No stranger to hard work at a young age, meet Mel from Mexico. She became a U.S. citizen, started a business, and put it on the fast track to success, but it didn't happen without hardships along the way. This mother of four shares an inspiring story you don't want to miss.
Dub Feral by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3683-dub-feral
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
No stranger to hard work at a young age, meet Mel from Mexico. She became a U.S. citizen, started a business, and put it on the fast track to success, but it didn't happen without hardships along the way. This mother of four shares an inspiring story you don't want to miss.
Dub Feral by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3683-dub-feral
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
00;00;08;23 - 00;00;33;07
Dave
OK. This is great. We're very excited and we have today someone that I've met recently and very excited to introduce. Her name is Melanie McCann. She's 33 years old. She's married. She has four children, three girls, one boy. She was born in Mexico. I'm going to say this wrong, Guerrero.
00;00;33;16 - 00;00;55;03
Dave
You know, you can make fun of me if you like. Is that how you say? How would you say it? Guerrero. Guerrero, you get a role in our. OK, so she's born. Born, but raised here in the United States. And she recently became a U.S. citizen last year in 20, 21. And she's an entrepreneur, and she owns a very successful company called Diecast Quality Services.
00;00;55;07 - 00;01;09;17
Dave
That provides parts sorting for major manufacturers. I find her to be very hardworking, passionate, personal, a gifted leader with a knack for relating to people. And so thank you. Thank you for coming. Appreciate it.
00;01;09;28 - 00;01;11;05
Melanie
Thank you for inviting me.
00;01;11;06 - 00;01;29;15
Dave
So I got to, you know, ask you some questions. About business that I think that, you know, you and I or other entrepreneurs are going to have in common. But before I get to that, I want to kind of I always find people's life story really interesting. You know, because, you know, there's certain things that happen in life that really shape who you are.
00;01;29;16 - 00;01;42;04
Dave
Describe how you grew up. What was your experience like growing up? It was it was a fairly normal childhood. And, you know, you went to school, you did all the things that, you know, most people do. And what was it like growing up in your house?
00;01;42;05 - 00;01;47;10
Melanie
Well, I was raised by my grandparents and we were always working in the fields.
00;01;47;17 - 00;01;48;10
Dave
What kind of fields?
00;01;48;14 - 00;01;55;16
Melanie
They used to grow watermelons and zucchinis and cantaloupes. All kind of.
00;01;55;25 - 00;02;03;04
Dave
This was this was like a family, a family business or. No, you were providing labor for all these growing operations, right? Yes.
00;02;03;04 - 00;02;10;15
Melanie
We also had to sleep there in the fields, OK? And it was scary because of the snakes. Really?
00;02;11;04 - 00;02;17;10
Dave
Wow. So you'd work from like when the sun came up till it went down? It was long, long days.
00;02;17;11 - 00;02;31;26
Melanie
No. Well, it was just some days when my grandparents needed help. I would put the seeds on the and every hole in closet. Yeah, but I was maybe five, six years old.
00;02;31;27 - 00;02;34;23
Dave
And so you were still in Mexico? At that time, right?
00;02;34;28 - 00;02;35;12
Melanie
Yes.
00;02;35;22 - 00;02;40;16
Dave
Your grandparents, right. Were raising you. Did they come to the United States with you or.
00;02;40;23 - 00;02;41;07
Melanie
No.
00;02;41;11 - 00;02;44;13
Dave
OK, so you came on your own or or later on or.
00;02;44;15 - 00;02;48;06
Melanie
My mother went to get me. Yeah. Because she was here in the U.S..
00;02;48;07 - 00;02;51;24
Dave
So she came first. Yes. And then you came a little bit later. So how old were you?
00;02;52;06 - 00;02;53;05
Melanie
I was ten years old.
00;02;53;05 - 00;02;58;13
Dave
Ten years old. I think you said that. Right? So ten years old. OK. And so did you speak English at that time?
00;02;58;19 - 00;02;59;02
Melanie
No.
00;02;59;09 - 00;03;02;07
Dave
Wow. So you had to teach yourself English?
00;03;02;09 - 00;03;02;27
Melanie
Yes.
00;03;03;00 - 00;03;04;17
Dave
How about your mom? Did she start to learn?
