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Gail Johnson – Restaino & Associates Realty
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You have found Authentic Business Adventures the business program that brings you
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the struggle stories and triumphant
successes of business owners across
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the land. We are locally underwritten
by the Bank of Sun Prairie.
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My name is James Kademan entrepreneur,
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author, speaker and helpful coach to small
business owners across the country.
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And today we are welcoming/preparing
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to learn from Gail Johnson,
the corporate relocation specialist
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and concierge’s director
of Restaino and Associates.
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Gail, how are you doing today?
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Hi, welcome.
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Thank you for
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the opportunity, James, to talk with you today.
So.
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Yeah,
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right, right.
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This is going to be fun because I’ve
known you for oh my gosh, a long time.
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And you’ve been doing
this for a long time.
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Well, I’ve been in Madison for 17 years.
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I moved here from the northeast corner of
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Iowa, and got to know a lot
of people.
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Yeah, very cool.
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So what is a corporate
relocation specialist?
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So my role at Restaino and Associates is
for over the last 30 years,
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they’ve added a value program and it’s
the illegal relocation division.
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And ultimately what we do
is we take off the plate.
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Well, I like living in Madison.
Oh.
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And we do that by offering no fee.
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So it’s added value.
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And so there’s a team of the three
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dedicated professionals with over
30 years of experience.
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And we ultimately will email,
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learn a little bit about their criteria,
what are their interests, their needs.
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Have they ever been here before?
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We’ll set up a tour.
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We will introduce them to schools
and faculty and provide information.
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If school is important for their family,
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if they have a significant other that is
moving here and doesn’t have a job,
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then we will
take their resume and work with them
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and put them into our network
making introductions.
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I would say that’s one of the fun things
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that kind of evolved here about the last
five years of work that I built,
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being able to connect people
that are looking for a job.
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And then we also on our team, Mickey,
will help people find rental.
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And so she’s very well connected
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to the rental market, whether that’s
a rental home or an apartment
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fit to their criteria.
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And then if they want to purchase a home,
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then we match them,
introduce them to a Restaino Realtor
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that most knowledgeable,
knowledgeable in the type of home
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that they’re looking for, whether
that’s a condo, lakefront property.
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They want to be downtown.
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They want to live rural.
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So it’s it’s
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it’s an awesome fulfilling position
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that gives you the opportunity to impact
people in the most difficult time when
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one, they’re starting a new job,
you’re moving to a new city
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and there’s a lot of steps
to the transition that we help them
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through and help them settle
in to call Madison home.
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That’s interesting.
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So it sounds like you’re essentially
covering two major areas,
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one for employers and they’re
trying to get talent.
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And it’s essentially your job to convince
them that Madison is a cool place.
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Madison’s a pretty cool place.
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And the people that have already decided
you’re trying to help them
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find the home and then just get the things
laid out that have to be laid out when you
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move. Right, especially, you know,
there’s there’s multiple levels of it.
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So even when they’re candidates
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and they’re maybe
entertaining to different towns,
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what does Madison have to offer not just
for a job perspective,
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but what are they have where I’m going
to live for my family and perhaps retire?
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Sure.
So you’re talking about restaurants, food,
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entertainment, parks, stuff for the kids
to do, schools, all that jazz. Right.
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And so depending on the different age
group that they are, if they’re coming in,
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they may want to know about the craft
beers and the downtown scene.
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And some may want to know about
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the Overture Center and the farmer’s
markets and the different grocery stores
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that we offer and the green
spaces that we have.
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Medicine has been recognized
over the years for being the food city,
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the walkable area, the biking friendly,
the place ranked for the fittest city.
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So we try to provide all those different
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accolades to them and then point out all
the different state parks and biking
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trails and so forth to introduce
them that they may not know.
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We have never, ever been here before.
That’s cool.
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It’s very cool.
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I’m going to ask you the question
that is always looming over my head.
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When you talk about what you do,
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how do you convince people
in January to move here?
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Yeah, OK.
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Well, that’s a good question.
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So one really we don’t try
to persuade or convince.
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So I guess our role really is,
you know, we’re in the Midwest and we’re
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four seasons and there’s
plenty to do in four seasons.
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So in January,
if you want a snow shoe, which I enjoy,
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there’s snowshoeing, there’s downhill
skiing, there’s ice fishing, there’s
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the outdoors.
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You can go visit the Olbrich Gardens,
has the planetarium inside,
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and then hopefully if things keep opening
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up there, there’s the Overture Center
and so many places that you can go
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and be dining, theater,
the arts, children’s museum for kids,
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the trampoline park.
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Right.
So there is we know there’s there’s things
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to do here in four seasons where in some
areas where you’re at and you don’t get
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the luxury of having fall,
spring, summer and winter.
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Very interesting way to look at it.
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I keep thinking, man, I want to move.
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So if there’s just something warmer.
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But, you know, it’s interesting.
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I was running this morning and I saw
the sunrise, which is magnificent.
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I’m like, we got some pretty cool sunrises
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here that I mean, other places
have beautiful sunrises.
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But I don’t know, in Wisconsin,
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maybe it’s just
because that diversity in the seasons that
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every every day is different and super
cool or most of the time is super cool.
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Right.
And those those things I mean,
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when people have an idea what medicine has
to offer, when we start talking about
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the biking trails that we have,
Devil’s Lake, the state parks,
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the walking trails, the the unique
coffee shops that are around the corner,
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there is a lot of splash parks,
playgrounds.
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You know, there’s so much more than they
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realize, we use destination medicine quite
often, so Edison does a great job with
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constantly filling it up with yours,
things to do, single family couples.
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And so we try to just provide all those
links and videos and websites to people.
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So they give it a good
feel about what we have.
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Gotcha.
Interesting.
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So are the individuals coming to you or is
it the companies that are trying to hire
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these individuals
or who more or less reached out to you
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and says, hey, Gail,
take these people around?
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Right.
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So my role is to reach out to H.R.
recruiters,
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companies that are hiring talent, whether
that’s in the health care biotech.
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I could be mortgage lenders
with First-Time Homebuyers.
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It could be sitting at a networking event.
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The librarian next to me says,
hey, I want to purchase a home.
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Can you help me find a Realtor
that could sign on for me?
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Although I think it could be my neighbors
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down the street saying, hey,
my son’s looking or we’re going to sell.
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So it really can be any transition
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of a home sale, whether
you’re selling or buying.
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But ultimately,
it can be someone that the candidate
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exploring a move here
could be someone that already accepted
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position and now they’re
relocating in their family.
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And so we take a look
at everyone that’s coming here.
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So not just the candidate that’s going
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to be in this job, but how does the
significant other and their children,
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so they might be interested in sports
and clubs, then
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someone else might be interested
in their church or volunteering.
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And so we try to we try to help everyone
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in the family unit, unlike when
I was younger back in the day.
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I mean, it was where you would
just learn we’re moving,
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right.
And you’re going.
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But now we
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know it’s the family unit.
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And so the kids come.
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And sometimes our focus is even just
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trying to help the kids, whatever age they
are, and trying to see them living here.
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Because you want the whole
family happy, right?
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Yeah, that’s easier said than done.
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It’s funny you talk about
back in the day with moving.
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We were fairly nomadic when I was a kid
every five years or something like that.
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Just jobs change, businesses changed
hands and all that kind of stuff.
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And it was interesting how
just all of a sudden one day you’re like,
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that’s we’re moving to this town,
new town and hope you like it.
