Energizing Your Business: Richard Flint's Actionable Steps

Has exhaustion and uncertainty become your constant companions in the business world? Fear not, because our special guest, Richard Flint, a distinguished speaker from the National Speakers Association, has got your back! He sheds light on the pervasive epidemic of fatigue in the business realm, and introduces the three A’s: Adapt, Accelerate, and Activate to combat this lethargy and restore dynamism in your venture.

The conversation then takes a sharp turn towards the essence of discipline in business and personal growth. Together, we unearth the challenges posed by change and the necessity to adapt, adjust, and align to overcome these hurdles. We delve into the quintessential role of leaders in providing clear direction, the debilitating effects of confusion, lack of passion, and life clutter leading to inaction, and an intriguing concept – anything unchallenged is validated. 

As we wind down, Richard will unveil his exclusive eight-module, 16-week program, designed to pivot your perspective from past-to-present to present-to-future living. We navigate through the four rooms of life - business, family, social, and personal - and strategies to strike a balance among them. We also scrutinize the top ten business destroyers and the four triggers of dysfunction in a business. This journey concludes with a moment of reflection on the power of prayer, especially for our first responders, and a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated listeners. Tune in for these enlightening discussions and transform your approach to business and life!

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome one and all to Toe Professional Podcast. Remember, this is your podcast. It's for the pros that have a need to know that are on the go. This is truly the voice of the towing and recovery industry. I'm DJ Harrington, better known as the Toe Doctor, and the real man host of the program is the president and publisher of Toe Professional Magazine, my dear friend Darren Weaver. Darren, how are you? This beautiful day, and boy do we have a great guest.

Speaker 2: 0:38

Man, I am fantastic. As always, dj. Any day above the ground is a great day. It's beautiful outside and, like you said, we've got a great guest. We've got Richard Flynn on today and I'm excited about this. And DJ, tell us a little bit about it.

Speaker 1: 0:56

Well, richard and I have gone back. We're both CSPs in the National Speakers Association. He is a very gifted guy. He's been speaking for a long, long time. You are at the recent URG. He has been the main speaker at URG a few times. He's been the main speaker at a lot of Body Shop Associations and Conventions and he is well known throughout the industry. So, richard, if you'd be kind enough, introduce yourself to our listeners and folks. Get ready, because this is the man who really can help us all grow.

Speaker 3: 1:34

Thank you, dj, and I am glad to be here. And Darren, it is really nice to meet you. Dj has told me a lot of things about you. 94% were positive.

Speaker 2: 1:46

Well, he's overindulged on the positive there.

Speaker 3: 1:48

Yeah, I'm just so honored to be here and I have been traveling this globe for 35 years and with one thought in mind when I started this 35 years ago, I left the staff of a mega church where I was the director of counseling for the entire church, and it was after some time that God showed me that there was another platform, another stage for my life. Didn't know what it was at that moment, but it didn't take long for the doors to start to open. And for 35 years I've traveled this globe and the central message that I have for people is that I want to help you create a positive presence that has presence when you're not present, because that's where respect, that's where reputation comes from. And you know it's interesting, dj, because you and I the other day were talking about you know where would you like for me to go? And I was sitting here waiting for y'all and I got an email from a gentleman and his name is Bob, and Bob lives in Boseman, montana, and he owns a small automotive repair shop there. Plus, he has a collision shop also.

Speaker 3: 3:03

And his text to me email to me said this "'Richard, I need you' he says, and all of my lives and I've owned my shop for 17 years. He says I've never been this tired, I've never been this fatigued and I've always been a person who's had lots of energy and was able to focus. But he says I get up each day right now and it's almost like I'm lost and I'm not sure where to start. And he says every time I look around my life, all I see is clutter. And that's not me, because I'm a guy who will finish things. I start something, I complete it, so I can move on and I don't collect clutter. And then he said the real reason I need you is, he said, right now I'm out of sync. And he says that it seems that right now what's happening is my business is managing me. I'm not managing my business and I'll tell you something.

