Ep 10: You’re Either the Best in the World, or You’re Not

You’re Either the Best in the World, or You’re Not Podcast Transcript

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Hi welcome to authentically you show I'm doctor Julie <unk> Shawn back for another episode I love the show because we talked with people around the world about the authentic things they're doing and I. Guess today is very authentic Eric living and I'm gonna read his bio it's, just filled with amazing things and I have to read it off because it's it's. So so neat. So you started <unk> industry in nineteen seventy nine and you were the first to franchise for gold Jim and open up a Cherry chain of six clubs. These six clubs were the most profitable in the entire gold chain of um more than a hundred clubs during that time you establish super Jim advertising and marketing company exclusive worldwide agency for all of gold's gym winning many International awards, including the silver metal at canes, then you became a partner with Ray Wilson family fitness centers which grew to seventy two locations and you went into the age and created California fitness in hong Kong Singapore Taiwan Correa Thailand Vietnam and Australia and your club broke every imaginable record for fitness centers around the world and the list goes on and on and on a of everything you've been doing including working with U s C Jim's worldwide, so I am <unk> because you know I've never talked to anyone any my podcast who have done what you have done and so I'm really excited to see first how did. You get into. This because you know, it's it sounds like you started with James and then you just took over the world. So I'd love for our listeners to hear you're back story.

 

Eric: Well thank you for having me on on your show. <unk> it's, an honor we made a couple months ago and had dinner together and we hit off with all of our stores, you could have stayed there. All night. So I'll be happy to be when you're on your show. My father was an athlete and I was born in Montreal Canada <unk>. So from the very beginning we ate well he would take me to the why every weekend. All day and I I was part of that that world we took vitamins even when before vitamins were we're probably allowed to be taken and um we the the really the owners of the fitness world bodybuilding world Mister Olympia we're reader brothers Joe and Ben reader and they were also born in Montreal and my family I went to the same synagogue as them. So they were very close my father and um so it was part of our early like my dad was a a a National athlete in volleyball and oil. So yeah. I I loved it now I'll try to tell you some funny stories along the way. So and when I was growing up in Montreal and uh I don't know if people know.: So so the winters in Montreal at that time it was just terrible. Right. And I got a job working at a fitness center spot a chain of twelve now just to give you a reference a brand new corvette full on for twenty seventh for thirty five was five thousand Canadian dollars. So I got this job and for all the ladies out. There men women and men and women never worked out together it was tableau at that time. No. Yeah.Monday Wednesday Friday we're woman Tuesday Thursday Saturday we're man. So I got a job. Working three days a week. So it was very intensive training though, the manager says do you have running shoes I said. Yeah, he said you're hired and that was the training and the ending that's all I've got oh my gosh.That's it compared to today. Right. Yeah. And shows you where we're at that time. A long story short I started taking people around he came to me said Eric everyone you take on a two hour. They join our company as well. Isn't that what you want? Yeah. That's unusual. So you wanna be a sales person and I'll shorten it again a within about. Sixty days I was the number one sales person out about a hundred and then I became manager and I'm only seventeen. Seventeen half and here's the kicker I was making almost four thousand dollars a month. Huh So Seventeen still living at home I'm the manager of a club, walking distance from my house and I'm making a corvette every five weeks Um [laughter]. So everything seems to be going well my father is very proud of me I'm making more than lawyers and doctors. Well not doctors doctor, but other kind of doctors are making more more money than them and my girlfriend's mother called me on the phone which is very unusual I knew she didn't like me. But [laughter] she's go and get the Newsweek magazine and I said why it's snowing out. It's a blizzard. Just go get it. So very unusual for her to call me, we don't have mobile phones at the time. Right. So she's calling my house I go to get the Newsweek article and on the cover is like a Christy Brinkley shot of the chair. The blonde hair the water the splashing the Ocean and it says club met. The geos, the true Gipsies of the world let's what's what's the club, man what's, the geo what is all that about. And I read the ten pages on the life of these people and basically. I would have died for that job. I mean they did they had the craziest most wonderful life GM really. Just meant nice instructor. Nice person. Nice organizer French company and I spent all night long doing my rest. Because I wanted to go there. So badly and I got you know, I I actually got the job and that's another story about how I got it, but so the good news is I. Got a letter saying congratulations Eric will see you in Martinek the French West Indies April fifteenth, but I was so excited. You know. And cause glad you know the the ice was just stick on the windows on the inside of my house and I  Now the good news is I. Got the job now they challenges telling my father my. Foolish father. That dad. So he's in the room with me I say dad. Got some great news. Yeah What's that I said I'm gonna Martinek and he he says we'll like a you know, dog, then here's the strange noise what's Martinek I said it's, an Island in the French West Indies? Oh, how long are you going for I said six months. So what do you mean? What about your current job? No I'm leaving my current job and I'm going to click man Martinek. Oh A naturally thinking I'm going, you know to get a big big raises. Well, how much money you're gonna be making you know, knowing that I'm making four thousand dollars a month and I had to look at him <unk>, you know, stare I'm in the air and say? Sixty dollars a month [laughter], he asked me again the same questions in the same cadence. No, how much money are you gonna be making a month and I said sixty dollars a month and he just walked away as if he's in a trance?

