[0:22] Opening, Chris Wilhelmi Introduction, and the Human Side of Legal Advice-------------------------------------------------------------------------------[0:22] Hello and welcome to Show Me Yours. I am Reanna Werner and I'm here with my co-host Brian Werner. How's it going? And you guys, I get to introduce you to my friend and longtime advisor extraordinaire, Chris Wilhelmi. Chris is one of the managing partners over at Colorado Law Group. Chris is my go-to guy. Anytime any of my clients hear me say, we got to talk to legal about this or we need to get a legal consult, the first place you will be sent is an intro email directly to Chris. Thank you, Reanna. I appreciate it always. He is the person I trust the most when it comes to just the legal landscape here in Colorado Springs. Even more so, it's not just that. Combined with his knowledge and appreciation for small business, he understands where the risk and reward when it comes to compliance and legalities and all the issues we face as business owners, where they all intersect and that's a really complex place to live and advice.[1:33] I try to I try to be very conscious and very deliberate and practical advice and thinking about all these things when doing these things. Well, you do a good job. Thank you. I really appreciate that. Yeah. we always say around here, people will do people things. The people will be the people. That's right. The humans, they keep us in business, don't they? I hardly ever judge. There's a lot of judgment that goes into that. There's a lot of kind of depends and lots of specifics and a lot of uniqueness to There is. That's a spice of life. I know. Living in the gray and Yes. Absolutely. None of us sitting around this table would have careers without human. Without the human element.[2:15] That's a fact. So true. So true. Oh, while the human element is messy and yucky and dirty, it's also fascinating. Absolutely. I don't want to I don't want to ever lose it to AI and the idea of yes, as crazy as it is, as as perfect as we can be, there's something beautiful about being imperfect and, just getting through and having that struggle. So, I kind of love that as well. Yes. I do. Yeah. It's one thing we've been talking[2:42] AI, KPIs, Handbooks, and the Limits of Automated Advice--------------------------------------------------------------[2:42] about. How do we balance AI, use it to be able to do more for our clientele? Yeah. But not lose that human touch. Yes. Not rely on AI so much from an external standpoint where, we're all of our customers are just interacting with AI and then it's getting frustrating and then all of a sudden they're "Oh my gosh, 911. I need a human being that I need to talk to right now because I'm sure we've all had those experiences. Absolutely. sometimes when we have to engage customer service and sometimes, well, right away I'm I need a human because that's the only reason I'm calling because my problem's that big enough. I don't pick up the phone and call you guys unless I have something complicated. Right. Or, getting the idea of, um, I've checked this on AI. I've bounced it off of a couple platforms. I think I know the answer. and then coming to one of us to either validate it or I mean just really think more broadly because yes that answer maybe it's tuned into who you are and what answer it thinks you want but but more broadly of did you put in all of these circumstances and all these factors that really need to be considered as opposed to a best formulated question that you think is really good that doesn't capture your situation. Well, exactly. I've got a great example and I don't think this client will mind that I bring this up, but she contacted me this week and she's thinking in the right place. She wants to put together KPIs for her CEO's evaluation because she's in charge of her CEO's evaluation.[4:16] Yes. she's a board chair. so anyway, so she's thinking through all the right stuff. So she plugs it into AI what kind of KPIs should I look for within this industry, within this market, right? this AI result. It was it was adorable. That's the only way I could put it. It was adorable. It came back with 30 different KPIs. I would say probably 90% of which the CEO would never have any direct impact on these KPIs. Not to mention, does the company or the organization even track these KPIs? Is it even possible to do so? Yes. and does it even make sense for the goals of the organization? Right? So, I kept pushing back on her. I'm "Okay, well, did you think about did you start with the goals of the organization?" what's the mission of the organization? What's the goals of the CEO? Is this where you want to drive him? Just trying to meet these metrics because we all know where that goes, right?[5:17] Right. Oh, man. So, you got to literally walk it back and say these 30 are not great. Too much. Yeah. And and so we need to almost start fresh. Yeah. Your brain is in the right place. It's it's we definitely want KPIs, but let's walk it back and start with that human element. Absolutely. Who's that human in that seat and what are they supposed to do? And how can these KPIs Oh man. Yeah. support that. And even let's reflect over the past year let's really think about what the business is or isn't doing just let's get specific. Exactly. Likely those 30 just didn't hit, you know? It was just very very 30,000 foot view of KPIs for CEOs and that's sad.[6:00] It's ah we're taking a lot of time to just get past this point. I know this is supposed to be more efficient but let's just reset. Yeah, exactly. I mean all three of us could sit here and predict. Had this board chair executed 30 KPIs only on a performance evaluation and not talk to me, could you imagine what that would have done to the organization as a whole? culturally and then but I mean just even just from from the reflection on this person as well to be what were you thinking and you brought this to us and this was something that you're measuring us against or oh and how insulting. I know. And then you you have to try to recover from that. So yeah, you lose some credibility. That's for sure. You do. You do. I had Chris I'm so sorry to say this. One of my clients actually used another local attorney for handbook review and the local attorney put the handbook through AI and came back with AI generated feedback on the handbook. Yeah. And it was interesting.[7:08] I haven't done this yet, but it do tell it was so it was pretty bad. Bad. Yeah. I mean, it it literally gave illegal guidance on this handbook. I had to go back and push back on this attorney. I'm "Did you even read your AI?" It had the AI generated, how it has the emojis, the long dashes, it was not proof read or anything. It said that there was no cap on wages for jury duty. I'm "This is 101, kid. This is not I wonder if they I don't know pulled that from somewhere and again it's were you Colorado specific in your query all these things that we didn't think of you had some good intentions but now you have to reset the clock on something as basic but we want to fine-tune it to the business. So it's a shame. It was. It was. And so, yeah. One thing we found sometimes it'll go into what was proposed legislation, but it didn't pass. That because once again, it thinks it's a trusted source. Sure. But it's not at this point able to deduce between proposed Sure. or finalized. Sure. Sure. and it just comes to that conclusion and then spits out, wow, that is that's an interesting angle. I haven't even encountered but that I could see that happening. So, well, yeah. I mean, the bill tracker is just so easily accessible. