152 – Speakers bureau owner and prolific marketer: Tom interviews Frank Candy

Episode 152 – Frank Candy
[00:00:09] Welcome to Screw the Commute. The entrepreneurial podcast dedicated to getting you out of the car and into the money, with your host, lifelong entrepreneur and multimillionaire, Tom Antion.

[00:00:25] Hey everybody it's Tom here with episode 152 of screw the commute podcast we got Frank Candy here I've known this guy for many years through his speakers bureau but but wait do you hear about his colorful past. He's done a lot of things in his day so we'll bring him on in a minute. Hope you did miss episode 151. That's where I talked about starting a for profit school. I've done it and I'm going to give you the pros and cons of doing it yourself. Now I've got a big freebie to thank you for listening to this podcast it's my twenty seven dollar e-book how to automate your business and just one of the tips in this e-book has saved me over seven million keystrokes and actually about a seven and a half million by now because we've figured that out a couple of years ago so don't miss that the grab it at screwthecommute.com/automatefree and everything we talk about will be in the show notes that you can just go over there and click on it and go right to where we're talking about our podcast app's in the iTunes store you can check that out at screwthecommute.com/app where we have complete instructions to show you how to use it all the fancy features so you can take us with you on the road on your cell phone and your tablet also please do some of your friends a favor if they're interested in starting a business or taking the business they have to the next level this is a perfect place for them to be. Tell them about the podcast. Now I turned the Internet marketing training world on its head around the year 2000 or I like to say the turn of the century. And people at my level were charging 50 or 100 thousand dollars upfront to teach what we knew to clueless business people who refused to learn. Well I'm a small business advocate and I knew many small businesses could never afford that kind of upfront money. So I made all those gurus mad by charging a relatively small entry fee to my program that also got a percentage of profits. That was capped so you weren't stuck with me forever. So. So for me to get my big money you had to make way bigger money. And plus you know I'm not going to disappear on you because I won't get my money. So that even took that a step further I have a big estate home. It's the only facility of its kind in the world where you actually come in for an immersion weekend as part of your yearlong program and actually live here and we work day till evening on All stuff that will help you out. So. So we'll hear more about that later. But you can check that out at greatinternetmarketingtraining.com and of course we'll have that in the show notes.

[00:03:15] All right. Let's bring on the main event Frank candy is a popular author speaker business culture expert and business consultant. He worked with Disney and Harley Davidson and Goodyear and probably a lot more than that. We can't even have time to talk about today. But Frank is the founder and president for American speakers bureau corporation. They book professional speakers authors athletes hey even astronauts all over the world for keynote speeches seminars and workshops. So Frank are you ready to screw. The commute.

[00:03:52] I love the title Tom. I remember when I first saw it. Man you know it just spun my head around and I went yeah yeah yeah. Well I remember I remember those days fighting traffic and and and just. All the hassle of doing it. And now I have a home office. I live in Winter Park Florida. Just known as the city of gracious living it's just north of Orlando.

[00:04:22] Got it. Got it. So you know like I said I've known you mostly as a speaker's bureau owner but so tell us what you're doing now and then we'll take you back and see how you came up through your entrepreneurial journey to get where you are today.

[00:04:35] Ok. Well as you mentioned I'm an entrepreneur and business owner. I'm a popular author and in demand speaker and very busy consultant. I specialize in bold leadership strategies to increase productivity and profitability. Building a culture of excellence and how to attract and keep good people and some of my consulting practice includes assisting people to reinvent themselves with purpose and strategies for success. As you mentioned the speakers bureau we book great people. And Tom I want to pay tribute to you because over 20 years ago you were the first one who understood how to do segmented topic marketing right. And it paid off very well for you and for us.

[00:05:28] Well great. Yeah. I didn't I didn't know that you used the I known you've been around and I think you've got some of my product but I didn't know that meant that much to you. Thank you.

[00:05:39] What you have done is it's been very I probably wouldn't be in business today if it wasn't for you. I mean that I'm not blowing smoke up your dress.

[00:05:49] I have a summer dress on today it's easy to blow up. Yeah so so. So is that kind of convenient that you have a speakers bureau and you are a speaker. Do you get the like if somebody calls for an astronaut you say like oh I'm an astronaut.

