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Rounding the Bases with Joel Goldberg Podcast was created to share the stories of men and women in business and entrepreneurship that are both well knowing and or hidden gems. Joel believes that everyone has a story and their story matters which is why Joel is eager to connect with individuals that are bringing value to their community through innovation, leadership, entrepreneurial journeys, and developing company culture. If you would like to be a guest on Joel's podcast please email us at joel@joelgoldbergmedia.com.

TRANSCRIPT:

SHEP HYKEN

Joel Goldberg: Welcome into rounding the bases, the podcast about culture and leadership and business with a baseball twist this podcast comes out weekly every Monday, and I would love it if you would give it a five star review on iTunes and if you're looking for more

JG: Monday through Friday live at nine a m is the video version. So different guests. It's five days per week and you can catch that.

JG: On my Facebook page. Joel Goldberg media.

JG: You can search on YouTube for rounding the bases live so a lot more content there, feel free to reach out if you have any guest suggestions info at Joel Goldberg media.com as for this episode. My guest is an expert. And I know we use that term quite a bit, but Shep Hyken.

JG: Truly is an expert. He's been speaking on stages all across the globe for the better part of four decades.

JG: He is a Customer Service and Experience Expert known all over the world. He's a Hall of Fame speaker New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author

JG: Being a newer speaker myself. I understand that that world has changed.

JG: Because the stages aren't available anymore. Having them speak virtually just like we're all on zoom calls and chef has made that pivot. So instead of hopping on a plane. He can

JG: reach audiences right from his home in St. Louis. He is a high energy guy. His programs can focus on anything from customer service to customer loyalty internal service customer relations customer experience.

JG: Bottom line, he's all about making people better. Here's my conversation with Chef hiking. When you and I met a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to have you on because you're a guy that has such

JG: You know, a unique perspective in terms of the amount of people that you dive in and build relationships with around

JG: Not St. Louis, not Missouri, not the Midwest, not the country, but around the world. And so, first and foremost, I mean, Shep Hyken been at this thing, since what the 80s, early 80s, maybe early age into

JG: Yeah, how'd you get into the business of speaking around the world and customer experience. I will. What was your path to get here. Yeah. And by the way, just prior to jumping on this show. I was talking to clients over in India, so

Shep Hyken: I and it's amazing. My, my, we have you know my version of a podcast is amazing business radio and we track. What countries are listening. Most and India's always number two or three

SH: Have a bunch of friends over in Australia, you know, thousands of friends over there, they're falling anyway.

SH: 1983 I graduated college in 82 and I was working for this company, and I'd work for them summer jobs. And while I was in college, that was it was a full time job kind of executive training program going to school work in their

SH: Graduate think this is it for the rest of my life and three months later they say we're selling the company.

SH: And that's it. What am I going to do with myself. So we can go all the way back even further. When I was just 12 years old I started my first business site. I had a birthday party magic show business.

SH: And eventually I graduated to doing nightclubs and actually one of the best jobs ever had at age 16 was comedy and magic at the Playboy club. That was my job, I get the entertain.

SH: At the Playboy club. What a job for a 16 year old kid anyway grad college work. I had my regular job and of course on the weekends at work in nightclubs.

SH: But when I found out I didn't have a job when am I going to do. I saw a couple of motivational speakers, you probably know who zigzag LER is and Tom Hopkins does a lot of sales still around today.

SH: And I said, you know what I could do that. I have the entertainment background, I have the, you know, business background.

SH: Why not. And so I wrote a speech, and it was all focused on customer service and that's where it all started and I stayed in that lane service and experience really for the last almost 38 years 37 plus years.

JG: And here you are still I'll go right to it, though, the world has changed yet.

JG: You are still busy and we we use the pivot word every single day, but you have no choice. I mean either sit and wait for it all to clear up and say, Okay, I'm not going to get on a plane and fly to Australia or India to speak to these people.

JG: Or I'm going to figure out how to do it. Now, what's the adjustment been like for you. Well, obviously air travel came to an immediate stop because and basically clients.