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's endless that bill tracker. It is. Oh, it is. And it's public and it's easily accessible and it's a difficult to read. I know, but it's very difficult to read. It's this is kind of boring and it, I'm just scrolling and scrolling. Okay.[8:52] Unless you're us sitting in this room. Yeah. Well, I don't know. Sometimes I want the cliff notes. I mean, I always I'll start hasn't passed yet. Yeah, that's Brian, too. I geek out on ooh, what's out there? What's that? I know. Occasionally I'll do the heads up, but very occasionally, and usually that's because another source has told me that this is making its way through and it's, on the governor's desk for signature. It may or may not happen, whatever it is, or a veto may or may not happen. And it's okay, that's now I'm tracking. But yeah, other than that, I have, on proposed bills, I really I don't dive in. I really don't. I'm what is the law now? Yeah. I got to stick to that. Yeah. I get Do you get asked those questions occasionally on what's coming? Exactly. Absolutely. On Well, especially I mean[9:41] Changing Employment Laws, Small Business Pressure, and Documentation---------------------------------------------------------------------------[9:41] it was pretty hot what, 5 years ago, four years ago, and regards to all the changes in wage law. employment related laws. It's they Yeah. Wait, who that out? Does he have I'm a little Come and gamble. I guess we need some money. Do you want to turn your ringer on? I did. Okay. I thought I did earlier, but I think I turned it back on when we were hanging out. So, it's all Oops. No, no, but that um it's one of those things where I was it was too much for about two years, maybe even to three years where it just kept things get kept getting passed constant constant it was okay I all the best intentions however the implementation of this stuff the interpretation of this stuff that's all behind you can implement as best you can but then does it actually add up to what the intent of the bill was it's True. And then even getting an interpretation or an info, it's that's not coming for a while. So, exactly. Yeah, that was pretty frustrating. We're still waiting on, shake out a few aspects of the same laws. I think we split the same life, because we helped a lot with the implementation of said laws. Yes. And we're still waiting. There's so many great areas in a few of these laws that came to pass a few years ago where you could take it one way or the other. And I keep saying, we'll wait for case law to come out. Case law will tell you.[11:15] It'll tell you exactly where we need to go with it. And there hasn't been much. Well, case law usually takes several years. It does. Yeah. At best. At best. For you, you maybe talking five to seven before you even have something that's even getting filed at that point. And then potentially I tell them we live in the gray gray area. I know. I know. And then even the statute might have changed again. and there might be another iteration of it and it's oh man maybe oh well that non-compete law that's a big one it's just last summer there was an iteration to it yes certain provisions of it regarding physicians changed but the rest of it but it just kept getting tweaked Yes. And it's oh man, we need some stability just to operate, right? Because we want to follow the law, but how do we follow the law that keeps changing? Exactly. I get that question all the time. No, I know. How do I know what to follow when it changes all the time? It's very It's a fair question. It's a fair point. And I think there's unreal a lot of unrealistic expectations on businesses especially to say just because it is implemented, you need to not only know it, but abide by it. And doesn't really matter if it cost you anything.[12:30] Exactly. Of course it matters. that really does matter a lot. and I don't think there's that much reflection or there needs to be more reflection on that the practicality of it. Yeah. So, h I lament especially for small business. I mean, that's the matter of someone often times paying their mortgage payment or not. I mean, I know these laws while it may be a drop in the bucket for a corporate environment, correct? Small business means okay well their daughter is no longer going to ballet classes. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's the tough part. Yes. You look at family and while it's a wonderful law and and I don't dispute that whatsoever, it's a huge investment both on the the monetary side as well as the manpower side and they're losing double time because of that. Correct.[13:18] Because they've got team members who are out a lot more than they were. Correct. They have to backfill that productivity plus they have to pay their contribution towards the fund. Yes. It's tough. I'll tell you I used to when looking so being in California and trying to understand because they had much lower levels and this is geez 10 15 years ago they had much lower levels on number of employees and you'd look to something FMLA and ah that doesn't apply this is 50 or more got it and I always thought or my mindset at that point was well we don't want employers to game the system and to just keep it 49 employees or do something that and just over the years realizing that that that is not driving decisions.[14:03] No, it's not. It is not. It doesn't matter. And so what happened it seems is that just making it so one employee qualifies on so many different statutes. And then it's how does that employer absorb this when someone is out for potentially 12 weeks? How and how are they supposed to really absorb it? And and it's not even, you know, again, they're not necessarily flushed with cash. They're, they have high seasons, they have low seasons, they have good weeks, they have bad weeks. I mean, all the fluctuations of small business. And that is supposed to be just this even keel, wonderfully, thought of, but super hard to necessarily or to implement and to actually have for a very small business.[14:50] It's true. So, it's true. Yeah. It's um best of intentions and then what is it really? How does it happen? So yeah, absolutely intentions and then you compound. I've had a whole bunch of cases recently of speaking of FAMLI and small businesses. You guys fix your documentation. Okay? Have conversations with your employees about their performance. no matter when it is or how hard it is or whether you got time on your calendar or not because I'm going to tell you, I've had so many issues lately where they've got a poor performer. Yeah. They've been problematic. Suddenly, they go out unexpectedly out on a FAMLI. and then it comes time for the employee to return.