Episode 206
Your Network Sucks, That’s Your Problem a Steve Doyle Story
Brad's Friday game night exists because he got uncomfortable during COVID and started networking. That group of strangers a travel agent, Microsoft expert, idea coach, and HR consultant became the friends now playing ridiculous word games together. More importantly, they became the network that solves real business problems.
That network paid off when a client texted Friday at 10:30 AM needing 2,000 square feet of outdoor storage space by Monday. Brad connected them with a trucking client who had yard space, solving the problem in hours. Business owners who don't build networks miss these opportunities constantly.
Most business owners default to Craigslist or calling their CPA for referrals instead of developing real relationships with their service providers. The commercial insurance agent, financial planner, and even personal insurance broker are sitting on valuable networks but only if you actually build relationships beyond paying invoices.
Brad challenges all the bankers, lawyers, and CPAs listening: stop accepting "I'm too busy" as an answer. Go have coffee with your blue collar clients. Learn who they are beyond the annual meeting. This tight-knit community rewards those who show up and provide real value.
For technicians going into homes, be curious about the homeowners. They know tons of people and run businesses. A simple conversation about their work can lead to referrals neither party expected. The window installer who showed up with a trailer organized to the nines got Brad's referrals because that trailer opening signaled competence.
Highlights:
- Brad solved a client's emergency storage crisis in hours by connecting two people in his network.
- Most business owners only contact service providers when paying bills or fixing problems not building relationships.
- Your commercial insurance agent, financial planner, and banker have networks you're not tapping into.
- Technicians should be curious about homeowners - they run businesses and know people who need referrals.
Is your network limited to the people you already know? Your net worth really is your network but only if you invest time building real relationships.
Make sure to subscribe to Blue Collar BS for practical advice about what actually works in business.
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Transcript
Hey everyone, welcome back to this episode of Blue Collar BS. I am Brad along with my award winning co-host. There you go. I'm queuing everything today. You must be jacked up on Jack and Coke or something. I don't know.
Doyle (:Steve.
You are.
I you know I haven't had a drink in a few months so yep just one of those not really in the mood so well fantastical you enjoy that
Brad Herda (:Good for you.
Brad Herda (:Awesome. I'm going to go drink tonight.
We're going to go and group of people that met networking that became friends and family, it's now spouses and we're going to go play whatever stupid ass card games or whatever word games.
Doyle (:wait, wait, hold up. Do you play? Do you play the Michigan game? Euker? Well, then you're not playing games.
Brad Herda (:No, we don't play, we don't play Euker. No, it's going to be, it will be, it'll be some like word game or something that is, take stickers, put them on, take these magnetic things and put them on based on a question. And the answer is, but you're going to like some of these answers though. In fact, I'll share one with you right now. Cause I've got a picture of some of these phrases and it was hilarious. If you, I don't remember the question, but.
Doyle (:I'm out. pass.
Doyle (:okay.
Doyle (:Okay.
context is everything! i love it!
Brad Herda (:Let me find the context. I don't know if you're going to care about the question. No, I don't think so. When we hear the word, you're going to go, I can only imagine what the question was.
Doyle (:I think we just make up questions.
Brad Herda (:Forget the name of the game though.
Brad Herda (:Well, let's see. We'll give you the answer. Come on, why can't I find the pictures? That's just not. That's very depressing. I've taken that many pictures since I must be a. I just must be a millennium. I must be a millennium. Yes, the adult pacifier. That is true. Let's see which one we're to go with. here we go. We'll go with.
Doyle (:Alright, gimme,
Doyle (:You must be playing with your adult pacifier.
Doyle (:Yeah.
Brad Herda (:What is your retirement plan?
The response was, young fuck boy, proud tongue, threesome before heaven.
Doyle (:Hahahahah
Okay. Well, well then. Let's go.
Brad Herda (:One of the other responses that were there, Hot Mixing Mommy and Cocaine Sugar Daddy.