[00:06:12] Oh heck no. My whole focus has always been put the best person right in front of the audience because that is what they deserve.

[00:06:22] Yeah that's been a long time. When year did you start that.

[00:06:27] Nineteen eighty nine.

[00:06:28] Eighty nine. Yeah. That's a long one. Lot of lot of bureaus come and gone and the you're still you're still hanging in there so. So take us back to the beginning. I of hit just pictures of you. You had kind of the Chia pet hair like I had in the 70s the sideburns and the whole bit. So take us back to the beginning I mean even back to where you kid were you entrepreneurial or or did you have jobs and how did you get where you are today.

[00:06:57] Well I've been on my own since I've been 13 I started working at gas stations I jokingly put on a resume a one time an English professor in college said I want you to write your resume as creatively as possible. So I wrote I was directly responsible for the distribution of petroleum products to the American public. I pumped gas.

[00:07:22] Did he like it.

[00:07:30] I got an A. So you know it's so that that was the start of it. I thought I wanted to be an auto mechanic and I know gas station then I was. Through through taking tests and doing well in science and math I they said oh you should go to engineering school. And I was OK. So I went all the way through college and then their engineering school and graduated with three disciplines mechanical electrical and systems. And I was number one in my class. And you know I came out and I discovered I hated engineering. I was like Oh but you know what it did for me. It's the same reason I took a bunch of law classes. I don't want to be a lawyer. I wanted to think like a lawyer. I wanted to understand how a lawyer thinks I wanted to know how the law worked. Same with engineering what I learned was probably the best thing I can tell your listeners is when you're looking at something and trying to figure out reverse engineer it.

[00:08:35] Yes. Yes. They go to the end and work backwards.

[00:08:39] Yeah. And you know like I know you're a pilot. So you know you're going to fly from Virginia to Florida you're going to look at your whole trip and you might start in Florida and work it back and then go forward with it as well just to make sure it's in your mind that you got all your coordinates lined up.

[00:08:56] Exactly. Exactly.

[00:08:58] You know I kept going that was I worked for the government for a while and then had the opportunity to work at an advertising agency.

[00:09:10] What did you do for the government.

[00:09:11] I really can't say.

[00:09:12] Oh you'd have to kill me.

[00:09:15] I wouldn't kill ya. I was in transportation and some other things. So we moved stuff around. And then I had I was I started that with Goodyear then more stuff and eventually Harley Davidson and some advertising agencies in Chicago. That was a real eye opener.

[00:09:39] So these are all jobs right. Yep paid W2 kind of jobs.

[00:09:42] Put on a suit. Go to work show up. Walk around with a notebook clipboard ring binders all that stuff. And eventually I wrote some books. I was on my fourth book.

[00:10:00] While you're still employed.

[00:10:02] Yeah. And I was doing some speaking. I also taught at the university for a short time. I found that was I love the kids I love the classroom the administration and their agenda didn't fit with my principles and I said hey you know I'm going to go get a life that's all but you can get tenure I said you know that sounds like prison to me.

[00:10:29] And I walked to I no regrets I walked.

[00:10:31] Yeah I mean the concept is just you know crazy to me nowadays.

[00:10:37] I know but anyhow so you know we. From there it was working at Disney during the Eisenhower years. That was a lot of fun. I like that they did a lot of traveling. I was working I was living in Ohio so I was travelling between Florida and California and I hardly ever saw my house. And when I got transferred down to Florida I decided to sell everything in Ohio and move to Florida. That was 89 round that time and that's when I opened up the company and walked away from everything else.

[00:11:15] All right tell me about that period. Like did you plan get money in the bank. You're ready to go. Did you just stop one day. You know I can't take this anymore How did you make the transition.

[00:11:26] Well I had money I had a cushion. You know I did. I'm not that nuts.

[00:11:31] Ok, so you planned for this though.

[00:11:34] Oh yeah. I've been I've been planning for for I probably planned for it for more years than I can count because at that point I had six books and I was getting booked around the country and I was sitting in the Atlanta airport. And I ran into three other speakers who were all fogged in. And the four of us sat around the table and said let's start a speakers bureau. That's how it started.

[00:12:05] Bad weather started your business.