[15:40] And that's when the employer now wants to take action. I know. And I have to sit there and tell I know, right? And that's what I had to tell. Sorry, your hands are tight. Yes, exactly. Couldn't you have talked about it when this was actually happening? I know, right? I know. I know. And yeah, again, the human nature, but the idea of okay, well, this is not the time to be doing it. Let's let's address what needs to be addressed and not try to talk around it and find fault or flaw at this point. That's a real problem. It really is. Yeah. I know. If it's an organization at such risk and then I have to tell companies often, sorry, you can't do anything because you didn't say anything about it all those months ago, you accepted it. I know. And now you have to accept it today, too. I know. Passive approach. Yes. And just taking Yeah. Let's take ourselves out of this equation. Let's, put our uh juror hat on. Oh, boy. Yeah. We don't know anything other than this.[16:41] There have been no writeups. There have been no performance there. Not not even emails criticizing there's a whole lot of nothing but you're telling me this was a pretty bad person and gosh you were really thinking about it's like underperformer where is it exactly and now you want to do something and oh man like all I can say is that I can advise that this is a really bad decision. You go ahead and make your decision. You an adult u but I will tell you this is against my advisement. So, yep. And here are your associated risks. And yeah, I know. I know. That's what we do all the time. Can't tell you what to do, but here's your riskreward. Yes. Exactly. Exactly. Recommend all day long until we're blue in the face. It's really up to them to That's true. Follow the recommendations. Oh, so true. So true.[17:31] Follow your your attorney's recommendations, though. I advise other all advisors, actually. I mean,[17:37] The Bucket: Biggest Misconception About Entrepreneurship----------------------------------------------------------------[17:37] that's why you hire them. So, yeah. Chris, what do you say we jump into the bucket? Okay. Are you ready? Let's do it. Yeah, we are. I think I'm ready. Do my best. I think I can. I think I can. We should have filled it with some beers. Oh, what did I pull out? Another beer. Are you thinking my beer's in a bottle or just beer? Big old pale with ice a boot. Okay, Chris, dive on in. All right. So, should I just pick one and then read it out loud? Correct. Okay, let's see where we're going here. Yeah. Hit us with it. H. What's the biggest misconception you had about entrepreneurship before you started your own business? Oh, boy. Yeah, I that one. That's nice and thick.[18:27] The misconception about entrepreneurship. Uh, so do we start in the round? Do we start one at a time? Is this uh whoever wants to talk? Actually, what? I'm going to take this one first. Are you Are you going to take it for the team? So, I knew it was going to be hard and I knew it was going to be long hours. I knew that I was going to wear probably about seven or eight hats in the beginning where I was going to be IT and I'm marketing and I'm BD and I'm also a CPA so I got to do tax and then all of a sudden people are hey can you do my books and I'm sure but I've never done anybody's books so I guess I'll figure this out as I roll. And I was also making sure that, I found space, keep the lights on, pay the bills, and bring an income in. So, that's probably not all the hats. I'm probably missing a couple, but you get the idea, the general gist. I didn't know it was going to be a roller coaster. And let me explain that. I didn't know that there were going to be these tremendous highs that, and I'm starting to feel it in my body right now. I'm getting those tingles and kind of that, just I'm remembering all this where the tremendous high was "Wow, I, accomplished this and it feels so great and I feel amazing." And it would sometimes I would get this rush of emotion.[20:07] I would have this emotional rush and I'm I'm not really an emotional person. I'm kind of a a robot mostly. You're not a robot. You've been killed. Yeah., he's even right. I'm kind of a processor. So sometimes if you hit me with something, I'm "Nah, let me chew on that and give me a day or give me a weekend." Right. I think it was actually Alex Hormozi that was No, was it Alex? Yeah, I think it was Alex Hormozi came out and said, "Don't make any big financial decisions unless you sleep on it maybe 24 hours." Right. And so those there there were those tremendous highs. But then you make that even if it was a small mistake or it could be a big mistake where it's you forgot to do something for someone and you missed a deadline and it just got swept in the 89 other things that you were managing and had to pretty much follow through by a particular date. um or it was something that you promised to somebody and then all of a sudden you're "Oh gosh, I fell behind forgetting." Right? Now I have egg on my face because I did promise you that and what can I do to make it better?[21:24] Right? So it's you would hit that low where did I make the right decision? Am I cut out for this? Am I fit to do this? am I the right person? I mean I know I've shared that with you from time to time and I've shared it with you. I mean, we have those moments where it's just like, what are we doing? We don't know what we're doing, right? I lit in our garage last week, right? She did. Yeah. She took a, beautiful log and she was just "Yes., I'm going to hit this on the the workbench." almost chopping wood. Almost with wood cuz I was so angry. I had it. I was that's a good release. It was It was productive. It was better than anything else. better than throwing a glass across room and all of a sudden you're why did I do that? And now it's going to take 30 minutes to clean up. Exactly.[22:19] So, yeah, I would say the roller coaster ride because it is it's highs and lows. Yeah, I feel sometimes you're up here, things are going well, you feel you've got it figured out, and all of a sudden there's something that comes that kind of creates that cliff that you start to come down and you're I wish I knew that was coming or I wish I knew or prepared better or something, whatever plan, right? Yeah. Crystal ball. I mean, whatever you want to call it, right? just hey, I wish I had the foresight to know and I could have avoided that. Y yeah, I think um mine maybe three, but they're very um disjointed. They're not connected necessarily in any way, shape, or form was I thought process would solve nearly everything. if I just have the right processes in the right SOPs, the right then that solves everything and it's again that human element but also it really matters on implementing the same processes. So having the best SOPs or best processes down is really not as huge of a step as I thought it was going to be. So I you coming from a GE background where they absolutely or it was very um adamant on process repeatable deliverable you can just do it anyone can do it and you can implement it and that that was something that I had ingrained in me and as a former engineer it makes sense. Yeah. I am a robot I just need to produce repeated quality work. Got it. Here are the eight steps to create the widget. Exactly. and it's just that easy. And it's no, it's not. And going into, I guess, small business and entrepreneurship is that's that's great. However, it really doesn't solve as many problems as you think it will, especially when it's small business. It's one thing when it's a, very large company. Corporate entities are a whole different because they've got a training department that will train those SOPs.