Episode: 317 “Chuck in a Truck” isn’t an insult

Hello.

Oh, look at that. Look at that. Sasha, the man himself. Hey, today's a special episode, I think, for both of us, isn't it? Yeah. But before I say, I'm like, where is everyone? I'm already at our birth waiting. Dude, it's not until October 1st. I told you that. You've got to get that stuff out of there. I'm going to get charged for the space. You can't go in there early. People are telling me, "What am I doing?" They didn't like that. I had a sleeping bag. I was eating food. And they're like, "What are you doing here?" I'm like, "I'm getting ready." How' you even How'd you even get that stuff into the fence show, mate? I've got the accent, buddy. I just say, "Good day, they don't understand what you're saying." They're like, "Just go." But hey, today's episode it touches on something that you and I talk about a lot, right? And uh you know I think we we feel we feel the same towards uh small businesses and one truck uh one truck crews and and things like that. So uh chuck in a truck you know and if anybody knows me and I think especially you probably hate that term. I hate one truck chuck uh you know chuck in a truck slammers. I mean I just can't stand it because I feel like that's where a lot of the fence companies started off with and uh it kind of just irritates me a little bit every time I hear it. But but you know what I mean? It's it's out there and it's and it's real. I mean, if you were to go look up the definition of uh chucking a truck, it's it's a legitimate thing. I mean, it's it's been defined, you know, it's actually been defined out there, you know, to a certain type of of contractor or person doing work. But, um, you know, not every every crew, right? You know, this not every oneman crew out there is a chuck in a truck, right? You know, when you start labeling people, right? I think that's where things get a little like wiry. Look, we're in the fencing industry. Like, if you're putting fence, you're a fencer, fence lady, fence man, doesn't doesn't matter. Chucking the truck. I'm like, dude, my first, you know, cuz as people that know me know that I came out of install and I went to the supply side. I mean, we I was working with a small fence company. Like, we're a fence company. I'm sorry. We do good work. We prided ourselves in good work. Um, you know, servicing our clients. Um, don't label us. Like, we start somewhere. We started with one truck, two truck, three truck. So, what do we after we go to one truck? What do you label me? Yeah. The two truck. You know what I mean? Like Well, I mean, you know, being small doesn't mean unprofessional. It really doesn't. And I think and I think that's what I think that's kind of what it's been labeled as, you know, as when you think of chucking a truck and stuff. It's not really, you know, it was it's thrown out there as an insult, right? But nonetheless, I mean, and we've kind of labeled just anybody that doesn't have multiple trucks, right? Uh doesn't have a big enough company is now uh you know, has this slander of this one truck thing or whatever you want to call it. So being small doesn't mean it's unprofessional at all. You can be you can be professional with one crew uh you know, working out of your personal vehicle and stuff like that. Some some of the best work in our industry comes from oneman shops that take pride in doing what they're doing. In fact, I bet you that a lot of good uh quality work comes from guys that are just out there every day controlling the quality of the going out for their company. So, um you know, I mean, what what do you think? Look, I love I don't even know. I get nervous, right, when we talk about this because I don't even like using the word, right? But now you've imprinted it in my brain today, right? Yeah. So, but look, Lion Fences is not a big, we're a small company. So, what are you going to call me? The one truck supplier. You know, at the end of the day, my I love my clients and we have them from, you know, very big big lots of trucks to the one truck. And I love them. Like, they'll come in, we'll sit down, we'll have a chat. Um, and I'm sorry, they're as valuable to me as my big clients cuz they're the same. They're all like we're all just putting we're all in fence and unfortunately we

Got to start somewhere. And look, I've got some really cool I don't even know what to call them. Let's call them I don't know the one the one truck. That's all they want. I call them fence companies. Exactly. Fence. Thank you. See, I was I thought No, that's how effed up our industry is, Brian. Yeah, they're fence companies. They're not they're not. And these fence there's some fence companies that don't want to be bigger and they're putting up thousands and thousands of lineal feet of chain link. They're putting on thousands and thousands of maybe not thousands of iron, but they're putting on big job. Like they're just happy, right? So how do I judge someone that is happy to have one truck or one crew? Like that is ridiculous. What do Sasha what do you call a fencer in space? Oh, dude. I'm not I'm too dumb for that. It's an astronaut. You racist. Come on. There. See, that's my point. Um, that's what I mean. We label fencers as, you know, and I think I had a supplier once call me and say, um, hey, you know, what do we got to do to get your business? And I'm like, um, I don't know, treat me like anything other than a fencer. Because if, uh, you're a fencer, it feels like we got to fight to get accounts sometimes. And uh by the way, if we do get it after a thorough uh investigation, we're on the on the crappiest tier level, right? Sometimes. So it's like that's what you'd have to do. But but when I say I'm not even thinking fencers when you say chuck in a truck, I mean or even just small fence companies, oneman crews. I mean that applies to all the trades which um you know I mean it applies across the board. So, you know, and that and that being said, you know, but is a truck in a truck, I mean, I I I guess if you really want to try to use that in a term, I think it came is it that guy that shows up with no license, no insurance, right? And uh has no intention of standing behind his work, right? And he underbids everybody while he's cutting corners, no permits, no safety, no standards, no warranty. And when something goes wrong, where's that guy? Where's that guy? He's gone. Right. So when I think of something like Chuck in a truck, I think you're calling I think of that guy, right? So So or or a Trunk Slammer or a one truck Chuck or something, that is what I think of, right? I don't think of of just a a a company that just because he only has one truck and and I think that we start categorizing them into this and we that's what creates this barrier, right? That's what creates a barrier of entry even into our industry. So it makes it so difficult, you know? I think we've pushed everybody that is a fence company with one truck. I love you just changed my life, right? Because I didn't know how I was going to get around this one truck. When we push everybody into that category, that's ridiculous, right? If you're licensed, you're doing everything right. It like you it's rid you can't just label everybody in there. Because I'm with you, Brian, when I think of that word, and I understand some clients that are mad because you're right. They're unlicensed. They're they got no overhead. They're doing dodgy things. They don't stand by their work and then they're out and gone when you need their help, right, as a client. So that when I think of that word, that's exactly what I think of. I think of guys that I don't even want to sell to. That's those people because I want to work with you know people that look California Vegas like meeting you over last man I didn't realize I thought California had all these regulations my goodness Vegas has a lot of regulations right you got to fit into things so the guy that has one truck fence company they're lic they're doing the right that's it they're a fence company, move on. Let's just move on and support them. And if they want to grow, great. If they don't want to grow, great. Again, like the point is they're in our industry and we need to support them. Yeah. And it doesn't matter. And I think that sometimes we we forget this, but in this country, whether you're in business for one hour, one day, or a hundred years, you're just as legitimate of a

