Marketing and the Hustler’s Mindset with speaker and master marketer, Odell Bizzell II

James Robilotta: 00:00:01

Welcome to diner talks with James slide into the booth and let's have conversations we never want to end with friends we never want to leave over food we probably shouldn't be

James Robilotta: 00:00:22

my friends welcome to another episode of diner talks with James I'm James and I'm pumped to be here kickin it with y'all in the diner. Today we talking about man from down south but down in North Carolina so when I think North Carolina I think diners you know I got to go to waffle house. You know, I'm getting that All Star Special. You know, I'm getting them scrambled eggs with cheese. I'm getting a waffle pour and every little bit of butter I have in every single one of those squares. No square left on touch by butter syrup on my waffles. I'm getting grits too because that's how we do it down south. But either way, my friends I'm excited to connect with you. What do you have in a waffle house today? You're gonna get one of those steaks you get fancy and a steak of you get yourself one. I don't know if it's a real estate but get it. I'm excited to be connected with you today. My friends here in the Waffle House down in North Carolina. With my boy Odell. Buzzell, you can't make up a name like that. No one can. But that's his name. Oh, del Bizet. Let me tell you about him. He is Andy and doors his firstborn, Christine's favorite Sierra's husband, Mikayla rain and Will's dad. You know, Christine's favorite bus here is husband, yo. I don't know the whole story there. I'm just saying, hey, well, let's keep it moving. After all, that Odell is a master marketer, a superior communicator and a professional speaker, author and coach to 1000s all over the planet. He was voted Guilford County's 85th funniest person in a random study. Bring it y'all. Oh, Dells career span close to 15 years as a speaker, writer, podcast host and a self proclaimed greatest basketball player rapper speaker published author in the history of the world. I challenge one of those rapper anyway, it's fine. I'm bringing them out right now. My man O'Dell Brazil.

Odell Bizzell: 00:02:11

Hey, what's going on Donna talks family James Robo Robo. Lotta what's happening?

James Robilotta: 00:02:18

What's happening? My man how you doing? What's going on down in in Greensboro.

Unknown: 00:02:22

I'm living the dream and winter or the fall of Winter hasn't hit us yet. we looking at 70 degrees today. So feeling real good.

James Robilotta: 00:02:32

We are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Officially Minnesota got hit with winter. The high today is 12

Unknown: 00:02:40

degrees. Ash, I'm actually just thinking about it.

James Robilotta: 00:02:45

I am too but you can't tell privilege anyway. due soon that too soon in the interview, anyway. But, man, I'm pumped to be with your Dell. We have been friends for a number of years now. And I've had the honor and the privilege of getting to know you more and more. You got to take you out to a lovely Brazilian restaurant. In

Odell Bizzell: 00:03:12

Arkansas. Oh, yeah. Our

James Robilotta: 00:03:13

little rock, right? Yep, for sure. You didn't know what we were eating. You just trusted me. And I appreciated that man. You told me that you don't like to eat outside your hotel room on the road. So I appreciated you trusted me in that moment. But we've been friends for a long time now. And I've come to admire you and really respect you. And so I'm excited that you're in the diner with me my man sorry, it took so long to get you here. But pumped. You're here man.

Unknown: 00:03:38

A man I appreciate you and for everybody listening if you're listening to this guy, you know that he's the real deal. But if perhaps you're listening to this because of me and not him, I'm here to tell you that guy's a real deal. Follow him listen to all the things that are that he's saying. I'm just pumped to be here man. You know Waffle House is the place for

James Robilotta: 00:03:59

you and it's the spa. what's your what's your late night it's called diner talks with James Odell. We got to talk about late night eating. What is you have a late night eating guilty pleasure.

Unknown: 00:04:09

Not really, man. So my wife, Sierra, and the introduction was hilarious. By the way, Christine is my grandma. Oh. What do you mean by that? Christine is my grandma. I'm the favorite grandson. And so any of my cousins listen to this. You already know what it is. But, um, so my wife is a holistic health coach. She she made us a dry house for a number of years dry meaning not alcohol, but sugar. So when I was on the road when I'm on the road, that will usually be my time. You know, Oreo cookies. Peanut m&ms recent like all of that stuff. Yeah. Now when I'm at home if I get up the most sugary looks luxurious thing I have is my cranberry dried cranberry cashew almond. Pumpkin seeds

James Robilotta: 00:05:11

you devil you

Unknown: 00:05:15

I don't I don't have anything. I don't have any juice in the house. It's uh, you know it she says that it's gonna I'm gonna thank her when I'm old. But yeah, so let's leave it at that.

