WEBVTT NOTE This file was generated by Descript 00:00:00.050 --> 00:00:04.789 Tim Sweet: well, welcome today to this next episode of Innovation Generation. 00:00:05.419 --> 00:00:06.829 Evan Adams is with us. 00:00:06.834 --> 00:00:10.729 Evan, you're a thank you 2010 graduate of Gross City College agent. 00:00:10.819 --> 00:00:11.029 Right? 00:00:11.029 --> 00:00:12.859 Does it seem like a long time to you? 00:00:13.434 --> 00:00:14.124 Evan Addams: I don't know. 00:00:14.124 --> 00:00:18.894 I, and I'm holding this coffee in my hand, and, and it was in a new building here 00:00:18.894 --> 00:00:22.194 on campus, and I felt, oh, I felt so new. 00:00:22.194 --> 00:00:26.754 And then I bumped into somebody who said, Wow, you graduated only a couple 00:00:26.754 --> 00:00:28.344 years ago, and look what you've done. 00:00:28.349 --> 00:00:29.334 And I said, You know what? 00:00:29.844 --> 00:00:31.284 God bless you, . Thank you. 00:00:31.524 --> 00:00:35.484 Thank you for saying that here as I feel so, so old. 00:00:35.484 --> 00:00:36.534 And, uh, no, no. 00:00:36.534 --> 00:00:41.240 I, it, it's, uh, you know, those first 10 years are, I was talking 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:45.019 about this with, uh, someone who I graduated with and, uh, you know, we're, 00:00:45.019 --> 00:00:46.579 we're all, we got a couple kids now. 00:00:46.584 --> 00:00:50.149 My friend had a couple kids and we're kind of geared up for the next. 00:00:50.569 --> 00:00:53.659 Yeah, the next 20 years, you got kids in school, you got the 00:00:53.659 --> 00:00:55.009 kids programs and activities. 00:00:55.310 --> 00:00:58.459 There's a lot of development that happens in life. 00:00:58.609 --> 00:01:02.120 In the first tent, you get your first jobs, your first house. 00:01:02.120 --> 00:01:04.579 You might get married like the first. 00:01:04.609 --> 00:01:05.239 You get all these first. 00:01:06.329 --> 00:01:09.959 And, uh, not say that next 20 are easy by any stretch, but no, they're not. 00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:12.899 But, uh, you know, you get to this phase where kids are in school and 00:01:12.899 --> 00:01:14.159 you're looking for some stability. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:18.360 The first 10 have been, there's been a lot of, lot of stuff happening, so a 00:01:18.365 --> 00:01:19.860 Tim Sweet: lot of momentous things, right? 00:01:19.865 --> 00:01:20.560 Yeah, a lot of, Yeah. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:20.800 Yeah. 00:01:21.259 --> 00:01:21.739 Great. 00:01:22.199 --> 00:01:24.519 preroll: Welcome to Innovation Generation. 00:01:24.779 --> 00:01:28.009 A podcast of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at 00:01:28.009 --> 00:01:33.179 Grove City College, where we hear the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and 00:01:33.179 --> 00:01:37.189 explore the hopefulness of entrepreneurial thinking wherever we find it. 00:01:37.829 --> 00:01:43.489 I'm your host, Tim Sweet and this is Innovation Generation. 00:01:45.516 --> 00:01:49.116 Tim Sweet: Well, Evan, uh, I've always loved your story. 00:01:49.116 --> 00:01:52.056 I've watched your career from the time you were a student. 00:01:52.056 --> 00:01:57.546 You were an entrepreneurship major here at Grove City, and I've been pleased to watch 00:01:57.546 --> 00:02:02.706 your career unfold and the experiences you've had in the world of entrepreneurial 00:02:02.711 --> 00:02:05.886 thinking and entrepreneurial opportunity. 00:02:06.616 --> 00:02:07.846 Glad to have you with us today. 00:02:07.846 --> 00:02:08.056 Thank you. 00:02:08.176 --> 00:02:08.356 Yeah. 00:02:08.356 --> 00:02:08.866 Happy to be here. 00:02:09.286 --> 00:02:14.746 So take us back if you could, to that time when you were thinking, uh, you 00:02:14.746 --> 00:02:20.086 know, about going to college, making a college choice, selecting Grove City. 00:02:20.286 --> 00:02:20.726 Mm-hmm. 00:02:20.811 --> 00:02:24.526 and ultimately landing in the entrepreneurship major. 00:02:24.946 --> 00:02:26.326 What was that like back then? 00:02:26.326 --> 00:02:29.026 I know that's a long time ago, but I, 00:02:29.116 --> 00:02:30.976 Evan Addams: you know, entrepreneurship as a major. 00:02:31.056 --> 00:02:31.116 Yeah. 00:02:31.686 --> 00:02:34.476 And other words we hear now, innovation. 00:02:34.566 --> 00:02:36.896 I know we have a new program, innovation design, right? 00:02:37.506 --> 00:02:39.996 These are things in a, in a healthy way. 00:02:40.026 --> 00:02:44.196 I think you can find at college campuses across the country, at the 00:02:44.196 --> 00:02:46.746 time, entrepreneurship as a major. 00:02:47.496 --> 00:02:49.356 There were not many schools that offered it. 00:02:49.386 --> 00:02:50.976 It was a, it was a new concept. 00:02:50.976 --> 00:02:52.266 The word itself wasn't new. 00:02:52.956 --> 00:02:59.676 But, uh, Grove City offering, that was one of the major draws to be here and. 00:03:00.926 --> 00:03:05.316 I, I, I, a student had asked me not too long ago, he said, Well, you know, 00:03:05.316 --> 00:03:09.096 why, why did you do entrepreneurial things after you graduated? 00:03:09.096 --> 00:03:10.026 What was your motivation? 00:03:10.031 --> 00:03:13.626 And even coming into Grove City, I had this desire to do 00:03:13.626 --> 00:03:15.846 something a little different. 00:03:16.416 --> 00:03:21.816 I thought life is short and, and I could go to Grove City. 00:03:21.816 --> 00:03:24.006 It's a great education and I can probably come. 00:03:24.666 --> 00:03:26.826 And I can find a job that pays a nice salary. 00:03:26.826 --> 00:03:31.416 And Grove City was, had great statistics and still does have great data on. 00:03:31.656 --> 00:03:34.956 I mean, the career services office is always ranked one 00:03:34.956 --> 00:03:35.976 of the tops in the country. 00:03:36.336 --> 00:03:36.816 Outstanding. 00:03:37.361 --> 00:03:39.681 And so I just felt like, you know, I'm gonna take a swing here. 00:03:39.681 --> 00:03:44.421 I'm gonna go to this new fangled program, Uhhuh, I'm, I'm gonna be one of the, 00:03:44.901 --> 00:03:47.781 you know, one of the, the founders, if you would, in the first year or two 00:03:47.781 --> 00:03:51.861 of being an entrepreneurship student and helping the program get going. 00:03:52.221 --> 00:03:55.911 I felt like maybe I can help contribute to some ideas, some other 00:03:55.911 --> 00:03:57.741 programs I've read about and seen. 00:03:58.311 --> 00:04:04.461 And there was this, this mix of what Grove City College stood for and stands. 00:04:05.631 --> 00:04:10.161 And it's, it's funny, I think recently, uh, Paul McNulty has gone back in, 00:04:10.161 --> 00:04:14.211 in looking at some of the original Isaac Kettler writings on things. 00:04:14.571 --> 00:04:17.201 There's this thread of entrepreneurship. 00:04:17.301 --> 00:04:17.541 Mm-hmm. 00:04:17.811 --> 00:04:23.301 , that's at the basic of it, which is the nation needed at that time, you 00:04:23.301 --> 00:04:29.841 know, 150 years ago, the nation needed something like a Grove City College. 00:04:30.501 --> 00:04:30.651 Mm. 00:04:30.981 --> 00:04:34.911 Uh, to, and I would use this phrase, create the world more how it ought to be 00:04:35.181 --> 00:04:40.701 our education of women, or our, our path on that was, was, uh, it was progressive 00:04:40.701 --> 00:04:45.501 in a way of, of not just having a seminary, but creating great leaders of 00:04:45.501 --> 00:04:47.361 tomorrow that were focused on their faith. 00:04:48.051 --> 00:04:50.121 And so I wanted to find that intersection. 00:04:50.301 --> 00:04:52.011 I really, I wanted to find that. 00:04:52.716 --> 00:04:54.306 I don't wanna just get a good salary. 00:04:54.336 --> 00:04:57.996 I know it was a good backup plan, but I wanted to figure out more of what does 00:04:57.996 --> 00:05:02.916 it look like to be an impactful business leader, impactful innovator with with 00:05:02.976 --> 00:05:04.686 Christ at the center of everything. 