The Foureva Podcast
Welcome to The Foureva Podcast, where we break barriers and redefine success!
Join host Jamar Jones, a dynamic entrepreneur, national speaker, and author of "Change Your Circle, Change Your Life," as he takes you on an extraordinary journey of inspiration and motivation.
In each episode, we bring you an impressive lineup of star-studded guests, each with a unique voice and a wealth of insights to share. From industry leaders to renowned experts, we uncover their secrets to success in personal, business, and marketing domains. Prepare to be captivated by their stories, strategies, and experiences that will empower you to reach new heights.
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a marketing professional, or simply seeking fresh perspectives on life and business, The Foureva Podcast is your ultimate destination. Discover the transformative power of changing your circle and unlocking your full potential. With each episode, we delve into the minds of the most influential voices in the industry, providing you with the tools and inspiration you need to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness.
Don't miss out on this dynamic podcast that will fuel your ambition, challenge your limits, and propel you toward success. Tune in to The Foureva Podcast and join a community of driven individuals who are ready to make an impact. Get ready to be inspired, motivated, and 'foureva' transformed!
The Foureva Podcast
Behind the Bets: Redefining Entertainment with Milwaukee’s Sportsbook Innovation, Hotel and Casino
We get to interview CEO's Dominic Ortiz of Potawatomi Hotel and Casinos with newly added Sportsbook!
His story is incredible and we get to witness the electrifying transformation of Milwaukee as we explore how strategic partnerships and groundbreaking innovations have turned the city into a sports and entertainment powerhouse. Discover the story behind America's leading retail sportsbook at Potawatomi, and learn how collaborations with giants like FanDuel and DraftKings have reshaped the local sports culture in the wake of the Bucks' championship triumph. Our guest shares their journey, revealing the vision and ambition to place Milwaukee at the forefront of the sports betting industry with state-of-the-art facilities.
Uncover the magic of turning an ordinary city lot into a buzzing entertainment venue intertwined with the allure of a casino. We share behind-the-scenes insights into hosting major events featuring artists like Snoop Dogg and Jason Aldean, and the meticulous planning required to pull off high-security gatherings. Through personal stories, such as gifting Snoop Dogg a Giannis jersey, we illustrate how creating unforgettable experiences plays a crucial role in the success of the entertainment brand and the casino's operations.
Join us as we navigate the inspiring personal journeys that intersect with professional triumphs, from humble beginnings to becoming a board member of the AICPA. Our discussions highlight the importance of personal branding, understanding team strengths, and the unconventional paths that lead to success. We also reflect on the deep-rooted cultural resilience and leadership within the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, painting a vivid picture of how adaptability and diverse experiences shape careers and communities against a backdrop of cultural history and innovation.
Actually what had happened is the university did a front page article on me and I got turned down by three of the top four accounting firms. Not just turned down, I was laughed at. And then on the fourth one, I walked in and they happened to do that article that day and he's sitting there reading it. My luck, thank God for Bill Clinton.
Speaker 2:Thank God for Bill Clinton. That's crazy.
Speaker 1:And so he puts the paper down, down and he's like this is you. I'm saying that is me.
Speaker 3:Man? What's going on, man? How you good you doing good, yeah, yeah, for sure, cool, cool dude. This is great. I'm in your house, man. This is absolutely incredible. Can you just tell everybody where we're at right now, man?
Speaker 1:we're sitting on the second floor of the number one retail sportsbook in america yes, sir pot of water. Me and you know. We built this facility and opened it up just a few months back, so you're sitting in one of the most innovative studios, with one of the largest high def tech integrated screens and sportsbook experience in our eyes in the country, yes, yes. And that's the way Milwaukee likes to do things great. Well, we wanted to be right there with you in Milwaukee.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:We wanted to show the world that we could bring world-class entertainment and show them that. You know, sports betting has been moving across the United States, 100%. You know. Pottawatomie wanted to be part of it and we had to choose the right strategy and the right path because there was a whole myriad of book there and it was like choose your own adventure, and it started with trips to fandle and draft kings a lot of smiles a lot of handshakes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you should be with the best, you should take the best. Why don't you be the best? So, yeah, that's where this little journey started. So we're sitting up here, uh, and this afterthought, as we were building this mega deal was like look, you know, uh, socials, where it's at sports betting it's a new demographic.
Speaker 1:We want uh, an asset that we can utilize to build our brand, to build something organic. As you have seen, other successful companies some just started posting uh funny videos and uh, and you know next thing, you know they're, they're, they're real and they're getting likes. They're building brands and you get things like barstools, pop up.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Next thing you know, you got ESPN bet.
Speaker 1:What is it going to be? Disney plus bet? Right, I mean it just continues to get out there. You need to get in front of it and look, you come to Milwaukee. A lot of hype in this town.
Speaker 3:For sure, I'm not from Wisconsin, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So when I got here and didn't understand what this sports, you know championship mentality was about and then, all of a sudden, you know I come on the eve of the Bucs winning the championship and there's this whole. You know, bucs and Peter Fagan and the turnaround.
Speaker 3:Yeah, shout out, peter. You know the turnaround, the buildup, the hype, this is what's happening.