SH: THEY’RE NOT ALLOWED TO GET IN GROUPS OF WHAT MORE THAN 10 or 50 and I'm going, well, what about the thousand people in that ballroom that I was supposed to speak at next week and

SH: Two weeks after that and whatever that is gone away. So the pivot for me is to do more presentations but we make it look. However, the client needs us to make it look and

SH: You know, I would say that as a speaker, I would go out on an average year in the last few years of doing about 50 speeches, a year, they say, Wow, that sounds like a lot. Well, I

SH: Was used to do in the, you know, hunt one year I did 180 some odd. It was like crazy. My wife said, If you do this again, you're going to come home. I won't be here but

SH: In the prior years I've done maybe 15 to 20 virtual presentations webinars, you know, online zoom type calls as we know them now and now I'm doing 15 a month.

SH: And honestly, I don't see that changing even when we could go back to being on stage. I still think we're going to do an incredibly

SH: Large number of virtual presentations, because, number one, it's more affordable for certain clients, especially if you. By the way, do you try to book me six months from now.

JG: So I i'm going to treat you like a regular speech, but if it's like two weeks from now. It's like, what can you do to help my company. Can you do a virtual presentation, I am in

JG: I’m all about. Let's give, give, give, let's do it. What we have to do to make people more successful, especially in times like right now.

JG: So what are you hearing from people. I mean, I know for me over the last few months it early on in March and April. It felt like the mood.

JG: And just the uncertainty changed by the day, if not even by the hour and then it was kind of by the week and

JG: Maybe now it's my by the month. I feel like you can kind of label each month with a different theme in terms of the progression.

JG: And maybe there's more of a comfort level, what have you heard from so many of the folks that you talk to

SH: So I would say if you had to divide it into the three months because yeah you know mid March is when really most companies are most of the country.

SH: Started to shut down here and a lot of businesses were forced to if not

SH: Pull back completely shut down. So you got march to mid April April to mid May and our, you know, just coming out now in June, companies are in mid June late June now early July. Actually, you look at three months. Number one was

SH: Fear, what the heck is going on here. I don't know what's going to happen with the rest of my life. Number two is okay, I've come to grips with this isn't going to change.

SH: But I have to change. And so there's this question of what I need to do. And the third month was I think I've got this

SH: A lot of companies have it's taken that cycle. And as we supposedly come out of this and look at what and I hate that term new normal. You know what, there's no such thing as a new normal either it's normal, it's not normal.

SH: And what's happening in the future is going to be normal for the future. What happened in the past is normal. You know, the good old days, by the way, were just three and a half months ago. You know, when everything was normal.

JG: : You know, I was, you know, in the good old days, meant that, you know, I might

JG: You know, be bummed out about the traffic on the way to the game complain about the traffic. I love to complain about the traffic on the way to a baseball game right now.

JG: About this I complain that I didn't get my free upgrade on my airline. I had to sit in the back between two big guys named Bubba. I would love

JG: To be sitting between two guys named Bubba on my way to that speaking engagement with 1000 people in a conference room in Las Vegas.

JG: But those were the good old days, and we're going to have days that are just as good if not even better coming out as we as we go back into

JG: You know, the, what we would say the business that we can anticipate what happened. Here's the thing. I perspectives have changed a little bit.

JG: Can that be a positive out of this. There have been a lot of positives. There have been a lot of opportunities. I think it's all there for people. You do have to work for it. I know for myself, personally.

JG: I’m a different person today. And some of that has to do with having been out of, out of work at a time when I should have been, you know, back covering baseball. But some of the just seeing things differently are you Seeing the same.

SH: I think what happens is anytime there's a crisis of any type. This was a pandemic and a terrible crisis, it, it puts your personality.

SH: Under a magnifying glass. So we can look at it, you know, because I work with companies, the companies that would normally do good things for

SH: The community, all of a sudden started doing more good things. The companies that were always struggling that were recognized laggards and customer experience. They were even worse than ever before.

SH: And I think people's personalities. Do the same thing. Those that are I will admit when all this happened. I went into a two week like

SH: What’s going on here. You know, I didn't know I and my wife, and one of my daughters came back to St. Louis, where I live, because she was furloughed

SH: Good news issues, back to work. But they said you're awful quiet every night and you know what you're doing all day in your office that's nothing to bill.

