S1: E7 - From Fired to Thriving: A Bold Journey with Afton Welker

Speaker 1 (00:00.266)
So my name is Aptin, also known as the redheaded roofer. You are listening to a podcast where I talk about the bold moves that maybe weren't my decision, but I rolled with them and used that as trajectory in my entire course. Also some of the bold moves that I made on my own and who has influenced me and helped me to make those choices.

Welcome to Bold Moves, the show spotlighting fearless trailblazers, entrepreneurs and visionaries forging new paths across Arizona and beyond. Each episode we dive deep into uplifting stories, game-changing strategies, and the unstoppable spirit powering real transformation.

whether you're launching a business, chasing a dream or reshaping your community, get ready to unleash your boldness. Join your host, Matt Torres, as he sparks your imagination, amplify action and help you thrive. So buckle up and let's ignite your boldest moves yet. Please welcome our special guest, Afton Welker. So this is the Bold Moves podcast where we talk to Arizona's biggest movers and shakers in business and

really talk about the bold moves at the risks that they've taken in their life. And I'm very excited. I've got a very special guest. I have Miss Afton Welker. How are you today?

I am great. It's been a great start to my day. This is awesome too. So my name's Afton and I am the marketing manager for the East Valley and Scottsdale market for national property inspections here in Arizona. And I have another business as well where I'm the VP of marketing for Shark Business Solutions, which is a business consulting company. We are not limited just in Arizona. We will help other people outside of Arizona as well.

Speaker 2 (01:43.726)
Awesome. I love that. The shark mentality mindset like shark tank and all this other stuff. It's awesome. Very cool. And just to kind of fill our audience in as well, I know you from BNI, Business Networking International, which I think is like one of the best networking organizations out there. But you are our chapter president.

Yes, I am. I am the success syndicate. Yes, I'm the chapter president and you are our life insurance.

Yeah, awesome. And growth coordinator.

and the growth coordinator got roped into leadership. Thank you very much.

no, I actually, you know, I like, I like that. I like doing stuff like that, which is, you know, one of the main reasons like I did the military and I do all kinds of other stuff is just like, I just like doing that sort of thing, but that's very cool. Yeah. Our, our BNI group is growing, which I've been part of another BNI group that was trying to grow and it didn't quite make it. So seeing what you're doing with just the networking and connecting and just building like that is amazing. Because like we chartered like really quick. I was.

Speaker 2 (02:49.078)
I was surprised how quickly and

So with that, I will say there was a lot of back end work, right? So we were informally meeting since October. So the formal part of BNI, yes, it went fast. I was actually talking to Nate Dominguez, who is, you know, overall of BNI Arizona. And he did say, like, I think it's like one out of every three groups does not take off. Like they start and they lose momentum. And I feel like the reason why our group has done so well.

coming out the gate is the relationship aspect of it. We all are committed to the relationships. Because that's really what BNI is about. And I think sometimes people think, I'm just there to be in a room and you're going to guarantee my referrals. And what I tell everybody is you have to change your mindset around BNI. BNI is about the relationships that you make. It isn't even about the money that you're going to make because the money will come. It's the relationships. You and I did not know each other prior to BNI. You saw on social media that I posted about it.

And that's the power of social media, that's the power of BNI, the strength in those numbers. And now we have a group of almost 30 people and we have our launch party tomorrow. And we meet Thursday mornings at 9.30 at the Playa del Sol Presbyterian Church. It's a plug for our group. You can look us up on the BNI website. But I feel like that's really what it's more about. And if you change your mindset, BNI will do so much work for you.

I 100 % agree. And it's so interesting because like I didn't even go in there thinking about like, okay, I need to get referrals. Like I was just going in there because like the networking part and just building relationships. But it's funny because you start to connect with people and you start to get to know people. And then all of a sudden somebody like, hey, I got this person for you. Like, yeah, that's right. I do that. I do like someone that says, hey, you got life insurance. I'm like, that's right. That's part of my business. But it is very true because I think the relationships.

Speaker 2 (04:42.092)
just means so much more than just like a business transaction. I mean, it transcends everything. Like I got my next job from it.

Well, it's funny you say that because Rudy, our financial advisor, right? His wife tells him every Thursday morning, oh, you're going to go and hang out with your friends today. I love that. And it is. I mean, they are my friends. I do love going into BNI. There's a whole lot of work that goes into being the president. I am not about to say, like, I just get to show up and have a good time. There's a lot of work. But I do get to spend time with my significant others in the group, right? So I get to work with him. My friends and people that I didn't

that weren't my friends before now are my friends. And then, you know, with one-to-ones that you do, I'm going to dinner and happy hour and lunches with these people and they're becoming my friends. Nate Dominguez became my friend because I was in Paragon, which is the group that he's now the president of. I can say, I can honestly pick up the phone and call Nate Dominguez and he's gonna answer my phone call. Or I can text him, like I text him one night at like seven o'clock at night and we had a full on conversation, right?

It's more about the relationship piece than anything. And I'm still very close to a lot of people in my former chapter. I refer, if they, if I don't have someone in our group that matches a referral that I need, I still call them. know, I still refer to them. I still reach out to them and vice versa.

Yeah, yeah, no, I still have friends from the last group that I was in that didn't ultimately charter because we were with a, you know, one out of three or was it one out of three that don't.

Speaker 1 (06:17.262)
I think it's either one or two out of three. I can't remember what the statistic is, but yeah.

Yeah, but I mean, I was part of that and we still connect. We still maintain those relationships. Just goes to show that it, again, just goes beyond just the business networking part, but just building that relationship. Friendships That's really cool. Okay, so I have a question for you. in one sentence, tell us what boldness means to you.

I will say what boldness means to me is accepting and loving who you are.

Yeah, it's interesting because a lot of people, myself included at times, don't really like who we are and then accepting that saying

If you don't like who you are, the boldest move you can make is to find a way to be better. What is it that you don't like about yourself? Is it, mean, a lot of times we get caught up on like the what we look like. I'm a girl. 100 % understand, right? I have a list of things I hate about myself, but there's things in my life I'm not proud of that I've done, right? Mistakes I've made, relationships that I've messed up or whatever. And the boldest thing I can do is accept that

Speaker 1 (07:34.89)
that was what I did in the past. Those are the decisions I made, mistakes, whatever they may be. It's time to accept that those were done and make the moves to learn to love myself again and change the things that I have control over. And those are some scary things to make moves around is to accept maybe who you were at that point in your life. And now it's time to move on and to better yourself. And so it doesn't mean you have to light.

what you used to be. It means that you've learned to accept that part of your story and boldly use that to move forward in the new decisions that you're making.