[24:33] Correct. And they have all the technology to back it up and they got some resources to back it up. Exactly. The measurements are either there or they can be created equal quickly. And the idea is we can get this done and it's small business not so much. The other would be um you're missing the cover sheet on the TPS report. Exactly. Exactly. It's great movie. Yeah. I mean it's just that simple what you missed step three and okay who cares about step three? No. another would be the reliance on subcontractors or other vendors and how really important it is at least, to certain critical parts of the business that you're not performing and you don't want to perform, but if they don't get done, it's oh my gosh. Oh, seriously. As as simple as a copy machine, old school, if this sucker's down, we got a problem.[25:26] Yeah. Especially in your business. Yes. Yes. And it's silly things that. I mean even today like hey not today T but if the phones are down or the the internet is down or something is down and it's I have no control over that and I'm fully relying on this other entity how critical that is and I underestimated that going into small business. And then the the third would be I am I'll take from what you were saying Brian is the idea of I'm just really hard on myself on mistakes or um misses. Yeah, just complete misses or small misses or anything that was gosh, I didn't mean for that to happen, but it happened. I'm just really hard on myself. And as an entrepreneur, I you know, you can't you really, you need to get past these points. There's no time to, wallow and just think about how bad you did. It's just keep going. and probably you're the only one who's really criticizing after the initial issue. It's you got to let that go, man. So that keeps me up at night. It's ridiculous. I know. And yeah, I have I have issues with that. That's my wife. So yeah. Yeah. We try to move forward the next day, but I'm every once in a while I'm we'll have those items that, this one's kind of lingering a little bit, but we even woke up on Monday, yesterday, and we're it's brand new week. Yes. It's brand new week, brand new energy.[26:56] And sometimes you just almost have to wipe the slate clean. I call kind of the shortterm memory. You have to have a shortterm memory in this game. You do essentially. And you do and just fire and forget or Yeah. Just keep moving forward. Oh yeah, I did have that but I'm not worried. Yeah. You learn, cuz you have to learn, right? You have to learn you can't have that, ego where it's oh, that was the customer's fault or whatever. In reality, it was our fault. That's what I find once you take that accountability right away. Yes. Most people are usually just like, I understand. I understand. hey, you're human. what? We've been working together for 7 years and this is the first Exactly. lip or little speed bump that we just hit that we're just going to crash the plane.[27:45] Yes. You're but I thought I No, you you didn't crash the plane. You We're still flying. A little turbulence. That was it. That really was that was it. Keep flying. Yeah. So, yeah, I hear it. Oh, well. The other thing I wanted to say was with processes, I'm kind of the same way, too. But, one thing I've learned over the years is when you can have these processes and you're "Okay, this is going to work fantastic." I would always refer back to McDonald's or like Starbucks, right? Starbucks, they're "Hey, you got 90 seconds to pop out this, frap right to the next customer coming through the drive-thru." But when you have people that don't follow the process, or maybe they follow step one through three and then they skip four and five and then they go right to six, seven through eight, right? And then all of a sudden your quality comes out. Correct. Or you have an error. Or did they find efficiencies?[28:45] Yes, they could have found efficiency possibly. Possibly. And you want that to be known. But no, it's not you a lazy employee is my favorite employee if they can find that. Yeah. If they can and they're hey faster, step three, four, and five can be b combined into one. Exactly. why aren't you seeing that? but no. And and then when you have I don't know 10 whether it's 10 drinks or 10 processes. It's they do they do three of them very well, three of them poorly and then four of them I don't know it depends on the day and and that's also and then that's part of the quality output or the quality of the output and yes it's that that in my engineering mind it drives me nuts and okay so oh yeah okay you guys mine is how expensive business is business when I mean before you become an entrepreneur you're really not exposed to a P&L or a balance sheet or Quickbooks or the AP ar the the whole system I was all day long you're I'm an anomaly though but even when you were working in a firm you were looking at their P&L right you weren't living that everybody else you weren't managing the cost of doing business.[30:14] And so for for me, I think you always see the top line. And that's kind of what everybody promotes and says, "Well, we brought in you $1.5 million this year. Aren't we great? Million, 4 million, 10 million, whatever the number is." Yeah. We're a $5 million company. Everything's glorious. Look at us. Yes. Exactly. But everybody fails to acknowledge and see what happens below that number. Yes. Right. That top line is really freaking expensive, right? You've got a $5 million company. That means more than likely your payroll and wages is probably minimally three depends on what industry two to3 million. All right. And that's just annual wages. Not to mention insurance, taxes, I mean just basic equipment, training, all of these numbers. And in business, have you guys noticed basic phone service is more expensive. Everything is more expensive. Yeah. Don't sign up for the business plans on anything. Actually, Amazon, Amazon, they get you to sign up for the business a week after week. They sucker you in and they give you inflated business. Ridiculous.[31:33] It's true. It's insane. How freaking exciting. Business insurance for your vehicle. Yeah, don't Yeah, I know. Just have good insurance. It's just unless you have a fleet,. Every time I look at our P&L, I think I want to vomit because it's just That's a great point. Yeah. It's It's scary to see what those dollars It's It's almost prideful and exciting to see those dollars coming in, but then you want to get sick seeing them go out because it's the moment they come in, they go right back out. It's so true. You're paying $400 a month on snacks. You're not even that good. Don't let Brandy hear that. She's going to murder you. No, no, no. She's already got a budget. She's fine. That's great. $400.