Your Transformation Station - 19. "Working On the Business, Rather Than in the Business" Mark Brimer w/ Favazza

Episode Date: July 2, 2020

"How can you create a transformation in others if there's no transformation in yourself?" Join (Greg Favazza), (podcast) host and creator, as he interviews entrepreneur (Mark Brimer). When you have shareholders in any industry, they are the true customers. In this episode, you will learn about an important, critical aspect to consider when refining your business. (You're working on the business rather than in it.) Support the showPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://ytspod.comApple Podcasts: https://ytspod.com/appleSpotify: https://ytspod.com/spotifyRSS: https://ytspod.com/rssYouTube: https://ytspod.com/youtubeSUPPORT & CONNECT:- Check out the sponsors below, it's the best way to support this podcast- Outgrow: https://www.ytspod.com/outgrow- Quillbot Flow: https://ytspod.com/quilbot - LearnWorlds: https://ytspod.com/learnworlds- Facebook: https://ytspod.com/facebook- Instagram: https://ytspod.com/instagram- TikTok: https://ytspod.com/tiktok- Twitter: https://ytspod.com/x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to your transformation station. Socrates once wrote, The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. It's time to rediscover your true identity and purpose on this planet. Together, we can transform our community one topic at a time. From groundbreaking performers, making their elixir your dose of reality. Your Transformation Arc.

This is Your Transformation Station. And this is your host, Greg Favaza. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Your Transformation Station. This is episode, we don't know. But I'm just going ahead and sing that to you anyways. First off, before we go into my little tobacco and we go into some really interesting stuff, I would like you to scroll down, hit the subscribe button. I bet you're going to know what I say next.

That is correct. We do have a lot of great content underway. But Greg, you say this every episode. Where is our content? Well, it's all on Facebook. And I'm learning how to use Instagram. Yes, I'm a 29-year-old male who does not know how to use Instagram. Are you shocked or are you impressed?

It's one or the other. There is no gray area. That is correct. Also, if you would like to be on the show, If you have some great information or you want to complain about my voice, give me a shout out at Your Transformation Podcast at gmail.com. Or go to YTS2 Podcast at Facebook.com. And I'm pretty active on there.

Not as active as I would like to be, but I'm working on becoming the person I need to be to serve every one of you. Yes, that is you, including. that is globally on the other side of the world in Australia or you in Canada, I see my data analytics and I appreciate everybody out there listening to this episodes. It makes me feel like I'm doing something. Yes, let's take a moment and just sit here in silence. So now, let's get to this episode.

We have Mark Brimer. He is entrepreneur, business owner, racquetball coach, correction. Retired racquetball. Let me just do that one more time. I get that little. And then that's also there. Retired racquetball coach. Yes, he was my racquetball coach.

And he still is as lame as he was yesterday as he is today, but only married. But that's okay. Some people change. Some people don't. I am still a little shit. I guess that means we need to make this an explicit episode since I just cursed. Or is it cussed? I don't know.

Maybe we should have an episode about that. Funny words. Slang. Terminologies. Social upbringings. Spaceships. Coffee beans. So anyways.

This is your episode number. I forget. You're going to learn some key information. on how to be an effective networker. You're going to learn how to communicate with people and spread love from one individual to another. Yes, that is the law of respirosity, paying it forward, and being able to take it back when it's paid to you. Something like that. I'm going to have to Google this.

yes I will definitely edit this episode I know you guys are listening yes you are saying something or you're just looking at me in shock that what am I going to say next I think it's a little bit of everything alright let's get to

your transformation stations beautifully broadcasted content with year one and only Greg Fulvanzon Susson I'm excited to be on your podcast. I really do appreciate it. I appreciate your time. I wanted to help you out

as well as far as get your name out there because as far as I know it, you are the man that everybody wants to know. And that is why you're on this podcast, because I want to know your secrets of this trade on how you became who you are today. Oh, okay. We'll see if I'm impressive or not. Yes. So if you wouldn't mind, Mark, if you can just tell us a little bit about your as far as who you are, what you do now, and what we would say is your talent in networking? Really, I've been a business owner for about 10 years. I've been in the office supply industry for way too long since, I guess, 1995, so 25 years, which makes me older than I thought I was.