James Robilotta: 00:05:28

Wow can't blame it on the juice got me feeling anyway the the shout out the Jamie Foxx it actually brings us to our sponsor Adele, one of our sponsors of the podcast Jamie Foxx. Thank you so it's a lie that's a complete lie. We don't have any sponsors the the dry I love it. You said the dry household not alcohol but sugar. And right now what I'm picturing is when you're on the road, you're like hitting up that first gas station outside of the airport. me like I gotta get by Reese's. It's been too long. The road? Who knows what, you get three desserts at Applebee's.

Unknown: 00:06:14

Yes, and see your problem won't listen to this episode. So not anymore.

James Robilotta: 00:06:18

Anyway. Thanks for listening as far though care, take care. The it's awesome. I love that, you know, we we have the privilege of being able to travel around the country and experience different things and be around. And it's funny because you and I, when we when we did meet up a little rock, I learned that we traveled differently. And that when you when you get into a location, you're pretty much going into the hotel and getting some work done and getting settled. And maybe, I mean, I don't know, if you're eating at the hotel restaurant or picking up fast food on the way or maybe getting delivery. I don't know. But, you know, whereas I'm like, on Yelp immediately being like, Alright, I got 15 minutes of the gig, but where's the best local hotdog spot in between here and the campus? Because I want a story. So that's funny, right? I mean, to people who who are road warriors who just just handle it a little bit differently.

Unknown: 00:07:16

Yeah, I, I think it's just the way I was raised. Man, a lot of stuff defaults to, to childhood. Um, I was I was taught to not trust strangers, in a great way, for a variety of reasons. Being a black man in America, raised by a very conscious father. You know, no matter where you are you guilty. So just, you know, always be somewhere where you can kind of control the environment. And so there's that part I was just ingrained in me. But then once travel started, and my wife, Sierra, she used to travel with me before the kids. So when we would travel will be fun. But then it was like travel became a duty. And it was just like, Alright, I gotta go here, gotta get this done. Got to get the work done and all that stuff. And so and I've always been a social introvert so I don't you have a very big personality people like you people like my big bro business partner stand Pearson like big personalities. I have a really big personality in a small setting. Or if I'm on stage, right, so those are the only time so when I come to my also I have a house full of kids. I've got three kids. So when I get on the road, it's kind of like isolation, solitude, peace. You know, I am tranquil. I am cool. Also, as married men, you can respect this. My wife and she I don't even worry about me going over it. So it's like, Hey, babe, look at both. I'm inside the hotel by myself. Like I've been all the years we've been together. So it's just keeping consistency man, cutting out the variables. But to the point when we met up, um, if my if I have a friend in town, or if I'm going somewhere and I know somebody that I that I trust that I like being around. Yeah, we can hang out. Like that's that's not a problem. I was in New Hampshire with the guy we know. A Peterbilt peeler. Villegas.

James Robilotta: 00:09:25

Mm hmm. That was diner guests. Yes, they

Unknown: 00:09:27

stayed with him. Right. So normally, I would not go stay with people. But you know, that's my God. So yeah, stay with him and hang out. So I said all that to say, when when people see me out and about Yeah, I'm gonna do what I got to do, but I like being alone. Mm hmm.

James Robilotta: 00:09:50

I totally it's funny, you know, since we had Rome, who's now 1111 months old. Probably about a year when this comes out, but you It did change the travel game a little bit right now it's the before it was like, Oh, I'm going to a new city, let me take an extra day. Let me you know, explore let me find all the cool places or maybe taking an extra couple days, right I remember the first time I spoke at Northern Arizona University, which is up in Flagstaff, it's like an hour and a half from the Grand Canyon. So I was like, I'm adding three days to this trip, right? Like, I'm not gonna be that close, and not do this. And that's, that's a luxury that has changed. Because now there's, it's important to get home, right? There's a reason as exciting reason to be home. And so, so yeah, and so it's very much last flight out. Last Flight out possible first flight out after the gig because you know, you got to get home and make sure you're doing what's right around the house. So and the home front, so I hear you how it's changed. I also hear you on the on the silence piece, where sometimes like you that mean either. And I actually have a buddy of mine, who I'm Hope this doesn't offend anybody. But here we go. Won't be the first time in diner talks. But he has three he has three girls. And he's like, Man, I'm gonna lie. He's like, I'm an atheist. But I started going to church every Sunday. Just so I can sit somewhere for an hour. Once a week. Just be no I mean, like, it's actually been very reflective. I really enjoyed it. And so yeah, anyway.

