#25 Living with Intention with Brad Ellis

Join Devin with Brad Ellis of Jean Shorts Comedy and co-host of the Ghostrunners Podcast as they discuss pursing greater possibilities in fatherhood, woodworking, and – you guessed it – water births. This humorous episode is rich with matters of faith, being present with others and why communicating expectations is crucial for healthy relationships. But best of all – you'll learn what a “Dadurday” is. A guaranteed fun and insightful listen!

Join Brad and Jake in Gulf Shores: https://www.ghostrunners.life/travel

Need a giant table? https://elliscustomcreations.com/

Thompson Tees: https://thompsontee.com/?ref=154&_utm_campaign=affiliate

A special thanks to our sponsor Eggtc. Shawnee! https://eggtckc.com/eggtc-shawnee

Chapters

• 0:05 Conversation
• 8:37 Epic Water Birth Story
• 15:51 Starting a Woodworking Business and Passion
• 22:21 Woodworking Business and Podcast Journey
• 33:54 Fatherhood and Future Goals
• 38:14 Finding Balance With Technology and Family
• 42:58 Business Ventures and Effective Communication
• 52:40 Comedy and Relatability in Entertainment

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Hey, what's up everybody. Welcome to the possibility mindset podcast. I'm Devon Henderson, I'm your host and I believe that something greater is always possible for you.

Speaker 2: 0:16

All right, let's jump in.

Speaker 1: 0:18

I'm going to introduce Brad here in just a minute. Question do you sweat profusely from your armpits? That's not a question for you, that's a question for them. Sorry, I should have prefaced that.

Speaker 2: 0:31

Brad, this is not for you. Let's get into it.

Speaker 1: 0:33

Can you never wear light colors because you know you'll have a huge wet spot? Once you start doing anything vigorous, like clapping your hands or texting someone, you start sweating. That's me, and I'm going somewhere with this, I promise you. When you wear black, does it have to be the right black even to not show sweat? Okay, all right, maybe you can relate to these questions. These are all personal questions for me. Well, here's what you need to know about. You need to know about Thompson T's, the sweat proof undershirts. This has been a game changer. Have I told you about?

Speaker 1: 1:01

this no Game changer for me, dude. They're not a sponsor, I'm an affiliate, I so believe in this product. I started wearing them on stage everywhere I go. Men's Health called them the best undershirts for men, trying to control armpit sweat. I'm telling you, now I can wear light blue, watch out and jog. Yeah, and no stains, man, really yeah. So if you have felt like hyper hydrosis or you sweat heavily, you've probably tried everything you know to try to hide it and everything. Some people there's even like over the counter, like drugs and whatnot. So they have like this.

Speaker 1: 1:33

I'm wearing one right now. It's like a lightweight layering system that like traps heat and moisture and allows them to evaporate, meaning like wet marks, sweat stains, colors don't sweep like seep through your clothes. That's the one part that I'm going to read word for word from the website that I'm like. But it's legit, they're machine washable, they're tag free, they're super comfortable. We're going to put a link in the show notes because it's like, since I'm an affiliate and they're not a sponsor, the website is like Thompson Tcom, backslash question mark REF, equals sign 1548%, underscore UTM, and it just keeps going. So you'll just have to go to the show notes to link. But if you do purchase, it does help us with what we're trying to do here and in the cause of the cause of the podcast.

Speaker 1: 2:15

I say cause like we're saving puppies. You know we're on the college fund for my daughter. So, anyway, try Thompson T's. I'm telling you, if you have the armpit sweat problem, it's the solution. So, anyway, that's Thompson T's. I love freaking you out with that first question. Like he's going to start with that, let's go for it.

Speaker 1: 2:32

I'm ready for anything. Yeah, you're like. I listed that as the last question. Why is he starting? He's he flip the flip the script here. So anyway, also just a huge thank you to, et cetera, shawnee for providing the space, and they typically provide breakfast. We didn't eat today because all of us have to be somewhere.

Speaker 2: 2:46

We're on the run, but you were saying how good the coffee is oh, the coffee's the best and I feel like I'm a breakfast aficionado. Et cetera is the best in town.

Speaker 1: 2:55

You've been here.

Speaker 2: 2:55

Oh yeah, wow, oh yeah. My wife is, I don't know, 100 pounds. She's so skinny, but she'll go. She'll or two plates here, she'll get the eggs benedict and something else and she'll just go to town. That's awesome, that's awesome.

Speaker 1: 3:08

But again like this sometimes these guests just pop up perfectly and he's like endorsing our sponsor. So I didn't even know, so that's great. And then after you took a drink of coffee and he's like oh, that's so good. He's like oh sorry, devon, because you know I'm 100 plus days off coffee, but but it's all, good man we're, we're getting through it. So hey, brad, good to have you here.

Speaker 2: 3:26

Hey man, good to have, good to be here.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Everybody, brad Ellis, my new found friend. So Brad, christian husband, father of three, cohost of the ghost runners podcast. You've seen his sketch comedy skits on YouTube. You know it is Gene shorts comedy. And then let's flip on what he does. He also does, ellis, custom creations for custom made furniture. It's like YouTuber, podcaster, woodworker.

Speaker 1: 3:51

That's right, that's I was like, I mean, everyone was expecting oh, woodworkers next, after, after this, gene shorts. You know he is passionate about his faith, his family, his sports, music, woodworking and comedy, and so we're going to have fun talking about this today. I mean, we have some. We have a lot of things in common. We found out after we had our first coffee. It was like what, and so so we have some things to talk about we're going to, but you know, obviously we're going to talk about possibilities for for you and we want to hear about what's next.

Speaker 1: 4:20

What are you excited about? How are you able to, like, maintain everything that's going on while pursuing the greater possibilities? So so let's, let's start with this. We had a mutual friend, my daughter, who, like, works at Chick-fil-A. It was a fan of gene shorts comedy. By the way, if you don't follow them already on YouTube, go to gene shorts comedy, hilarious skits and then also the ghost runners podcast. So you guys really have it going on. I mean, you, you have retreats and stuff for your podcast fans, people fly in, right, and you, in fact, you even have some upcoming event this summer, like at a resort or something where people are coming.

Speaker 2: 5:00

Yeah, yeah, you know, beach House Resort, sounds resort is generous for it yeah. Well, you know we, we basically, yeah, we're we're hosting a vacation for our fans. It's awesome. Yeah, it's like basically we found the biggest beach house we could find, biggest, nicest beach house in Gulf Shores, alabama. And yeah, there's like I think it we're doing two different sessions, but there's going to be like 70 people total coming, yeah, to have fun and just vacation with us on the beach.

Speaker 1: 5:22

Man, is it sold out yet?

Speaker 2: 5:24

It's not quite sold out, so there you go, there you go.

Speaker 1: 5:26

I don't know when. This is coming out in like maybe a month, so I don't know when is the retreat?

Speaker 2: 5:30

It'll be the end of April. April into May, so April 27th through the fourth of May.

Speaker 1: 5:36

So maybe too late at this point to get tickets by the time you're hearing this, but that'd be incredible. Yeah, try it. Where could they get tickets if they?

Speaker 2: 5:41

Ghostrunnerslife is our website, becausecom was taken by some other people. Who knows? But Ghostrunners is life. You know Ghostrunnerslife. All right, man, there, it is All right.

Speaker 1: 5:50

We'll link to that too in the show notes, so appreciate that, okay. So so, claire, my daughter you know was already a fan of yours was working in Chick-fil-A and who should come through the drive-thru? But Brad Ellis, right, do it like shooting a video for Gene Shorts right.

Speaker 2: 6:07

It was like, yeah, every parent with a minivan or something like that, okay.

Speaker 1: 6:11

Okay, yeah, and so she was featured, kind of it, you know, I don't know, giving you the food or something at the drive-thru and then at the end I think made some of the outtakes or something, yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:19

Well, because I mean, our channel is big-ish, but not that big in the grand scheme of the world, and so we're not used to being recognized. And then all of a sudden we go through the drive-thru, this Chick-fil-A, thinking oh, we're going to be kind of uncomfortable filming this thing. And she's like, hey, I know you guys, you guys have Gene Shorts coming. I was like, yeah, we are, thank you for knowing us.

Speaker 1: 6:39

That is, that is awesome, man. Well, and what she told me earlier that day I think we talked about this when I had her on the podcast was she was thinking that day about wouldn't that be weird if the Gene Shorts people came here to Chick-fil-A? And then you came that day and the world just works like that sometimes, where when you're kind of like following something, you're into something you think about. Could this like become part of my life in some way?

Speaker 2: 7:00

And there it was very, very weird. Just wild, yeah, just just see. And. And then, of course, she started coming to church with us and then you guys started coming. It is awesome, I know I know.

Speaker 1: 7:08

So then I I you know finally meet Brad at church and he's taking care of one of our kids, because he's a, he's that kind of guy, he's just gonna, you know, take care of babies with his wife he and Catherine, which was awesome.