JG: I think the optimistic people. And by the way, that took it, just as I was just interpreting what was going on. And then I recognize. Here's my opportunities, people who are wired that way to find the good in virtually any situation.

SH: They do you know you should have on this show a guy and you may know who he is. Dr. Jason silk. Do you know, Jason. I don't have the right Jason worked with the Cardinals

SH: During like as an hour to holts was in a slump, he worked with Albert. He's a psychologist or therapist, and he has this thing called the

SH:  R. S. M Let's see result or RFS result focused solution RFS I may have the initials turned around and what he said is

SH: No matter what your situation is what's one thing, even if it's the smallest thing that you can do to make it better. Okay, the smallest thing.

SH: And it might mean, you know, I'm going to go for a walk for 15 minutes, I can do that. And I'm going to feel better after that. Well, there's an example or we can look at much bigger opportunities.

SH: So I think what happens in times of stress is magnified personalities, those that were optimistic.

SH: Seem to be overly optimistic and looking at what's going forward because they want to be and those that are pessimistic are doing the same half glass full or half empty. I'm one of those guys. Today I'll say I'm a very optimistic person, but the answer is yes.

SH: It is half full, and it is half empty, that I bet if you asked me why I'm not willing to commit. I will never commit to the half empty, but I'll commit to

SH: We don't know what the future really is going to hand us so reality says

SH: I’m going to try to get the best out of everything. I will accept whatever happens to me and whatever does happen to me. I'm going to probably celebrate it. It's got to be better than nothing at all.

JG: Well, I wanted to talk to you about that because I think one of the really important pieces of culture and building culture and the right teams.

JG: Is having people with positive energy animated givers. And that doesn't mean I tell audiences.

JG: That doesn't mean you have to be the loudest guy in the room or the loudest woman in the room that doesn't even need to mean that you're extroverted, you could be an introvert, but the people that

JG: That others gravitate towards the people that others want to be around. Now you are a high energy guy.

JG: In in your positivity, but also just, you know, the way you speak the way the way you get people motivated about just talking about on stage to how important is that energy

SH: It’s really important. Sometimes it drives my wife a little crazy. She says, Shep. You're like, in the middle of the sentence you fall asleep. You wake up you continue where you left off this

SH: I’m like that Energizer Bunny. But, you know, whole idea of celebrating life and what comes your way and saying, You know what, there's a lot worse that could happen to me, and I always think

SH: It when when they're, you know, if something bad is happening. I think about some of the friends that I have that have lost loved ones that have had disease that have had

SH: You know, maybe they've lost their job and they become devastated because they couldn't pick themselves up and they've gone into depression. By the way, the the thing for me is I have a very, very close friend.

SH: Who suffers from Great Depression. I tried to understand it i and i know i can't possibly

SH: Feel what he is feeling, but I know I can be there for them. And when we're together. We have a good time together. And he and those are moments, you know, and I guess to grasp and hold on to.

SH: What happened in the last three months. I know we're getting off the topic a little bit. But, you know, I've had a chance to be with all three of my kids.

SH: One of my children stayed with me for 11 weeks. I don't know if that's ever going to happen with me in her adult life ever again another one stayed with me for two weeks. The other one, he may come home and stay with me forever, things don't work out.

SH: He’s a musician in Nashville and he's doing great. He's putting it all together. But the opportunity to spend time with the family and the kids that's been powerful

JG: Yeah, I thought the same way. That's the first time that I've ever experienced and Ben home from morning till night.

JG: From you know waking up to go into bed for my wife's birthday. My birthday or anniversary. My daughter's birthday Mother's Day and Father's Day. That's six events that I'm lucky if I'm around for one or two of them. And that's just the baseball. I

JG: Look what you get to do. Yeah. Now, my wife does say there is truth to that saying Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

JG: She goes, I think we've never been together so many nights in a row. So many days in a row. I think you need to go get some speaking engagements somewhere for a long time. Yeah.