[00:12:07] Pretty much. You know it's funny. I was just sit there and I saw the other guy I don't want to mention names but I saw the other guy and said hey come over here. We sat down what he's doing where he going up up up up up and then all of a sudden boom the other one comes in. say hey you know. Yeah well I am the fourth one comes in. So what I found out you'll appreciate this is that. And about three months into it I figured out that I was the only one doing the work. And I just went to him and said buying you out. Now that was that. Well no I was I feel like it or not I kept him on the roster. I did. I did. Good form that we remained friends until they passed away. You know it was it was it was never an difficult situation.

[00:13:07] Well you got out easy because it's so easy to get into a partnership but getting out is what you usually drowns people and causes a lot of bad feelings.

[00:13:17] I advise people on that. I see you know if you're gonna get into something more then you need to sit down and talk about what their principles are what their values are and what the exit strategy is gonna be. Yeah. And they look they'd look at you and they go Ha.

[00:13:32] Yeah because everybody's starry eyed on the you know I want to be in business and I need help and we can work together. And it's like it's like a roommate at college. You better be able to get along and have the same value. It's going to be fireworks.

[00:13:45] Exactly. It's more than fireworks. It's more like sparks and lawyers.

[00:13:50] Yeah lawyers and money.

[00:13:51] Yeah. So you know that it's not necessary if you set it up right in the beginning. And I had a very wise man say to me once. We create agreements and contracts so that good people can remember what they agreed to. Bad people are just bad people it doesn't matter. They don't care. They'll sign any document. So just go in the business with good people.

[00:14:21] Yeah. And the thing is nowadays I mean with what I teach you know the digital revolution is doing stuff online. The risk is so low you don't need partners to come in and help finance a big startup. I mean you can start up your own shoestring. Ninety seven percent profit on these digital products. So the last thing you want to do is have a partnership unless it's absolutely critical.

[00:14:49] I agree with you. I started the company up and I had a big office a team of agents thousands of speakers on the roster multi line phone systems. If you recall back then it was very expensive and networked computers with dos in the database and we we did lots of direct mail and catalogs and outbound calling and networking and sponsorship of different things. And the problem was I was still working harder than ever. And our profit margins were shrinking and I had a few ineffective employees that were drinking most of the coffee and sucking up the air conditioning is sucking the life out of us. And I thought being an entrepreneur meant you were. But half a day I found out it's 12 hours. So. In 1996 at one of the turning points was the 1996 Tom I attended what I believe was your first Butt Camp in Tampa Florida. And in a moment of blazing clarity I saw the bright light. So thank you.

[00:16:04] You went towards the light. The first time listeners Buttcamp was around 96 97 it's one of the longest running ever internet seminars still running today. The other ones that were there at the time were defunct. So it is the longest running one. But at the time I came from a comic background so people were asking me to teach on this Internet stuff. So I was really doing so good at it and they said you got to have a boot camp. You had to have a boot camp. But you know coming from a comic background I can't do what everybody else is going to do. So I sitting there thinking yeah I should teach this but you know I'm sitting here on my rear end making all this money. I call it buttcamp and it caught on and I've done it like leaving countries around the world except in England. Frankly they maybe call it bum camp instead of butt camp. All right. So there's so you sitting in butt camp and the light bulbs are going off right.

[00:17:03] Yeah. That was one of the big turning points because when I started the company in 89 I was like had a mild case of burnout and simultaneously a mid-life crisis. And I quit working for corporate open the doors to the new company and then you know that the turning point was after meeting with you I hosted a meeting with our board to discuss how we needed to change our business model because you know when you're representing thousands of Speakers. How do you keep it all straight. You know it's it it became very complex. I had basically created. A very big monolith that was starting to melt and get gooey. No it wasn't good. And I said I want a. Redo this into a change of business model to a boutique operation just specializing in great speakers training and services. Because at that point in time we were we were trying to sell anything and everything that we could we're selling meeting services we're selling transportation. We were we were doing meals we were doing all kinds of stuff. And so you know people would come to say we need to do a meeting. Okay we can take care of everything. And we had people on our team that could do it at any. But it was a lot of moving parts. So I changed it to a boutique operation that never looked back.

[00:18:43] Yeah. You made it simple.