00:05:05.226 --> 00:05:07.956 Gro City felt like the right place, and the entrepreneurship program 00:05:07.956 --> 00:05:09.516 felt like the right program. 00:05:10.026 --> 00:05:15.486 So I took a swing and, and, uh, There are ups and downs along the way, but, 00:05:15.546 --> 00:05:20.466 um, I'm, I'm, uh, humbled with, uh, the journey here over the last 12, 15 00:05:20.466 --> 00:05:20.826 Tim Sweet: years. 00:05:20.826 --> 00:05:20.886 Yeah. 00:05:20.946 --> 00:05:22.026 There always are in life. 00:05:22.056 --> 00:05:22.236 Yeah. 00:05:22.236 --> 00:05:23.436 And faith and, mm-hmm. 00:05:23.706 --> 00:05:28.566 work always ups and downs, but, uh, you've, uh, really put yourself in a 00:05:28.566 --> 00:05:33.096 position to experience some extraordinary things fairly early in your career. 00:05:33.666 --> 00:05:39.381 Could you tell us a little bit about, you know, When you graduated, what did you 00:05:39.411 --> 00:05:45.051 start to think about in terms of forging a, a career path or discovering a calling? 00:05:45.051 --> 00:05:46.401 We might call it that as well, 00:05:46.401 --> 00:05:51.681 Evan Addams: but Yeah, I, I, I mean, in this journey of trying to do something a 00:05:51.686 --> 00:05:59.121 little bit different, I was, uh, I, I knew first of all that there was this, this. 00:05:59.991 --> 00:06:04.311 Lingering November coming after I graduated in May, and that November 00:06:04.311 --> 00:06:08.091 meant that student loans would be coming in . And, and I don't mean 00:06:08.091 --> 00:06:11.481 this to go too deep, but I anticipated paying back my student loans. 00:06:11.811 --> 00:06:14.661 Um, you know, so I, that, that was my plan. 00:06:14.666 --> 00:06:19.101 And as a responsible, that's the point of this podcast, but 00:06:19.101 --> 00:06:20.541 that is how I felt and feel. 00:06:20.541 --> 00:06:22.941 And so, so I knew I had this. 00:06:23.836 --> 00:06:27.016 Uh, kind of backdrop of I'm gonna do something here for my first 00:06:27.016 --> 00:06:30.286 six, seven months before some heavy responsibility hits me. 00:06:31.146 --> 00:06:35.046 . And, and so when I, when I left Grove City, I had got together with some 00:06:35.046 --> 00:06:40.866 friends, a few people who had done a few software oriented things and 00:06:40.866 --> 00:06:44.856 through a couple connections, ended up meeting up with, uh, a group of 00:06:44.856 --> 00:06:48.396 founders, a group of people launching, uh, a software in restaurants. 00:06:48.401 --> 00:06:50.346 And that just happened to be a space that I was in. 00:06:50.526 --> 00:06:53.676 I had, uh, a good personal network of restaurant owners. 00:06:53.891 --> 00:06:57.101 Had developed a software that I thought was effective for what they were 00:06:57.101 --> 00:07:01.331 trying to do, ushering this hospitality experience to the, to the new era. 00:07:01.841 --> 00:07:04.691 And when I met these founders of this company called No Wait, and I jumped 00:07:04.691 --> 00:07:06.221 in with them as the original team. 00:07:07.091 --> 00:07:15.041 It, they needed at the time, Energy, they needed excitement, passion, sales, 00:07:15.101 --> 00:07:20.501 a little bit of, uh, young entrepreneur who wasn't necessarily the CEO founder, 00:07:20.681 --> 00:07:22.391 but somebody who could take owner. 00:07:23.496 --> 00:07:24.186 Grove City. 00:07:24.966 --> 00:07:27.426 I, my experience was Grove City. 00:07:27.426 --> 00:07:30.846 That was one of the key values I took, was ownership. 00:07:30.906 --> 00:07:34.026 I never felt that I had a transactional relationship with the college. 00:07:34.416 --> 00:07:37.446 I always felt like I wasn't there just to get a degree to get out. 00:07:37.686 --> 00:07:37.896 Yeah. 00:07:38.166 --> 00:07:43.326 I always felt like there was this invitation into come be a leader with us. 00:07:43.326 --> 00:07:47.676 Come lead these organizations or come be a part of a really good, positive movement. 00:07:48.186 --> 00:07:50.526 This college is what you make it and. 00:07:51.651 --> 00:07:53.601 Old as the college is, right? 00:07:53.601 --> 00:07:53.691 Sure. 00:07:53.951 --> 00:07:55.521 You're solids in firm. 00:07:56.001 --> 00:07:59.301 There were these opportunities to you for little progress as little things. 00:07:59.301 --> 00:08:03.291 And so when I joined this company, me and, and the founders, it was a great 00:08:03.291 --> 00:08:07.521 opportunity to continue that, to think like an owner do great hard work. 00:08:07.911 --> 00:08:09.141 And at that point I was hooked. 00:08:09.501 --> 00:08:15.351 Uh, I mean, Tim, I was, we, we, it was clear right away that we 00:08:15.351 --> 00:08:16.401 didn't have the money to pay me. 00:08:16.401 --> 00:08:18.681 So in my effort to start this business and. 00:08:19.806 --> 00:08:21.936 I, I worked night shifts at the post office. 00:08:21.996 --> 00:08:22.236 Yeah. 00:08:22.386 --> 00:08:26.166 I was working 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM holiday season. 00:08:26.166 --> 00:08:29.706 I was working till 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM five, six nights a week. 00:08:29.946 --> 00:08:34.176 So I was doing 40 plus another 1520 of, of overtime hours, 00:08:34.746 --> 00:08:36.156 and that was my night shift. 00:08:36.156 --> 00:08:39.876 It didn't feel weird because I was used to staying up all. 00:08:41.031 --> 00:08:43.311 playing video games, whatever it was at college . Right? 00:08:43.401 --> 00:08:46.521 And, and, and so, and then I would do my, my day job. 00:08:46.521 --> 00:08:48.141 My startup was everything else. 00:08:48.141 --> 00:08:49.701 I would sleep for a couple hours. 00:08:50.031 --> 00:08:52.191 I would do, you know, three or four hours of meetings. 00:08:52.196 --> 00:08:55.011 I would drive to a couple restaurants to do some sales. 00:08:55.311 --> 00:08:58.131 And every waking hour was about, was about the restaurants. 00:08:58.131 --> 00:09:00.561 I would think about it and maybe, you know, you couldn't really 00:09:00.561 --> 00:09:03.981 work, you know, during the job, but you were constantly strategizing. 00:09:05.481 --> 00:09:07.311 And I had, I've had people say, Well, that was crazy. 00:09:07.311 --> 00:09:09.291 How could you have this strength and motivation? 00:09:09.291 --> 00:09:13.251 And it wasn't that I was a, a, a strong self-disciplined hustler. 00:09:13.311 --> 00:09:18.081 I just, I just, I really believed in the concept of what we were building. 00:09:18.501 --> 00:09:18.831 Sure. 00:09:18.891 --> 00:09:23.031 And, and so there was this, how you could call it supernatural, but this strength 00:09:23.036 --> 00:09:28.851 or, or this piece that it was just, uh, it was what I had to do to keep on that path. 00:09:30.156 --> 00:09:32.826 I'm sure you know that that would've broken eventually if 00:09:32.826 --> 00:09:34.236 things don't go a certain way. 00:09:34.386 --> 00:09:34.746 Sure. 00:09:34.806 --> 00:09:36.486 But I never questioned it. 00:09:36.546 --> 00:09:40.687 It was, uh, it was one of these things that, uh, that, that I 00:09:40.692 --> 00:09:41.886 felt like I was on the right path. 00:09:41.886 --> 00:09:44.346 And then before we knew it, we were able to raise our first little bit of 00:09:44.346 --> 00:09:46.686 money, and that would've been in 2012. 00:09:46.686 --> 00:09:48.666 So at that point, I was maybe a year and a half. 00:09:49.206 --> 00:09:52.626 Along and then we were off to the races and that launched us forward 00:09:52.806 --> 00:09:54.006 over the next couple of years. 00:09:54.246 --> 00:09:54.516 So 00:09:54.696 --> 00:09:57.756 Tim Sweet: tell us a little bit about the, the early days of the company. 00:09:57.756 --> 00:09:59.136 What the name of the company? 