Unknown: 00:11:36

Hey, you know, religion, religion is less about God and more about perspective. That is funny, because I remember when we went to our we were in Arkansas, we were driving around, and it was like a church. And I believe it was Sunday. And it was a church, like every block. And I'm from the south. So I'm used to it. And we had a little discussion about religion. And I'm trying to remember the quote that you said, you were like, what was it? Like you said, my own beliefs? Right? Yeah. You said something to the fact that I'm not

James Robilotta: 00:12:15

cocky enough? I'm not. I'm not cocky enough to be an atheist. But I'm not. Or no. What was it? Forget my own line. Now. I'm a good speaker be effective, like an atheist. It's willing to have his mind change or an agnostic. To be an atheist. Right. Right. Right. Right.

Odell Bizzell: 00:12:39

Is that so? Is that change? No.

James Robilotta: 00:12:44

That's not it isn't. Maybe

Unknown: 00:12:45

by the end of this interview, we'll buy some good stuff that escalate man,

James Robilotta: 00:12:49

be the light be the light. Yeah. Oh, tell, you know, you mentioned your you mentioned your father. And growing up. And that was a, that was a powerful sentence that I make sure I want to make sure we come back. Where, you know, we said we some some of the effects of your dad teaching you that as a black man in America, you're you're always guilty, you're perceived guilty. And so you know, be somewhere we control your circumstances. You know, those are lessons that my dad didn't have to teach me. And it's, again, back to the serious side of the privilege conversation, not just the ashy part. And so but that's a powerful sentence, man. You know, I'm wondering, growing up, what was your relationship like with your folks?

Unknown: 00:13:34

Yes. So my, my parents, my mom, she immigrated from West Africa from Liberia. When she was like, 17 came over here to go to college. She was adopted by my grandma Mary, who lives across the street from my grandma Christine. And so my grandma Mary, was my grandma Christine's God was the god mom to my grandma, Christine's kids was my aunt's and my dad. And so when my mom came over here, my parents you know, met up, my dad love the accent, Love the chocolate skin. And, you know, the rest is history, as they say, but they it wasn't, you know, it wasn't a love story forever. They were married for like 10 years and broke up when I was really young. So, I grew up living the most I lived the most with my mom, my stepdad when she got remarried. But my dad was always there. So it was never like, where's my daddy, I don't know who my dad is, or anything like that. My dad was always there. And he was very intentional about letting us know, I'm an imperfect human. I know you can appreciate this because I'm an imperfect human. Learn from my mistakes. Don't don't make the mistakes that I made. You're gonna make mistakes, make some difference. So he's always just very open with me and telling me and I remember when I got my license, he said, All right, we live in. I live in Guilford County. But he said, we live in gilti. County. We live in a Redneck state. You're black, like, I watched you. And I remember having a conversation because as a teenager, you kind of push back. Any like, especially when it sounds like you're trying to hinder your freedom. I got my license, why are you trying to, like, you know, in my head, obviously, not now. But in my head. I'm like, why is he you know, trying to and he's like, Nah, I want you to come home. I want you to be safe. Now. This is I turned 16 in 2001. So this is before social media. This is before the stuff we see before the George Zimmerman hashtag before the hashtag before all that stuff. So in 2001, James, I'm like, Man, this ain't the 60s like in my head. I'm like, Man, this ain't the 60s, kind of dismissively. And my dad, he looked at me was in the car, he looked at me, I just want you to come home. I just want you to come home. And it was like, in that fraction of a moment, it was like, Huh? What, like, what's the big deal still, because I'm still in this kind of bubble of my own went to a predominantly black high school, all that stuff. So then I go to college, NC State shout out, shout, back. And I discover that, um, things are different man. So my dad telling me all that stuff, it kind of goes back, like the training that your parents give you. It goes back, I'm reminded to my grandma talking about life growing up. Now as she can go down this street, and all of it starts coming back. So I've always been super aware of stuff of things being not fair things being a little different. But again, and for right or wrong, is the way I was raised. And I tell my audiences this all the time, like, my experience is my experience. And I've gotten the results because of how I view my experience and have acted the stuff out. So I've always thought, like, when I play sports, you know, you've met me, I'm not tall. I'm not a tall guy. But I was really good in basketball for a long time. Because the one thing I could control is how much effort I put in. So whenever I thought about anything, business, my marriage, being a father, like everything, I always do more than what's expected. And so that that kind of drove me and race conversation a little bit, because you've heard and many people have heard of, you got to be twice as good. Be willing to accept half the result, all that stuff. But that was a challenge. I always put in my mind, it was like always, okay, this is this is what a bar is for me. Let me raise the bar a little bit. Let me let me figure out how to how to do it. Because it is what it is right now until it's not. So like things are gonna change, things are gonna continue to change, things are gonna continue to get better. And I always want to, you know, inspire people of that, because I have the perspective of my parents, when when they were younger, I have the perspective of my grandma, who turned 90 last week. So she can tell me, she's like, things are different. Like, they're not ideal all the time. But they're different. They're better. And so just keep making it better and better. Yeah,