Yeah. mean, even dudes kind of worry about hair, know, the gut and stuff like that. know, they're like, no, it's true. And I think even myself, there's things in the past where you're like, man, but you just got to look past that. What's tomorrow going to bring? Am I going to be a better person because of those? I wouldn't really change much in my past. There's probably a few things, but you can't change the past.

wouldn't be where I am right now if I changed those things. You we see all those silly movies and people saying, I wish I'd go back in time and how it literally changes everything, you know, in the funny, dramatic way that it does. But honestly, like if I changed even some of the small things in my life, I wouldn't be right here. I wouldn't have the relationships that I have. wouldn't have the job experience that I have. I wouldn't have had the education that I had if things had gone as planned in my life.

I definitely would not be where I am.

Speaker 2 (09:10.978)
Yeah, remind I wish I'd go back and put some money on the cubbies. Sorry, back to the future reference.

right? No. But again, funny movie, right? And you see how even the things disappear in the other films like, you know what I'm saying? And so that person doesn't exist if you change even the slightest thing, right? And while I'm not proud of everything that's happened in my life or the decisions I've made all the way around, I am proud of who I am today. And I'm proud of what I've learned from those things. And I'm thankful.

even for the worst parts of my life. I'm thankful for them because I can say you can either wallow in it and dwell in it or you can use it as fuel to make bold moves.

Yeah. It's funny, like you mentioned the thing, the people disappearing and whatnot. Like I remember this was like probably New Year's Eve back in 2005. I was going to my friend's house for a New Year's Eve party. It was like, yeah, come over New Year's Eve. I'm driving and part of me was like, yeah, I don't want to go. And so I turned around and I'm like, yeah. But then part of me was like, not? And so I turned around, I went and met my wife at this New Year's Eve party.

and 18 years later, we have kids and you have a life. And when you say you have kids, like, yeah, that's one thing, but they have like their individual distinct personalities and their human beings, and they're like doing things and they have their own minds. And you're just like, gosh, if I would have decided to not turn around and not go, like these kids would not be here.

Speaker 1 (10:51.478)
They wouldn't be, you know, it's 100%. I got married very young. I was 17 years old when I got married. I waited to have kids, thankfully. But I'm divorced now, right? And I'm in a completely different relationship. But I am so thankful for the 17 year old me who made the decisions that I did. Was it hard? Yeah, obviously it was super hard. But I have three of them.

freaking most amazing human beings that are my children that have wonderful characteristics from both parents. My ex-husband is a great man in his own right. He wasn't the right man for me long-term. We outgrew each other. We changed that kind of a thing. So would never ever say I regret my 17-year-old self. If I could go back in time, I still would have married the man and I still would have gone through all of the hard things we went through because there was a whole lot of wonderful. Another movie quote,

from one of my favorite movies, Still Magnolias, I'd rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special. My 30 minutes of wonderful with him was worth the stuff that sucked, right? The 19 years I spent with him, they were good and bad. And I'm partially who I am today because of the life lessons that I gathered over that time, right? And I'm happy and I'm thankful for it. It just...

you know, you're in the thick of it, doesn't always feel that way.

No, no it doesn't. Wow. Yeah, Steel Magnolias. I think that's a chick flick. So I would not know.

Speaker 1 (12:27.438)
Yeah, Torres, you have not seen still magni-

No, I haven't now my wife's gonna be like, that's one for the list

I'm serious. Like I'm gonna ask you next week at V &I. I'll give you a week. You have got to get right tissue.

Okay, so what's the genre of it? Like what?

Definitely a chick flick. Okay. And it's like late eighties, early nineties. Okay. Sally field, Dolly Parton is in it. Julia Roberts. Okay. It's like one of those probably one of her big things. Okay. I'm not even going to try and go into what it's just, you have to.

Speaker 2 (12:50.446)
Okay, so I got some good actors.

Speaker 2 (13:00.278)
Okay, he said Julia Roberts was in it, so she's a good actress.

She's hot. So it's fine. You can say that. And she was young in this movie. Young. So yeah, no, it was seriously one of the greatest movies of all time. And they made it into a musical and...

interesting. Okay. No, I actually do like some of those movies like Downton Abbey. you ever seen Downton Abbey? that's like a really my gosh. Downton Abbey. haven't seen Do you know?

I've all about it. I'm a little bit rebellious when things come out that are like super duper popular at first. I'm like, okay, let's let it like see how cool it is. And then maybe.

Do you like those like British like.

Speaker 1 (13:36.974)
Yes and no. I have to watch them with captions because I don't do well with the accent. Then me, if I have to watch it with captions, that means I can't scroll on my phone while I'm watching it. There's an attention deficit part of it as well.

Okay. Well, if you do like those old timey British movies that Downton Abbey is actually pretty good. Like it's a series. Yeah. But they also made a couple of movies out of it too, which they're pretty interesting. They're pretty good. Okay. So next question here for you. What's one significant bold move that you've recently made? Okay. And why did you feel it was important to make that bold?

So part of my most recent bold move was outside of my control. So I worked for a local roofing company. I was the marketing manager with them for almost three years, and I was fired. Now there's a debate on that, people will say, because I had received a job offer from a power partner. But I will be honest with you, when I went in and I was fired, I was completely shocked that I was fired.

I've honestly been made job offers like several times. I power partners over the years. but yeah, so I was fired. And so that was outside of my control. but I gave myself a couple of days to kind of be hurt and cry. Cause I did. I mean, you could ask MJ, like I laid in bed and cried because it's a gut check hit to your ego. and then I got up.

And my mom was the woman that taught me my whole life. Like you get up and you get out of bed and you put your makeup on and you brush your hair and you do your best. And I got out of bed and I brushed my hair and I put my makeup on and I got to marketing and I did not look back. and it has been the best bold move for me was to probably what makes it so bold is I stayed, I didn't go into roofing.

Speaker 1 (15:39.896)
But I now market in the same industry that I, one of the industries that I was marketing to, which is real estate. So I daily run into people from my old job, stories that I'm being told of things that are being said about me. Walking into offices where they are, their truck is parked next to my car. I have this on Saturday, Saturday morning, I was at a commercial inspection and I heard a story about myself from one of my inspectors.

from the owner of my previous company that he was told. I went to an event where they were cooking the food at this event and I hold my head up high and I market to the same agents that they're marketing to and then went to across the field at that event to a local roofing company that was their direct competitor was having their employee appreciation event went and sat down and had lunch with them. And I can coexist with my head held high knowing that I was a damn great employee. I helped that company.

scale their business exponentially. And I have nothing that I am ashamed about or upset about because the boldest thing I can say is I was really good at my job and I'm really good at my current job. And I'm not going to let that hold me back.

Yeah. What was the job you were doing before you did marketing?

Before marketing, was a insurance adjuster and a college professor. Wow. I did those simultaneously.

Speaker 2 (17:05.838)
Wait, so an insurance adjuster and a college professor. Yes. What did you teach?