Speaker 1: 7:17

And so I'm like, oh, this, this guy's neat. And then it. Then it turns out I'm like, oh, he, he does the podcast thing, he's a YouTuber. I'm kind of transitioning. Well, I'm not transitioning, I'm adding more of a trying to add more to my YouTube channel, have a bit greater impact. Started the podcast recently, so I was like we have things to learn. And then it turns out you might want to do more speaking. So I was like we have things to talk about.

Speaker 2: 7:38

So, yeah, it was so funny, we hung out or hung out, we talked probably 10 times every you know when I would see you in the hallway, but it was always like how's it going? Hey, good to see you. Oh, you have 15 kids. Okay, go 10 to your 50, you know whatever. And so it's just, it's just chaos. Yeah, as you're transitioning, you know getting all these you know kids picked up and everything, and so I didn't even get to know you at all. And all of a sudden I get to know you and I'm like, oh, we're like one the same, I mean our circles, like we just found out.

Speaker 1: 8:04

You know Tyler Hilker, who was on the podcast once before, from a connection in Oregon where they're from, and your sister happened to go up there and do some missions.

Speaker 2: 8:11

Yeah, they work together.

Speaker 1: 8:13

I mean the circles overlap, it's crazy. And then then it turns out that your sister and my wife were sorority sisters. We put this together while we were having coffee and it was like such a mind blowing moment.

Speaker 2: 8:25

It was like what?

Speaker 1: 8:26

Yeah, so just a small world thing, and and then you know, it turns out you had a water birth or a home birth for your you know one of yours and we had started home births at 1.2. It turns out you're like a huge fan of the office, which I mean, who is? I know it's like what? You love the office, yeah, oh my gosh, that's insane. But I mean you and Jake, your your co-host, and you know what's Jake's last name? Triplet, triplet.

Speaker 2: 8:50

Let me know.

Speaker 1: 8:50

Jake, it's. It's crazy. You guys are fans of the office. I don't know if you're like me, but I will drop office quotes around people who have no idea what I'm talking about. I'll be like. I'll be back.

Speaker 2: 9:00

I am back and I'm just kind of like what? But I'm just kind of like right, Right, yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:04

And I mean Lynn and I have so many just all the time, uh, quotes from the office, so I really appreciated that about you and Jake, that that's like one of the things you know.

Speaker 2: 9:12

I want there to be like an office fan quiz that like sets your status as far as how deep of an office is. I think everyone's a fan of the office quote, unquote but I feel like I'm like really deep into like Uber fan yeah. And it was like I liked them. I mean I started watching right when it came out in high school. Okay, uh and just yeah, just a big high school.

Speaker 1: 9:35

You're aging me, dude. I already had like what? 10 kids. At that point, man, I didn't have time to watch the office. I had to watch, you know reruns.

Speaker 2: 9:44

I'm using the word reruns, he's using Netflix.

Speaker 1: 9:49

You're like what's a rerun?

Speaker 2: 9:50

Yeah, exactly Name that movie. What's a rerun? Yeah, what the heck is a rerun.

Speaker 1: 9:54

I don't know. It goes back to the future. Oh yeah, that's all right man.

Speaker 2: 9:57

I've only seen that like twice in my life.

Speaker 1: 9:59

See, that used to be my favorite movie, so I was just obsessed. But that was back in my day, I mean, that came out way before you were born.

Speaker 2: 10:04

I remember back when we went and saw the pictures Friday night. The picture show my dad called him the picture show.

Speaker 1: 10:10

Oh man, that's great dude. So we had, yeah, the office and then um. So then you had this, uh, this water birth thing. Was it a water birth or just a home birth?

Speaker 2: 10:19

Technically it was not a water birth. I mean you can listen to the whole story on Ghost Runners podcast.

Speaker 1: 10:23

But I mean I have a, so 4,560. I think it's called like the craziest birth story of all time.

Speaker 2: 10:28

It's the name of the episode, but I mean, yeah, the long story short. The, the, the tub that you're supposed to, you know, have this delivery in or whatever have it as an option uh, was leaking out all over my brand new hardwood floors and so, as my wife is in like excruciating labor, battling through it, I am like literally bailing water out of my house out into the backyard from this tub. That's just getting all over my you know, $1,000 hardwood floors.

Speaker 1: 10:57

Did you lay these floors? No, I didn't.

Speaker 2: 10:58

I hired somebody to do it. I've learned that if I can hire somebody with house projects, just sure. Okay, all right, don't cause the stress, so anyway, but just yeah yeah, and so of course, I was like frustrated, but I'm like this is not the real thing. That's crazy and stressful right now, right, but in my head I'm like, hey, this is a problem, we got to do something about it.

Speaker 1: 11:18

You're talking about. The birth wasn't the big problem, it was the floors that was come on.

Speaker 2: 11:23

The water is going to mess up the wood here.

Speaker 1: 11:25

Yeah, if you could just put a hold on that and help me bail some water.

Speaker 2: 11:29

Do you mind? Just helping out earlier.

Speaker 1: 11:31

You're just going to lay there, grab a buck, come on.

Speaker 2: 11:33

So I mean it's a long story, but yeah long story short is that happened and then the midwife is supposed to get there and help out. She didn't get there in time.

Speaker 1: 11:45

So literally birth.

Speaker 2: 11:46

Yeah, I was, I was, I caught the baby.

Speaker 1: 11:50

No way, it was wild. Okay, your story is better than mine, cause we have. I mean, I used to do a comedy bit about our first water birth and thought it was pretty good. But wow, dude, that's insane it was.

Speaker 2: 12:01

It was something to behold. I mean, it was one of those like God is real, this is wild, this is, I mean, a miracle, I don't know. And I and before that that was our third child and before that the other two babies I was so nervous about anything birth related, like they're like you want to cut the cord and I'm like no, thank you.

Speaker 1: 12:18

I'm not, I'm not. I have to be in the house. Well, yeah, what if I?

Speaker 2: 12:21

mess up on you know, and and this time they're like do you want to cut the cord? I was like give me those, I'll do. I'll do anything you want me to do At this point. I'm just an MD, okay.

Speaker 1: 12:31

So I have to know, just because I know the details of not that I'm going to get, but the baby comes out. I've always worried about when to cut the envelope or when to tie it off. Did you just then hold the baby and wait till the midwife got there to do all that?

Speaker 2: 12:43

other yes.

Speaker 1: 12:43

How long did the midwife get there after the birth?

Speaker 2: 12:46

That's been. It's up for speculation. Catherine, my wife, who doesn't have a watch on her, thinks it was like 30 seconds. I think it was seven minutes.

Speaker 1: 12:56

Okay.

Speaker 2: 12:56

It was very, it felt very fast.

Speaker 1: 12:58

What's the midwife say.

Speaker 2: 13:00

She was just. I mean, so we like FaceTime the midwife as she's like going 90 miles an hour down the road and, to be fair to the midwife, my wife was like so considerate and so kind, like yeah, it's okay. I mean I don't think I'm that far into labor yet.

Speaker 1: 13:14

Because there's so many false alarms you hate putting them through. That Totally.

Speaker 2: 13:17

And this midwife had another appointment down south and we're you know, up Northern Johnson County, whatever like 30 minutes away.

Speaker 1: 13:24

Yeah, the rich part of town. Yeah, we're doing just fine.

Speaker 2: 13:26

No, yeah, and our three bed, two bath, you know. But you know, so she's like FaceTiming me going very fast down the highway and so, which I can't imagine what that FaceTime would look like to her, oh right, and the people driving next to her like what is? Mommy, I don't think you're allowed to look at that, yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:45

So no, but how long did the midway? You said seven minutes.

Speaker 2: 13:48

I think it was seven minutes or so, but the midway thought what did she have a time to?

Speaker 1: 13:53

I don't know. I didn't know if it was like we should ask her about it. Yeah, you should ask her. Yeah, I'm curious.

Speaker 2: 13:57

Next, time I was yeah, but like I mean she got there, yeah, to answer your question, though it was just we just held that thing and just you know, just put her close to mom and just waited, just like don't, don't screw anything up, like just just sit here.

Speaker 1: 14:11

So it was a wild time, I have not heard this story. Oh yeah, and there's more there's more to it. I want to hear and I want to go listen to it, because, between the water, and the midwife not being there. I'm like what? Is that just the tip of the iceberg? Then, yeah there's okay, I won't make you get into it now, but the inside joke for it is called.

Speaker 2: 14:28

They call it puddle city with the, with the all the water.

Speaker 1: 14:31

Oh, the floor's okay.

Speaker 2: 14:32

The floors are okay. If I pointed out, you'd notice it a little- I'd see it, but not terrible. I mean, but if you like kind of run your feet across it, you'd be like oh yeah, it's not quite as smooth as the rest of the floor.