Doyle (:Okay.
Brad Herda (:These are the types of people that we just get to have some fun with.
Doyle (:Wow, okay. All right, then. mean, I don't know where to go with this. So let's let's just. Yeah, those are games. All right.
Brad Herda (:So when we play things like, when we play games, we play games, right? just, it gets out there. It is a lot of laughter and a lot of fun. And when you add some frozen tequila mixes to the party and all the other fun things, can be a, it's a blast.
Doyle (:The FAFO, I guess.
Doyle (:OK, all right then. I can tell you that is.
Brad Herda (:So, but the only reason, the only reason my wife and I are able to have this experience and create these things is because we built, I built out my network.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:of individuals along the way to create those relationships. So at that table is going to be a person I met COVID from a travel agent. Actually, all these folks I met during COVID. Travel agent, Microsoft MSP provider, co-pilot expert. Let's see who else is going to be there. Pat Miller, the idea coach guy, and his wife.
Doyle (:Mmm.
Brad Herda (:HR consulting person that I know. So just this group of people I never would have met if I didn't get out of my comfort zone and do something during COVID. And those individuals have created not just them in general, but building out that network as a business owner. Business owners don't do that.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mmm.
Doyle (:No, they don't. We tend to kind of come get done with the day, come into the domain and just kind of stay in the domain.
Brad Herda (:And even your employees should be out building out the network, not just hanging out with themselves. And the reason I say that, so like this morning, 10 30 this morning, I get a text from my, from my client and it's like, let's see here. What was it?
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:This might be crazy question, but do you have any of your clients or anyone we know that has enough parking space or parking lot space or open air to temporarily store, you know, 2000 square feet of outside storage for material that's coming on trucks that we weren't expecting? What? Friday at 1030. And by the way, the trucks are going to arrive Monday. Sure. Right.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:okay. Let's make some phone calls.
Brad Herda (:We did we solve the problem We solve the problem by putting it together and connecting them with a Pat another client say hey Do you have any yard space in your truck? Spot their trucking company, you know, by the way, you could flatbed this to the deal board, right? So it's a win-win-win-win-win all the way around for everybody. Those things never would have happened had
Doyle (:That's fantastic.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Right, right. So it's interesting that you actually kind of forecasted or foreshadowed the relationship network that you built from kind of just taking that action and being curious about other people. And now you have the opportunity to continue to connect those dots for people.
Brad Herda (:Yeah. And so before we got on this call, again, introduced to a guy that's up in Minnesota, starting to try starting to wanting to help support, you know, home based service businesses in sales operations processes, systemizing tech trading to create the additional customer service opportunity. And when we were talking through that,
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:You know, I pointed out to him one, eliminate the word help from your vocabulary, change that to support. And two, find the reason that those roofing guy or the HVAC person or whatever, find the reason that they're even talking to you.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Right.
Brad Herda (:Because the problem that might be there, if you're going to go provide them a solution and you want to use technology, if that HVAC company doesn't get invoices out for 45 days, they're not going to talk about that. He might be talking about how he has no cash all the time.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm. Right.
Brad Herda (:That's the, that's the symptom is you can put the system in to go help that, but let's talk about the solution of how to improve that cashflow to get rid of the line of credit, to do all those other things, to make that all happen. He's like, Oh, I never would have connected those dots. I know you're trying to potentially sell our position on that solution. And too often the solution providers that business owners in the folks that we try to support.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:not try we actually do we're fucking good at it by the way just the things that we do actually get out of the way and go provide that additional value that we're not just there to take the money out of the pocket we want to put the money in the pocket
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Nice.
Brad Herda (:right and live there and be there with them so that we can all be successful and you know make those impacts. what kind of where has been your opportunity you know when you're working with your construction firm and the other places how did you get them out into the market to find find new subs find new contractors find new insurance folks find new you know checks and balances of things I guess.