I taught human communication, public speaking, and interpersonal communication.

Really? Where?

for the Maricopa Community Colleges. So I was at MCC, Gateway Community College, and I taught through Rio Salado Community College at a local high school doing dual enrollment.

Wow, that's interesting. So you taught the interpersonal communication. So you're all about that. Have you heard of, what's her name? I always reference her a lot. I believe it's Vanessa, I think Van Edwards or Vanessa Edwards. She's like body language and she's...

Speaker 1 (17:46.956)
I'm sure if I saw her, I'm horrible with me.

Yeah, the whole communication thing, I think it goes together because she does the whole verbal, nonverbal body language thing which is really interesting. how long have you been doing that? Do you still do it?

I don't teach anymore just because my schedule of marketing is so like it changes day by day, right? So when I was an insurance adjuster, it was very much like I work these hours and then I was done. So I could, we had flex hours so I could work and like teach in the morning or teach at night or whatever and it wasn't a problem because I would just adjust my hours around it. I miss teaching a lot. I really do. So kind of a background on me is I have my bachelor's degree in communication.

And then I knew I wanted to be a communication professor. So you have to have a master's degree at the very minimum to teach at the community college. So I went and got my master's degree from Purdue University. And it's in communication with an emphasis on marketing. So that's kind of how I put my insurance dressing together with my marketing and communication background and went into roofing. And it just kind of played out.

Wow.

Speaker 2 (18:53.976)
So right now you do marketing and you do a lot of like face to face relationships, right?

Relationship marketing is what I call what I do. Like, yes, I'm on social media and all of that, but I'm a relationship marketer.

That is like one of the like coolest jobs I can ever think of because I saw a post you made and you were out doing something. I think it was on the golf course or something. like, what a job, right? I mean,

I a lot of stuff on the golf course, yes.

My kids, like Rudy and our group whose wife says he goes and hangs out with his friends on Thursdays, my kids see me at events and I get to go golfing and a lot of times my significant other, MJ, is with me at those things because we market to the same people, right? It is so fun. My job is I get to hang out with people and I get to meet new people and I get to have happy hours and things like that, right? I'm always on the go and getting to know people.

Speaker 1 (19:54.06)
But what I also say is that when I'm peopled out, I'm peopled out. Like I'll have a day where I'm going all day long and I come home and I've literally been shaking hands and kissing babies, like, you know, the politicians and things like that. And when I'm done, like it's like crawl into my bed under my covers. I don't want to talk to anybody. I don't want to think about anything. I just want to like zone out. So it is so fun. I love my job.

More so than anything, I love making connections between people because the home inspections, they will come and they do. But I love when someone calls me and is like, hey, do you know a person that does X, Y, and Z? And I'm like, yeah, I do. And here's a direct referral to that person or I'm going to do a three-way text. And that is actually probably what I enjoy the most is leveraging the relationships that I have to help other people.

When you made that move going into marketing from leaving that last job, did you have any like fears or trepidation or anything going through your mind? And like, if you did, like what did you do to like over, like talk yourself out of it and overcome it?

So as you know, COVID turned everything on its side, but in the insurance industry, really turned, especially on the claim side. It was a complete shift overnight because nobody, you people weren't working. You could work on cars, right? Cause they were considered essential, you know, body shops. But the people that worked in the factories to make the parts were not essential. So there were no parts.

Enterprise rental car or Hertz, they were not essential. So if your car was in the shop getting worked on, you didn't have a rental car. So I loved what I loved about being an insurance gesture is I helped fix people's problems. I fixed your car. If you were hurt, you know, you were, I was paying your bills. Well, all those places were closed like down or you were only being able to be treated, treated like very drawn out timeframe, right? Because

Speaker 1 (22:04.706)
They could only see so many people and whatever. So making the decision to leave the insurance industry was not difficult because I finally got sick of having to have the conversation with people every day saying, I can't help you. can't. People are crying or yelling at me on the phone because what do you mean? don't, my car's not done and you're going to take my rental car. Well, yeah, you only have so much coverage for.

so many days, so much money, and it's taking 10 times longer for your car to get fixed because there are no car parts. Your coverage is what it is and trying to, people don't know what they buy and so you're explaining that. And I I spent more time on the phone listening to that, or having those conversations and listening to people be upset than I ever could actually doing my job. So I left the insurance industry primarily because I,

I was no longer doing what I set out to do. I wasn't helping anyone anymore. But I will say finding my next gig, you know, was kind of scary. I kind of had, I was out there like on a whim trying, taking some kind of odd jobs here and there. And the job with the roofing company kind of, I wouldn't say fell in my lap, but it was a friend of mine of 20 plus years that I worked with at a salon.

knew the COO of that company and they needed a marketing person and they called my girlfriend, Natalie, and Natalie's like, cause she's in marketing. And she said, no, I don't need a job, but my girlfriend does and she'd be great. And so she connected me and my brother knew the owner of that company through BNI. You know, and so all these things kind of added up. The owner of the company lived in my neighborhood. So it was like all these things kind of played out. then, so was it a difficult decision?

not really. It was more difficult trying to find where I was going to land. But leaving, I think that COVID made that decision for me.

Speaker 2 (24:11.822)
COVID.

COVID making me so hard, so difficult to do my job as an adjuster. And then I was newer to the teaching sphere. So to be a college professor, especially the community colleges, unless you want to do research, community colleges where most professors want to teach because you get paid more money without having to do research. I don't want to do research. I'm not numbers person. I don't care. However, getting a full-time position as a college professor at a

community college, there are people that have been adjunct professors for 30 plus years. So I knew even with all my connections, relationships within my community college, it was going to be years before I ever got a full-time gig. So I had bills to pay, I had kids to feed, I was going through a divorce. I couldn't wait around and chase my teaching dream because I had logistics in my life.

So that also kind of pushed me to make the decision to start in the marketing realm. And now that I do it every day, like I could not imagine going back to working in an office. There's no way, like I could not imagine having to sit in front of a computer from seven to three or eight to five or whatever it is. I also couldn't imagine having a set schedule to any degree because every day I'm doing something different and new.

I'm very fortunate that way. I like it. Now, other people probably would not thrive in this environment. And I didn't think that I would. I'm going to be completely honest. love, and I used to really, really love like, I could do my job, seven to three, da da. Now it's like, I wake up and I have a plan for my day. But part of my plan for my day is to know that something's not going to go as planned.

Speaker 1 (26:03.2)
and there's going to be someone that needs me somewhere else and I love that part of it because again it's driven by the need or the desire to help other people.

Yeah, it's all about problem solving. that's one thing that I think I've learned is that there's always going to be problems. Like you can't avoid problems, whether it's like at your job, with your kids, whatever. It's how you address them and try to solve them. that process of like, you know, it's a learning process, really. And I think when you approach it of like, okay, you

welcome the challenge of the problem. It makes life a little bit more like exciting.