James Robilotta: 00:18:39

yeah, things are different. They're not ideal. They are a look, they are better, but certainly not where they need to be. So yeah, that's that's powerful man, you know, you going to NC State, a predominantly white institution, after being in a predominantly black high school, that you had choices going to college. Now, right? Like you mean a great school NCAA and T is there in the triangle area, or obviously there any slew of outrageous institutions in the state of North Carolina, particularly the university, North Carolina Wilmington, where your boy went? And so don't let you're laughing too hard at that hotel. You're laughing too hard. Anyway. So you didn't go to school notion. But either way, but there are a lot of great schools, you know, when you went to NC State was, was there a thought of do I want to go to HBCU? Do I want to go to a PWI? Like, where like, what was that conversation? Like, you know, in your head, he's, you know, obviously, you grew up in a family that that cares about its its lineage, its history. You know, mom, literally coming here from Liberia and whatnot. It's a part of your life that I know you're proud of. I'm just wondering, you know, when that choice was made, what was that like for you?

Unknown: 00:19:57

I mean, you didn't tell me that diamond talks was gonna get ready By ying yang say that

James Robilotta: 00:20:04

you're gonna die man you I mean any sugar you can't go out at night.

Unknown: 00:20:09

In the pre, in the in the pre event conversation James was like, alright, what are you gonna talk about gonna talk about business? We'll talk about that we didn't even talk but this, this is fresh off everybody. So this nation we rolling. So I say that because actually is a really really deep question. And it was a very, very wasn't heated, I didn't have many heated arguments with my parents, because I backed down pretty quickly. But so I got really good grades in school, that eighth out of a class of you know, like 300 or something. And in high school, so I could have gone to any school. Me I wanted to who I wanted to play basketball. So Fayetteville State, Fayetteville State, North Carolina Central. And one other school I could have, like, play basketball. And my stepdad went to Central. And so I'm like, I'm thinking the same thing like you also, pool disclosure, I'm thinking about the male to female relation ratio, you know, the women, the men now I'm looking at that too. I'm looking at all of it. I'm like, these HBCUs are very appealing to me because they have a whole lot more women. So I'm I told I remember being in the kitchen, I applied to NC State, but the coach at Fayetteville State was like, you can come in and play basketball. I and I'm like, yo, I go play basketball. But I had also I had a full ride to NC State. So it was like all academics go to NC State, my best friend was going to NC State, like all that stuff, but I'm like, Nah, let me go over here, hoop. And so my, my mom, my stepdad we're like, this isn't a decision for you to make. We're gonna make it for you. You're going you're going to NC State. And I'm like, why? Like, why do I like I don't need to go to NC State where the ratio is is three guys to everyone. No one girl has a very heterosexual male. I didn't like that. I didn't like that. So that part was I didn't get to play basketball. My stepdad who's like six. One is looking over the top of my head. And he's like, you think you're gonna go to the NBA? He said, Let's he said, let's really think about this. Do you think you're gonna go to the NBA? And me being very self aware? Probably not. Like I probably wasn't going to go to the NBA. He said, Okay. So what happens next? So you graduate. Um, look, I went to Central, I went to HBCU, I have multiple degrees. Your mom, she went to HBCU. She has multiple degrees from different HBCUs go go to the white school. Go to the white school. Because your the network of people you meet will be more diverse. You will be you won't, it won't be a whole lot of people like you. You can stand out. And wherever you go in the state of North Carolina, they look at your degree from NC State and they look at a degree unless it's very specific. They look at a degree from any other school. They're going to be like, Okay, you must be smart. No lie, no cap. That's what they told me. And, again, my experience. I'm not I'm not here to say Anything's better than anything. I'm just saying what they said to me. And I was like, Okay, that makes sense to me. All right. So I decided to go to state and like I said, my best friend that probably moved the needle a little more. My best friend who I've known since I was 11. We're still friends to this day. He was going to NC State. Like we're gonna be rooming together for you. So that was that probably move the needle a little bit. But that's that's how it happened, man. And I'm I'm glad that I went to NC State because of the result. You know, I met seer. I got to do some really dope things, some cool things. And I'll say this before, I'm kind of pass the mic back to you. Whenever that conversation came up, like even after I graduated, what it is what it is, I would go I would be introduced on stage. I would put NC State University in my bio because you know when you first started now you ain't gotten a nose.