[32:24] $400. Oh, yeah. That is the budget, right? How about that? And I do have to say I believe strongly in the snacks because quite frankly, it's a mindset thing. If you're in a meeting and your stomach's hungry, guess what? What are you going to think about? Exactly. Exactly. I want you focus on what I'm saying, not your stomach. So true. So, $400 well invested. We have pretty good snacks, too. Oh, sweet. We do. We'll get some during the break. Yeah., I hear you on that. And then the Dr. Doom in me then chimes in, well, what if you have a bad month? Because there's underlying expenses ain't changing. And you're oh my gosh. And because you you either can't react that quick or it's just not reasonable to react that quick. But you got a bad month and it's okay that's Dr. Doom. That's Dr. Reality. It happens to all of us. Yeah. We all have bad months.[33:16] Yeah. And and I seem to envision it. And then what can I do to plan for it? It's oh man, rainy day fun. Well, what? How productive is that? And what can we do to trim expenses to be as efficient as possible? Will that will that hurt our topline? all all those things. to that guy. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's kind of a constant battle, paralysis of analysis sometimes, too, cuz it's You're right. It could be just temporary, too. Yeah, it really could. The swings are really incredible cuz sometimes it's you said the doom, right? That only la It could last for a couple weeks, maybe a whole month, could be 45 days, but then all of a sudden, once again, it's kind of the roller coaster. Yes. Yeah. Everything looks fine and dandy because finally some of those receivables came in, especially some of the chunkier ones. okay, now I can breathe, right? I can breathe. I'm not, that's one thing.[34:17] That's always it, right? I can pay the line back. We're good. Yeah. Yeah. Dr. doom over here. Always make sure we've got reserves, we have a line, and we're always trimming the fat. That's a constant for us just to make sure everything is good. And we have a busy season and we have a slow season and we're getting ready to go into our slow season. summers are always so slow to talk to us. They're all camping, fishing, hiking, playing at the pool, playing with the kids. And I'm we get no love during the summer. The bliss. I get it. I get it. I wouldn't want to talk to me either. I know. I know. Yeah, we're not that I mean, we're cool, but we're not that cool.[35:01] Yeah, there's there's there's slow seasons as well in the legal industry, at least in mine. And it's usually in in the summertime. And then often times, um, except for trying to settle things out. It's slower in December, around once Thanksgiving hits, unless you're really trying to settle or get, that wrapped up, which is not as frequent in litigation. And it's like that's a slower season. That's kind of nice and I'll take that. I will take that. But um otherwise, yeah, the summer time, yeah, people are just aren't necessarily in the mood to sue. they're just not feeling it. they got other things to do. And good for them. That's good. They're getting vitamin D.[35:41] Exactly. Maybe. Hey, there you go. Pressure. Yeah. How about that? I think same here. I actually have less employee investigations. I have less HR issues. It's just quiet. Everybody's happy during the summer. Happy. Everybody wants to get their taxes done instead of silver. I'm not sitting inside in front of a computer and getting you anything. Yeah. Go ahead. No, go for it. I'm just saying this would be an interesting study. southern hemisphere around, the July time, very active or very not, but like northern hemisphere. Hey, everyone's happy. we're soaking in the rays. just for your next PhD. How about that, Reanna? you can analyze the behavior of employers and employees.[36:24] That would be really interesting. No, it wouldn't. We actually track full moons around here. Do we do? We do. We find employee behavior tracks with the full moons. Whenever it's the week of a full moon, something goes off the rails. Freaks come out at night. That's interesting. Yeah, kind of. So, you actually you're you're you've got some data behind that. I do. I do. I it. I bet you if we were to actually, pull data out of my CRM, you would see a spike in our CRM entries. Interesting. Around great full moon. Yeah. Right around the full moon. It's always we and we always have tracked it and it's always rung true. Interesting. And when we see that spike sometimes there's been times I'm we'll see a spike in be employee behavior and I will literally say to a colleague is it a full moon this week? and we'll look it up. And sure enough, I'm I would say my accuracy is probably 90%. That's so interesting. Yeah. Watch. I bet you it'll probably be the same for you. Pay attention now. I know. I will. Yeah, you got you got the spark going. So, I'm curious like get more thing mentioned and reminded me. She's "Full moons happen every month." And I was "Oh my god, wait. Now I got so gonna be this." Exactly. We got to track it. Yeah, maybe we should plan around it.[37:44] There are certain moons that are stronger. I think it's quarterly are the strongest full moons. I forget which ones they are, but there's there's stronger ones. Those are the ones that are really just But it's always a Yeah, it's always around a full moon. All right. Yeah, I will keep I'll keep an eye on I guess mood flows with the tides. It's just gravity, right? it's gravity. Look at the tides. I mean, it's a physical thing. Yes. Yes. It affects us. It affects the tides. Yeah. And it affects I guess behavior in a negative way. How about that? one of those things. So makes us less grounded. Exactly. I that. we're kind of a little lofty. We could do a wholeic caring or Yeah. peaceful. Yeah. All those things are out the window or we feel more anxious. Yeah. We we'll we'll look into it about that. That sounds the next trillion dollar question or idea. Well, yeah. Yeah. And if you could figure out why.[38:42] Figure out why. And then why the full moon makes you look crazy. Yes. And and then implement some sort of change around it or hey, it's coming up and this is how we're going to adjust. And that adjustment actually results in a meaningful decrease in craziness. And you're okay, marriages will be saved. You guys, there you go. We're on it. Exactly. This is how we're going to front this. We're going to get ahead of it. Everyone's taking a walk. They're going to a party right now. And Yeah. And it's celebratory though. We go home and celebrate something. I that. All right. All right. Okay. All right. We got our big idea. Yoga and Jin in the park. Great.