Business. So, it doesn't make you any more legitimate. So, um, you know, and I think that we forget that. So, it's, you know, and that's tough. And I think that we look at these trades and you know now that if you noticed a shift even in this podcast um we're getting a lot more um trade related stuff not even even you know which all applies to us on the fence industry because I felt like we didn't have enough on the fence side really we really didn't to add credibility and professionalism in our industry everything we were doing was to keep everything the same not to change it right so I'm like well I had to reach outside of our fence industry to start talking to people believe it or not besides the people that were kind of like pushing our legacy groups and associations and I had to reach outside of this whole network that we built a recycled networking to uh to find people that would actually give me information to share with everybody, believe it or not. So, um you know, and and I thought that was, you know, I thought that was pretty interesting when I talked to, you know, a few of them that were dealing with the same struggles, the trades and what makes, you know, some of those trades, uh we talk about professionalism, we kind of gatekeep even our materials. We gatekeep everything in this industry. Gatekeep our our standards. We gatekeep our materials, our shows, our suppliers. I mean, you name it, manufacturers, it's all in our industry, gatekept to a to a degree, right? So, you go outside of that, get into electrical, plumbing, you go to an electrical supply house, and this is what I've been researching a lot, and this is how I've been because how am I, you know, how are we going to take FWA and some of this other in in a direction that's going to that's actually going to grow the industry without it stalling out or being absorbed into another industry? Like, look, the gate gate gate operators and gates have been absorbed into the door industry because we failed them on the fence side, right? So, that's why they're writing all this. That's why they're kind of doing it, right? So that's why they've separated out a industry went out on their own because we failed them on the fence side. So we've done nothing to really kind of uh grow it and create this this you know this this environment right for people to grow. So um you look at electrical and plumbing and go to an electrical supply house and if you're if you're an electrician you could buy from them. there is no uh you know we're not going to sell to you because uh you know we got a couple large ones here right they're not going to sell to you because uh they have a big customer and and if there is price difference it's not dramatic right I mean obviously like anything you buy in bulk you get discounts right but we you know we we didn't really have that much of an open door policy on ours and I think that's how we create professionalism right that's how we we get rid of these uh you know so-called chuck you know if you want you know chucking a truck kind of stuff and you separate I get it cuz it's that word to me is I'll be honest to me that's an ugly word. Yeah. So, I categorize and I'm with you. You know, I know we're going to beat a dead horse, but me and you started this conversation. Oh, wow. Like 3 years ago um 2 and a half years ago when we did our first podcast together and that was what we were sort of talking about was that frustration is how do we support the industry rather than labeling it, you know? And as a foreigner, you know, those of you that don't know, I'm not from Alabama. I'm from Australia, right? But the one thing I love about this country is the opportunity to grow, to create your little business, to to to get out there and have a go. America is the greatest country because that is one I'm not going to get into politics, right? Me and you're probably going to have a fight. But that's what I love about this country is like lion couldn't do what it did if it was in any other country in the world. But in America, we have the opportunity to to as a small business to grow and to compete with the big guys. Like what's the problem? I don't understand. Competition isn't bad so long as it's fair, right? So yes, like my bigger clients are going to get a bit of a better price discount because they buy in bulk, but it doesn't mean the the smaller fence companies are

Going to get ripped off because I don't want to do I would love those guys. You know, get a lot more personal with them because they're generally dealing with the owners and their wives a lot. So it's like this little community within a community, right? That's why I love our industry because fencing, we've got communities, but inside those communities, we've got families. And there's these little communities that, dude, you get to meet some amazing people. Some some like I have met some insanely talented fence company guys that have one truck. Because they love to do the work themselves. They're hands-on. They weld special G, you know, they do all this fancy stuff. What's wrong with why can't I support them? Why do I have to give him the right acting? Oh, do you have a working my Who cares? And and I think that's what I loved about this episode uh was getting Let's do a shout out for Aaron Preston, man. Uh by the way, Aaron, I don't think I don't think we reached out to you yet. We drew about 10 random people um and you became one of them for a um a free all access pass to the fence show. So, if you haven't got that in the email or maybe I'm not supposed to say it yet, but Erin, thank you for all your support. I probably just filled something. Maybe the emails didn't go out yet or the messages, but we're gonna make sure it No, he's on every one of our shows and uh, you know, we we love him for that. So, we're going to help him out, figure out what we got to do to make sure he makes it over to the fence show in Vegas this year in October. So, uh, he may have got a message or may not yet. So, I'm probably going to get in trouble for that. But, since he popped on there, it came into my mind. And you know me, we can't we can't help it. But but you know, so so that being said, because I do want to get into what the difference is, what separates uh what separates a fence company from a uh chuck in a truck, you want to call it, right? What separates those? Because we already defined a chuck in a truck, I think actually would be a guy, maybe you could call it that, that shows up with no license, no insurance, uh no intention, right, of standing behind his work. I'll say it again. He underb bids everyone, cutting the corners because he's obviously everything's low. He's not doing it right. You know what I mean? and uh you know and and no permits, no safety stand. There's no warranty. And if something goes wrong, poof, this guy is never found again. There's no fence signs on there. He didn't you know, he didn't have JC Guri printing no signs for him. Nothing. He wanted no phone numbers. His phone goes off. It was probably one of those disposable 7-Eleven ones or something, right? But but nonetheless, what separates going down a rabbit hole, buddy? Rabbit hole. I know. So, what what are the struggles of a new small business though? And you know, you and it's something I don't think I've shared enough with people when I talk to a lot of people. Um because with me, I'm I'm old school. I'm about calling basically. I mean, you know, I mean, I I'm pick up the phone and call. I mean, you even we talk, right? I mean, I I I call people over texting. And I think that if you want to, you know, if you're if you're slow, you got to start calling. Don't just send emails and spamming and all that stuff and and all that, but it's important to have your presence. But I don't know if you I don't know if I've ever told you what what call stands for, you know, for I mean, it's it's a it's And this is literally this is a if you're a small gun company, what do you need to take it to the next level? A call. It's it's pretty simple. Credibility, accounts, leads, and licensing. And that's and and that's what that's kind of the foundation of taking it to the next level, you know, and I think that's that's where Fence Worker Association came in. You know, my my mentality behind that and what was what was out there I didn't feel like was was actually helping people get to that level unless you had a lot of money. Now, if you had a lot of money, we had plenty of stuff set up for you. We had we had $5,000 classes you could go to and fly out to other states and shows and everything you could go if you could afford $400 $500 hotel rooms and passes and $1,000 education and $5,000 whatever it was. I mean, if you could afford, you know, $1,000 worth of standards, you could do all we could we