Unknown: 00:24:49

visual guy knows. Like he's a graduate. So many times people said Auntie really? Yeah. Graduate From North Carolina and sees like it says NC State right there by NC says NC State but they just assume that I went to ANC. I'm from Greensboro and and I'm black. So all of those different things, man it there there were things like their tabs open in the background right like they're just things that okay, maybe they were right i don't know i mean life has worked out pretty well it's really hard to say why should have done this if it didn't work out, you know if it worked out so that was my experience. That's why I didn't go to HPC

James Robilotta: 00:25:36

Yeah, I did not know that story, brother. That was I appreciate that. And yeah, I mean, what a what a cool conversation to have what, what a fascinating turn of events that that moment where, you know, someone's looking down at you and be like, you really got it. You got an MBA man.

Odell Bizzell: 00:25:56

My parents are savage man. Like, the thing.

James Robilotta: 00:25:59

Here's what I know. I don't know you had handles right? I know, you were good out there. You know, I'm saying you had the quick release on a jump shot for a short man. You good, right, the original Steph Curry. And so I see you. That's just disrespectful. Right? But no, either way. No, that's amazing that they. I mean, it's amazing that y'all were able to have that, that kind of conversation. And, and very, very powerful one at that. So you decided to go to NC State. You're not playing basketball there. You're still a weak rapper. So you're not doing that. They're like, I'm gonna take my shots here while I get the mic on.

James Robilotta: 00:26:44

But you get to see this facial expression when I said that that was priceless. So she had a screenshot of that. But either way, you know, you're talking about how you you had this dream of being a basketball player now, but then you decide to go to NC State because you are very strong academically right? Impressive top 10 ranking in a big high school. And so for you, what was the goal? Early? Like what were you thinking? Like, you know, basketball, wasn't it? Where was it? What was Odell going to do? Would you want to

Unknown: 00:27:13

make make a million dollars before I graduate, so I didn't have to graduate? Okay, straight like that. Like that was the the foolish, ambitious. I imagined James, I've gone through so many iterations of myself, you know. And as I as I tell the story, go back. I'm honestly shocked that I listened to my parents, like, honestly, like, I've never I've always been the kid and I'm getting it back from my oldest and my youngest. There's so much like me, in the sense that you tell him what to do. And you make it make sense and like, all right, and it was good. Do whatever the heck they want anyway. Mm hmm. And then it's like, Didn't I just say don't do that. It's like, Yeah, you said I did it. I will punish me. Like that. That's how I was like, I was I was that kid where it's like, okay, I see the line. I'm not a habitual line stepper, I'm gonna jump over that mofo and then hopefully jump back before anything happens. So I'm surprised I listened to them. But getting to school was kind of like, school was always easy for me. It was never anything I really had to think about doing so I go there academic scholarship and narrow my best friend. And I'm like, yo, is party time. Like, let's figure out we get this money. Let's let's figure out how we can graduate as multimillionaires. I had a quit uation date, James not a graduation, which who I just quit uation and you making fun of the wrapping. That was the first plan. We're gonna be platinum wrap. And to discover, we're gonna be platinum rappers. I'm dark skinned, my friend light skinned was gonna be like a new modern kitten play. No lie. That's what it was gonna be. And so we went on that path. We got involved on some other stuff, too. That's when network marketing hit our lives real heavy. But I was I was just trying to figure out how to make a million dollars as quick as possible. That's what it was. I wasn't interested in school. Outside of, it's free. There girls here, you have that controlled, I'm grown but I can still go home and wash my drawers type thing. So that that's what it was. And I spent the majority of my college years with that foolishness, and I call it foolishness because it was ignorance. It was ignorant ambition, like the goal of making a million dollars is not a bad goal. But just the way that I was thinking that it would happen in the timeframe was foolish. And so I was just super ignorant. really instilled in man I had to In my last year