[00:18:45] Well in some ways yes. But you know that that was important. I could see I was uniquely positioned because I clearly understood how big corporations big business and bidding and government business works. I knew their pain points and how to assist them to be more productive. I knew what went on behind the scenes behind the curtain backstage. I knew what was being discussed in the boardrooms and I knew how to approach them and write a proposal that they would look at and say. And the proposal would get approved. So I did a lot of big stuff you know one of the principles in a successful business is having a big portfolio of good clients. Jimmy Buffett the musician once told me cash flow solves a lot of problems. So I mastered how to communicate with them and bid for their business. And back then and it still is today. One of the popular trends for many businesses were outsourcing services. You remember that and I was able to position our team with the corporate niche that was struggling with how to retain and even reinvent their employees in the new digital world. Because they get a lot of people that know how to run a typewriter and they're trying to learn computers. And they're trying to learn these systems and all that was just coming into into play. You know in the last decade and there were a lot of people that weren't in touch with with that. I remember sitting down with the CEO does 1988. CEO for one of the biggest corporations in the world. And I walk into his office and sit on his desk was the new 21 inch color monitor. I had never seen one. I looked at Tom. I was running my hands over I had techno lust. He goes ain't that baby something. I said it sure is. He goes kind of tell you a secret. I said sure. He said I don't even know how to turn it on. So I made a pretty good living showing people how to turn stuff on and turn that off and how to work it.

[00:21:11] So have you ever gotten screwed over in business. What did you do about it.

[00:21:19] Well on one occasion I recall we had a very prominent speaker. I expect most of your listeners and fans would know who this person is has a bunch of letters after his name. Well he failed miserably with his presentation. As I recall there were many excuses and apologies and we refunded all the money and offered to have the speaker shot and fired the agent and close the bureau. Of course I'm kidding but we lost the client and to us a lifetime value of a client is over fifty thousand dollars. So we're really careful about who we represent what they do and make sure they're lined up so that it is a successful event. And that's really where we kind of separate ourselves from the competition because we have an extensive questionnaire for the client. We make sure the client the speaker talking in advance to make sure everybody knows what's going on it's like you know it's like a football game you're playing on a team you know offense defense special teams and you've done your research and go in there and hit the target.

[00:22:36] Yeah. So so what happened. So that's not necessarily getting screwed over.

[00:22:46] Well we ended up we didn't book the speaker anymore. We lost all that money and we lost a client.

[00:22:54] Yeah. Oh boy. Yes. Was it purposeful though right. Well you know the the the big shot didn't do his job.

[00:23:07] He truly failed to research the audience and and part of the problem I think. And you know that's a good topic he brought up I think with so many people they fail to look into the future and reinvent themselves to be relevant. And he was teaching old content. Doesn't work anymore. Markets change audiences change. So you have to change me. You're either green and growing or you're dead and wilting like a field of corn that during a drought.

[00:23:43] Yeah. Than some people just want to rest on their laurels and the world is passing them by. And that's fine unless they're doing damage to other people around them like that audience and your you know your company.

[00:23:56] Yes. So. It's real important to protect your reputation.

[00:24:01] So how about anything crazy bizarre happen. Any of these events or do you.