Could help you uh become more professional. But the problem is a majority of the defense companies, as we know, are not uh able to send five people around uh to places that cost that much money. So, um I think that was what it was. And I think, you know, when it comes down to it, uh, credibility, you know, for me, and I don't have Susan in the background, by the way, if everybody can tell, to pull stuff up. So, I'm like, uh, normally she's like able to pull stuff up and kind of guide me. So, it's kind of just me, you know. So, what do you think credibility is, Sasha? So, I want to answer some I want to just just what on to your point before that point. Um, you know, Brian, the beautiful thing about when you're starting a small business, a lot of the owners are hands-on, right? They're out in the field. They're quite like, so it's it's not that it's not just about the money to go to these things. It's about, dude, I can't go because I've got I'm physically out there with a crew making sure, you know, so we forget. We're just leaving these guys out because in order for them to go places, it has to be affordable one. Y and then it has to be accessible to and I feel like that's why we've missed this opportunity and I think f not I think I know FWA and FWA women are doing a great job at reminding this group dude no we got you like we're going to make it affordable we're going to be flexible um because it's important that you're part of the fence industry right answering credibility credibility starts firstly with you know like your character but when you take that away credibility isn't look when you're brand new how do you create credibility like let's say I've started uh like well the lion's a perfect example like we were born out of a necessity literally necessity uh we're not we don't need to that horse is buried and rotten so we don't need to dig up that history but literally born out of necessity so how do we gain credibility by being like all your calls being available, making the calls, being honest, servicing the hell out of people. When they send when they ask for a quote request, you get it in 40. You know what I mean? All these little things to create that credibility. And I feel it's the same with the install companies, right? You're new. Who cares? So, how do I create this credibility? By being like responsive. Like, go to that walk, be really responsive to whoever you're doing the site visit with. follow up, get the quote, ring them up, say, "How does my," you know, all this stuff I feel like you can do. And I love what you said. I had an argument today. I cannot tell you who it was. Most people know my staff. So, because for some reason texting and email, that's not communication, mate. So, you want to build credibility, pick up the phone, like have the call. If you can go face to face, that's awesome. But often we don't have that opportunity. So, it's just being available and picking that phone up and and making these things. Nobody wants to cold call. Nobody like I sweat to this day about, but you've got to do it. In order to build credibility, you've got to be approachable and you got to create relationships. And the only way to do that is to either be in front of someone or be responsive to a quote, but also pick up the phone and just say, "Hey, what do you think? Was I close? Was I good?" You know, and all of a sudden, you start to build that credibility. And as you get one job, you take a pictures and you know what I And then all of a sudden, you know, our industry, even the residential guys, I tell them all the time, I would we were doing a little bit of both, but then we got completely into commercial. Um, but you know, when you do a great job to one neighbor, the other neighbor's jealous. So that's that's your in because you fence from what the heck from your fence, you know? I I I like your approach, too. I mean, um, and but I was looking at it like when I when when I when I sat down and I said, you know what, what what can I do? Not just our industry and the trades as a whole. What can I do to help somebody's credibility? I can't make them make phone calls. You can't you can't make them be professional. You can't make them wear a clean shirt during the day and and going to the job

Sites and maybe getting a printing a uh your name on your shirts or the badge and all this stuff. You can't you can't do that. But um I'm like, so I first question I ask him is I'm like, "What's your presence?" You know, how's your online presence? How's your presence in general? And I started thinking to myself, well, what can we do to help those people um that are new starting out? I mean, what are we going to take a guy that, you know, he just he bought I mean, he bought a a pair of post hole diggers, a wheelbarrow, and he's been building fence on the weekends. He's a great fence builder, but he's got another job. And some people do this part-time and do that until they can afford to actually break away completely from driving a forklift at Southern Wine and Spirits in the warehouse, and now they're building fence permanently. But that's a hard transition to make. you know, obviously that, you know, we needed health insurance and things like that, which we kind of set up with the FWA health, but but that's that's not enough to make somebody switch over. So, I ask them, what's your, you know, what's your online presence? Start with that, right? You because you're trying to make yourself look more credible to uh to people when you're out there bidding stuff and how, you know, and call obviously it's all about about that part of it, right? So, credibility. I'm like, how's your website? So, I'm thinking to myself, well, gosh, we got to be able to help them get a website. Obviously, you can go to plenty of places and get a website. So, you know, back then we built fencename.com and I don't know if I should share that. So everybody can see that there's there is a ton of fence companies using this and this is keep in mind this is a stepping stone to go and then you start here maybe and you go over to um you know Cleverfox or.com or whoever you know brand builders all the people in our industry that are now doing uh you know dedicated fence websites that are on a whole another level. There's no doubt right there you know they can do that but sometimes you got to work your way up to it and any site's better than no site right? So um I'm going to try to share this thing here and show you but uh But I think while you're doing that, Brian, I think and I again that's why it's amazing having FWA because that stuff as a fence person you sort of it's not necessarily on the front of your mind, right? But when you realize that on that online presence is so important. You're so it's so true, you know. Yeah. Yeah. So I I mean I tell them flat out just straight if you could start you could start with a website for $6.99 a month and we got a website builder in here get your domain 20 bucks $6.99 a month and at least it gets you started. You could come in here you can uh get your emails your hosting some other stuff you need marketing there's some links there's some links in here in fact that'll take you over to uh some of the other stuff marketing uh there's actually I think there was some other hosting and emails and websites you got some links over to Cleverfox and I think.com's on here as well. So, uh, you know, it's just a it's a clever place to get started, right? If, uh, if you don't have anything at all. So, I I, you know, so that's basically what I ask them. Let me see your website first. So, I take them over there. Then I'm like going, okay, uh, what's the free stuff they can do, right? That's and keep in mind that's a minimal cost. You're 20, 30 bucks in and you've got a website. If you, if you can take the time to do it, and typically when you first start off, you've got plenty of time, right? You know, put down the Netflix for a minute. Turn off that $20 Netflix. Uh, turn off that $20 Netflix for a month and pay your 20 bucks and get a website. So don't tell me you can't afford a website if you're watching Netflix tonight, right? So that's again that's a stepping stone and then and then move on into you know some of the ones where where they can actually build a lot more custom stuff that you wouldn't be able to do yourself you know and then um and then I go about what's your Google Google I mean Google pages and Google uh you know the the maps and your Google business that is a huge it's free to get on there and it's amazing how many people don't have that set up right so and and sometimes they just you know they just don't know how to do it so um you know back when we were creating that I went ahead and we created FWA.ai. And

Have you been on here yet, Sasha? Uh, no. You don't share nothing with me. I'm just like, you could go in here, create an account, fwa.ai, which is this is all AI. This is, in fact, this is a new version, 4.0, which is uh actually a speeded up version, but you could scroll through here, and I'll get into the social media links and stuff. You go down to all of these tools that are just built for this, right? And you could go down in here, and you could go to fence businesses. uh go in here and you could form your corporation LLC. Get all that stuff going. Safety tools, uh gate safety checklist, uh contractor's license information, but here's what you go down to. So, go down to Google business pages setup. Uh you go in here and you put in United States where it's going to be and some information. It's going to spit out how to how to do all that. So, uh, these are are, you know, really really interesting tools and all of that stuff's built built around getting them a little bit more, um, used to having that getting that set up for free. And next thing you know, a few months later, you're getting some organic phone calls. So, I ask them, you know, is that stuff set up? And then I start asking, "What? Let me see your social media pages. Do you have those things set up?" And then again, I send them over to the AI, you know, and it's they go in there and they put in their company name, this that and it spits out exactly how to set up where and how you log in, set up your accounts, how to link your your your post. So when you post in one, it posts in all the other ones. All the simple stuff that a lot of people don't understand, uh, you know, how to do and uh, you know, even in how to make your videos. I don't know if you saw that. Here's something that I, you know, I I think more people should get over and do. I mean, they wonder, you know, what started a lot of the stuff I did was I mean, I had a big Tik Tok page, right? So, if you wanted to go and create a script for I mean, I built some stuff in here that'll help you actually set up a podcast, podcast ideas if you want chain link, uh, post blogs, you can how to connect your Facebook and your Instagram, create a YouTube channel, go live on media ones. Uh you you can actually go in here and and if you wanted to create a social media post just for chain link, you could put in the tone, funny, exciting. Put in your company name, city, and website, and it's going to create a custom uh post that you can post on all social media uh ones for with the with the hashtags, everything you need on that. And I don't know if it's flipping through the pages with you, but I think it is. Right. See, no. And look, Brian, that's that's the one thing that that education like FWA, what you guys are doing, it it's really important because I think we get scared, right? Like from a fencing perspective and I'm not very intelligent and you're a social media guru, right? like it's very important like you're so right like it's so important to have that presence and um you've all got it set up it's not as daunting then you know what I mean it's like oh cool okay can muck around with this I can do that but yeah for anyone out there look I'm with you I think you have to take a look at websites social media how do we get to this site then Brian like we just like every member of FWA can come on Yeah, anybody. You could go to fwa.ai and I'm going to show you this. Like if you want to write a Tik Tok script, I just put in here subject of the script Sasha getting hinges taken off another gate or whatever. Uh I'm going to put funny. Okay. I'm going to show you how simple this is. Length of the Tik Tok. Let's make one that's 30 seconds long. Okay. And I'm going to hit generate. Now, I just switched over to this uh 4.0. So, what it's doing is doing the work in the back. So, it's going to be a little slower. It's not showing the the actual words going out there, but give it a second and it's going to pop up uh an actual 30 second script and I make a funny one that you can make a Tik Tok video um and post that to your Tik Tok, your YouTube, your Facebooks, and it says timeline 30 seconds. Uh 0 to second uh view a shot of Sasha picking up a toolbox, walking towards partially installed fence. Caption DIY fence project time. And you could again, you can do some Sasha looks surprised digging through the toolbox. He forgot