00:09:59.136 --> 00:09:59.886 Mm-hmm. 00:09:59.892 --> 00:10:01.176 , kinda the space you were in. 00:10:01.176 --> 00:10:05.526 It was obviously a restaurant type of application, but I think for those who 00:10:05.531 --> 00:10:08.826 have not heard about this before, it might be helpful just to understand 00:10:09.216 --> 00:10:11.436 some of what happened during that time. 00:10:11.496 --> 00:10:11.706 Evan Addams: Yeah. 00:10:11.706 --> 00:10:12.996 That company was called No Wait. 00:10:13.146 --> 00:10:16.386 And our goal was ultimately to allow people. 00:10:16.851 --> 00:10:21.291 Guests to put their name in line at a wait list restaurant from their phone. 00:10:21.531 --> 00:10:22.491 Very simple. 00:10:22.941 --> 00:10:26.391 It was based on this experience that you could walk up to one of 00:10:26.391 --> 00:10:28.281 the top brunch places in the city. 00:10:28.971 --> 00:10:32.661 It's a two hour wait on a Saturday, and you either put your name, you have to 00:10:32.666 --> 00:10:36.261 walk up there, put your name in line and keep checking in, or you don't go there. 00:10:36.921 --> 00:10:40.461 And so there was a lot of guests who just would never experience that restaurant. 00:10:40.941 --> 00:10:43.641 Uh, a number of us in the early group, I wasn't at the stage yet, 00:10:43.641 --> 00:10:44.931 but a number of people had kids. 00:10:45.636 --> 00:10:48.876 And on a almost selfish basis, we're like, I want to go to these great 00:10:48.876 --> 00:10:51.666 restaurants and I can't, My kids will melt down if I sit there for 00:10:51.666 --> 00:10:52.986 two hours and don't eat anything. 00:10:53.676 --> 00:10:59.826 So we launched this, this effort, and what we found was this minimum viable 00:10:59.826 --> 00:11:03.906 product right away, which was texting people when their table's ready In 2000 00:11:03.906 --> 00:11:09.816 10, 11, 12, text messages were just getting going and the concept of apps. 00:11:11.571 --> 00:11:13.641 Uh, most people didn't really know what that was. 00:11:13.641 --> 00:11:17.781 I, I, we ended up working with restaurant groups and we did an 00:11:17.781 --> 00:11:21.471 icebreaker one time with a group of managers and we thought, Oh, here's 00:11:21.471 --> 00:11:22.941 what we'll do for the icebreaker. 00:11:22.941 --> 00:11:25.161 We'll go around the room, everybody say their favorite app. 00:11:25.641 --> 00:11:28.341 And this restaurant manager said the first one to go. 00:11:28.346 --> 00:11:35.061 And he said, Oh, app, uh, Our endless case ideas are really good . And he had, 00:11:35.121 --> 00:11:39.501 he had no, the concept of an application and what, that wasn't a phone, right? 00:11:39.506 --> 00:11:40.221 So it was brand new. 00:11:40.221 --> 00:11:40.901 Brand new. 00:11:40.906 --> 00:11:44.601 So, so we couldn't go in and, and sell this future vision of people using 00:11:44.606 --> 00:11:45.981 an app to put their name in line. 00:11:46.611 --> 00:11:50.571 We had to get this base of restaurants signed up, text people on their tables 00:11:50.571 --> 00:11:54.591 ready, replace the pen and paper at the host stand, get that industry 00:11:54.591 --> 00:11:57.771 up to speed, help your restaurant just run better from the front. 00:11:58.191 --> 00:12:01.371 We sold that well to the point where we got a few thousand 00:12:01.371 --> 00:12:03.951 restaurants on that base software. 00:12:04.551 --> 00:12:08.721 Then we were able to locally starting in Pittsburgh, and then 00:12:09.151 --> 00:12:12.591 strategic cities after that launch an app that would allow people. 00:12:13.671 --> 00:12:15.861 Look at the wait times or restaurant, put their name in line. 00:12:15.866 --> 00:12:18.531 And eventually that was millions of users. 00:12:18.531 --> 00:12:21.681 And, and ultimately the, the outcome of that was we were able to sell that 00:12:21.681 --> 00:12:23.961 business to, to Yelp or reviews website. 00:12:24.681 --> 00:12:26.781 And they purchased us in early 17. 00:12:27.201 --> 00:12:30.621 So it was a, it was a fun if it, in hindsight, it was a quick sprint. 00:12:30.621 --> 00:12:35.091 It was about six years, start to finish, felt like a long time, you know, in 00:12:35.091 --> 00:12:36.771 the middle of the slog it feels like. 00:12:36.771 --> 00:12:38.121 What is the breakthrough? 00:12:38.601 --> 00:12:40.501 But we met phenomenal. 00:12:41.286 --> 00:12:44.556 The Yelp team that acquired us was excellent and, and was a major 00:12:44.556 --> 00:12:47.676 catalyst for me and, and the team to, to go forward from there. 00:12:48.396 --> 00:12:48.876 So 00:12:49.326 --> 00:12:51.966 Tim Sweet: you, this wasn't your idea, right? 00:12:52.956 --> 00:12:56.526 But you were able to create a network that eventually. 00:12:56.946 --> 00:13:01.326 Led you to this group that was, uh, had come up with this idea called No Way. 00:13:02.016 --> 00:13:05.526 And, um, talk to us a little bit about the opportunities 00:13:05.526 --> 00:13:08.286 you see for young people today. 00:13:08.286 --> 00:13:11.556 You know, people that are studying business and entrepreneurship 00:13:11.561 --> 00:13:16.506 and other types of disciplines to work in a, um, a startup 00:13:16.506 --> 00:13:18.876 environment, even if they don't feel. 00:13:19.206 --> 00:13:22.536 Their idea is ready to launch. 00:13:22.536 --> 00:13:22.596 Yeah. 00:13:22.626 --> 00:13:26.106 But they'd like some experience in a startup just to get a 00:13:26.106 --> 00:13:27.546 taste of what that's like. 00:13:27.576 --> 00:13:31.596 Maybe with the thought that someday they'll do their own, uh, launch 00:13:31.596 --> 00:13:33.306 of an innovative product or idea. 00:13:33.306 --> 00:13:37.956 But, but for now, let's just jump in and figure out what 00:13:38.286 --> 00:13:39.486 working for a startup is like. 00:13:40.566 --> 00:13:44.766 Evan Addams: I, that path is one I recommend virtually 10 times 00:13:44.766 --> 00:13:46.476 out of 10, and that path being. 00:13:48.006 --> 00:13:50.016 , the corporate world will be there. 00:13:51.186 --> 00:13:55.266 And I'm gonna say a couple company names and I mean the Deloittes. 00:13:55.446 --> 00:13:58.056 The Accentures, they will be there. 00:13:58.176 --> 00:13:58.836 Great brands. 00:13:58.841 --> 00:14:00.246 Great brands, yeah. 00:14:00.251 --> 00:14:01.746 And they pay really well. 00:14:01.806 --> 00:14:02.976 And I am so thankful. 00:14:02.981 --> 00:14:06.696 They recruit at great colleges and, and a number of them recruit at Grove City. 00:14:06.726 --> 00:14:06.816 Mm-hmm. 00:14:07.261 --> 00:14:07.806 . And I love it. 00:14:08.256 --> 00:14:11.226 I love it with these highly talented folks. 00:14:11.226 --> 00:14:15.486 I think Grove City produces a very unique brand of, obviously, 00:14:16.011 --> 00:14:21.141 Uh, uh, academic level, top notch Grove City also produces a student 00:14:21.141 --> 00:14:25.071 that tends to be, uh, trustworthy. 00:14:25.191 --> 00:14:29.151 I, I don't, it's an odd, you would hope that schools generally do that, but a 00:14:29.151 --> 00:14:32.931 Grove City student, for whatever reason, is one that you could probably throw the 00:14:32.931 --> 00:14:38.091 keys to your house to and expect them to out of some sense of duty to, we'll 00:14:38.091 --> 00:14:39.771 call it a higher power, whatever it is. 00:14:40.251 --> 00:14:41.691 Gross state students tend to be trust. 00:14:42.786 --> 00:14:45.996 In placing a student like that into an environment where they 00:14:45.996 --> 00:14:52.806 are mostly a laborer, I think is not the full utilization. 00:14:52.806 --> 00:14:55.356 I, we got good work ethic and that's very important to me. 00:14:55.926 --> 00:14:59.766 But my favorite environments to see a gross city student flourish after school 00:14:59.771 --> 00:15:06.936 is one where they're asked to be both a, a, a hard worker and a vision catcher. 00:15:06.936 --> 00:15:06.996 Yeah. 00:15:07.086 --> 00:15:09.786 Or an owner of something to drive it forward. 