Professionally Offensive

Brent Looby, Co-Founder of Desert Door, is no stranger to difficult endeavors and is trailblazing the spirits industry with an wild-harvested plant called, Sotol.  After a career of flying jets in the Marine Corps, he and fellow Veterans, Ryan and Judson, decided to start distilling what they believe captures the essence of Texas.  Brent talks about what it takes to enter a highly competitive, highly regulated and capital intensive industry.  He says much of what is takes, is not fully knowing.  He describes the benefit of not having all the facts before you start, because if most folks knew how hard it was, they wouldn't even try.  Brent shares the intricacies of the Sotol plant and how this ancient crop that was once forgotten, was actually one of the earliest spirits created.  Over the years they have developed a strong reverence for this wild-harvested plant and its applications beyond making a great spirit.  Sotol, is a plant strong enough to use as a tool and delicate enough to nurture livestock when a severe drought hits.  Brent also shares the importance of understanding who you are as a brand and the importance of listening to your customer.  In the early days of Desert Door, the Team was very particular on how they wanted their audience to perceive and interact with their product.  What they found is that all walks of life enjoyed their bottles of Sotol and to dictate a universal perspective didn't make much sense- Let folks enjoy as they please.  Brent also talks about the importance of taking care of the environment and how that is not only directly correlated to good stewardship but also good future profits.  Desert Door's revival of Sotol, is taking the industry by force and and is changing the way folks celebrate good times. 

Joseph discusses the value of patience and allowing more time for things to unfold, especially when you think you should have been further along.  Sure there are clear paths that are known detriments and paths that confidently inform your next move, but it is the ones that are good but not great, that sometimes you have to stick out.  We are often just 24 hours to 24 months aways from making a breakthrough and if we just stayed the course, we would have see our vision come to life.  Before you go changing the menu, trashing a project or acquiring a new company, really understand where you are and know that great things often, just take time.

Brandon Kirby, Partner at Rainbow Gardens, took a rare path in business when he decided to leave his corporate job and run a family nursery. He shares what compelled him to leave his higher paying oil and gas job, to move back to where he grew up and work in the hot Texas sun. Brandon used what he learned in the corporate world to help him think about the nursery business differently. After being in business for over 45 years, a successful nursery can be a hard ship to turn, but with determination and passion for his work, Brandon was determined to make a difference. Brandon talks about the early days of coming into the family business and how he quickly realized he did not know anything about running a nursery, but knew that he needed to earn the respect of his Teammates before he could think about improving or changing anything. He shares how far just working side-by-side your employees can make a difference and that simply sweating with them eventually gives you permission to improve upon what they have established for the last half-century.  Staying humble is key. Brandon also shares the good and bad of what COVID did for the business. Even though the pandemic allowed the business to grow, it also shocked it when they realized how quickly demand increased. While most folks were stuck in their homes, Brandon and his Team were working harder than ever before, trying to keep up with demand. In the end, Brandon realized that balancing growth and mental health is crucial to the longevity of the business and its operators. Running an "old school" business is not easy, but something Brandon is passionate about. Even though his talents and skills could be used to advance a very lucrative career in oil and gas, he is spending his time improving upon a legacy and business that brings healing and joy to his employees and customers.

Joseph debriefs a hot air balloon trip and some of the insights gained at altitude.  From thousands of feet in the air, the world slows down and the aperture opens.  On the ground, things can seem hectic and immediate, but when you give yourself time and space, you start to notice things you hadn't before and take the same things on the ground, with more clarity.  Much of this experience can be applied to how we Lead our organizations, especially during those times when we get mired in the weeds.  Often the best solution is to take a step back, open our eyes and truly understand what is in front of us.  Additionally, Joseph was fortunate enough to share some words with the balloon captain and discover that this balloon captain did not only pilot the balloon he was on, but owned the the entire fleet in Tuscany.  The hot air balloon business is a unique one, but because one entrepreneur decided follow an unexpected passion, he has seen success over the last 15 years.  

Abianne Falla, Founder of CatSpring Yaupon, discovered that an invasive plant in Texas could actually be used to help folks heal.  Similar to how we can treat each other, we can often judge a book by its cover before we actually give it a try.  For the last decade, Abianne has been sharing yaupon with the world and growing her company.  Abianne started her career working for a large corporate firm where she quickly realized that she wanted to do more.  She then found a company called Lululemon, where she began to follow her passion for creating community and a brand that stands for connecting people.  She shares that working for Lululemon helped her better understand how local heroes and community can be powerful in growing a brand, despite the fierce competition from other fitness apparel titans.  Lessons learned on the ground at Lululemon gave her the perspective and tools to ultimately start CatSpring Yaupon.  Abianne shares her passion for yaupon, its forgotten history (that dates back thousands of years) and her goal to continue to be an 'understanding employer".  She shares how difficult it is for some to restart their lives and maintain work, which is why she believes that CatSpring can be an example for showing other companies how we can do better.  Whether folks come from torn homes, abuse or an unfortunate past, a second chance may be all an employer needs to give to make the world a little better.  Abianne shares that the journey of an entrepreneur is often a long one and that it is critical to find something with meaning, so that you can stick with it- Understand who you are and what you can do best.  Abianne believes that helping other companies incorporate her yaupon in their products is the best way for CatSpring to give their value and stay focused on what they do best.  Where CatSpring is now, was not an overnight success, but something that took over a decade to achieve and is looking forward to a bright future.