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Impossible.

Eric: Well it impossible [laughter] and Why that's important was because? I know a lot of your um your listeners are entrepreneurs, right. So it's <unk> yours. We have to keep our awareness on all the time it's our show. Right. And we have to gather all the special things that are magically around for US if we're awake, if we're cautious, if we're sensitive. So I went to club bed without any expectation other than having the wildest party possible.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: [laughter].

 

Eric: Months in one location.Go hold for a month six month. Another place. All over the world [laughter] and so I didn't have indication marketing or anything like that. But club med taught me everything I know about branding marketing. And what like what I saw this. So club met Three star hotel, three star pools three stars sports. The the shows which was I was doing 'cause I was after when I was young uh we put them on like camp type of shows you know. Nothing special and. When people went to leave in the parking lot? They were hysterical. They didn't wanna get back on that box to go home for anything doctors would say when I stay I'll work on the scuba boat. I'll. Give up my practice I Just wanna stay here And I watched. That over and over and I realized that. It's nothing never to do with the money it's, never to do with outside issues. It's about the feeling that they got the members felt so special we touched them in their heart away that they haven't felt maybe ever and these people were. Customers forever and would they would talk about it to everyone they knew. And you know if they so I learned about branding. Okay. At the time the commercials they had were fifteen second commercial same club, med the antedate to civilization <unk> and I've looked at the people that we worked or that I worked with. So again for all your <unk> yours tiring, right. Is one of the key things. For success Regardless of what industry you're choosing, but that doesn't matter. So the people that I've worked with were from all over the world there's a hundred of US in about five hundred locals, we represented maybe fifty countries. Yeah When I went to new York city it was two days and it was filled with gorgeous woman? Gorgeous man. And I thought you know if I'm then I'm gonna hire everybody. So years later the guy that hired me, he was the chief animation, entertainment for all club, man. And he said to me Eric, you know, many people we hired on that weekend. <unk> I don't know, everyone was so beautiful. There he said we only hired one you I'll come on me. Why of all those people? Why did you hire me I mean I didn't have anything spectacular? Yeah. I speak French. So it's a French company. So no that's not.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: You said you see That sparkle in your area. 

 

Eric: That wild. Sparkle that's what we want.  And that's why you're here and I was I I had to you know that was complimentary, but I said what's the lesson here you have to be crazy. No, the lesson is when you're hiring or trying to be hired. Sean <unk> really showing <unk> put on that special thing that you all are we all have something that we are unique about US, let it out let it up and wait hiring the same thing look for the specialist of the person and if they're willing to show it those are the ones that you want to have on your team and another thing that I've learned for all entrepreneurs is. Higher. With the people that mostly have it already they have that sparkle, but they're pretty close to what.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: You're really looking.