Speaker 1: 14:42

But Do you ever like rub it in with your wife? Oh man, this is the spot. You ever call that with an argument I was hoping to have some kind of a discount from this midwife place? Oh right.

Speaker 2: 14:50

Listen, you gave me a faulty tongue and you didn't get there on time. Like we spent money on this, you know whatever, but they did a great job yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:59

I ultimately it comes down to. In a situation like that, I'm like man if everything turned out healthy, I'll pay whatever money, 100%. You know the fact that it went okay 100%. It's like you don't even care after that and I was I mean I was so anti all that stuff.

Speaker 2: 15:13

I was like as go to the hospital for every single thing ever. And now I've definitely shifted my mindset of like hey, I like, I mean there's so many benefits to the home birth thing. Yeah, oh, for sure, but yeah, for the longest time I was like that is the weirdest thing anybody could ever do.

Speaker 1: 15:26

I know, I know I'm we're never doing that.

Speaker 2: 15:29

I think, I told my wife that we're never doing that.

Speaker 1: 15:30

I've said that about so many things in my life. And look at me now. I was doing all these weird things Exactly Re-evaluate. So well, man, as much as I would love to just back up and find out about Brad from, just you know, kindergarten on, we don't have time for that today. But man, I was telling Lynn, I told, I told her I was like man, I feel like I could have Brad on here all day. Come on, you know, with with as much as we have in common and as cool as you are.

Speaker 1: 15:51

But tell me about the woodworking business. How did you get started in that?

Speaker 2: 15:54

What's that like? So yeah, I got started literally right when we got married. I had like 13 days before my real job, like we got married. I got married right out of high, high school, not, I'm not that wild Right out of college and you're an orthodox, but come on.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Yeah, I mean come on, we're having homebursts, but we're not that great.

Speaker 2: 16:13

No, we're homeschooling our kids. We're not that weird, no. But yeah, I got married shortly after graduating college, got my first job that I was starting like 13 days after marriage and so was just so bored for those 13 days and my wife was working and I was just so and she's like you just need to have some kind of hobby and she's like maybe this coffee table, we need a coffee table for our house. And we went to Nebraska for Intermar wherever and it was so expensive to buy a coffee table and it was crappy materials. So I was like I guess I can learn how to make one of those and literally had never. I mean, my dad is the best man in the world, but he is not a handy guy at all. Like I couldn't. I did not grow up knowing the difference between a two by four and a two by six and whatever Like didn't grow up using the drill.

Speaker 1: 17:01

You guys didn't even own a ruler. I mean right that was about.

Speaker 2: 17:05

yeah, we had a protractor for geometry class and that was about it.

Speaker 1: 17:07

And by the way, pause real quick. That was the other thing your dad and my mom have worked together at Johnson County Community College for like 80 years or something I mean yeah, I got lunch right after I met with you, with my dad.

Speaker 2: 17:18

He's like I know, devin, I'm like, of course you do, I know, I mean this that's what that coffee was like.

Speaker 1: 17:22

It was like all these discoveries. So I had to pause there because I forgot that.

Speaker 2: 17:25

Oh yeah, okay, so here you are.

Speaker 1: 17:27

You have to make this coffee table. You've never done this, that's. That's then what?

Speaker 2: 17:30

And and yeah, just just. I just YouTubeed a lot of videos, watched some people tell me how to cut wood with a saw. I mean I did. I literally had to like look up, like how do you make a straight cut on a saw? Like I was that amateur.

Speaker 1: 17:43

How do you reattach a finger?

Speaker 2: 17:45

Yeah, genuine. And so somehow, you know, miraculously, this first coffee table turned out okay and I was so proud of it because I'd never done anything like that. And then you know, six months later or so, I was in the market, or the desire, I guess, to just buy a new guitar. But I didn't have. We were newlyweds, I didn't have any money. And so I was like, well, maybe if I just made a little extra, spending money by selling another table or two.

Speaker 1: 18:08

Oh, I thought you were going to say you made a guitar. No, I was like what?

Speaker 2: 18:11

That would be incredible. Oh, yeah, yeah, I needed new cars. I just built one real quick, no, so yeah, just I was like maybe I could make enough money on the side doing this, this woodworking thing. And so I remember the first coffee table I ever sold. I think I made like $40. And that I felt like a king. Sure, I was like I can't believe I just made $40 doing something very fun.

Speaker 1: 18:33

I think that's more money than I've profited from this podcast. It made me All of today. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 18:37

It's like what yeah?

Speaker 1: 18:40

Who am I working for?

Speaker 2: 18:41

Yeah and so, yeah, it was like it was awesome. And so I was working corporate job and doing this little woodworking thing on the side and I got so busy with both of them that eventually I was like, well, I got to quit one or the other. Ah, I was working like 18 hours a day.

Speaker 1: 18:56

And I missed it. What was, what was the real job at that point?

Speaker 2: 18:59

Oh yeah, Cerner.

Speaker 1: 19:00

Oh, it was Cerner.

Speaker 2: 19:00

Okay, okay, IT pharmacy IT tech company for hospitals. So, yeah, yeah, Healthcare IT, I guess, is what they call it. So not a fun job by any means, kind of a soul sucking classic like first job out of college, like no one really cares about you, kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 19:15

Yeah yeah.

Speaker 2: 19:16

But yeah, did it and was fine, didn't hate it, but it was not fulfilling to me like this woodworking thing was. And so yeah, quit about two years into working at Cerner, and I've been doing that woodworking thing now like almost eight years, so yeah.

Speaker 1: 19:31

That's what, and it's funny. It wasn't like a dream, it was like you know what I mean from a kit. It was like your wife's, like this needs to be done.

Speaker 2: 19:38

Yeah. Boom Well it was all I always had like, I think, desires growing up to be an entrepreneur of something. I always liked sales. I liked the idea of like somehow being persuasive or selling things to people and enjoying that aspect of business. But I never wanted to just do sales for something I didn't care about. Like I never wanted to like. I remember I interviewed for a job at a freight company that was like you would sell freight and I'm like I don't even know what freight is.

Speaker 2: 20:05

I'm not passionate about freight, you know, whereas, like tables and stuff, like tables to me represent, you know, turning a house into a home. I grew up around the dinner table with my family. Okay, you know, we would tell the best stories, have great memories, have great, you know whatever, bible studies, game nights, all these different things with friends, and so to me, I'm like, if I can build things that can cultivate a deeper meaning than just a beautiful piece of furniture, that's what I get excited about. So that's I love that that's the whole.

Speaker 1: 20:32

Why I mean that's what everyone's searching out. Why am I doing this? You know it's so so important it's like, what else is possible? You know, selling freight, yeah, but what if I? What if? What's possible, if I like? Impassioned about what I do and I'm transforming lives, cultivating values for other people that I have found value in myself growing up, so I love how that really became a passion. That's. That's cool.

Speaker 2: 20:53

Because people care about the wood and the way it looks to an extent, but really people care about what. Can I get out of this thing? What are the benefits. Who cares about how you joined the wood together and what finish you use? Some people might like some dorky like woodworking guys like me would like that, but most of the people are like I just want a beautiful table for my family to grow around, kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 21:12

So yeah, Anyway that's what you're making me think of, as I've been like putting some new illusions, illusions, magic tricks into my keynote, and so whenever I do that, I have like a magic friend that I jam with and we care about all the behind the scenes aspects of magic and like we geek out about it. I'm like this is cool, this is awesome and it's part of what you do, but the audience just sees the, the result.

Speaker 2: 21:34

Yeah, the end product, kind of with you.

Speaker 1: 21:36

Like, like you know, a lot of people don't know how you glue wood together and how long that takes, but it's like this is a beautiful table and you're kind of like man. You enjoy the behind the scenes aspect of that Totally. There's something, something fun about it.

Speaker 2: 21:46

Yes, they're, yeah, they're. It's cool. It is fun to, yeah, worry about those things, but at the end of the day, if it doesn't work as a functional table, who cares how you put it together? If the trick doesn't awesome, buddy, who cares how you know what you did to get there, or whatever?

Speaker 1: 22:01

So so just curious now, before we move on to all things podcasting and everything else you do what is the wood weekend working business look like today? Is it just Kansas City? Do you ship things, do you? Go to their home and measure like table space. What's that look like?

Speaker 2: 22:15

Yes to all. All of the above, yeah.

Speaker 2: 22:16

So I mean because of the podcast. We've had people obviously listening to us from all over the place. I talked about my woodworking business on there and the stories that I, you know, have from that, and so, mainly because of the podcast, I've started selling all over the United States, but I prefer to do it locally, just because then I can, yeah, go to their house, measure and everything, but yeah, I'll ship it out. I've shipped it to all. I mean probably I don't know 25 different States at this point yeah.

Speaker 2: 22:42

So, which is always a little bit nerve-wracking, because if it gets shipped and they don't like something, or you know- the ship the people that ship it mess up. It's like I don't know what to tell you.