Speaker 1:You just get fired up. For sure yeah that's what we're doing, that's what we're sitting at, and this is just the beginning of what we hope to be a long road and an exciting road for local entertainers. We want something organic. We want to build something that Wisconsin is proud of and that's what we're all about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this is definitely a statement piece. When I walked in here for the first time, I was like dude, you're not going small. This is definitely a statement piece and, uh, it's amazing, man. Also, it gives you energy, it gives you energy and I know you're an entertainment guy which we're going to go into that, into a the conversation. Speaking of the entertainment, talk to me a little bit about the Amplified event with Snoop Dogg. Why, first of all, Good question.
Speaker 1:So look you know, citi came together to host the RNC, yeah, right.
Speaker 1:And RNC was bringing free talent to the city. They were looking for a place to host, to rent a place for the concert. And you know we had a lot and I said, well, look, we can prepare that lot. If the host committee is going to bring a $2 million act to the city, we want to make sure and do it right. We want to deliver, we want to make sure and be a part of that message. As you know, Chevy and David and other city leaders out there, you would see, look, we want to bring big events to the city and we got to get our name out there, and this was an opportunity to do that.
Speaker 1:So we transformed that lot into an outdoor party spot for concert all top security linked to the casino and said, look, you know, we're going to use it for one event. Uh, for this host mke, they were bringing jason aldean as part of the closing now, event, event. Uh, this was our opportunity, uh, to utilize that for multiple concerts. So we're just like man, we're going to go big or go home, we're going to come right out the gates and yeah we were able to get on snoop's plate and he's like I'm coming to canada and I'll make the stop.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right, snoop's coming through. We got it, we're gonna open it up. And you know we got a 200 million dollar remodel that we're trying to uh show the city and everybody that hasn't been to the casino in the year yeah, it's a little different, it's totally different, right?
Speaker 3:I mean it's totally different.
Speaker 1:we tried to bring the best of the best to the backyard, and the talent that was behind designing this alongside with me and my team really jumps out of the book. I've only read things. This is my first CEO job, by the way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I did see that. We'll get into that. We're going to get into that.
Speaker 1:But no, back to Snoop man. That's what it's about. We did this big remodel. We wanted to bring all the excitement and turn the heads of the city and do something that would surely get the party started and we knew that would be lit and it was absolutely exciting. Got our team ready, we delivered a great experience. And then secondly it prepared us for that rnc event.
Speaker 3:Yeah, unfortunately that was on the heels of an assassination attempt and it was the highest security profile event that had ever occurred and that actually that's what crossed my mind when I saw that, I was like dude, because I've thrown a lot of events, yeah, and the security bill was probably crazy to just make sure that everything is good, like you got a double, triple up on security no, I mean you're talking snipers and tactical vehicles and exit routes and everything you can think of.
Speaker 1:And then you know, they locked our city down for seven, ten days.
Speaker 3:It was kind of, yeah, of course out here on the skirts oh my goodness, people trying to get out and go across the city and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:It's like yeah, you know.
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 1:You know it was tough, but at the end of the day, that's what Pot of Water, me Amplified was born from. We as a team seen an opportunity and said look, we're going to make it happen. We couldn't have a better opportunity to promote our brand and to promote our new casino and to show that we live and love entertainment. Man and this room, what we're sitting in, was the Northern Lights Theater. This was a 500 intimate theater and entertainment experience.
Speaker 1:But as the market grew, as entertainment bloomed, the space became too small to do enough for all of our guests. So we had to find a pathway forward to go, uh, bigger and better and, you know, getting showing that entertainment and casinos, yeah, are hand in hand yeah, we know that in the business it's a, there's very few guaranteed winners. Yeah, winner.
Speaker 1:It's a winner, a lot of things you can place your hat on in this business, and we can sit around and talk about how to run a casino and drive a business, and but entertainment, yes, is hands down. Uh, guaranteed winner. And you got to be able to do it right.
Speaker 3:Um so for why do you think it's so big in today's society, like with, uh, like really forever? Entertainment has been the driver for people, I mean for so long. Why, what do you feel like about entertainment that people are trying to figure out or attach themselves with or experience?
Speaker 1:you know, it just goes across uh all generations right, and it just crosses all lines. Your heart loves what your heart loves, and music is that way, so you don't know. Uh, um, whatever flavor that you want to enjoy, it's out there. You listen to it, you can experience it. You want to see it, you know, and our industry has always been set by good food, good gamble and good entertainment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right those are the three things that we do in the business, and so entertainment's always been there. It's just continued, I think, in today's world to expand more and more, and us being connected to a casino allows that experience to get elevated so that you get that full night out, from hotel to valet check-in, to staying overnight, to enjoying your show, to getting ready for your show to coming back change your clothes for the after party and down and and keep rolling through the night so you get just that whole and you know you get great food here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, we've, uh, we've delivered on that and that whole experience. I think together uh really pushes entertainment. You see, five serve doing it. You see the brewers are doing it. Yep, they had. Uh, in fact, sexy Red is supposed to stay at our hotel because she was doing the Brewers and she heard about Snoop and all the service and the presidential suite because he was in his Giannis jersey.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and he was up to Tupac on his birthday going man happy birthday Tupac. I'm like that's our suite, that's the jersey I gave him. Yeah, I gave him a Giannis jersey. And he was wearing it and he posted it, so you know small things like that you got a picture with him.
Speaker 3:You get a picture with Snoop. I did Nice, I did, I did.
Speaker 1:It's in our Pottawatomie. Amplified video.
Speaker 3:Nice.
Speaker 1:We actually had some custom shoes done, okay, and I got Snoop and the Pottawatomie Amplified shoes. Man, they were lit, he liked that.