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I’ll be like your neighbors.
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Try to just explore and figure it out.
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Sometimes it was small town,
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sometimes those bigger cities
and just figured out it’s tough.
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It’s challenging because
had no idea where to start.
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And it was pre Internet.
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So there were, you know, to look right.
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And even just walking into a new school,
depending on what age you are
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and even just trying to find a school.
Yeah.
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You know, so many times people it
could be a deciding factor for people.
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So if they’re coming here and they have
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a special needs child,
they want to know everything about what we
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have or resources
or if there is a school and their kids
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have been taking classes and by biotech
or they’re really into a language or
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the arts or music, they want
to know about these schools.
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Now, sometimes we’ll get a dad that’s
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really into football and they want
to know about the football team.
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So I mean, that’s where we
customize it to everyone.
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What is important to you?
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What are your interests and needs
and how can we make those connections?
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Very cool.
Very cool.
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So let’s downshift a little
into what you have going on.
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How did you end up in this position?
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So Restaino I when we moved here,
I used we we sold newspapers
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in the northeast corner of Iowa,
moved here, and I used to sell advertising
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over at Restaino and Associates,
a newspaper print.
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Oh, wow.
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And I remember saying to me,
you’d be a good Realtor.
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And I’m like, I don’t even know this area
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first thing about real estate.
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But over the years, he had purchased ads.
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I was in newspaper and magazine and then
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television and got
to know different people
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at the real estate office.
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And I liked what they were about.
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But
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one day the position came open and I
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interviewed for it and eleven
years later I’m enjoying the ride.
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So, yeah.
Eleven years.
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Eleven years.
That is impressive.
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That’s extremely impressive because
we’re hiring and I’m seeing resumes.
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People are putting jobs down that they’ve
been out for less than a week.
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So
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we’ve seen people that have
been in jobs for a long time.
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There’s just I don’t
think it’s the groove.
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There’s a loyalty there
and presumably they like what they do.
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So it’s super awesome.
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Yeah, well, I think, you know,
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the thing that aligns with me is,
you know, when you’re when you’re picking
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a career that you want,
you know, first know what your beliefs
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and your values are and what
do you really enjoy.
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And I really liked when he said
you’re out in front of people.
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And I really liked how I could impact
people because I had relocated here.
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I would have loved to have had people
directing me and schools where to live.
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I would have loved to know
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what the city had to offer because
I had to unpack that by myself.
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And it was many trips here
visiting and coming back.
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And and so
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I like the fact that I
get to work with people.
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I am a person that likes
to work with people.
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I’m curious about people
and their stories or experiences.
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How did they get to where they are today?
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And, you know, with this job, as I hear,
people are like, hey,
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they just hired a new for instance,
a director and she’s moving
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in from wherever she is and then become
the FBI agent trying to find them.
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And so then I’m emailing and figuring
out and then I tell them what I do.
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And the response back is like.
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Oh, my goodness, this is you have just
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taken so much stress off of me, right,
because we don’t know the first thing
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where to even begin
and that just feels so good.
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And then you really help them through
every step of the way and to settling in.
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We even have a settling in program so
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that they can get to know the community
because they’re in there working.
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And if you’re here, you better we want you
to know, hey, there’s a farmer’s market.
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There’s our in the square,
there’s concerts on the square.
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There’s, you know, so we’re kind of like,
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oh, you told us when you
moved here, you love hockey.
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The Badgers are starting to play.
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And so we fill them in.
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And here’s what’s going on.
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And they’re like, thank you.
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We’re some packing boxes
and we want to get out,
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Tony.
That’s cool.
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Yeah.
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So I’m going to say I’m in a lot of real
estate agents, but I’ve never come across
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a company doing essentially well
Restaino is doing in this regard.
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So is this a new thing or is this
specific to you guys or
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I guess just tell me about that,
because I don’t I’ve never met anyone
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that is really doing this whole
corporate relocation thing.
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Right.
Well, I don’t think it takes a commitment.
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And I will say.
Right.
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It’s really supported this division
to make it happen because.
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Like, he allows me to attend the greater
medicine chamber, the downtown medicine,
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you know, the different Chamber
of Commerce, says an and investors quite
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a bit for me to be networked
within that network.
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You know the game, Sherman.
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I mean, there’s so many, as you well know
well, places the network in Madison.
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And to be able to build
that network of trusted partners.
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And and you do that by helping them,
which they want to help you.
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And when I have someone that comes
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in with a need, I have this
great network to reach out to.
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And that doesn’t come on your own.
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That comes to the support of our broker.
Gotcha.
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OK.
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And the training that goes
on and the family that’s built within our
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organization, I mean,
we’re there to support one another.
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So also, I’m the concierge director.
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And what that means is,
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you know, over the years
we would have someone like I need a VA
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loan or I need a physician’s loan or
who do you recommend for a mover?
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And I’m like, I don’t know,
what do we recommend?
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So in this network, again,
I reach out between our realtors
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and the network like
we have built up probably seventy seven
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different categories of core painters
who are movers, who are Restaino.
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Yeah.
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Who can power wash someone’s house,
who could put on a screen porch,
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who can go do mold remediation,
who is the electrician.
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And we can provide all that.
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Very cool and so and especially for people
that relocate in,
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they don’t have a network, no,
but when they come here,
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they could clean my house or
paint these walls, you know, who can make
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our touches into this house and you
become this trusted voice for them.
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And so that’s been fun to compile this
list of our professional
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certified licensed professional
providers in the Dade County area
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that ultimately have the last touch
a lot of times to our clients.
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That’s super cool.
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That is interesting.
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You say that because this sounds like
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after the sale is done of them buying
a house, whatever, they get settled,
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you guys may still be on their
speed dial in case they need someone.
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Absolutely.
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I mean, we’re there to not
only if they relocate in
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to be there so that they get acclimated
into the community and or should they need
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a service provider, they absolutely
we stay in contact with them.
[00:17:20]
Like, if you need someone,
here’s where you can go and look.
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And there are times when somebody might be
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settled into a place and their
family hasn’t come here yet.
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It might say to you, look,
I’m I’m struggling because I’m alone
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or I don’t or their or their family,
let’s say, in another state.
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And they’re coming in or they’re like.
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He will not know what for us to do.
[00:17:46]
Could you help us come up with what we
should do when we come in this weekend?
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Nice.
So it’s fun to be on those
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communications because, like, OK,
you’re coming in here when it’s all going
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on, you just load it up and and,
you know, and then they’re happy.
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That’s the name of the game,
a super ownership.
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You had a great Segway
here about the network.
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So you have a huge network.
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And I guess I didn’t realize
that you weren’t from this area now.
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So you came in here and I imagine there
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weren’t a lot of people
from northeast Iowa hanging around.
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Now, more or less build
your network from scratch.
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So for most business owners or to be
[00:18:28]
business owners, having a network
is an incredible thing.
[00:18:31]
So can you tell us how you built
yours from scratch? Sure, I will.
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And I will tell you a long time ago.
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I remember when I was coming here,
someone said to me, Gail, the people here,
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I’m I’m originally from Chicago,
the Chicago land area and Iowa, and
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people that are here are no
different than people in Madison.
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And all you have to do and I know this
sounds like Dale Carnegie and I have taken
[00:18:58]
the Dale Carnegie class, but you just have
to generally be interested in people.
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And it’s not about me.