Speaker 1: 22:54

I have to hire somebody out there or something, so but yeah mainly local, but I'll do anything and everything.

Speaker 2: 23:00

Okay.

Speaker 1: 23:01

That's why I say everything from tape, custom tables to chairs, to shelving, to you name it.

Speaker 2: 23:06

Yeah, I obviously, like I said, kind of prefer the dining table. You know aspect of all this stuff, but I'll build almost anything. I don't love cabinets people ask me about cabinets. I'm like I'm not gonna do cabinets I don't want to like install Into somebody's house that that I don't know. I'm not there yet.

Speaker 1: 23:23

I'm not comfortable with. The dining room table is kind of like your niche. That's my favorite thing.

Speaker 2: 23:28

Yeah, that's the thing I get most pumped about, because then I can meet these families who then like, for example, zach is friends with Oliver, one of his best friends, oliver's dad, is ordering a table biggest table I think I'll ever make. I mean it's 13, 14 feet long. I mean gonna hold 20 people on it because they're just like we like to host people. We like to have that as many people as we can around this table, so that I get excited about that kind of thing more than I get excited about yeah, I built some floating shelves for some plates to go on you know, yeah, yeah, wow.

Speaker 1: 23:59

So so father of three starts a woodworking business and decides you know what? I'm not busy enough. Right, let's start a podcast and start a YouTube channel. That's just gonna like crush it. So talk to me about that. How did that come up? How did you and Jake say it? Let's do this.

Speaker 2: 24:12

Yeah, on accident basically I mean. So Jake and I have been friends for a long time. He actually worked in ministry with my wife and so We've done a few like fun things like the podcast or like these videos on the side, just for fun. Probably seven or eight years ago we kind of started doing some different things like that. But he got into podcasts before I ever did I'd never really listened to podcasts before and he's like we should start one. I was like, yeah, okay, that sounds cool. What, why not? I'll do whatever you want me to do, man.

Speaker 1: 24:40

But that's what you're doing. Someone's your best friend. You just say, hey, it's just trust, doing it together.

Speaker 2: 24:43

Yeah, that's what it was was just like let's just spend time recording our conversations. It wasn't like this oh, this is gonna be this magic formula that we're gonna make money from and so were you not even thinking money, no monetizing at all. I don't know if I was thinking period. I don't know I honestly, I don't know if I had any aspirations for this thing initially. I think I will say so. Jake used to live in. Jake took like a year to live in Dallas and worked for this youtuber juggling Josh, what's his name?

Speaker 1: 25:12

Okay, fun guy.

Speaker 2: 25:13

Would probably be right up there, aligned with, you know, magicians and junkers right there.

Speaker 2: 25:18

Anyway, did some fun videos with him and he would come and visit Kansas City and I would. He would stay with me, I would drive him to the airport and then the car on the way to the airport We'd have these funny conversations. And that was right when the comedians and cars getting coffee Jerry Seinfeld show Was getting so popular and I was like I'm not trying to say that we're like Jerry Seinfeld, but like this is kind of similar to comedians, the cars getting coffee, like these conversations are just fun and whatever. And so he's like we should start a podcast. So we move back to Kansas City and we started this podcast and it's, it's truly about nothing. I mean we just we just talk about our lives. I mean that's what it's about is our lives. It's not about like we're not interviewing people to make them better in leadership or life or anything, we're just talking about our lives.

Speaker 1: 26:00

Well, it's one of those podcasts that I love, where, like not that it puts me to sleep, but if I'm going to sleep, yeah, it's not gonna make me like like emotionally charged around politics or news or current events, kind of like just fun, so that you can like relax and it's an enjoyable list, or even on a road trip. I'll be like, I just feel like chilling, yeah. Yeah, turn your brain off a little bit and just just have some fun.

Speaker 2: 26:22

Yeah, I mean we keep it clean. Maybe ever once while we'll have an innuendo in there because Jake just got married or something.

Speaker 2: 26:30

But like I mean it's okay to listen to it front of your kids. You know, like we keep it clean. We were very positive and that first it was kind of just that's who we are. And then we realized the more that we've got feedback from people they don't care as much about how funny we are. I mean they like that aspect of it, but I think they really just enjoy Listening to two guys who are positive. Yeah, we talked highly about their wives.

Speaker 1: 26:50

Yeah like.

Speaker 2: 26:51

As crazy as that sounds, these days it's. It's less and less common to find people that are just enjoying life and not complaining about everything and whatever. So it's been a fun, fun journey to see how it's progressed and how we've got fans.

Speaker 1: 27:05

It's, it's weird that it's crazy man. Yeah, it's the part that I'm trying to more just like think okay, I have an impact from the stage. How can I impact a bigger, you know, following online? Because I feel like the message is something that gives people hope. So it's like okay. So I'm kind of watching you guys saying how do I take what I'm doing and turn it into more of that where I just reach more? You can just reach more people you know, and so.

Speaker 1: 27:27

So just curious what year did you start the podcast and why'd you call it ghost runners? Yeah but Lynn asked me at the other day she goes what is this ghost runners thing?

Speaker 2: 27:34

I was like I I think if you ask Jake, he would say I, we should have called it anything, but I loved the ghost runners day, but we started in 2019.

Speaker 2: 27:44

So when I only had one kid at that time, so I wasn't that okay, add one more thing, start in 2019. And we call it ghost runners because we were like what should we name this podcast? And I said as a kid, you know, I don't know about you, but I always wanted to have a band. Growing up, I was one of the band, like to be in a band, and my favorite band growing up was death cab for cutie and they all they nicknamed death cab for cutie death cab. And so I was like I want my band to be called ghost runner.

Speaker 2: 28:10

On second, which is like you know, yeah, the wiffle ball term, or when you don't have enough people to run the bases, and you're like, all right, ghost runs. And I want, I want people to nickname us ghost runner. And so I was like what if we just name our podcast ghost runners and it's wait? So, literally, that was about as much thought as we put into it. Jake was like, sure, yeah, I don't care, I'm not gonna do this for more than five episodes probably, so why not?

Speaker 1: 28:31

I never tied it to that ghost runner the other ghost runner, for we used to say that all the time playing kickball and a wiffle ball, and I was always thinking ghost, but ghost bussers, or like ghost hunters or something.

Speaker 2: 28:40

But that makes so much more sense, yeah so so many people are like, oh, it must be some, you know, spiritual, like talking about ghosts, and I'm like it's not about ghosts.

Speaker 1: 28:49

And that's why.

Speaker 2: 28:49

Jake doesn't like it. He's like oh, I see, whereas I still like it because it's it's so different and memorable.

Speaker 1: 28:54

That's the thing is so catchy and I mean marketing people will try to, like you know, always talking theory about. Well, here's why you should, man. If it's working, it's working.

Speaker 2: 29:02

If you're here, ghost runners once and you're not gonna forget, yeah, yeah so then also Jean shorts.

Speaker 1: 29:08

Yeah, you know but is that there?

Speaker 2: 29:13

was another, yeah, just super random. Jake had like for a while Done different like videos where he just wore Jean shorts in his videos, like he would go off of you know ramp at a water park wearing change and you know doing all these goofy things, and I thought it was like it's one of those things where you're just gonna remember Jean shorts. It kind of had a little bit of a second you know meaning behind the shorts aspect of you know YouTube shorts or whatever. But we threw around a few different ideas. One of them that I liked that we didn't end up doing was rectangle pizza, because do you remember?

Speaker 1: 29:43

Yes, with corn, yeah, like the old-school lunch rectangle pizza, or we talk about good pizza you know, just super nonsensical.

Speaker 2: 29:52

Yeah, I don't know why they call it rectangle pizza, but it's funny and they're gonna remember it. So went with Jean shorts and but yeah, people are always like, oh, you guys, are the the blue jeans guys? Right, I'm like pretty close, almost Jean shorts. So Another one that just. Yeah, I think originally Trey Kennedy, who we started the channel with, one to call it do less, god bless shorts, or something like that, and I was like let's just call it Jean shorts.

Speaker 1: 30:17

Yeah, what you said made me look. I looked up a comedian he was. I think he was from here in Kansas City. No, charlotte, north Carolina. Mike Spienberg, okay, he featured here one time at the Kansas City Improv and talked about the rectangle pizza. Oh yeah, all about generational things from kids from like the 80s and 90s. He was talking about that. You know who would roll up their corn right in their rectangle pizza. Look him up, mike Spienberg.

Speaker 2: 30:40

It was like a little burrito.

Speaker 1: 30:42

Yes, he talked about rat tails, he talked about big wheels and once you start like it loses the traction.

Speaker 2: 30:48

Yeah, so he's awesome and that's kind of my mindset is like Listening some kind of nostalgia behind ghost writer on second, you know, you said like oh, we used to say that all the time. You know, like we have a football like little, like alternate podcast, so we do every once in a while called all-time quarterback. So the same kind of idea like when you're a kid, you don't have enough people to play both sides. I'll be the all-time quarterback.