 

participantTwo: For even with all the training I found that I can only enhance somebody's abilities about. Ten fifteen Percent if they're not the right person. It's Not good for them or for you. And hiring right is it's such an important for every aspect building the team the motivation uh the passion everything. But hiring wrong is is a complete energy, vampire costly, it could it could bankrupt you <unk> very aware of this person fits into you know, my world the brand is the <unk> brand with the property. So important.

Dr. Julie Ducharme: So You were mentioned as you mentioned that I'm just thinking about an article that I read about you and it was talking about one of the locations you opened up and your people went on strike and I think it said you ended up firing them and hiring a whole new group and that sounds exactly we're talking about that that you really felt like that that you needed a fresh group and it ended up turning out. Fantastic for for that launch in the end. Um I think you mentioned I think it's saying there was a little delayed launch, but you just which is kind of interesting to me. Right. Because that's a big thing for you to just go we're gonna let everyone go and we're gonna start over was a success for.

 

Eric: You well it was I'll tell you the investment we this is soul Correa, we just this is our first club uh it's eighty five thousand square feet. The rent now remember this is twenty years more than twenty years ago, the rent was four hundred and fifty thousand U s dollars a month. I'll put In perspective of the size of this situation and I made a mistake. I made a big mistake. Um not really. <unk> understanding the culture and each country in area has its own culture. Even if they're Chinese they're different in Taiwan versus China versus <unk> core versus Malaysian Chinese are all different and I'm kind of a fun guy and I play around a little bit too much and so this is my first meeting of the team in Correa and I did stupid things I didn't I there. A model of who the CEO should be with the big black glasses. My father the previous CEO and my <unk> and my grandfather I mean seven generations to get to this place and you know should be in a certain color suit certain square, shoes and that's it that's who they wanted that's who they perceived would be the authority that they should follow up and I had here down here I was like cocaine and I upset them I  Did I made a mistake It's my responsibility. So they thought that for that they could take advantage and we're ready to open I Have all the biggest actors and <unk> it's Um and siggers coming for a Grand opening. I mean of course in in a San Francisco called learning this dealership. A it's a two year course this is a ten day course in the middle of everything it's Wonderful course And my SEO cost me it says a everyone's gone on strike I said what what's we don't really even started yet strike about what Well they're demands are they want an annuity on all the agreements they want double salary, they wanna work thirty five hours a week. Cetera, etcetera I said Well you spoke to them. Yeah. I said who's involved, he says everybody. So I thought about it for a minute and my course was over the and a day later, a day. And a half later. So I show is what should I do.I said I'm coming out. There It's really important. So when I fill out  Their line and I said what do you think we should do. I don't know maybe we should you know. Compromise and a few things I said I'm I'm, all for compromised at the right place in the right time. This will be a precedent for US for planning and opening up ten clubs here. This is a precedent I have no problem meeting with the ring later and seeing you know if there's any any possibilities anyway I met with them. They were you know, stone cold and I I sent him. Okay. That's fine I appreciate the fact that you know, you want all these things and uh you you probably will be great members, but you know, you're all fired, you can't stay with US, please leave and some of them really were part of it. So to speak, they were all there. So well I said there's. No well there's. No, nothing it's over we're gonna start from scratch and yeah, we fired a hundred people in fifteen minutes and uh we blew it we had all the biggest entertainer's probably two or three hundred thousand dollars. We had to postpone for a month we're talking about failure that was a failure based upon my lack of of of of due diligence of empathy of understanding the culture and I think that's one of the reasons why they did what they did I'm pretty sure. And we had to pick it as fast as we could I personally hired them all I stayed there for the first ninety days I was at the front desk meeting Everybody as the members came in and um that first Bill that Jim cost US about About six million dollars plus about a million dollars of a million half dollars in rent deposits and uh we did eleven million of <unk> that year. So we got our money back in six months and we're making a lot of money. We opened up a few other locations and then we sold to a Korean a local cream his was a very tough place to do business, but um so that's one of the things as Oscar <unk>, you know, look look, you know failures happen all the time the harder we try the more the more chances we take chances and <unk> yours and um I messed up and I could have stayed in that. That gray area.The gray area it don't work and so I bet the bullet without cost a lot of money, but that was the avenue for long term success. So I'm glad that we did that it worked out fine.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: I've been it's hard to believe I've been doing business for twenty three years and I look back at some of the things I Did and you know, part of me is I. Got I can't believe I did that But the other part of me was I just didn't know I I went and got a master's in business it did not prepare me at all for running a company it's it's a whole different world and you know my grandparents my grandfather and my father we're <unk> and they did business with a handshake and part of me you know, actually love that, because it really worked for their time, but I quickly learned that I I couldn't. Do it with the handset I had put all these protocols in place and these contracts and all these things, because I was losing money left and right, because I was just trusting people would pay and um you know, I looked back on that when we were? Doing paper. Receipts and I had to dial up and you know, and now everything's streamline through automatic payment programs and scheduling programs and it's it's amazing, but I  Remember thinking about just some of the things in fact my my worst bottle was you know, we my events company we had characters and I never thought about copy right. And so when I didn't add I, put the name spiderman in the Well believe it or not marble tracked me down my little tiny company and threatened to sue me if I didn't get rid of spiderman and so I went to see a friend who was a lawyer and he of course dealt with it and gave me a very good lesson, but I didn't think about copyrights or anything back then you know, and so we learned a lesson on that. But um but it's what made my company better in the long run because I I learned better ways to do things. So um you have a really great success rate at opening these and growing them massively and then selling them can you share maybe some of your secrets to success on how you seem to do this on a large scale over and over again.