00:15:10.341 --> 00:15:16.371 Where, uh, they, this, um, I'll say it this way, I mentioned this very quickly 00:15:16.371 --> 00:15:21.111 early in our podcast here of entrepreneurs Create the World, how it ought to be, 00:15:21.951 --> 00:15:26.211 and that nature of creating, I mean, this is a little spiritual of me here, 00:15:26.211 --> 00:15:34.141 but I would say when, when our, and God made, He made us in his image and as a 00:15:34.146 --> 00:15:38.901 creator when we're created in his image, the very simple A plus A equals B equals 00:15:38.901 --> 00:15:42.471 C is that we ourselves are creators. 00:15:42.921 --> 00:15:44.931 That is in our dna, it's in our nature. 00:15:45.711 --> 00:15:52.791 And so when we take a job that is mostly about the best money or the 00:15:52.791 --> 00:15:57.321 most reliable path forward, as you fast forward a 25 year career, and it's 00:15:57.631 --> 00:15:59.601 just a good steady, it looks right. 00:16:00.606 --> 00:16:04.646 Those are good things, but our time on earth here is short, and I really 00:16:04.651 --> 00:16:10.806 believe that creating the world how it ought to be is not just a, it's not 00:16:10.811 --> 00:16:13.086 just a an entrepreneur business thing. 00:16:13.176 --> 00:16:19.006 I think any phase of life, any teacher, whatever job you go into, having 00:16:19.176 --> 00:16:23.136 that entrepreneurial mindset at the base that I am created to create. 00:16:23.376 --> 00:16:23.466 Mm-hmm. 00:16:23.706 --> 00:16:26.076 , looking for opportunities to move the world more how 00:16:26.076 --> 00:16:27.276 it ought to be is important. 00:16:27.906 --> 00:16:28.446 I. 00:16:29.631 --> 00:16:33.891 That when you find companies, younger companies in particular 00:16:34.221 --> 00:16:38.811 that have that type of ambition as their mission, a disruptive sort of, 00:16:38.811 --> 00:16:42.561 let's move the needle here in this industry, that's a great place to be. 00:16:42.561 --> 00:16:47.301 They're looking for energy, They're looking for, uh, they, they are willing 00:16:47.301 --> 00:16:52.461 to accept some greenness for, for someone who really catches that vision. 00:16:53.211 --> 00:16:54.441 And when we look back at. 00:16:55.281 --> 00:16:55.851 and others. 00:16:55.851 --> 00:16:59.091 And same thing at, uh, the company I've, I've been with for the last four years. 00:16:59.091 --> 00:17:02.541 And, and wrapping up now is, is all of a company based in Columbus, Ohio. 00:17:02.571 --> 00:17:02.721 Mm-hmm. 00:17:02.961 --> 00:17:06.861 startup grew into high growth mode and, and, uh, really climbed, 00:17:06.891 --> 00:17:08.661 climbed their, their ascension there. 00:17:09.651 --> 00:17:15.141 The early stage folks who were maybe not the most high pedigree, right? 00:17:15.141 --> 00:17:18.021 They didn't, not all, it wasn't all the Harvard Ivy League, 00:17:18.021 --> 00:17:19.911 whatever, you know, MBAs. 00:17:20.571 --> 00:17:23.391 It was the people who caught the vision and. 00:17:24.246 --> 00:17:29.736 I'll do anything to drive this forward and for us that, you know, at no way 00:17:29.796 --> 00:17:33.096 we were, we didn't wanna wait in line. 00:17:33.101 --> 00:17:36.156 Now we had some bigger vision about how that, that would 00:17:36.156 --> 00:17:38.046 enhance the human experience. 00:17:38.046 --> 00:17:41.706 And, and we would meet these owners of a brunch restaurant and we would see 00:17:41.706 --> 00:17:45.396 how beautiful a product they made, but how many people couldn't experience it. 00:17:46.101 --> 00:17:48.321 The wait times weren't conducive to, To what? 00:17:48.531 --> 00:17:50.151 To the family environment, whatever that was. 00:17:50.481 --> 00:17:51.891 Dollars are walking out the door. 00:17:52.191 --> 00:17:54.501 So we were able to help them accomplish their dreams more. 00:17:54.561 --> 00:17:55.761 And it was this beautiful thing. 00:17:56.301 --> 00:17:59.691 And all of the company that I'd worked with for the last four years was a 00:17:59.691 --> 00:18:04.581 similar vision, but healthcare, which was disparate systems, the patient 00:18:04.581 --> 00:18:08.551 experience, the provider experience, the doctors and nurses that have to 00:18:08.556 --> 00:18:11.001 sift through administrative papers. 00:18:11.241 --> 00:18:14.061 There's gotta be a way to connect these disparate systems. 00:18:14.856 --> 00:18:22.386 And return the caregivers back to giving care patients the confusion 00:18:22.386 --> 00:18:24.756 of receiving 10 different bills. 00:18:24.756 --> 00:18:25.536 What do I pay? 00:18:25.536 --> 00:18:26.196 What is this? 00:18:26.196 --> 00:18:27.546 Did my insurance pay part of this? 00:18:27.546 --> 00:18:28.416 What does this mean? 00:18:28.776 --> 00:18:33.006 Being able to clarify what that looks like creates such a, a better 00:18:33.006 --> 00:18:37.236 experience in healthcare and, and that was really what drove me towards them. 00:18:37.236 --> 00:18:43.491 And, and so in all of those things, I like the mission oriented approach 00:18:43.491 --> 00:18:44.841 to choosing what you do next. 00:18:44.841 --> 00:18:48.891 And so you originally asked, Okay, student comes outta school. 00:18:48.891 --> 00:18:50.091 Is there really opportunity? 00:18:50.096 --> 00:18:54.921 I would say absolutely make your decision coming outta college based on if you 00:18:54.926 --> 00:18:58.461 don't have a particular mission that might be yours to start and found, 00:18:59.031 --> 00:19:01.071 look for one that you identify with. 00:19:01.401 --> 00:19:03.591 Sometimes it's as big as changing healthcare. 00:19:03.831 --> 00:19:05.671 Sometimes it's as specific. 00:19:06.636 --> 00:19:08.316 Changing wait list lines. 00:19:08.316 --> 00:19:08.376 Yeah. 00:19:08.706 --> 00:19:11.736 Um, but find something that resonates with you and take a swing. 00:19:11.976 --> 00:19:15.856 And, and I think, you know, if you swing and miss there's, you got a 00:19:15.861 --> 00:19:17.646 great network behind you at CRO City. 00:19:17.946 --> 00:19:18.186 That's true. 00:19:18.186 --> 00:19:22.626 You've got, you've got great other, I don't know of any IBM or anybody else 00:19:22.626 --> 00:19:26.346 who looks at four years of someone trying to start a business and failing and 00:19:26.346 --> 00:19:28.776 looks at that and says You're a failure. 00:19:28.776 --> 00:19:30.976 Those types of, those types of approaches. 00:19:31.521 --> 00:19:33.381 Well revered right now in the industry. 00:19:33.381 --> 00:19:38.541 Tim Sweet: What, what company doesn't want to think of themselves as entrepreneurial 00:19:38.541 --> 00:19:42.771 right in, in the face of all the economic and social challenges today. 00:19:42.776 --> 00:19:42.981 Mm-hmm. 00:19:43.351 --> 00:19:47.121 , we, we have to go back to our entrepreneurial roots and rediscover 00:19:47.121 --> 00:19:50.481 who we are in terms of how to make an impact on the world. 00:19:50.811 --> 00:19:51.021 Yeah. 00:19:51.201 --> 00:19:56.031 So what what's interesting to me is that in, in both of these 00:19:56.031 --> 00:20:00.996 situations, , uh, both with Olive and with your experience at no weight. 00:20:01.086 --> 00:20:01.176 Mm-hmm. 00:20:02.496 --> 00:20:04.266 , you seem to feel a great deal of ownership. 00:20:04.326 --> 00:20:04.806 It's, Yeah. 00:20:04.836 --> 00:20:07.416 It never was a job for you, right? 00:20:07.806 --> 00:20:08.016 Right. 00:20:08.106 --> 00:20:08.666 You were. 00:20:09.441 --> 00:20:13.401 Part of the mission, part of, did it feel like family at all? 00:20:13.401 --> 00:20:18.171 I'm just, I'm kind of looking for a metaphor that helps me understand the 00:20:18.176 --> 00:20:21.951 culture that you experience, because I think that's really important too. 00:20:21.951 --> 00:20:25.011 When people start to think about their career, what kind of culture are we gonna 00:20:25.011 --> 00:20:27.141 be a part of, and how are we gonna create 00:20:27.146 --> 00:20:28.071 Evan Addams: some value for others? 00:20:28.101 --> 00:20:31.911 Yeah, and I think there's, there's two really important parties to that, that 00:20:31.911 --> 00:20:36.501 question, which is both what you look. 00:20:37.581 --> 00:20:41.511 as an employee and, you know, vetting that culture. 