[00:24:08] Yeah I've got a good story for you.. This is from my book more than ten years ago. The book I'm using in this one is called Public Speaking for money. Which also includes a story about Tom Antion. Shameless plug. So. But more than 10 years ago I was booked by an agent that worked with a good bureau on the West Coast to deliver a dinner speech for a small group of about 80 high level executives and their spouses at a very fancy hotel resort in Orlando. The topic was connecting with the customer through exceptional customer service. Now I'm not going to reveal too many details here because I don't want to get anybody in trouble but I was the first one to arrive and the room was already set up a few of the waiters and housekeeping people were putting the finishing touches on the room. I took a moment to connect with them and thanked them for making it look so nice. They're very appreciative because it was apparent their bosses did not believe in compliments or positive reinforcement. That's in a different book. Well know I set up my equipment and went through my checklist with lights sound emergency exits backup systems bottles of water props all that stuff. And the bartender came in and he introduced himself and offered me a drink I said No thanks I'll pass. And the next person to arrive was Mary the meeting planner very lovely person we'd spoken on the phone several times to plan the event discussing logistics and timing and content and flow and length and best kind of humor and audience demographics and handouts and all the typical details. So it was nice to be there in person and then make that connection finally and they have the opportunity to put a face to the voice. So like many meeting planners before an event she was very stressed out. And I put her at ease by telling her a funny story and she did seem to calm down a bit with laughter. Well we were close to opening the doors since many of the folks were waiting in the hall when the bartender took his jacket off and informed us he was stepping outside for a smoke. Mary the meeting planner said hey that's a good idea I'll join you. Well they disappeared for a few minutes. Mary came back in a couple of minutes later did a quick run through over checklist and announced to the wait staff she was about to open the doors. Then she said where's Bob. You know the bartender. Well it turns out according to an employee they saw Bob outside talking to a very attractive woman with long blond hair and she must have lured him into the parking lot. I'm not sure the rest of the details but use your imagination. Mary was freaking out. She was wrapped tighter than the airport sandwich. I said Mary no worries. Look I know how to make drinks and tend bar and we'll be fine. And she looked at me very concerned. She said OK take off your coat and put on Bob's jacket. OK. Now you got a picture this Tom. I'm wearing this yellow jacket with a white collar that's three sizes too small and a name tag that says Bob you know like my grandfather said life you have to play the cards you're dealt. At that moment I'm sure grandpa was looking down or maybe up and laughing hysterically while the doors open and I poured stiff drinks at the open bar for 45 minutes. And these people are drinking like they're going to the electric chair. Well we had a good time making small talk and telling jokes and I learned so much more about these folks in this time. It was amazing what people tell bartenders when they're a little fused. So there was a tip jar on the corner of the bar and a strategically placed three five dollar bills hoping to inspire some generosity from these folks. Another good lesson my grandfather taught me about human behavior and just as they sat down to dinner Bob came back and since Mary unleashed a tirade on Bob's boss he was removed quietly and permanently from the room. I never found out what really happened to Bob and I never saw him again. Instead of sitting down to eat with everyone I stayed back at the bar in my spot at the table with a placeholder with my name on it remained vacant. I enjoyed hearing the buzz through the room as folks are wondering what happened to the after dinner speaker. Many guests returned for a refill and more conversation at the bar in the back during dinner and they announced they'd be closing the bar in 15 minutes and there was this last crush for doubles. I mean these guys are not lightweights and the emcee was noticeably nervous when he walked to the podium because he was under the impression there was no speaker. And Mary said loudly so the whole group could hear the speakers here. Please start his introduction. I remained in the back of the room removed the bartender jacket put on my suit coat as he started into the last line of my introduction. And now please help me welcome from Orlando Florida Captain Frank Candy. I threw my shoulders back and walked down the middle of the room. And Tom you could hear a pin drop. The only prop I was holding was the tip jar. I placed it on the podium so everybody could see it. The look on these people's faces was so funny. It was sheer confusion and disbelief for an opening line. I held up a glass of water that looked like a glass of vodka with a twist. And I said cheers. People tell bartenders the darndest thing. Most of them laughed a nervous laugh. I explain how right before we opened the doors the bartender vanished. So I offered to cover for him and asked how many did you like the bar service tonight. Well these people thought that was pretty cool. They hooted hollered and clapped and while I informed them the sacred covenant of the patron bartender relationship is like client attorney privileges everything they told me is confidential I will never be revealed. They laughed nervously. It was a collective sigh of relief. During my presentation I use this experience to emphasize how important it is to be a team player. Looking for opportunities to show up step up and be willing to serve in any capacity to create an experience that matters. And when you can do that try to have a good time doing that like I did. You know that night I made a joke about hopefully the uniform fits you better than Bob's jacket fit me and everyone cracked up.

[00:31:22] Yeah. I mean I'm always the first one there the last one to leave I help with anything they need unless it's a union shop where I can't touch anything. But I don't run into those too often. But yeah they can't believe it that I'm there helping them put together you know. You know stuff. You know it puts stuff in the middle of the table. Where they call in you know centerpieces. Yeah. Centerpieces and they just can't believe it but it just creates such a rapport with everybody around and everybody is on your side. You know like I said the waitstaff the same thing I thank them sometimes out of nowhere I'll bring them up on stage. Like if I need something and then have everybody do a standing ovation for them or just stuff like that. It's just it's just down home taking care of people.