JG: Go out on the road I yeah i think that the question has been what, when does the season started again. And how come you're not traveling so we're, we're not going to be traveling this year for baseball. But again, same thing. And I said it on a on a on a recent baseball

JG: Show that we did. I don't really care what it looks like. I just want to get back to work. So you know that's that's certainly an important piece of it. So, for

JG: For you in the customer experience world. I mean so much is about relationships, not just for you but but with with those that you're speaking to, and your clients.

JG: What have you heard what have you talked about in terms of maintaining building cultivating relationships right now from a distance, because guess what. And you know this is true. You can't stop. Even if you don't get a chance to have that right like

JG: There’s so many studies that say during a downturn in the economy, a recession, if you will, a crisis like this. You can't cut your marketing budget.

SH: It’s dangerous to do so. My philosophy has been, you know, this is a perfect opportunity to increase the experience through the relationship

SH: But if you're going to cut don't cut in a place that's going to be obvious to a customer. I had a client, I have a client still he's a friend, more than anything, he has a small group of hotels and his occupancy rate went from 80 some odd percent almost sold out every night to

SH: Less than 20% and he had to start cutting people and one of the areas. He was his housekeeping staff, which I understand you cut some of the housekeeping staff.

SH: But he cut it so thin. I said to him, you know, in good times or bad if you're like if there's

SH: Less than 20% of people staying in the hotel. There's still people staying there and if they

SH: Experience a dirty room doesn't matter whether it's in good times or bad times. That's a dirty room and they are not coming back.

JG: Okay, so don't cut words, what's obvious recognize the opportunity for marketing isn't just throwing dollars into an ad budget or a campaign. It could be

JG: Making sure that experience is so good that your customers will do your marketing for you. This may be the time depending upon the type of business you're in to get more testimonials to get more online reviews to get more

JG: You know, word of mouth by just asking, hey, can you know the question the net promoter score question on a scale of zero to 10 what's the likelihood that you'd recommend me

JG: And for those that don't know what that is zero to six is what you call it the tractor that person's not going to recommend you. They may even say bad things about you.

JG: A seven or eight means you are average satisfactory, it means there's nothing. Great. And by the way, the person that gives you a seven or an eight maybe leaning more toward being a detractor versus

JG: The nine or 10 which is your promoter and if somebody says, oh, I'd give you a nine or a 10 which means, they'd be willing to recommend you don't just say, Okay, great.

JG: Thank you say okay, who would you recommend me to can you give me three or four names, can I call them and use your name.

SH: And there's no reason you can't do that in times when it's slow I mentioned relationship, just a few minutes ago. This is the time to pick up the telephone.

SH:  And call people and say, Hey, I'm not even trying to sell. I've been going back and talking to every one of my clients that I've worked with over the past

SH: three or so years just to say hello. Why, I've got time and maybe we'll be able to work together in the future. But more than anything I want to thank you for the past and like, there I am again celebrating life celebrating what's happened in the past. Right.

SH: So we love what we did in the past. Maybe there's a chance. But I just want you to know that I'm here thinking about you. During this tough time there's anything I can do even if it's just to talk

SH: Please let me know. Not one person has ever said, I can't believe you're calling me with that message and a time like today.

SH: On the other hand, if I'd have called to sell. Hey, I'm doing this new virtual presentation, now's the time to hire me because your people can't be out there going to go dude. Bad timing, you know. We're not buying anything right now. So I want to make myself available to help

SH: One of the things I offered up in its tried dangerous and I'm going to share this with you right now to all the people that are listening to the show. But in those first few weeks I called my clients. And I said,

SH: I will do a presentation a virtual presentation, no charge. If you want me to come in and talk to your people for 2530 minutes

SH: Let’s do it. I've got an agenda as far as a few items. I'd like to cover about customer amazement and a few thoughts regarding how to deal with this pandemic.

But beyond that, I want you to ask the questions. And what I can do to help your people, they go and you're not going to charge for that.

SH: No, I just want to be here for you. By the way, I want to practice these and get better and better too. So that's the way to do it. Joel I'll bet that is you are an announcer

SH: And you've been doing this for years, but I'll bet this particular structure of doing these podcasts, you are probably pretty good starting off because your background. I bet you're better today than you were two months ago.