00:20:41.511 --> 00:20:47.181 And, and the other side is if, and, and something I identify more with at 00:20:47.181 --> 00:20:50.901 this point, which is, okay, as you're, uh, starting these companies or part 00:20:50.901 --> 00:20:55.551 of leadership with these companies, how do you continue to establish. 00:20:56.121 --> 00:20:59.151 That type of culture, it's something that's very difficult as a company. 00:20:59.151 --> 00:21:00.891 Scales, no weight. 00:21:00.891 --> 00:21:02.481 Never really got too big. 00:21:02.691 --> 00:21:05.751 You know, we, at one point, I think were up to 75 or 80 employees 00:21:06.261 --> 00:21:08.271 and, and that was small enough. 00:21:08.271 --> 00:21:12.321 We're all in one office, 10,000 square feet maybe, something like that. 00:21:12.321 --> 00:21:16.971 You can see usually across the whole office, you know, everybody by name. 00:21:16.971 --> 00:21:20.151 There's a handful of new people here and there, but generally, if you're 00:21:20.156 --> 00:21:23.631 there for a few weeks, you know most people, and it does feel family. 00:21:23.636 --> 00:21:25.461 When we do company events, a few times a. 00:21:26.121 --> 00:21:30.741 spouses come out, kids come out and you've developed close relationships 00:21:31.161 --> 00:21:32.451 at some point after that. 00:21:32.451 --> 00:21:36.561 And there's a general rule of thumb, 200 people is a hard number. 00:21:36.561 --> 00:21:38.271 It's a, it's a pivot point, right? 00:21:38.421 --> 00:21:38.481 Yeah. 00:21:38.501 --> 00:21:42.381 It's a, it's a tipping point of once you get through where your engagements 00:21:42.386 --> 00:21:43.971 mean that you've got more than 200. 00:21:43.971 --> 00:21:48.411 It's very hard to, to scale beyond that and, and to, So 00:21:48.781 --> 00:21:49.551 same in churches, by the way. 00:21:49.551 --> 00:21:51.081 I was gonna say, churches, same thing. 00:21:51.201 --> 00:21:53.541 You see a lot of churches get up to one 50. 00:21:53.601 --> 00:21:53.871 Yeah. 00:21:54.081 --> 00:21:54.951 Sit there. 00:21:55.296 --> 00:21:58.446 And once they go over 200 something breaks, right? 00:21:58.446 --> 00:21:59.586 And, and then it goes back. 00:21:59.586 --> 00:22:02.166 And, and I think a lot of organizations do that. 00:22:02.376 --> 00:22:04.686 There's some great reads out there about different strategies and 00:22:04.686 --> 00:22:08.136 business or organizational development, how to, how to combat that. 00:22:08.706 --> 00:22:12.576 And, and, and for, I'll use all of as an example here. 00:22:12.966 --> 00:22:13.926 That was a challenge. 00:22:13.926 --> 00:22:14.766 We grew. 00:22:14.826 --> 00:22:15.906 Here's some crazy numbers. 00:22:16.326 --> 00:22:20.466 We grew from 198 people, so we're right on that line. 00:22:20.736 --> 00:22:22.686 198 people in January of 20. 00:22:24.246 --> 00:22:26.826 Pandemic hits, but we did really well. 00:22:27.186 --> 00:22:27.486 Hmm. 00:22:27.516 --> 00:22:31.446 So we finished 2021 with about 1400 people. 00:22:31.956 --> 00:22:32.346 Wow. 00:22:32.586 --> 00:22:33.636 So that's 00:22:33.756 --> 00:22:34.446 Tim Sweet: exponential 00:22:34.446 --> 00:22:36.066 Evan Addams: growth in that period of time, uh, at least. 00:22:36.066 --> 00:22:36.366 Right? 00:22:36.426 --> 00:22:36.486 Yeah. 00:22:36.486 --> 00:22:38.676 So when you'd say, Well, what's the culture like? 00:22:39.186 --> 00:22:42.696 It's hard to tell cause you don't know 90% of the people you're working with. 00:22:42.866 --> 00:22:43.226 Sure. 00:22:43.686 --> 00:22:47.496 So to navigate that at that odd season, that's a very odd season. 00:22:48.066 --> 00:22:49.596 Uh, we were all at our. 00:22:50.526 --> 00:22:51.246 All, both. 00:22:51.246 --> 00:22:52.296 No way and Olive. 00:22:52.296 --> 00:22:57.036 We were all at our best when we felt this missional communal alignment. 00:22:57.626 --> 00:23:02.886 I always appreciated somebody calling out seasons of, Hey, we're getting 00:23:02.886 --> 00:23:06.756 some sharp elbows on, on zoom calls where everybody's getting a little 00:23:06.761 --> 00:23:10.596 tense, a little, I'll use the word selfish, whatever it is, where you, 00:23:10.746 --> 00:23:13.056 everybody starts to defend themselves. 00:23:13.086 --> 00:23:14.376 Think of themselves first. 00:23:15.156 --> 00:23:17.676 That's a, that's a real concern in the post pandemic. 00:23:18.261 --> 00:23:22.701 When a lot of people are working in their towers at their houses, you're working 00:23:22.701 --> 00:23:26.451 hard, you're doing late nights, and you don't see anybody else doing that. 00:23:26.541 --> 00:23:30.651 And so you start to feel like, am I the only one doing this? 00:23:31.201 --> 00:23:31.481 Interesting? 00:23:31.521 --> 00:23:34.071 And, and somebody else might ask you to do something and you feel 00:23:34.076 --> 00:23:35.301 like, Wow, how disrespectful. 00:23:35.781 --> 00:23:39.171 And, and these start to mount over time and you realize you're probably not 00:23:39.171 --> 00:23:40.281 the only person who feels that way. 00:23:40.731 --> 00:23:44.991 And so there can, you can build this growing sort of, it's a harsh 00:23:44.991 --> 00:23:47.551 word, but I'm gonna say self center. 00:23:48.126 --> 00:23:50.226 Focus on how you're building your career. 00:23:51.036 --> 00:23:57.216 We at all have, have tried to combat that by doing as many group gatherings as Covid 00:23:57.216 --> 00:23:59.046 would allow, and post Covid would allow. 00:23:59.916 --> 00:24:04.026 But even as the company changes and the company's adjusting a little 00:24:04.026 --> 00:24:06.606 bit, you know, I'm, I'm wrapping up there and we're shifting our numbers 00:24:06.606 --> 00:24:09.186 and a few things there that are all, you know, that are all out there. 00:24:09.726 --> 00:24:13.086 It, one of the reasons, and one of the notes on that was it was 00:24:13.086 --> 00:24:15.396 really hard to stay mission focus. 00:24:15.801 --> 00:24:19.101 As we went forward, and I think doing that well will be the 00:24:19.101 --> 00:24:21.381 mark of fantastic companies. 00:24:21.381 --> 00:24:22.281 It's, it's a challenge. 00:24:22.881 --> 00:24:23.121 Tim Sweet: Yeah. 00:24:23.181 --> 00:24:25.971 Extraordinary in, in the midst of a pandemic. 00:24:26.061 --> 00:24:26.181 Mm-hmm. 00:24:26.481 --> 00:24:28.911 , we don't have a blueprint for how you handle that. 00:24:28.971 --> 00:24:29.061 Mm-hmm. 00:24:29.691 --> 00:24:34.431 . But that says a lot about the leadership at that company and how they were able 00:24:34.431 --> 00:24:37.011 to steer through a very difficult time. 00:24:37.851 --> 00:24:38.061 Yeah. 00:24:38.811 --> 00:24:43.521 So, One of the other things I really appreciate about your professional 00:24:43.521 --> 00:24:46.761 journey is that you really took the. 00:24:47.166 --> 00:24:48.876 The role of sales. 00:24:48.936 --> 00:24:49.026 Mm-hmm. 00:24:49.416 --> 00:24:53.916 very seriously and integrated it into the warp and roof of these 00:24:53.916 --> 00:24:56.766 startups in a very interesting way. 00:24:57.246 --> 00:25:00.936 Um, I know that a lot of our students connect with you. 00:25:00.936 --> 00:25:05.606 You've been very generous in connecting with our students as well around 00:25:05.886 --> 00:25:08.616 sales opportunities and sales skills. 00:25:09.096 --> 00:25:13.926 Uh, tell us a little bit about that and how that overlaps with entrepreneurial 00:25:13.931 --> 00:25:14.376 Evan Addams: thinking. 00:25:15.441 --> 00:25:19.221 There's a, a book that for at least a season has been regarded as the 00:25:19.221 --> 00:25:23.001 Bible of startup companies and it's, it's Peter Teal zero to one. 00:25:23.121 --> 00:25:23.181 Yeah. 00:25:23.901 --> 00:25:28.971 And in that he makes a few references to some great entrepreneurial stories. 