Speaker 3:Now you know, I opened up for Snoop Dogg.
Speaker 1:Is that right? A?
Speaker 3:long time ago yeah, Come on when I was doing hip-hop.
Speaker 1:No way man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I was actually at the Rave, awesome. Eagles Ballroom oh yeah, it's crazy, crazy experience I only got because he was late to the event anyways, um, and then afterwards he was walking out, right going to the tour bus, and then I was like I was like yo, let's do it. And it was a quick interaction. He's like do I see, do you think cuz?
Speaker 1:and then he just he walked out yeah crazy, crazy that was surreal for uh us and our employees yeah, that was probably everybody in this that works for this place was so pumped up and you can't put a price on that. You can't put a price on building pride and changing people's attitude and getting them excited. There's a lot of long-term employees here. Come up with this uh vision for a 200 million dollar remodel and to see the employees who've been here for 20 years watching the same old floor working around heavy smoke and things like you don't see no smoke.
Speaker 1:You don't see, no, you see floors that are you know. We challenge, uh, all of the casino operators to come see what we have done yeah, for sure and there's a lot of great operators out there that I go and look to for inspiration. It's not hard.
Speaker 1:Not hard to go to the big shops, man, and you know Hard Rock's been leading the way. Hard Rock, yeah, you know they've been leading the way with their boxes and you can go to win you know I like to win and I like putting yourselves up against the best of the best and say how are they doing it, what are they doing best, and say how are they doing it, what are they doing and, uh, how?
Speaker 3:do we get there?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, I mean we're, we all put our pants on one leg at a time, yeah, and we got it. But uh, and we can jump into that type of uh, I'll just say mindset. I'm seeing it on the back of your book. That's exactly what it is. It's mindset and action. I, yeah, those two uh kind of put me down to a t. We don't even need to finish the conversation. That's, it's it. It's like 50 mindset, yeah, action. If that's all I had to say. What got it done, that's it, and we could call it a wrap that's cool.
Speaker 3:Is there a lot of uh, camaraderie with uh, with other casino operators? Like do do people share ideas? Is there a kind of a unit or uh?
Speaker 1:it's funny you say that you know, because I I you know. When hard rock opened over here at rockford, I was texting their executive team. I'm outside, you know, for the opening. Can you let me in and come bring me in for a drink and let me watch the smash of the guitar? I'm, I'm ceo. I kind of run that triple the size of your business down the street. I was just being nice and you know what?
Speaker 1:No reply, linkedin, no message, no hit back. It had been three weeks now. I'm like hey, if you, really, I was like look, you come, stay at my place, you come put you up in a hotel, it's camaraderie. Look it's open to the entire public. I'm not hiding anything right right I'm not right there's no secrets, dude. You can walk anywhere you want to go and see exactly what I'm doing, but can you do it right, you know? So I was just being nice, but they didn't not even response man, this blacklisted me.
Speaker 2:Come on, put me on the blacklist I'm done.
Speaker 1:They didn't respond, or not. I mean even after three weeks. You thought he would have said hey, I'm hey glad, you, you. Sorry, I didn't get you in. Because if you came by my place and you were another competitor, I would bring you in. It's open to the public. Maybe you'll lose some money, maybe you'll buy a drink, you know.
Speaker 2:I don't know.
Speaker 1:But maybe I hurt their feelings. You know you run in a dollar.
Speaker 3:You might get a response after this. Who knows, they may see this.
Speaker 1:You know, it's like the Walmart Superstore and then the Baby Dollar General out there in the country, you know, with the boxes in the back and the one employee. You know what.
Speaker 2:I'm saying Right.
Speaker 3:Big difference.
Speaker 1:Move your stuff. You know, maybe he thought I was you know being, maybe I wasn't being authentic to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was like yeah, I want you to play. I wasn't.
Speaker 1:If you're listening, I wasn't. Yeah, I was admiring the hard work that you did because I know what it takes to open up a place like that oh yeah, it takes a lot.
Speaker 2:It takes a lot.
Speaker 1:I was going to shake your hand and say congratulations, this is a tough business.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this is a tough business, yeah yeah, we were regulated.
Speaker 1:You know, we got handcuffs that other people don't, and it was tough to run. I was just going to say congrats on that. You got it.
Speaker 3:You didn't want to hear it from me, but you will now. Where did you get that competitive spirit?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I think I naturally kind of grew up with it from pretty much from my father man. He was a US marine corps vietnam vet and a sniper.
Speaker 2:So as I grew up as a young kid.
Speaker 1:Uh, you know life lessons with him. I'd spend a lot of time with him outdoors as soon as I could walk and around those type of veterans. They have a particular way when you go in the outdoors to prepare you for things.
Speaker 1:So yeah it's not like a competitive nature, but it's a you know um, there's dangerous situations and we need to listen to each other and we got to get on the same page and and uh and uh. Those life lessons, I think, uh, uh with my father and uh outdoors, uh, among many other things, were uh, had uh prepared me to do things right?
Speaker 1:yeah that was it. It was a sense of you know we're gonna. We got to have a good plan we're going to. I wasn't going into a dangerous situation. He might have told me to get out of bed. Ain't nobody shooting at you? I don't know what you're crying about get up you know, but yeah, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, was it tough love? Did you have a lot of tough love?