Speaker 1: 31:10

So yes.

Speaker 2: 31:11

Anyway, gene shorts, kind of the same idea.

Speaker 1: 31:13

So so you're into sports like what is football then? Like the big, I know you guys have done some football. You know skits and that kind of thing with gene shorts. Yeah, did you play football, drew up?

Speaker 2: 31:21

playing football. Yeah, high school is pretty big deal in high school for me to play and but I I like basketball the most, I like playing basketball the most, but I Don't look like a basketball player, look like a football player. So therefore I was better at football. But I I get really passionate about the chiefs. Obviously, anybody in Kansas City right now is so into it, but we've done a few different gene shorts, chiefs parade videos actually, where we just go and interview people at the parade and Just get so into that.

Speaker 2: 31:48

Um, and yeah, just love, love basketball. Grew up a huge ku Basketball fan. Even though I went to k-state, I still maintain a huge k? U fandom with my dad and so get really into that as well. So, yeah, just I love, love sports, I love what it can like, what it taught me as far as you know, just leaning on somebody else as a team, learning how to fail together, learning how to you know individually fail, but somebody else picks you up and then you can still succeed, kind of thing, and so it's just, it's special to me, it's something I'm excited for hopefully my kids to experience someday, to play in some sports. So, yeah, it's my daughter.

Speaker 1: 32:24

Right now she's six and she just started her first year of cheerleading, which is not sports but it was yeah, I just wanted to do cheerleading next year, and upward too, and it's kind of like all right, I mean it is a sport. Yeah, it's just one of the things where it's uh, it's a different vibe, right when you're going to watch and be a spectator and you know so it's. We're trying to wrap our minds around. Is this really what they want to do, and is it the best thing?

Speaker 2: 32:49

now I just sound like some anti cheerleader, like no, I don't do cheerleading every, every cheer. I'm clapping at the end of it, like you know, I don't know what else. Kind of, just it's cheerly, just kind of over on the side. And when she she gets done with that cheer I clap. I wave to she's still at the age where she's not embarrassed by me.

Speaker 1: 33:04

She's waving every time. It's. It's awesome, though. By the way, you know we've mentioned your family. Shout out to your sister, dana. I mentioned your sister. I don't know actually said her name when I said she and linda would, but Dana, awesome, I knew her from case.

Speaker 2: 33:15

Oh yeah, my sisters are the best. I'm the baby of art family my Dana's, 10 years older than me, julie's, eight years older than me, and they're they're awesome role models. It was like I had three moms in a good way like growing up.

Speaker 1: 33:26

So yeah, hey, I was a surprise too. So yeah I was, I was the third.

Speaker 2: 33:30

And yeah, my mom says no, no, no, brad, we just, we stopped at perfection, we stopped at perfection.

Speaker 1: 33:35

I was like yeah, that's good life, and then had you.

Speaker 2: 33:39

Yeah, then. Yeah, julie was great, then we have yeah, no, that's fine.

Speaker 1: 33:42

Well, my, my dad was older. He was like 49 when I was born, and so he's. You know. I used to say he's always like you are surprised. I was like, so were you gramps. I was not expecting 49 I know, I know man.

Speaker 1: 33:52

So oh, brother, anyway, okay. So I mean, when I look at your life and I'm sure when a lot of people look at your life they're like what else is possible? Things are already going so great. But when you have a possibility mindset, I mean you're young, you know, and you're still thinking like what else could I do? Well, what else is possible at this point, even though things are going well right. So so what else is possible for you at this point, brad, concerning, you know, career, um, how to support your family? Moving forward, what's, what's this look like right now?

Speaker 2: 34:20

for you. Yeah, I mean, I think I, as as as I'm getting further into life uh, you know, I'm 33. I'm I'm wise at this point, you know. No, but the the more and more I get into family life, the more I become a dad, the more passionate I am about family, about assault, like what it means to be a good dad.

Speaker 2: 34:41

I think I think we have a huge fatherhood problem in America. I think I think dads are not good. A lot, uh, or a lot of the things that are issues in America come back to dads not being great, and so I get more and more passionate about being a strong family man, teaching other people what it looks like to be a better family man, what, what we can do better in that regard, and and then obviously, marriage as well, because I think there's a lot of single moms because the dads aren't there, and and how, how big of a deal that is. So I think in my head, I'm like that's, that's what I'm excited to talk to you and get to you, to know you more about Is like the speaking aspect of things. I would love to obviously make people laugh, but at the end of the day, I also want to make people, you know, think differently and and view this world differently and find your identity and something deeper than just whatever your job or whatever.

Speaker 2: 35:29

So Because I think I think, as, as men, we have a responsibility, as godly men especially, we have a responsibility to be great dads, to to, you know, cultivate the next generation of leaders, and and so I get excited thinking about that, and so, yeah, I think Maybe someday down the line I'll be doing speaking of some sort Um. If not that, then some kind of video speaking or whatever, maybe a different podcast that's more centered around that. I don't know, we'll see Um, but right now it's just an interesting like we'll just see what God gives us and see how we want to pivot, you know, along the way, cause obviously I didn't ever think I was going to be a woodworker and then from there I didn't think I was going to stop doing a lot of woodworking to do more podcasting and video stuff, and so it's just a matter of how do I continue to see what is in front of me, considering you, to see the opportunities and try to lean into those as best I can.

Speaker 1: 36:19

So yeah. So, from what you're seeing, what could dads be doing better? Like what would it take for to be like okay, now we've, now we've got it going, the dads are doing their job. What would that look like?

Speaker 2: 36:28

I mean, I think just intentionality, um, and just just being there, you know, I think that's I, that's so simple, but it's something that I think we're becoming less and less present, whether it's physically or it's literally, like you're looking at a screen the entire time. You're with your child, Right, you know, I mean I, I'm, I'm guilty of that all the time where I'm just like they're going to grow up, I mean, my kids are growing up in a culture where they've never seen me not looking at my screen, every single day in front of it, you know, and so, um, I think so often it's, it's especially as a young parent.

Speaker 2: 37:02

it's how do I get through the day, rather than how do I win the day with my kid? You know, how do I, how do I, how do I just get to bedtime, and then it's. I don't know, I feel like you probably resonate with this maybe not, you know, with as many kids as you have, but, like so often, it's like how do we get to bedtime, how do we get to the time where it's just me and my wife? And then, when it's you and your wife, you're like scrolling through your phone looking at pictures of your kids and it's like I missed them.

Speaker 2: 37:24

It's like, well, if you miss them so much in the moment or you know afterwards, like understand the moment, and so I mean I'm not perfect. I'm. I'm still learning so much about all this stuff. But one of the things I'm intentional with is we call it dadder days on Saturday morning.

Speaker 2: 37:40

Just taking the kids out to breakfast, just me and them. And right now I mean my oldest daughter. She's six years old, and so we're not having like deep conversations, but I try to we have these like conversation starter questions. We call them uncommon questions. Got this like box of, like this deck of cards, and usually I try to like pick out a few like pretty simple ones, like how do you describe yourself or what's your favorite movie, and then it's like get a little more of a deep one, like you know, what does it mean?

Speaker 2: 38:04

to follow Jesus or something? Like that so um, you know, just just trying to cultivate memories with them, trying to um, just, yeah, just be intentional. I think is the the main answer there. That's how my dad was. My dad, you know, took me on trips, just him and me. You know, him and I whatever, the just me and my father.

Speaker 2: 38:26

So, uh, you know, and just, and, and yeah, I don't remember every conversation, I don't remember many conversations by dad had, but I remember the intent behind it and and it just it's impactful to me today. It's, it makes me want to be a better man for my kids.

Speaker 1: 38:41

So yeah, do you have like hard and fast rules for your phone and like cause? I don't.

Speaker 2: 38:48

I'll be honest.

Speaker 1: 38:49

Um, but sometimes I'm like, okay, five o'clock it goes away, yeah. But then it's like, well, what if I go on a random walk with two kids and I need my phone to be able to text Lynn and let her know hey, we've left, don't worry about these two kids, I have them. Or I need to take this picture, or you can always justify, I need to check where my 16 year old is on three Like three.

Speaker 1: 39:06

We can always justify it. I think it comes. Someone told me it comes down to control. You just want to control everything and, I guess in unhealthy way. I want to be able to know where everyone is, communicate perfectly, and it's like, if you're just willing to give up control, could you just leave the phone in a drawer and go out and play basketball and not feel like you need it with you, Right, you know?

Speaker 2: 39:25

100%, I think. I mean I've tried. No, I don't even know if I've really truly tried. That's probably too extreme of a word. But I've had intentions of like I'm going to turn my phone into a house phone where it just sits right here and I it makes a noise if I need to get to it. Or I'm going to put my phone at six o'clock every every night or five o'clock in this area and, and you know, put it on airplane mode or something Right. But I have not been intentional with that. Like I want to um, but yeah, but because because of the justification of it, because of oh well, you know, sometimes people might call me or whatever. And what if? What if my mom needs me? What if?