Doyle (:Mm hmm. It was more about trying to connect them into the right, whether it's an organization where those people kind of hang out and exist. It was removing them. Some of them were turning to like Craigslist reaching out to. Like, I'm not joking, right? So it was it was pretty much don't know where to look, so let's go where, you know. People that we know hang out, right? So.
Sometimes I personally don't even know what it is other than it's a list of stuff. I couldn't tell you what's on it. Yeah, really sure. Really sure. But a lot of a lot of times people default to you know, what do they know like who like who goes to their church if they happen to go to church?
Brad Herda (:You're hanging out in Craigslist style?
Brad Herda (:Are you sure?
Doyle (:If they belong to an organization and they don't frequent it very much, they're basically calling that person, the membership person or the directory, and just kind of scrolling through. then they start making phone calls. Most times, what I have found is people are turning to their CPA or their law firm or their legal team to find somebody.
Like, hey, do you know somebody that can help me with insurance?
Brad Herda (:Which is odd, because many CPAs and lawyers don't go out and network. It's client to client activity, typically.
Doyle (:No, no. Correct. And then they're like, yeah, I got a client. I have this. You know, I can just tell you a little bit about them and you guys figure it out. But from and I will say this is not for me personally, you know this, you're to be like, no shit, Sherlock, not my strong suit. Weird, right?
Brad Herda (:But yet, but yet you're willing to get up on a stage in front of hundreds of people and do all the things. But walk, but walk into a room and just say, Hey, how's it going?
Doyle (:Correct. Yep.
Doyle (:Yeah, fuck you. Well, you know, sometimes it's more personal when you have to talk to one person where you can just talk to everybody all at once.
Brad Herda (:I'm confused, just slightly confused there Mr. Doyle.
Brad Herda (:That's why you just break up the circle, right? got a whole networking circle of just break it up.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. I've even had some instances where I've seen people turn to their local real estate agent.
Brad Herda (:Most agents are well connected to small like right your home service world your those types of things What I have found to be very beneficial are Your commercial insurance agent Is is a great resource as Well as you the the financial advisor financial planner that the business may have or you personally may have
Doyle (:Correct.
Doyle (:Yep.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Yep.
Brad Herda (:because they're out all the time, Even your personal lines insurance person maybe have more opportunity if you have a relationship with them. But here's the problem. Most business owners don't develop a relationship with those service providers. They just go and pay the check. And they only talk to them when there's a problem. And they don't take time and energy to build up that relationship and build up that team. So when shit does hit the fan,
Doyle (:Yep.
Doyle (:Right.
Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Correct.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:you have everybody on the cell phone, that phone ready to go and you can call and find out and say, Hey, Cheryl, do you know anybody that can do here's my situation. This is what I got. Does my insurance cover it or not? If not, who can you tell who can you maybe connect me with that can take care of this? And whether that's the business owner that needs to do that, or the business owner gives it to their operations person to do that.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:You've got to have enough relationship to be able to open up that phone call to do so where you are creating a two way relationship along there versus just a transactional piece to it. Right. And when I go into family businesses, that's usually the problem. The CPA, the insurance person, the banker, whomever's
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Right.
Brad Herda (:have been working with mom and dad forever in a day. And all they've been doing is just being there to service them annually and not provide them additional value along. And the kids ask, well, how come mom and dad didn't do this? Well, because they didn't ask the person to go do it before. Not that they weren't thinking, not that mom and dad were to think about it, but the service provider never offered it up to say, hey, have you ever thought about it?
Doyle (:Correct.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Right.
Brad Herda (:So for all you bankers and lawyers and CPAs and all the folks that listen to the show that service your blue collar manufacturing construction trade businesses, go be of value. Go have coffee, go get on the calendar and don't accept I'm too busy as an answer.