Speaker 1:um, not a little bit. Uh, I could. Just the way we managed. You know the way when we get worked up in Vince, but that was all I always understood. That is, you got to do the things you don't want to do, to do the things that you want to do.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I stole that from Edward James Olmos when he came in here. That's what he was saying and that resonated with me too, and uh, that's that's kind of uh, a lot of uh, what you did. But I could tell, and and now, as I look back at him, he was, those were life lessons, you know, yeah for sure he was planning and I know him now and what he was and yeah and he's still alive. I just went home this weekend.
Speaker 1:Uh, see him for his birthday and oh nice picked him up a home cook, mexican, mexican meal from the Eastside man with homemade mole and rice and tortillas and carnitas man and loaded it up and drove all the way back to Kansas. Picked it up and brought it right to him, man, really, because he said I want a mole for my birthday and I said that's all you got to say. Dad, dude, so family is very important to you. Yeah, very much so. My dad uh was a uh elected tribal chairman of the prairie band pot of water me nation.
Speaker 1:Wow. So for me, uh, I kind of uh came into gaming as a life pursuit because, uh, my dad had uh left his job at hallmark cards. Um, he had worked his way up to being a supervisor and decided that he was going to uh uh risk everything, run for an election and then when you get elected, you know it's a four-year term. So he got to leave his comfortable job that takes care of the house and go into this politics yeah, yeah, which ain't guaranteed either no, you know, as soon as you end, you're already rerunning and right, you don't know what you could do.
Speaker 1:So he got into politics in the late 90s and that's when the casinos started coming to to the tribes yeah, the casinos came uh to my tribe. I'm a enrolled member of the prairie band, pottawatomie nation, uh my father uh again uh elected chairman there and on council for 18 years.
Speaker 1:So all before the gaming, during the gaming and now gaming continues to live on, so in kansas. So I was kind of brought up around it, didn't know if I was actually going to go into the business. Right, you know I had, uh, other pursuits as far as financial accounting and reporting. Um, I don't know if I really had any pursuits.
Speaker 3:I was just trying to figure out life, man, you know really go to school that's what I was going to ask you, because you your background's in accounting and and you know bookkeeping, financial, you know that that space, um, even you know from your college degree and like everything and then even working your way up, um, you continued in that and then you kind of got into the gaming. You know entertainment space, um, was that just by luck or was it by you know you just figuring out life and constantly changing your circle?
Speaker 1:That's it. No it's life. I you know, for me and I think for a lot that share that story. You're look, you just want to find a way to make it to college. You know as individuals coming up in this type of circumstance. It was like, look, you know, my grandfather didn't get to go to college, my dad was the first one in any of our family to ever go to college and my mom didn't. My mom worked for the state rehabilitation services, your state worker office, for 37 years, man.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:Come out 18 and worked for SRS doing food stamps and child welfare and protection and security at the front line for 37 years in the community. Never got a college degree but was probably a PhD in that.
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:She'll tell you oh, I'm not a social worker, son. They had degrees. They really helped and made a difference. I'm like Mom, 37 years. You were here working with people in the city to take care of their needs at a most critical time, when they need to eat or they need help. They need support and it's obviously the last stop and you, you're that person for 37 years. Yeah, you know so she always told us that we had it good.
Speaker 3:You know, I could go to pay less and pick out any shoe I wanted yeah, yeah I want a two strap so always took care of you yeah, yeah, I was uh blessed to have a mother and a father in a good unit, like they.
Speaker 3:Just you come from a good family like that and just the selflessness you know to like just do that for your kids and also to make it feel like everything's okay but really it's not. You know, like you're scraping by, trying to get to the next. You know, but growing up because I also I kind of relate to that too because, like, growing up, my dad got laid off a lot and it was more just, you know, just bouncing around, especially 2008, 2009, market was kind of all over the place and he was a marketing engineer and so he was like and he was the first person to graduate college in my family as well, that's great and also my uncle, but always, growing up, no matter if he was like on a span where he didn't have a job for, let's say, seven months, we still ate, everything was still good, christmas was still coming around, like those same kind of traditions, um, but then later on I found out like it you know it wasn't like as easy as I thought it was.
Speaker 1:You know it's just incredible, man as I like how you said that, because it's you know exactly how it was, you know yeah we, we didn't realize anything like that or you know, but they, uh, they made it safe home and it was a great place. You could be creative and grow and be yourself and and you know, tell you you could be whatever you want to be yeah, put your mind to it.
Speaker 1:There were no uh governors on that, there were no limitations it was. But there were real discussions about yes, son, there's a real glass ceiling out there. Yeah, okay, you're gonna run into it. You know I provide a safe space and you're around your family here and there, but just remember there are real ceilings. Yeah, uh know your enemies know who's gonna help. You know what doors are gonna might stay shut you know, sometimes you kick them down other doors.
Speaker 1:It's look, I'm gonna just move on. It's not even worth my time to kick that right. Right, you know, not even worth my time. Yeah, yeah uh, you know, all I knew is that, uh, we were uh programmed early that, no matter what you did or however it was going to go, you're going to go to college and you're going to find a way to get there, and okay, you're going to get the grades and you're going to go to college, and the story.
Speaker 1:After that, you do what you want to do. We ain't too worried about it, right you're?
Speaker 3:you're going to go down your path that was a goal you got to get there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to get there, so I actually uh started at haskell indian nations university and it's an all native american university in lawrence, kansas oh wow, originally back in the day.