His hinges and blah blah blah. It's timelines and timelines and timelines and next thing you know you got a 30 second video. And this is the kind of stuff that, you know, I think that more I'd like to see more people get out there and use. So, you know, back to what I'm saying is that's that kind of stuff and then social media pages and things and how to link it all. This is the stuff that you start adding credibility and then your insurance and certificates, right? Yeah. So, uh, you know, and in the insurance and we've got stuff that, you know, obviously we got connections in the insurance and certificates. Fence University's got your, uh, certificates and stuff and we're creating a lot more free certificates you can get at the fence show. So, if you're looking to get insurance and trying to take it to the next level, we're going to have uh people there to help sign you up for insurance right there on the spot at the fence show. We're going to have uh classes that you can do on the floor, get some certifications and get those hung on your wall, at least show on your websites, things like this that give you a little bit more credibility on that, right? So, that's credibility to me. And I think that's where I thought I could help the industry. And I don't think that um enough of that information is out there to realize what FWA is actually working on and what we're doing, you know, to to do it. And so, you go over there and it's not just that stuff. You've got things like uh even FWA, you know, that's been out for, I think, almost a year and a half, right? And uh we've got like there's over 100 people in there and they're doing everything from lean releases, letters. You could type in the name of the employee. If you broke a tool, it'll help you type those letters up. Everything's out of the prompts, everything's filled out. You can do stuff in a second. Job offers, anything you can imagine. If you want to get licensed, and this is where the, you know, licensing and stuff that comes in, which we'll get into in a second. You can go in there, punch in what state you're in, and it'll tell you whether you need state license, county, city, and tell you how to get that that, you know, that stuff and where to contact it. So, a lot of questions we get is, "I'm in Alabama. What kind of licensing do I need?" Well, we've created a platform, so you could type that in there and it'll tell you, "By the way, in this state, you don't need a state license, but you need a a local jurisdiction license, and here's some links to do that." So, I think some of that adds the credibility to it, you know? I mean, what you know, I mean, what are your thoughts? I mean, you haven't been in the FWA. But, I got to get you uh get you linked up. Look, I think like that's the scare, right? Like if you can if people can the more information and people understand like for example FWA AI man that takes all the stress and freaking out work out it just doesn't so it makes sense and and I'm sorry that's the tool of the now and I feel like instant credibility you're right it it really starts on social media and online as much as I hate to say it it's the reality ity of today. So if if you can take that fear out like how do I start? Where do I start? Where do I go? And you go to FWA, I mean, you've just taken all that stress out. So yeah, it's it's it helps the little guy, the fence company that's got the one truck, who whatever size, but it really helps those guys take that. Okay, it's not that expensive, but where do you go to do it? Yeah. Yeah. And this is all out there. Yeah. This is all out there, easy to access and it's it was built for everybody to access, not a again, everything else is gatekeep. And it's it seems like everything's designed by the same five people in our industry and it's all meant to either uh bring up the barrier of entry into our industry and protect it or stifle innovation. There is nothing to to create more uh you know create more fencers and more stuff in the industry like we're putting out. So, I think that's where and and and I think that's where I hit a lot of walls because our industry doesn't like change. If I'm getting told to leave, they're sending attack dogs after me to leave the show. So, apologize about that dog that's barking in the He's going to bite me if I leave, you know. All right, I'm

Leaving. But, no, you're right. It's it's it's really I feel like the biggest thing, Ryan, is it's accessibility. Yeah. What we've created and you call them gay. I really like that gatekeeper terminology because all you're doing is stifening accessibilities to the people that you've graded a certain way, right? And I'm sorry, my block is the same color as anybody else out there in the fencing industry and everyone deserves accessibility. I'm sorry. Now, it's going to be different. Yeah. Companies can afford more marketing and more social. I get that. But the the the little guys and and ladies should have access to to that as well in some form or another. I think that's that's what you're doing. We got forums you can go and these are the same forms I use at Las Vegas Fence. So, uh you know I mean you can go and and change logos, move it around, and you've got an estimate sheet form now. And you know what I mean? You could go and and this will help you write uh some of your terms and agreements as well in there. So, uh you know, work orders, we've got work orders. I don't do a lot of vinyl and wood. So, if you're looking for somebody that's going to help you write a vinyl and woodwork order, I'm probably not your best bet, but I can sync you up with somebody that could, right? So, so call obviously and I want people to remember that call. licensing. So, we went through credibility. Now, accounts, accounts is a big one, you know, right? I mean, accounts with suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. Now the reason I said distributors is because and suppliers even though it's the exact same thing is because some people uh think of suppliers uh you know some people think of it as a supplier and some people think of it as distributor which is the person that buys from the manufacturer and then sells to the fence companies. It's the way the normal system works right so accounts you know and I think this is where we excelled. This is where we changed the game. I mean and and you you are a uh you're a prime person to bring this up. We have opened up the market to to small fence companies to where there is a race there is a race to sign up small fence companies now. You walk up to most most of the distributors or suppliers and even some of the manufacturers and they're afraid to turn you away now, right? Because they know that if they don't sign you up, we're going to sync them up with someone that will. And I think uh you know, you know what I love to see was um you're seeing a lot of even a lot more the distributors and stuff at the fence show um you know, which is which is great, right? We've had some that were legacy ones that kind of started with us in the beginning and now it seems like more of them are coming around. They're realizing it's year three. We're not going anywhere. So, and that's where the people are and we have a lot of fencers walking around, right? So, that's really cool to see them and we wanted them there, right? But, you know, you look at you look at like Homeland, look at what Homeland did, man. They have an entire aisle and instead of making themselves the center point and this is what shows you that this show was built for the fencers. Go to another show and there would be a because it's where it's it's almost like where manufacturers go to talk to distributors. It's it's a whole another level, right? Right. And our show was built for the distributors to talk to the fencers. So, if you're a fencer, this is what this designed for. They bought a whole aisle away basically and brought in all of their distributors. So, no matter where you are in the country, there's a probably a homeland distributor there, right, that'll sell you. So, that's I think this is what's starting a whole new revolution in shows and this is probably the future of our industry and a future of how it's going is a is is a fight for service and servicing the fence companies. So, if you are looking for new accounts, in fact, if you were to talk to any distributor that comes to us that's ever had a conversation with me at the fence show, I say, and you've heard me say it a hundred times, you know, if you're going to come, I'd rather you not spend a half a million dollars building a booth and buy a pallet of of of books and put them in the middle of your booth, build a counter, and sign people up and have everybody walking around with your books because I I'm I'm telling people to come thousands of