00:25:29.481 --> 00:25:33.231 This one is a little bit tongue in cheek knowing their relationship, but he 00:25:33.261 --> 00:25:37.671 refers to, uh, an Elon Musk story and. 00:25:38.001 --> 00:25:41.331 And he, he, again, he, they've got a little bit of their, their embi background 00:25:41.736 --> 00:25:45.051 . Um, but, but, uh, and this is before Elon. 00:25:45.051 --> 00:25:48.501 This book came out years ago, and, and Elon had been very successful, 00:25:48.891 --> 00:25:51.201 but Tesla was not what it was. 00:25:51.231 --> 00:25:53.271 SpaceX was really developing at the time. 00:25:53.721 --> 00:25:57.861 But you know, Elon at the time was worth a measly, probably 30 billion. 00:25:58.521 --> 00:25:59.371 Yeah, not much. 00:25:59.371 --> 00:26:03.651 But today's standards, he was nowhere near his 200 some billion. 00:26:03.651 --> 00:26:05.121 That makes him the richest man in the world. 00:26:07.131 --> 00:26:11.601 What Peter Teal had talked through was, the reason Elon is a great entrepreneur 00:26:12.201 --> 00:26:15.591 is not because he is a great engineer or coder, and he, he, this is part 00:26:15.591 --> 00:26:19.461 of what the, the tongue in cheek part was, where he said the code he writes 00:26:19.461 --> 00:26:21.441 is not very good, blah, blah, blah. 00:26:21.441 --> 00:26:24.441 His, I, his ideas aren't actually his ideas. 00:26:24.831 --> 00:26:27.531 You know, he sort of pushes a couple things together from other 00:26:27.531 --> 00:26:30.771 people, but he's a great salesman. 00:26:31.596 --> 00:26:34.866 And what he means by that is he talks through SpaceX and how difficult it 00:26:34.866 --> 00:26:41.736 was when you've got NASA, who is a government organization and 25,000 people. 00:26:41.736 --> 00:26:47.556 It's funded, they're nasa, and somehow Elon goes through and builds 00:26:47.556 --> 00:26:52.116 relationships with senators, other politicians, private funding, and 00:26:52.116 --> 00:26:54.846 takes a 2,500 person, 5,000 person. 00:26:55.701 --> 00:26:58.971 To combat and compete with NASA and somehow starts to 00:26:58.971 --> 00:27:00.591 get some government contracts. 00:27:00.921 --> 00:27:07.851 His ability to play politics and sell and create a, create a company was really 00:27:07.851 --> 00:27:08.961 what's made him a great entrepreneur. 00:27:08.966 --> 00:27:13.221 The reason I'm saying all that in regards to your sales question is usually when 00:27:13.221 --> 00:27:17.901 you're not a software developer in in tech, you think, Well, I'm not a creator. 00:27:18.831 --> 00:27:22.761 But the reality is there are very few creations or products. 00:27:23.151 --> 00:27:29.151 That are either truly novel, truly new ideas or that sell themselves. 00:27:29.541 --> 00:27:32.391 And so when we use that phrase of create the world, how it ought to 00:27:32.391 --> 00:27:35.391 be the sales, half of that is okay. 00:27:35.396 --> 00:27:38.991 We might have created the product that allows the world how it 00:27:38.991 --> 00:27:42.501 ought to be, but now we have to go convince the world to do this. 00:27:43.121 --> 00:27:46.401 At no wait, we were told no virtually every time. 00:27:46.791 --> 00:27:49.311 And as a sales team, we had to figure. 00:27:50.076 --> 00:27:53.706 How to convince the world that it ought to be this way. 00:27:54.156 --> 00:27:58.266 And by doing every sales tactic we had to pull them along. 00:27:58.266 --> 00:28:01.686 Eventually the world said, Oh, we like this. 00:28:02.106 --> 00:28:04.716 At all of it was the same thing that company had been doing for six 00:28:04.716 --> 00:28:08.556 years, up and down, looking for the right way to sell a certain product. 00:28:09.066 --> 00:28:13.116 And when a handful of people, a few of us came in together, developed the right 00:28:13.116 --> 00:28:18.696 messaging and strategy, after six years of working on some different things, finally, 00:28:19.896 --> 00:28:21.786 The average sales price is skyrocketed. 00:28:21.786 --> 00:28:25.596 10 x the company revenues 150 x. 00:28:25.926 --> 00:28:27.846 Uh, company value skyrocketed. 00:28:28.626 --> 00:28:32.406 And that was because we, we figured out and cracked the nut 00:28:32.886 --> 00:28:36.216 on how to, the product was good. 00:28:36.516 --> 00:28:40.356 It was how do we connect with the buyers to convince them this 00:28:40.356 --> 00:28:41.466 is how the world ought to be. 00:28:41.796 --> 00:28:45.906 And, If you're an aspiring salesperson, that's like, that feels like a sales 00:28:45.906 --> 00:28:47.736 has get such a bad rap sometimes. 00:28:47.736 --> 00:28:48.456 Almost sales. 00:28:49.086 --> 00:28:49.506 Yeah. 00:28:49.536 --> 00:28:55.026 But, but really what you are is you are this, you are the one who moves things. 00:28:55.026 --> 00:28:59.616 You are the one who, I had an engineer one time, very ethereal minded, 00:28:59.616 --> 00:29:01.866 brilliant man, great engineer. 00:29:02.196 --> 00:29:04.416 And I went out to dinner with him and the engineering team. 00:29:04.656 --> 00:29:08.106 It's probably almost 10 years ago now, and we're having a good time. 00:29:08.406 --> 00:29:10.326 And then I realized it was a, it was a trap. 00:29:10.386 --> 00:29:10.656 It was a. 00:29:12.141 --> 00:29:17.811 And he was of the mind that sales was the worst of all human creations, . And that 00:29:17.811 --> 00:29:21.441 the only thing that needed to be done was great product and sales is manipulative. 00:29:21.441 --> 00:29:27.651 And, and um, and he said, uh, he at one point, you know, we were at, I dunno if 00:29:27.656 --> 00:29:30.141 there were a few drinks at this point from him, but you know, he turned to me 00:29:30.141 --> 00:29:35.361 in from everybody and said, So we all know that sales is virtually demonic. 00:29:36.261 --> 00:29:38.301 And now everyone's looking at me like, Okay. 00:29:38.306 --> 00:29:39.081 And I'm laughing. 00:29:39.831 --> 00:29:46.731 And he said, Give me one reason why sales should exist. 00:29:48.501 --> 00:29:53.211 And I said, and I just simply said, Mike, what do you want? 00:29:55.071 --> 00:29:56.301 He said, What do you mean? 00:29:56.691 --> 00:29:58.011 I said, What do you want? 00:29:59.631 --> 00:30:02.661 He said, I, I don't, I don't know. 00:30:02.811 --> 00:30:04.251 What do you mean I don't know what I want? 00:30:04.791 --> 00:30:06.351 And I said, That's. 00:30:07.776 --> 00:30:12.906 Because I have a vision of how this whole human existence can go a little bit 00:30:12.906 --> 00:30:16.776 further and a little bit better, and I'm gonna help you figure out what you want. 00:30:16.926 --> 00:30:17.856 You're in the driver's seat. 00:30:18.306 --> 00:30:20.346 I'm come alongside you and figure this thing out with you. 00:30:21.576 --> 00:30:23.586 And the rest of his team it. 00:30:23.591 --> 00:30:25.716 I got all this street cut I needed right there from them, 00:30:25.986 --> 00:30:27.996 and they realized that sales was. 00:30:29.076 --> 00:30:33.606 , the human psychology decision, not about manipulating, not about twisting. 00:30:33.936 --> 00:30:37.806 I know it can be that way sometimes, and that's, it's sad when things get 00:30:37.806 --> 00:30:41.346 that way, but it's about taking a vision and bringing the world along to it. 00:30:41.586 --> 00:30:41.856 So, yeah. 00:30:42.336 --> 00:30:42.456 And 00:30:42.456 --> 00:30:44.976 Tim Sweet: you, you help when you're selling, you're, you're 00:30:44.976 --> 00:30:47.676 helping people to uncover and. 00:30:49.311 --> 00:30:53.241 Frame problems that they may be slightly aware of, but to 00:30:53.241 --> 00:30:54.681 see it in a fresh way, Right. 00:30:54.681 --> 00:30:58.851 So that they can actually move forward, solve those problems, and 00:30:59.151 --> 00:31:01.431 create something of better value. 00:31:01.851 --> 00:31:02.031 That's 00:31:02.036 --> 00:31:02.211 Evan Addams: right. 00:31:02.211 --> 00:31:05.991 It, it's, it's all about the consultative sale is, is the best. 00:31:06.051 --> 00:31:06.351 Yeah. 00:31:06.351 --> 00:31:10.551 It's a little older now, but you, I, I still ascribe to the challenger sale. 00:31:11.151 --> 00:31:14.871 You don't just want to be a salesperson who is an order taker. 00:31:15.231 --> 00:31:15.351 Right. 