Speaker 1:I was just talking to my dad this weekend and my great grandmother, minnie Wawasek, was there as a Indian boarding school ran by priests and they took you from the homes and they forced you into the schools. You couldn't speak your language, your hair was cut and you learn the trades OK, and so they called this policy termination for the tribes and it was a federal policy. So can you imagine them coming to your house and taking the kids? My dad said they would be kicking and screaming and he believes that there was a big gap in Indian country of the missing generation when they took all these kids and broke the family unit. And it took my dad's generation and his parents to put that family unit back together. Because when you take a family and you rip it apart, it puts the parents in a lonely place and a lot of them will spiral out.
Speaker 1:If you take your family it's the only thing that you love and you took it from them and you can't do anything about it and you're only allowed to visit them at certain times and that was a devastating link in Native history where you know, he just kind of calls it this missing generation. But they have bridged that gap and then you see my generation coming back together as we make sure and look to restore the language and the traditions and you know, working with one another.
Speaker 1:All I know is that, you know, I've been around my traditional fireplace since I was a kid. I was pretty much raised Catholic until I got to about 14, 15. And my dad's like, look, we're going to go into our traditional ceremonies. And me and your mother said, you choose what path you want to go.
Speaker 3:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:We're going to teach you this side of life and we're going to take you around why that fire for Potawatomi is everything that is sacred to us and that's our sacred fireplace that we pray to and take care of, and learning what that is and what that represents is a powerful thing. And then your relatives in that circle will have ceremonies and they speak to you and they encourage you and they want you to do bigger and better things and they want all that is great in life for you.
Speaker 1:And so you get to and me I just felt. I don't know. You know, for me it was. I felt stronger, I felt a closer connection, it was easier for me to be around that. But you know, I didn't live on the reservation but I'd always go up as a kid, we'd always be up there hunting, I'd be around my grandmother. I was named around my traditional fireplace as a young kid and to me it was normal.
Speaker 1:In fact, the first thing that I ever built I was laughing was actually a, a sweat lodge on the pot of water. Me reservation. So here I am. You know some, you know, uh, 35 years later and I built this janky sweat lodge on the on 126 and o road and my crew, my boys, back home in the res they watch, they know where that's at and yeah oh, connie and joe lewis man and one of my little cousins and I was like I don't know what we.
Speaker 1:We went out and we were building a sweat lodge together out in the field and chopping our own wood up and tying things up and learning together. And here it is, you know, 35 years later $200 million project that I believe you know pushes the industry. Crazy how life works out, yeah yeah, I think interesting, how that full circle comes back.
Speaker 1:I started there around that fire and here it is, right here, right, in fact. It's the pinnacle of my career. Yeah, and it happened like that for me. Yeah, right, and so to me it obviously was a path, and I've had spiritual leaders and elders along the way that have said certain things to me and said, like you know, this is the path that you're supposed to be on, and when we say deja vu, you have that. For us it means you are where you're supposed to be.
Speaker 3:So if you ever have that moment, oh yeah, it's happened, it's definitely happened, yeah.
Speaker 1:Look, that's God right there. He's calling Direct. So yeah, good story, good background into leading. But I was traditionally going down. I'm a CPA and, believe it or not, I was on the board of directors of the AICPA.
Speaker 1:Okay, and out of all of the CPAs in the United States, there's a very select, limited pool that get appointed to the board of directors of the entire AICPA and I was able to achieve that through my profession and being a CFO, and so you know that in itself, I came this track through business accounting and I knew one thing that you needed to understand financials. You couldn't have anybody else tell you anything different For sure. Yeah, I knew early on. I was like man, I needed to have control of that. I didn't really know why because I didn't know it.
Speaker 2:I didn't know. Debit from my credit.
Speaker 1:I was running my own small business out of college and I had no idea what the hell I was doing okay, yeah but I was hustling. What was it? Uh, indian jewelry I was selling and uh, I uh started that I won a national business plan competition. Okay, uh and then that's when I got chosen to go meet the president of the united states and they flew me out and we didn't get that story.
Speaker 1:But if you haven't seen, my speech follow the YouTube link and you'll see me hanging with President Clinton and he gets up there and talks about me and I give a speech to introduce him to 100,000 people, that's really cool. Yeah, you'll have to.
Speaker 3:I'll check it out for sure he got me my first job in a county?
Speaker 1:Okay, at Ernst Young. Oh, okay, so that's how that happened, that's how Well he yeah, I got that and I was chosen to introduce him and got sent to the made CNN, usa Today and all that big press. Yeah, didn't know what to do with the five minutes of fame. Yeah, you know, didn't know what to do. I was broke living in my parents' basement trying to sell some jewelry so I can pay my car insurance and I got some books to buy. So I'm not feeling real presidential. Right right, you know, I'm just struggling.
Speaker 3:Hey, but you got to deliver. Yeah, you got to deliver.
Speaker 1:And so eventually, what had happened is the university did a front page article on me. The university did a front page article on me and I got turned down by three of the top four accounting firms. Not just turned down, I was laughed at, and then on the fourth one. I walked in and and they happened to do that article that day and he's sitting there reading it. My luck, thank God for Bill Clinton. Yeah, okay, and so he puts the paper down. He's like you. This is you, I'm from Bill. Clinton.
Speaker 3:Absolutely crazy.
Speaker 1:And so he puts the paper down and he's like this is you. I said, that is me. I said then, what do you want? To know, and that's kind of what sealed the deal that sealed the deal for Ernst Young and I got one of the top public accounting firms and he didn't even ask any questions.
Speaker 3:Oh my God, so I was waiting for the next question.
