Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Ladies and gentlemen, boys, and girls of all ages. Welcome to the most amazing interview show on the information super highway. Now zooming to you live and simultaneously from two secret studio bunkers in dual time zones located somewhere South of Alaska, East of area 51 North of Guantanamo. And if we give you one more clue, we'll all be in deep trouble. It's the amazing twin namesake separated at birth. The two most famous guys, not in witness protection. It's coffee with Jim and James.
Speaker 1 00:00:37 Good morning to our LinkedIn community. Well, as you can see, this is going to be a very special edition of coffee of Jim and James today. If you know me, white shirts, embroidered are kind of my go-to. So if I wear a red shirt and if I have on a special hat, that'll give you a little indication as to what's coming up and I'll throw these words in here. I'm going to ask how has the North pole, how many elves are working up there? And if I were to finally say, I may have sat in this man's lap and asked for a special present, I will confirm or deny that, but we'll just let it go at that as always my brother, my partner in crime, Mr. James Cross is with us. James, did I cross any boundaries today or, or am I okay? Uh, I think that's more of an HR question.
Speaker 1 00:01:27 Well, I think that to that later, Jimmy, no more than normal. I mean, that's, that's your pretty standard intro at this point, but you might have noticed we have a special guest Mr. Red Shaw. Who's joining us today. EWM zone at least for a few more days. Um, so, so it's my pleasure, really, to introduce rich, you might have realized that the resemblance is actually a professional Santa character. He's retiring for me WM this week as we record. And so red brings me so much joy to have you on welcome to our show. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate the enzyme. It's getting close to that time. You guys were going to have to really watch our P's and Q's with the good, nice list, but, uh, just worked towards the good finish. And guys, you've only got 149 days before Christmas gets here. So make sure you take care of your ladies, James. I have a lot of work to do in the next hundred and 48 days of reparations there, red, uh, I, I can't say any more than James. Just, it's great having you on today, but um, let me kick this off. You've been with EWN energy world net for seven years, sir. Intricate part of the team. Um,
Speaker 2 00:03:00 How did you find the company seven years ago? What, what brought you and what was it like? Give us a little of your, uh, your history.
Speaker 3 00:03:08 Um, yeah, a thumbnail sketch of that is that we moved my wife and I moved up here in 2004 for a caring for our parental views to say, we're starting to get older and looking around to care. I thought I'll never find anything in my field in this little town
Speaker 2 00:03:30 Sounds like Montessori. So that sounds like my story.
Speaker 3 00:03:36 And so anyway, uh, we were commuting a hundred plus miles a day back and forth, but going down to the metroplex and, uh, having dinner with a couple, one night, she mentioned, did you see that ad for a tech writer, uh, in the paper? Well, I'd given up reading the paper around here. It's so tiny. And, uh, I went back and pulled the paper out of the recycle bin and showed it to my watch. You need to apply for it. So I did add a couple of sets of interviews, the, with the owners of the company, uh, Sylvia, Hornback great people. And, uh, I came in, it was, uh, the week after the 4th of July in 2013. And, uh, when I came in, it was just gangbusters. We, the way they put this thing together, we hit the floor running.
Speaker 2 00:04:44 Awesome, great experience. So red, um, you, you always tell one of the things I was excited about you coming on is, um, you're, you're one of those people that's been around obviously for awhile and UWM, and there's a lot, there's a lot of them, but you're one of them and you were always one of the first ones to chime in is when we start telling stories. And that was those fellowship times that we have a lot of. And you tell the story of how, when you came on board, there was really 10 or 12 people in a room. And, um, you know, for somebody like me, who's been here about four years now going on five. And when I started, we had less than 40 people. And not to me now, looking around that seem small, but to hear the stories out of you and other people that have been there for a long time and hear those 10 or 12 people in a room type of conversations, you know, that's a lot of growth, you know, we've had exponential growth in the last five years in particular, in my opinion, but tell us, you know, peel back the curtain a little bit on what that looked like, you know, uh, when you joined the team with 10 or 12 people really doing the lion's share, if not all the work,
Speaker 3 00:06:07 Oh, we all wore multiple hats. I had two in those days. Uh, and, uh, and, uh, it was one of the things that struck me was even at that early time in our existence was the, I don't know what secret formula, the horn backs and management use to pick the people that they did, but it was like sitting down with family. I mean, we all matched so well that it was just incredible. And, uh, one of the things that, you know, I'm, I'm used to working for companies that have hundreds, if not thousands of people in them, so you can kind of get lost in there. There's no way this big red headed fat guy was gonna blend into the wall. So, uh, we just got together. Uh, I had, uh, I shared my office with another rider and we bounced things back and forth off of each other. And it was just fantastic the way, I guess you'd say melded together. Yeah,
Speaker 1 00:07:22 Nope. You know, it's interesting. Uh, just popped in my head that I saw a quote, one time people don't work for companies. They work for people, people work with people and when you have the right mix in that right chemistry, wow. Is that right?