Speaker 3: 4:01

You have no idea how many times I've heard that from someone, because there is a new epidemic that is coming across the business world today and I hear it in every industry that I speak to, I hear it in almost every leadership conference that I do, I hear it in text messages from people, and that epidemic today is people are tired, people are fatigued and they're dealing with uncertainty. And when you put those three together. I mean, I don't know about you, but when I'm tired I lose my creativity, I lose my energy. When I'm fatigued it's hard for me to go. I can start but I don't seem to have the energy to complete. And he said it affects not only me but it affects my business.

Speaker 3: 4:56

And I've noticed the change in my people because of what I'm not bringing to the table anymore. And I thought you know what. I was wondering what direction I needed to go. And Bob gave me the direction. Because it seems like every since we've come through COVID that it's rearranged people's lives, and even in their business life. Today I see people who have always been positive who today are struggling. I see people who have always been energetic who today lack that energy and I get it.

Speaker 3: 5:33

All the time I get the question. You know what do I do? How do I get out of this? I get out of this and I suggest three things that there are three A's that you've got to bring to your life today, that in the past we've sort of know they were there, but we just let them lay in there and what has happened is it's turned the business world upside down. And if you and I because it affects my business also if you and I are to get back to where we can be the leader Because what I'm seeing right now is a lot of people who own a business, they're not the leader, they're a participant in the community that is going on and if you and I are to become the leaders that you think that come, there are three as that we have to bring to our life. The first thing is we have to be able to adapt, and adapting is looking around your life and seeing where things need to improve. Now notice my words.

Speaker 3: 6:35

I didn't say where things need to change, where things need to improve, because there's a difference between change and improvement, because change is an emotion and when you're dealing with change, you're living your life and your direction and your plans. You're living from your emotions up. But I'll tell you something it's confusing to live from your emotions up. It creates conflict when you're living from your emotions up and you've got to be able to calm yourself down and understand that if I'm going to be the leader of my organization, I have to be prepared to be a leader, not just a participant in this. And then the second aid you've got to be willing to make adjustments and you know what. It's easy to look around and see what we need to improve, but when it comes from moving, from adapting to improving, that takes action. You see, where change is an emotion, improvement is a mindset. And what I find with so many people today they're struggling because they're taking that big change and they're fighting. I'm teaching people today you've got to remove the word change from your vocabulary, because as long as you have change in your vocabulary, you're going to be resistant. And the thing is, change in the word just deals with where that change comes from your emotions and improvement comes from your mind. Your mind is about one thing it's about improving. So if I'm going to adapt and adjust, then what I have to do is I have to see what I need to do and, at the same time, I've got to be willing to take the steps in order for me to make the adjustments.

Speaker 3: 8:39

Now let me drop you down thought just real quick. To make the adjustments, you've got to have 3D at the foundation of your life. You've got a desire for your business to be better. You have to desire, not just talk about it, not think about it, but you've got to desire that this business can be better. As the leader, that's my responsibility. And then I have to have the determination. I've got to be determined and you want to know whether you're determined or not.

Speaker 3: 9:09

Look around your life. Are you procrastinating with anything? Do you have decisions you need to make that you're not making? Do you find that your life is filled with clutter? Are you fighting with yourselves and overdoing what you know you need to do? And it's where I take my desire and I put into that desire the energy, the behavior, the best of me. And that determination is what allows me to move forward with your brain as it's changing. I'll tell you something the landscape of business today is changing, and it's changing rapidly. And then you gotta have the 30. Not only do you have to have desire, not only do you have to have determination, but you know what? You've got to be disciplined.

Speaker 2: 9:59

Guys, we are gonna take a quick break. We are listening to Richard Flint, a live coach, and let me tell you he is saying the hard part out loud. The part that most men don't wanna say is that we're struggling with losing passion and our flames not as bright as it used to be in work. I mean, you're speaking things that a lot of us won't say and I think this is tremendous to hear to get that flame back and that energy back in industry. The listeners hanging there will be back with more touch of knowledge from Richard Flint. ["tow Book"].

Speaker 4: 10:36

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Speaker 5: 11:01

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Speaker 1: 11:25

Welcome back listeners. You've been listening to Toe Professional On the Go podcast Every week. Darren and I do our very best to bring you new informative episodes, just like this one with Richard Flint. Remember, we are available on Spotify, itunes, pandora, google Play, stitcher, iheart Media, amazon or wherever you get your podcast. Richard, just before the break, you were talking about your life and the creativity that we all need to put back in it, so let me pass on back over to you.