[00:32:11] Yeah. I had a client. This is up in Pennsylvania and I got him the date that I flew in the night before and there were I was the opening keynote but it started at 3:00 in the afternoon and a truck rolled up. I was there and just a golf shirt and jeans and tennis shoes and I show up is how can I help if you can get this truck unloaded and the meeting planners running around with their clipboards and walkie talkie and cell phone and she's barking orders at everybody and I'm unloading tables and unloading boxes and unpacking computers and hooking up wires and I'm on the floor kneeling down taping down wires and helping the AV guys and and rearranging the tables in the room and doing what had to be done. They thought I worked for the hotel. Well when it came time for the soundcheck the AV guy says Hey we're going to do soundcheck. I thought you said the speaker is going to be here. And the meeting plan goes all those darn speakers you know excuse me I'm the speaker. I'm Frank. You should've seen the look on her face. Man that was classic. But you know that you know something happened that night and it was interesting. I was. I really wanted to relate this and do something that would touch their hearts and make a big difference in their overall experience that night. And I use these points and told a story about a homeless guy I had met while volunteering at the local church at the homeless shelter and he worked in the food service industry. And this child became ill and his wife became ill and he had to take time off from work to care for them. So he got fired. And you know he got behind on his bills his rent he got evicted there was a slippery slope. They ended up living at the shelter and just about everybody at the homeless shelter has a story and everyone wants a second chance and most of the time a few bucks another chance a decent opportunity and some inspiration is all they need to get started again. And I know this because when I was young I was homeless and good people who were complete strangers reached out to help. And it's a lesson I've never forgotten. I'm always looking for ways to pay it forward. So near the end of the story I say I asked the group I said Did you enjoy the speech tonight. They clapped and cheered and Mary the meeting planner was grinning from ear to ear. So the hotel general manager and the assistant managers with a couple hotel executives from the company were standing in the back of the room. You know after this Bob situation they were pretty nervous. Well. Then I then went on to explain that I cannot accept the tip money they put in the jar tonight because I was paid for my services and I was just volunteering to participate making the whole experience as good as I could. Then I held up the tip jar and I said May I have your permission to give the money to the homeless shelter. They collectively said yes and I continued I may give this money to the homeless shelter tomorrow morning but before I do I'm going to pass this around one more time. And if you're so moved how about looking deep in your hearts and dig deep in your wallets and put a few bucks in to help out those good people who need another chance. Well Tom I'll tell you what happened next was absolutely amazing. I still get goosebumps bumps thinking about it these generous people stuffed the jar with thousands of dollars. Some even wrote checks. And then one kind and very generous man came up to me after and said he would match it. Gave it to two guys. They counted it up and he wrote a check. It was a good day for the shelter and the people in it. Now it gets better. The last two people in the room myself and Mary after the event. And I said to Mary I invited her to come with me to drop off the money the next morning. She confided in me that she'd never been to a homeless shelter and she had to be at the airport by 11:00 o'clock to check in and catch her flight. And I said OK listen let me pick you up in the morning we'll get breakfast. And we'll drop off the money at the shelter and I'll have you at the airport by ten forty five. Guaranteed. She was still hesitant. She was still unsure but mostly because she admitted later that it was out of fear of the unknown. So knowing she liked old cars. I gave her a choice of cool old cars I could pick her up and I'm an old car guy. So she ended up choosing my old hot rod lincoln. So the next morning I pick up Mary of their hotel and we loaded up the car with their gear and before taking there the breakfast that we took we went to breakfast and we went to the shelter. Mary and I are still friends but this experience changed her life. Over time her company outsourced her job to an independent planner and she was inspired to accept a job as an event planner for a group that raised money for the homeless. Isn't it nice when things work out like a speaker's trainers consultants business people. You'd never know how you can change the lives and change the world. You need to work on improving your self every day and getting better and do your best and look for ways to contribute every day every time. Mary here's another catch to Mary went back to the Speaker's Bureau to book me and she raved about what I had done. The agent was so impressed he started proposing me more often and booking me more often. Mary's company booked me for several more events and all those spin off bookings were commissioned back to the Bureau. Then the general manager of the hotel called me about a month later and he asked me to deliver a talk about going the extra mile to all three chefs. Took about two days to do but he did tell me says you can't mention Bob. but all these bookings were referred back to the Bureau as spin off business because you know I would have never gotten to work if it hadn't then provide me with the original opportunity. So you know when our agents hear the name of speakers or entertainers who did well over and over again the meeting planner raves about a speaker entertainer we know we want to explore the opportunity to work with them. So it's it's it's always a good way for us to discover who you want to work with and you don't want to work with. Reputation counts a great deal in the speaking business and it's important to be part of being really good requires getting honest with yourself and knowing your capabilities your limitations. The audiences are great or good or poor fit for you. I know there's certain audiences I never want to get in front of. And so now I know that I understand that I. I never do that. You know it's I we have so many speakers to choose from it's never been a problem. But you know for some speakers out they're desperate for a booking and they'll take anything they can get. Then they find out they're in a strange place with strange group and they don't know the language the industry and all of a sudden they're they're. Standing on stage and they wish they weren't.