and I had the unique opportunity to be on both sides of the phone, worked on the wholesale side and the retail side. And once I left the industry for a short time, I got connected into the networking world and luckily picked up on how to be successful in networking and was able to transition into my own business about 10 years ago. And as a result, not completely but mainly, we averaged one new account per business day for 10 years

in our office supply business. called Office Supply Solutions. And with Office Supply Solutions, we sat down, we talked a lot about it a little bit, and you kind of put your own little spin on it as far as just maximizing the customer service level, the customer service level. Can we go into that? Sure. I mean, I look at it as that anybody can get what we provide almost anywhere, online in stores,

but what we do is we have what we call rockstar customer service. It's like a full service experience. You wouldn't go to a steak restaurant if you were a meat eater and expect to cook your own steak. In my industry, a lot of the people have tricked people to go and do their own research, which is cooking your own steak and the paying retail price. In my mind, if I go to a restaurant, I want it done for me because if I cook it, it won't go very well. And so what I do is make sure that our staff and I look up the different products

our customers want to give them the best option because the worst thing we could do, let them waste their time by picking the wrong item. And in a few moments, us recommend something different that's the best option. And they could be making money and being more successful. Let it be a pen all the way up to a chair. We'll do the research and present options. Let the customer pick because really it's what they want. We just guide them on their journey.

I really do like that. Could you recommend any resources to our listeners that helped you gotten where you are today. I guess the only, I don't know about an official resource, but I just look at whether it be networking or in my business, I just look at, I want to treat other people the way I'd like to be treated. If I go to make a purchase, I expect people,

and I'm saying it's very nicely to bend over backwards to help me out. But they're buying for me, I expect to do the same for them because they're choosing to spend their hard-earned dollars and making a choice to purchase with us. So it's our job to make them feel welcome and spend. special, it's a privilege to do business and get a chance to do business with them versus just expecting them, oh, our doors are open, they should come to us. And too many people these days don't value customer service or even their customers, especially when you know those big chains

when really the stockholders in any industry are the real customers and the people who walk in their front doors are just the product of their environment. So do you think it's like a social contract that people hold to other people when they bend over backwards to help somebody? Do they expect that? And is that what makes you different from everybody else is the fact that you don't expect anything in return? I think it's more in a way of a respect thing. It could be looked at a social contract, but it's more of respect because, again,

a lot of people don't respect enough other people. That's why we have challenges. people expect everyone to be accommodating to them, but they're not willing to accommodate other people. So I look at it as, again, if you're the one purchasing in any industry, not just in mine, you should be thanked and it should be appreciated because, again, you're not the only one that does what you do in any industry. Is it the fact that you have repeat customer service correction? You have repeated customers coming back to you based off your own tailored experience? Well, we'd like to think that. I mean, we track those numbers monthly, and over a fourth

of our customers with purchase 10 or more times, the repeat order rate of two-thirds, which we're very proud of, because I know I chat in general terms with friendly competition of their numbers are nowhere close to what ours are. Okay. And just to give people like a little highlight with office solutions, the way to office, uh, supply solutions. Office supply solutions, thank you. Just make sure of paying attention. Yes, that's exactly right. What exactly service do you provide for everybody?

Well, we provide the service of delivering anything they're going to need for their office. Something as simple as pens and pencils through printer cartridges, office supplies, and even a full office of furniture fully installed on their location. But basically, if you can buy it in an office and it's not specialized in one industry, like we're not going to carry things like dental tools because those are for one industry, but everything down to beverages, ladders, stethoscopes, file folders, and everything in between, we can make sure that gets delivered not only next day, but sometimes even same day in the areas we have warehouses. Very interesting.

I like that. Now, the main reason why I have you on is that when we were sitting now, we were talking, You're just telling me different stories about your own interactions with other people. And you were telling somebody, I forget who it was, the fact that who do you need to meet? I know everybody. All you need to meet this kind of person? Well, he's sitting right over there at this restaurant. It's Nara, I think that was.

And that's just really interesting as far as how did this get all started with this networking? And what advice can you share for people? As far as networking, I mean, what I've noticed over my years of being involved in face-to-face networking is the biggest mistake people make is they try to sell to other people in front of them. And when they're doing that, they're completely missing the point. Because would you rather sell the one person or a whole room full of people? And rather than selling the person in front of them, they're looking to connect the person in front of them and build trust. So they're going to want to open up their whole database of people who might have an individual. need for their service. So rather than me trying to push my products down someone's throat,