It is exciting. like I said, my desire to help other people is what drives it for me. And it was actually something that I was not applauded for in my prior company. They were like, you don't always have to solve problems for people. And I'm like, but I want to. Right. So I want to help my coworkers if they need something or I want to help, you know, a power partner that needs something like that to me is part of my job.

I market to people because yes, whether it was was gonna sell roofs to them or I'm gonna sell home inspections to them. But I want when they think if there's a problem, I want them to always think like, I bet Afton has a solution. Just like with my kids, I want if they come across a problem in their life, I do not want them to be like crap, don't call mom. I want the first person for them. I don't care if they're in the wrong, if they wrecked a car, if they caused a problem at school, whatever it is,

Speaker 1 (27:44.216)
first person I think to call is me. So I live my life that way all the way across the board, whether it's business, professional, personal, my children, whatever it is, I want the first person someone calls is to always to think I'm going to call Afton. I bet she knows someone or that Afton will show up because I will. have friends will call me when they need a kid picked up from school because guess what? I have a job that allows if I'm in the neighborhood, I'll pick a kid up from school, take them home. I want to be that person.

Because I want that my true desire is to be that way, business always, it comes, it works out. Money comes, inspections come, whatever it may be, whatever I'm selling you, eventually you'll find a reason to send me a referral for it. And I know that, that's not my angle.

It's interesting. remember being a kid. I don't remember how old I was. I was probably like eight. And the one of the things that my mom said to me that I still remember like to this day and it always like it's just seared in my brain is she said, you know, do what you love and the money will follow. Like it's don't do things for the money. Like do things that you love. And she's so true because when I kind of stopped focusing on like I got to get the money, like things became easier, things became more fun.

you start to grow more. Like I'm doing things that I enjoy and you're just you're planting seeds, you know, here and there and then, you know, business starts to happen and it starts to follow.

And the thing about that is, is it's not just the money, right? So think about using that in any aspect of your life. For me, for instance, I went through a divorce. When you go through a divorce, most time we all have a phase of, okay, I'm gonna get out there and try and date. Well, that was hell. Like it was hell. Like I was like, this sucks. Nevermind, I'm not gonna date. I'm gonna work on Afton. I'm gonna work on being happy with myself, with my business, with my kids. I'm gonna do.

Speaker 1 (29:42.886)
everything else. I'm not going to focus on dating. And then I walked into an office and I met MJ Cordova. And the rest is history. I was not going in to date him. Honestly didn't think that it was a date when I went on my first date with him. And it happened organically. Right? He says that he sought it out, but I was not seeking it out. And here we are almost two years later.

and I'm not, I just didn't focus on that. So to me, if I'm not focusing on the money and I'm not focusing on trying to find a significant other, you know, they tell you like when things happen, when you least expect them to, and it really to me is true. If you're moving in your life with the right intentions and you're being the best version of yourself or working on being the best version of yourself, everything kind of comes.

doesn't mean crappy things don't happen. Like I'm not one of those people things, if I'm doing all the right things, well, I'm human. Like I'm not going to be perfect all the time and doing all of the right things and figuring it all out. But if my intention is every day I'm going to get up and do my job or do my the best at what I need to do in life, the blessings will follow whatever that is. If that's relationships, if it's money, I haven't gone hungry yet. You know, my bills are still paid. Like it works itself out.

Well, I will say you could not have found a better dude because MJ is like a really cool dude. He'll go to his head. No, I was just I was just saying like just the little time I've spent with him in the new office and just being trained by him like he's he's he knows his stuff and like I've probably learned more from him and his office than in the little time that I've been there than a lot of the time I was at my last.

That seems pretty cool, don't tell

Speaker 2 (31:36.878)
place which is Sezzle.

And my son said that the other day, my son who's 15, he heard one of MJ's videos that he does for Shark. Because I'm the one that has to edit them and all of that. So my son, knows MJ like Sunday night dinner, sitting on the counter drinking a beer while we're cooking. That's who my kids know. I wouldn't say they're stepdad, but mom's boyfriend who is there to have fun and laugh and they joke and whatever. So I was editing the video and it was...

pretty pointed video. It was kind of a video that had some references to my prior company. Like it was MJ's shots were fired, right? But very professionally, right? And my son was like, he heard one thing that MJ said and he goes, that was the greatest dig at so-and-so that I've ever heard. mom and I started laughing and it was a direct referral reference, right? But then he said, mom, he came and sat down next to me. My 15 year old son wanted to hang out with his mom for a minute. And he was like, so like,

MJ's a badass. And I was like, what do mean? He's like, mom, I know him when he jokes and laughs and like we play basketball or whatever. he's like, but MJ knows business. And I said, yeah, he does. And he likened it to my ex-husband's dad, who is a very great businessman. But he's like, yeah, I'll hear Pop on his Zoom calls doing his business stuff. And I'm like, dude, Pop is a badass. And then Pop walks down the hall and jokes and throws something at him or whatever, know.

I think that that's also kind of one of the things I guess that kind of plays into it is MJ does know his stuff and we do talk business all of, mean, he and I can talk business all day every day, but we also can have fun together and laugh about dumb things and then, you know, get right back on track to talk business. And I think he, I learned a lot from him. I mean, I was at one of his trainings this morning and I'm just like, yeah, you're kind of smart.

Speaker 1 (33:36.31)
one reason why I like you so much. And then I take my own notes and things, he rightfully in his own right will tell me that he has learned a lot from me about marketing and relationship marketing. He's like after I didn't hate and he says it and I know he means it, but sometimes it's hard to accept the compliment. He's like, you're the best person I've ever met at relationship marketing. Like you just know how to leverage your relationships and that is a huge compliment. And it is what I set out to do. So I'm thankful that I'm doing it and people notice it.

That's a good sign and you know you're in a good relationship when you both can learn from each other and grow from

And there's no friction because of it. It's not like, oh, you're trying to be smarter than me or whatever. And that is very different than the relationships I've had in the past. There was almost this competitive nature because I am a very independent woman and I'm strong and I've had to be. But I think that a weak man will be, or weak partner, I don't even think I have to be a man, a weak partner will feel threatened by your strength or another will...

applaud it. And MJ will just go do your thing. He'll walk me around a networking event and he'll you need to meet her. He will say that. Other people that I've been with, it was always trying to dim that light. Like, shh, be quiet. Do you always have to talk to someone? Someone always knows you when you walk into this room. And I'm like, yeah, because that's what I'm thankful for. But they don't like that. They don't like that attention. Yeah. It's just very different.