[00:40:00] Yeah. So yeah. And some of the speakers that I've been involved with with your story that you just told would never happen because they blow in like they're a diva at the last minute and blow out. I got to be on a plane and gone. They didn't talk to anybody. They just went up onstage and did their dog and pony show. And no nothing extra for that group. Just sending the message I don't care about you. I'm important and you're not. So I laugh about it because I take all the money. So I don't really care if they do that. So we got to take a brief sponsor break and we come back we're gonna ask Frank what's a typical day look like for him now and how he personally stays motivated.

[00:40:46] So folks if you'd like to have someone hold your hand through starting an online business or improving the one you have while you're in the right place. I've been doing this since the commercial Internet started around 1994 and only four years later I hit multimillionaire status you know run the how I say the turn of the century. So. So I've been there done that I have the longest running most successful mentor program where it's a year long. You can't learn this in a one weekend folks that anybody is telling you you can. This is B.S. So run. Check out all the details. We have such unique things we give you that you can't get anywhere else and you get personalized attention from me and my entire staff who I've trained. So check it out at greatinternetmarketingtraining.com. And Frank said I had no idea that he was that one of my first butt camps and that helped change his business. I hear these things all the time but it just it always reminds me that you have an obligation to do great things in the world and you can do them in a bigger fashion of course if you're willing to speak but you just never know who you're going to touch with what you say or did. So be a good example. And things like this you'll hear for years to come. So I'm thrilled that those had a part in Frank's success. Very small but I'm thrilled that I heard that. So Frank what's what's a day look like for you when you get up do you exercise you. What do you do all day.

[00:42:23] I'm usually up at five thirty am. Wow. I have several exercise routines to choose from. Usually about 30 minutes. I like to get my heart pumping and metabolism up first thing in the day and followed by a healthy breakfast and discussions about last minute adjustments to the daily weekly monthly schedules and plans.

[00:42:45] Now are you going to an office or working at of your house.

[00:42:49] I work out of my house. One of one of my great habits is to have something prepared from the night before like a few pages from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale book The Power of Positive Thinking or Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People we did that on this morning. I have ten classics we use often but not exclusively. And if you want Tom I'll send you the list you can put it in the show notes.

[00:43:23] Yeah. You do what with these you know the whole team gets together and goes over something or what.

[00:43:30] Well that's it's my gal and I we sit down and go through that together just developing a mindset of a winner and look and get yourself self focused. And then when the team comes in. I don't have a big team I have a couple assistants and a couple other people. But at right around ten everybody drifts in somewhere between nine and 10 because I. Like my assistant arrives normally after 9:00 after she drops off her children at school. But sometimes she has to do other stuff and I give everybody flex time. I want everybody to have a good life. I want them to earn enough money to be happy and develop a retirement plan and not have to go looking for work somewhere else or pick up a second job or looking to move to one of my competitors. I want them to be happy I believe in creating a culture of excellence. So we will talk about our mission statement every day and sometimes during the day we'll have something blow up and to get everyone focused again we go back to the mission statement. And so it's real important for me to make sure everybody's focused. So usually between about 7 and 9 I have a two hour block of uninterrupted time to work on. Books are the goals scripts projects proposals contracts. Stuff like that and the rest of my day is set up in 20 30 and 60 minute blocks of time and we schedule blocks of time to accept calls blocks of time to make calls and each outbound call is planned in advance with an agenda purpose or mission and a defined outcome. At each meeting I want everyone to hear this carefully. Each meeting has an agreed upon in advance agenda. Or there is no meeting. Nobody can come in and say you got a minute because I say no. Look Americans waste millions of hours an unplanned and useless meetings without a purpose. I'm not on a mission to change everybody's meeting habits but you're not going to waste my time. Life is too short. So I practice strict discipline with my time no distractions. I can get a lot done if I focus on one thing at a time and do my best with it. My people can take care of the incoming calls and requests most of the time they handle email and 80 percent of the communications. If we plan a launch which we do once or twice a week we meet to discuss issues projects booking and strategy. I've got people live in the city who. Work out of their homes. And I want a face to face with them a little bit too from time.