Speaker 2: 40:01

my dad you know is in the hospital or something Well that's never happened once, uh, and you know if it, I don't know. So we've thought about all these different things and we've even thought about like turning my wife's old phone like I mean six year old phone into like a, have it on Wi-Fi or something and have a different number and it's like our emergency number.

Speaker 1: 40:20

Yeah, but see, with Claire we tried to do that. It was like, um, this would have been about three years ago, right at the beginning of the COVID, and we thought we'll have a family phone because I was getting a new phone, It'll be a family phone, We'll became Claire's phone. So it's really hard to create that community phone with now. Now someone has claimed it. Uh. So I mean you can like all these and we've had so many intentions over the years. I'm not saying don't have intentions, but it's like it really does like, uh, the screens just like start to infiltrate and then everybody wants it, and then it just finds its way. It just works its way slowly into the, the, just the fabric of your home. And you're all of a sudden you're like, how did you get a phone? Cause I had the number. I didn't put Claire, I put Henderson family, just to remind me this is a family phone.

Speaker 2: 41:06

And I it still says Henderson family like three years later she's like why is it still saying?

Speaker 1: 41:10

Henderson, I was like I'm holding out hope man.

Speaker 2: 41:12

It's a family phone. Well, I mean, like growing up yeah, we were, I was, I was watching TV, a lot Like whatever. I played video. But like now it's like the screens are getting smaller and smaller and everyone's got their individualized screens. And that's what I think is the issue, like we have, Friday night movie night every every week and it's like a fun tradition that we do, but we all sit together watch one screen it's not like it's different.

Speaker 1: 41:32

you know, it's just everyone's getting on Tik Tok or whatever. Right yeah.

Speaker 2: 41:36

Everyone's in their own room, everyone's secluded. Now it's like, no, we're coming together to watch this, yeah, so we get into that for a long time. But I'm sure, uh, cause I, yeah, I'm, I'm scared of, yeah, giving my kids a phone and what that's going to be like for them, and all that stuff. So I'm sure you've you've learned lessons on that too.

Speaker 1: 41:50

Oh yeah, Well, I'm excited for the next leg of your journey, for your life or what I think, mainly because, like when we talked well, we have so much in common with homeschooling and you know multiple children and then you talked about possibly wanting to speak and speaking a humorous way that delivers a serious message, and so during coffee we taught, I was like, man, that's kind of what I do and I've I've. The comedy has taken more and more of a backseat, just because the message is the main thing. You know, um, but it's it. There's a world of humorous speakers, and so I see someone like you just being a total natural, being able to, just like you know, play with the crowd and and and you know all that do the crowd work thing, and so that that got me excited A few, and I noticed that Jake and Alex Demchick just came out with a speaker reel.

Speaker 2: 42:34

Yeah so.

Speaker 1: 42:34

I texted Alex. I was like dude, killer reel. I didn't know Jake was also thinking about speaking. Yeah, you know, I knew Alex was. I didn't know that they were um conjoining to be a speaker. Alex Demchick, by the way, is the co-founder of Streamline books. The one their Will Severins is the other co. -founder. They're writing my book anyway, just for some context for the listeners. But so Jake is doing it, I didn't. So are you and Jake. I mean, do you talk about this? A lot Is it.

Speaker 2: 42:58

Uh, Jake does like 20 things.

Speaker 1: 43:00

So we don't, yeah, we don't, I mean he's.

Speaker 2: 43:02

he's starting to actually starting a business with Alex doing, uh, acai bowls, and so he's he's all over the place.

Speaker 1: 43:08

That's right, you're talking about that.

Speaker 2: 43:09

So I don't think we scheme as much as we could if he if he were, you know a little more like focused on one thing. He's got all these different things and I want to make sure he's got time to do that. But we have talked about some. We're actually in the middle of April doing a, a church event like a marriage event together, where we're kind of just double MCing this marriage event, where we'll show some videos, we'll do some stand-up comedy kind of tandem and do some games with the crowd and stuff. So we and we've, we've, we're excited about stuff like that. We've talked about like it'd be so fun to do more things for churches where the churches hire us out or you know big events like that, and so I I do think we have that desire to an extent, but we haven't talked about it in depth too much.

Speaker 1: 43:50

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what? Just in terms of? Can you tell I'm fixated on the speaking aspect.

Speaker 2: 43:55

I'm like let's talk more about the thing that I love most, you know.

Speaker 1: 43:59

Let's say you had to get on stage right now. You know it's like oh Brad, be funny for this at 9am crowd who's? Like sleepy Right. They're like no one's sitting at the front tables because, you know, and they're kind of spread throughout the room. We need them to laugh. This is usually a really boring meeting, but I just want you to like be a little bit motivational, something they can take back to do their jobs better. But make this fun, oh wow, and you had to like do it right now.

Speaker 1: 44:26

What would you get up and say?

Speaker 2: 44:27

Man, I don't that's a good question. I mean, first of all, I would Very tactfully probably make fun of like half the people there.

Speaker 1: 44:34

Okay, you know like I would call out the guy that looks bored you know, like the way Michael Scott names the people with the different features oh yeah, baldy, yeah.

Speaker 2: 44:44

Oh yeah, I love that yeah you are fat, you like pizza, you like pepperoni, pepperoni toning, yeah, yeah, all those things. No, I think.

Speaker 1: 44:52

Okay, you definitely took the cake on the office fan Like you're more of like a nine or a 10.

Speaker 2: 44:56

I'm kind of like you.

Speaker 1: 44:57

Just I didn't know all the details of that bit, so yeah.

Speaker 2: 45:00

I don't know if I nailed that. Yeah, it's like. I love the idea of like. I mean, if you're in a corporate setting, you know, Bob from human resources is kind of a wet blanket, so if I then like, I'm like hey, what's up, what are you doing over here? Like I don't know.

Speaker 2: 45:15

I think in a very tactful way don't like offend the guy, but like get into a little bit. I think other people would be like that's pretty good, Bob. Bob is like that, he needs to, you know whatever, and I don't know how I would motivate him. That's a good question, I think. Maybe more just, I'm a big believer in expectations, like communicating expectations as much as you can. And so that's to me, that's the answer to so, so many issues in life, whether it's corporate, whether it's your marriage whether it's kids like just being like I.

Speaker 2: 45:42

I didn't realize that's what you wanted from me. You know like so often that's I feel like the conversation I have when I'm in tension with somebody is. I didn't know. I didn't know that's what you want, so I was probably talking about that, I don't.

Speaker 1: 45:52

I mean, if you're putting me on the spot, I put you on the spot Like I've never asked anyone that question. I didn't plan that question. I just thought this would be fun to riff. But I love that whole communicating expectations thing because, like I, set you a long list of what to expect today right. And I didn't know this about you. So I'm like well, now I know you probably appreciate, you know when to show up where to come, what it all looks like.

Speaker 2: 46:12

That spoke to me. That was my love link.

Speaker 1: 46:14

I mean yeah, right on, right on.

Speaker 2: 46:17

But I mean like, even if you were just like no, the expectation has just come and we're just going to, you know, talk. And like, great, at least we communicated that, so that if we come and we don't talk, I'd be like, hey, the expectation was that we're going to talk, yeah.

Speaker 1: 46:28

Well, I mean, even if you like, so recently people have asked me like out to a coffee or like they've been like hey, can I have a call about this? And it's like, can you just give me a little bit of a snippet of what you? Because it's like I need to make sure that I'm in the right state of mind and I have the right energy to talk about that thing.

Speaker 1: 46:43

So if we're going to get coffee, I kind of want to know where that conversation is going, so that once we get into it I'm like, okay, this is why we're here. Now I'm really focused and now I know that I can kind of leave after this part of the conversation If I have to. Rather, than just like what are we doing?

Speaker 2: 46:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 46:57

And in corporate America, I mean, holy cow. That's which is where you'd be speaking If you were, you know, speaking a lot like yeah, what, what do people want from you? Cause that's huge, you know, yeah.

Speaker 2: 47:08

I think there is an answer or there is a yeah, there's, there's a solution there. I think that is the the answer to so many issues. So I don't know, I mean that's off the top, that I don't know if that's their their big tension point in this community, whatever, but like to me, I'm like it's never a bad thing to hear again like hey, communicate better with people.

Speaker 1: 47:24

So Well and I okay. So I think about like one of the best things that I've seen speakers do over time. I know that I do this is I just talk. I talk from a place of my experiences. So I think with you, not that you asked for a coach you know I'm starting a speaking business today, but but I'm like more excited about this than you are in terms of come on, brad, let's get a website going yeah let's go.

Speaker 1: 47:45

But you know like I mean just from your woodworking, like if you don't know the expectations and you just build a table and you get them. They're like it's the wrong size, it's the wrong height, it's the wrong color.

