Episode 042 - Guest Host Andrea Henley with James Orsini, President of The Sasha Group

Oh, good morning, everyone. Welcome to the OAH insider. I am Andrea Henleys guest hosts for Tim Rowe. Thank you Tim, for allowing me this opportunity. When this opportunity came about, the first person I thought of was James or CD the president. Sasha media group. Um, this will be our third anniversary of interviews.

Um, each time we've done something, a little different form video form, and now zoom form. Um, I guess just saves me, I flight up to New York. I don't know if Floridians are allowed in New York anyway. So, uh, you know, at this capacity, James, you have. Such a mentor to me and so many people while running a multi-million dollar media group, um, you're very generous with your time and everything you do, you lead with a servant heart.

So I'm really very honored to have you here and see you again. I know we've kept in touch through this, but, um, thanks for being here and, uh, Well, we're doing great, you know, to your point about are Floridians allowed here. You, you would be, but you have to quarantine for 14 days before we can have our interview.

Uh, but, uh, yes, you know, it was so funny because, uh, uh, prince stages of, uh, my career throughout the, you know, the Vayner X family, uh, and the interview process, right. We, we started out when you were interviewing me. Uh, chief operating office, uh, at Vayner X time was actually running the, uh, the Vayner productions studios long island city.

Uh, until we, uh, we landed on our, our, uh, new, uh, leader, um, Aaron , who has been doing great there now, but, uh, you know, just part of, uh, um, executing on Gary's vision. And, and now most recently as president of the. Where, you know, he had a vision to service small and medium-sized businesses, uh, and had built a company to surface fortune 500.

So, uh, didn't, didn't have a spot. So we created a new, a new company and he asked me to lead it. Uh, I'm thrilled and honored and, uh, you know, about a year and nine months into it. And. I'm pleased to say that it's it's successful. It's running, uh, it's resonating well, uh, in the marketplace for the sub 200 million type company, uh, from a revenue active.

Uh, and our goal is to get up to outgrow the Sasha group and grow into VaynerMedia. So that's what we do here. So it's kind of the launching pad into Vayner.

I was, I did some research on, because I'm the guest host on who they all have the, is that's, you know, watching this. And I thought it was mostly out of. However it is small business owners, small to medium size business owner. So I thought this is even a better fit. Um, for those of the people, the audience that are watching that may know Vayner and not totally familiar with Sasha, I feel like Sasha group is education, marketing consulting, mentoring.

Well, right now there's such a need for small businesses. Th that are trying to market themselves and rise above the noise. Not sure what direction to go into. Um, can you give us sort of that overview or that reader's digest of start to finish what small businesses can, you know, obviously if they retain you.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, um, look, we, we, we have this great entry-level product that we launched, uh, actually during the pandemic, um, uh, an educational product called stork, um, which, uh, gives a weekly tactical content for small businesses. Right? So Monday it's five to 10 minute video. Uh, Wednesday it's, uh, topical articles about, uh, w was released on Monday and on Friday, it's an ask me anything live where the audience can ask questions about Monday's topic, right.

And that, that could be, uh, how to advertise on a podcast. Uh, how to find the, uh, influencers, local business. Um, you know, it's a, it's a really great value, uh, um, membership, if you will, for, you know, I think it's $300 year that we're doing that. Yeah. It's a great, you should it's store.

Going back the Sasha group.com and then you could find out that's really been a successful, uh, you know, when, when, when it was free, we had like 1100 people during the pandemic using it to get them back on their feet. And then we flipped it from, um, uh, a, uh, uh, free content to pay a service type model. Um, and, uh, you know, w we have a couple of hundred members, um, Uh, and they're really finding value.

We take surveys to see what, what more they want to see what more value we can bring. Uh, this, this week, uh, was a topic on, uh, our, uh, branding versus sales, uh, you know, You know, what's new on, on a tic-tac, but you know, real tactical how tos it's, it's not informative. It's do this. Um, so, you know, in the, in the pandemic we saw a couple of things happen for small businesses, one, and to absorb the fact that the world was different.

Okay. Um, they had to adapt, uh, and, and early stages were survival mode. It wasn't about profit. It was. I got to be standing at the end of this thing. And if I won, um, and that there was really, uh, what we call the attack, uh, moving a piece of the business to offense because you can't win the game strictly on trends.