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 2 (35:10.237)
Yeah, dang. Yeah, I was just going to say, MJ gave me some tidbits the other day on glass coverage. And I was like, that's really good. I know how to explain it. And so much I took it and I went to my car and made a little TikTok video. I haven't posted it yet. I'm editing it. this is good stuff. I'm like, keep them coming, man. I need content.

There are things that he says that I've incorporated into like, I wouldn't say my pitch, but like if I'm going to talk to someone about business, there are MJ catchphrases that I definitely use and I won't even realize that I'm using it. And then I'm like, yeah, that's totally an MJ thing to say, you know? But I feel like that's what the relationship aspect is in BNI and all of those things. When you're networking and you get to know people,

That's the value add that new people should have in your life. You should learn things from them. If you're not learning from the people that you're hanging out with, if you're not growing because of those relationships, what the hell are you doing in them? You're not making yourself better. And inherently you're not making them any better. Like there's no value add. And I'm not saying it's transactional. I don't want it to be like, you gave me this and I gave you this. It's more when I'm in your presence, something about you

adds value to me or adds value to the room or adds value to the circumstances, right? So I'm just very much, I feel like if people don't add value in my life, then next let's move on. If our relationship doesn't bring something, not money necessarily, but if it doesn't build me up or help me to grow or help me to change, then why are we in them?

That's one of the things about being a parent is every day is a new thing as a parent. Like that day is the first day you've been a parent to that child at that moment in time. And you realize like, I'm learning from this relationship every day of my life. And if you're not, then are you really being a parent? Cause my kids teach me so much about who I am, my faults, the good things about me, the world. And I'm just like, wow, like this is...

Speaker 1 (37:28.77)
this is pretty cool, but it also is scary and hard and not fun all of the time. And I think that that's what a truly valuable relationship is supposed to be, is it supposed to make you stretch and grow and change. And I don't understand people that stay stuck.

Yeah, it's tough taking that bold step. It is scary. There's a lot to it and it takes a lot to take that move. That's why it's a bold move.

I mean my divorce was a bold move, you know, and I think a lot of people have things those parts of their story that are bold moves that you don't see at the time as being bold and then the hindsight lets you see it and you're like, oh yeah, that was a big deal.

If you were to like look back at everything, the biggest bold move that you've taken or even accumulation of them, what would you say is like the most valuable lesson that you've learned from that, from taking those big bold steps?

It's really funny. was, I actually heard it was a, it's a Tom Hanks thing. Someone asked him like, what's the advice you'd give yourself, right? If you were young again or whatever. And he said, this too shall pass. Good or bad. Like you're, kicking ass and making money and this too shall pass. Something horrible. This too shall pass. What I think the biggest thing I've learned is good, bad, or otherwise, like time continues to move on. And

Speaker 1 (38:57.098)
even when you're in the thick of the hardest stuff, and it doesn't feel like it's gonna change, and it doesn't feel like it's, the time is still ticking. It doesn't matter. So it's how you look at that time, how you view that time. So my biggest thing that I, takeaway or piece of advice is just know, no matter how the lowest part of your low or the highest part of your high, time is ticking. So do with that what you want, but just know you can't ever go back in time.

And you can't predict what's going to happen in the future. So don't sit and wallow in that, the good or the bad. If it's good stuff, enjoy it and use that to create trajectory. If it's bad stuff, don't sit and wallow in it. Use that to create trajectory. Decide I'm going to change the direction I'm moving in because I feel like celebrating wins is super important, but we'll also get caught up in the, I made this much money 10 years ago.

10 years have passed, what are you doing right now? Or I lost everything 10 years ago. Yeah, you lost it, can't get it back. So what are you doing right now? And I think that's what I've learned from all of the bold moves in my life is those were bold moves then. What am I doing right now? Am I using that to create additional bold moves in my life or am I just highlighting my old bold move? Because I could sit back

in my, I got a master's degree. Okay. 10 years ago, you got a master's degree. What have you done with it since then? Well, I'll tell you what I've done with my master's degree in 10 years. And I can list all those things. And I just wish more people focused on utilizing the energy caused by those bold moves to create more than sitting on it. Cause it's going to pass out of the way. Time's going to keep moving.

Yeah, yeah, a lot of us get stuck thinking back then, 15 years ago, you know, yeah, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (40:56.814)
15 years ago, think to myself, in my mind, still 15 years ago, it's a whole other time. now I'm like, 15 years ago was not that long ago. I have a 15 year old son. So 15 years ago, was pregnant. And I'm like, oh gosh. In my mind, I'm still thinking 15 years ago, I was like in high school. No, I was not.

No.

Speaker 2 (41:14.286)
I know, me and my wife were talking about that and we were just like, yeah, 15 years ago, wasn't that long ago. It's like, yeah, it's wild. I had my friend who was an actor on the other podcast and we hadn't seen each other in like six years. And you think that's six years, that's not a long time, but it just goes by like that. And you're like, wow, it's been like six years?

did my son's graduation announcement. he graduated. He's graduating in like a month. And I started thinking back to the year I graduated, right? Like that was such this big idea in my head. 2002 was like, we're the class of 2002 and he's the class of 2025. And I'm like, it does not feel like it was 23 years ago that I graduated from high school.

What year did you graduate? 2002. that's when I graduated, 2002.

So 23 years ago, we were cool. We were planning our graduations. I'm planning my son's graduation. Crazy. I'm getting pictures of him in his cap and gown and bawling my eyes out right now. And I'm realizing, like, it seems like yesterday that happened. And I hated when my mom would say those things to me. But I am that person now. Like, yeah, I have a kid who is almost 18 years old. I have a kid who is graduating high school.

Isn't that cr-

Speaker 1 (42:36.844)
you know, has all these college offers and everything and I'm like...

No, was like, just, no, I was just 17. But really I wasn't just 17. But it feels like I was.

Yeah, no, I'm like, you know, dreading that day when I'm my grandparents age and I'm like, when did this happen? You know, like, because it's coming. I know it is. You know, it's just wild to think about time, right? You know, and it's just like, don't.

It's going to pass either way. What are you doing with the time you have right now? Because you don't know how much time you have, right? We don't know if we're going to live a really long life or super short life, right? So this too shall pass. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today is not even guaranteed. I could leave here today and something happened and you never see me again. So I am trying and that was not how I used to live my life. I have very high anxiety. always was worst case scenario and everything's going to go to

hell in a handbasket. And what I've learned is like, I have to talk to myself and talk through those things like, okay, so you're having anxiety right now, it'll pass. You have some great things that are coming up. Those great things are awesome. Those are gonna pass too. So what are you gonna do the next time? What are you, you know, and how are you gonna utilize your time and be, and move forward and enjoy it, enjoy the ride, good or bad. Like there's a lot of cool things that happen in the bad stuff too.