Speaker 3 00:07:37 And I thought back to, uh, I own my own business back in the eighties and part of the nineties and we were family and working here has been the same way. You know, everybody, you know, you you've seen it grown it's amazing process, but, uh, it was one quick little add on to this is, uh, I've never worked for a company before that, uh, five o'clock for us was you'd be out the door. And when I heard, uh, my boss, Myra, Jianlin her keys, if I didn't start five minutes before shutting down, then I was going to be late getting out of there.
Speaker 2 00:08:23 Yeah, no, that, that is refreshing. And that that's always been a important thing. So even since I've joined the team was really that. And when I say separation, I don't see them in a negative way. I see it as really, um, you can't do your best work if you don't take that time to sharpen the saw. And, uh, that we do that with our families. We do that at home. It doesn't mean that sometimes those things don't, um, cross paths or, or don't, um, you know, give or take along the way. I heard someone say before, it's not really a work-life balance. It's more of a work-life rhythm we get into. And sometimes that rhythm means we, we work a little bit more, but there's a lot of times when, like you said, we walk away at five o'clock and you're able to really shop in that. So red you, um, needless to say, you've seen a lot of growth within our organization. Um, as we said, you walked into 10 or 12 people and as you leave, I think we're pushing AUD that's, that's unbelievable to see. And, and what a weird way, uh, to wrap this engagement up, right.
Speaker 2 00:09:39 Where, you know, uh, yeah, we have some people coming back into the offices, you're in the office today, but you know, the last six, five, six months have been virtual. Um, what a weird way to put a cherry on top. But, but during that time, what, what are some of the growth you've seen and, and how, how those changes really have looked over the years as you came on board seven years ago. And as you're walking out the door this week,
Speaker 3 00:10:10 Uh, the technology part of our company, you know, uh, keeping people's records and reminding them of when things are due, when people get need to update their qualifications and things like that, when we first, or when I first started, we had one it guy and he was part-time and remote. So, uh, I'm not sure the numbers now, but, uh, I think we've got about 10 or 12 just, and I see right now, and there's some of the sharpest people on the block. They, they highest skills our website and, uh, the backend of our website is running so good right now. It was, uh, we only had one customer service person. It, seven years ago, we've got a whole, uh, slew of customer service people. We get out there and take care of the people. That's always been one of those things that, uh, I've been always stressed is, uh, customer service take care of those people outside because they're paying your salary. It's point point-blank, that's what I used to instill upon my employees. When I had my other business
Speaker 2 00:11:30 Red one, when you started with 10 or 12 people around you, um, everybody was, was customer service. At that point, if the phone rang, uh, you know, if somebody wasn't around all of a sudden you were thrust in that role, but it's a big part of it.
Speaker 3 00:11:50 It's something that's carried on from period. I never realized or work for a company that they didn't have an answering system. We, if you heard the phone ring, it better be picked up within three rings. Right. If you don't have the answer, turn around and find the answer somewhere else.
Speaker 1 00:12:11 Yeah. And that's what people still comment today. I mean, even when I'm out at conferences or a customer meeting, they, when they call in, they're amazed because it's actual person that answers the phone and they're kind of like taken back. Cause they're expecting press one for press two, press three. And you go through real, they're like a person answered on the second ring or on the first ring. I'm like, yup. That's the way it happens. And it really makes a big difference to people.
Speaker 3 00:12:38 Yeah, it is. It's amazing.
Speaker 1 00:12:41 Let me, let me switch gears a little bit, because again, since I'm wearing, I had to find it, well, it might be a Hawaiian shirt since I'm at the beach and again, the dolphins, no haters now, but this was the only print I could find. What's, uh, you know, we know you well, but let's bring this around a little bit to our, to our audience and help them to get a little bit of a, more of a glimpse into your side hustle because, uh, as we can all see, there's more to you than meets the eye. So why don't you play it a little bit, uh, uh, about you and let's just say your North pole friends comrades as to what that's all about. So
Speaker 3 00:13:21 The cool thing about being a, a real bearded professional Santa's is that, uh, I started this in 2002, got volunteered at church. Somebody said, you'd make a great Santa. I looked at my wife. I said, I guess I can do that. I can say, Whoa. I said, I don't have a suit. I don't have the beard. What are we going to do? And say, Oh, we've got that all for you. So no sooner. I said yes. And then also came with a script for the kids, scared me to death. I had a, I was going to add that up. Ho ho how old everything was going to be fine, but I had to learn a script right on the spot. And, um, so anyway, it was a, a shocker, but when I finished the kids, eyes were all about size of silver dollars. And I told my wife, I am so doing, because the feeling you get from it is amazing. But, uh, we do, uh, I do home visits, corporate parties, um, individual things, and just sometimes just drive around in my wife's red convertible Mustang, and wave at people
Speaker 1 00:14:37 I've been in that Mustang with you. And I'd tell you, those are incredible, incredible. It's really fun.