JG: Yeah, I tell kids all the time. Don't get so wrapped up from a broadcast standpoint. Don't get so wrapped up in, I have to call the college

JG: You know football or basketball. I want to be at the sport. I don't care if it's if it's swimming. If it's field hockey of its wrestling events baseball softball, whatever it is.

JG: The more you do it, the more you will get better the more you'll get comfortable. It's no different than the first time you got onstage.

JG: Versus now and the next time you get onstage will be like getting back on a bike, but it'll be a little bit different because it's been longer than it was. And, and on and on. Yes. I mean,

JG: People say to me all the time. Do you get nervous getting on TV. And I said, no, I've been doing it up my whole life. Do you get nervous walking into a meeting, maybe for a really big one, but it's

JG: You know, it's like driving a car, but you get good at that by doing it over and over and over again. You know, every time I walk on stage. It's not so much nerves is I'm anxious. I'm excited.

JG: I really I pride myself on wanting to always be prepared. And by the way, that's one of the things I learned early on.

JG: I’m not going to say I ever walked on stage unprepared. But there were times that as I was walking on stage I questioned whether I was prepared enough

JG: I there's certain types of businesses that I just couldn't grasp, put my arms around these, you know, technology businesses that sell some solution that

JG: They use words that I don't understand. And I'd be doing everything I could to learn about them, but I always had this uncomfortable feeling

JG: It’s like if you walked out you know your team, but you didn't study the other team and you know enough to know who the stars are but

JG: You know, you know, it's like, you probably can get away with it. I don't ever want to feel that way and and i don't think you do either. I want to walk on stage. There's three secrets to a successful speech.

JG: You know, obviously practice is going to make you better and better. But if you are out of the box and you want to just jump to the next level right away.

JG: Number one, know your material know it really, really well. That's your preparation.

JG: Number to know who your audiences and know who you're getting ready to present to you won't be so nervous walking into that board meeting to make that presentation.

JG: If you know who that board is what their issues are, what their concerns are. And number three, know yourself. And what I mean by that is you know in my younger days in my 20s.

JG: I learned very quickly that if I would go the client would say let's go out the night before your presentation.

JG: And we'd go out, we'd have a great dinner, and I don't really drink, but we'd stay out late I get up the next morning and I was tired.

JG: Now I know myself well back then I learned very quickly.

JG: In bed by 10. That's the rule. I don't care what we're doing a where we go. It's in bed by 10 because tomorrow. I've got to be my best, and I can't be my best if I get in at midnight and I short myself by two hours of sleep so

JG: Know yourself and know what you're you know if your routine is I get up in the morning and I work out. And that makes me at a whole new level of energy.

JG: That’s what I want to be doing in the morning. I know that I don't want to skip that. I know it works for me. So three things your audience.

JG: your information, your audience and yourself when you do that, no matter how inexperienced, you might be, you're going to be better than you could have been

JG: And then I say, trust your trust your instincts to you. And if you've done your preparation, you can handle the curveballs that are thrown your way because you already know your material.

JG: You know, it's not a matter of memorizing. It's a matter of knowing your stuff yeah and and when you know your stuff. You can. You don't have to be perfectly scripted because you know your material you can be

JG: Yourself few comments that have come in. Becky Wilson. Great idea, calling clients and getting current with them. I've seen the same

JG: In terms of that Kiana sink says this is really good transferred skills and I don't know if she's being serious or sarcastic in bed by 10 take chefs word for that one.

JG: It’s an important key a little bit tougher little bit tougher for me from a baseball standpoint. So writing right i mean obviously what so it all to

JG: In bed by ten-ish for me, you know, other than going into extra innings. If you're doing a three day series in a row, you need to know when you go to bed. So you have your best energy. The next day. That's right.

JG: changes a little bit for a day game. No doubt about it. And speaking

JG: Of baseball. Let me get to my baseball themed questions. It's not Cardinals royals or anything major league baseball and maybe it could be, but Professionally speaking with this this career. Now, that goes back to 1983 and then even before. What's the biggest home run. You've hit

SH: Wow.