Speaker 3:I go for the next question and go what are you doing here? He goes you're, I'm sending you up to kansas city. You made it through, you're going. Oh, my god, you made it through the final.
Speaker 3:So, uh, what an amazing story like that is. Uh, it just it. It goes to because we help a lot of people with their, with their personal brand, right, okay, and so like we work with influencer athletes um, some celebrities but also work a lot of entrepreneurs, executives and people that are trying to grow that thought leadership and be able to get out there. But that story actually literally solidifies with building a personal brand. Now, at that time, you didn't know you were doing it right, because Bill Clinton invited you up there and you had that article. But because of that thought leadership and that positioning, it gave you an opportunity. When the other ones denied you and you even said they laughed at you where it's like all you were missing and maybe it wasn't the skill set, it was just like, hey, can we trust them? Can we trust them to do the job and that article? For the grace of God, just put that right there when they're reading it. I mean it's just such a crazy, crazy story.
Speaker 1:And then I get on one of the top boards of the entire profession, of the entire world, and get appointed to it, but yet I wasn't good enough for entry-level position in the three-accounting program. It goes to see the companies.
Speaker 3:How do you look at talent?
Speaker 1:Yes, how do you really, you know, grow your company and look, you know, understand a person for who they are and what they have done and their challenges in life and say, you know, is this somebody you know, is this somebody that you know is going to be great for us?
Speaker 3:A hundred percent.
Speaker 1:So I think they're. You know. I challenge those individuals out there to really look behind the curtain and understand the people that are sitting across from you, so that you can really be your authentic self and find out who you're really talking with. That's what it's about.
Speaker 3:And the more you do that too, you get to really discover potentially what their superpower is. Their superpower is and I think the greatest mentors and leaders they can discover what people's like true skill sets and superpower is and then really use that in a unique way in the business, you know. So sometimes you may have somebody in a position but you find out like, oh, you're really good with people. Though You're real good with people, Actually where you need to be is over here, and so sometimes people just aren't on the right seat and it's just about figuring out that. But you got to be down-to-earth enough to just actually care about people and really figure out their story and who they are, and because sometimes they may not know what their superpower is, I call superpower, you know, but you've got to find that out, and then that's how it's so easy to be able to place them after you know what their true gift is, what they can do. I've got a question for you Is it true that every CFO makes a good CEO.
Speaker 1:No, yeah. Yeah, I'm very unique, so I haven't really met a lot of CPAs or CFOs like myself, but I would say that it provides a solid foundation for the business, but you've got to bring it, yeah.
Speaker 3:What's it? Define it if you can.
Speaker 1:I know what you're talking about, but for the people listening and watching, yeah, and I think you allude to it with that, that superpower you have to be able uh to bring the vision, to tell the story, to uh get individuals to believe around you. You know, and accounting we don't. Uh, what I had learned is, um, you know, may not be as you know, from an operational perspective it's a little more stable.
Speaker 1:So we come from a little more stable environment. We, we want to walk in and say, look, I, I like you man, I want to learn to work with you and you're great in your position and and we'll, you know, walk off into the sunset and make things great. But yeah, you know, the reality of it is what you all the sugarcoating of finding superpowers and making the right decision don't resonate with people in their jobs. Man, it's going to be. Do not underestimate that. People don't like change.
Speaker 1:We could talk all day about that one when you walk into it you have and that it is bringing a vision and knowing that if I can't get all that vision, support the vision and continue to develop themselves around you. So, and that's hard to do, but you know, you can have your own executive meeting and I think if you looked around the table and were honest with yourself, you're probably going to find things that unfortunately, you just may not have the confidence or the support of the background to make a change that needs to be, yeah, made in order to have the vision, because every people have got to believe in it.
Speaker 3:They have to believe.
Speaker 1:That's the first step, I mean you write it and you read about it and you read about change management, but then until you uh, walk into it and, uh, it hits you right in the face, or hear these stories like you do to get out there and bring these to the forefront. It's super stressful. You care about the employees. You care about people.
Speaker 1:You want to do right by all of your stakeholders who believed in you to give you an opportunity and you know that, um, you know you have to be able, uh, to have that supporting cast around you have to no matter what, and you got to bring uh new talent to the table, because we can't just keep going down the same road that we've been down. Yeah, yeah and um, I think uh, for me, I've always been a team player, high energy outgoing. I forced myself to do accounting. I'm not by nature a CPA or accountant. I was hustling jewelry in a box with $10,000 in cash traveling across with just a business partner.
Speaker 1:Actually, I feel taught me that hustle, yeah. Yeah, I didn't have the sales hustle that I did have until I met a particular individual who grew up with it and he brought me in as a partner on that jewelry business. And I watched him and how he was able to be that salesman to link with the manufacturer. And you know we're like 19 years old, you know, what I mean.
Speaker 1:I don't know how to do taxes. I don't know you know cash basis, 19 years old. You know what I mean we're, you know. I mean I like I don't know how to do taxes. I don't know you know cash basis from accrual basis. I don't know, you know income statements. I don't know capital. I don't know how to grow this business.
Speaker 1:I got some ideas and I'm going for it yeah, yeah, I'm making a little money and I know I gotta sell this weekend and I can pay the next couple weeks and I can go next weekend because my parents are not giving me any money. Man. I got a roof over my head and I can get some food, but that's it. Ain't nothing else coming. I know that, but I also could go back to a sack and groceries and that's what I was doing, sack.