Speaker 3: 12:01

Thank you, dj. What we're talking about is we're talking about the three, as you have to have to come back to take charge of your business. And we talked about adapting, adjusting, and in the adjusting, we're talking about the three Ds. That allows you to have the strength to adjust. You gotta have the desire, the hunger, the passion that this is your business and you want this business to grow and you're not just gonna sit back and be a participant in the confusion. And we talked about the determination that you've got to have that determination within you that you can handle the changes in the terrain that's around you. Then, with the break, we were talking about discipline. If you ask me, what is the number one strength you need in order to take change and turn it into improvement? It is discipline. And discipline is putting one foot in front of the other. Discipline is not looking over your shoulder. Discipline is not living from yesterday to today, but from today to tomorrow. So we got to adapt, we got to adjust and then we got to align. And you know what? Each of these has its own set of challenges to it. And when I align, what do I do? I got to take what it is that I need to do with my company and I got to invest it.

Speaker 3: 13:24

I'll bet some of you have gone to conferences where you've heard. You've gone to the towing conference and you've heard information and you've sat there and you've said you know what? That's what I need to do, this is what I need to bring to my company. And so you get up and you head home and for the time you get home, you've topped yourself out of it. Why? Because if you implement that, it has to start with you. I'm gonna tell you something Most people today are not lazy, they're lost, and a lost person has four characteristics to their life. They lack direction. Most of the leaders I'm talking to today have no direction. So what are they doing? They're repeating yesterday rather than learning from yesterday. Yesterday is a reference library, not a room to live in, and if you stay in yesterday, it's all you have, and you're either gonna live from yesterday to today or today to tomorrow.

Speaker 3: 14:23

When you're lost, you're organized for confusion. Everything you touch creates confusion, and have you ever noticed that when people are confused, they stop? They stop. And I'll bet some of you, if I came to visit your towing business, I would bet you you have people right now that aren't at the level they can produce, because they're confused. And that confusion doesn't start with them. It starts with a lack of a clear direction from the top. And if I'm lost, if I'm lacking my passion, if I don't have that desire, that determination, that discipline, then I'm gonna organize everything around me for confusion.

Speaker 3: 15:05

And when you're lost, you know what else you do. You stare at what you need to take care of. If I came to you, would I find anything around your life that you set there and stare at, when what it really needs is, it needs your focus, it needs your attention? But yet right now, because you like direction, because you're just not don't have that strong passion for what you're doing, you set there and you let it grow. And I'll tell you something Clutter in your life can overtake your life and control your life to the point that you become lost within the world that you have.

Speaker 3: 15:49

And then, when you're lost, thinking becomes something that you don't do. I learned this in the counseling center. Most people don't think they think they think Most people don't think they think they think you set there and you have conversations and what you don't realize. You're simply talking out loud and you listen to what you say, but what you do is that, in listening, you don't implement what you know. You need to do so in order to move change out of your life and improve. What do you got to do? You've got to adapt, you've got to adjust and you've got to align, because most of you are struggling not because you have to struggle, but because you choose to struggle and, just like Bob, you're tired, you're fatigued. You know what Takes a lot of energy to focus and you start something and you just don't want to complete it. So here's this shiny object over here. So you think you know what, I'll come back to this. So you lay it over there and you go over to the shiny object and you never get back to where you need to be.

Speaker 3: 17:03

And then what happens? Everything around you turns to a crisis. And, folks, how do you expect an environment, a business environment, to be filled with motivation when all there is is clutter? How do you expect people to perform at their best when you give them permission to not do that? Because, hear me say this, anything that is not what it should be in the business is because leadership allows it. Now let me throw this at you and you hear me real carefully with this Anything you don't confront, you validate.

Speaker 3: 17:47

Anything you don't confront, you validate. So if you're not facing your own behavior, you validate it. So if I validate it, what do I do? I give myself permission to continue it. Anything I don't confront, I validate. So if my people are doing things that they shouldn't be doing, if they're not bringing their A game, if they're not into the world of customer service that you need to be in today, what happens? If you don't confront it, you validate it. And once you validate it, you can't come back and tell me I've done something wrong. Why? Because you gave me permission to do it. So it's not their issue, it's yours. And to build an organization that is growing right now in this world and in this business environment, we got to go back. We got to go back and we got to start with some basics. For five years of my life, I have worked on. I have worked on being able to put together a process that will help you build your business. If you want to take a break and let me come back, I want to share it with you.