[39:27] Measurable differences in employee happiness, employer happiness, and peace all around. Exactly. It's amazing. I it. Okay. All right, Chris. We're going to keep on going. It's time for another one. All right, another one. Here we go. All right,[39:43] When the Perfect Solution Was Wrong-------------------------------------------[39:43] make it an easy one. Share a time when you were absolutely convinced that you had the perfect solution only to realize later you were completely wrong. Okay. All the time. Yeah. Can we do a fun cloud that's like tunes? I got it. I can do anything I want. I always wanted that one of those. I always love that in the comics. That's a good call. It's just all the uh what was it? All the symbols like the number sign question mark. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. I got to think on that one. Well, I mean this this would be completely, the first examples that come to mind are just within marriage and my own suggestions that my my wife would say, "You're so wrong." And I was so convinced that it was the right way to go. But from a business side, h I think for me it's more marketing stuff. I suck at really trying to get marketing. I'm good at branding and graphics and language and context and all of that, but finding the channels for our marketing has always been a struggle. And there's been so many times I'm like, "No." And I'll go and sell Brian on it. And Brian doesn't let go of money. He's like he's he's tight fisted a lot. Yeah, you're too fast.[41:27] So, I usually have to convince him, especially when it comes to kind of the the soft thing of marketing, right? And I'll go to him pretty regularly and say, "Okay, no, this is the channel. This is what we're doing. We're going to we're going to we're going to see a return. This is it. This is it. This has got to be it." And sherish it every time. I have yet to find a good marketing channel or a good marketing stream that truly produces a tangible, qualifiable, trackable lead source that yields an investment return. Yes. Yeah. And I'm so sick and tired of the whole adage, well, it's brand recognition and and the clicks and the impressions. I'm clicks and impressions and brand recognition needs to give me money. Yes.[42:21] Right. That's the exchange. Yeah. This is how it's supposed to work. I don't care about this without this and I keep doing this and I'm not getting this. And so I feel I've failed all the time and been wrong at this because this isn't here and it's or you got to spend money to make the money. But I can't spend it. That is that much to make. I better 10x that, right? And it never really it pans out or it does not. And you're just hensive, too. Yeah. So expensive. Oh my god. Yeah. We're lucky. Sometimes we're oh, that that was no X. And then the next month we're like, that was like.7x. Yeah. And then it just creeps up, but then it never it doesn't deliver. Yeah. There's no explosion. Right. And you Sometimes it's a time thing too, right?[43:15] they'll say, "You got to give it some time." Yes. Let it kind of build up, within whatever. Absolutely. this needs 18 months. This needs 12 months. You're "Oh, yeah. 18 months at $1,500 a month before you see results." That's a lot of months. Yeah. Yeah. I know. That's a tough pill to swallow. It is. Yeah. Yeah. So, I probably tanked about $100,000. Yeah. That's painful. Yeah. It No, of course it is. Yeah. And it's funny because the first thing that comes to my mind was not marketing but also implementing a a tool that I thought was really going to change the landscape, really help us in the firm in trying to trying to improve on efficiency and speed and quality. And it just it hasn't delivered. And it's just I don't want to give specifics cuz I'll just name a brand, but I'd rather just say it's I was pretty convinced. Yeah. And I was I was, drinking the juice. I'm that's a good sales pitch. Yeah. And it had some AI part of it. it had that angle. It was still early, but it was this this particular tool has been so disappointing.[44:37] And it kind of is just it's buying a I don't know a a basic car and you're "Okay, it gets us from point A to point B." Yeah. But here's what I was expecting. An enjoyable ride. Uhhuh. A ride that, keeps me cool and comfortable, reliable, and always delivering. And it just it just hasn't. Yeah. Which is Yeah. reliable. And it's one of our most expensive software. Oh, no. And it's so hard to move away from a software. And go through another implementation. 100%. It's not even just the lock in. It's okay, well, now everyone's kind of used to it. So, what do we do now? Yeah. And I'm oh man. And it's almost to the extent where again, the feeling is I can't change because it would require the retraining of over 20 people to then have this new tool that what is going to be better now? are you sure, Chris? Yeah. I'm I don't know. Yeah. And you got change management, SOPs, downtime. down, confusion, duplication. right now, we've got duplication of systems. Oh, I know that's a burn when you have that. You're I could do it there.[45:54] I could do it. What do you want me to do? Yeah. Yeah. So, that's that's where, again, I really thought it was going to solve a lot of issues and it hasn't necessarily created a bunch more, but it just hasn't solved. It's just kind of we're limping along, we're doing fine, and yeah, great. H that is disappointing. Almost buying a car and you see the 89 features it has. Awesome. And then all of a sudden you drive off the lot, you're driving and driving and all of a sudden you're "This car actually only has 50 out of the 89 features, right?" And that was pretty much almost false advertising. I thought I was getting these other 39 features, but yeah, the demo was great. It was I guess No, it's They were showing you the other car that we rented buying. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.[46:49] Yeah. It's It's kind of deflating. It is. I know. Cuz then I'm "What did I drag us into?" Oh, man. Okay. How do I get us out? Oh, that's going to be worse. Yeah. So, yeah, we always find when you have to make a change and especially if it's a heavy lift. Yeah. You have to be at a maximum pain point pretty much, right? I am done. I have had enough and we're making a change and we're going to start our communication plan immediately. That uncomfortable place of change is more comfortable than being there. It's crazy because then you also get um employee buyin as well. So you're also trying to mitigate the amount of push back or just general resistance and understandably so. It's I got all my employee everyone's frustrated but we had to get to that point.[47:41] Yes. That means you're in a really bad place and now it's going to be as bad another quarter to just get through it and Oh yeah. I know. Yeah. So yeah. So I would say for me I think when I meet people I always think the best in them it's a clean slate. I always think positive and then especially with folks that we've brought on in the past is we've had partners um in the past we've had other employees of course client clients right and sometimes in the beginning that honeymoon phase it's fantastic right it's exciting it's new it's okay we've got all these fantastic ideas we are going uh do all these great things right and sometimes it does start off that and it does I mean it's a wow we're building such a great storyline and and I'm not saying with all people cuz I'm we've got some incredible people and incredible clients that are still with us today right and they have not it's been a great story but there's been others where it's it starts great give them all of your trust and you believe in them and you believe in their abilities and you believe in what they say they're going to do and then at some point in that journey it's almost this complete 180. Yeah. And you're almost go into this state of shock what happened? What did I do? You don't even know what happened. What did I say that was wrong? Where did where did I not love on them? Where did I not support them? Where did I not guide them?