00;03;05;06 - 00;03;05;19
Melanie
No.
00;03;05;24 - 00;03;06;07
Dave
OK.
00;03;06;10 - 00;03;07;04
Melanie
She still doesn't.
00;03;07;18 - 00;03;09;16
Dave
Know each other out there.
00;03;09;16 - 00;03;12;24
Melanie
Yeah, she's. I learned English in school.
00;03;12;26 - 00;03;22;05
Dave
So you went to school right away? Yes. Well, that's a challenge right there. I mean, you know, you have to learn at school. Yeah. And try to fit in. And you're, you know, you're working on the language to.
00;03;22;07 - 00;03;24;09
Melanie
A dictionary was my best friend. Yeah.
00;03;26;07 - 00;03;36;15
Dave
It should have been like your first birthday gift, right? You know, getting a dictionary. So you grew up, you know, hard working. You came to the United States and did you start working at a young.
00;03;36;15 - 00;04;04;22
Melanie
Age in Mexico? I started working when I was eight. There was like, a taco place where I used to wash dishes and make the salsa. That way I get paid five pesos and also some food for me and my brother. It was me and my brother there. And my grandparents were always out of town. Selling what they harvest.
00;04;04;26 - 00;04;08;06
Melanie
So it was basically myself and my brother.
00;04;08;08 - 00;04;25;10
Dave
No stranger to hard work. All right. So let's fast forward a little bit at some point. You started a family, right? So you've got kids and you had to work to support those kids and then you got a job, right? So you were working for a manufacturing operation. Right. And we've talked about this before.
00;04;25;10 - 00;04;34;23
Melanie
So, yes, I used to work for Techcast and that company was sold to Dinacast . I work for Techcast several years.
00;04;34;28 - 00;04;38;00
Dave
And what was your main responsibility when you worked there?
00;04;38;01 - 00;04;45;22
Melanie
I was a sorter and then they they promoted me. The last one I got was customer service rep.
00;04;45;24 - 00;05;13;23
Dave
So, I mean, for anybody that might not know, part sorting is very common. Right, to manufacturing operations because, you know, as good as the manufacturing process is, sometimes it produces some bad parts and it could be anything. If it's a molding piece, you know, the mold might not have filled correctly. If it's a casting piece, you know, there might be, you know, some some of the same issues, right where it was a.
00;05;13;23 - 00;05;14;11
Melanie
Flash.
00;05;14;11 - 00;05;34;15
Dave
Flash or whatever, you know, things that the end user might not appreciate, right? So you've got to somehow sort that out. You know, in some cases you can automate that, but in other cases, you really can't. You've got to get eyes on it and sort that out. And you you know, I think you found that you were really good at finding those defects right away.
00;05;34;15 - 00;05;34;24
Melanie
Right.
00;05;34;24 - 00;05;38;17
Melanie
So that's when I fell in love with die casting.
00;05;38;18 - 00;05;43;09
Dave
You fell in love with die casting. OK, so we're going to talk about love in a little bit. You're comfortable talking about love?
00;05;43;13 - 00;05;44;02
Melanie
Yes, I am.
00;05;44;02 - 00;05;57;05
Dave
Comfortable. OK, good. At some point after you had all this work experience, you must've made a decision. Or maybe there was an event that helped you make the decision. But you wanted to do this on your own, right?
00;05;57;08 - 00;05;57;22
Melanie
Yes.
00;05;58;01 - 00;06;00;26
Dave
And can you walk me through that? What happened?
00;06;00;29 - 00;06;22;29
Melanie
Well, I didn't start seeing my job as a job. Instead, I started seeing it as a school I changed my way of seeing things. And that helped me a lot because I was able to learn more more than what I was actually hired for.
00;06;23;02 - 00;06;36;07
Dave
You are telling me that you want to improve, right? You want to improve yourself as much as you can when you were working for another company, did you feel held back at all? Do you feel like you had more to offer?
00;06;36;08 - 00;06;43;22
Melanie
Yes. Yeah. Yes. And my managers were willing to give me a try. Yeah. That's what helped me a lot.
00;06;43;28 - 00;06;56;12
Dave
So this is kind of the training ground for you a little bit. You know, you're learning about manufacturing. You're developing a passion for some things, right? Yeah. And you're now you want to improve yourself and you want to get better.