Speaker 5: 19:01

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Speaker 6: 19:37

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Speaker 1: 20:04

Thanks folks for listening Toe Professional on the Go Podcast. This has been a great episode with the great Richard Flint. I'm so privileged to know him and have him in my life. I want to ask, richard, but I want to first tell all you listeners remember to like, review and share everywhere the Toe Professional podcast and if you'd like to hear other people like a Richard Flint, an industry expert who knows how to build leaders, dial our 706-409-5603 hotline here in the podcast center and Darren Weaver and myself will do our very best with our producer, chuck Kemp, to make sure we bring another person like a Richard Flint to our platform. Richard, before the break, we want to talk about and we told our listeners how could we get a whole of you and how can we learn more about Richard Flint and your new program successhouseco.

Speaker 3: 21:04

Well, there's a couple of ways, dj. One of them go to my website, richardflintcom. And, by the way, one of the first things you're going to see is our next small group retreat. I'm doing a series of small group retreats that are limited to 15 people, and our next one coming up is entitled Stop Chasing your Tail. It's all about patience and persistency, which you've got to have today if you're going to grow a business, or you can go to successhouseco not COM, but successhouseco and that's why I want to share with you right now.

Speaker 3: 21:42

This has been the last five years of my life where I've taken business after business from all different industries, and what I have found is that these businesses are weak today because they're living from yesterday to today, not today to tomorrow. And this is eight modules and it's 16 weeks, but it's designed to take you out of yesterday and create a business module, for what you're doing is you're living from today to tomorrow. You've got to let go of yesterday. If you live there, you stay there. If you stay there, your business will die and, by the way, you'll be the one that kills it. So let me walk you through my eight modules that we have.

Speaker 3: 22:29

Module number one laying the foundation for success. You see, so many of you are off track and there are only two. There are only two foundations you can have in your life and, by the way, if you can come up with a third one, please, please, share it with me. But in all my research I found that there are only two foundations that you can build on. First is a foundation that's grounded in doubt, worry and uncertainty. You know how many business leaders today I'm talking to that are doubting theirself. You know many are doubting what they know they need to do. And once you doubt, you start worrying. You see, doubt and worry always travel together. You can't doubt without worry, you can't worry without doubt. So if I'm doubting and I'm worrying, do you think I'm paralyzed in myself? And then what do I do? I bring the third component, that is the paralyzer, into the picture Uncertainty. If you ask me, what is the one word today that's controlling human behavior today, controlling leadership? Today it's uncertainty. Everybody's fearful of making a decision, everybody's fearful of going forward. And what do we start doing? We start playing the what if? Game. Most dangerous games you can play in life and in business is what if? Why you can't answer a what if? Question. There's no answer, except for another what if? Question? So, foundation number one doubt, worry and uncertainty.

Speaker 3: 24:04

Foundation number two believe, trust and faith. Do you really believe in yourself? Do you believe in your talents? Do you believe in your skills? Do you believe in yourself that you can really be the leader of your organization? Do you trust in yourself that you can be the leader not a participant, but a leader? And if you have the belief in the trust, do you have the faith to step up, step out, step in and do the things you know you need to do? Because that's what faith is. Faith is a demonstration of your belief and your trust. That's module number one.

Speaker 3: 24:42

Module number two is understanding the blueprint of success, and this is where we're really going to go in to the concept of adapt, adjust and align, because if you don't have a blueprint, all you have is an empty page. So you've got to be able to sketch out what it is you want for your business. And it's based in four questions, folks what do you really want? Not what do you want, but what do you really want? Why do you really want that? And then the two power questions what price are you willing to pay to have it and what behaviors will you have to improve in order to accomplish it? And those four questions are the grounding to create the mindset that allows you to live from your mind down, not your emotions up.

Speaker 3: 25:35

Module number three I'm going to tear your life apart. And I'm going to tear your life apart through the four rooms you live in Business room number one. Room of mental stress. Family room number one, room of emotional stress. Social room, play room, which most of you don't have anymore because you what You're too into worried, doubt and uncertainty and you don't take any time for yourself. And you've got to have that time. And then your fourth room, which is your personal room. Every dream you will have in your life will be born in your personal room.