 

Eric: <unk>Thank you Have a variable Cole. Sorry for that <unk>. So I am a big picture thinker I Um just who I am I don't I. Can do So here's another <unk> thing. Most of US are big picture thinkers and if we're kinda like myself, you need to surround yourself with people that compliment, you they're gonna do the things and bring up to you the things that you don't see 'cause you're going like this you know, but you stepped on the landline here and there's one up there. So surround yourself with complimentary people like a cutoff account and a lawyer who's So negative. You can't even take you know, they will complement your team if you're, someone like myself. So I I looking at the world as a possibility. Um. I left home when I was fourteen I, ran away to India looking for a group. So uh that's a whole other plug cast another [laughter]. Sorry. So where the world for me was my backyard it never bothered me and to club Mac to go back to where I learned to club, Mac if you could make your business special. I'm it doesn't matter what business. Okay. If you make it special and then here's the key. Okay, to be able to scale your business, you have to make it I don't wanna say eighty approve, but a very simple template that can be repeated over and over and over again and I have a and we'll talk about mentor ship in a little bit I had a mentor. Just passed away ninety four years old.  And he asked me 'cause.  We grew together we grew a we met we go to seventy two locations. I'll  At the beginning. He said to me Eric. Do you wanna be one club operator? You wanna be a change. Operator of you know, fifty or hundred club, I said no I want to do that. And he taught me the difference of like you have one store one club, whatever it is yeah, you can do everything. Sure. Can do everything sale marketing branding hiring whatever everything. But if you really wanna make it big, you have to learn how to scale with simplicity with systems that can be repeated whether the owner or your franchise or the person that took that's running your your place. They're seventy eighty percent as good as you they're, not gonna be a hundred percent is good Although sometimes people are better than you and that's, you know, I can talk to you about that as well. But you wanna make it that it can go global and. When I when I first got to hong Kong which is my first clubs in area everyone told me the channels will never work out man woman will never suite in front of a of a man and center and center and Sentra? But um I knew that fitness made everybody feel good. And that was the key. I'm gonna improve their health and their happiness they're gonna become better mother's doctors people. So I knew that was gonna work. The only thing I was concerned about which I have A little bit too early. Because my rent there was two hundred and fifty thousand a month and you can't wait for a year for them to click on <unk>. So I would go to the places that I think that my industry. Had an opening I've had no clubs in all of area predicative on that back. They will tell you know, what's gonna work out The rents a quarter of a million dollars, the leases are one year many many roadblocks, but I knew my my specialty was gonna work and then I could. I made it down to the the carpet the zigzag in the carpet, everything laid up I did all the music with a D J it had to be at a certain volume I've marked everything. So everything was done and we could replicate it and like I told you how I messed up in Correa, but that was one of my worst things that I've done. But I could create a global brand, because I knew that my product would withstand all types of culture and I don't mean to put down any culture, but you can leave the culture you just don't want to criticize it because it's way