Speaker 2 (44:00.802)
Yeah. What practical advice would you give somebody who is maybe just like a little hesitant to just make their own bold moves in their life right now?

thing that they can do.

Or what advice would you give them?

I guess I'm gonna use my mom's advice, which is get up and you get ready for the day. Because I also found that like during COVID, when everybody went home to work, right? And I had a team of adjusters that I worked with and they all were in their pajamas working from their computer. And I got up every day and I took my shower and I did my hair and I did my makeup and we're on a Zoom call and they're all like, why are you all dressed up? And I'm like, this is what I did every day before.

And my mom told me literally, I don't care how bad you feel, get up. And it was always put your lipstick on, comb your hair, even if that's all you do that day. You did something. You got out of bed. You got out of your pajamas. And my mom, the most practical part of that was my mom said, you never know who's going to call you and need you or what amazing opportunity is on the other line. And if you have to take two hours to shower and get ready,

Speaker 1 (45:18.636)
And you can't be there for the event that's coming or the opportunity because you didn't get up and get ready that day. And I actually had this conversation with a really good friend, Sherry Espinosa. She was a real estate agent. We were talking about it and her daughter was set to have a baby and she lived in Colorado. And Sherry's like, I was raised the same way. You get up, you do your hair, you do your makeup, you get ready. And so Sherry had bought her plane ticket. Like she was going to go see her daughter because her daughter was scheduled to have this baby.

And she made Facebook post about it and said, you know what, if I hadn't gotten up and gotten ready today, when my daughter called and said, mom, I went into labor early, I wouldn't have been ready. I couldn't have literally thrown a couple things in a bag and gone to the airport and gotten on the plane and gotten to Denver fast enough to be there for when my grandmother was born. So it's practical advice because if you are ready for the day, every morning,

no matter who calls or when they call, you're ready for the opportunity that's on the other side of that phone call. Because anytime I have not been ready for the day, this happened yesterday. I had two different people, MJ was one of them and another girlfriend who called me or text me. I stayed home and worked from home and I didn't get ready like I normally do. I just sat at my kitchen table and got ingrained in it after the gym. So I was sweaty and gross.

Hmm.

Speaker 1 (46:43.726)
And I had two people ask me to go to lunch and I had to say no because I was like, I'm at least an hour out. And they're like, hey, you ready to go to lunch? And it was lunchtime and I should have been dressed and ready to go. Afton's always ready to go. And I missed out on that opportunity yesterday. And my girlfriend posts pictures and she's with a bunch of other women in the industry and I could have been there at this new restaurant in Chandler. It would have been great, great on social media content, great relationship marketing, just great opportunity. And I missed it because I didn't follow my own damn advice.

or my mom's advice and I didn't get up and get ready. And I will, telling you, like I'm kicking myself because it did, it put me at a detriment. The whole rest of it. was playing catch up and then I didn't connect with MJ again until later last night. And he's like, babe, are you okay? What's going on? And I'm like, I've been hours behind because of all of this. And now I missed out on those things. So I hate not being prepared.

And if the smallest bit of preparation is just getting up, brushing your teeth, putting your lipstick on, combing your hair and putting, I don't even care like what it is, just put on some clothes. My mom actually said it one time too, is someone had asked in an interview with Jennifer Lopez, said, there's never a bad picture of you. Why is there never a bad picture of you? And she's like, that's not true. She's like, you're always ready. She was like, I'm not always ready for the best picture. She's like, but I know that there's paparazzi around every corner.

So at the very least, can put my hair back in a ponytail, make sure my clothes match and have some blimp's gloss on. It's up to me how I look in those pictures. And my mom's like, see, even JLo said that. And I was like, well, I'm not JLo. But it's true. If I'm ready for any opportunity that comes my way, whether it's a phone call, a text message, a late invitation somewhere, or, oh my gosh, can you sub my BNI group today? And then you never know who you're going to meet at that BNI group. But if I'm in my pajamas.

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 (48:39.15)
I'm sure as hell not gonna go, but if I'm ready to go for anything, I never know. Are you gonna turn around and not be at that party and meet your significant other or me not walk into MJ's office that day because I wasn't ready?

Yeah. Think of all of those things that could have happened if I had just, you know, followed through or in those cases not been ready for it. And I'm, you know, I really do live by that. Get up every day, get ready. And you make your day worth whatever it's going to be. And maybe you don't get a phone call that day, but are you really in a bad place? Cause you have your clothes on and your hair done and your teeth brushed? No. So maybe you didn't get a call from the biggest

deal in the world or you didn't meet the most inspirational person in your life, but it didn't hurt you to be ready for the day. And it does help you feel better about yourself. It does help you be in a different mindset. Cause if I had to look at myself on zoom and my pajamas all damn day, I'd be like, you know, like, no, that's not the best look. So that's my biggest piece of advice is get up and get ready for the damn day because you're inviting opportunity in when you do it. And even if nothing happens that day,

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 (49:57.442)
You're not out anything. You have brushed teeth and clean hair and you don't smell and you have on nice clothes.

Yeah. It's a mindset thing too. it, cause I used to do a lot of work on the phone and there's a big difference in your voice. Like the way you present yourself when you're dressed professionally, even if it's at home, then if you're like in like your sweats or pajamas or whatever, like it comes across like when you're talking to somebody. Yeah. It's, it's, it's interesting. And it's so funny. Like you mentioned the zoom stuff. It would kind of annoy me when I would see people

100 %

Speaker 2 (50:30.284)
like brag about, I'm not wearing like, you know, pants, you know what I mean? Like, okay, you were in like a jacket, but no pants. Like it affects everything, you know, like if you're

Speaker 2 (50:43.981)
Exactly. Right? Exactly my point. It's so true. it's so funny because like I'll get fully dressed up too, even at home. Like I'm not going anywhere. Like I maybe have like a phone call or a Zoom appointment, but I'm still ready because like you said, I don't want to miss out on any opportunities. Like because somebody might call and say, hey, let's go do that lunch where you're going to meet like whoever.

friend come to my door one time and she's all where are you going and I was like what do mean where am I going I just got home or or she's like did you or she asked me did you just get home I was like no I'm home for a while why she's like we have a belt on and like booze and I was like well yeah like this is just how I'm dressed and she's like huh that's weird and but for me it's not it's not weird for me like to have

Even my pajamas, when I say that, match, right? Like, I don't know, or when I just had a baby, I wore like pajamas, because you know, people stop by to see you in the baby. And I'm like, well, y'all don't need to see me like looking like I'm in pajamas. I look like I had like a dress on. It was a black dress, but it was pajamas. know, like I at least tried and always try to be put somewhat together, because again, you never know what opportunity is going to come your way. MJ is always in a suit most of the time. People are always like, what?

Where did you just come from? have a big interview and he's like, nope, that's just what I'm wearing. You know, and if he's not wearing a suit, it's cause he went golfing. And guess what he was doing on the golf course? Relationship marketing.