00;06;56;13 - 00;06;57;28
Melanie
I'm still improving myself.
00;06;58;00 - 00;07;22;00
Dave
Yeah. Yeah. I think we all are. Yeah. So now I want to I want to talk about this. This company that you're forming here that you formed, right? I guess before I get to that, I wanted to ask the question, though. Because I can relate to this. Is there anyone in your life that you really are inspired by or that you looked up to and that you maybe you modeled yourself a little bit after.
00;07;22;00 - 00;07;26;10
Dave
The grandparents. OK, and what was it about them that really inspired you.
00;07;26;13 - 00;07;33;11
Melanie
That they always wanted to provide for us? No matter if they were sick or not? They have to get up and work.
00;07;33;16 - 00;07;45;07
Dave
So hard working grandparents. So that probably, I'm guessing, instilled that in you. You saw what they were doing and that inspired you to become who you are.
00;07;45;16 - 00;07;53;08
Melanie
Yes. And I thanked them before they passed away for showing me what hard work gives you.
00;07;53;15 - 00;08;11;15
Dave
It's funny you say that. And this is this interview is not about me, but my grandfather is probably the same in my life. You know, somebody that I really looked up to. Let's fast forward. You start this company that is going to provide these sorting services to manufacturers how do you get started? How do you even get that going?
00;08;11;21 - 00;08;19;15
Melanie
So I was working at Dynacast and then we had a production meeting and then we had several issues with flash.
00;08;19;21 - 00;08;22;01
Dave
OK and quality issues with the OK.
00;08;22;10 - 00;08;53;20
Melanie
I guess it just hit me. I said I might start my own company and it's going to be based on quality. I went to my desk after the meeting. I wrote my two weeks notice. I had no money saved and I didn't have a backup plan. So I just hand it over to my plant manager and I told my husband two weeks after that, I gave my two weeks notice that I needed him to quit his job because he was also working there, OK, a supervisor and he told me that I was crazy.
00;08;53;23 - 00;08;54;14
Dave
Yeah, sure.
00;08;55;09 - 00;09;11;20
Melanie
So he stayed two more weeks. I believe. Yeah. So I got home and then I'm like, What am I going to do? I don't even know how to register a company. So I went on YouTube, learn how to do it, what I needed, and I went and registered.
00;09;11;22 - 00;09;22;18
Dave
Very brave, very bold and very decisive. This is what I'm doing and that's the way it's going to be. So you got yourself registered, at least you got that far.
00;09;22;22 - 00;09;36;02
Melanie
So I went and ordered fliers. OK, designing my logo and, um, I didn't even have a name. OK, company. I love die casting, so it has to be included in the in the name.
00;09;36;02 - 00;09;39;02
Dave
Yeah, yeah. That's what, it's how you came about. Die Cast
00;09;39;12 - 00;09;39;25
Melanie
Quality.
00;09;39;25 - 00;09;40;25
Dave
Quality services.
00;09;40;27 - 00;09;52;10
Melanie
Yeah. And I started making fliers, went door to door to different companies and I didn't even have a pitch, so I just went.
00;09;52;26 - 00;09;58;13
Dave
And delivered them and delivered the fliers. Yeah. Do you remember getting your first call?
00;09;58;16 - 00;09;59;03
Melanie
Yes.
00;09;59;03 - 00;10;01;05
Dave
Yeah. It must have been exciting.
00;10;01;19 - 00;10;03;24
Melanie
Yes. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
00;10;04;23 - 00;10;05;15
Dave
That's awesome.
00;10;05;15 - 00;10;24;19
Melanie
Yes. Because I had no customers at all. So money was running low and I had to find a job no matter where it had to be somewhere that I didn't like so they could push me to keep moving forward. I like it.
00;10;24;22 - 00;10;25;00
Dave
Yeah.
00;10;25;09 - 00;10;36;21
Melanie
I wouldn't do anything so I went to work for a pizza company. It was freezing. Yes. So that's where I got my first call in less than 20 minutes of the shift.
00;10;36;21 - 00;10;38;00
Dave
Really? That fast?