Go learn about who you're working with and supporting so that you can get a stronger business as well. Because if that business, this is a very tight-knit community. And when you build those relationships and go forward and do everybody well, you will get the recognition and knowledge.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm. Yeah. And just as a testimony, little come out sometime in the future. But we just had a conversation with somebody that actually did that in their community. Right. There was a business that went out and they made sure that they spent time with the other businesses in their community so that when people come and ask them, hey, is this a good place to work? What can you tell me about this business?
They're ranting and raving about the business because people took the time to build those relationships.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:So yeah, what where what would be your advice to the the technician, the owner and the technician, right? He owns the he or she they own the company, but they're also doing the daily work to build out that network. How would you suggest they go about that or some strategies they could
Doyle (:Mm.
Brad Herda (:implement that aren't going to be life altering or seem like it's really extra work.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Well, mean, let's just talk the tech. let's just say it's an HVAC company, electrician, plumber, somebody that goes into a home. Right? Be curious. Like, homeowners, they know a ton of people. Right? When you're sitting there having an account with some homeowners, they'll leave you alone. But you've always got those homeowners that are freaking nosy as all hell. Sit there, watch everything you do.
Brad Herda (:OK.
Brad Herda (:I told the window install guy, I said I apologize for hanging out, but I'm curious how you're going to, I don't know how you replaced this window, but I'm just curious how you'd go about doing it. So I'm just going to stand here. He's like, you should see people that are hovering. They're like over my shoulder in the way. I'm like, that's insane.
Doyle (:Yeah. Yeah, I'm not that guy. I'll just have a conversation only because I'm I want to know how to fix it because I'm the type of guy that's you know, I get irritated if I have to call somebody because I I have royally screwed things up if I have to call somebody and to fix something. So I'll I'll be that guy, but I'm usually just I'm asking them about them about their business. You know, just kind of seeing what they're you know, and.
They're really comfortable talking about that stuff. And so as a as a technician, right, get to know your your clients that you're working on. You don't need to know everything about them, but you know, you might be surprised that they they run a business or yeah, you need somebody that helps you to help you with that. Yeah, we we work with this company and they do this and this and this and you're raving about them, right? You're giving that you're giving that client now additional.
I would say additional resources that they normally wouldn't have gotten because you became transactional. I'm here to do the job. Piss off. Leave me alone.
Right, same thing. Same thing with the owner, right? You've got to. You've got to connect with your technicians to be able to have those conversations. Right, and as an owner, how are you supporting your local community so people know that you exist?
Brad Herda (:That's the main reason why I joined my local chamber do the things at the high school, lots of different things along the way, because it's important to be involved. If I can give back in some way, or form to live out the purpose of mission, and so be it, right? Things work out in the long run. You know, the saying goes, your net worth is your net work.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:And if you don't have that network and always try to do it alone, it's going to potentially be a problem at some point.
Doyle (:It's a really long road to hoe. Let's just put it that way.
Brad Herda (:So the window guy that came to the house, the reason I got talking to him was he showed up, dropped the trailer door on his trailer. I looked at the trailer and I'm like, holy shit. This thing was built out, organized to the nines.
Doyle (:kind of hit that hit that moment for you just like the little cans all lined up in a row.
Brad Herda (:It's like, it's like, it was like, right? Shelf that, you know, a workbench that goes up and down is 10 foot break is in there. Everything is organized. I'm like, huh, this guy has a plan as an effective and efficient because it's not just, today's Tuesday. So Tuesday stuff is halfway down the trailer. Cause Monday stuff that I just threw in is in front of it all.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Yeah, and I gotta move Monday stuff to get to Tuesday stuff.