00:31:15.351 --> 00:31:16.191 Tell me what you want. 00:31:16.191 --> 00:31:17.451 I'll go make your widgets. 00:31:18.036 --> 00:31:21.996 At that point, what they, That's the, that's the for statement, right? 00:31:21.996 --> 00:31:24.246 If I would've asked people what they wanted, they would've said faster 00:31:24.246 --> 00:31:28.596 horses and, and by saying, Hey, I know you just want faster horses. 00:31:29.346 --> 00:31:30.606 Give me a second. 00:31:31.506 --> 00:31:32.976 I'm gonna see, No, you didn't invent the car. 00:31:32.981 --> 00:31:34.506 But you know, he's able to mass produce it. 00:31:34.506 --> 00:31:36.606 He's able to say like, Give me a minute. 00:31:36.756 --> 00:31:39.486 I'm gonna show you something that you can't dream up right now, 00:31:39.756 --> 00:31:41.796 but I think is gonna solve what you want a little bit better. 00:31:41.796 --> 00:31:47.286 Steve Jobs did it a couple times over and that type of innovation. 00:31:47.886 --> 00:31:52.056 I appreciate for men and women who are bold enough to take that stand and 00:31:52.056 --> 00:31:53.256 create the world how it ought to be. 00:31:53.646 --> 00:31:59.016 And at the end of the day, it is, I believe the sales aspect of it, 00:31:59.016 --> 00:32:03.396 the communication aspect of it that really accomplishes this adoption. 00:32:04.476 --> 00:32:06.396 Tim Sweet: Lot of empathy and the process. 00:32:06.396 --> 00:32:08.466 A lot of, lot of listing and understanding. 00:32:08.466 --> 00:32:08.796 That's right. 00:32:09.186 --> 00:32:10.086 But of. 00:32:10.731 --> 00:32:11.961 Doing some brainstorming mm-hmm. 00:32:12.261 --> 00:32:17.391 with a client to help them to craft their own vision of a, of a better future. 00:32:17.571 --> 00:32:18.111 Yeah, that's right. 00:32:18.771 --> 00:32:24.171 So, um, I know for you, Evan, uh, you have a great heart for people 00:32:24.861 --> 00:32:28.131 and for the entrepreneurial process and your experiences have put 00:32:28.136 --> 00:32:31.731 you in some very unique places, uh, but you also are interested. 00:32:32.431 --> 00:32:34.411 Intersection of entrepreneurship and faith. 00:32:34.441 --> 00:32:34.531 Mm-hmm. 00:32:35.251 --> 00:32:39.691 . And, uh, you've been working on a venture the last couple of years that 00:32:39.691 --> 00:32:41.851 to me has caught my attention as well. 00:32:41.856 --> 00:32:45.851 And I wondered if you'd tell a little bit about Rich Barn Roasters Oh yeah. 00:32:45.851 --> 00:32:48.241 And some of the things you're doing there, because I think there's a, 00:32:48.991 --> 00:32:51.331 just, it, it, your heart is revealed. 00:32:51.836 --> 00:32:56.426 And that, and I think it's a great story and very encouraging to our 00:32:56.906 --> 00:33:01.706 students and prospective students who want to make a real difference in 00:33:01.966 --> 00:33:02.276 Evan Addams: the world. 00:33:02.396 --> 00:33:02.936 That's great. 00:33:03.176 --> 00:33:03.746 Absolutely. 00:33:03.746 --> 00:33:07.736 I, I, I would say that as you're making your business decisions and I've made 00:33:07.766 --> 00:33:11.636 as I've made my business decisions mission oriented, we've mentioned 00:33:11.636 --> 00:33:13.616 that already is, is so important. 00:33:13.946 --> 00:33:17.571 And when I say mission oriented, It's, I, I would call it this, this 00:33:17.576 --> 00:33:21.501 Christian calling of, of go and create the world how it ought to be. 00:33:21.981 --> 00:33:27.381 And that is sometimes standing on a street corner and preaching the gospel. 00:33:27.621 --> 00:33:31.941 Uh, that, that is, that is some of those, what I would call traditional, 00:33:32.001 --> 00:33:35.361 you know, American evangelical moments where it's time to pray with somebody. 00:33:35.361 --> 00:33:36.981 I, I, I ascribe to that. 00:33:36.981 --> 00:33:39.051 I understand it more often than. 00:33:39.906 --> 00:33:43.566 It's how every day we're shaping the culture around us. 00:33:43.626 --> 00:33:47.586 And so when we're starting businesses, whatever it is, we have to realize 00:33:47.586 --> 00:33:49.176 the impact that they can have. 00:33:49.596 --> 00:33:52.266 So a very simple thing with Rich Barn roaster is one of my best 00:33:52.266 --> 00:33:54.046 friends, who's also a Gro City guy. 00:33:54.996 --> 00:33:58.986 He and I have, you know, because we're parents, we become avid 00:33:58.991 --> 00:34:01.956 coffee, coffee drinkers cuz how else could you survive ? Yeah. 00:34:02.046 --> 00:34:06.156 And uh, and then a friend of ours also, uh, works at a, a mission in 00:34:06.156 --> 00:34:09.726 Pittsburgh, uh, a homeless and, and recovering addict center and just 00:34:09.731 --> 00:34:11.616 a wonderful, wonderful program. 00:34:12.036 --> 00:34:16.056 And we realized that there was, uh, as we're talking about a few 00:34:16.061 --> 00:34:17.436 things, that particular mission. 00:34:19.011 --> 00:34:25.461 Almost $50,000, a little over $40,000 of annual expense associated just to coffee. 00:34:25.761 --> 00:34:29.601 And as we looked around at other missions, and there's a reason for that. 00:34:29.601 --> 00:34:32.031 I mean, there's staff, but there's, you know, so a lot of reasons why 00:34:32.391 --> 00:34:34.191 a lot of coffee could be consumed. 00:34:34.191 --> 00:34:37.311 You know, people are, are going through some things and good 00:34:37.316 --> 00:34:39.091 cup of coffee is necessary. 00:34:39.091 --> 00:34:39.251 Yes. 00:34:39.256 --> 00:34:39.471 Yeah. 00:34:39.471 --> 00:34:43.612 And, and, and so what we did is right in March of, of the. 00:34:45.036 --> 00:34:48.726 Uh, Mitch and I, we, we launched Rich Barn Roasters as a direct 00:34:48.726 --> 00:34:50.286 to consumer coffee company. 00:34:50.286 --> 00:34:52.896 You would subscribe to us, we would ship coffee to your house. 00:34:52.896 --> 00:34:56.076 Now, in the pandemic, that was part of that, which is harder to go get 00:34:56.076 --> 00:34:59.616 your coffee high premium product, but cutting out brick and mortars, 00:34:59.616 --> 00:35:03.306 we were able to offer it at a mid-level price and it was a buy a 00:35:03.306 --> 00:35:05.316 bag, give a bag, Tom's type of model. 00:35:05.616 --> 00:35:09.636 And we specifically partnered with the shelter so that as you 00:35:10.096 --> 00:35:12.776 subscribe to us, it would drive us closer to being able to cover. 00:35:13.191 --> 00:35:14.901 Their entire coffee budget. 00:35:14.901 --> 00:35:15.681 That was our goal. 00:35:15.951 --> 00:35:18.891 You know, we, we launched a campaign with them, Something like 220 00:35:18.891 --> 00:35:23.511 subscribers would allow us to have covered their coffee costs entirely. 00:35:24.321 --> 00:35:27.621 And on top of that, it opened up the store for us to build relationship 00:35:27.621 --> 00:35:32.121 with them so that their, I'll call them graduates or residents of 00:35:32.121 --> 00:35:33.861 their program can engage with us. 00:35:33.861 --> 00:35:37.731 They can help with the logistics of coffee, see the business, be 00:35:37.731 --> 00:35:40.251 a part of, you know, learning how to roast these sorts of things. 00:35:41.871 --> 00:35:44.781 , they are a part of this cyclical work. 00:35:44.781 --> 00:35:45.711 They're looking at their hands. 00:35:45.711 --> 00:35:46.881 Wow, I can make something. 00:35:46.881 --> 00:35:47.961 I'm building something. 00:35:48.351 --> 00:35:51.801 And, and there's this redemptive nature to what we're doing. 00:35:51.801 --> 00:35:55.131 So all of this comes down to when you're drinking a cup of 00:35:55.131 --> 00:35:57.801 coffee, it's, it tastes good. 00:35:57.806 --> 00:35:58.761 That's very important. 00:35:59.181 --> 00:36:03.171 But you're realizing how much impact a cup has. 00:36:03.171 --> 00:36:05.721 I don't mean to be too hippie-ish about it, but that. 00:36:06.526 --> 00:36:10.296 We call it growth city, whatever the, the impact of a healthy, free market 00:36:10.296 --> 00:36:14.466 well-meaning product when you do it right, has a lot of positive impact 00:36:14.471 --> 00:36:15.786 the whole way through the supply chain. 