00;10;38;06 - 00;10;48;15
Melanie
Yes. So I started working. I said yes to everything she told me, and I had no clue what I was going to do. I had no labels. I was my own employee.
00;10;48;15 - 00;10;48;28
Dave
Yes.
00;10;49;12 - 00;11;03;07
Melanie
Then she told me, Oh, you need to go to this company and do the sorting there. And we became good friends with the managers there. So they taught me everything I know now.
00;11;03;07 - 00;11;06;06
Dave
So you were nervous, but it turned out to be a good experience.
00;11;06;07 - 00;11;06;20
Melanie
Yes.
00;11;07;01 - 00;11;27;03
Dave
The more people I talked to, that's that's not uncommon. You know, you run a business, you don't know everything. You know, there's certain things that you're good at right yes. And there's certain things you just kind of figure out as you go along, right? Yes. Now, we can fast forward a little bit and you're getting more business and more accounts and it's growing.
00;11;27;03 - 00;11;33;22
Dave
Is that was there any point where you thought it was too much or you thought, wow, I'm in over my head?
00;11;33;28 - 00;11;57;01
Melanie
Yes. The beginnings are always the hardest. So I didn't have enough money saved or basically nothing. So I had to find another job aside from my business. But it had to be at night so I was working third shift for another company and then first shift for my business. Their shift was mostly for insurance. I had to have insurance for my kids, right?
00;11;57;09 - 00;11;57;20
Dave
Yeah.
00;11;58;14 - 00;12;07;05
Melanie
And then first year was all my job or my business. So it was tough. I ended up in the hospital.
00;12;08;00 - 00;12;09;20
Dave
Because you were so overworked.
00;12;09;22 - 00;12;14;00
Melanie
Yeah, sometimes I only slept 45 minutes.
00;12;14;08 - 00;12;15;13
Melanie
And then went back to work.
00;12;16;05 - 00;12;17;23
Melanie
And change in my car.
00;12;17;25 - 00;12;26;25
Dave
What got you through that difficult time? I mean, you're sick, you're tired, you know what kept you going? What got you past that?
00;12;26;28 - 00;12;30;20
Melanie
I kept telling myself, you're going to make it.
00;12;30;24 - 00;12;35;03
Dave
You just kept fighting and you kept reinforcing your mind that you were going to make it through.
00;12;35;03 - 00;12;41;16
Melanie
I also told myself, you have four kids that you need to... you need to go to college.
00;12;42;02 - 00;12;53;09
Dave
You know, even today, what is your motivation is it your is it your kids that motivate you the most you think? Or is it more yourself, you know, in your desire to succeed?
00;12;53;13 - 00;12;57;10
Melanie
My kids are my motivation, but I think my grandparents.
00;12;57;21 - 00;13;16;14
Dave
Are the big motivation. Yeah. Because your early experiences, right. So, OK, yes. You got through this difficult period, you know, where you were working two jobs and at some point you must have built it up to where you didn't have to do that anymore. Right? So he started to succeed. And bring more money in and get more customers.
00;13;16;14 - 00;13;29;14
Dave
And then in order to grow because you're only one person, right, you're going to get to a certain limit of what you can do so you've got to hire people. And when did you make that decision? Was it a couple of years into the business or was it how soon was it.
00;13;29;17 - 00;13;30;16
Melanie
After two years.
00;13;30;16 - 00;13;31;01
Dave
Two years?
00;13;31;05 - 00;13;31;20
Melanie
Yes.
00;13;31;24 - 00;13;33;01
Dave
You felt you had enough to.
00;13;33;13 - 00;13;35;07
Melanie
Yes. I couldn't even believe in myself.
00;13;35;07 - 00;13;36;00
Dave
Yeah, right.
00;13;36;05 - 00;13;40;01
Melanie
Because I could actually quit my my nightshift job.
00;13;40;09 - 00;13;42;19
Dave
How did you find people to work for you?
00;13;43;21 - 00;13;55;24
Melanie
Social media? Yeah, social media helped me a lot. Yes. At first, some people were skeptical because they see that I'm young and maybe she's not.
00;13;56;08 - 00;14;01;15
Dave
Maybe she doesn't know what she's doing or maybe she's not. You know, maybe this isn't legitimate.