Speaker 3 00:14:45 Yeah. We have, uh, while I'm in that Mustang, I have more Sandra drive what we call them of taking I'll be out on the freeway or highway, and I'll see a car in my peripheral. They'll pull up and back down, pull up and back down. And when I look over at them, weigh them, they're off. There's no less than three or four phones in there taking pictures.
Speaker 2 00:15:14 You're a Snapchat legend.
Speaker 2 00:15:20 Yeah. For those behind the scenes this morning, we started this conversation. My daughter was here and I, I may have grabbed her and let her talk to Santa for a minute. And for a three or four year old, to be able to talk to Santa, especially in these off times, like, I'm not just talking, I'm not talking COVID, I'm sure he wasn't even thinking about that. I'm talking more like summer. We've seen, we've seen a red at Walmart before and, and, um, you know, he whips around and all of a sudden, um, you know, that little trip to Walmart on a Tuesday night is, is a special day. So I can't imagine what that's like for you as you move forward. So talking about that, uh, I'll tell you, one thing I miss is almost every year, I've asked red to do something, you know, for my little ones, uh, whether it was a video or, or, um, you know, a call or a picture or something like that. And read, I know that's something that you've done for a lot of people, like you said, not, not including home visits and all the busy schedule of November and December that you keep, but what are some things now that Alvin you're stepping away from me and be able to really focus on, on you and what are some of the things both for obviously for what you're doing, you know, as Santa, but also just as you personally, what are, what are some of the things that excite you as you move in to that?
Speaker 3 00:17:01 Well, in, uh, in the purview of Santa, um, it's going to open me up for more school visits. Uh, they talk about having to have crowd control. When I walk in the room, all those things that you lose control of all of them,
Speaker 2 00:17:22 Like when Jim walks into a conference, very similar, very similar, we have to have a handler that walks with him. Um, but we we've cut his hair during quarantine in hopes that that'll, uh, you know, stymie some of that, but it's very similar.
Speaker 3 00:17:42 We might have stymied it a little bit, but
Speaker 2 00:17:44 It's ready to break out. So, so read it as, as we transition where we now I was to EWM without you now, but as you look ahead into this node kind of section alive, uh, walking into retirement here, the next couple of days, you know, part of what I'll miss is those personal messages and things that I know you've always done for me and my kids. And as you, as you look ahead, both as Santa and as read into your retirement, what are some of the things that excite you, that you'll be able to kind of lean into a bit more on both sides of the coin
Speaker 3 00:18:25 We're going to do? So my wife and I are going to do a little bit traveling, uh, next month we're running down to, it's not just a rundown, but where it's a pretty nice little drive down to big bend national, the bottom part, I've never been down there. And, uh, it's going to be a, a double tree because I'm going to get the photographs the Milky way. And then one night they have the, uh, the percent meteor showers going on the 12th and 13th, uh, is going to be at its peak. And with all the dark sky around, I should be pretty successful with it. And you'll see some of those I'll post some of those for all. See, but, uh, the other thing, I've got a long-term project that I am taking photographs from Vietnam. I was in Vietnam. I picked up my shutterbug habit. Uh, like most of the guys that went over, we came back with, uh, I came back with cameras and a good stereo. And, uh, so it was, uh, one of those things that it stuck. I've been doing a lot of photography over the years in different places, but, um, we're looking forward to some of those chances to get out and, you know, call some friends in Fort worth and Dallas and say, Hey, let's get together for lunch.
Speaker 2 00:19:55 Never enough
Speaker 3 00:19:56 Time to see the friends you've got. I've got them scattered all over the metroplex. And some up North, my kids live in my daughter lives in Chicago and my son lives in Boise. And we've got a couple of major road trips planned for that. And I got cousins interspersed all the way around.
Speaker 2 00:20:17 Yeah. Not a lot of work to do, to catch up with everybody Red. What about, what about the Santa side of your life? What, what are you excited about leaning into there?
Speaker 3 00:20:30 One of the things I it's a project that I've had in the back of my mind for a very long time is, uh, and I've tested it a couple of places. Um, there's a personalized video from Santa and the way it's going to be set up is the parent will give me a little bit of information. One good, one bad, one, one, one, good. And one that needs improved. All right. And, uh, I will personally address two. And what that does is Santa is on TV, talking to them, personally, talking to them. The I've seen some other animatronic type things, or there's one guy that I've seen that has got a beard mustache that covers his mouth. So you can't see what he's saying, but this is going to be one of those things. I'm probably, I hope I get to test it out this season and I've done. I've already gone out and purchased an old banker's desk. So Sam is going to be sitting at his desk, working with his Quill pen on the nice list. Awesome.