beyond you and that's, not what we ever wanted to. So I Could do that. And my special sauce was Annabelle for everybody. <unk> I'll tell you another crazy thing which I I did probably the thing I'm most proud of Um well I'll tell you a fun story about this little girl who joined me and it's a really great story, but So as I mentioned I, ran away to India to look for a group, cause the Beatles found Marie and I was little stand and I want to quit school and I, ran away to Debbie. So Um. I was been I've been into yoga since I'm fourteen thirteen years old meditation concentration hot. The yoga. Whatever. Lot a lot of stories. But it's been very dear to my heart So we built our Jim's to four hundred and seventy five locations twenty countries even here in San Diego Santa Monica twenty four hour fitness. Maybe some of you hadn't heard of that. And no younger. No, younger we have one class a week or two and they'll be like. Creepy. Weird ole group. You know in the No. One knew you know, just a weird feeling it was like. What's wasn't? Cool wasn't happening, you know. So I said this is this is strange. I went to India and <unk> said there as well. So I said this is impossible. The world needs you oh God, so it's the most beneficial science for many many things for the human being many and has nothing to do with religion that's nothing to do with it makes everybody better person. So I go do I go to India and I Do some due diligence I Have some friends they're literally with <unk> going into the into the fields, because I've heard of a third generation <unk> family, like a maniac, the crocodile Don D or whatever. [laughter] Well they say what are you doing you know what are you doing here. I'm looking for your keys. You know, make a long story short I found your keys. No tummy Yorkie was at that time you know, vegetarian lived in <unk> like father mother yogis setter and said they were the the real deal I brought back half a dozen. Think them all up.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Show them a little.

 

Eric: Bit of this in that and I opened up the first. Huge yoga center in hong Kong planet yoga and It was a big club was about twenty five thousand square feet only <unk> loca and within sixty days I have thirty thousand people coming every month [laughter].

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Oh my Gosh. I you know I Love the story that you went like searching. Like packing.

 

Eric: The we you Know booking stakes going by Amy what's that well that's the Kingfisher that one you're organs will burst if they bite you oh okay. Let's Keep going on the road [laughter] <unk> the <unk> looking Down I mean yoga is there's nothing bigger than yoga <unk> it would've been is I start I helped, restarted, but the cartridges to the world we're waiting for it, but and I helped it get started and hopefully that good karma is gonna balance all the other bad stuff I've done I'm hoping that sort of balance going forward I think You've helped a lot of people in fitness and health and <unk>.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: So I definitely think that that would actually balance up I just love, you know, it's such a lesson, right. That if you want something bad enough, you just gotta go get it. Right I mean you could just be like I I can't find anyone I'm just gonna go, but you went searching for it and that's such that's, such an Optional thing. Right Because I love hearing stories from options about how they found that thing or that niche and how hard they looked for it and and it's such a great lesson to learn I mean I'm always gonna remember this that you were going with a machete through a jungle to find the yogis a <unk> <unk> and then to here thirty thousand people sixty days. Everywhere.