Um, right. So, so at the Sasha group, our pivots, uh, were moving to, uh, uh, helping our clients find solutions through virtual whiteboard sessions. Um, Helping them, uh, you know, live action production. We shut down. So, so, you know, uh, uh, taking, uh, uh, existing pieces of content, uh, send it to us. We would remix the content and put it back out within 10 days or so in order to give them some preciousness to marketing.

So, uh, you know, we've been, we've been finding a lot that they're, that they're getting on their feet. We were, we were kind of talking off camera you and I about some of the things that you're doing in your small business. And, you know, we did notice that there there's some smart things that small businesses do even after the pandemic.

Like it's not a way. Right. So what are some of those things? It's improved customer service, right? Uh, uh, you've realized how valuable your customers were when you lost more than 50%, right. It's new products and services, right. We were talking about your, your, uh, place, uh, launching virtual, right? So, so virtual events are not going to go away.

Um, uh, uh, it's a renewed focus on your basic digital. Got to have a website. That's good. Your social channels need to be functioning in a digital world now. Right? You have to pay, pay attention to that. Uh, you're going to make a commitment, right? Maybe an e-commerce or something like that. So, uh, these are things that won't go away.

Even if your retail store opens, you're not going to shut down your. Yeah, you were forced to build an e-commerce site. Right? We were working with a client, um, uh, Bumble Berry farms and in wits, uh, you know, high-end honeys that were sold at retail well needed to pivot, right? Need, need to get onto social needs.

The retail stores were closed. So those types of things are not going to go away, um, focused on cyber secure. Right. Leon, everybody. It was all the zoom things and everybody was getting to doing bombs. Right. So you need, need some, uh, some security. Yeah. What, um, what businesses are you seeing that traditionally we haven't seen that are coming to the forefront now.

Um, I mean, you guys are the mass re-invention innovation. Are there some, um, you've seen some businesses really take off during this that are like, wow, surprising, um, pool services here, for instance, in Florida, because everybody's quarantine. So they started using their pools again. Um, over course floats and things like that.

We just want to, you know, is there anything that, you know, and, and how has that affected ad dollars? I know some went away, but are you seeing, wow. This new sector vertical is, you know, really hot, right? Well, we're, we're certainly seeing that, uh, you know, anything around the, the, the personal touch area, right?

Anything around the digital experience area, um, uh, people are spending more time at their homes. So, you know, you, you can't, you can't buy an above ground pool. I tried to find an outdoor fire pit this weekend sold out, you know, people are. Are taking the time to do what they're doing in their home, because they realize like, take somebody like me.

Right. So I would get up living in New Jersey, working in Manhattan. I'd get up at 5:58 AM and I'd come home at 7:30 PM. I didn't really see my house. Now. I'm living in my house and I'm real. I need new garage doors. I could, I should really have like a back patio. I don't even have a patio, you know? I'm spending home improvements are, uh, out the roof.

You can buy a gardening hose. Like you're not going to go to harvest or find anything related to gardening. It's all sold out. Wow. Yeah, that makes sense. It's the summer months there as well and pumping that's crazy. We it's the same here with, um, pool chemicals and pool services and people are building pools.

We, we were just going to buy some jet-skis. We. And companies that were doing one thing and then pivot it to enough. Right? So we had a client called Dorma five, which sold dorm room furniture. Right. And all of a sudden, all, all the students were pulled out of the schools, the schools were shut down. Um, so they pivoted and realized, wow, people are going to be working from home.

They're going to be on screen. Now, maybe they need a more comfortable chair, pillow for a picture hanging on the wall. So. It was the same messaging that we then just helped pivot to a work from home kind of environment, as opposed to the dorm room. Uh, you know, and most of the star is able to, to apply.

How is speaking is like working from home. I've been to your offices, it's really this, you feel like you're walking into somebody's home. You guys all are, you know, just loving each other. It's a great culture. Um, obviously it's great leadership. Um, and I know that there's a lot of energy and collaboration that, you know, needs to be there, you know, in person.

But how have you all adjusted to working from home or do you guys do half it, half home or do you get together? What is the culture at Sasha? Yeah. So, so the interesting part about that, uh, it is, uh, you know, connecting with employees is another one on the list of smart things for small businesses that won't go away.