if I'm connecting them to the people they need, number one, they're going to stay in business, whatever profession they're in, and they're going to continue to be hopefully a client of mine, just for the experience of seeing how I do business. But more importantly, they're going to trust me enough to refer me to the people in their network, which is a lot more than just the person sitting in front of me, who might need my products or services ongoing. And that's why I'm fortunate enough to have almost on average one referral per business day. So how did this get all started? Did it just happen through a repeated behavior or was there something specific that you were shooting towards? Well, I mean, I do a lot of networking in a variety

of different organizations, but one of them is B&I Business Networking International, which is the largest global networking organization in about four dozen countries, actually more than that. And it's very structured. So part of it's just listening and learning to their structure and the way they do things. But it's also learning that when you help people, it feels good to help people. And if you're always looking for something in return, you're going to be disappointed because you can't control with other people to think or how they act. But if I do my best, I know that I've done what I should be doing.

And sometimes it comes back. Sometimes it doesn't. If I do enough of the right things, enough of the right stuff will come back my way. It's not always a one-on-one. Like if I refer you, you're going to refer me. It might be that you don't have the ability to refer me because of your network, not needing what I have, but if you look at it as a triangle, if I refer you, someone else refers to me and so on and so forth,

we're all winning. So it doesn't have to be a straight back-and-lawful. for us. Agreed. I would say that's the law of respirosity right there. Correct. I really like that. And there's a core theme throughout this show,

this show as far as having people on that wants to help people. It's a universal standard that goes very deep in how we apply ourselves. And once I heard your mission and what you're doing for other people, I just needed to get you on the show today. Thank you. So as far as networking, what inspires you to be your best self? Well, I mean, I know that a lot of people that I know know other people. And if I don't stay consistent, if I don't do my best and be the, I guess, a positive beacon of light per se,

then other people aren't going to be around me. If they don't want to be around me, they're not going to want to buy it. for me and it just is a vicious circle or can be a great circle. I'm fortunate enough that I have a great circle that surrounds me that's made up a lot of great people and a lot of great friends I've met through business. No, I like that. I really do. If you were to have a billboard of yourself, how would you describe that image when people are just passing right by? They're like, Oh, office solutions right there. Office supply solutions.

I am drawing another blank again. Two out of three is pretty good. That's pretty good average in baseball. But I don't know. I mean, you know, I guess on the networking side, it's kind of like the old, I forgot which phone company commercial it was, where there was one person standing there

with a whole, with a million people behind them, it looks like. That's kind of what it is. I mean, I look at my network is a bench. I always tell people, either you're on my bench, you're off my bench. And if I meet you, you're trustworthy. I believe you can do what you say you can do. You're on my bench. And you never know what I'm going to point and say, Greg, jump off the bench, you're up to bat.

That means you get a referral. And just one of those things that I never know what my network's going to need, but I know who's in my network. It's about 2,000 people on that bench. And I'm glad I get to refer over 1,500. at least every year. That's a lot of people. If we can go into that,

how do you maintain those relationships and how do you stay consistent with everybody? I pay a lot of people off. No, in all seriousness. I try to always comment when I can, whether it be a birthday and anniversary, if they come to mind for whatever reason, I might just reach out and say, how you doing, possibly see them in a networking event or, you know, in social settings.

I just try to stay in front of them whenever possible here, and they're not like on a daily basis because they don't need that. But, I mean, at least quarterly I try to stay in front of people that are important to me and my network that I want to have for my referrals. And it could be to reach out on LinkedIn on Facebook, a quick call, and email, just, depends on the scenario that we interact. Okay, I like that. I would look at it from the outside looking in as far as it just looks difficult, thus I don't even attempt, but in all actuality, it's just the fact that these little actions of just making the effort goes a long way.

I mean, again, I try to do my best, I guess to my own standards. I mean, it really comes down to it. You have to be comfortable with the person you see in the mirror in the morning. And that's what it is. I do my best to help other people who are willing to help me. If you don't want me in your life, that's fine. I mean, then I don't have the time to spend with you. But if you do, then tell me what you need.

I'll do what I can for you as best I can. I like that. I really do. How do you define success? Oh boy Define success I mean there's a lot of different ways I mean in the networking world

The way I define success is one I hear that people were talking about me in a room I wasn't even in a positive way And I hear about it hours or days or weeks later That to me is success Because I'm not even there and they're talking about me As far as success in business I mean

Obviously numbers don't lock but you want to make, I guess you want to make sure that people see the value in what you're doing. I'm very fortunate that if you Google Office Supply Solutions, we've over 55-star reviews, which I believe currently is a lot more than what my local competitors have. And I don't ask for them unless I feel I deserve them. I don't just ask people to put a review out there.