 

Eric: Then Julie we opened it up all three a broad Santa Monica, which is probably ground zero for yoga in the world today. Yeah. How many careers how many people got healthy? How many new industries are offshoot of yoga I mean? Everything almost right. All the foods and the closing the <unk> effects and the tapes and how big meditation is now and uh just took some crazy guy or girl will take a shot go take your shop. You know, just go a hundred percent take your shop doesn't matter. If it hasn't been done before it doesn't matter if it's a weird for that place.If you feel it and you believe in it do it try it you know, go for it <unk>

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: the Worst thing that happens it doesn't work, you learn that didn't work, but you're still a huge success because you kept moving past those things that didn't work. Yeah.

 

Eric: And I I have some things I know, I asked I asked you before the show that we're predominantly uh it's for mostly woman here you know woman [laughter] I wanna tell you that You're So. Important and powerful. When you stay in your energy? Not looking outside how are they gonna think of me. Oh I'm a woman. Oh that's a man's job. Oh, they don't like I said whatever All that's nonsense. I have worked with some of the greatest women who went to the top we're fearless I'll, give you two too quick stories I'm in Correa and I'm teaching PhD in master's students about the the business of fitness. And at the end of the show this this girl came up and she was like rain man she's. Trying to <unk> some sort of <unk>. Um you know where she really couldn't look at me and and she was kind of attractive, but There's a problem there. And like her toes were going through the sides of her She had no money and she said to me Sir. Can you give me a job and I said wow? You holder, you looks she's fifteen. So I just turned eighteen. So I had my master's degree, see I said eighteen. See I'm gonna get my my PhD next year I said how social I'm Good student in Correa if it's doing you go all the way up Okay. I have that in exercise Physiology. So okay So I need a job. My mother sick in the hospital. My father can't afford to take care of he sells fruit outside you know, Correa six months of the year is it's really cool. He made three thousand dollars last year I live in a smaller room I Can touch the decide no windows. And no uh no plumbing nothing I need a job. I wanna I wanna say my mother. So I sent her Okay. You know, right away. Even though she was she was a she wasn't ready for much I Saw that thing in her I Saw that  Well, at that point I didn't. See it  All the way. But she had so much leverage she. Needed To be successful for her mother and her father and her family. So I saw that it was January and I'm thinking. Give her a shot, you know, give her a shot let's let's go all the way with her her name was wrong. And to make a long story short I sent her to call this manager will give you a job as a personal trainer, you can make two or three thousand dollars a month if you're good personal trainer. So I'm. Oh that's. Fabulous. She calls me back because I got a better job I'm a sales counselor I said no no no <unk> Ra that's Not you you know, got your master's degree, you can do personal training start to cross it, but he said I can make more money in sales I said. Yeah, but you're not there yet. You're personally needs to be developed more. Search crime and I said. Okay. Look under one condition. You come to my office for a week straight I'm gonna make an example out of you I'm gonna mentor you gonna Teach you all the shortcuts. I'm gonna teach you why it's So important for everybody that you're successful. She came over. She Did. Everything exactly like I said put the pin down across your legs. Push back five Beach before you said she was a master we had we had four hundred and seventy five clubs. Probably about nine thousand, a yeah. About nine thousand salespeople I, tell everybody this girl's gonna be number one in the company and Valley I Sure. She's about you know, five foot call very skinny like a little tiny bird. So I gave my one of the managers. Some money and let you know fix her up letter look up to date. Get her clothes, make her feel confident and we'll start her as a sales cancel. Everyday I get a list of all the sales cancels, you know if I want to you know, so actually I'm looking to see where <unk> is nothing day one day Tuesday three. A week goes by there's Nothing I call her and she answers a foot Hey Eric. How you doing? Like some car salesman in las Vegas I said Well she's. Yeah. She's. All thank you. You saved my life. This is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I love it. So that's nice that's. Good But uh you're not doing so good she's. Oh I, gotta try harder. Yeah, but you have made one sale Oh I forgot. To tell you. My nickname is Juliet I'm eight in the company and she made thirteen thousand dollars that month. Got thirteen.