Okay. Uh, I've never felt more closer to my leadership team than now when I'm apart. Um, and that includes the leadership that I have in Tennessee and leadership that I have in California, as well as new Yorkers. So, uh, we're using a little software called the, uh, an app called Marco polo, where, where we video content and speak through, uh, it's video texting, if you will.

Um, but you know, usually kick off every day with a hears it's sort of a conversation from me to the leadership, which they engage with. Some answer back some, you know, give me a thumbs up emoji or heart or something like that. Obviously. Um, again, twice a week, uh, with my leadership team on a zoom. Um, uh, last week as an example, I engage with what I called my movies.

So for people that I read during the pandemic, who, who only started in the virtual world, right? So, so they never comfortable job at another company. Not, not one of them were unemployed, so they left a comfortable job and another company to come and join this. Originally with meeting nobody but talking heads on the computer.

So, you know, I want to make sure that they were feeling a part of the culture and plugged in. Um, uh, and I said, you guys know I'm the only one to refer to you as newbies everybody, your party, nobody's calling you the new people. You know, I just, that was me as part of, you know, uh, the meeting set up. So, um, Yeah, those are the thing.

We have an all hands meeting next week where we'll all share, uh, you know, an update for the second quarter and ended. Um, we'll have 50 people on the video. So do you feel speaking of that, like I saw a lot of companies, right? You and I've been through this type of stuff before.com era real estate crash.

And we always recover, always rebuild. We always adapt. We go through. I've seen a lot of companies do knee jerk reactions because of this and forced retirement. Some of the people that were talented, but just trying to save money. Also, I was surprised at the number of people that were laid off or furlough that were really talented and were performers, but it was just like they were, you know, sacrifice during this, um, versus the company, trying to figure out how to.

They've hit the panic button versus let the dust settle. Let's see where we're at. There's a whole slew of these really talented people that are like, look, I was great. I was there for 15 years. I was performing, but you know, I was like, oh, um, the virtual is the new, you know, office space and you can get the highest level of talent now, no matter where they're at.

Um, what have you seen, do you think that my guess my question. Do you think a lot of businesses did a knee jerk reaction versus trying to change their direction? Um, and in the new, what are we calling the new norm? Yeah, well, you know, I actually wrote a couple pieces on, on this, uh, which you could find on medium.

Um, one was about not sleeping during the pandemic. The other was, uh, I was young and old, uh, and basically point about seeing, you know, being down on wall street, uh, you know, during the crash of Lehman and, uh, and, uh, 2008, you know, getting through all the. Uh, um, thought to be earth shattering, ending world ending.

And that makes, I don't know, only to realize that we get through it and each time we got through it, it's stronger. So advertising industry in general has been decimated, you know, a lot, a lot, a lot of people let go. Um, the pandemic has forced. Old models to be rethought. We are very fortunate at VaynerMedia and in particular, the Sasha group that we are not an old model, but a new model.

So I hired six people that are independent. Um, uh, I, I transferred a couple from Vayner two and then went outside and hired for on my own. So, um, uh, you know, yesterday I was commenting on. How the pen is going to force higher education colleges and universities. They have to rethink the model. The model is an old broken model.

Uh, you know, uh, now you're going to have to rethink that you're not going to be able to charge what it is that you used to charge. You're not going to be able to remain insular complained about, um,

yeah. First year, no, Franny a is in our second year now. But, you know, that one was different. So, you know, they make all their money through the dorms and everything like that. We weren't going to take the chance of another possible closure. So we got an off campus apartment for her in the second year, and sure enough, an announcement comes through to, Hey man, with the social distances, we really only have enough room for all the freshmen to dorm and everybody else you're going to have to figure that out now.

Um, We were ahead of the game. Uh, quite frankly, I'd heard direction, but we were ahead of the game and had the apartment. Now there's people scampering, they're driving around the neighborhood trying to secure a lease now, you know, so this, the, the pandemic forces old models to re rethink rewards, new models who have already rethought.

Right. So, um, uh, I feel like there's businesses that you help, I've seen you have help, but don't that have been established as there's one that comes to mind that you worked with, um, that was profitable, but they had no marketing strategy or no, they don't know how to reinvent themselves. Like they've always done the same thing it's, it's worked, but they're missing out on so much new opportunity.

Um, What's your advice to companies that sort of have been complacent, don't know what to do. Um, you know, what direct, where, where do they start? You know, they're not comfortable with social media or social posts. How does, um, tomorrow I'm on a pod on Gary's podcast at 5:00 PM tomorrow. Uh, and the topic is behind the curtain of the mentors program.