00;14;01;17 - 00;14;09;08
Melanie
My first employees were my or my family. And once they start spreading the word, also, I got more people.
00;14;09;09 - 00;14;25;23
Dave
OK, so referral, right? People referred workers to you, OK, now you've got people working for you and you're able to grow a little bit more. Now you've got it gets a little more complicated, right? So you've got employees or or maybe contract workers or people that you have to pay and you've got customers that you need to manage.
00;14;25;23 - 00;14;46;09
Dave
So you've got two things going on. You know, you've got to, you know, not just take care of customer. You have to be a manager. This is kind of where I want to talk about this. I want to talk about love I'm seeing that a funny way. But, you know, when you when you look at everything that you have to do for running a business, what is it that you love to do?
00;14;46;18 - 00;14;51;13
Dave
And then what is your least favorite things to do when it comes to running a business?
00;14;51;17 - 00;14;54;25
Melanie
My least favorite thing is quoting.
00;14;55;05 - 00;14;57;03
Dave
So that's a challenge for you quoting.
00;14;57;12 - 00;15;04;04
Melanie
Because you just have to price it. Not go too high and not go too low. It just has to be like in the middle.
00;15;04;06 - 00;15;24;24
Dave
And that's not always easy to do. Sometimes you might quote something and you felt that takes longer than you thought, right? Or maybe sometimes she thinking that I quote, too high and I'm not going to get the work right. So it's just a little bit stressful. Yeah. Yeah. OK, yes, I get that. And you get I suppose you get better over time, certain things you see over and over again.
00;15;24;24 - 00;15;45;17
Dave
So you kind of that helps, right? Yes. But then, you know, there's always new challenges, right? Things you haven't seen before. Yes. It can be difficult sometimes. It's a little bit of science and sometimes a little bit of guesswork, right? Yes. Yeah. So that's the least favorite. What do you love most? Is it is it a particular activity that you love most or is there something just about running a business that you love?
00;15;45;17 - 00;15;51;03
Melanie
I love receiving texts. from customers thanking me for helping them.
00;15;51;03 - 00;16;10;04
Dave
You feel like you've done something valuable? Yes. Yeah. From what you've told me. So you've got you've got, you know, a little bit of a knack or a gift for relating and understanding people, right? Yes. This helps you deal with customers. It helps you deal with employees. What is your approach to treating people that work for you? What is your approach to treating customers?
00;16;10;04 - 00;16;19;07
Dave
What is your, I guess, leadership style? Right. I mean, you're a leader. Yes. And you've got to get people to, you know, to perform. Right.
00;16;19;19 - 00;16;33;27
Melanie
You have to always respect because they're there to help you and you helping them. It's like a team. Same with customers. You're helping them and they're helping you grow. So with the same respect.
00;16;34;14 - 00;16;43;27
Dave
When it comes to employees specifically, you're showing them respect. But at the same time, you have certain expectations of them. What's important to you that they understand you have rules?
00;16;44;02 - 00;17;11;15
Melanie
Most important is respect for me, always talking to them every morning, like asking them questions. How do you think we can improve the inspection of this part, or what's taking so long that we can discuss it and try to as a team? Or what are things that needs to be change? Like, for example, I don't allow phones only for emergencies.
00;17;11;15 - 00;17;15;13
Melanie
Yeah, no AirPods no, none of this stuff. And they do respect it.
00;17;15;17 - 00;17;31;06
Dave
You have to earn their respect. Yes. And they earn yours. Do you find that they are more encouraged to share their ideas with you in that environment? Do they come up with good ideas and how to do things different? Yes. You know, maybe things that you wouldn't have thought of, you know? Yes, that's good.
00;17;31;27 - 00;17;35;15
Melanie
I also rely on them. Yeah, I trust their work.
00;17;35;22 - 00;17;43;04
Dave
Does it help to incentivize them? I mean, if if they work faster or if they do a better job, you take them out to dinner. What do you say?
00;17;43;24 - 00;17;58;14
Melanie
Yes, I do buy them. I ask them what they like at the end of the month. What would they like me to order for them? Yeah. And they do let me know what they would like. Yeah. And I get that for them. And we celebrate holidays.