[00:19:04]
It’s you learn about them, you know,
and I’m a very curious person anyway.
[00:19:11]
So I like to know people’s stories.
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I like to know their experiences.
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And I have a great follow through.
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So I may meet you, but I’m going to follow
up with you and I’m going to up with you
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now.
LinkedIn right now for today.
[00:19:26]
Anyone listening if you’re
not using the LinkedIn tool?
[00:19:30]
That tool has been phenomenal.
[00:19:33]
I had I didn’t have that when I first
started,
[00:19:35]
but not only can you meet somebody
and then reconnect with them online, then
[00:19:40]
you can stay in touch with them and you
can see what they’re posting about and you
[00:19:44]
can comment on it and like it and share
it and maybe even engage in it.
[00:19:49]
Or maybe they know someone that you see
[00:19:51]
in their connections that you’d like
to know and you to get to know them
[00:19:55]
could say, hey, would you be interested
in making an introduction for me?
[00:20:00]
So I think getting involved, too.
[00:20:03]
When I first came here, I got involved
in nonprofits, OK, I wanted to give back.
[00:20:09]
And so even today, my mission is,
is this is a community that serves us.
[00:20:14]
We also want to give back our company
back in a lot of ways.
[00:20:19]
And myself, personally,
I like to be involved.
[00:20:23]
To help other people in what they’re
[00:20:25]
trying to do in impacting other people’s
lives and so
[00:20:29]
I think if you just put yourself out there
a little bit, ABC always be connecting.
[00:20:36]
Yes.
[00:20:36]
And always,
you know, not about you,
[00:20:39]
even when you meet somebody and learn
about them and don’t regurgitate
[00:20:43]
everything about yourself,
because, honestly, we.
[00:20:48]
We don’t want to hear it.
[00:20:49]
All right, then first meet,
but you do want to hear who they are
[00:20:55]
and what brought them here,
what motivates them?
[00:20:59]
And then you see where you have
a connection and then work off of that.
[00:21:07]
Yeah, it’s interesting that you mention
that I had to learn
[00:21:11]
how to network just trial by fire,
because I guess I’m the same as you are.
[00:21:15]
I’m just really interested in people.
[00:21:17]
And I would go to a networking event
and not really have a sales pitch.
[00:21:24]
I just want to meet people is fun,
is so much fun.
[00:21:28]
And then eventually you find the financial
planners and stuff like that that they’re
[00:21:32]
trying to sell you life
insurance at the moment, like.
[00:21:35]
Right.
[00:21:35]
I was just kind of cool
knowing your story.
[00:21:39]
And, you know, the other thing, too,
[00:21:41]
is I’ve learned over the over time, as
have your business card on you totally.
[00:21:46]
Because you never know.
[00:21:49]
Like I was at a flower shop just the other
day and someone was talking about
[00:21:56]
I’m looking for someone
that can this or that.
[00:21:58]
And I was like, oh,
my gosh, I’m not going.
[00:22:00]
And I’m overhearing your section.
[00:22:02]
But I knew somebody that did
exactly what they were looking for.
[00:22:06]
Nice.
[00:22:06]
We exchange cards
one time with in Home Depot and a lady
[00:22:11]
stood there and she said,
could you help me pick up carpet?
[00:22:13]
I’m very good at this.
[00:22:15]
And I’m like, I’m not very good at it
either, but I’ll give you my opinion.
[00:22:18]
And then later I’m like, well,
what are you buying perfect for?
[00:22:20]
She said, Well,
eventually I’m kind of sprucing up
[00:22:23]
my house because I’m going to sell it,
like I say.
[00:22:28]
So I mean, thank goodness that occurred
on me because she went a card on her.
[00:22:34]
And so I was able to give her my card.
[00:22:36]
But I did ask for her contact information
[00:22:38]
just to make sure that I could
definitely connect with her.
[00:22:42]
But it’s what you do after
you’re at networking.
[00:22:45]
I would think that really counts.
[00:22:47]
It’s going to networking events
[00:22:49]
and knowing why you’re there
and maybe looking ahead of time to see
[00:22:53]
who’s going there,
who do you want to know?
[00:22:57]
And then it’s the follow up.
[00:22:59]
It’s reaching back out to them and it
[00:23:01]
takes time for back up, go on LinkedIn,
learn a little bit more about them.
[00:23:07]
I found myself during covid
is taking the time.
[00:23:10]
I may have a connection with this person
and I know them about business and I do
[00:23:15]
a lot of work and transactional
things with them.
[00:23:18]
But I don’t know their family story.
[00:23:20]
I don’t even know them what
they’re interested in.
[00:23:23]
So I really took time this year, but
during covid to do two or three a week.
[00:23:29]
Hypothesizes, I just want to have coffee
[00:23:31]
over Zoom and get to know
just who you are.
[00:23:34]
Well, that’s cool, and I can’t tell you
[00:23:38]
how much I learned about
people and their story
[00:23:43]
that and it’s
to me there was a game changer.
[00:23:48]
That’s cool.
[00:23:49]
You know, it’s interesting you say that
because I was going through LinkedIn.
[00:23:54]
What was I looking for?
[00:23:56]
I figured I was looking for,
but I’m like, I got a huge network.
[00:23:59]
Someone’s got to be able to know
someone or something, whatever it was,
[00:24:02]
something to do with commercial
property, whatever it was.
[00:24:06]
I was just going through the list and I’m
[00:24:07]
like, I haven’t talked to this
person in three years.
[00:24:10]
I haven’t talked to this person
couple of years, whatever it was.
[00:24:13]
And so they’re just rabbit hole
evolved into me.
[00:24:17]
Just send in emails like,
hey, how’s it going?
[00:24:19]
Haven’t talked to you in a while.
[00:24:20]
Just checking to see
if is interesting how many people have
[00:24:23]
switched jobs or had started
a new something or other.
[00:24:27]
One guy phone started a whole new business
[00:24:29]
that was a 180 shift from what
he was doing before.
[00:24:32]
It was cool.
Yeah.
[00:24:34]
I would never like it
didn’t even dawn on me.
[00:24:37]
Yeah.
[00:24:38]
Trying to pursue my network to even
explore what do they have going on right
[00:24:42]
now and some of the things
that you do in that moment.
[00:24:48]
Means so much to the other person.
Mm hmm.
[00:24:51]
And the other thing that I learned over
the years that I would recommend is,
[00:24:56]
you know, it was not always easy,
but I literally and I don’t do it.
[00:25:01]
I write a card to someone every day.
[00:25:05]
What really?
[00:25:06]
Every day I actually paint.
[00:25:08]
And then I take the little
painting and I make them in the car.
[00:25:12]
So I have tons of cards.
[00:25:13]
Wow, that’s impressive.
[00:25:15]
If I don’t get it done every day,
[00:25:17]
I make sure by the end of the week
I may look nice.
[00:25:20]
But I do it generally because
[00:25:21]
I try to reach out and you may or mail
the card with a handwritten note,
[00:25:27]
because when we don’t do that very
often and when you get one.
[00:25:30]
I know I love receiving them totally.
Yes.
[00:25:33]
And I try to make it.
[00:25:35]
You know what resonated with me
when we were in a conversation?
[00:25:40]
Mm hmm.
[00:25:42]
And again, it’s just another way
of showing that you care, right?
[00:25:50]
Yeah, that is impressive.