And we're going to interview one of our first mentors clients got Habib. So. Who who runs a company called a young nails out and their nail Polish manufacturer. And they were successful. You know, they were a successful nail Polish manufacturer selling to whatever it was. 350,000 licensed cosmetics. So, uh, you know, during our course of, uh, of mentoring them and spending time with Gary, you know, we came up with the concept of, Hey man, you know, 350,000 licensed cosmetologist.

Well, there is like 160 million women in the U S. Like, maybe you should run your audience. Maybe you should go direct to consumer. You know what I mean? Do it yourself or who, you know, we're not going to alienate the professionals that buy your product and maybe we'll develop some new colors or a different line that we sell directly to consumers.

Now let me ask you. During this pandemic, do you think that guy is happy that he made the pivot when every nail salon was closed and he still couldn't keep up with orders being shipped to people's homes? You know? So tell the story of how it doubled in three years, his top line that is doubled in three years during a pandemic.

When the, when the world shut down, he's still doubled. So, um, yeah, we, you know, we work hard. To bring our clients explosive growth. Okay. Yeah. We've represented another one now. Um, uh, to manufacturer of, uh, of, uh, uh, electric school. You know, uh, we think that couldn't be a better timing for that in the New York area.

Right. People not going to want to get on the subway with 2000, right? Like, uh, they're gonna, they want to commute maybe with a bicycle or a scooter or, you know, uh, a board. Um, so those cells are, are going up and looking good. Uh, during that's interesting and speaking, we have to talk about. One of the biggest stories, I think during this was empathy, wines being acquired by constellation because didn't, they see how well empathy was doing online and set, especially during this right.

Yeah. Th so, so Gary always says, great marketing. Can't sell shit product of potentially.

Um, uh, but, uh, constellation brands, I don't believe, I mean, I haven't spoken to Gary about that. We're going to have time with him on the 17th, but, um, constellation brands weren't so enamored with three and a half million of sales or 15,000 cases that were sold in year one, they were enamored with the ability, uh, to, to go direct to consumer through an e-commerce platform that.

The empathy folks, uh, Nate and trouty both of which worked from Gary in the past and Vayner X. I work closely with them when I first started, um, uh, you know, developed. So it's that platform that constellation brands is as you're Sudan to push bigger wine labels like semi and, and, uh, Robert Mondavi that they own.

Right. So, so there's, Hey man, you've already done that. And, and we've seen that so many times. Before, right where big, big companies, the Pepsis of this world, and, you know, oftentimes have to acquire the innovation from outside their own hallways. There's you reach a point where there's just too much bureaucracy and, and you know, this guy hands, his work to this guy who runs this work to this guy, this is why I left public accounting.

Right. This guy hands his hands, it to the manager with hands it that a partner. And I'm like, wait a second. I, you know, Uh, I'm the guy that did it work, you know? Um, so, uh, you know, uh, having the ability to, uh, leverage that, uh, for some of their bigger brands and that's why they employed, uh, Nate and trouty as we affectionately called them, um, uh, as part of constellation brands, family, what do you see, um, with obviously we're talking about.

The content changing right? For your existing con you know, what is the conver okay. With everything that's going on online, as we know, COVID political, all of that, you see brands pulling out that don't want to be associated with that, but then you also, people still need to market themselves. And that's obviously the best way is online digital.

Um, how do they do that in a way where it's, doesn't seem insensitive, but also keep your, you want to sustain your brand. Yeah, I'll tell you this, establishing the brand platforms, what your brand stands for, vision mission value. Okay. And, and, and the pillars that are going to hold up your brand, that you could always look back to and say, Hey, this is why we did what it is that.

Okay. Not, wishy-washy not, not, you know, flown with the breeze. Today's the day we all get on this bandwagon tomorrow. We're on something else. Okay. Uh, it's so vitally important. We're doing so much work in that for small businesses. Our, our branding division is really taking off nicely. You remember? I was, I was global CFO for Interbrand and then the north American chief operating officer.

