J.J. Levenske

It's almost the two ends of two... It's the end of both spectrums. It's super small and super big, but not as many middle, at least through my lens. So what did you see out there? I'm just curious. I've never done business. Well, what it was, was it was because... How would I describe it? I was in the large, the extremely large, like multinational. And I'll never forget.

It's almost the two ends of two... It's the end of both spectrums. It's super small and super big, but not as many middle, at least through my lens. So what did you see out there? I'm just curious. I've never done business. Well, what it was, was it was because... How would I describe it? I was in the large, the extremely large, like multinational. And I'll never forget.

Let me talk about the exit time because I think this kind of puts context to it. My direct mentor and boss came to me and said, JJ, You were doing all the right things, okay? But I'm going to give you some advice. Get the hell out of here. I go, what? And it kind of, like, it kicked me in the nuts, right? Because I was like, I loved it. Like, I was traveling all over the world, over the country.

Let me talk about the exit time because I think this kind of puts context to it. My direct mentor and boss came to me and said, JJ, You were doing all the right things, okay? But I'm going to give you some advice. Get the hell out of here. I go, what? And it kind of, like, it kicked me in the nuts, right? Because I was like, I loved it. Like, I was traveling all over the world, over the country.

I was given responsibility. You know, I kept taking it, succeeding, failing forward too, you know? And I made mistakes. Don't kid yourself. But I always kept grinding and working. Basically, I just outworked them. I outworked my British counterparts. But he said, here's the thing. You will never grow any further because you're not a Brit. And we're still a British company at the end of the day.

I was given responsibility. You know, I kept taking it, succeeding, failing forward too, you know? And I made mistakes. Don't kid yourself. But I always kept grinding and working. Basically, I just outworked them. I outworked my British counterparts. But he said, here's the thing. You will never grow any further because you're not a Brit. And we're still a British company at the end of the day.

Now, that was 25 years ago. So have things changed? Probably. But at that time, in the 90s, it was still, I don't know what the word is, secular prejudice, whatever. Sounds like a union. Yeah, exactly, exactly. But through his advice, he was an outlier in his company. Well, then it gets even weirder is because he was not from that part of England where the company was based. He was an outlier.

Now, that was 25 years ago. So have things changed? Probably. But at that time, in the 90s, it was still, I don't know what the word is, secular prejudice, whatever. Sounds like a union. Yeah, exactly, exactly. But through his advice, he was an outlier in his company. Well, then it gets even weirder is because he was not from that part of England where the company was based. He was an outlier.

So it even gets back to that. Like, are you from Manchester or Birmingham or London, right? And you're talking about, forget black and white and racial type segregation, just where the hell you grow up. Which soccer team is your favorite team? It's like...

So it even gets back to that. Like, are you from Manchester or Birmingham or London, right? And you're talking about, forget black and white and racial type segregation, just where the hell you grow up. Which soccer team is your favorite team? It's like...

But now we were just, we were just back over there this last year ago, about now, and touring. And it felt a lot different from when I was over there before. I wouldn't say it's more Americanized, but there's been, you can tell there's been a lot more entrepreneurship over there, right? You know, ever since the globalization.

But now we were just, we were just back over there this last year ago, about now, and touring. And it felt a lot different from when I was over there before. I wouldn't say it's more Americanized, but there's been, you can tell there's been a lot more entrepreneurship over there, right? You know, ever since the globalization.

Well, then leave.

Well, then leave.

Yeah, but that's at your discretion and in your means.

Yeah, but that's at your discretion and in your means.

Well, it's again, without patronizing you, it's funny because I had the attitude, I think the same as you until I read your book that was hard to verbalize it where it's, it's create a brand and create an ethos around your culture and organization where people are calling you to come work for you. Not you recruit. You shouldn't have to use Indeed or Monster or anything, right?

Well, it's again, without patronizing you, it's funny because I had the attitude, I think the same as you until I read your book that was hard to verbalize it where it's, it's create a brand and create an ethos around your culture and organization where people are calling you to come work for you. Not you recruit. You shouldn't have to use Indeed or Monster or anything, right?

Who's the, is it Jody? Jody Underhill. Yeah, you're marketing. Right. Rabbit hire. Yeah. So when you look at that, if you can, back to what you were saying, is if you can execute on your culture to where people want to come to you, you've already beat 90% of your competition, maybe 95.

Who's the, is it Jody? Jody Underhill. Yeah, you're marketing. Right. Rabbit hire. Yeah. So when you look at that, if you can, back to what you were saying, is if you can execute on your culture to where people want to come to you, you've already beat 90% of your competition, maybe 95.