Miles to this expo. So, if you are a distributor and you're listening, I'll say it again, sign people up, bring people. You don't need to bring more executives. Bring more people that are sitting on a computer and sign people up. Not that I want you to bring the executives. We love them too. But I mean, you know what I mean, though. But I'm just saying it's it's this is the show where if you're looking to for, you know, credibility accounts, this is what the accounts are about is this fence show and getting there and getting a new account set up with a distributor or a supplier that you didn't think you could get set up with. And I think you'll agree with that, right? Oh man, it's like the last thing I'm going to do do is ask you to sign. I'm going to give you a beer and go. Come. What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? How can I help you? If I can't help you, there's guys over here. Like, let's go. What do you need? This whole I think that's everywhere. Go to go to this show and you'll see we moved the first off, I don't have as much room, right? Even though there's hundreds of exhibitors, we we I mean, the aisles are 10 feet apart. You know, it's easy to make a hall look big when you got them aisles 30 feet apart, right? So granted, I could be twice as big if I was 30 foot aisles, but these are, you know, 8 10 foot wide aisles and everybody's at the end, you know, these the people exhibiting are at the end of the they're out there, they're at the end of it, right? They're like going, "Hey, you know, hey, what's going on? Where you from? Let's uh come on in and talk." And I think there's more networking going on um at this show than probably ever has happened at a fence show in the history that I remember shows. So, um I think it's really cool to see. Yeah, I agree. And at the end of the day, like look, I'll meet with anyone, but at the end of the day, I'm not I sort of wasting my time. If I'm meeting with someone that does want to do business with me, I'd rather I want to do business with people that want to do business. And if I can't service you, I know people that I can send you to, right? It's that networking, right? It's that whole circle of inner circle. And the show for us has always been successful. And I feel like we're meeting PE. Look man, if we had a pod, go back to our very first podcast after your very first show. The biggest eye opener for me three years ago, bro, can you remember? You've been doing shows for three years. It's crazy, right? Third year. That's nuts. They said we wouldn't be able to do one. They said we wouldn't be able to do one. Yeah. People say a lot of things, bro. Like, we can tell you that for facts. But the cool thing was I didn't realize that fence companies couldn't buy product. I would go and again don't take this out of context. There's nothing wrong with Home Depot or Lowe's. They're very good to our industry as well. But it just blew my little pee brain. What do you mean? They're like, well, we don't have a yard. We don't have a forklift or it's this or it's too expensive. I'm like well you've come to the right show for for me was a complete eye opener because I never think that ex in my brain even though you know everyone knows my background I work for you know one of the biggest whatever they are um like in America I was like really like I thought they were lying but it was like one after the other after the I was just like wow this is how we're going to treat fence companies is, man, I could care less if you got a bicycle and you're putting a post in it. Like, I could care less. I'm going to service you, right? Because at the end of the day, my job is to not um put you in a category. My job is to service the industry, and I want to work with fair and honest people. Um, and that's that's what I do. I don't really care if you've got a yard or a forklift, if you need a fancy offense person, and you're doing what's right. I think for me tonight, I'm gonna openly say I define a truck as a truck as a basic cheapkate, not really really taking care of our industry, trying to cut corners. Everybody else to me is a fence installer and a fence company. I'm sorry. That's sort of how I view that word now, if that makes sense. And I like that you said it because you said

Home Depot and Lowe's earlier and and I think that we purposely uh here's the irony of the whole thing. Okay. Our industry and our our our distributors and suppliers and manufacturers, they fight over fight over supplying the Home Depot and Lowe's and the big box stores. I mean, fight over it to the point where they're using us as a reason to come to the the town to drop all the materials off at a better price at Home Depot and Lowe's, right? So they're fighting for those contracts, but yet if we consider people that buy from Home Depot and Lowe's, you know, trunk slammers or truck, you know, all the stuff we were talking about. So I like you said that just because somebody again, if you're a legitimate company and you buy your materials from Home Depot or Lowe's, it doesn't make you less of a fence company. Now, it's it's it's absolutely ridiculous thing to say. Now, uh, and I get that sometimes there's different quality materials and things like this, but, you know, it's it doesn't certainly doesn't, uh, it doesn't devalue your company because you didn't buy from, you know, a specific person because maybe you couldn't, right? Yeah. Here's how I look how we've treated defense companies in our industry. Like, you know, I don't know what you call them, but those barricades where you're like, here's the desk, but I have to do this. Mhm. To get to the desk. I could have just gone straight to the desk, but for some reason I've got to go. They've barricaded me and I've got to go around this snake and I'm a fat guy and I'm like, can I just get to the end? I'm like, I feel like that's how we've treated our fence as as distribing from the distributor side, right? Because I'm like, just get into the desk. Don't worry about cuddling them into just get into the desk and we work it out together. And I can tell you what's I can tell you what's changed. And anybody that's listening or watching, if you're if you're on one of those I don't know what do they call the one where they this thing streams over those those like Apple channels where people listen to it in their car. What is that called? I don't even remember what that's called. So somehow it's linked to you know it goes out to all the different channels and stuff. But Joe, if you're listening watching, I'm telling you this right now. Every single person that's coming to the fence show and getting a booth, the reason they're there is because they're breaking the mold and they're there because they want to sign people up. So, if you're looking for the ones that actually truly support the industry and aren't for gatekeeping and for trying to uh limit who gets what materials and access, hey, if you want to find out who those people are, just look at the list and you'll see they're not on the list. Uh right, because the people that are for connecting and supporting the fence companies and the small ones all the way all the way down to the one one truck um you know, operations, they're at this fence show and uh if they don't support them, that's the reason they're not there. That's all I can get out of it because no way no way no way you're going to convince me you don't know about this show now. So three years in and like I said, you know, like you said to the fence universe and people that are interested in fencing, you got to come to this show. You've got to come meet uh meet the team, meet the FWA team, FWA women team. But besides that, the vendors that are there are really there because to you, we want to get you to our desk and not have to do this and and deter you from coming. And then by the way too, I heard a rumor that uh there's going to be a massive party at the show. Some something on I don't know what it is. Oh my god. JC JC Gur 75th. How cool is that? And you know what they I mean they're amazing. We've been working with them now for obviously months and months and they've been there every year, right? So they the biggest booth they ever had was at our show and and we thought with 10 by 20. This year they got I think a 20 by 20 and they're bringing their they're shutting down JC Guri basically and bringing their entire staff. They've never done that. There have never been more than two people I don't think at a show and much less a 20 by 20 and they're throwing a massive party uh the night before which is uh instead of like a kickoff party, it's