So integrator taught me the power of. Right as, um, uh, uh, brand, uh, outsells the best salesman, like. Right. So brand is more powerful than yourself. So, um, so getting that, uh, now let's talk about that. Cause I just read a great piece about the Yeti brand two brothers who couldn't keep their fish Coles, who developed

it, did a billion, 1 billion. Would it be in sales? Like. Right now, their, their demo isn't guys like me to drive the Yeti to the pool. Okay. Their demo was really hardcore. Fishermen hunters, people in the woods need to keep this thing cold for three days. Cause I'm living in the woods. I mean, well, they took a stand against the enemy.

You know, and, and weren't in support of the NRA because they went back to their brand values and, uh, you know, a lot of their customers boycott. And in fact, there was some viral videos of, of, of hunters actually shooting their Yeti, uh, um, coolers, like blowing them up. But it didn't stop them because they took the time to develop their brand promise and their brand pillars.

And now it has become a cultish type brand, right. It's gone way beyond, uh, fishermen and hunters and, you know, cool thing to have sold out. Um, but, uh, you know, establishing your brand promise, uh, and, and. Uh, being able to say this, why I did what I did. This is why I supported that this is why I was silent on that.

This is why I was against that. That's fine. So what your brand stands for? No matter what I love it. What do you think about, um, I know you work with a lot of startups. I feel like there's going to be a lot of startups as a result of this people that are very talented that have that entrepreneurship, you know, they're, they're, uh, entrepreneur caught in a corporate body.

That's what I always said. I was, um, what are the, what are the mistakes? There's, there's always startups. There seems like, you know, there's always a good idea. What are the mistakes that they make? Starting out as a startup. You've got a great idea. I think it's great. Everybody says it's great. Um, before they, you know, what are, what are the steps that you give to a brand new startup?

And it was pretty general, there's a big difference between a business model and. I can't. How many, how many, uh, look, you know, when we launched the Sasha group, we had 4,800 inquiries or 4,700 inquiries in the first 48 hours. Okay. And as we peeled back the onion, uh, a few thousand of them were nothing more than an idea.

You're not a startup with an idea. Okay. Uh, you need business plan. You need funding, you know, and that doesn't mean that you go out and raise capital. Gary's not crazy about giving away pieces of his company. You know, you kind of bootstrap. It is what he's saying. Like, you know, family liquidate some of the assets that you have to get it off the ground.

Uh, this was another reason why we launched the stork product because you know, the Sasha group was really for funded startups with a revenue. Right. I have a product for people who just were birthing something new. Right. So, um, uh, so now, you know, we said, look, let's let the stork thing do its thing and help.

Do it themselves, right? Um, Sasha actually to recruiting where, you know, we help recruit for, Hey, I'm ready now to build my own internal team. I need a videographer. I need a content producer. I need a media buyer. You know, we help our clients find those, those people, many of which reside in Gary's inbox, as you can imagine.

Cause so many people want to be part of his world. Yeah. So, uh, uh, you know, not being able to have a boss and entrepreneur. Okay. That's another thing that we saw. Uh, I'm an entrepreneur, cause you know, you can't have a boss been fired from my last three companies. Not certain about that. You'll know. If you have entrepreneurial tendencies or an entrepreneurial spirit very early on, you know, Gary always talks about, uh, you know, uh, selling lemonade stands and ripping flowers out of one neighbor, and then walking around the front door and selling it back to the neighbor.

Getting out of a pond, washing them and selling them. And by the way, I met a guy now that that is now a really big business for them

and Florida. Nobody wants to go on there. There's Gators in there. Exactly. Exactly. So somebody's doing that. You'd be surprised at how many years we're like, wow, there's really a business for that. Like, you know, I can't believe that somebody made a business. That's really smart and there's no, and I love watching Gary go to the instilling.

He goes to garage sales and, you know, he cause he loves to, you know, he's into the sport, absolutely loves what he's doing now and the trading cards. So, you know, and there's big business to be had there. Uh, in fact, I have two entrepreneurs who decided that they were going to leave their job and their cash passion was actually.

In trading cards, you know, so they're going to be all in it. Yeah. That's just it. If your passion becomes your profession, it's game over. And for me, my passion was always business. Always be right. People just can't figure it out. So I understand you're on the beach, reading a business book. You're still reading the wall street.

Yeah. I mean, business. That's me too. Some people have ball, hopefully. So I love entrepreneurship. I love the ideas of BREEAM, even this, you know, you and I talking, was it just a conversation online? We brought it to reality. You know, that I would guest host that I would interview you and it it's happening.