These are actual customers who I feel I went above and beyond. Orrin said, hey, if you don't mind, could I send you a link to our Google review page? would you send us a five-star review if you feel we're worthy? And that's really what I do. I like that. You're consistent with the call to action. So you're transitioning the customer to stay consistent with interacting with office supply solution,

thus giving you that review, making, it's like a well-rounded system that you articulated. Well, I mean, again, just what we do. I mean, we try to be there for our clients more than just what we put in a box. I mean, it's a full, we would try to be a full resource. I mean, very briefly, I had a construction company that needed T-shirts, and when I called her, she was all upset because she was having a bad day, and I asked what I could do to help, and she mentioned she needed a T-shirt vendor. I got my T-shirt vendor on the phone with her within three minutes to get that problem solved. So now I'm a lot more than just someone who puts something in a box. I'm a business partner who they're going to

hopefully choose to stay with and not forget that I didn't have to do that but I wanted to do that because they've been good to me because for many years they've chosen to buy for me, which you really appreciate. What do you see yourself in the next five years? As far as business-wise? As far as however you picture your short-term goals, your long-term goals, the fact that you know anybody, I feel like you're a human version of Google. if I need something, I don't have to type it in.

I can just call you up and say, hey, I need this. And then you come back to me. If Alexa were to come in, I actually have one in here and it's about to go off. Oh, good. We're good. I have it for the short term where it doesn't respond back. So it's like, you know, and it just, you come back with instant information.

Like, do you feel like you're limiting your success as far as just working as an entrepreneur? work as far as if I work for someone else I could go further is that what you're going for? Yes, yes. Well, I mean, there's always trade-offs. I mean, when I speak to classes of high school or college students, I always use the word opportunity costs. There's a give and take as we know with everything. Could I make more money if I worked somewhere else this day?

Probably so. But on the other hand, I wouldn't possibly be as happy or have as math. opportunities because I wouldn't be calling the shots and I would be living up to someone else's standards on my own and I won't have control over that. So even though working more days a week than I'd like to right now isn't always fun, I know that it's the right answer for me personally and hopefully we can get it to a higher level as far as more clients, more offerings and help more people out. What's the common myth? with being a business owner, and how did you overcome that myth?

The common myth of being business owners, you sit back every day, put your feet on your desk, and you eat bonbons, when that is actually not bathing like it is. I love when people actually. So what are you doing today? I'm like, oh, my feet on my desk, I'm trying to decide. Put your 48 bonbons a pop on my mouth next. When really, I didn't even have lunch, and it's 3 o'clock, and I've been full out sprinting since 5 a.m. So, I mean, it's one of those things people think it's very easy.

And maybe I'm just not a good business owner. I don't know. But in my world, it's hustle every day and hustle harder when you think you hustle enough because there's always opportunities out there. You never know when this small opportunity can become your next huge success that changes your business. I know you're very busy and I really do appreciate your time. I have a few more questions. Sure, go right ahead.

if we can just backtrack and just look at how you actually got started as a business owner in the first place. Okay. Well, I can like the answer, but it was an accident, truthfully. I was looking to reenter the industry on the retail side, and as I mentioned before, worked on the wholesale side. So I actually now compete against most of who are my customers. So I know all the competition pretty well. I reached out to a good handful of them and the philosophy, the money. It never worked out of frustration. I just said to my friends, I don't know why I can't find a job.

This is ridiculous. I know I'm beyond confident. I know what I'm doing in the industry. And they said, well, why don't you open your own business? They said, why would I want to do that? I mean, I was the guy in high school. When I found out of entrepreneurship class at a 40-page paper, I decided to go to my high school coach

and teach high school girls around softball or first grade in softball as a cadet teacher. So it was never the plan. I mean, I know there's a lot of people who's the plan always that is to own their own business. That was never my plan. So just out of frustration

for lack of a better term, I went into the attitude of what's the worst I can do, lose money, and set up a business in a month and here we are 10 years later. Now, if you could share some information that you learn now with yourself when you just started out, what would you let yourself know? I would let myself know, never pay salespeople more than commission because most

people who can sell or say they can sell really can't. There's as much salespeople as I am a heart surgeon. I can call myself that, but you really don't want me opening you up. Second of all, just make sure I keep surrounding myself with good people and make sure they're the right fit for my business. I mean, I always say there's two types of decisions than business and only two types. There's business decisions and there's emotional decisions. Business decisions are made off facts that will benefit your business in some way or help you get out of a situation in some way. An emotional decision is one that's going to cost you some way. Sometimes it's worth a little cost, but it's more to make you feel better than otherwise. So make an emotional decision. So make an emotional