James Robilotta: 00:30:03

that is perfect. But at the same time, you know, knowing you today, I'm not blown away by it, right? Just because I mean, you, you have always possessed the entrepreneurial spirit. Yeah, right from the jump, even in the way that you've hustled and your speaking career, right, and just in the way that you have, put yourself out there, the marketing that you've done around yourself and the growth that you've seen around the speaking right, like them, I remember when you kind of I don't know, was when you first came on the scene, or, you know, I think I think you and I met early in your speaking career. And, you know, and the numbers you were doing, you weren't excited about, but you're like, Yeah, I'm trying this, and I'm doing this, I'm doing that I got this going on, I got this cook, and I got this. And I'm like, I'm over here, like, sure I'm not doing anything. Right, like, your hustle is being contagious and helped me get creative in some of the ways that I've marketed myself. And so you have always had the hustler Spirit inside of you. So I'm not I'm not blown away by it right, especially as a as we hear you talking about your work ethic on the court, your work ethic around the home, in terms of the way that you carry yourself. And, you know, like, I got to handle my business and take care of what I got to do. And then I come back to the house, right? Like you mean, just the way that you speak. You make sure that you are you're handling what you need to handle it because the bigger goal is the most important thing, and so I'm not blown away by it. I'm also someone who was a firm believer of begging for forgiveness, instead of asking for permission. So I'm aligned jumper myself. And so, so I get it. I piss a lot of people off in traffic where I literally jumped a lot. I don't know what we're all waiting over here in the right lane for

Unknown: 00:31:51

but anyway. So you're that guy. You're that guy.

James Robilotta: 00:31:55

I'm that guy. I'm that guy.

Unknown: 00:31:57

I'm gonna be a little bit nicer to that guy then cuz like, Who is this? Do you think you're better than everybody? Man? I don't do that. I don't I actually don't yell in traffic. My wife. I don't think you've ever met here. But she's the meekest kind is quiet as woman until she gets in traffic us. It's like she will beat the horn fat. I'm like, Hey, what's going on? And um, somebody cut me off. And I just be like, well, we didn't die. So everything's fine. And she's like, how could you not do that? And she's trying to beat the horn for me, so, but I'll be kinder to that guy now. Like, like, oh, that might be somebody like James. He's really a nice guy with a nice beard. So it's fine.

James Robilotta: 00:32:47

Thank you. Thank you, Odell. That's all I need. That's all I need. You know. And also, you know, when it comes to this hustler spirit, like you've written? I mean, how many books have you written? 765 1010? Wow, that's crazy, right? perfected passion produces prosperity. Eight things my parents didn't tell me about money, America's guide to financial, personal success. Young Americans guide the time between paid to speak why I fired my white best friend. I mean, like the list, the list goes on to success choice, right? Like this. barely out of college, barely out of wealth. The right like, it's it's there. I don't know. I mean, you're like Hamilton out here. I don't understand how you write in this much. But, but again, it is. It's compelling to see. And so I guess a question for you is, where does the hustle come from? And why does it? Why does it still perpetually navigate your choices?