SH: Shoot. There's so many, you know, the Grand Slam home run. So I'm going to give you if it's okay, I want to cheat and give you two or three. I mean, some of the biggest are the best choices. I've made. I joined

SH: The National speakers ASSOCIATION BACK IN 1988 about five years into my career, my mistake was not having joined them earlier without a doubt the best

SH: Learning Platform for me to learn how to build my business, not just be a better speaker, but really about the business certain clients and understanding how to work with. There was an epiphany. I had one day.

SH: By the way, I went I still go to this program now 20 years the Strategic Coach and one of the questions I was asked was, if you look back on your, your clients.

SH: Look at who's paid you the most and see what the commonality was get this. This is a home run. I figured out that my most

SH: Lucrative clients never hired me to work for their company they gifted me or sponsored me to speak at other events. So when I realized this, I said, these are the kinds of companies, I need to call them that help

SH: A multiply the number of dates. I did. So those are a couple of them so big, grand slams we also

JG: I say in this day and age of baseball, there's a lot of striking out, but we all, we all strike out

JG: How about a swing and a miss, and what you learn from this?

SH: boy. Every time you know you think you're going to have that client and it doesn't go through. That's a strikeout but you know what you got to get up to the plate, you got to have a few strikeouts in order to get that perfect pitch you can knock it over the fence.

SH: I’d say the biggest mistakes I've made, I would say. Number one, it's not a strikeout the first book.

SH: Should have written that book earlier, just like I should have joined the speakers Association earlier.

SH: If you are going to be a professional speaker that book is credibility. The book done the right way becomes your best

SH: Business card. If you can, if you can get them if you work with a publisher work to get that publisher to sell you that book at a fairly reasonable cost so that you can give it to

SH: Your clients as an example. So I would say, doing the book sooner would be important. I would say investing in areas outside of my lane.

SH: For example, I was really good at creating this presentation to a friend of mine said let's do this other presentation outside of my business altogether. But it was still in my skill set.

SH: It’s that what I do and it was a mistake and it always my cousin who I did it with and we admitted when it was all over that, you know, I probably should stick to what I do best.

SH: stay in your lane. I say, I say don't stay in your lane trial, the lanes, but then understand that if they don't work. Get out of them. You know the real family to find out real fast fail fast get out of it.

JG: That’s right. Yep, small ball. The little things that add up to the big things. That's the project I'm working on right now in terms of that book.

JG: What are the singles the bunch. The sacrifices in your world or in the customer experience world.

JG: That lead to the home run.

SH: Well, I mean, if you want. I'm focusing on my business. I think it'd be a good metaphor, you know,

SH: Hard work is important, but I think everything needs to be systematized and I think a consistent and predictable system is important in your business.

SH: All businesses, you look at what they do. Well, there's a process, they go through as entrepreneurs, we pretty much you know we do every want when we want to do it. And that's sometimes as mistake. But I remember getting very

SH: Getting into a regimen of minimum 25 phone calls a day. Okay, these are little hits and you realize you're only going to talk to two or three people and have those 25 people

SH: Today, that might even be less 25 phone calls a day. And actually, I said 100 a week.

SH: Is what I'm shooting for. But if I'm in town all week. I've got to do 25 a day and if you do 20 if I did 25 a day, I realized I talked to about maybe

SH: Maybe 14% 12 to 14% of those people when I looked at all the numbers together. You got to understand numbers. It's what business is all about.

SH: Of those up to 14% of the people about 15% of those people showed interest in what I did. Okay. And that means and of those people I might book.

SH: Oh, maybe out of when I finally got 100 really good leads like that. I would probably book two or three speaking engagements and it took a while to build those numbers up

JG: But that's what happens, you're just constantly bumping and getting getting the single getting on base one base at a time, you're not hitting a home run.

JG: And every once while by the way that perfect pitch will come in. But you have to be there and you have to be in the game to make that happen. I know I'm getting sports metaphors.

JG: You know metaphorical out of this. But that's what you're about. And I think that's so important. So I think it's that little

JG: It’s a little bit. Now today, my business is all about creating content which drives people to want to call me.