[49:32] Absolutely. Yeah. You're not picking up the phone and returning our phone calls from our clients. You're not returning emails. you've been ignoring our just these moments where a bomb goes off. Yes. And then we're cleaning up the mess. And I still to this day it's why why did it go wrong? It started off so just beautiful. And then it turned into a complete pile of hot steaming dung. Yeah. In the end. And where the why with why the heaping pile of dung to to clean up. Exactly. Right now we're on cleanup duty. Yeah. Clean up on all aisles. There's some everywhere. Yeah. The pipes are bursting, power's out, and everything's spoiling. Right. That's It's true. And it really is. It's funny when you say the honeymoon phase or you meet it's someone at the wedding, right?[50:41] And then you everyone's dressed to the to the they're on their best behavior. Yeah. It's oh, this is great. And then, you really start getting into and Yes. I mean, occasionally it certainly happens. and I think it's really, you just you play the numbers and it's most of the time it works out, ? I mean, if you if it really was going south all the time, it's you're going to be in trouble. But we're exhausted. Yeah. I would say there's probably on I could count on one hand um where clients have just completely let me down and they were not what was presented what was that initial offering and even while we were dancing it's like everything's good but a few months in maybe several months in something and possibly was a situation but either way they are just different or there's some really important facts that We're hidden. Yes. And it's that. Okay. That's a that's that is a really big problem and we have to address this. I mean one hand and that that's I think that's pretty good. And just but the but when it did happen Oh just get you. Yeah. It it it tanks a case and you're that's that's a real problem. Oh we got to get this thing done.[52:02] Yeah. Yes. Heavy. That was a heavy question. That was a heavy I'm not picking really well. You want to pick here? Yeah, I am. I'm here. All right, let's see what we got. Some good stuff. All right. Good ju. All right. There's not going to be any good juju.[52:26] Small Habits With a Big Impact--------------------------------------[52:26] Okay. What's a small seemingly insignificant habit you've developed as a small business owner that has a surprisingly big impact? Positively or doesn't say. Okay. Let's go positive. Okay. Let's do a good thing. Yeah. I think it would be a posit Yeah. big impact. I mean, that's got to be a positive. I know yours hope. I mean, I don't have that many skeletons in my closet that I'm going to be "Oh, well, I do this." And it has a negative impact on the community. So, uh, I mean, the small things honestly it it seems to be communication. Yeah. And, it's not necessarily natural for me in the employment context to just be walking around, you know, talking and doing whatever, maybe needs to be done in the office, that communication. But when I do it and when I have been doing it and my paralegal and I are really tight and so it's so easy to communicate and just do it on a daily basis. Yeah. And it's it's great.[53:32] Yeah. and there's it's not it's not about anything. It's about getting stuff done. Yeah. and that little piece which it's it's it's just so simple, but I've never had it naturally, but certain arenas once it's done, oh my gosh. And I and at the old firm I used to work at, the managing partner just walked. And it wasn't to avoid work, I don't think so. But it was just to get a pulse, see what's going on. He did it every day. Yeah. And it was reflecting on that it was kind of powerful. I love that. And it was awesome because everyone just, knew to talk and that's an okay thing. And it wasn't about just talking to talk. It was what's going on. So that's my long way of saying that little communication piece really has a huge impact.[54:26] It does. It does. And it's so much more effective to talk through versus electronic methods, written methods. It takes forever. What you can say in an email this long, you can say in 2 minutes. It's just And you get, the tone and the influx and even just so much more context to the story. Yeah. Important to do that one-on-one. I know. Good for you. Well, on in that regard, I think it's one of those things that it's actually worked out really well. Yeah. And then um in other regards though, it's I'll go to the negative real quick. What's a bad habit? Checking emails at night, doing the things like that is a very bad habit that I developed that I still struggle to remove myself from.[55:11] And why, Chris? why is that such a hard thing? And it's cuz my brain's kind of wondering and I wander right back to that phone and it's oh man. So anyway, that's my negative on that. a bad habit I had to fix a few years ago was not just checking the email, but responding to email late at night, especially to our team. Because when the boss emails you at 11:00, they feel because they're checking their email, they feel they have to respond. So true. And so I created this really bad cyclical communication after hours impeding on their personal time thing. Yes. And so one thing I did was after I started realizing how quickly team members were responding and it was it was happening way too much and it wasn't my intention, right? I started scheduling emails and teams messages to go out. I would still respond cuz I had to get it out of my brain because I'm you I just have to. I don't think that part of me will ever go away. It's just ingrained in me. But then I started scheduling them. So now our team members know if they get an email at 8 amactly at 8 a.m. Reanna was working last night. Understood. And I I totally understand that. Totally understand. I've done the same thing. And um and it's I'm still "All right, even the scheduling, I just want to get it out of my brain because I don't trust myself to fully remember it or to capture, this this amazing thought that I have." Yeah. Once it's gone, it's gone. Once it's gone, it's gone. I better do it. And and it's and it's kind of fear that's it is fear that's driving me to do that which is not a productive ultimately or healthy behavior. It's uh it's true. Come on, Chris. Yeah. Takes away from the family, your time and just just being in the moment, right? Cuz you're even sitting on the couch and again my wife will probably be "Well, I'm hearing you say it, so implement it." I feel like being on the couch and what am I what am I really thinking? Yeah. am I in that moment around or am I just thinking about that one email and it's oh yeah. So, it's okay, you're on the couch. Do you want to keep your brain in that one email or just handle it and be done with it?