Unknown: 00:33:57

Yeah, man, I so I've written 10 books. I'm actually working on one right now. Also, I love to write first and foremost. So I think my career and being a speaker and all that stuff, was grounded in the whole premise of how can I make the most money the quickest, really, with what I'm good at. And so I remember a mentor of mine. When I was in college, he was like, So what are you gonna do? It's like, I don't really know. And he said, Maybe you should be a speaker as my public speaking professor, Dr. Pine, I'm a rest in peace. So maybe you should be a speaker. But I didn't really want to speak. I that's that's like this the secret that I don't really share. I wanted to write. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be like JK Rowling I wanted like I wanted to be a writer. Yeah, but 2007 When I graduated, it was kind of like you draw a line down the middle, there's writing and then there's speaking, speaking, I majored in communication. So I was always the guy that they said, Ooh, you could present this, you can stand up in front of the class, and you can present it, you do it. And so that was me. And so you're the one that's going to be the spokesperson, you're this person, you're that person. Cool. No problem. I've always done it, never, never worried about it. And then Dr. Pond says, Oh, you're really good speaker bla bla, bla, bla. But it was on the other side, I was like, I want to write, I want to write creative novels, I want to write fiction, I want to write those those kinds of no nonsense business books, I want to write all that stuff, because I love reading that stuff. And so I couldn't James figure out how to make money quick from right. Just couldn't figure it out. Because again, 2007, you don't have Amazon KDP, you don't have, you're basically trying to get a book deal. I don't know how long that's gonna take. Versus over here. In the speaking when I started going down that rabbit hole, it's like, oh, you know, colleges pay speakers. At that time, the the magic number for me was $2,500. A speech is like $2,500, that's a month check from the job I was working. So Yo, 2500. You know, even after expenses, I'm getting, you know, maybe 1800 coming home, I do a couple of those. And I'm killing it, right. So that that's where it went. But I still always wrote because that's what I love to do. And also for me as a speaker, it's easier for me to create something, and then I just teach on it. So like, when you were reading some of the titles, eight things, my parents didn't tell me about money, I have a financial literacy program for access programs for a trio and gear up in different groups. So when I wrote that book, it was kind of like, okay, this is all the stuff that I wish I would have learned about money. I can teach this to teenagers. So now my presentation is all about that. So it's just very easy to reference and quote myself, than it is to let me try to figure out this thing. So it became a process. It's like, every time I was trying to figure out, and I know you, you know, this and some of your listeners, you're trying to figure out, like, what the heck am I gonna, like, speak about? It's like, well, what can I write about? Like, what can I have write about all this stuff in this like, Oh, snap, okay, as just like my new book that's gonna be coming out public speaking profits had a 10x your income, they'll celebrity and authority with the power of public speaking, it's like, all I'm doing is writing down the things that I've been doing the last couple of years, that have magnified my income. And it's like, oh, this is really easy to write about. So then when I start presenting it, it's like, wow, that's such a handle on the content, like I wrote, it was pretty easy to do.

James Robilotta: 00:38:02

Yep. That's real, that's real. It's also interesting to think about, you know, what comes first? And what, what's the thing that we like the most? And therefore, how do we build the business so that we can keep doing the things that we like, and other things, feed it? Right? It's a little chicken or the egg. A lot of a lot of, you know, a lot of people come talk to you, you coach a lot individuals and who want to be speakers. Now, I'll be writing books about etc, etc. And, you know, I've had a fair number of people ask me, you know, how did you get here? How did you start, etc, etc. A lot of people think they can't be a speaker until they write a book. That's not the case, right? Like I wrote, I wrote a speech, a speech sold. And I was like, Oh, this is a pretty popular speech, I should turn into a longer product and made it into a book, I set this up for you. Because I wanted to market but, but still, the, the end of the day, it's what brings you the most joy. And then what will allow you to keep doing the things that bring you the most joy, maybe that means having to do a couple things that aren't as sexy. Like, you know, like, we were talking a little bit offline. And he said, You know, I really love to speak. It's what I love to do. But it's not, it's not my most favorite thing in the world. Right? Some that you have a passion for the challenge for, and you're and you're very good at it. But just because that's there doesn't necessarily mean that's what we want to spend all of our time doing. And so, as we start to see, our, our life is a pie chart. You know, what do we want to have the biggest piece? And what are those smaller pieces doing to feed our opportunity to make sure that that piece that we care the most about, say is the biggest then so so I totally get that. And so it's cool to kind of hear a little bit about the ins and outs of that work.