 Thousand. She finished, six or seven company. Why This is twenty plus countries. Uh that was September She finished. Tenth October November December the photo and I said to I said that's, not good enough I want you to be number one company. Why every single month? And if you do That <unk> excuse me I'm gonna promote you to the biggest position in Correa every month number one number one number one. She's five foot tall prayer little uh a girl in carrier which is a very at that time twenty seven years ago very email, you know dominated with the old style, believe Sentra and I promoted her to the manager of that eighty three thousand square foot club where she's got about three hundred. Stab And a a year later. She showed me her Dean <unk> account. She had four hundred and seventy five thousand dollars saved up <unk> like I met.

participantTwo: Her mother you know the dogs and kisses saved her like father and she was such a great leader, because she had that empathy and the strength and she never had to use it and. She's you know, one of my greatest stories and I'm telling you that for many reasons she used her Street. She didn't pretend that she was stronger than them or she's. She stated that in a specialist her specialist would shot a six foot six body builder. Personal trainer down. Just by giving him a look. Even. In their energy. She she had that and that's a tip for all woman out There it's not a competition. You're, not competing against the man you're complimenting the situation. But staying with your energy.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Your energy. Is more than enough to do anything. You want and have a confidence in that you Don't have to go outside you don't have to approve.

 

Eric: Of that Anything stay in your in your Lane with your power and everything's gonna fall by like bowling pins and it's, you know, I've had that with all different types of women throughout a my my business is all over the world and so be cool, you know be confident in who you are you're, not competing don't look at this competition. Be the best you can be for you that's more than enough you'll in the world.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: That's I love it Thank you for sharing that that's So powerful, because it is true. I mean I wrote. A whole book Called authentically, you and it was about me doing the opposite I was trying to mimic my mail counterparts because I thought that's what I needed to do to be successful and the industry was do what they were doing and it was such a lesson learned that when I finally she did embrace who I was and embrace my strengths and and recognize my weaknesses is where I really excelled and people actually really loved me as me you know, and so I appreciate that. Because women do think that they have to compete that they have to um be save in a different way than what their actual style is and it's such a negative thing for women and I've never seen it work out for a woman.

 

Eric: In the universal flow it's people see that you know woman see that two women men, see that <unk> and see that to man. And uh it's it's not right. It's sweetness confidence when I see when that are confident just like when I see a man confident what's more powerful than that And when you add the sweetness instead of thinking you have to be hard because some jerk mention that you gotta be hard for fifty years ago and somebody wrote it down in the book. I'll be here be here. Right now be sweet when you need to be sweet. Be factual when you need to be factual and be who you are and shine and everyone's gonna shine with you and that's the power that's the power.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme:  Yeah. I love that thing. And I appreciate you saying that, specially from a man's perspective you know, a lot of times men don't wanna doesn't wanna talk at all about woman or their role or or how to behave in the workplace and I think it's. So powerful coming from you. And and hearing your story of how you empowered a woman that you saw needed help, but you saw her potential and that's. So powerful, because we we need to do that as leaders and owners of our businesses is to see that potential and um I definitely have a few a wonderful young woman that many years ago. I did the same thing and people were like you're crazy. Why where are you hiring them and I was like you know what I see their potential? They just need someone to give them a chance and I remember people giving me a chance I mean I was twenty three when I started teaching at the college that's very young and I Remember a the chair of the program got in touch with me I was coaching and she said I'd really like you to come and teach public speaking course And I was like well what I have my master's But why would I teach public speaking. She says Well I've heard you speaking I Think that you would be a great teacher. Well I didn't know anything about teaching or anything. Um but she took me in and she had me be this code teacher with her and whatever. And of course I ended up working with her for the last uh twenty three years and she recently retired. But she was the first person to ever give me a chance and see my potential and so it was such a cool thing to go back to that And you know, twenty three years later and be like you know if you haven't a pushed me into that and and pushing it it led me down the whole path which eventually got me to where it's at So I absolutely love that now I know, we're coming towards end of the podcast I Could talk to you forever. Eric like seriously, but I also know you're you're, you you're sick. So I don't wanna run it ruin your voice, but um gosh, I love all the advice you've been giving and so I know you have a lot of things going on obviously you have so many different things is there any new projects or anything coming up that we can keep your eyes out for or follow up on.