Speaker 1:I was pretty good at it too, and so I felt like that, uh, kind of a good career and like all good things you know, business and and friendships, you know, a lot of times don't last for sure, you know 20 years, it's taught me that too. Uh, even in my that first small business, uh uh, it fell apart and never talked to him again.
Speaker 1:The friendship deal just, and we weren't even making any money it wasn't even anything to fight over, I mean seriously, I, I mean we got nothing, but we found a way to mess it up, yeah, you know, and to let life intermingle, co-mingling little business deals, and just watched it just fall apart and and boom, it was gone.
Speaker 1:And everything that we did that got me and I said, you know, uh, I'd actually sat down with his grandfather, who was a tribal elder in laguna, and okay him and his wife said we were here before the railroads came in, so back in the in 2000s they were in their like uh late 80s and so I sat down with him and he sat me down. He told me one thing. He's like look, before you run off and finish all this jewelry business with my nephew, you do all this, just do me one thing. He goes you go, finish your education. Ah, and go down and finish that path.
Speaker 1:And then you decide that this life is for you, you know on this path and what you want to do, oh man, so you know that's such a crazy story and I'm looking over this mesa with these two elders and they're like I was here before this railroad came in here. Yeah, you know, and so, yeah you know, I hated the perspective that that was how that I felt like that hustle helped me um sell my brand.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I find you know, I didn't know that then, but yes, that's what I was doing was helping to say how do I tell a story, how do I be a brown, how do I get behind? Yes, uh, continuing to um, and eventually I just chose my path, my brand, and decided to, you know, stick with school, as I'd always been yeah continue to go down that path. Didn't know I was going to go into um accounting. I actually was going to be a lawyer.
Speaker 2:Had thoughts all that and everything was kind of uh you know wanted to try and pursue that path.
Speaker 1:But uh, my brother did some accounting. I seen him making a little money. I you know sounded. You know wanted to try and pursue that path. But my brother did some accounting. I seen him making a little money. I you know sounded good.
Speaker 3:Okay, Because I'm out there and you just picked it Look.
Speaker 1:I'm about to graduate. I need to make $40,000. Yeah yeah. You know, what I'm saying. I'm trying to make $40,000, and I'm trying to graduate.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it nice to you know, after seven years of school and driving around in janky cars and holy socks man.
Speaker 1:You know, get a job and you know something decent to make a little bit, you know and start this thing we call career or whatever it is, and so, yeah, that was no, that's cool man that's how I kind of fell naturally into it and then I took it for what it was and yeah, pushing myself even though I hated accounting, yeah I hate that stuff, yeah, but it's a great skill to have now, you know it is now.
Speaker 3:It's paying off now because, I mean, it's, it's a crucial part of business. But, like you said, there's two sides to the coin. You know it's, yes, the numbers, uh, never lie, and you got to look deep into them and and really understand them. But then there's the people side and also that hustle and grit that you have. Also, and also what I feel like is very interesting about you, is your risk appetite. A lot of CEOs, especially that have a financial background, don't have the same risk appetite like you.
Speaker 1:What am I going to do? Go back to Sacking Groceries, man. I mean, I just went to my house. I can live in my mom's basement. Yeah, still, my room's still there, yeah can you still go there though?
Speaker 2:that's the question. Are you still walking? It'd be tough, man. It'd be tough like dominic get out of here, hey mom, what'd I say about the grocery I?
Speaker 1:I thought would meatloaf, meatloaf.
Speaker 1:Uh, no, yeah uh and and funny to that point, I had I was the cfo of the saginaw chippewa indian tribal government. Yeah, uh, the casinos, and I had just got my contract renewed, spent five years with the wonderful driving nation and put together a great plan to expand their casino, remodel their casino, and then, uh, lo and behold, uh, this opportunity to interview for ceo popped up and I'm like, look, uh, I just got my contract renewed. Yeah, I'm a cfo for one of the biggest, yeah, tribal governments and gaming. Usually you're either tribal government or you're gaming, you're not government and enterprise accountant okay, you're either tribal government or you're gaming, you're not government and enterprise accountant.
Speaker 1:Okay, you're one or the other, but that job was both, and that's why I took it for that opportunity. And then, you know, when I got there, then it was like, look, just got my contract renewed you know, and it's like am I really going to tear this thing up? Right, you know, and come over here for once again, that's a risk.
Speaker 3:That's a risk with some people.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Yeah, in a business that is shut down from covid and everybody's looking around the table like, and it's your first job as yeah ceo and you gotta come in and build the vision, the tasks and the crew and the yeah community and the nation and you gotta put together. Put together this type of strategic plan, a $200 million plan, out the gates and come in.
Speaker 2:I don't know what I was thinking.
Speaker 1:I don't know what I was thinking. To be honest, I must have been reading your book. You know, get up, watch that action. You know those YouTube videos? You get up and he's like today is your day.
Speaker 2:You are going to get up and you are going to kick some butt. You know those YouTube videos.
Speaker 1:You get up and he's like today is your day, you are going to get up and you are going to kick some butt, everybody around you is going to be.
Speaker 2:I must have listened to that and believed it, or?
Speaker 1:something. Oh, david Goggins, you know I'm just. I'm going to go and risk my entire career and throw it all away for a first time ever to CEO role to come over here, which is crazy.
Speaker 3:Not a lot of people would do that, man. They would take the sure bet and stick where they're at.