Unknown: 00:39:52

For sure, man, and I'll add this to because connected to your question earlier about, where's the drive? Where's the hunt? come from I have always been thinking about when I turned 40 I just want to be able to go to a cabin somewhere, and, and bang out a best seller, while the other family's there and all this stuff, and, you know, I'll be 44 years. So it's like this getting really real I could I could really make this happen. And, and so it's one of those things man, like you said with the pie chart and all that stuff, the realization that I can do what I love and make a lot of money and help a lot of people is one of those things I think, as a professional speaker, as a professional communicator or author or what have you. It's hard to quantify that feeling, or, like really explain what that feeling is like, um, but it's possible. And then you know, living the life and knowing is just you just have to structure the business the way that it is. And we all make this stuff up. Right? That's why I love you know, your premise of imperfect leadership and all that stuff. All this stuff is made up all of the stuff that we see around us. Somebody made it up in their mind, I'm tired of standing up. What if we had this device, this mechanism, maybe a furniture that we could rest our bottoms on, so we wouldn't have to stand up? You're crazy. Yes. But I will make it happen. A chair, like whatever. Like, however that happens, I everybody makes it up. First, you make it up, and then it happens. And so the the ability to be able to like be intricately part of that, you know, as a speaker that speaks different messages to people. It's one of those things where my friend Frank kitchen, you know, it says we got to drink our own Kool Aid. We got to drink our own Kool Aid, the stuff that we believe the stuff that we say, Oh, you can manifest it, or you believe it, you can achieve it and all that stuff, do it. So that's another reason I want to be that for my kids. I want to be that for my wife, for other people. So it's like, Man, where did he come from? Like, how did he do that? How did they do that? It's like, I literally made it up. You can do?

James Robilotta: 00:42:25

Yep. Yeah, right. Your goal in college, your goal in college was to make a million dollars, so you could make it to your quit uation date. And so I'm wondering, you know, we got we got family, we got life, life has changed a little bit, etc, etc. You know, what, what's the goal that you're working towards? Right now? That seller is one of them? What What else? You got the list?

Unknown: 00:42:50

Yeah, man. Gosh, I wish I like, in a sense, I do get to talk to young old deal in a sense. I look at pictures and stuff and talk to him. But I the the big thing for me now is his lifestyle, his lifestyle and being able to give my kids and if they decide to have kids, to give them that view of Oh, snap, like you can do this. Also, you know, my wife, my wife is not, you know, like Tina, your wife, she has no desire to be a professional speaker, but she wants or she has her own business and she wants to grow that business. So the things that stopped me early on, I don't want her to have those same impediments. I want her to be able to freely go okay, well, shoot. Yeah, I'm gonna spend $10,000 on this coach, because my man got it, right. Like my husband got me. Or I'm, I'm just I'm, I'm gonna do this event. Because I know even if it doesn't work out, I have that safety net directly living in my house. And so I just want to be the source of more people's dreams coming true. Starting in my house. And then as we as we go out, and that's that's really why me and Stan started Namkha. Because standard, he's done more in years and more in income, probably I don't know, we haven't calculated lately, but he's done more than me. So we when we got together, we were like, What can we build is like bigger than ourselves, like, what can we do to help give people that Head Start that we didn't have, so that we can create those success stories? Because it's seeing those success stories? Just like I know, you've had this experience where you people that you spoke to 10 years ago. They're grownups. They have families and all this stuff, and they see you as a man. I remember your speech and I remember that. It's like that feeling is like It is so crazy feeling that I believe that God James, look at me that, that God, He gave us the opportunity to have to recreate, because success is only success if it can be recreated. And so that that's the feeling that I want now, every so every time I do a coaching program, every time I write a book, I'm going after that feeling. And what happens is, when I go after that feeling, I get money. And the better I am at explaining how people can get to that feeling, the more money I get. It's a beautiful universe that God James Thank God created an ever expanding universe. I'm gonna say this last part says last part that I told you at the beginning I was I'm gonna get I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you to believe so the world was designed in was built to expand. You know why that is? You know, I'll explain how. Because we don't know why.

James Robilotta: 00:46:04

Wait, how do you explain the seven days thing to that'd be great. Good.

Unknown: 00:46:07

Good. Seven days is not about time. It's about how we view time. First of all, that's the first thing you never know. Like, it's like seven days. You ever been with your lady? And it's like, man, time went by so fast. It wasn't three days. It didn't feel like three days right? Time is all about perspective, man. But that's another conversation for another day. But an apple if anybody can imagine an apple you cut the apple in half you can count how many season apples those two seasons foresees. Oh, severe fruit for Apple is eight season is apple. I never seen Apple ACs. But anyway. So then, if I eat the apple, I consume the apple. But I let the seeds go to the ground. How many apples could come out of one seed? James? How many? Just answer that question. Real quick. How many? How many apples could come out of one seed? