeah, but looking at the things that I don't know, I can't say that I would necessarily change anything except for the fact of making sure who you're with is a giver, not a taker. [00:35:09] Speaker A: Yep. You know, yeah, I heard something on a couple recent podcasts of, and we can maybe dissect this a little bit. It kind of correlates with this a little bit is difference between purpose and passion. And yeah, there's a lot of things that we can be passionate about, but like, what is the rooted like purpose? And I think something that you obviously continue to share and kind of go back to is just that the purpose of caring well for people. And we can do that in so many different avenues or different fields of business and obviously for our families, too. But, man, it's. But then if we can align the purpose with passion, then it's like, man, that's a really cool recipe and a fun journey that leads to a lot of giving and leads to a lot of fruitful things because. Yeah. And even going back to the giving piece that you mentioned and taking, it's just like thinking of teams and different sports. Like, everyone has different gifts. They're giving their talents to that team, but everyone on that field has a different talent that they're giving. That's ultimately leading to the success of the team and going back to kind of a marriage or a business relationship. There's so many different values and strengths that we're all bringing that are giving to the ultimate goal of pursuing that passion and the purpose. And as you mentioned once, that kind of starts to get foggy or lost a. Calling one another out, truthfully, in a loving way. But, you know, sometimes, unfortunately, that that ends up kind of splitting some of those relationships. [00:36:47] Speaker B: Right. And I think, too, it's touching back on, like, your team thing and trusting and trusting that, you know, this is what I'm good at. Like, if you are going to do business with a group of people or with another person, it's realizing, okay, what am I good at? What are they good at? [00:37:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:04] Speaker B: And if this is something, an area that I'm not good at, like, if I can't throw the ball but I can catch the ball, I'm not gonna worry about throwing the ball. I'm worried about me doing my job and worrying about where my feet are at. I can't worry about somebody else. And I have to give them the freedom and the trust that they're gonna handle their responsibility and do what they're gonna do. And I think the moment that you kind of get out of your lane and then you start trying to, well, you can't throw. I'm gonna throw the ball now and not support that partner in that. In that role. Now you're hindering it. Now you're damaging it. And so it's. You have to. I think with business, you have to, like, stay in your lane and trust. Like, if what you're building with somebody and what you discussed and talked with, you have to trust that they're gonna do what they're gonna do. [00:37:49] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:37:50] Speaker B: And you can't let fear creep in and doubt creep in when none of that is there. [00:37:58] Speaker A: Yeah. It makes me think I'm kind of laughing. It's like just seeing the difference between my little boys soccer team and professionals, all the kids are around the ball. They're all trying to do the same job. It's like, separate a little bit, pass it to each other. They're, of course, figuring out, and they'll hopefully get better, but same going back to the business and the team aspect. Another vision that I love is the pursuit drill. Like, in football, I was a cornerback and, you know, humble brag. I loved doing the pursuit drill, and because I was always, you know, you have to understand that athlete's speed. You have to gauge it correctly on tackling them right before they get to the touchdown. Or if you're too short, you're gonna miss them. If you're too long, they might try to juke you and cut back inside. And it's going back to what you said of just that trust, of like, man, I'm trusting that your pursuit drill is gonna be on point and that I'm not gonna step in and try to overtake that or another teammate cut you off, that misses your time or your role. And going back to just trusting those teammates and those players that you're choosing to partner and work with, it's. Yeah, man, super important. [00:39:05] Speaker B: Yeah. Cause it's, that's, that's a. Man, I love that. The pursuit drill analogy. [00:39:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:39:11] Speaker B: Cause it's like, how many times have it happened? Dudes not in his lane, and you're, like, jumping all over him, like, dude, man, all you gotta do, you just, you just gotta stay right here between these five yards and you're golden. Like, yeah. [00:39:20] Speaker A: Um, and even another kind of perspective with that is that, like, as a cornerback that I played, you know, most of, if I'm on the opposite side of the field, right. Like, I'm probably one. I'm the last, like, option to get there. But also, whether kind of passively or subconsciously, like, my team is entrusting that, I'm going to give it my all to try to freaking get there. [00:39:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:39:42] Speaker A: You know, and even if I'm not, I'm going to dive and try to hit his foot to make him triple. But just, again, they're all pursuing. They're not looking back to see if I'm coming. They're