00;17;58;18 - 00;18;13;29
Dave
You know, just in the short time that I've known you, you've got great ideas. You know, even if they don't pan out, you're always thinking of how what I can do to better myself, what I can do to, you know, start a new business or grow something else or help other people. Those things seem important to you.
00;18;14;06 - 00;18;14;21
Melanie
Yes.
00;18;15;04 - 00;18;32;00
Dave
You mentioned one of the things that you like about the work that you do is the customer appreciation that you get. Do you feel a sense of pride when it comes to the employees that you have, that you're helping them support their families or their whatever is they're doing in their life? You know, maybe you get people that want to go to school.
00;18;32;00 - 00;18;34;20
Dave
Is that way on you at all? Is that important to you?
00;18;34;28 - 00;19;01;05
Melanie
Yes. I actually help one of my employees to motivate him, and we became good friends. He had a tough past and he had used to be an accountant. So I motivate him to go back to what he liked and he did. But I had to be everyday pushing him. I would talk to him like I talked to my kids, like you need to you need to do something.
00;19;01;05 - 00;19;08;14
Melanie
What what did you do today? In every day. Every day until he gets sick of me. And he actually did.
00;19;08;23 - 00;19;29;25
Dave
That's great. So that's as a great story, you know, and it's got to make you feel good. And I'm sure he's so appreciative of that. You know, looking back, you know, this tells me something about you because if you're talking to someone else about taking steps every day to achieve a goal, that must mean that you're doing the same thing.
00;19;30;05 - 00;19;46;20
Dave
Yes, OK. And it may be in the business that you're running or it may be in something else you're thinking of. Are you currently doing anything outside of Diecast Quality Services? Are you experimenting with different things? Are you involved in different things other than just just running the company?
00;19;46;25 - 00;19;59;15
Melanie
Right now, I'm more focused on Diecast Quality Services, but I am helping my daughter to get her own business and I'm trying to motivate my other daughter. It's just challenging right now.
00;19;59;29 - 00;20;22;02
Dave
There were there are different signs, right? So we can talk. That's a whole other podcast horoscope signs. If if I asked your daughter, then you're this is your oldest daughter, right? What she admired most about her mom. What do you think her answer would be? Because if I ever meet her, I might ask her you.
00;20;22;16 - 00;20;29;04
Melanie
No I mean, she knows the struggles that I gone through. Yeah. So I think she would say hardworking.
00;20;29;21 - 00;20;55;02
Dave
Probably the same thing that you saw in your grandparents. Yes. You know what, I when I interview people, my hope is that people listening, you know, maybe younger people that, you know, are across roads in life, you know, find motivation in your story. They find answers in your leadership style, in the way that you approach people, you know, so that they can learn I don't think any of us in life do things perfectly.
00;20;55;10 - 00;21;08;04
Dave
You know, we always learn. And I'm going to ask you about that in a minute, you know, but is there anything that you would say to a young person maybe your 16 year old daughter about the importance of following a dream or pursuing a goal?
00;21;08;13 - 00;21;17;00
Melanie
Well, one thing I do tell my daughters, never judge anyone without knowing their struggles. I do have one big goal. What is that? My biggest goal.
00;21;17;02 - 00;21;17;29
Dave
Biggest goal in life.
00;21;18;07 - 00;21;21;14
Melanie
Is to have 27 companies around the world.
00;21;22;02 - 00;21;35;00
Dave
All right. So 27 companies. 27. Yes, yes. Well, OK, so different operations. OK, my first question is why 27? There's got to be something about that number. Yes. All right. It's just the number.
00;21;35;00 - 00;21;38;07
Melanie
It just stick to my head for many years.
00;21;38;07 - 00;21;48;05
Dave
OK. 27. So every day you're thinking about the next step. Yes, right. Starts with getting a second one and a third one, right?
00;21;48;17 - 00;21;53;02
Melanie
Yes. But right now I have to make this one that I have.
00;21;53;09 - 00;21;54;25
Dave
It's got to run on its own, right?
00;21;54;25 - 00;21;57;05
Melanie
Yes. Yes, on its own. Yeah.