You can do that. I think so many people. Don't they think about it, but they don't relate to take the actions to do it. And when you do and you're successful, you're like, oh, I can, I can pretty much do anything. So, um, but yeah, that's. What are you most excited about with sash is, or a year and a half into it.

You're in your second year, I would say the huge step back or whatever with the pandemic. What are you excited about? What did you learn in your first year at Sasha? Obviously startup within the eight, the Vayner family, but what are you going to do different going into 20, 21 or change, or what are you really excited about?

Yes. So, um, we did something called an Eisenhower matrix, uh, uh, at the end of 2019, which I shared with Gary, you know, we, we set a revenue goal, right? So we, we were very fortunate to be around 10 million in year one. And we wanted to do, you know, 20, 30, more years to congratulation. Thank you. Uh, and Gary was like, okay, so how are we going to get there?

And, and the Eisenhower matrix, which is a plotting graph. Okay. With important, encouraging, put these dots on. Uh, and it was great to see how they came to pass. Right? So, uh, we wanted to start a west coast office and we did. Well there, we want it to launch a, um, a membership subscription type model. And we did with the store, uh, you know, we, we wanted to do more in the branding space.

We want it to help, uh, existing mentors. We, you know, we had all these things that we were taking the box one was we wanted to launch our own podcast. Uh, I haven't done yet. Uh, but I just literally got the plan before, uh, spoke and right after labor day. Um, so Google's with important and urgent and working hard to, to get to them.

Right. So. Um, so, uh, you know, I'm, I'm very excited about, um, what Gary is selling really well at the VaynerMedia side with his Vayner volume model. Okay. Where it's, it's not about a piece of content. It's not about creating art. It's it's about, you know, the scrappiness and speed and value and having a lot of content out there working on your behalf and yeah.

Doubling down on the stuff that is working for you and walk away from the stuff that's not. So we're bringing our version of that volume model to the Sasha group, and that'll be a big 20, 21 driver for us. Uh, you know, as we, as we work with, uh, brands that. Want to work with VaynerMedia and quite frankly, don't have the money to get into their hallways.

So, you know, work with us on a, on a lesser level. It's not to say we do what painter does for less money. That's not about it. You know, we, we have a different model, but let us help you grow into VaynerMedia. Uh, and they love, you know, they love that, that storyline and F inaccurate. So, um, Gary always says the sash.

Is the most Gary centric, uh, offering that he has in the Vayner X portfolio, meaning that our client base is, is very closely aligned to, you know, his content and, and you know, what what's working for him. So it's easy for us to kind of step in. Most of our clients are in fact, uh, fans of his content following.

For sure. For sure. What I'm I always have to ask about my industry. Um, what do we, obviously out of home industry got hit really hard because no one who was driving, no one wants to use the transit system. They, they got hit hard, really, really hard. Um, I know it'll come back, you know, they, you have to do what you have to do.

You have to cancel people and you have to, you know, redirect those dollars. What could the industry do to prevent this in the future? So it wasn't such a hard hit. No one saw this coming obviously, and we're not really on online industry, so to speak, except if you buy pro programmatic, what are your thoughts on that?

Because there are, well, look, I think if you're an at-home provider, And you don't have a digital solution. You are lost. Right. Remember I was the CEO of a CDOT mobile from 2011 through 2014. And when we, when we, uh, developed our, uh, uh, mobile display, uh, mobile DSP, where, uh, you know, we had geo-fence capability and conservatives.

500 feet of you know, of a storefront. Um, uh, our, our biggest clients were out of home owners, right? So you bought this billboard for Wendy's and you got this mobile thing. Cause you know, we'll, we'll send a message into angry birds app, uh, or the weather channel. Uh, you know, you see Dave, right? Whenever you're using ways, they're saying, Hey, there's a subway over here.

There's a gas station over here. Yeah. Um, those are the out, a home driven ads that are being served into your mobile device. Um, so. Yeah. You know, I'm a big believer of, of digital signage. We use it, I work with you on some of my clients and using it. So I think it's very gripping. Um, but it's hard to be an at home industry when nobody's at home.

Right. So, but everybody is on their phone. Right. So, so you better have Dziedzic Alliance acquired solution, a build offering that that delivers. And by the way, when I was at CDOT, we didn't have access to any of the big, we couldn't get into Facebook or Pinterest or Twitter. We weren't certain as into that.