In this episode, Joseph shares his reflections on a day of remembrance, Memorial Day and how the meaning goes beyond the military.  The reverence paid on this American holiday, is because of the selfless sacrifice given by a small few, for the greater good.  This philosophy goes beyond just defending a nation, but can be applied to our daily lives, communities and companies.  As you calibrate your trajectory for your next goals, ask yourself "How am I serving the most people, the best way I know how?"

Pascal Finette, Chief Heretic and Co-Founder of be radical, is helping companies better understand their futures and pursue them with a practical approach.  Pascal's experience spans Leadership roles at technology titans like Google and Mozilla, to the world of start-ups and VCs.  After years as an operator, he now finds his purpose in helping companies better understand their future, what they can do to achieve it and how to stay grounded in that pursuit.  Pascal describes how be radical's "jester" approach allows his Team to be unfiltered and extremely honest with their client's, because like a jester, there is no personal gain for telling the king/queen the truth.  He shares his perspective on what makes founders and their companies go the distance.  Much of being a successful entrepreneur is perseverance- Understand that what you're doing has to personally matter and completely embrace that your endeavor will take longer than you think.  Additionally, starting a company to grow and scale may not be for everyone. There's no shortage of success stigmas that have unfortunately mis-guided aspiring entrepreneurs- He talks about his time working in tech and how it was culturally shameful to be making a living in a company that was not destined for billions.  As this narrative continues today, Pascal believes that companies and individuals really need to check their north star.  However, if you are one of those folks who is meant to pursue this endeavor, Pascal outlines the foundational undercurrents in the market and how successful entrepreneurs understand how to tap into those currents, instead of create new ones.  Those currents can be entertainment, transportation, communication, etc, but whether it's a horse & buggy or new electric car, getting somewhere is the constant.  He shares that entrepreneurs can struggle when their idea or business doesn't solve a fundamental human need.  Pascal and the be radical Team continues to help great companies pursue their futures more pragmatically and be the outside voice that helps organizations call their own BS and cut through the noise.   Check out Pascal's podcast "The Heretic Podcast" that delivers bite size and thought-provoking sessions. Check out be radical at beradical.group and Pascal Finette at finette.com.

Samantha Snabes, Co-Founder of re:3D, is paving the way and democratizing the ability for folks to build what they need and when they need it. Her company, re:3D is an innovative 3D printing company that wants to bring this technology to all folks, especially in countries that would typically not have access to this capability. Samantha talks about her journey to starting a business and how it was somewhat by accident. Her goal was (and still is) to become an astronaut, but her involvement with startups and NASA along the way, took her down a different path. By helping others solve other people's problems, she found a path that moved her toward positively impacting social initiatives. Running a bootstrapped company allows her Team to stay focused on educating and providing this technology to those who need it most. Samantha also shares her philosophy of letting the end user decide how to create value with the tools her company makes. She says that dictating solutions prevents companies from actually helping people solve their most critical problems. Samantha shares stories during natural disasters where 3D printing came in handy, but you’d be surprised what folks actually needed. Growing up in Detroit, Samantha also talks about the days of manufacturing and how she remembers hearing stories of working hard and building things. This migration away from US manufacturing has created challenges for businesses like re:3D in finding folks willing to work with their hands. Increase in cost of living and wages, makes this a difficult and constant issue for this entrepreneur. Samantha shares that she is hopeful and will continue to find creative ways to build that old-fashion manufacturing company, that generations of families work for - In the meantime, she will keep aiming for the stars.

Brandon Karam and Jessica Oley, Founders of Pristine Spray, started from the bottom “literally” and are paving a way for better hygiene. These former attorneys discovered a better to take care of our bodies while also taking care of the environment. Brandon and Jessica dive into their journey from practicing law to running a business- lessons learned about prioritizing momentum over legal exactness, finding balance between founders and working with family. Even though it took some time to fully migrate to the entrepreneur life, they aren’t looking back. Both discuss the benefits and considerations of running business with family. Even though there were concerns of impacting their family dynamics, the real plus is that with family, you just can’t quit.  Being accountable to one another, in a very deep sense, has allowed them both to take Pristine Sprays to new heights.  They both talk about the significance of focusing on strengths, instead of trying to do everything well.  Brandon and Jessica also talk about their journey to The Shark Tank and what goes on behind the scenes. The few minutes that we all see on television is only the tip of the iceberg and the process actually involves months of preparation, series of pitches and lots of uncertainty. For these founders, they were fortunate and able to reach their primetime moment and mentioned how much they learned from the feedback the Sharks provided. In the end, they decided that building their brand the way they believed it deserved, was more important than taking an investment.  Brandon and Jessica’s journey has not been a straight line and what started as a side-hustle for two attorney has now become their life’s work.

Morning Huddle w/ Joseph Cabrera, host of the Professionally Offensive Podcast.  In this episode, Joseph shares the advice a mentor gave him regarding partnerships.  When businesses get to a point in their growth where they need external support or involvement from another business, how do you know who to partner with?  The method is straightforward, only partner with folks/businesses that you know if something happened, they would literally take care of your family.  This seems like a very high bar to set when just doing business, but if you see that business is simply people working with people, on something that supports their livelihood, then working with the best people is critical.  This also means the character and quality of the businesses you decide to associate with should be treated with the utmost reverence and that before you tether an important part of your company to another, you should really trust whose on the other side of it.  Thanks for your mentorship John - Be Thou At Peace.