[00:25:51]
It’s interesting you say that because we
were when I moved my office this past
[00:25:55]
weekend, I came across a stack
of thank you cards and just whatever.
[00:26:00]
And I was trying to purge, but I could not
get myself to get rid of those things.
[00:26:06]
Good for you.
[00:26:08]
I felt so cheesy, like we’re moving a lot
of stuff, like we need to get rid of some
[00:26:12]
stuff, but I could not
get myself to do that.
[00:26:15]
I just like them.
Hung up on my desk was cool.
[00:26:18]
Is just a reminder about why
you’re doing what you’re doing.
[00:26:21]
Yeah, I’m glad you kept them because
[00:26:23]
there are times that I regret that I
didn’t there that sticks out to me.
[00:26:28]
So when I was at the newspaper office,
[00:26:30]
I wasn’t there very long and the post
office was close to my office.
[00:26:36]
And so I in the morning sometimes when I
would do whatever I was doing,
[00:26:39]
I would just zip over to the post
office, get a box there.
[00:26:42]
I’d get either the mail or whatever,
and I’d drop off whatever I was doing.
[00:26:46]
And this one lady,
I saw her on the way there.
[00:26:50]
Not nothing of it knowing me,
[00:26:52]
because I think this was more of my
mother’s I was just like, good morning.
[00:26:55]
You know, like little Miss Bubble, right?
[00:26:57]
I prize’s my coffee, whatever
[00:27:00]
andwhatever I said.
[00:27:03]
And then went back
to the office was working.
[00:27:04]
And later that day I came back
to the office, but actually was the next
[00:27:08]
day and there was this
receptionist that I contacted.
[00:27:13]
This lady dropped this note off for you
and she thinks that you work here.
[00:27:17]
And when she handed me the note I wrote it
and I’m like, oh, that was totally you.
[00:27:21]
And I’m like, OK.
[00:27:23]
So I read this little note and it said
[00:27:27]
how joyful you were just to say hello
and share your smile with me
[00:27:32]
when she was having a hard time, whatever
happened and that meant so much to her.
[00:27:37]
Wow.
[00:27:38]
And I wish I would have saved
that because that was a small gesture.
[00:27:43]
Made an impression to her to even
write a note and try to find me.
[00:27:49]
And leave it at the.
[00:27:51]
That’s cool,
[00:27:53]
and that to me is
I think that’s one of the things
[00:27:56]
that sparked me to think
a little now goes a long way.
[00:28:00]
Mm hmm.
[00:28:01]
That’s interesting because that speaks
volumes about you,
[00:28:05]
but it also speaks volumes about
the rest of the world, right?
[00:28:08]
Yeah, I get when somebody smiles
and says hello that were like, whoa.
[00:28:14]
That’s right.
That’s very cool, very hurt.
[00:28:18]
How do you find the time to to him
write a note every single day?
[00:28:24]
That’s cool.
I don’t do it every day.
[00:28:27]
So I try I mean, there for a long time.
I did like it.
[00:28:30]
That’s how I ended my day.
Oh, very cool.
[00:28:32]
At the office.
[00:28:33]
My last thing I tried to do was stop
close everything up.
[00:28:37]
What am I going to be doing tomorrow
and then who today.
[00:28:44]
Do I want to write a note to.
[00:28:48]
And I ask that I keep a lot
of cards in my office, so
[00:28:51]
sometimes I don’t and I don’t like that I
don’t, I think it’s just something that I
[00:28:56]
like to do, although I won’t come
up to people like I know you.
[00:29:00]
Right.
[00:29:00]
Notes, I heard you write notes, and I
don’t think I ever got a note for you.
[00:29:03]
Oh, no.
[00:29:07]
You gotta be careful out there.
Yeah.
[00:29:11]
So but it’s a good way.
[00:29:13]
You know, I had someone give me this book.
[00:29:17]
A long time ago, and it was
[00:29:21]
the miracle morning, all right, and it is,
yeah, it’s a life changer.
[00:29:29]
Yeah, this book gives you and you
don’t have to do everything in it.
[00:29:33]
But this book kind of gives you a.
[00:29:37]
Recommendations on how to begin your day,
but then I ended up in time doing how
[00:29:43]
to begin my day, but then
also how to end my day.
[00:29:46]
So I closed the book end,
[00:29:48]
and it’s like starting your day
with you sleep for seven hours,
[00:29:53]
but you don’t drink water.
[00:29:54]
So I wake up in the morning and drink some
[00:29:56]
water and maybe do some
meditation or write.
[00:30:01]
What do you thankful for?
[00:30:02]
So I do my day of when am I thankful for?
[00:30:04]
And in my day with gratitude of my day.
[00:30:07]
So it’s kind of the bookend.
[00:30:10]
And then the book kind of just gives you
[00:30:14]
a little bit of a routine
that becomes habit.
[00:30:18]
And it’s such a good start
that I really miss it.
[00:30:21]
If something busses it up and,
you know, I don’t get to do some
[00:30:25]
of the things that I really
look forward to in the morning.
[00:30:28]
And then I recently read
the book Atomic Habits.
[00:30:33]
It was a book that American family or
[00:30:36]
American family Greenbank
had as a book club.
[00:30:40]
But I didn’t get to do the book
club with them virtually.
[00:30:42]
But I read the book and that’s
creating your environment.
[00:30:47]
So if you’re on a diet,
[00:30:48]
then have things like apples in front
of you or have things that you like water,
[00:30:54]
then have water all around
or lemons all around.
[00:30:57]
So it’s creating your environment.
[00:31:01]
In-line with the habits you want to create
[00:31:03]
or is clever,
a good book to go back to back with.
[00:31:08]
Yeah, that’s cool.
[00:31:10]
I’m going to add those I know I’ve heard
of atomic habits before
[00:31:14]
and I’ve read The Power of Habit, which is
a very good book to recommend to anybody.
[00:31:20]
Well, look, that’s cool.
[00:31:22]
Yeah, same on that book,
[00:31:26]
the power of habit was interesting because
[00:31:28]
it’s essentially talking about how
we will either consciously or
[00:31:33]
unconsciously create
rituals or create habits.
[00:31:38]
And it’s essentially pointing out that
[00:31:41]
you have a habit if you consciously decide
your life will go a certain direction.
[00:31:46]
If you don’t consciously decide, your life
will probably go a different direction.
[00:31:50]
But either way, we’re
just habitual beings.
[00:31:52]
So we’ll get in a routine.
[00:31:55]
And it’s essentially
[00:31:56]
pointing out the fact that you can decide
to make a habit
[00:32:01]
to turn it into a ritual rather than
it just kind of accidentally happen.
[00:32:04]
Happening.
[00:32:06]
So which is interesting with with you
[00:32:08]
talking about the morning stuff and before
you walk away from work kind of thing,
[00:32:13]
that you have the bookends,
but that’s very I guess I hear stuff like
[00:32:17]
that from a lot of successful people,
but they’re very.
[00:32:22]
I’ll call it organized,
[00:32:23]
have it that they know this is kind
of triggering their mind, like
[00:32:27]
we’re turning it on and now we’re turning
it off and I think it really helps people.
[00:32:33]
Yeah, it probably it’s
a game changer, I think.
[00:32:36]
And, you know, when you say turning it
[00:32:38]
on and turning it off,
at least that’s just kind of segway,
[00:32:41]
to my mind, into learning to turn on,
like for me with work.