You know, we were serving ads, a smaller, smaller application, uh, you know, uh, the weather channel, different apps like that. So, um, that's what are your thoughts on like the linear networks specifically? Like obviously all the theaters are shut down right now. Right. And people have been at home as soon as they open up.

They're going to, I want to go to a movie. I just want to get out of the house and do something. Do you, how do you feel about, you know, obviously reaching that audience in the linear network space as well? Not just out of home, but you know, more people are going to the grocery store. So is it, is it following where the audience attention is?

Because I think everybody's looking for messaging or updates right now, and they're more like their eyes are open to it. Yeah, look for us. It's it's always been about storytelling and relevant content that people want to engage with. Right. Uh, you know, cause I came from the traditional agency model where, uh, I advertised was a disruption.

I'm gonna interrupt whatever it is that you're doing. So the magazine I'm going to stick an ad right in the middle of the yard. You're watching it. You're watching a football game. I'm going to stop you and serve you a commercial, right? Go. You got your favorite song going. I'm going to stop that and you're going to listen to it.

So was your face now what we do is, you know, it's just part of your world and an interest in content that I want to consume. Okay. Like, uh, that, that was a really interesting, um, Published piece that probably paid for by that caught my attention. Didn't disrupt me, but I'm interested in branding. Okay. I thought it was a cool brand.

I shared that six times in the two days of that. Okay. Um, how does, how does your advertisement become part of my life? Okay. It's part of my, uh, you know, world. Um, I've moved from radio to podcast because it allows me to consume the content when I want to consume it not, Hey, this thing is on at seven 30, you're either getting it or, you know, I, I, I, I had an interesting conversation believe this, that with my, the pastor of my church who moved to virtual, obviously, cause we cut meat and he said to me, James, do you know, only 25% of the people are consuming the content when it's live at 10:00 AM on a Sunday.

And I said, wow, that's interesting. I mean, I'm one of the ones that do get up and consume it at 10:00 AM, but he's like no, 75% of the people watch it at their leisure. Um, now is we've got a lot more people engaged than we ever did in the building. So the building sat 500 and we're getting seven 50 a thousand engaging with it.

But, but it's such a small percentage of showing up. When I say we're going alive at 10:00 AM on this. Um, I I've found that very interesting and enlightening. Like people want to come when they want to consume it. They don't want you to tell me when it is. That's right. Hey, you can embrace religion anytime, right?

Yeah, exactly. You're not ready for it when you're not awake yet. Yeah. That's the same with our, um, what's uh, what is inspiring you right now? Are you reading anything? Are you doing any meditation? What are, what are some of the inspirations that keep you going and.

I thought somebody was at your door. Oh, Reinvent your life. I just read this on my vacation and

yeah, it's really cool. It's about, you know, a lot of people who, um, mostly over 40, 50 years old, who were forced to reinvent themselves. Right. So, and it's, and it's so tight. And now with the pandemic, we just talked about all these people getting laid off and everything like that. Uh, and some really great and interesting stories of, of pivots, um, and, uh, finding passions and, uh, and how things came about.

Uh, it's a it's by Kathy sharp Ross. And, uh, I, I actually have a piece in chapter 14 because I was interviewed for this and finding my way.

Like Oprah. Everybody gets a copy.

So now we we've plugged, we've plugged the store content. We've plugged the, your life book. Like what can we do see, this is what about the commercials during my normal process? Right? It's like the Truman show. All of a sudden there's product placement.

Yeah, it just, I think that we hash it's so great to catch up with you. I won't keep you any longer, but I do. I can talk to you for hours, obviously, but I may actually have to put gas in my generator because it's going to run out it noon. No. Um, but yeah, no, thank you so much for being, I mean, this first time I hosted this program, you came to mind right away and actually people asked for you.

So I've really appreciate, you're so generous with your time, as I said at the beginning, and we got to do this every year. Well, I, I hope, uh, Tim's audience finds value of what it is that we discussed today. And, uh, you know, I obviously I have, so the Sasha. Is everything is thus Sasha group, right? The website, all the social channels, the fashion group.

Uh, I said, I got to correct that, but yeah, that's actually, uh, and I I'm, uh, James Orsini on LinkedIn and Instagram and at Jimmy the pencil on Twitter. I at all. Absolutely. I, yeah. To connect you with you. And you're very generous and I want to hear what happens in 2021. I have to get an update. I look forward to it.

Alright. Bye-bye,