decision, you have to be ready for the consequences. You make a business decision, most likely it will be successful follows. It's really interesting as far as the emotional decision and illogical decisions. And it makes complete sense, but it comes with the fact that you have to have the self-awareness to acknowledge that when making an actual decision. Because if you allow your emotions to impact a business decision, that can really cost you a lot of money. It can. I mean, it's one of those things where sometimes I don't like the boss, even though I am the boss, because sometimes I have to make decisions I don't want to make, but I know I need to make because otherwise if I make the wrong decision, it can be very costly, even though I might want to make another decision. Sometimes I need to make the decision that's made. That's very important to know. Just a few more questions, Mark, and I'll let you get out of here. If you can recommend,

some good advice and some bad advice for our audience, what would you let them know? Good advice would be you can only control the person you see in the mirror. And if you let other people, I guess, control you, you're going to be very upset and very unhappy. Also, that you get to control your attitude every day. We can't always have the best attitude, but the more days you can, the more successful you'll be. and really live up your own standards as far as what you feel comfortable with, ethical-wise, moral-wise, success-wise, whatever it might be, and finally don't fly alone. I mean, I'm part of a group that experts for entrepreneurs that entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs helping each other. And the whole rule is don't do things that you shouldn't be doing because it's going to cost you money.

Let the experts do it, pay for their services so you can be more successful. Other things to look past and not do, I would say, is ride the emotional roller coaster of good and bad. I saw a cartoon on Facebook saying, the life of a business owner, life is great, two minutes there, life is horrible, two minutes later, life is great, so on and so forth. So it's looking at from a higher level view and not getting emotionally attached to everything that happens in a day or you're not going to make it through your day. I mean, you just have to kind of look at it from top down saying, okay, that was a mistake. That cost me $15. But hey, look at this. I made a great decision here.

I made $70. I mean, who here wouldn't want to trade 15 for $70 over and over and over again? You're winning by a lot. So the point is, is just don't get caught in emotional, every decision, good, bad, and let it ruin your day if it's not a good one because it'd be pretty miserable if you do. No, that makes a lot of sense. And as we wrap this up, is there anything that we haven't got to touch up on that we could highlight before you go? No, not really. I mean, if I can help somebody, you feel free to send me an email.

I mean, I don't know if you want me to say that or if you just want to put it out there. And then that'll be the final question, which we will roll right into that. How can our audience get in touch with you, Mark? probably the best way is just to send you an email and mention this podcast in the in the subject so I recognize it just put on the name of the podcast but my email is Mark M-A-R-K Brimer B as in Boy R-I-E-M-A-M-S-N-M-M-A-R at Office Supply Solutions with an S-L-L-L-C dot and I'm glad to help any way I can.

Excellent. I'll be sure to link this in the show notes and all this information to wrap up some nice key factors. Would you like to leave the audience with anything before you go? Just something random that I do that kind of helps me stay focused is a lot of the software that we use, we have to change our passwords. And I always make my password something I want to focus on for the the quarter, like the main software we use.

Every quarter, I have to reset my password. So I have to type that word or phrase millions of times in that quarter. So it keeps me focused on what I want to be doing with my business. So this is something I just accidentally thought of and been using for probably five years now. That, I like that a lot. I'm definitely going to start using that. That is some excellent advice to highlight over our core. to get people to start implementing today.

That is awesome. Well, Mark, I really do appreciate you coming on to your transformation station. Thank you very much for having me, Greg. Really appreciate it. You've been listening to Your Transformation Station, rediscovering your true identity and purpose on this planet. We hope you enjoyed the show, and we hope you've gotten some useful and practical information.

Join us weekly on Monday for the YTS Challenge, and bi-weekly on Wednesday for the exclusive internet. interviews at 8 p.m. Central Time. In the meantime, connect with us on Facebook and Instagram at YTS, the podcast. We'll be back soon. Until then, this is your transformation station. Signing off. It's tax season, and at LifeLock, we know you're tired of numbers. But here's a big one you need to hear. Billions. That's the amount of money and refunds the IRS has flagged for possible identity fraud. Now here's another big number. 100 million. That's how many data points LifeLock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, we'll fix it guaranteed.

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