Yeah. You ever watch How I Met Your Mother? Yes. Barney, he's always in a suit. Yeah, yeah. It's great advice to by because I mean, I think in the MJ he was talking about in our brokerage, like, you know, we're trying to be elite. You know what I mean? Like that's who we want to go after. And you have to be elite. Like you have to present yourself as elite. And it makes a huge difference when you're talking to people.

Speaker 1 (52:21.623)
Doogie Howser.

Speaker 1 (52:41.016)
Someone actually sent me, think it was MJ, a video today of a realtor who's like, this is how I show up no matter what. I'm in a black t-shirt and jeans and hat. And that's cool. And he's a very successful realtor. And that's his vibe. That is what he hangs his hat on. Right? But I, you know, there's the old adage of like you dress for the job you want, not the job you have. And for me, I did find myself when I marketed for the roofing company.

as a girl walking into a general contractor's office, if I was all dressed up, I was treated very differently. So I do feel like I was more casual. started to realize, I read the room a little bit, like where I was more casual and I met them where they were. But it's different when I'm marketing to realtors who all put, I mean, these women are freaking gorgeous and they're all put together and the men are good looking and they're all put together for the most part. And I'm going to their events.

I don't want to stand out because I'm underdressed. I'd rather stand out being overdressed than underdressed any day of the week. And I joke about that because the first time I met MJ, he had on like a suit. Right? And I was wearing like vans and one of my roofing company shirts and you know, and I joked because I like thought he was this like stuffy, you know, white collar dude. Right?

And so when I went out with him the first time, there was a bet, one of my best friends that I had that he didn't even know how to use a drill. So we're sitting at dinner and I was like, and this time he has short sleeves on and he's full of tattoos, tattoos. And I was like, okay, this is a little bit more of my jam. And I said, I just need you to answer one question. And he's like, what? like, do you know how to use a drill? And he's like, after night, I own a body shop and a power washing company.

You know, I've put roofs on houses and I was like, God, okay, good. This is good because I couldn't imagine being with someone that didn't know how to do those things. I was in the freaking army. I blew stuff up, you know? And I was like, okay, okay. But it goes to show you like he commands a room of CEOs and he's been top executive leadership in a fortune 500 company. Like, and you, if you saw him in his blue collar apparel, you wouldn't think that.

Speaker 1 (55:01.282)
You know, but that's what I also love. However you get ready for the day, you're at least ready to take something on and then you can adapt. MJ can adapt in a room full of those guys or he can go in a room full of men that are, you know, monkey wrenching around and driving, riding Harleys because he loves that too. Me, I was a cosmetologist for, I've been licensed for 20 years. I can go into a room full of hairstylists and makeup artists and...

drag queens or any of that and I can fit right in, but I can also go in and talk insurance and restoration and general contracting and roofing. I had someone say to me, what do you know about roofs? And I was like, well, I've been on a lot of damn roofs and I've been under cars and I've had to, you know, I can talk about that. I can also talk to your doctor about medical bills and all of that, because I adjusted those claims too. And I can talk to you all about real estate and home inspections and I can go into any of those and.

I dare you to underestimate me because I, it doesn't matter what it is, I'm really confident in my skillset. So, but if I wasn't dressed and ready for whatever that may be, I couldn't do that. But I can switch my hats and I can change into whatever I need to because I'm prepared. As long as I'm prepared, as long as I'm dressed, I'm telling you, I could not do that if I didn't have my teeth brushed and I didn't have my makeup on. I would not feel confident enough to have that conversation because I would be

self-conscious about not looking professional. You know, so again, it all kind of just ties back to being prepared and I make the bold moves that I make in my life because I prepare every day to be ready to make a bold move. I could meet someone tomorrow. Like I met my current boss at an event with the roofing company, marketed to her, became friends with her. I didn't know two and a half years ago that I was marketing to my current, my future boss. And we became such good friends.

Hmm.

Speaker 1 (56:54.378)
that when it came time, she was like, you want a job? And that's because I was always prepared and met her and nurtured those relationships. So again, it just comes down to being prepared and being ready for whatever you can do to put yourself out there to make the Cause you don't know when those moves are going to, opportunities are going to come. And when you're going to be forced to make certain moves. Could you imagine if I hadn't been prepared when the roofing company fired me?

now.

Speaker 1 (57:22.912)
and I had to figure out what I was gonna do. But now I was prepared. I could have called one of about 100 people and been like, hey, I need a job.

because I was prepared and I was in the right and I knew that I was not a bad employee and all of that. So I knew I was ready to go and make a bold move even though the move was, the initial move was not my decision. Cool. Well, I made it my move, made it my bitch. I made it my thing and I did my own thing. And now I'm happier than ever and thriving and again, so.

This too shall pass. The crappy moment happened. I cried, I laid in bed, I was so upset, I was so hurt. And now here I am and my business is doing really, really well and I'm happy and my reputation is thriving and I don't have to worry about that negative thing because this too shall pass.

Yeah, it's crazy the bold moves like so I'm at the new company and I'm telling them like, hey, this is who I am because they don't know me. I'm just giving my bio and I throw in myself about my software development stuff and my AI and because I do a lot with AI and I build stuff and they're all looking at me like, did you know this? And I'm like, no, like, okay, well, this is really cool. And so I'm like talking to Mike and he's got all these ideas for AI stuff and like, yeah, I can do that easily. he's like,

Okay. And then he asked me, Hey, we're, we're, part of this group. It's a bunch of like elite people. And, know, we're having a guest speaker talk about AI and I'm allowed to bring a guest. I think you should come. Yeah. I don't even know what that is, but it sounds cool. And I'm like,

Speaker 1 (58:58.926)
to.

Speaker 1 (59:02.574)
That is a big deal. I'm just gonna be honest, you're being invited to sit among some really cool people.

Really? Yeah. Wow. Don't, don't fuck it up. Okay. Like get the, get the nice suit out. like,

Don't mess it up.

They won't care about that. super cool guys. know Nate Diming isn't one of them. But yeah, no, Jento's are cool.

Really? I'm really excited because it's AI and I'm like all about AI. But I was just like, somebody invited me to like, this is like really cool. But you know, it's just amazing. opportunities, you know, and you just go talk to people and connect with people and yeah, yeah. And I'm honestly like where I'm at right now, probably I wouldn't be here if you hadn't made that post and me saying like, there's an opportunity to go and.

Speaker 1 (59:29.87)
opportunity.