Basically like a kickoff party, but it's the JC Guri 75th anniversary uh customer appreciation. They've got all a bunch of their customers coming and everybody which will be pretty cool and they want to show off their their the biggest booth they ever had and they're going to be doing some cool stuff in there. So that's uh the 29th uh you know right before the show. Yeah. 30th. I don't know why I keep saying 29th but yeah that is that is history right there you know. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah and and that's that's pretty that's pretty cool. And then uh Homeland's doing their their party on Thursday with the Spasmatics which is a really cool and that's on that's on property. So again you don't have to leave the property if you don't want but Wednesday is going to be a really cool day too because it's going to be a strip night where we're all going down to the strip. Everybody's going to be able to go do whatever they want and uh get some discounts. But but nonetheless, credibility, right? So we've got call credibility, accounts, leads, and licensing. So we've got credibility, right? We've got accounts. Go to the fence show, right? And credibility. Go to fwa.ai. Get some presence. Go to fencename.com. Get your certificates at fence university. I mean, we really worked hard to take a small fence company, a guy that's doing on the weekend or even a smaller company and and help turn him from one truck into five, right? So you've got credibility, accounts, leads. Now leads comes from your credibility, right? And once you get all this this presence and this uh you know businesses stuff get set up and your your organic leads. But that's not all. That's not all. You know us, right? But why? But why? There's more. Oh, wait. We'll give you two. out. So, so, uh, obviously use that for your fence, uh, your, you know, your social media post in the Google Maps and things like that, but you could go to fencebid.com and you could set up some free, um, you could set up some free, um, uh, basically a free listing and it and it indexes pretty well and you're getting out there and and we we help promote that and push that to try to drive leads to you where it's basically almost like a yellow pages in a way for uh, fencing. And then fence social. So, that's where I don't think a lot of people are taking advantage of. I mean, there's a full app you could download, use it. It's a It's a platform that's designed for It was originally designed for um shows and events and stuff so people could put on events and we're already uh it's going to be utilized at the fence show as well. So, it's going to be the lead scanner at the fence show and after this you'll be able to print your own badges and and do your own personal events um you know at your place at limited if not no cost. So, fencocial.com set your account up on that one as well and that's going to be utilized at the show and you'll be able to communicate with people. So instead of just going and recycling network, our industry has been recycling networking for a decade or two, it feels like, right? And you know, you could you could sit in a booth, you could normally sit in a booth and you could look down the aisle and you know who's walking up before they even get to you, right? You could write down on a piece of paper who's going to dinner with who, who's going to lunch with who, right? Who's having drinks with who? And it's probably And guess what? And guess what? It's probably not you. Yeah. Yeah. So, so this is uh and I think that's what's changed is is how much effort we're doing trying to get new people there and so uh fence and and and and I think it's because once you do this, they scan your badge or something and maybe somebody calls you, they don't. Well, we're working hard to connect you afterwards. So, all year now, you're going to be able to uh communicate on a on a platform that we're used to using that's dedicated to just all of us networking with suppliers, manufacturers, and everybody. So, uh fencocial.com, you definitely got to check that out. you're gonna be, you might as well go download it now because if you're coming to the show, you're going to be downloading at the show to access everything, right? So, go.com. Yep. Yep. And then I think Brian too, the going back to to leads and all of that stuff, you got to be part of the community, right? So,

Fencing fence companies, you got to be part of it. So, the best place to start is FWA, right? It's in it's a community. It's closeniched. you know, most of us want to help you and it's like get in there. So, get dirty. Come in, join these little platforms and they're big. There's big support for these things. So, you've got to get in it as well, you know, from the install. You're setting up. When I when I started, it was me and my wife. That was it, right? And uh we had materials on the side of my house. And uh you know, I had a a truck. I bought one of them trucks that uh you know, that Home Depot would use to move stuff with the aluminum beds. I bought that in a used place and had one of those. But nonetheless, um, and then before that it was like a little like S10 truck, right? So having resources at FWA said, "Okay, what are we going to do?" Even and the women of FWA came around, right? And if you notice, I mean, they are just some of the most generous group of girls you'll ever meet. And they're working in everything from small to large companies in our industry, right? So you could reach out to uh any of them and get involved. So, if you're a small company and it's you and your wife, get your wife or your girlfriend or even if you've got a someone in your staff, get them part of the women of FWA. And if you have questions, just ask them. I mean, they'll if you had a question about some topic of of, you know, procedures or or HR, they'll do a whole podcast on it. They'll bring you on and and they'll address it and and get right to the nitty-gritty of it. And it's stuff that even I will be able to answer. You know, much smarter than us guys, right? They are in it. And I'm like, just use the and they're so amazing. They're so willing to help. And that's so refreshing. That's why FWA has has has gone and just in leaps and bounds in three years when from the day dot when everyone's like it's not going to happen. No. Okay. Second year to now third. You're like, "Guys, you got to use these. They're amazing people and if you don't use them, you're missing out because it's just it." When I did fencing for the first time, Brian, there was nothing that what do you do? You got to learn as you go, right? It's like, oh, you know, you know what a fence is, but how do you get all work with contracts and bidding processes and like you said, credibility? There's a place where it's all set up and utilize it because they're really good people. It's an amazing organization. Yeah, for sure. And and I think it's great to see it and and you know to actually see it grow and see why it grow but I think a lot of people don't realize how much is actually out there and what we're actually doing because maybe it's you know and and we've got so many different sites and so many different things that that people are utilizing that you might not even re realize that it's part of FWA and that we've created all this with the same same purpose of of trying to build it up and and the you know the industry pushed against it in the beginning obviously and you know but now you're seeing you know they said you can't do online stuff now everybody wants to do online certificates they said you know, you the the healthcare, why it wasn't created before, I have no idea because it took me about a year, granted, but we've been doing this for like 60 years trying to help fence companies, right? And yet, we couldn't create a healthcare. So, I mean, this is all the stuff that's been going on that's being created now that now you're going to see everybody that uh, you know, said it couldn't be done or you couldn't do it. Now, everybody, there's two or three of them. Now, you know, there's an event every week and you'll see, you know what's going to be funny around the fence show? You'll see our legacy groups and legacies association, everything just pile stuff around it trying to because they still don't 100% want this stuff to succeed. But they should and we should. I mean, there should be everybody pushing each other to each other's shows to be honest. I mean, yeah. And why do you think why do you think I get booth? I mean, what is it last year? Year four, I got a booth at the uh you know, at the the one in uh Nashville. I always announce I'm going I do this. I support it. I bring people. It's because one show not succeeding