00:36:16.416 --> 00:36:20.166 And, and so for Mitch and I, it's been a lot of fun to be able to do that 00:36:20.196 --> 00:36:25.956 and push, you know, our, our margins towards these ministries and work on 00:36:25.956 --> 00:36:29.316 building a, We spend as much time with the missions oriented as we do with, 00:36:29.316 --> 00:36:31.566 uh, uh, building a quality product. 00:36:31.566 --> 00:36:32.796 We wanna make sure first, and for. 00:36:33.471 --> 00:36:34.701 The coffee is awesome. 00:36:34.791 --> 00:36:38.571 So we have some killer people that work with us who, who are world class, we 00:36:38.571 --> 00:36:43.911 believe roasters and, and, um, and, and, and we're setting up our operations more 00:36:43.911 --> 00:36:45.291 and we're scaling that a little bit. 00:36:45.831 --> 00:36:47.631 And, uh, that's an honor to do that. 00:36:47.631 --> 00:36:47.961 It really 00:36:47.961 --> 00:36:48.261 Tim Sweet: is. 00:36:48.311 --> 00:36:52.621 If, if people wanted to check out your story about Rich Barn roasters and what 00:36:52.701 --> 00:36:55.431 you're doing with, uh, some of these ministries, what would, where would. 00:36:56.166 --> 00:37:00.006 Evan Addams: Rich barn roasts.com tells that story and you can subscribe there 00:37:00.006 --> 00:37:04.386 and read more about what we're doing and, and we're, we're, uh, we're, uh, sharing 00:37:04.386 --> 00:37:06.186 more stories about what's happening there. 00:37:06.606 --> 00:37:09.666 And you can subscribe to what we're doing and we'll, we'll send coffee at your 00:37:09.666 --> 00:37:12.036 door coming up on the holiday season. 00:37:12.456 --> 00:37:13.836 We have a lot of fun with that. 00:37:13.866 --> 00:37:16.206 And so we do some unique giftings. 00:37:16.266 --> 00:37:19.446 Uh, we, we tend to throw some surprise gifts into bags. 00:37:19.446 --> 00:37:19.506 Yeah. 00:37:19.626 --> 00:37:22.836 Uh, it, it's a fun season to, to, to give. 00:37:23.196 --> 00:37:25.086 So, so we're focused on. 00:37:25.836 --> 00:37:26.556 Tim Sweet: Fantastic. 00:37:27.126 --> 00:37:29.916 So what's, what's next for Evan Adams? 00:37:30.296 --> 00:37:31.236 Anything out in the horizon? 00:37:31.776 --> 00:37:35.376 Um, things are cooking or roasting is the case maybe. 00:37:35.376 --> 00:37:35.436 Of 00:37:35.436 --> 00:37:36.426 Evan Addams: course, of course. 00:37:36.431 --> 00:37:38.106 No, we've got, we've got fun things. 00:37:38.106 --> 00:37:42.816 I, I do like to take a step back at some sort of transition seasons and, and ask 00:37:42.821 --> 00:37:46.476 myself what are, what are things happening in the world that I like or don't like? 00:37:46.476 --> 00:37:47.796 Or what, what should we do more of? 00:37:47.826 --> 00:37:48.006 Sure. 00:37:48.456 --> 00:37:51.066 And since I'm a gross city person, I love history. 00:37:51.576 --> 00:37:52.416 I love. 00:37:52.851 --> 00:37:55.911 I, I love, uh, finding peace in history. 00:37:55.941 --> 00:37:59.031 I had someone say to me recently, Oh, this is the most divided 00:37:59.031 --> 00:37:59.961 the country's ever been. 00:38:00.141 --> 00:38:04.101 And I said, Did you know that we had a war against each other? 00:38:04.531 --> 00:38:05.391 , Right, right. 00:38:05.391 --> 00:38:05.751 You know? 00:38:05.991 --> 00:38:06.291 Yes. 00:38:06.441 --> 00:38:09.291 And they said, Oh, but I mean, in the last, you know, a hundred years. 00:38:09.291 --> 00:38:12.771 And I said, Well, did you know what the 1968 Democratic National 00:38:12.771 --> 00:38:16.191 Convention, that the senators had to be flown in by helicopter out of death? 00:38:17.001 --> 00:38:18.471 I said, No, I didn't know that. 00:38:18.781 --> 00:38:20.031 So, so there's this piece. 00:38:20.031 --> 00:38:24.891 Sometimes not, not to say that things have always been bad, but there's context 00:38:24.891 --> 00:38:27.741 of, you know, we've had ups and downs. 00:38:27.741 --> 00:38:27.831 Mm-hmm. 00:38:27.836 --> 00:38:33.951 There's, you know, did you know in the election of, of, uh, 1800, the French 00:38:33.951 --> 00:38:37.731 throughout lots of propaganda and their fake newspaper, like it, the fake 00:38:37.731 --> 00:38:39.801 news from foreign entities is a thing. 00:38:39.801 --> 00:38:42.491 It's been there since, you know, nothing new, under nothing new. 00:38:42.621 --> 00:38:47.856 And so, so all of that to say, um, I've been part of a, there's a small 00:38:47.856 --> 00:38:52.176 group of us that have been purchasing up historical properties, um, bed and 00:38:52.176 --> 00:38:57.486 breakfast, some traditional things that we think tell a really cool story. 00:38:57.936 --> 00:39:00.246 And so it's a hospitality thing. 00:39:00.246 --> 00:39:03.276 Uh, there's certainly a real estate dynamic to what we're doing there. 00:39:03.636 --> 00:39:06.846 Uh, we're referring to ourselves as the gatherer company, and we 00:39:06.846 --> 00:39:11.706 believe the stories that we're telling, and I would say the edifying 00:39:11.736 --> 00:39:13.486 experience that we're trying to. 00:39:14.181 --> 00:39:19.281 With this is, is, uh, impactful on a business side, we think we're purchasing 00:39:19.281 --> 00:39:24.561 really cool stuff, really cool real estate assets that are by themselves, goodbyes 00:39:24.566 --> 00:39:27.021 and, and worth, worth a good return. 00:39:27.501 --> 00:39:32.691 But we believe in developing a community based on historical experience, ones that, 00:39:32.991 --> 00:39:36.831 that pull us in and help us get outside of ourselves and realize life isn't just. 00:39:37.566 --> 00:39:41.646 My individual 80 to a hundred years, but about this larger tradition, the 00:39:41.646 --> 00:39:45.486 American tradition, the, the Christian tradition, whatever it is, gives you 00:39:45.486 --> 00:39:47.166 peace that you're a part of a story. 00:39:47.676 --> 00:39:51.096 So we're investing into that for a bit and, uh, and seeing 00:39:51.101 --> 00:39:52.566 how that community develops. 00:39:52.986 --> 00:39:55.956 And, uh, we think there's some tech angles within that, but 00:39:55.986 --> 00:39:57.636 we're focused on that right now. 00:39:57.966 --> 00:39:59.736 And, uh, that's, that's sort of the next. 00:40:00.381 --> 00:40:00.531 Oh, 00:40:00.531 --> 00:40:01.641 Tim Sweet: that's incredible. 00:40:01.791 --> 00:40:02.571 Great, great. 00:40:02.571 --> 00:40:05.421 Part of your, the next part of your journey here, and I, what's 00:40:05.421 --> 00:40:10.311 exciting to me is that you're only 12 years into your career and you've 00:40:10.611 --> 00:40:12.111 had some phenomenal experiences. 00:40:12.111 --> 00:40:15.411 I can't wait to see what God's gonna do with you over the next 00:40:15.411 --> 00:40:17.421 decade or two, or three or four. 00:40:17.931 --> 00:40:22.911 And it's, it's the, I really appreciate your entrepreneurial drive. 00:40:24.246 --> 00:40:26.346 Your care for people, thank you. 00:40:26.706 --> 00:40:32.256 And the way you want to solve real human problems and create something 00:40:32.256 --> 00:40:36.936 of great value, uh, for folks to move forward in lots of ways 00:40:36.941 --> 00:40:40.506 in their lives, psychologically, emotionally, economically. 00:40:40.716 --> 00:40:42.996 Um, it, it really is great to see this. 00:40:42.996 --> 00:40:45.726 So thank you, Evan, for joining us today. 00:40:45.906 --> 00:40:46.056 Yeah. 00:40:46.236 --> 00:40:49.776 We appreciate your spirit and, uh, look forward to this 00:40:49.776 --> 00:40:51.576 next chapter as it unfolds. 00:40:51.576 --> 00:40:51.656 Thank you. 00:40:52.893 --> 00:40:55.663 postroll: Thanks for joining us today on Innovation Generation. 00:40:55.823 --> 00:40:58.273 We're glad you could join us and we invite you to come back 00:40:58.283 --> 00:41:00.393 for more episodes to contact us. 00:41:00.393 --> 00:41:05.313 You can find us at GCCEntrepreneurship.com or you can follow us on 00:41:05.313 --> 00:41:07.413 social media @GCCEntrepreneur.