00;21;57;05 - 00;22;20;25
Dave
It's got to run smoothly. So yeah, that's a big goal. That's great. You know, we've talked about your challenges and what shaped you as a person who you've looked up to. We've talked about your successes in your hard work because now you've got a company with employees and all these customers. Inevitably along the way, as you're learning, you make mistakes in some of those mistakes.
00;22;20;25 - 00;22;35;11
Dave
Are you they're easy to forget because they're small mistakes and some of them are a little bit bigger. And you tend to remember that. Can you think of a time when you felt you made a big mistake? And then what do you think you learned from that.
00;22;35;21 - 00;22;51;10
Melanie
Judging a business owner that I would say that he was too cheap. He didn't see the effort, but it's only when you're in their shoes that you realize everything.
00;22;51;17 - 00;23;01;18
Dave
Maybe that self-awareness and your awareness of others around you. How did that play out? Did it create animosity between you and this person? Or this boss, or did it create conflict?
00;23;02;02 - 00;23;17;27
Melanie
Actually, I went to his office and I asked to talk to him and I told him what what I thought. And how I felt and also to apologize. And he understood. He said he was in the same shoes when he started.
00;23;18;06 - 00;23;24;17
Dave
So what did you learn from that? I mean, you went in there with one idea. Did you come out of there with a different perspective? Yes.
00;23;24;17 - 00;23;28;14
Melanie
You can't leave any any questions inside.
00;23;28;14 - 00;23;39;05
Dave
I agree. I just had that situation today and had a performance issue and where someone wasn't giving me their best effort. You know, I can't let that sit around.
00;23;39;28 - 00;23;41;20
Melanie
Yeah. You have to be straight shooter.
00;23;41;21 - 00;23;58;13
Dave
Straight shooter. Even as a boss. You don't have to be disrespectful, right? Yeah. We can have a conversation like adults. Yes. Tell you, hey, I'm not happy if you're being honest with me. Are you are are you really giving me you're all like, we're a team right? You're team me. You're not. Give me your all.
00;23;58;26 - 00;24;02;27
Melanie
Or if they want to they want to share what's going on with them.
00;24;03;05 - 00;24;18;20
Dave
Right. Yeah. Because maybe like you just pointed out, maybe you learned something oh, you know, I just I've had a really bad day, you know, my dog died, whatever the case may be, you know, and then at least you can talk and work it out. Yeah. And now we can find a solution. You know what? Take the rest of the day off.
00;24;19;15 - 00;24;24;28
Dave
Go do what you got to do, and then come back. You're part of the team again. Yeah, you know what I mean?
00;24;25;15 - 00;24;38;07
Melanie
That's what I have with my employees. Yeah. They talk to me and say, Hey Mel I need to take this couple of days off for this reason, even though they don't have to tell me the reason. But they do.
00;24;38;07 - 00;25;03;01
Dave
They do. They feel compelled to share. Yeah. Their whole world with you. Yeah, maybe sometimes too much yeah. Sometimes I you know, I really do relate to a lot of the energy in hard work and passion that you have for doing what you did for a lot of the same reasons. You know, growing up for me was certainly different than what you experienced, but nevertheless, the motivations are the same.
00;25;03;01 - 00;25;20;12
Dave
I feel that for me, it's gotten to a point where it's more about other people than about me. It's about taking care of the people that workers have worked so hard for me, and I would like to grow the operation for them and help their families grow and, you know, bring more wealth and more prosperity to their families.
00;25;20;27 - 00;25;26;12
Dave
We try to share that success, you know, and we're not always successful. I mean, we're we've had a lot of ups and downs.
00;25;26;24 - 00;25;27;03
Melanie
Yeah.
00;25;27;20 - 00;25;44;06
Dave
But we learn from those experiences and those mistakes. And that's, you know, I was asking you a lot of how do you grow as a person if you're not making mistakes? And learning? I didn't think we'd end up talking about me. I just threw that in there. You can cut that out if you want to. Yeah. Thank you.
00;25;44;06 - 00;26;09;11
Dave
I am really. No tapping. Yes. She'll edit that. She's got your back. You know, I really do. I find you fascinating as a person, and I find your story very interesting. And I find your your hard work and your passion very inspiring. And I think a lot of other people will, too, that hopefully we'll listen to this.
00;26;10;13 - 00;26;12;16
Dave
Thank you very much. Yeah. Yeah.