Hurts another show. I mean, if if if my show is the first show that you did and you didn't do well, you might not do another show, right? And the reason I I push so hard, same thing with theirs. So, the reason I push so hard for even you and your staff, if I see, you know, you brought six people, maybe you paid for the booth and you don't know and they're not scanning badges, they're not working it. I know I got to say something to you. Look, man, they're not getting any leads. You might look at it next year. You weren't there. I got no leads. Well, they weren't doing anything, right? They were just drinking and hanging out, right? or talking to each other. So, my booth, our booth's a dry booth. No drinking is allowed in our booth. So, it wouldn't have been, But I think you'll see I think I think you're seeing it's open now. And I I love to see my my conversations even with the larger distributors now are completely different than before I ever did the first show. And it's open and and even having the conversations with them, it's amazing to see how they're embracing it. You know what I mean? And they're like going, "Man, uh, I love this. They're loving it. They're loving connecting with the small fence companies again, which is how they were all built on, right? And for some reason, we strayed away from it. Our industry going in the wrong direction. We believe that professionalism and, you know, and credibility all is going to come from policy because you know why is because honestly, if you want to start an association and make money, don't do it the way I'm doing it. Okay? I'm telling you that right now, okay? There's no money in it this way. Unless you've got another company like Las Vegas Fence or some other company to fund it, don't start an association and think you're going to make any money doing it the way I'm doing it. The money is in policy. The money is in policy. So if uh and the problem is that would go against everything that we're we've created, right? The money is creating standards, rules, laws, and then getting the government to enforce it and and banning with public consumer protection groups and then getting manufacturers that that want all this to happen to to sponsor all your stuff. And there's a reason that you can get all these people to throw hundreds of thousands at events and things like this because they want they need you to go talk as an association and say this is what the industry wants. So, uh, money's in the policy. Selling, you know, obviously standards, certificates, classes, all this other stuff. It's not in this stuff. Helping small fence companies is not where the money's at. So, but and that's and I think that's what people have to understand, Brian. They don't know really your end of the of the fence because yeah, you you have Las Vegas fence, but running a fence show, yeah, good luck. When you're trying to offer affordable program, like health insurance, look, I don't know anyone out there that's listening to this. Take heed to this. As an Australian, we don't have to worry about health insurance, right? Because Yeah, there's a lot of problems other side. Not we're not here to discuss that. But when you come to America, health insurance is big. And I'm sorry, I've been in this industry not as long as most you people out there that are listening, but I've been doing this for over 10 years in America. And FWA was the first association to really say, "Hey guys, we're offering health insurance. We're putting this package together so that you can at least take basic care of you and your family. And as an ex contractor, business owner, dude, it's hard. You're always penny screaming. You're trying to work out, well, how am I going to pay for over in California Blue Cross Blue Ship off, Your plans are affordable in guys, get in. you've got you can take care like it's this is why I encourage everyone got to use FWA resources. It's not expensive and they're there to help you. But use them because the more we use them, you guys use them, the more this industry is going to empower you. And the more we can use FWA and FWA women, the more we're empowering our industry to get stronger and stronger and and then one day offer really good insurance or whatever 401's at some point. But the point is that's the key and you've got a resource. Got to shout it from the rooftop, guys. We need everybody to get in there and

Look at it. Look, dude, I'll be honest with you. I'm going to look at FWA. I I look I've known you for a long time and I'm like oh wow in that space of little time I'm like okay cool I'm getting in there cuz it's a tool that I'm scared of. Yeah I know you're about like Brian we have so much fun cuz we call you the social media fence guy like dude you are everywhere. I am scared of social media bro I don't know what I hit that button there's a nuclear bomb going off in Australia. No, it's not that bad, Sash. And I'm the laptop going smashing it cuz I'm like, what's you know, it's scary. And I feel like guys, you've got the tools. Don't be scared. Just use them. Don't hide behind excuses. Well, I don't know what I'm Well, yes, you do. You know, I I encourage those girlfriend, boyfriend companies, husband, wife companies, get into FWA. Use the resources. It's built for you. It's literally built for you. may not be organized sometimes, right? I mean, because I mean, we're we got a whole new site coming out in the next few weeks where it's going to bring it together. And I mean, and and you know what I mean, honestly, you you would be surprised how attacked we are on a constant basis from legacy groups and stuff like that, right? That don't that just they they don't want this to be here, right? So, to a degree, it messes up everything, right? But nonetheless, because it makes everybody have to work. But, you know, because I mean, creating health insurance is not hard if you're if you if all you do is want to find companies, health companies that are going to service people that have 10 employees or more. I mean, I could have got 30 of those. I mean, the first 20 people I sat with, that's what it was. They couldn't do it. But if you truly want to help the industry, you got you got to have the the grit to sit down and uh the tenacity to sit there and say and and they're going to tell you what you want to hear in the meetings. You got to sit there and say, "No, you don't understand. I don't want a policy unless every single one of my members would qualify for it. And they're like, well, I don't understand. You just got this guy where it's just him. That's correct. That's what I want to find. And it's it's just endless meeting after endless meeting after endless meeting. And I don't believe our industry was doing that for us. And you know, the same thing. We weren't we weren't out there negotiating trying to to help uh make sure manufacturers and suppliers were selling to defense companies. We didn't care. We just wanted to make sure we were getting paid so that we could continue pushing our policy and right that's it. And that was pretty much it. And as long as you know and like I said, you could write down who's going to dinner with who, who's having lunch with who, who's having drinks, and it wasn't me and you. That's all I know. And it was exactly I mean to a tea. So it definitely wasn't me. Yeah. You and I me and you. Yeah. Just you and I having dinner together. But yeah, but I think it's great to see it because they've came around, man. It's it's amazing. I mean, even some of the conversations I've had, you know, with the, you know, a lot of the manufacturers, the distributors that wouldn't talk to me, there's still a couple that won't support us because again, it's about policy. They you know what I mean? And we're not for creating more policy. So therefore, you won't see them at our show to be honest. You know what I mean? if we're not, you know, pushing policy that messes up the and that's and I think hopefully that'll come around and they'll realize that me and FWA, you'll even see a couple people that, you know, maybe sometimes they'll separate a little bit and then come back and I don't support because you're doing this. And I've had conversations. I go, look, I can guarantee you if you think I'm competing with you or we're we're doing something that could hurt your policy, whatever you're doing, whatever direction you're going in, FWA and me personally will always bring you more business than I would ever be able to take from you. There's just it's not even possible because if I'm in any kind of these things, I'm going to try to build hype around it. I'm going to bring people. I'm going to get people talking about it. And you're going to get more leads than you would ever lose by uh having even a competing company of mine because obviously, you know, I I have my

Own businesses, right? So, uh it's I love seeing how it's changing and it's coming around and um will some of these other bigger ones that just want laws, regulations do it? Who knows? But, you know, hopefully, right? Because we're all doors always open. By the way, if you're listening, the door's always open. You know, I think I think you said something really that you don't get enough credit for and FWA and FW women don't get enough credit for. You guys don't really rubbish anyone, right? We got this demean like there's this whole stigma that you know these people that are trying to help the industry, they're just ruining blah blah blah blah blah. Really haven't. and testimony to what I've learned and watching FWA and FWA women grow over the last 3 years is that I give credit and you're the one cuz I'm a bit of a I'm like no X everyone out cut them out like f them all and you I'm like Sasha Sasha relax we need them they're part of our industry that's the problem you get passionate but you you got to let things go right and And the one thing you did said, the one thing I always love about our industry, as old as our industry is, it's a very tight-knit industry. It's not as big as like plumbing and electrical. So, at the end of the day, it's like having a fight with your sister or your brother. At the end of the day, you're going to hug each other and go, "Okay, let's work it out." And that's what I feel over the And I'm just looking from the outside in, right? Because I might just throw a grenade in it. Screw everyone, right? But it wasn't about that. You just let people come around and go, "Now, you know what? What is wrong with having two?" To this day, Brian, there is nothing wrong with having two fence shows. I dude, I don't see it. I'm like, the more shows we have, the more people, the more fence companies we can help. So that this whole thing that's coming around and um you call them the legacy companies, you know, they're coming around, which is awesome because at the end of the day, we need to get in this huddle and remember why our companies are here and why our companies are successful because we cannot do it without each other. I say this all the time to my staff, all the time. Your fence company is your partner. They don't You're not there to do one deal with them. You're there to do a lifetimes of deals together. So, it's a partnership and sometimes it goes well, you know, you have your moments, but at the end of the day, that's what this is about. So, it's not I agree. You you the one that stopped me from throwing the grenade, right? You're right. I don't care what anyone's listening out there. FWA and FWA women have never really talked smack. They've supported shows. They've supported people that I would never support. Just straight up telling you live. That's what you taught me. Let it go, Ror. Because in the end, we're here for the fence industry. We're not here to have these moments of policies, whatever we want to call it, So, that's that's the lesson I learned industry. Yeah. By any means, it doesn't benefit the industry for uh you know, and and we take a lot of bullets. Make no mistake. a lot of stuff is thrown, you know, to the point where they'll attack almost, right? The my own company here, right? Trying to stop what's going on. But I I know that you you it's like I look at it like a Google review. When a customer writes a bad review, do you make it more relevant by defending yourself and and last thing you want is a debate online with a customer on your Google page, right? Because now it just makes it the most relevant review you have. It keeps it right to the top. So, and you can and you can never once you start attacking that customer back, you can never flip that customer. So, I look at it like this. So, those those legacy, you know, the some of the larger ones or the legacy groups or associations, whatever they are that that had this problem with us or whatever we're doing that were throwing the bullets and saying stuff and going having their meetings, whatever it is, it's not going to help the situation if I went and and started attacking back. Now, now something is going to be said that can't be undone. And I'd rather leave a an open door, an olive branch out there and pretend that they didn't say what they said a year or two ago, right? You know, because the industry is gonna be