[57:31] Exactly. So, I know. Gosh, we're we're screwed. I know. And this is why the machines will take over. And then we could sit on the couch and enjoy. Exactly. Exactly. The plenty that will come. Do you guys ever get those emails where could be late at night and all of a sudden you're uh, that kind of irked me. Oh, that was a, Yeah, that was not a great email to open up. I should have skipped over that 4 in the morning and Yeah. And all of a sudden you're kind of dwelling on it and weekend killers impacts sleep or it's a tractor beam. It's just kind of drawing you in and you're oh I want to do something but I can't but it is and it's come on Chris get over yourself get over this email. It'll be fine. That kind of thing. Yeah. There's been times where I might be scrolling through and it's after hours or the weekend. Yeah. And I'm I'm not reading that one because I just know, exactly. I just know maybe it's something that's been ongoing or maybe it's just a, it could be um, where it's a situation that, maybe a client's worried, maybe the IRS is "Hey, you owe us, 100 grand or whatever." And I'm "Hey, no, you don't. You're good. You owe them nothing. We just got to get this taken care of. We got to write them. We got to call them, you know." Yes, we'll get it worked out. And I'm with the any government, I'm sometimes it takes three to six months to, get that zero. Exactly. Right. Speaking of which, let's start driving this home. What was yours?[59:09] Oh, what's your habit? yeah. My habit. Oh gosh. I don't know. Positive. Positive. Positive. Positive habit. Here, while you're thinking, I'm going to make this short and sweet. I think mine is trusting myself more. I've I've early in my career, I didn't trust myself very well and so I didn't speak up and I didn't find my voice. But once I found my ability to speak up and give truly the uncensored truth as a professional, I find more success and I find myself giving good guidance and giving the the information and tools that people actually need rather than holding myself back out of fear. Yes. And so I think that's been a really good habit, but it took years and years and years to train myself into just simply trusting myself and what I've trained myself to do. That's excellent. Yeah. Yes. I hear you on that. We have to all of us.[1:00:19] I know. I mean, I think some maybe there's some instinct there and there's exceptions but generally speaking what did I really know in my 20s? what did I really know about this particular topic? And yeah, maybe biting my tongue probably saved some embarrassing situations, but yeah, just having that confidence and be what, and I found the same. Yeah. And you find your voice or you find just the confidence to express and to express it with confidence. Yes. It's I'm actually pretty certain on this. Uh-huh. I'm I'm ready to listen, but at the same time, let me just tell you, and usually it seems to work out. It does. Yeah. Which is cool. That's very cool.[1:01:00] So, okay. What's yours, Dave? I'm gonna keep it short and sweet. So, I'm professional and serious, but probably more behind I would say the serious part probably a little more behind closed doors, okay? just from an executive standpoint where we're "Okay, we've got some issues, right? We got to work through this." So, I might get a little, and I'm when it's the dayto day, I'm kind of a goofball. Yeah. And I'm I kind of to I'm you you never know when your number's going to be called, when So true. our time is up. And I just really making it as fun as possible. I want to be for this place to be fun. The team actually jokes around that they need to get him a t-shirt that says HR violation. Yeah.[1:01:49] Yeah. I am. So, I mean for example sometimes someone's "Hey, so and so is here for a meeting." I'm like, "What's up?" I don't know. Just Yeah. Keeping it light, keeping it fun. And, making people So, I to make people smile. Yeah. And Yeah. you want to have an enjoyable there's always going to be those moments where it's okay I've got to be professional or I can't but even with clients sometimes be I know you're pretty light let's make this fun right yeah we're talking about taxes or your financial performance or your company or whatever but let's it doesn't have to be bland it doesn't have to be blah so true right on right on right on[1:02:33] Closing, Contact Information, and Wrap-Up---------------------------------------------------[1:02:33] Chris this was fun all All right. Oh, you're It was fun. How are you feeling? I'm good. I have no idea, from the camera perspective. I always don't what I sound don't what I look and here we are. But none of us do. I'm a sound too. Yeah. I don't my voice. Yeah. I think it's I'm parents sometimes it's okay. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. Certain angles, but like hopefully I got some good angles. I don't know. But no, thanks for having me. It's kind of a little waistline here,. I know. I suck it in. Maybe, a little extra neck up, what I mean? So, Chris, why don't you tell everybody how they can get a hold of you? Sure. So, at Colorado Law Group, Chris Wilhelmi 719-63542000. And we have um a variety of practice areas. I do civil litigation, employment law, business, and construction would be the top three. So happy to uh take inquiries and um free consults. So in terms of that, call us uh with your needs. Your firm handles so much more though. I do trust estates.[1:03:42] I can do the bigger plug. Yes. Yeah. I mean they do it all. This is kind of your one-stop shop for most legal needs, right? Yeah. So we do a lot of transactional business transactions. the wills, trust, estates for sure. A lot of times that goes hand inand business owners planning. Yes. And that's one of the things we excel in. U we also do family law and we also have just general uh real estate uh practice which is kind of nice. So mostly commercial not necessarily anything that if you're transacting on a single family home probably not a lot of forms involved but on commercial real estate ventures. Yeah we're there. So, yeah. Well, you guys, I said, and if you have a hard time getting a hold of him, you call me. I'll get you in touch.[1:04:33] There's the hack. The bat symbol off. Good stuff. Well, this was uh boy, I think we are at season 2, episode seven of Show Me Yours. So, um, boy, we dissected a lot of information today. Gosh, everything from, um, employees to financials to marketing botches on my end. and so much more, the good, the bad. Yeah, we I think we covered the good, bad, and the ugly. And if we didn't scare you off from being an entrepreneur today, tune in next week and we can scare you off in our next episode. This is Show Me Yours with Reanna and Brian and our friend Chris. Thanks for having
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