Brad Herda (:Right. and fries, wait, I get right. And just rotate the trailer by day. No, had everything was in a spot, in a place, in a way. And it was like, this is cool. You've done, you've done this before. You pardon me. did not take a photo. did not. But it was, it had inventory location. he's got a door up on the front. So he's got his batteries and tools up in the front of the trailer. So if somebody's trying to bend sheet metal.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Did you get a photo inside? Did you get a photo of inside? Just curious. come on.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:Uh, whatever they're not getting in the way back and forth. was a very thought out build and we're just talking about it. And it's like, yeah, people actually call me now to build out trailers for them because they don't want to do it. Cool. Right. So, so, so just that trailer opening is like, Oh, this is kind of cool. And now I got the guy's name on my service ticket that if I ever get a guy that, know, home guy that wants to
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:You're right.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:get a new trailer and doesn't want to build it out, well, hey, go call this guy.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:build out what you need to have and just make it happen and you will be the cost of the build out will be ROI will be spectacular because you'll make that up in spades by not losing stuff or running I gotta go to monarchs I can't find the whatever that I know I have 30 of in my trailer
Doyle (:That would be like me in my garage. I know I got 30 of those somewhere.
Brad Herda (:So what are you doing for networking these days, Mr. Doyle? Perfect. That is one letter. That's only one letter. No regrets? No regrets?
Doyle (:Not working. That is no regards, no. No regards. Actually I I. Have to admit you have challenged me, so I do go to one networking event one time a month.
And that's what I do. Just to build just to build some relationships to to keep that up. Other than that, I most of my stuff is all online.
Brad Herda (:Oh, so your relationship's online.
Doyle (:Yeah, yeah, you can go there and it will not go any further. So yeah, no, most of my stuff is all on LinkedIn. I stopped doing. This to me, it's all the small stuff, the the the chambers, the other types of networking. It just didn't fit for me, just didn't feel right.
Brad Herda (:Nope, we're not going there.
Brad Herda (:Yeah, you gotta know where your people are.
Doyle (:correct and my people were not at those places. So in lieu of.
Brad Herda (:Are you sure? You could use a facial.
Doyle (:or maybe just some sleep.
Brad Herda (:There you go. Some sleep apnea. I'm sure there's a sleep apnea person there that you can get some acupuncture, maybe a masseuse.
Doyle (:I mean, I probably know none of those are in those. None of those are in those organizations. No, but you know, if you want some essential oils, you can get that.
Brad Herda (:Not in the chamber, no?
Doyle (:No, some of it's not, but.
Brad Herda (:So, some of it's not horrible.
The recipe list stuff that always cracked me up were, yeah, the essential oil recipe list where you combine two drops of lemon, two drops of sage, one drop of this and voila, you whatever.
Doyle (:recipe list didn't have one of those. yeah. Those those are
Doyle (:And the witch will be gone.
Brad Herda (:And yet we're still here. But for our audience though, it is super important to rely on those that already provide you service. When I was talking to somebody at an event last week and they were trying to talk about, they wanted to get forklift training and different things. I did you call your insurance agent?
Doyle (:Yes.
Brad Herda (:Why would I call my insurance agent? Why would I call my because your insurance agent may possibly already do forklift training and certification and they may and they might do it for nothing because that's what they do potentially If they don't then let's have a conversation. But if they do just go there I Never would have thought about that
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
than me.
Doyle (:Great.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm. Some do.
Brad Herda (:Okay, right, because their insurance probably has never told them about all the additional services that they do because they're only trying to give them the sign the policy to get their renewal notice done.
Doyle (:Correct. where do you, what do you do for networking, Brad? Yeah, I know.
Brad Herda (:So let's see, I sit on the board of paintings for pediatrics, which is a child cancer.
Doyle (:Mmm.
Brad Herda (:fund that we have children make paintings and then we auction them off and then give that money to families that are battling childhood cancer so they can do whatever they want in a grant format. I sit on the board of the Joseph Kaki Memorial Hockey Scholarship Foundation. So it's a bunch of hockey players that get together. So that's into a networking group from there. Sit on the board of the Home Building Trades Foundation of Greater Milwaukee.
Doyle (:Uh-huh.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:some more events there to go sit at the high schools and do different things and just create more awareness of what's happening.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:Let's see here. We also sit on the finance committee and board of the home builder, Metropolitan Home Builders Association, Metro Home Builders Association as it's called now. So get to be part of that on regular basis and go to their events. I was just at Zern Buildings Products last night for an event. I some folks there they haven't seen before, which is always good. Got a conversation with a
Doyle (:Mmm. Nice.