Speaker 2: 47:53

I mean, yeah, I didn't know it was going to be. Yeah, I didn't know they were going to have those round edges. I wanted it to be straight. It's like yeah, that was something that was very easy to for me to ask the question.

Speaker 1: 48:02

for sure, yeah, and so I'm sure you have like, and I do too like before an event. I have a customization questionnaire and a logistics questionnaire. When's the sound check? You know what kind of mics to are we working with. Is there going to be a projection, live feed on the screen? I'm going to have all these things. You know, what are the challenges been lately in your company? What have been the things that you've succeeded at? What are you trying to overcome? And without that, I'm just giving a cookie cutter speech that they're kind of like that was fine and all, but that didn't really resonate with us, you know.

Speaker 2: 48:27

And if they don't answer those questions very well, you can at least say like well, if you weren't completely satisfied, at least you didn't. Like you know, you didn't give me that much to go off, yeah, you know, whereas, like, you can't expect too much if you're not. You know. Communicating that well, totally.

Speaker 1: 48:42

And I always give them a second chance, because not everyone likes to fill out forms, so they might just be like I'm just the event planner just fill in the blanks, and so we always have a focused phone call a couple of weeks before the event to be like hey, you know, thanks for filling out the answers, but you know, can we go a little bit deeper?

Speaker 2: 48:54

just, to make sure, because sometimes the person at the, you know, the top.

Speaker 1: 48:58

Maybe the CEO wasn't part of the planning process and they're like they could be, like we missed the mark, we didn't, you know, because I want to make that event planner look like a rock star for hiring me. So it's like how can we make you look good so that it's a win-win all the way around, you know? So that whole I love that expectations thing, I think you got something there. I think just off the top of your head is like sometimes. It's like just trust your gut instinct, just go with it, man.

Speaker 2: 49:18

So, anyway, anyway, yeah, let's go. Marriott courtroom ballroom scene, that's right, I'm ready for it. Let's go.

Speaker 1: 49:23

That's my life man.

Speaker 2: 49:25

Give me the double tree right now.

Speaker 1: 49:26

I'm ready to go. Just spoken the double tree, you get it. Yeah, dude, yeah man, it's it, it. What is funny? Because sometimes with the speaking gigs, like you'll, you know, you'll go into like more of an event center and there's a backstage and there's someone putting the wire through your shirt to mic you up and you're like that's right.

Speaker 2: 49:44

Where's the makeup artist? You know you.

Speaker 1: 49:46

Thompson T undershirt. That's right. I was like, watch it, don't go under the Thompson T, stay on top of the Thompson seat. There's two undershirts, just shables, but, but man, but then you just feel like kind of like a rock star in those settings and then you go to the double tree where it's like tiered seating and you know and it, but it's just the group that they are and I'm you know, now I'm back pedaling, like, but it was really fun, guys, we had a good time, didn't we? But but it honestly it keeps you humble and it makes you really appreciate the times where, like the technology and the sort of like the fanfare built around the event and they're putting out LinkedIn posts like a year ahead of time, you're just kind of like, you feel like a rock star. But you know, then the little gigs quote unquote little gigs make you feel normal, remind you that, stay humble.

Speaker 1: 50:31

And ultimately it's not about me, I'm not, I'm not up there, I'm not. You know, taylor Swift getting up putting on a concert. I'm Devin Henderson here to like impart wisdom and, you know, help other people. So it's. It's a weird thing because when you come from an entertainer background transitioning to speaker, which is kind of like what you'd be doing. It's hard to get out of your ego and think this is not about me, like I mean I want to pause and I want laughter. That's what the magician, comedian and me wanted. But now it's like I want head nods, like yeah, I want people taking notes, like that means I'm making an impact, you know. And so it's a different ball game. Once you transition into speaker, it's a totally different thing.

Speaker 2: 51:09

The way that I do magic tricks, the way I do comedy, it all changes you know, well, in my experience, like with entertainment or whatever you would call it like so often the thing that I think people are going to enjoy the most about the podcast, or the thing that I think, oh, people are going to die laughing at that Like I've never, you know, I don't hear feedback like that was great. And then I hear feedback about like oh, I remember that one time you said that one line or that one thing you said about parenting and I'm like that's that's, and so it's very humbling in that way of like I don't.

Speaker 2: 51:36

I think I know what's funny, I think I know what's most entertaining, but it's like, hey, humble yourself and just just trust that, however, you know the Lord's going to use you. That's great, like you know, like I don't know if they're going to take this thing away, or they're going to take that away, or you know what this podcast is going to mean to somebody. But even if it's just a one line, quick little thing, like great, that's it. You know, and I thought I was going to provide all this value or all this entertainment, but really it's just that one thing you know, yeah, man, yeah, I mean, and it's just fun to get creative with all of the talents and gifts you have.

Speaker 1: 52:07

So I'm curious I want to jump back into the YouTube thing real quick how do you and Jake spark your creativity for like these skits? Cause I mean, you are generating these things just like bang, bang bang.

Speaker 2: 52:18

What are?

Speaker 1: 52:18

these ideas? I mean, do you guys let's, let's go for a walk in the park, that's what does it for us, or you know?

Speaker 2: 52:23

I mean it's a lot of times it's just riffing off each other. Sometimes it's it's because of the podcast, Like we did a video recently, just a little like one off video about it problems where you try to call the IT guy and really just need to unplug it and plug it back in, but the guys like trying to make it way more complicated or something.

Speaker 2: 52:40

Yeah, but for the most part it's just like, hey, I kind of have. I don't know if this is a whole idea, but what do you think about? You know, I don't know what it like guys who like to ride their bicycle. It's like, yeah, let me, let let's riff off that for a little bit, and every once in a while we can kind of both tell like, yeah, this isn't good enough for a video. Sometimes it's like no, this is perfect, like we're laughing at each other.

Speaker 2: 53:00

That means it's probably pretty, you know, but for the most part it's just a lot of real life experiences. You know, like one video that we've had, that I feel like our most successful videos are the ones that are hit closest to home for us, Like we literally did one that was one month of marriage versus 10 years of marriage which is literally our lives.

Speaker 2: 53:16

I mean like Jake got married, you know, in May and I've been married for 10 years, and so it's just the juxtaposition of oh, yeah, we go out every night for date, or oh, our weekends are farmers market and you know, walk into the coffee shop and I'm like our weekend started at four AM and they don't know.

Speaker 1: 53:32

It's the weekend.

Speaker 2: 53:32

You know all these different, like kind of fun things. So, yeah, there's not like a. I don't think either of us are like this is our process, this is how we do it. It just feels like I think we're both, I mean, in the most humble way possible. I think we're both naturally gifted at things like this, and so it's not that hard for us to try to figure out some kind of angle for almost anything. So it can be like hey, let's find we want to do a video about cyclists. Okay, let's make a video about cyclists and try to make it fun. You know, like, even though it's not always Funny thing, it's like let's, we can turn into something funny kind of thing.

Speaker 1: 54:06

so well, all those videos, all the ones I've watched, are just super relatable. That's what's so funny about you know when you're, when you're watching a comedian and people like oh, that's so true. I mean when people all of a sudden can feel like, oh, I'm normal, I feel no this is a little. I can now laugh yes about all the things that have stressed me out, because it happens to everyone and so I'm normal. I'm gonna be okay, they're okay, we're all okay.

Speaker 1: 54:28

And I think your videos like bring that healing quality to people as much as you just might. It time seems like entertaining fun. Sure you're, you're actually helping people.

Speaker 2: 54:37

Yeah, which is like a cool way to think about it. You know, think about yeah, people have message like I've had a really hard week and this video really brought my spirits up and I'm like this video is about, you know, dave Ramsey. I didn't think I was gonna All these small things, so, but it is really sweet to hear stuff like that. So, yeah, it's, it's a yeah, it's, it's a fun, fun life to have fun, fun thing to try to make people laugh. And the relatability thing is definitely something that we lean into a lot, because it's hard to be like a funny character, but it's, it's easier to be like. Oh, my husband said that exact same thing two days ago. Right, okay.

Speaker 1: 55:10

I know, when I used to, I kind of got into like a stand-up comedy phase where I was like that's all I want to do on a split speaking, and this was, like you know, six or seven years ago that I started that it lasted for, I don't know, three or four years.

Speaker 1: 55:21

It's way too long but I remember I was always trying to invent funny things like or or greatly exaggerate, like more than they should be Exaggerated, and it was like I was just trying too hard where I just wish I would have stuck more. To like True story, which you know, I would say they're based on true stories, but it was like anchorman, based on actual events.

Speaker 1: 55:39

The only things have been changed the people and the places and the events that happen, or Whatever, but I was like trying too hard to add funny where I just would forget real life is funny, because you ever just tell someone a story and you're just telling the true story and they just bust up laughing and you're like what's so funny about that? Well, it was true. Yes, you know and it resonated with them.