[00:46:30] You have that at your house or you go to a restaurant.

[00:46:32] Both. I like to cook so though you know it's it's a nice kitchen and I enjoy doing that. But virtually every minute is planned out in blocks of time and different team members and associates leave a different time. So our company culture and policy like I mentioned before includes flextime always support people that have children elderly parents relatives and promote a balanced lifestyle to live a good life. I mean it's it's what we do it's what we're about. So you know one of my core principles is always be kind. Because everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. And you know I am blessed with having a mother who is a very compassionate woman and I grew up with that. That's never changed.

[00:47:28] Now is your last name a stage name. That's your real name.

[00:47:36] Yep. My grandfather owned a candy store. And I'll tell you the rest of that story we not online.

[00:47:46] So how do you stay motivated. How you used to get fired up yourself.

[00:47:52] I seek mastery and ongoing improvement. It's a big part of our company culture. I read our mission statement every day like I said I practice daily gratitude by reading and adding to my gratitude list. I work on my life and business goals and objectives to keep me organized. I keep everything in playbooks. That's one of the methods I teach Tom. He played sports you know. Did you ever ever play book on the team.

[00:48:19] I always did.

[00:48:21] There you go. Well I got a playbook from my business the playbook for my my life and my goals and my my includes my gratitude list and my valuable friends. And the principles I live by my core values and my action plans and my what I call my LDL stands for life's desires list LDL. It's really like a bucket list. So. I make sure all that stays very balanced and I have the opportunity to make sure people understand. What we're about and why it's important. Let me share one thing with you I think we're coming to a close here. And this is important for your listeners. A lot of people trying to figure out what to do in our world. And the one thing that all these famous authors. World class athletes business tycoons singers actors celebrated achievers in any field have in common is this. They began their journey when they were none of these things.

[00:49:34] That's very deep. That's true.

[00:49:36] You know think about it. Now you and I were on stage doing stand up comedy in the 80s. I took a stab at it. Couldn't stand the smoke.

[00:49:48] Yeah I was doing custom humor at parties you know. I didn't really do the standup thing but it was yeah it was the same thing. But yeah everything we did develop the who we are today. That's what makes this unique. If everybody was the clone what would you have. So well Frank it's been so good catching up with you man. I never knew you took one of the first butt camps. Very cool. I'd love to hear those kind of things that you're doing so great still so. Thanks so much for catching up. Now tell us. Tell me again. We'll put it in the show notes where to reach you. Check your books. Tell them about your books. Tell them what books you have.

[00:50:32] Look let's do this. Most of your listeners are speakers trainers consultant types. I wrote a book called public speaking for money. It's not about how to give a speech. It's about how to get booked.

[00:50:47] It's part of the business of speaking.

[00:50:48] Exactly. Exactly so they can go to publicspeakingformoney.com. You'll have a link to the book and the show notes I recommend they click on that one and they can also go to FrankCandy.com. I'm happy to tell you I'm about to redo that site. We've already got a copy written for it. We'll have it up in about a week and anybody can reach me at Frank@FrankCandy.com.

[00:51:18] Yep. We'll have all these things in the show notes folks. And so thanks again Frank for taking the time to really inspire our listeners. All right everybody so make sure you check out the show notes for all Frank's stuff and grab your freebie at screwthecommute.com/automatefree. Get your app at screwthecommute.com/app and we'll catch you all on the next episode. See you later.
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