Speaker 1:There was nothing wrong with me continuing down that path. I'm sure I would have been down a path to eventually be CEO there too. Yeah, for sure In fact, I had actually interviewed for it and I lost by one vote, and so I actually did, and so I think that's where I got that. I tasted that blood. I'm like man, I was right there.
Speaker 1:This could happen. I did. I did, uh, multiple times be put in the ceo role because they were sick or out or interim, and so I sat at the table and looked at everybody me around me and I was nervous for a second and I'm like let's get to work yeah, you know we know we need to do. I've been around this, we know what needs to be done and uh so that's cool, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's, that's amazing. That's amazing before.
Speaker 2:Before we get out of here, man uh immerse yourself in a place where bold ideas are sought after, where all are encouraged to bring their personal flourish. Here. Innovation is a way of life in this city. The beat flows together. We're dancing to the rhythm forward. Now it's your turn to grab hold of that energy where you'll remember not just the meals, the celebrations or the uncommon coasts. What you'll remember is how we made you feel. Come experience Milwaukee, where fresh meets fearless. Every day.
Speaker 3:What does Milwaukee mean to you?
Speaker 1:For me, man. Uh, you know, forever changed me right this is the first big city I've ever been in. I've always um, you know, now that I looked over my 25 year career I've been in rural indian country on reservations. I was living on the mexico border with the kickapoo traditional tribe of texas, on the rio grande river, man, I mean, and I was in the middle of Michigan, I was in the middle of Kansas and cornfields and then, boom, I'm in your beautiful city.
Speaker 1:It's vibrant, it's full of color and life and, uh, entertainment and championship town. So for me it's it's the smiles, it's the you know, it's the attitude, it's, uh, you know. I think it's the love and the hope that we want Milwaukee to continue to be on an upward mobility, to have better education, safe streets, housing that we can be a community across all of our lines, that we can continue to share in this beautiful waterfront. To me, there's so much beautiful waterfront, beach and real estate that I think, as the world continues to evolve and you see, warming climates as it may be, I mean being around water and this type of scenery, and this is a gorgeous part of the country, no doubt. So I think it's an absolute goldmine, I think it's a beautiful place to live and I think people are going to want to live here in the future.
Speaker 1:And it's our job to create a city that is inviting, with appropriate development for our communities, for the kids, for the youth, and parks and and uh, you know everything that is about this championship town to give them the belief that if they believe in themselves, they can be anything you want to be in. It don't matter where you come from or what you do, that's yeah, yeah that's. That's the love I feel and what I've seen from the city and I feel like it's constantly growing.
Speaker 3:Man, it's constantly growing and it's going in that direction. You see the city every year. It just seems like it just elevates, elevates, elevates, which is amazing thing. What's the top three places to visit in Milwaukee?
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me, you know, I think it's Buck's and Pot of Water Meat. And man, for me it's just Summerfest in the lakefront. Okay, what's your favorite restaurant? Yeah, for me, it's just Summerfest in the lakefront.
Speaker 3:Okay, what's your favorite restaurant?
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me, really my own.
Speaker 2:Okay, dream Dance yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Dream Dance. Hey, shout it out, man, I mean our Dream Dance Steakhouse is lit man.
Speaker 1:I mean I got some of the best chefs and I know because we fly in some of the best cuts.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we're from.
Speaker 1:Chicago, everything's Chicago, everything's organic. And I got a guy with 25 years of MGM casino experience in the background that is making sure tip to toe that this is one of the best experiences in the country. And so ask, omar, I haven't been down to Carnivore in a year and a half.
Speaker 3:He's like where are you at?
Speaker 1:Shout out Omar Omar sorry I'll be back one of these days, but when you got your own steakhouse, it's hard to leave.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah. I don't blame you one bit for that. If I had my own steakhouse, I feel like I would go there too.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for being on here, man.
Speaker 3:I mean, this is just an absolute honor to be. I mean, there's so many different other directions we could have gone into, but I feel like this is just scratching the surface. We might do a part two at some point. I like it Because I feel like we could go really deep into a lot of things.
Speaker 3:And I always tell people that you know, to get to these positions of like where you're at and where other people aspire to be, they have to unlock their self-awareness and then also be able to really evaluate their current circle of who they're around and then figure out how to get into new ones. And ultimately you have to change your circle, to change your life. Like there's no other way to really do it. Um, skills and brain can get you only so far. Other people have what you want, and that's just the truth.
Speaker 3:You know, like, the opportunities that you were presented, like you didn't just show up here in this seat doing this stuff by brute force and just piling right through it. It took a little bit of trust, it took a little bit of relationship building and it took the ability to actually change your circle. So I I'm I love your story. I think you dropped a lot of things that people don't know about you, which is absolutely incredible, um. So I think also, people got to know you a little bit more, um to build a little bit more trust, and I can't wait next what you do you do in this city, man. I think it's just absolutely incredible.
Speaker 1:Well, likewise you know, your ability as an on-air host is phenomenal. I see why you're successful and what you're doing, and I like to be around people like you, man.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, man For real. So congrats to you as well, man.
Speaker 1:We're here. I think we're going to do more awesome man, cool.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much, man. So everybody else like comment, share the podcast. Please share us with somebody that needs to hear it. Don't be selfish. Do it. Share the podcast, give it out to somebody. And don't forget you can change your circle to change your life. Until the next episode, we're out peace. Until the next episode, we're out Peace. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe, and don't forget to hit that notification bell for more amazing content that we're going to be putting out. And don't forget you can change your circle to change your life, so you.