[00:32:48]
Prie covid, it was
leaving your home usually like seven seven
[00:32:52]
thirty to get to networking
and then your daily activities and then
[00:32:57]
maybe there’s a lunch client meeting or
a lunch meeting,
[00:33:00]
or then if your daily and then after work
there was networking, then you come home.
[00:33:07]
And then later before I go to bed,
[00:33:09]
I would be checking my email to make
sure I didn’t miss anything.
[00:33:12]
And then there’s the nonprofits you’re
[00:33:14]
involved with and you’re
answering things and.
[00:33:18]
I think I did that for many, many years
[00:33:23]
and it was really learning.
[00:33:26]
I lost.
[00:33:28]
Time in the calendar for myself, oh,
[00:33:32]
they’re totally fair
and so I think one of the things of wisdom
[00:33:37]
that I people say, if you had to change
something, what would you do?
[00:33:41]
I say, watch your calendar and know that.
[00:33:44]
No, with a complete sentence.
[00:33:46]
Oh, my goodness gracious.
[00:33:48]
I could talk for hours on that.
[00:33:50]
This little section in my book about
[00:33:52]
the power of knowing how it’s easy for
someone to ask you to do something right.
[00:33:55]
Do you want to be on this board?
[00:33:57]
You write it takes them
nothing to ask you.
[00:33:59]
But if you say yes, you just committed
[00:34:02]
hours, if not months
or years of your life.
[00:34:06]
Know, I was presenting to this group
and this woman is like, I can’t say no
[00:34:12]
if my boss or if somebody asked
me a question, I can’t say no.
[00:34:15]
Like, you got to say no.
[00:34:17]
Then you say yes.
[00:34:19]
So that when you say yes, you can actually
be there and be present.
[00:34:23]
Right.
There’s interesting conversation.
[00:34:26]
So mind blowing.
Yes.
[00:34:30]
You know, it was funny.
[00:34:31]
I met with somebody.
[00:34:32]
They were a coach, and we were going over
like, who do you know?
[00:34:36]
Who do I know?
[00:34:37]
And we were sharing leads
and then we kind of closed down.
[00:34:40]
You’re going to have a drink
afterwards then and.
[00:34:45]
I said to them,
you know, if I sent you my calendar.
[00:34:50]
And I broke up not who it is or what it
is, but these are not these are
[00:34:55]
nonprofit hours, these are work hours,
these are not working hours.
[00:35:00]
You know, this is what my life looks like.
[00:35:03]
This is about three, four years ago.
All right.
[00:35:06]
And
[00:35:08]
come back with some recommendation on.
[00:35:11]
How do we get this little under control
[00:35:15]
self gun right now to what
you’re saying he came back with?
[00:35:21]
Do you know how many things you’re
involved in in volunteering?
[00:35:27]
Off the charts, he’s like,
you’re like almost 17 hours a week.
[00:35:31]
Yeah, yeah, at that time.
[00:35:35]
That’s I mean, I think
you feel like a little bit networking was
[00:35:39]
in there, too, when we
are breaking it down.
[00:35:41]
Like what?
[00:35:43]
But to your point.
[00:35:46]
You really a.
[00:35:47]
What do you really want to make an impact
[00:35:50]
on what you really want to be
involved in at that time?
[00:35:55]
I mean, there are so many things
that I wanted to do and be a part of.
[00:36:00]
And I have no regrets about it.
[00:36:02]
It’s just that at the time I lost sight of
[00:36:06]
of I think what happened to all my kids
who graduated and gone on to college.
[00:36:11]
Oh, yes.
[00:36:11]
Some time ago I was like, yeah,
I can do that.
[00:36:17]
Look at all this time.
Yes.
[00:36:19]
And then all of a sudden I was like, wow,
I don’t I’m not finding time to exercise
[00:36:23]
or I like to go to yoga and I like
to paint or actually even haven’t
[00:36:27]
my friends there are calling me
late, you know.
[00:36:31]
And so my siblings are like, gosh, I don’t
see you are, you know, prepack.
[00:36:37]
And I was running here and there and
but anyway, getting my calendar under,
[00:36:43]
you know, being able
to make it manageable,
[00:36:48]
a little calmer.
[00:36:50]
That’s cool.
[00:36:52]
We are very good at building
a prison for ourselves.
[00:36:56]
Extremely good.
[00:36:57]
So it’s interesting.
[00:36:59]
To realize that because there’s probably
[00:37:01]
some people that have not
like they’re in the same boat where you
[00:37:04]
were four years ago and they
haven’t realized it.
[00:37:07]
It’s like where’s all the time going?
[00:37:09]
They’re spinning all of those plates
without maybe stepping back and saying.
[00:37:14]
Maybe we can get rid of those.
[00:37:17]
Right, right, and I did learn someone said
[00:37:19]
to me once, you know,
if you do step out of that game,
[00:37:22]
you’re actually opening up a spy
for someone else to learn and grow.
[00:37:28]
And that has really made
it easy for me to say.
[00:37:31]
I think my I’ve completed my time here
[00:37:34]
and now I’m going to help
someone else step into this.
[00:37:39]
As for
[00:37:40]
the soldiers here,
[00:37:42]
yeah, of it’s tough because I think, well,
any nonprofit would be lucky to have you.
[00:37:46]
But in the end,
[00:37:48]
if you are donating essentially so much
of your time that you can’t really,
[00:37:53]
really commit to any one of them,
you’re kind of spread out too thin
[00:37:58]
and it’s tough to really
complete what they want completed.
[00:38:02]
Yeah, although when I was down there,
[00:38:03]
I did make sure I did nice and I
just didn’t have time for myself.
[00:38:08]
Well.
[00:38:10]
And so then I look back and I go, OK,
[00:38:12]
when I had given him my calendar is like,
wow, you got to get this under control.
[00:38:18]
And so and then when people say to me,
why are you on Facebook?
[00:38:22]
Are you on Instagram, are you.
And I’m like, heck no.
[00:38:24]
Because I don’t know where
you find the time or time.
[00:38:27]
So I’m not I’m there.
I’m not on Twitter.
[00:38:30]
I’m not on Instagram.
[00:38:32]
I don’t do Facebook.
[00:38:35]
I don’t.
[00:38:37]
But I do like LinkedIn.
[00:38:39]
Yeah, LinkedIn is cool.
[00:38:41]
I do this.
[00:38:44]
Well, there’s less battles
there, so that’s cool,
[00:38:49]
that’s cool.
[00:38:50]
You talk about more about the concierge’s
[00:38:52]
director portion of the Restaino,
an associate said you do.
[00:38:56]
Sure.
So, you know, over the years,
[00:38:58]
I had a marketing background
in advertising sales.
[00:39:02]
So that’s pretty much
what I spent a lot of time doing.
[00:39:08]
And I got to know a lot
of professionals through.
[00:39:13]
Helping them,
writing up their advertising,
[00:39:17]
their campaigns, and I I knew who they
were and what they were doing, and
[00:39:27]
and so through that,
some of them, I even reached out when I
[00:39:30]
was on and for the years
pulling together a list.
[00:39:35]
But ultimately, it’s really the realtors
[00:39:38]
are out there, too, and they know
who they’re using, who they recommend,
[00:39:43]
who does a nice job,
who provides the customer service
[00:39:46]
that we’re seeking,
who is a professional at it,
[00:39:51]
treat people like you want to be treated.
[00:39:54]
And so from that list,
[00:39:57]
you know, we always try to give
two or three recommendations
[00:40:01]
and we compile probably about 70,
80 different categories.