JG: And so rather than just say, Hey, I'm going to do an article every week. No, I'm going to do something every single day. Maybe one article this day a podcast and other day a video another day.

SH: And just like what you're doing, Joel. And that's what it takes. It takes the discipline. Somebody once said to me.

SH: People can't stand the monotony of success.

SH: Think about it, but what it takes to be successful. A ballplayer goes out there, aside from their typical workouts, they might do every day. How many times do they swing.

SH: You know, in batting practice. How many times is a golf or go on the practice range and hit a driver and an iron and a wedge.

JG: Thousands and thousands of times, and we all we see is the end result and it looks exciting and it looks fun. Nobody knows about the monotony of that success and people that are willing and can be resilient to the monotony standard greater chance of being successful in life.

JG:And that resonates so much you know it's I I talked about this all the time in terms of our TV broadcast. You see the finished product of us being in front of the camera, but you don't see all the work behind the scenes in the preparation, you know, though, when it's not right and

JG: You know, our guys in the trucker and hours before everyone putting in all that work those graphics don't load themselves the clips don't load themselves, and on and on and that's

JG: That’s the same thing. All the, all the way, you don't just show up for speech. You don't just say hey,

JG: Who needs me. And it just magically appears okay for final questions as we wrap it up. It's, it's just some fun light hearted.

JG: Rounding the bases questions. The first one I know you got the the background of magic. What's the favorite magic trick or experience of all time.

SH: Wow, my favorite man I love great card tricks and I just love seeing the people's like if I can do a trick. And we're actually, it's like

SH: It. It's like taking people back to little being a little kid. So

SH: That, that's what I have a few good card tricks that next time we're together. I'll show them to you and you'll see why I'm

SH: Cool.

JG: Second question you've traveled all around the world you spoken in all types of venues. What was the most unique experience.

SH: Wow, the most unique experience and I've been on some crazy ones. I mean, I've been all over the world. I had a great opportunity to do a five city tour in New Zealand.

SH: And aside from DOING and GETTING THE EXPERIENCE five great cities in New Zealand Christ Church tonight and you know Auckland all the cities, you would think.

SH: I got to go down to the southern part of New Zealand, and that was I went there early so I could get myself on the time zone.

SH: And I did. I had a crazy day. I call it my most extreme day of my life where I bungee jumped I jumped off a cliff and paragliding

SH:And I went on this crazy boat ride that was probably the most dangerous thing of all time where I'm going in between these caverns and you know at 90 miles an hour. And it's like if I just took my elbow out my arm would be gone. OK.

SH: So now is a pretty crazy, crazy time

SH: So I've done speeches on airplanes cruise ships.

SH: I’ve been, it's been crazy, but it's been fun. I'd say that was pretty unique

JG: Third question, as we round the bases. You, you mentioned the term before customer amazement. And I know that customer experiences, your world and which is not just customer service. It's so much about

JG: Taking care of people in the experience and not just your clients, but certainly your employees to. Yes. How would you describe customer amazement.

SH: Amazement is within the grasp of everybody and it is simply being a little better than average all of the time. And it's the all the time part that's tough.

SH: And what I mean by a little bit of better than averages. I love doing business with that person or that company because they always call me back quickly.

SH: Calling me back quickly, it's not that big of a deal. But when you always do it. I like it. Right. And it's like the

SH: You know, they're always so knowledgeable. When I call they always have the answers.

JG: And how about a baseball player that always gets on base at least once every game or twice him. That's the word always followed by something they don't have to have the highest batting average, they got a batting average, it says consistently and predictably, this is what you can expect

JG: That we got a guy like that in Kansas City. Who's led the major leagues in hits each of the last two years, and the first right handed batter to do so in consecutive seasons since Kirby Puckett second right into better ever to do that.

JG: I think about it being easier from the left hand side we call him, his name's with Merrifield we call him to hit with

JG: It’s not two hits every night but but it seems like there's. I mean, he said the franchise record for history and he's just

JG: He’s always there.