Speaker 1 00:21:47 I just asked you a question. I just want to make sure for our viewers too, that are maybe interested in that, will your LinkedIn have the information going forward for all of them?
Speaker 3 00:21:56 I'll be, I'll be included in, uh, put it updates in LinkedIn. And then, um, I also have a website, uh, Santa ribs sites. It's a Santa red.net.
Speaker 3 00:22:12 Yes. And, um, it's going to be a blast. I'd like to get back to school, uh, in 2010. Uh, we took a long weekend and went to Santa school. Oh, I heard about that. Yeah. Up in Midland, Michigan. And so it's been about 10 years since I've been up there. So on one of our road trips, they do it every October, uh, maybe next year for a break go up there. And you can imagine, I think they've grown. There was, uh, probably 30 or 40 of us 10 years ago. And now I think the last one they had, they had almost 150 scientists. So there's Midland, Michigan's a small town. So we almost take over this little town. Everybody looks like that.
Speaker 1 00:23:00 Do us a favor and take some pics of that and post them so we could, uh, sharing the, uh,
Speaker 3 00:23:07 Oh, sure. I've got pictures from the last one. And, uh, I'll, I'll, it must feel like you've walked into the matrix or something. There's a glitch in the matrix.
Speaker 1 00:23:27 Well, um, I just one final thought, right? I just want, you know, you're retiring, you have a wealth in years of experience and such, just in a few words before I take us out. But, um, do you have any words of advice for our generations that are coming into our now?
Speaker 2 00:23:46 Anything that you want to
Speaker 3 00:23:47 Share with them? Just a brief words of words,
Speaker 2 00:23:51 Wisdom from Santa. Yeah. And read, I would even angle that further too, to your colleagues, your current colleagues and your future colleagues. I don't think you'll ever technically retire.
Speaker 3 00:24:07 No, I'll be, it I'll be at EWM family for life crossover, but, um, advice to the, to the young ones, especially the, the kids out of high school. Um, if you get the opportunity, try to get some trade skills done. Um, we tend to focus a lot on the games and that sort of thing, which are not bad, but if you're able to do those things, learn how to make them excellent, uh, career in doing the 3d stuff that builds those, uh, gains. And if you've been a gamer all through your high school, junior high and high school years, that's a natural fit for you.
Speaker 3 00:25:02 Job opportunities everywhere, all the way from the Disney land to our Disney people, to just down to the local mom and pop shops. But as far as for people coming into energy world in the future, come in and prepare to just be amazed at the people that you're only working with. Because it's, like I said earlier on, I don't know what formula one max put together when they set this up, but we are all matched so well. And I think James and Jim, you both understand what I'm talking about. We're just, we're a big family. Uh, we won't let people be unsocial.
Speaker 2 00:25:53 If you're unsociable, then we put you in a room with Jim for 24 hours and then you've come out social art
Speaker 3 00:26:03 Crazy either one.
Speaker 2 00:26:08 That's awesome. Thank you. And I share, you know, we immediately bonded. There's a couple of things that we bonded on. Number one is we're birthday buddies. Funny enough we share the birthday a few years apart, but then the other is we both had a passion for design. And so I echo what you said about a skill. Every opportunity in my life came, if I trace it all back to the skills that I learned when I was a developer, when I was, when I designed and they created opportunities. Now there may have been opportunities to put me in leadership positions or got us seats at tables to have bigger conversations. But the core of it came down to those traits skills. So, um, I'm not formally trained, but I'm a product of that very thing you said. So I can't echo that enough to so many people read. I, I want to thank you. And I know Jim, well, this is the new handshake, by the way, especially in the virtual world, uh, I have nothing but respect for you read, and I wish you all the well being and all the fruitful retirement that you can can bear. Uh, and I hope that you wake up on that first morning, uh, excited, not gone, man, what am I going to do?
Speaker 2 00:27:34 That's a struggle some days too for people, but, um, no doubt about it. Yep, absolutely. Jimmy.
Speaker 1 00:27:51 Yeah. I, I, I want to just continue on with what James is saying, Brad, best of luck to you. Uh, uh, we'd love you the best of luck to you. We want all of our viewers to connect with you on LinkedIn. Uh, even as somebody needs just a little Santa's cheer up or a special project or whatever. Again, red Shaw do connect with them. And on behalf of James and I, for all of our friends out there and our new friends or old friends, if you want to come on the show and spend some time with us, we would love to have you just send us a message connect with us. Um, uh, we're looking forward to many, many, many more episodes of coffee that Jim and James, as you folks out there have made this, the success it is today. So we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for that. Please take care, stay safe. God bless you. God bless our industry. And we will see you next week on coffee with Jim and James. Take care.
Speaker 2 00:28:47 Thank you so much.