[00:40:07]
Wow.
[00:40:08]
And then what we also try to do,
[00:40:10]
we didn’t during covid, but twice a year,
spring and fall,
[00:40:14]
we have a networking event and we try we
invite the concierge with our realtors.
[00:40:20]
You meet us, we meet you.
[00:40:23]
And just kind of we all
get to know one another.
[00:40:25]
Oh, very cool.
[00:40:27]
So it’s not just a number
[00:40:29]
or a company name or something like that,
you can actually place a face and.
[00:40:33]
It’s interesting because I mentioned
some stuff like that, if you’re talking.
[00:40:38]
Home improvement.
[00:40:39]
Generally speaking, stuff
that there when you have a face
[00:40:44]
or a connection,
a relationship with that person.
[00:40:48]
Inevitably, there’s going to be a problem
of some kind and you can get the the real
[00:40:53]
answer versus getting the
the canned or tap dancing answer
[00:40:57]
that sometimes you have to deal
with with remodelers and stuff like that.
[00:41:00]
Right.
For instance, we had
[00:41:03]
H.R. director coming from Chicago.
[00:41:06]
This has been a few years ago.
[00:41:08]
And he called me on a Saturday and said
[00:41:12]
their truck broke down and I don’t have
a window because I work on Monday.
[00:41:16]
Can you help me?
And I’m sure.
[00:41:19]
So I called up.
[00:41:20]
I knew who was call them up and
I wondered if I’d hear from you.
[00:41:25]
That’s awesome.
[00:41:26]
And so I’m like, what’s what’s going on?
[00:41:29]
And I’m like, we already
have someone in row.
[00:41:32]
We already got another truck coming.
[00:41:34]
Or maybe going to bump two
hours, maybe three hours.
[00:41:39]
Please, I hope we can stand your country.
[00:41:41]
She was all worried about that,
[00:41:43]
and I said it’s not the problem,
it’s how you react to a problem.
[00:41:47]
And usually you handled it.
[00:41:50]
And so I called them back and told them
and he said, just got off the phone
[00:41:54]
with her before you called me
and and everything was smooth.
[00:41:59]
So it’s really nice when you do know them.
Yeah.
[00:42:04]
You don’t you know,
you’re able to call them and say,
[00:42:08]
you know, he’ll get to find out what’s
going on and no answer, you know.
[00:42:12]
Yeah, that’s interesting because
you have that relationship.
[00:42:16]
And it’s interesting because then you guys
[00:42:18]
have some poll where you can just say,
like, solve the problem.
[00:42:22]
Well, they were on it already, right?
[00:42:25]
She was on it, and, you know,
[00:42:26]
I think that that’s the benefit
of when you do get network,
[00:42:31]
you have all these different
people that you can tap into.
[00:42:36]
But then when you dove in and get to know
[00:42:38]
them a little bit more and they know you,
there’s a lot of loyalty there.
[00:42:44]
Totally fair.
[00:42:45]
Yeah, this is definitely well,
[00:42:47]
arguably any business is a relationship
business and you can just get so much more
[00:42:53]
done when people know you or know who you
are, even if it’s not crazy in depth.
[00:42:58]
But you’re not just some random person.
[00:43:00]
I call them out of the blue.
All right.
[00:43:02]
It was funny during covid,
I was right up the say.
[00:43:05]
I think I think with March,
maybe April, but I think it was March and
[00:43:12]
coast space coast space where
you can rent office space.
[00:43:17]
Oh, yeah, we’re still open.
[00:43:19]
And she said, hey, I’ve got these two guys
[00:43:22]
in here from Iowa and they’re
wanting to open up another.
[00:43:29]
Office space here in Madison,
because they have a couple of clients
[00:43:33]
and they want to see if they can grow it,
but they cannot figure out
[00:43:38]
like rental or home finding or like
schools when they’re driving all around.
[00:43:43]
And I was like.
[00:43:45]
I’m going to I’m going to give you Gayle’s
[00:43:47]
number and she can get
you through all of that.
[00:43:49]
So they called me up and I said, OK,
[00:43:51]
we can meet outside on our
company patio and met with them.
[00:43:55]
Long story short,
[00:43:57]
not only that, I help them load them up
on what medicine has to offer,
[00:44:01]
that they took back to their
owners to get to come here.
[00:44:06]
They ended up opening an office.
[00:44:09]
They both moved here once in Toronto.
[00:44:12]
The other one,
we’re helping him find a home currently.
[00:44:16]
And his wife was looking for a career
[00:44:19]
in the sciences field
where I contacted our recruiter,
[00:44:23]
gave him the resume,
those to connect that.
[00:44:25]
And she got a job there.
[00:44:27]
Wow.
[00:44:28]
Is that not just fulfilling or,
you know, super cool?
[00:44:31]
Yeah.
And then right now we’re helping them.
[00:44:33]
Like, here’s where the schools are
that you’re interested
[00:44:36]
in and the proximity to where you were
going to work here as a community.
[00:44:41]
And then I will try to bring them so they
[00:44:43]
can get a feel of here’s what these homes
are in the proximity of work and proximity
[00:44:48]
to your school,
no matter your little angel for them.
[00:44:52]
So that was fun.
[00:44:54]
That’s cool.
[00:44:55]
That’s super cool,I guess.
[00:44:57]
What is your favorite part
of doing what you do?
[00:45:02]
You know, so many things are fun, I mean,
[00:45:05]
you know, I’m in this one networking
group where one lady relocated in.
[00:45:09]
She was a top executive and I introduced
her to this woman executive group and.
[00:45:15]
Three years ago, she was the president
of the organization and wow.
[00:45:20]
Yeah, and so she’s like how I found out
[00:45:22]
about this group was meeting,
relocated me in
[00:45:28]
and that feels good.
[00:45:29]
Like, you see how they prospered here
is you can help them find their way.
[00:45:36]
Another experience, what I remember about
five years ago, Jamie Pollachi,
[00:45:40]
the owner of Chick fil A,
was moving here and we helped him.
[00:45:44]
And he’s like,
can you help me meet people?
[00:45:48]
Like, we really want to get
engaged in the nonprofit world.
[00:45:52]
What do you recommend?
[00:45:54]
And so I would meet with him and go like,
here’s the thing that and and it just kind
[00:45:58]
of helped him fast track getting to know
people now with the Salvation Army.
[00:46:03]
I think he’s involved in all
these different places.
[00:46:06]
And I see him there.
And it’s nice to know
[00:46:09]
that at the beginning when he was here,
you got to help them,
[00:46:14]
you know, guide them through what they
to try to figure it out on their own.
[00:46:18]
Yeah, it’s really fast tracking you,
getting stuff done rather than
[00:46:22]
just them piecemealing stuff or
apprehensively looking, I suppose.
[00:46:28]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:46:31]
What is your favorite thing about Madison?
[00:46:35]
For me, with the Four Seasons outdoors
face,
[00:46:40]
I love trails, walking, snowshoeing,
[00:46:46]
biking.
[00:46:48]
So I really and I love the farmers
markets, like the coffee shop.
[00:46:56]
Yeah, I enjoy all of that.
[00:46:58]
That’s cool.
[00:47:01]
What’s it all about?
[00:47:02]
You all along.
[00:47:06]
State Street is always cool.