Speaker 2 (59:45.888)
And it's just all connected, you know? And it's just amazing how things can just grow and develop.

degree of separation, like, you know, seven degrees of separation with Kevin Bacon or whatever. Like, it's so funny. But like, even in our group in our BNI group, every person in that room is connected somehow. Even if it's like third, fourth, fifth tier, whatever, like we all know someone who knew someone that started this group. And I feel like it's that way and almost

everything, even where you work. told you, like I dated Mike's little brother in high school and you know, and now my significant other is the sales manager and trainer for that, you know, like it's silly, but it's the truth. Now had I burned all these bridges and I mean, and been like a brat, like we all be in this situation. Maybe not, you know, but it's funny because I wouldn't have thought that a kid I met my junior year of high school.

Someday his older brother who I had never met then, know, was gonna be a really good friend of mine because I do consider Mike to be a very good friend of mine and then introduced him to MJ and him and MJ hit it off and you know, like it's this it's this intrinsical circle of like things just are always flowing and it's what opportunity you're ready to Snatch up when it happens and I'm thankful for that. I'm so thankful for the opportunities that have come my way

and for the opportunities that I've also let go. Right? Because there are moves that I didn't make and I look back on those and I don't regret any of those. I'm like, nope, I didn't take that job offer. And it's probably a good reason that I didn't take that job offer and things like that. So again, you have to be prepared to listen to the opportunities and then hopefully you're also prepared enough to make the right decisions for you. And then if it's not the right decision,

Speaker 1 (01:01:44.046)
quickly move on. Yes. Pivot and move. Because it doesn't mean that you just ruined your whole life because you took this job that maybe you didn't like somewhere down the road or whatever. Because although the two and a half years I spent at the roofing company, I would describe as very difficult in my life. I learned so much in that two and a half years. And I'm thankful and I'm more resilient because of it. And

Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12.43)
I'm much more selective in who I live in my life now. And I won't put up with certain behaviors and I won't, if I start to see those behaviors in people, I'm like, oh, yep, not for me. And I didn't have that backbone until I got out of it. And now can, hindsight has helped me see, oh, I let those behaviors happen. Not happening ever again.

Hmm.

Speaker 2 (01:02:22.178)
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:02:35.298)
Lot of

definitely painful yeah but it was growth

As we're coming up on time, I've got some quick fire questions for you. So what is your favorite book or resource for bold inspiration?

Anything by Jefferson Fisher. He has a podcast and a book and he's on social media. Follow him, look him up.

Awesome. Really?

Speaker 2 (01:02:55.566)
I I saw some of your posts about him. Really, really good stuff. Best place or best piece of advice that you've ever received.

best piece of advice I've ever received.

Speaker 1 (01:03:12.706)
I guess the same thing with my mom. Just always be ready. Get up, brush your teeth, put your makeup on and put your clothes on and be ready to go. Just be ready.

Yeah. Last one. In one word, how would you encourage our listeners to be bolder?

Grace.

Extend yourself some grace and whenever you have the opportunity to extend it to others. There is growth and mercy and abundance in grace.

Especially since we've all been given grace already. Correct.

Speaker 1 (01:03:50.848)
And I feel like some of the greatest things in the world can be accomplished by looking at someone and instead of being like, why did they do that? Think to yourself, what happened to them that made them make that decision? How can I extend them grace? And I feel like your greatest leaders in the world know that grace, and that's actually something Jefferson Fisher says. As Jefferson Fisher said, we think of confidence as being loud and aggressive and perfection.

when he believes that confidence and great leadership means you know how to extend grace.

I gotta find this guy.

He's amazing and if he wasn't married, sorry MJ, I would be going after him. He's a personal injury attorney in Texas. goodness. And he's quite possibly like just one of the most well-spoken people on the planet.

Hmm, okay. Now you got me intrigued. The well-spoken part, but check it out. Okay. Where can I listen, where can I listeners find you? How can they connect with you?

Speaker 1 (01:04:52.046)
So on social media, you can find me on Instagram. It's the redheadedroofer. Also sharkbusinesssolutions, East Valley NPI. And then on like Facebook, it's just Afton Welker. There's a redheadedroofer page on Facebook, but more people engage with me on the personal side on Facebook. So it's just Afton Welker. And then you can find sharkbusinesssolutions.com. That's our small business or I should say our business consulting company.

where I can help you find your business development person and help you to train them and get them up and running so that they're out there relationship marketing for you, or I can teach you to do the same thing. At East Valley MPI or npi.com, you can find us. I'm all over the interwebs and doing my thing and I would love to help connect people. You can also come and visit us at our B &I Success Syndicate Thursday mornings. Even if your categories are taken,

like come and meet people. mean, Matt, had you stayed away, you wouldn't be where you are, even though PNC, know that thing. So to me, you never know who you're gonna meet in that room. And it's a room full of badasses. So they know someone or we'll help you find a BNI chapter, but help us come and visit. Thursday morning's 9.30 at the Playa del Sol Presbyterian Church.

Yeah, I think that's on base. That's what I think people get confused about is like, my spot's taken. I'm not going to go like that's we can. There's still opportunity to put someplace.

It's on Warner and Clint.

Speaker 1 (01:06:24.394)
So you never know who's going to be in that room that's from another chapter that is looking for people because that's how AJ, our contractor, our residential contractor, I went to Paragon, subbed for my brother. The contractor spot there was opening up. And so he came to visit Paragon, but they kind of already had someone queued in for that position. And so I met AJ that day. Nate Dominguez was like, you need to go to Afton's chapter. And so AJ came the next week.

I met him there and shook my hand, introduced myself. He came the next week and now he's our residential general contractor in our group. So don't, just show up. Come and have fun. Tomorrow is actually our launch party. This is going to be not published by then, but yeah, just show up because even if your spot is taken, people in that room have, we all know people in the industries that you're looking for and we know groups that are open right now.

We are going to have a guest page for you on the Bold Moves podcast website, is boldmovespodcastaz.com. So there'll be a special page for you there with all your links and everything. So if any of our listeners forget where to find it, they can always go there and that will be up there permanently. So everyone can check that out. But yeah, this has been the Bold Moves podcast. We've been talking with Afton Welker on discussing her bold moves that she's taken in her life and how they have affected her and made her grow.

Awesome, thanks guys. Check out on the next episode. Catch you soon.

You can find me on Instagram at the redheaded refer. You can call or text me 480-433-2883. Also can find me East Valley NPI, National Property Inspections or Shark Business Solutions.

Speaker 2 (01:08:09.538)
Thanks for tuning in to Bold Moves with Matt Torres, where we celebrate Arizona's fiercest innovators, risk takers, and dreamers. We hope this episode sparked fresh ideas and fueled your courage to take action. Remember, real change begins with that first brave step. Stay connected for behind the scenes insights, exclusive episodes, and community updates. Follow us on social media to share your journey. For more inspiration, resources, and connections, visit boldmovespodcastaz.com. Until next time,

Keep daring, keep dreaming, and keep making bold moves, wherever you are.