 

Eric: Well I'm actually working with were were both part of a very interesting Alliance call Bell whether Alliance where it's kind of entrepreneurs do good entrepreneurs. We have our own credo. We believe In win win for everybody. And we're, both part of that doctor Julie and myself. And I'm doing some projects with um some of those people there and Dan Vega, you see the head of the the Alliance And we're looking at doing some schools in the gifted world <unk> my son is gifted and I live in LOS Angeles eleven million, people and there's two gifted schools.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Yeah. So it.

 

Eric: Reminds me of what <unk> there's. No chance these kids see things differently. They learned differently a lot. All a lot of money goes to disabled children as it should. But no money is going to these gifted kits and so they're all home schooled every parents going through the same story as as as I have and the need for gifted school. So again to your question earlier Julie So what's my vision, my vision is I'm gonna make. The first gifted school in LOS Angeles of this new new age gifted with wellness with with meditation everything that we put together we're gonna do it in like a high profile Beverly <unk> Santa Monica brand would type of thing where the publicity is gonna scream. <unk> and what do you think. I'm gonna do <unk> I'm gonna franchise that.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: Yeah. I'm gonna.

 

Eric: Have the curriculum on advisory board with grow, which is the leading research a doctor's in gifted world we're gonna have a curriculum that anyone can follow around the world by the gifted? Teachers.

participantTwo: Um we're gonna have a criteria for what the teachers have to learn and we're gonna blue print the whole thing because gifted Ness is under under the water everywhere. Every country doesn't have it somebody like know about it. Um Imagine right now we're told that our kids have ADHD B CD take pills and maybe it'll go away.

participantTwo: Imagine an ad campaign that said I've been told that your daughter son has all these different alphabet letters we need to put on medicine, perhaps she's a genius. Mhm. And hasn't been found out. Yeah Come we'll. Give them a fun test and should they be what we probably think they are they have a home with US. <unk> a <unk>. Hearing that their problem child is actually a genius and nobody understood them and the shares moved for these kids and there's. No limits to they wanna do mess they'll  Do mess for six months straight. They know about gifted Miss and we're going to so all your listeners Mark my words in two years there's gonna be franchise of the gifted schools are gonna create for the whole work.

 

Dr. Julie Ducharme: I love it I love it and it's all my husband has been an elementary teacher for almost twenty years and um you know, we've been able to experience kids like this throughout the time and and it's such a passion of his. He talks about time you know, some of these kids just need someone to give them a chance and to take them off the medicine. So you can see their genius and so I love it it's such a great project you're giving back and you're you're gonna do some great work and obviously with your with your processes and your business is it's gonna be amazing I know it is so we will keep an eye out for that  And we will do an update For sure when you get. Your first one launch. So that is amazing. Well so much for being on the show like I said we could I just we could talk for hours. Um but what you're doing is amazing and authentic and I'm excited to see it all grow and um for those be listing right now you might be driving maybe you're writing your bike don't worry we'll Put Eric's links in with the post. So you can find him catch up with him and of course we'll update anytime any new fun things are coming out as well But as I always say live love laugh and always be your authentic so.