[00:47:09]
I really liked Madison when we first came
[00:47:11]
here, we’ve been here twenty one years
and I liked that there were kind
[00:47:15]
of touristy things you could take people
that were visiting you two
[00:47:19]
that were still interesting
for me as a tour guide, so to speak.
[00:47:25]
Like the Capitol is always cool,
[00:47:28]
Ella’s deli was cool,
little stuff like that,
[00:47:32]
but the bike trails,
we just recently got into a mountain
[00:47:35]
biking,
like aggressive, maybe not psycho mountain
[00:47:38]
biking, but fairly
aggressive mountain biking.
[00:47:40]
I had no idea that they
had all these trails.
[00:47:43]
Yeah.
And so that’s super cool.
[00:47:46]
Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:47:48]
I would say the the friendliness we
still have that Midwestern friendly and
[00:47:55]
for the most part, so that’s cool.
[00:47:58]
When I first came here,
[00:47:59]
I was told by a boss of mine that you
will never be bored in medicine.
[00:48:04]
You may go broke, entertain yourself
like there’s concerts all the time.
[00:48:11]
There’s comedy, there’s like if you
want to see people any day of the week.
[00:48:17]
You can find his
[00:48:19]
endemics, so I’m sure
that will come back, but yes.
[00:48:24]
And, you know, even even as you
were talking like even the union.
[00:48:29]
Yeah.
[00:48:31]
Mm hmm.
[00:48:32]
And in the union school,
[00:48:34]
we didn’t know about the union until a few
years ago, we like what is the union?
[00:48:40]
What does the union, it never
dawned on me that it was anything but a.
[00:48:45]
I don’t know.
[00:48:46]
I know I didn’t picture a bunch of cool
chairs, outdoor beer garden on the lake.
[00:48:51]
That was not connected to the union.
Right.
[00:48:53]
And see, that’s why we help people
like will mail them each month.
[00:48:58]
Like, here’s things to do when this is
the summer season, the fall season.
[00:49:02]
It’s so fun, too, when you
talk about your supper club.
[00:49:06]
Yeah.
[00:49:07]
You know, when people move here,
they’re like, what?
[00:49:09]
The Supper Club.
Oh, really?
[00:49:11]
Oh, smashing lots of cheese curd.
[00:49:15]
It’s funny.
My
[00:49:17]
my mother and father in law of Minnesota
didn’t know what a cheese curd was.
[00:49:20]
Yeah.
You go to Minnesota,
[00:49:22]
you you’re like Wisconsin junior or
Minnesota junior, one of the two.
[00:49:28]
Right.
Right.
[00:49:30]
But see, that’s that’s the fun of it
[00:49:31]
because then you explain what
that is and fish fries on Friday.
[00:49:37]
And so then for sure, in the summer,
all the activities around the Capitol.
[00:49:42]
Oh yeah.
Always something going on.
[00:49:45]
Right.
[00:49:47]
Madison has made our jobs easy.
[00:49:49]
I suppose that’s true.
[00:49:51]
I suppose that’s true.
[00:49:53]
How I guess in the 11 years that you
were doing this, was it 11?
[00:49:57]
Yeah, what have you seen change over the
course of that decade plus one mobility?
[00:50:02]
This last year is going to be interesting.
[00:50:04]
So as you all know, I mean,
[00:50:06]
as you’re recruited to do what you do,
mobility has opened up during covid where.
[00:50:14]
We had people that were hired,
[00:50:16]
but then they were told,
but our offices are open
[00:50:20]
so you can work from where you’re
at or you could relocate in
[00:50:25]
somewhere like now we’re going to relocate
in and somewhere like, yeah,
[00:50:28]
I think we we’re going to stay
here and we’ll see how that goes.
[00:50:31]
And then, you know, I’ll relocate in.
[00:50:35]
So I think the mobility of.
[00:50:39]
Working remotely.
[00:50:41]
It’s going to be interesting to see how
[00:50:43]
this unpacks, yeah,
to see what will the workforce look like.
[00:50:51]
Will it be a hybrid of virtual
[00:50:56]
and interoffice?
[00:50:58]
Yeah, that’s tough,
[00:50:59]
I would love to say that I have
an answer there, but I do not.
[00:51:03]
That’s a tough we just changed our office
[00:51:05]
to completely virtual,
I gave the crew the option to come back
[00:51:10]
and nobody wanted to,
and they’re doing arguably better remotely
[00:51:15]
than they were in in the office,
which I would have never guessed.
[00:51:20]
All right, I just a little into this
is working out really well, right?
[00:51:26]
And we and we do hear that.
[00:51:27]
I mean,you hear that.
[00:51:30]
I mean,
you hear during covid,
[00:51:33]
we are all on the same storm,
but definitely a different folks.
[00:51:38]
Totally.
The younger people were trying to manage
[00:51:41]
young kids at home,
which probably is still going on,
[00:51:46]
whether that looked like daycare or school
and a computer, I can’t even imagine now.
[00:51:52]
And we had elderly parents
that were in nursing home.
[00:51:55]
One was living on their own.
[00:51:57]
So we had that on the other
scale of helping elderly.
[00:52:01]
We needed to stay safe because
we were going to be around them
[00:52:05]
and everyone had some paperwork remotely
and they were completely by themselves.
[00:52:12]
How do you engage with the workforce from
remote and keep your culture education?
[00:52:20]
How do you know what’s going
[00:52:21]
on with someone personally right now,
unless you ask?
[00:52:25]
Right.
[00:52:26]
It’s keeping a culture that was
[00:52:28]
the biggest
I feel it was the biggest challenge for us
[00:52:32]
because culture is just going to happen
if you don’t meet regardless.
[00:52:36]
But if you consciously make decisions
[00:52:38]
and hire people with personalities that
fit together, that’s much easier to do.
[00:52:43]
And you can interview someone in person
and they can meet the crew and all that.
[00:52:46]
Now we’re relying on Zoome, which is
[00:52:49]
it’s OK, but I don’t know if it’s
necessarily 100 percent replacement.
[00:52:55]
But so far, it’s going on, so I
can’t even imagine what a large company is
[00:53:00]
trying to do on a scale this much larger
than us to keep the culture going.
[00:53:05]
It’s going to be tough, right?
[00:53:07]
Thank goodness for Zoom.
[00:53:10]
For me, it actually opened up
new opportunities.
[00:53:15]
So the micro groups that I
really wanted to be a part of.
[00:53:20]
But by the time I would get there and then
that would be done to get to something
[00:53:25]
else or to get this quiet meeting
or it was just adath on each side.
[00:53:30]
This is on the west side of downtown.
[00:53:33]
You’re looking to get there
right now with Zoom.
[00:53:37]
I’m like, yeah, I can I can get in on some
of this conversation and meet new people.
[00:53:44]
That I didn’t didn’t get to before.
[00:53:47]
Yeah, it’s fair when you
remove that windshield time.
[00:53:50]
That’s probably not accomplishing as much
as you could when you’re
[00:53:54]
when you’re face to face,
even if it’s in front of someone.
[00:53:57]
That’s fair.
That’s a very good point.
[00:53:59]
And, you know, it’s funny because I work
two days at home
[00:54:03]
and then three days at the office
and the days I go to the office,
[00:54:06]
you don’t think about it,
but I literally have a note in my car.
[00:54:11]
So my water, my coffee,
my work bag, my phone, my purse.