all going for it. And just, again, kind of going back to just, there's a huge trust component and factor there, believing that they're going to do their job. And, you know, if we miss, it's a, hey, let's get back up and let's try again. Or if we pursued wrong, it's like, hey, let's get back on the practice field and figure this out. [00:40:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Because that communication is huge, and how we communicate is big. And I think that's one thing, like, with us, like, over at collective, the thing that we can look back on, it's not every. Not everything was like, sunshines and rainbows as we're figuring things out and learning each other. But the thing that Patrick and I had, it was an understanding of one another, of knowing that, hey, if something I said to him didn't ring, or he knows that doors there be like, I don't really. Like, I didn't really like how this came off. Can you explain it to me? [00:40:43] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:40:43] Speaker B: And I'm like, man, I didn't even realize I came off that way. Like, my bad. Like, my intention is different than his perception. And so I think with any role in position, you always have to look at. I can't look at my intention. I have to look at their perception. If someone's perception is different than my intention, then I have to have that self realization of how does. How do they understand that's good. And what do I need to change so that way, I can adhere to the way that they understand and receive things. Because coming from the strength conditioning world, like, it's very, like, boom, boom, boom. Like, you don't have time for gray, because if you do, so many things can go wrong. When you're explaining things, you have to be direct and concise. And so that's something that I knew, like, I did. I trained for, like, 1516 years. So that being ingrained in boom, like, just got to be direct. Got to be direct and knowing that my heart's in it, but when you're flipping gears and you're working with people that might not even been in that world or that realm, they don't see that. And so if I truly care about the people I'm working with or people in general, I have to listen to. Hey, the way that you came off right there, man, like, it. It sounded kind of. Kind of rough. And my wife is amazing at this to where if we're all, like I said, partners, and we're in group text and like, hey, I know what you're intending, but that's not how that came off. And she's like, you need to, like, relook at it and come a different way. [00:42:12] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:42:12] Speaker B: And then I was like, okay, let me just hop on the. Hop on the horn real quick. Like, hey, bro, did I come off screen coming? Yeah, kind of. I'm so sorry, bro. Like, if you can't sit there and have those checks and balances, and definitely your wife's gonna be the first one to tell you, your partner's gonna be the first one to tell you, praise God, yo. Like, I don't know if you meant to come out that way, but you need to readdress that. But all that to say is, like, you can't be so fixated on your way. You're away. You're away. You have to be open. You have to hear. You have to listen. You got to listen more than you communicate. And then if you are in a position to lead people, you have to be able to communicate in a way of under. Like, to get your message across. But if someone comes to you and your message is ruffled or blurred, lines are in the mud because of how you came off, then you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing, whether you're a leader, whether you're a partner, no matter what. Because now your message isn't getting across because they're focused on the harshness that it may have been or it was, like, the directness of it. And so always thinking of the perception of the other person and learning the. [00:43:25] Speaker A: Other person, I really like that a lot. That's good. I was listening to a podcast on the previous episode, Matthew McRandos. He got me on. He's a franchise consultant and also a franchise owner, so he's been a part of all the worlds, and he's able to add a lot of value to people that are looking to get into the franchise space. And he put me on a podcast. I've been listening to a couple of these other entrepreneurs and franchise owners, and this guy was sharing a story about going into one of his team meetings. He's an owner of this business, and he's like, we're going to do 100 million this year, and I'm so excited, and we're going to do this. And then he just, like, just seeing crickets on people's faces and talked to his administrative assistant after, and he's, let's say her name's Beth. She's like, beth what? I feel like anyone was pumped up, and she was like, man, do you want me to be honest with you? Like, that's your. That's your vision for this business. That's what you want. Like, how you need to think more, how that affects everyone else. And I even shared that with my team. And we do monthly check ins with all of our. With all of our coaches and our teammates here and that's something I said. Hey, on this next check in, I want to know more of, like, what. What you desire. Like, yes, this is a place of work for you, and it's a passion. And you. You love working with people, but, like, what are ways that this avenue of work is really helping add value to your personal life as much as you're willing to share? I would love to know that so that I can help