Speaker 3: 26:12

But here's the challenge with a lot of you, you don't have any time for yourself and you lose your creativeness when you no longer have time for yourself. If you were to put these rooms in order to what you need for growth and improvement, personal room is number one why you can't lead another portion past the point where you are, you can't do it. Room number two your family room, why you need the support of the family. And, by the way, hear me say this stop talking about wanting to balance your life. There is no such thing as balancing the human life. It is impossible. The word you have to have is harmony. You got to find how to build harmony between those rooms, and then your third room is your business room and then your fourth room is your social room. You got to get your life in order. You got to do it.

Speaker 3: 27:08

And then module number four the challenges in the business room. And I'll tell you, I'll go in here and in this module, we're going to tear your business room apart and we're going to talk about the top 10 things. Okay, the top 10 things that will tear your business room apart. And then module number five, this is my favorite keeping functional from becoming dysfunctional. There are four things that make a business dysfunctional Inconsistencies, inefficiencies, non-partnership, people and tired leadership. So we're going to take each one of those and we're going to show you what do you need to do in order to arrive so you're not making your business dysfunctional. Module number six the willingness to turn change into improvement. And how are we going to do it? How are we going to do it? In this module, we're going to lay it out. And then module number eight, creating the mindset for continual success. That's that thought. What I want in my life is to have a positive presence that is present when I'm not present. Let me tell you something If you can achieve that, you won, because the key is there.

Speaker 2: 28:26

Richard, I'll tell you this has been a phenomenal episode with insightful information I think every business owner needs to dig into, and those modules you just brought up, I think, are the most important thing. Like you said, like they say on the airplane, unless you grab the mask and get your oxygen first, you can't help anybody else?

Speaker 3: 28:50

Yeah, there, can I just say this If they will go to successhouseco, there is a video there and then there's a link where they can book a 30 minute call with me and I'll see if they can become a part of this. This is my invitation only. I turn away seven out of every 10 people I talk to because they're not ready for this. But if they'll go to successhouseco, book the 30 minute call with me and let's talk Fantastic.

Speaker 2: 29:20

Fantastic. Hey, let me tell you, listeners, if you want to change your life, this is the way to do it. It's just taking that self-believing in yourself and having somebody that's been there before that can help you with the direction. Dj, I want to throw it to you real quick and then I'll wrap up like we always do here.

Speaker 1: 29:39

Well, listeners, I want you to go to successhouseco. Look at the video, take Richard up on his suggestion of giving him a holler and you will go from there. And I told Richard ahead of time Darren, you always end it the right way, so I'll turn it over to you for our appropriate ending to a great podcast.

Speaker 2: 30:01

Yes thanks so much, dj and Richard Quinn. I can't thank you enough, sir. That was fantastic. I thank Food for Everyone, saul, and I think it's going to be a blessing for every one of our listeners that has an opportunity to take it in, and I just I challenge them to reach out, go to successhouseco and make a booking and talk with Richard yourself.

Speaker 2: 30:25

And let me start off and say I want to close with prayer. I want to thank every one of our listeners for making this possible, but first off, I want to thank our Heavenly Father. Dear Lord, we thank you so much for the blessing of just another day. Dear Lord, we ask you to pour out the peace comfort on the families there in Maui for the losses there Be with them in this time of heartache and tragedy. Dear Lord, ask that you be behind our business owners. Give them courage, give them wisdom, give them the skills, help them understand they've got everything they need to make that next step. Give them the courage to do so and help them continue to bless this industry with their passion.

Speaker 2: 31:07

Dear Heavenly Father, ask you to protect every one of our first responders out there. Watch over them as they lead their loved ones to take care of ours. Bless them for their servant's heart, for blessing them with prosperity, health and protection. We ask this for all of our listeners. We ask for your hand on our nation and watching over us and for everyone listening today. Thank you so much for being part of Toe Professional on the Go podcast, your voice for the Toe Lincoln recovery industry. We appreciate you. Until next time, keep listening for more great posts like Richard Flint coming up in the future. Thank you and God bless.