Speaker 2: 55:55

So yeah, I mean, my favorite comedian is Nate Barghetti, yeah yeah yeah, I believe every single story he's yes you know, I believe that that's his true personality.

Speaker 1: 56:04

He's not like some act, you know right.

Speaker 2: 56:06

He might put it on a little bit one way or the other, but like for the most part, it's like no, that really happened to him. He ordered that iced coffee.

Speaker 1: 56:12

Yes, yes, yeah, make that up.

Speaker 2: 56:14

Yeah, it's just like that is so relatable because that could happen to anybody you know for sure.

Speaker 1: 56:19

So do that, man. I wish we could go all day. Hey Zach, could you just change your schedule? We're gonna hang out all day.

Speaker 2: 56:24

I just need you to stick around.

Speaker 1: 56:26

No, but man, I would love seriously to have you back to some point. I thought it'd be fun at some point to just like hijack you and just like you know, Do like a guest co-host thing and just come on, Just talk about whatever, you know whatever. They just just have some fun.

Speaker 2: 56:37

So I I could talk all day. I mean, this is my job, that was just right, yeah, well, thanks, man, thanks for being here, and I do.

Speaker 1: 56:43

I do have two final questions for you, but let me just say, hey, check out Thompson tees. Go to the link in the show notes. Seriously, game changer, totally change your life. Also, thank you to a set of a Shawnee who Brad endorses as the best breakfast place in Kansas City.

Speaker 2: 56:58

And I know breakfast. Yeah, this he's breakfast. This guy's eating breakfast in his life.

Speaker 1: 57:03

Is that the word you used?

Speaker 2: 57:04

I was. I was gonna say connoisseur, but a fish, you know, I would work as well, okay, I don't really know the difference. I'm gonna tell you there's a difference.

Speaker 1: 57:10

No, I'm not a I'm not a wordsmithing connoisseur, whatever so but anyway okay last thing. I want to make sure we get all the ways they can connect with you. So there's comedy YouTube channel gene shorts comedy get on there, subscribe, like, like the videos, check it out. Ghost runners podcast get on there, check it out. And and the retreat again what was the? You're like, devin, why are you pushing this reach? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 57:36

so, yeah, the website, our website for ghost runners is ghost runners dot life, so ghost runners dot life slash travel. You can see all the information. You can get our merch ghost runners dot life Slash shop. You can buy a t-shirt that says ghost runners on it. So, yeah, those are kind of the main ways. And then, obviously, my woodworking business is Ellis, my last name, like Ellis Island, ellis custom creations Dot com or Instagram, facebook, all the things.

Speaker 1: 57:59

So okay, fun, there you go, check it out. Follow Brad. Yeah, just a great dude. I remember even, like you, asking my mom about your dad. Yeah, lynn had met your parents and just they're like, oh nice, just people in the world.

Speaker 2: 58:10

I mean, hey, that's why I'm passionate about families. Yeah that's a good one, and I think that makes a big difference. Yeah, yeah, awesome.

Speaker 1: 58:17

So that was my first question how can they get a hold of you? Last question here it is just one piece of advice for my daughters.

Speaker 2: 58:23

Oh, again, putting you on the spot, one piece of advice for your daughters Whoo, don't settle for a bad man I don't know, or just just just go for a. Yeah, I think, yeah, that's not the best advice, but just like I don't know man, I'm passionate with my daughter every. I don't know if this happens to you, but every wedding I go to now and the dad's walking the daughter down the aisle and I'm just, I'm just waterworks man, I'm just like oh, that's gonna be me someday, that's my princess, that's that I'm like.

Speaker 1: 58:50

I can't go there, yeah, you can't get there, man. I mean, I'm a lot closer than you are to, so you've been a few years away, so I'm like all right.

Speaker 2: 58:59

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 58:59

I'll be good I mean, I think, like I said, I think there's a lot of value in a good man and a good godly man, on a family, on a marriage, and Don't you? You are, you are a child of God and so therefore do not, you know, settle for anything less than somebody who's going to treat you well. I mean, obviously, no man is perfect. No, I've grown a lot in my marriage. I wasn't perfect when I started this thing by itty-beats, I was a knucklehead who was selfish and whatever. I still am, by the way. But I think, yeah, just just know your worth, know your value.

Speaker 2: 59:31

I think so many girls these days can just lose that or have insecurities. It's amazing, like my wife, most beautiful girl in the world, and she still has insecurities towards the way she looks or whatever all these things. I'm like, wow, if you're feeling this way, I can't imagine all these girls and what they're going through and you know, and so just Recognizing that you are Wonderful and that you need them, that if you are gonna go for a man, first of all, I don't think you should date in high. So well, I was gonna say that's too blanket of a statement, but it's alright, man Say it.

Speaker 2: 1:00:01

Your personality. Develop what you like, have friends in high school, but don't be fixated on a boyfriend in high school, because I think a lot of people do that and then there they miss out on all the other memories of high school. But Zach, you hear that, don't? Don't.

Speaker 1: 1:00:15

He's on his phone over there.

Speaker 2: 1:00:20

I don't know, I'll just rambling at this point, but yeah, at the end of the day, I think I just impassioned about girls. Yeah, just and be it. Be it. Agree, I'm passionate about girls. Whoo baby.

Speaker 1: 1:00:31

Can we clip it out into a short?

Speaker 2: 1:00:32

I'm passionate about girls and I'm passionate about high school girls.

Speaker 1: 1:00:40

Yeah, just just like pause.

Speaker 2: 1:00:42

No, but it's funny, I, yeah, I think. And Same thing for guys like, hey, be the kind of girl you want Girls, be the kind of girl you want it your you know to eventually have, as what's the word? Be the kind of girl that your dream guy should pursue someday and vice versa, be the kind of guy that would be worthy of your dream girl, kind of like, pursue the Lord, pursue Humility and all that, but also understand that you are loved and you're valued. Don't, don't be insecure.

Speaker 1: 1:01:11

That's great. I know it's a lot, of lot of rambling, but it's okay. Yeah, it's it, man, the truth came out of that. So thank you, man. That's, that's great stuff. I appreciate that.

Speaker 2: 1:01:19

I'll. One thing I say I say it mostly the guys, so, zach, I guess, listen to this for you. But but in general, I think as a high school guy, I went through a phase, especially like my senior year at high school, where I was like not as nice as I should have been to my mom and so like almost every time I ever talked to high school boys, I'm like be nice to your mom. My mom was so sweet to me and I just wasn't. I wasn't a terrible kid by any means, but there was times where I was like, why are we clashing? Yeah, I just wasn't nice to my mom. So just I'm like, hey, be nice to your mom.

Speaker 1: 1:01:49

Yeah, and not to draw this podcast out into tomorrow. But I have a question about that, like, do you think and I'm really asking, I'm not taking a stand on this that you just popped a spark to question in my mind when we have friction with our parents, we're not nice to our mom, we're not nice for dad, even our siblings or whatever it is? Is that just part of the growth, like, does that kind of have to happen for you to have that Recognition and then the breakthrough to be like an incredible son today? Like I don't know maybe necessary or is it not necessary?

Speaker 2: 1:02:17

At one point in my life I had to, I had to believe and I don't know. I'm still trying to learn, but as, like a 21 year old kid, I was like there's something biological about like, hey, you're turning 17, 18 years old, and so you're having friction with your parents so that you can leave the house.

Speaker 1: 1:02:34

They make it a little bit easier, like or like, just start chopping away. I'm just like.

Speaker 2: 1:02:38

I'm about to yeah, I'm about to leave the house, but then again I'm like I think a successful family is not a You're, you leave the house and you never see me again kind of family. The successful family it's not like Claire has to, you know, move out for three years and then move back in with you for ten years. That's not their goal necessarily, but like to have, like you know, generational, multi-generational. You know, success in your family is not one that's like, okay, 18 years old, you're out of here, and the biggest success of my life is that you moved a five, you know, hundred miles away and I don't see you, besides holidays.

Speaker 2: 1:03:10

It's like no, yeah, yeah so I don't know the answer that, but I think maybe to an extent, yeah, there's, there's healthy friction of yeah. Yeah okay, you're growing up, you're, you're, you're becoming independent, but I'm your parents, so I I'm not used to that. Yeah, I don't. I don't know you could answer that better.

Speaker 1: 1:03:25

Oh man Well, so many possibilities with the way things could turn out in the end. So thankfully it's the possibility. Mindset podcast that we are exploring. We don't have all the answers but hey, man, but hey, thanks for being here. We're gonna leave our listeners thinking about the question what else is possible? All right, so I'm gonna say what else you say is possible, and then we're gonna call it good.

Speaker 2: 1:03:45

Let's you need that written down. Uh, no, I know.

Speaker 1: 1:03:50

Kind of store. All right, here we go. Hey, thank you so much for joining us, thanks to Brad, our guest, and remember to never stop asking the question what else is possible? We will see you next time, you.