Stronger. If if it together, it doesn't help the industry and nobody will understand what we're fighting about anyway. So it it doesn't help the industry if there's this uh a war going on. So imagine how great these two shows would be, you know, and everybody knows we're talking about fence show and fence tack on those, right? So imagine how great I wasn't sure. I wasn't 100% sure. Imagine how great those would be if we were actually both promoting the shows together and helping those those exhibitors and vendors make money and helping the the attendees make connections and and and doing it. Imagine how amazing those shows would be if that was actually going on instead of trying to make the other shows not succeed or you know what I mean, whatever it is, right? That would be an amazing that's how that's how you make a stronger industry. And I think that give it time. Give it time. you watch, you give it time, they'll be a one of their booths at our show, our show at theirs, and we're going to be like, "Hey, we're going to be promoting the next show, and the next show will be obviously Leaprog, whatever it is, right?" So, it's uh I think that's that's I think that's my vision, you know, for the future kind of of the industry to a degree. And uh I'd like to see it happen, but um it's it's hard to say, but I think also because while I may not like the direction, you know, that our our legacy groups and and stuff was going in, I may have thought it was a bad direction, it doesn't mean they're bad people, right? It's just it, you know, there's a lot of great people. I mean, it's it's amazing. I've had I've had great conversation. I still talk to a lot of, you know, board members from other groups and things like this. So, it doesn't mean that they're bad people. It's just a bad direction it was going in when it comes to certain things, right? So, it it it's it's it's going to all fix itself and write itself in the end. And, you know, hopefully I'll end up with a new board and I'll be back to selling materials and fence installations and doing what I do best. Scrapeing your yard, buddy. Yeah. yard. Look as for different levels, right? You know, line has gone through a lot of rubbish. Um, personally, myself, owner as well. Um, all rubbish by the way. And you know, you get you get swept up in it and then watching FWA sort of do its thing. Try to be, hey, dude, let's try to be Switzerland, be neutral as much as we can. We can only take so many bullets, but I feel like I'm starting to see that swing. The swing that you were like, "Get off the ledge, Sash. You don't need to throw a nuclear bomb at this. Just let it go, man. Don't take it." And I realized, you know what? You're right. because there is so many great distributors, manufacturers, there's so many great install companies and slowly but surely these legacy companies are sort of coming around and and that's what excites me cuz at the end of the day it doesn't matter about competition and what matters is defense companies and if we can all do right by them all of our industry will just grow. It'll it's like the volcano theory. It'll rumble and it'll just grow and it'll just benefit everybody. Like that's the thing about it. It's not just going to benefit this company and this legacy. No, it's going to benefit all of us because at the end of the day it doesn't matter. You have product, I have product. Sometimes you run out, you need it for who cares. I think it's changing. Like I said, the I mean, I wish I could tell everybody the conversations I have now compared to the ones that were two, three years ago, but um if anybody would even talk to me at some of these places, right? But nonetheless, uh they're completely I'm telling you and there's a lot of there's a lot of changes even at the at the sum of them, right? And a lot of new people and stuff coming in. And I think that's what's going to happen even in the legacy groups and associations and and all this stuff. You're going to see new people come in that that are part of this new uh this new idea that's happening here, right? This new way of of taking care of the industry. So, you're going to see even with the manufacturers and suppliers and stuff, you're going to see a whole new group of people that uh that they don't have any beef. We're not, you know what I mean? there's no they're not being challenged

Or intimidated. So, it's awesome to see uh you know to see it happening. So, Sasha again man, you know us. You and I could go on for like three hours. I we've done it right. People off the internet because they're like, "Dude, can you two shut up?" Or I know. So, again, uh again, we're talking about, you know, helping small businesses. We're trying to fix the uh you know, close it out with that. You know what, you know, what the chuck in a truck. We got to, you know, we could use those terms, but let's know what they are. Just because you're a small one one one truck outfit doesn't mean uh, you know, you got to let people insult you. You're a fence company. Yeah, you're a fence company. And that what separates you is that is, you know, call. Remember that credibility, accounts, leads, and licensing. So, go back and watch this if you want to hear a little bit more. Um, we got all kinds of resources out there that aren't I couldn't even go through them all on there to be honest. That's why it always even Sasha it probably seems like new stuff to you all the time, but this is all stuff we just been working on for years. So, super excited to have you on. And everybody out there, Sasha, any last minute things you want to say? Remember the show, guys. This is coming up in October. You got to be there. Both vendors and installers, guys. It's going to be great show. Got to be at the 75th anniversary of JC Guri Days. Guys are legends. All I ask is that they bring out a sign as old as they could find in their files because these guys have amazing fence signs that are just historical. So, and enjoy a sign a sign competition. So, bring your fence sign. Yeah. And just come and see what FWA and FW women are about. It's worth it's worth it 100%. Get registered. fenceshow.com. And the show was built, like we said, around getting everybody there. Bring your whole team. There's plenty of stuff for everybody to do. The show was built to bring your whole team. You can bring a couple people with you. I think I even one as low as with most cities you fly from to Las Vegas with the hotel room, double occupancy in a room. I think it's like $42 a day it cost you for hotel and flights, everything to bring somebody to the fence show with you. So, there's no reason not bring your whole staff. No, I'm I'm a vegetarian and I don't drink a lot. So it is South Point, guys. It's affordable. The rooms are amazing. Food's amazing. It's just a good time where it's not that expensive to have a great time in Vegas. 85 bucks. 85 bucks for a And these rooms are big. Double. You definitely could squeeze a couple people in comfortably. These aren't little uh little tiny rooms where you're cramped. I mean, these are large rooms. So, awesome. U we'll see everybody. I know we've been calling around. There's a lot of hype and excitement around the show right now. We're getting tons of great feedback. So, uh we're excite excited. Go to fenceshow.com, get registered for the show, get your hotel room booked because last year we had to extend the room uh booking or the room block like twice. And I don't know there's other there's always rodeo stuff going on. So, we we it's always a hit and miss whether I'm going to be able to extend it past our room block. So, get those cheap rooms before they go up to like two- 300 bucks, right? Yeah. And they're amazing. And by the way, Brian, I really have to go. There's this dog that's re They're literally All right, we're done. As we Yeah, go wash your dog. All right. All right, everybody, if you're listening, thank you. If you're listening later, thank you again. Uh we will see everybody in Las Vegas, but I'll be on next Wednesday. Sasha, thanks. All right, guys. Have fun.