really understand and coordinate and have grace. When times you're not able to be there for an event or, you know, as we incorporate new training opportunities or things of that nature, I can think of you to be a part of it. And I just thought that was really, really cool, because a lot of times, as owners and entrepreneurs, we can be like, let's go. And you look back and you're like, wait, you guys coming with me? [00:45:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:09] Speaker A: So. [00:45:09] Speaker B: And that's, um. And that's something that is so true. Like, when we did our interview process, like, with collective, the things that we always ask is, like, what are your aspirations? Like, what do you. What do you eventually end up wanting to do, man, it's like, I can think of each one of our staff, like, someone opened up a coffee shop. Someone wants to start jewelry. Someone wants to do something, like, in, like, fashion or whatnot. And looking at they may be doing a vintage fashion coffee shop, stuff like that. And it's like, and knowing that and knowing what your team's goals are and what they want to accomplish, it goes from, how can we assist you? Yeah, like, whether that. Like, when we were with collective, it was like, okay, whether that's us opening up more and you're running that, or, hey, you want to do your own thing, how can we support you? Yeah, like, we don't want to hinder you. Like, if you want to go open up your own coffee shop, do your own thing, have your own business, it's, how can we support you and guide you through that, to let you know these are the things that you need. And when you do that and you lay that foundation out for people that you really want them to grow, it's, we see them run through walls for us. We see them care that much more about that space. That's cool, because we're intentional about caring about them and what their true passion is and what they want to do. [00:46:26] Speaker A: That's awesome, man. Well, dude, I would love to kind of wrap up to this last question and then get to hear more and where we could find you. But last question I've got for you is based off of who you are, what you've done, and where you're going, what are a few kind of key finishing points you feel like could add value to the audience and our listeners? [00:46:45] Speaker B: Man, I think the things that would add value is to love. Love those around you. Love hard. Lift others up on the pursuit of your own dreams and aspirations. You can always lift those up around you without having to sacrifice what your, your goal and dream is going to be. Yeah, definitely keeping God first at the helm. And because during those struggles and hard times, you're going to need a strong foundation to fall back on. And doing more for others than you do for yourself, I think, is pretty big. And then also just understanding and realizing that it's always going to take time. It's not going to be overnight, it's not going to be next week, next month. But you have to put the time in and you have to grow it. You have to plant the seed and you have to water the soil and you have to let it grow. And when you grow something, it takes time. But what helps things grow faster is how you treat people along the way and how you love on those people throughout that time that you're growing. And so that's kind of what I would leave with people, man. Like I said, just love hard. Be giving, be grateful, be humble and diligent with your time, with what you do. [00:48:02] Speaker A: Yeah, that's awesome, dude. Well, man, I really appreciate you coming on and joining us here on the private form podcast. Where can we find you? Where can we find you and your wife? Social platforms? Email. [00:48:13] Speaker B: Yeah, so, man, I'm on Facebook. Don't have an instagram, but downtown McKinney is where we're always going to be. That's where our heart's going to be. That's where we're going to grow any business that we do. Not sure what that looks like. Email, tcook, 722 mail. Want to reach out, have questions? You'll probably find me at adaptive training foundation over there in Carrollton. Shout out, rocking over there. ATF. Those are my people over there. And so. But other than that, like, that's where we're going to be. My wife, Alyssa Cook. She's Alyssa Cake cook on Instagram, something like that. [00:48:48] Speaker A: Okay. [00:48:49] Speaker B: That'll be full pictures of her family, our little one. So you want to check us out? [00:48:54] Speaker A: Check us out. Yeah, little Charlie. And more to cook in the future, pun intended. But, man. Yeah. Awesome, dude. Yeah. Anyone watching? Guys, Tim's got an amazing story, and he could share part even more on it. Outside of this podcast. But, man, literally, as he said, as we started, like, the dude loves to have coffee and have conversations over coffee. I've been grateful for the way that we've just slowly just kind of curated this relationship. We've done some events together and just, it's cool to see, like, how God just transforms and puts people into your life over a timeframe and over certain opportunities and whatnot. So I'm excited to just continue to see and be an audience to what you're doing and also just to continue to build and grow a relationship with you, too. Thanks so much, man. [00:49:34] Speaker B: Thank you. [00:49:34] Speaker A: Thank you guys for listening. Thanks for being a part of the properform podcast, episode five. We'll see you guys on the next one. Thanks.