[00:54:16]
I mean, all these things, my computer,
[00:54:19]
in case something goes down at work,
I have this for backup or zoom or
[00:54:23]
whatever, and how much time it
takes you to prepare your lunch.
[00:54:28]
Oh yeah.
[00:54:30]
There are all these things and then I’m
[00:54:33]
making trips into the car
and out of the car.
[00:54:35]
Forget something.
[00:54:36]
And I look at my shoe one more time in
the car to make sure I don’t go back and
[00:54:42]
time when you work from home,
like I get up, I make coffee,
[00:54:45]
I turn my computer over and I
can get through something.
[00:54:50]
Then it just seems a little more relaxed.
[00:54:53]
If it’s like it, it’s back to back back
[00:54:56]
zoom like it opened up
my glass sliding door.
[00:54:58]
Step outside for like five seconds.
[00:55:01]
Just get fresh air and then come back in
[00:55:06]
if.
[00:55:07]
Yeah, I think there’s a lot to be said,
[00:55:09]
it’s going to I wonder if it’s going
to turn into a work like mix,
[00:55:13]
maybe because I don’t know if balance has
ever been correct,
[00:55:17]
if you can balance the two, but we’re
just going to learn to mix them together.
[00:55:21]
That’s fair.
Yeah, I would.
[00:55:23]
I would think so.
[00:55:25]
And it’s interesting because it’s not
[00:55:26]
something that I would have
thought that could happen.
[00:55:29]
I would like I was adamantly opposed
to having people outside of the office.
[00:55:34]
So I thought it’s way easier to manage
[00:55:35]
when they’re in the same building
is way easier to form a culture.
[00:55:40]
It’s way easier.
[00:55:41]
I thought.
[00:55:42]
To cover, if any hazard comes along,
like we had multiple pipes of the Internet
[00:55:46]
coming in, one of those goes down,
we have another one.
[00:55:49]
It was backup upon backup so we could
always answer phones for people.
[00:55:54]
And now people are separate.
[00:55:56]
So one person’s Internet goes down,
[00:55:59]
doesn’t affect anybody else
for the most part.
[00:56:02]
So it’s interesting how we’re so against
it and it’s actually working better.
[00:56:08]
So isn’t that something?
[00:56:09]
Yeah, it’s crazy.
[00:56:11]
It’s worse than totally,
totally for us to handle.
[00:56:15]
Yeah.
And it’s actually it’s a positive thing.
[00:56:17]
Yeah.
And even from that, like
[00:56:20]
I haven’t thought of who are the people,
I still really want to stay around
[00:56:24]
who is my core.
[00:56:26]
And so I just emailed the mom, I said, OK,
[00:56:29]
why don’t we just do it on network,
organize it,
[00:56:34]
we’ll have type the same format we used
to do when we would see each other know
[00:56:39]
and and we resumed right on through it,
through covid and continuing on now.
[00:56:44]
And and it’s actually stronger because
[00:56:47]
nobody messes because no
one has the drive to.
[00:56:50]
I can’t because I got a death.
[00:56:51]
I can’t because I’m
going to have a meeting.
[00:56:53]
You know, that’s where I’ve got bad now.
[00:56:54]
It’s like
[00:56:56]
everyone can make it very cool.
[00:56:59]
Well, that alone is huge.
[00:57:01]
I like it.
[00:57:04]
They all share their own.
[00:57:05]
They share insights and their industries
[00:57:07]
that I’m not thinking about
how it affects all of us.
[00:57:11]
Yeah, I have a group that I meet with
every month that’s like that as well.
[00:57:14]
It’s interesting to get
other people’s perspective.
[00:57:17]
I got a friend in retail and then another
[00:57:19]
one that’s still in B to be,
but just in a different realm.
[00:57:23]
And it’s interesting,
like when I talk about my hiring pains,
[00:57:26]
when I talk to the person in retail,
I realize I don’t have any problems.
[00:57:31]
She’s got problems.
[00:57:34]
But it’s just interesting to get
[00:57:36]
that other perspective and they can give
you their perspective or their opinion
[00:57:39]
on what you have going
on different ways to grow.
[00:57:42]
So, yeah, very cool.
[00:57:44]
Yeah.
[00:57:45]
Well, Gail, before I leave you here,
[00:57:47]
is there anything that you
would like to leave with us?
[00:57:49]
There’s something that you
wish I would have asked you.
[00:57:51]
No, I think you did a great job.
[00:57:53]
I didn’t really know if I covered
everything you had hoped for.
[00:57:58]
Oh, my gosh, we’re just chillin here,
learning what you have going on.
[00:58:03]
It’s impressive
all that you’re doing for people.
[00:58:06]
Yeah, well, we enjoy it.
[00:58:08]
I’m glad to have the opportunity
to get to do what I do.
[00:58:11]
And
[00:58:13]
and I love what you do because I will say
[00:58:15]
Calls On Call is important because when we
need somebody especially Realtor
[00:58:20]
for probably maybe the worst,
because when someone needs someone that we
[00:58:25]
live in a world that we want it right now
and that person needs to answer their own.
[00:58:30]
Yes.
[00:58:32]
Know this is really important because
you don’t answer the phone.
[00:58:35]
We go to the next one because
we got we need a response.
[00:58:38]
Right.
Right.
[00:58:39]
They’re not in love with anybody.
Right down the list.
[00:58:41]
Right.
Yeah.
[00:58:42]
Cool.
Thank you.
[00:58:44]
Well, thank you, Gil.
I appreciate you being on the show.
[00:58:47]
Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:58:48]
Awesome.
This has been
[00:58:50]
Authentic Business Adventures the business
program that brings you the struggles
[00:58:53]
stories and triumphant successes
of business owners across the land.
[00:58:57]
We are underwritten locally
by the Bank of Sun Prairie.
[00:58:59]
If you’re listening to this on the web,
[00:59:01]
please give a thumbs up,
subscribe, comment, and of course,
[00:59:04]
share with all the other business owners
or potential entrepreneurs that, you know.
[00:59:08]
My name is James Kademan
and Authentic Business Adventures is
[00:59:11]
brought to you
by Calls On Call Calls, offering call answering
[00:59:14]
and receptionist services for service businesses
across the country, on the web
[00:59:18]
at CallsOnCall.com.
As well as Draw In Customers Business
[00:59:22]
Coaching, offering business coaching
services for entrepreneurs looking
[00:59:25]
for growth, on the web
at DrawInCustomers.com.
[00:59:28]
And of course, The BOLD Business Book,
[00:59:31]
a book the entrepreneur in all of us
available wherever fine books are sold.
[00:59:35]
We’d like to think you our wonderful
[00:59:36]
listeners, as well as our guest,
Gail Johnson, the corporate relocation
[00:59:39]
specialist, and concierge
director of Restaino and Associates.
[00:59:44]
Gail, thanks for being on the show.
[00:59:45]
Thank you, James.
[00:59:47]
How can people find you?
[00:59:49]
I guess the best would be if you look me
[00:59:51]
your on LinkedIn, Gail Johnson and Restaino, or they
could email me, gail@restainohomes.com
[00:59:58]
Alright and that’s G-A-I-L, is that correct?
Yeah.
[01:00:02]
Awesome. Past episodes can be found
[01:00:03]
morning, noon, and night at the podcast
link found at DrawInCustomers.com.
[01:00:08]
Thank you for listening.
We’ll see you next week.
[01:00:09]
I want you to stay awesome.
[01:00:11]
And if you do nothing else,
enjoy your business.