Brad Herda (:Sound and vision guy, right? Audio and visual organization that we're going to meet and talk through some things. He's been on my radar for years, but one of those guys, it's just all over the place. So we finally got that on the calendar.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:Uh, let's see sit. I'm currently the president of our exist of our chamber right now. So I have a bunch of our chamber events and different things, but my chamber that I did it because it's my community. have zero expectation of a return for that because it was in my community, part of that and going forward. And so now when our two chambers merged, I stayed on is on the board and now I'm the president sitting president of the chamber.
Doyle (:Doyle (25:17.549)
Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:So got that going on. Part of a mastermind group that meets on a regular basis once a month. And then part of the small business owners community who has been so gracious to award us with our two, where's our podcast awards? Where are they? Where are they? They're over there. Over here. Let's see if I can, let's see if we can show those bad boys.
Doyle (:Nice.
Doyle (:I'd cast the year awards. Yeah. They're over there.
Doyle (:Show those suckers off.
Brad Herda (:Let's see, come on, can we move this camera without really moving the camera? I think we can. I think we can.
Doyle (:No. Unless you zoom out.
there they are. Look at that.
There they are. Little stack by stack.
Brad Herda (:There they are.
sitting right there. Number three is on the way. All because of our great audience and our listeners.
Doyle (:going for the three P.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm all because of the community that's being built
Brad Herda (:and our guests, right? And it's our guests and our community and the folks that are here that have provided that opportunity for us to do what we do and continue with the show and make that all happen. Let's see, what other events do I go to or networking groups? I have a monthly, a Monday, the first Tuesday of the month lunch group. And then have a last Tuesday of the month evening group.
Doyle (:Hmm.
Brad Herda (:That's full of various different things. And I also joined my B &I group as well right now as the vice president because it was local in my community again, did it, bunch of young people. It's been very beneficial. Most people don't like it, but you got to find the right people. You find the right people and find the right purpose. Things will happen. It's not the place I'm going to go find my ideal client, but I will find the people that know my ideal client and develop the relationships with them to create the referral opportunities.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:So there's a lot of things that I go to and a lot of things that happen. when people say, Hey, do you know so-and-so? It's like, yeah, I do know them. And I'm shit, I want to introduce you. Okay, great. So.
Doyle (:Nice.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Doyle (:Nice.
Brad Herda (:I get, I'm like, I'm, yeah, you could say get around, so to speak.
Doyle (:Well, you're throwing that out there. I that's my cue to go stage left.
Brad Herda (:don't know what you want to do on that left side of the stage, but I understand exactly. but there's lots of opportunities that are out there. You just have to take advantage of them. Right. And, you know, and then I golf every weekend and then I have golf during the summer at different events and different things and get invited to different places and, you know, sporting clay shoots or, know, ducks and limited events get invited to just different things that would be outside my comfort zone.
Doyle (:Yeah.
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:take advantage and go to them. And it might be a pain in the ass and you might say, I'd rather be at home with my family sometimes or some nights. It's not like I'm gone every night of the week, but when you take it and do it with purpose and you're going there with an intent and a purpose, it changes the atmosphere of doing that networking. And it's, if you're not as the business owner,
Doyle (:Mm-hmm.
Brad Herda (:putting your techs in position, not just your salespeople, but your techs and yourself to do the networking, you are failing your business.
Doyle (:Yeah.
Doyle (:Mm hmm. 100 %
Brad Herda (:Thanks for the commentary there, Steve. I guess we'll wrap it up now. Exit stage left.
Doyle (:Yeah.
Yep, pretty much.
Brad Herda (:Alrighty, way to go! Thanks Steve! Talk to you soon my friend!
Doyle (:Alright.