SH: Yeah, and it's not necessarily flashy, so exactly that's that's a great yeah you don't always have a home run. Just get on, you know, and it can be want to get on base.

SH: It could be a walk to get on base. It doesn't matter. You just get on base.

JG: Totally agree with that. Final question the walk off and it's one that I like to ask speakers for sure and others.

JG: What is after all these years.

JG: Over 35 years of being on stage is adding the magic as a 16 year old and I and even I could have asked you a playboy club question, but we'll, we'll move on. I am intrigued by that through, of course, but

JG: What’s the feeling like when you get off the stage.

JG: When you know you've made that impact on potentially thousands of lives I, you know, and I don't want to make it sound like I make you know true impact and change lives. My goal isn't so much

JG: The person as much as I want the organization to shift its culture, I want everybody to be successful.

SH: I know I've hit it out of the park. If the audience is happy. That's great. But when the client tells me a week later.

SH: This is what we're going to do as a result of that. So it happens after I get off stage, but it's a few days later, when the client says this is the difference

SH: One of the questions. And I'm going to give you a longer answer, but too bad. I'm going to give it to you anyway.

SH: One of the questions I'd like to ask my clients prior to and it could be in the, you know, we're thinking about using you the stage.

SH: If we were to get together, a year after this presentation. What would have to happen for this to be truly the best investment you've made and the speaker or a trainer that you brought into your company.

SH: And I give them time to think about it. They don't have to answer me in the moment, but when they give me that answer. That's my playbook for success.

SH: And that's where I'm going to follow up with them and say, Alright, this is the beginning of the journey over the next year. This is what I want to see happen. And if they're into it and we're in alignment. I feel more fulfilled than ever. It's what it's all about. And

SH: What an incredible responsibility and privilege to be able to do that and to have done that for so many years.

JG:You can hear. I hope in this interview.

JG: Why Shep Hyken has been so successful with people with organizations traveled the world Hall of Fame lifetime achievement from the National speakers Association. I will attest to what you said.

JG: But with much less experience because I became a member in the last couple of years now sitting on the board in Kansas City met the most amazing people continue to learn. That's what it's all about.

JG: And Shep, I really appreciate you spending the time here with me today, it's been it's been phenomenal inside and inside. I believe that could affect everybody with whatever their profession is at the end of the day.

JG: It’s still about the way we treat people and the experiences that we give them. Yeah. Amen to that.

JG: Thanks for the time Shep stay healthy. Continue to crank out all those virtual is behind that magic wall there. And I know that the world will be a better place.

JG: When you're able to get back on stage because that means we'll all be getting back to, to the way things were.

JG: But again, not a new normal just normal I say this, this will be my final thought and then I'll let you go. We it's not healthy to say better or worse.

SH: It’s just different. That's where we're at right now. Right. Yes. It's different. This is the way it is. Yeah. I think different is is a great opportunity. Just grab what you can and exploit what you cannot have it. And you know what's there is there and take advantage of it.

JG: Well said. Shep Thanks for spending time.

SH: Thanks, Joe. Thanks for having me. This has been awesome.

JG: SO MUCH FUN TO VISIT WITH SHEP I love his energy and his ability to make an impact on people's lives, whether it be virtually

JG: Or in person. So a real treat to be able to catch up with him once again if you would be willing to

JG: Give this podcast a five star rating. I don't mean a bag but you know

JG: Certainly helps in terms of iTunes, share it with your friends. Share it with your network. Don't forget to check out rounding the bases live the video version, Monday through Friday on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and all those places.

JG: I appreciate everyone listening and checking that out. You can reach me at Joelgoldbergmedia.com send in guest suggestions at info at Joel Goldberg media.com thanks for listening. Everyone and hope to catch you next time on rounding the basis

Rounding the Bases with Joel Goldberg Podcast was created to share the stories of men and women in business and entrepreneurship that are both well knowing and or hidden gems. Joel believes that everyone has a story and their story matters which is why Joel is eager to connect with individuals that are bringing value to their community through innovation, leadership, entrepreneurial journeys, and developing company culture. If you would like to be a guest on Joel's podcast please email us at joel@joelgoldbergmedia.com.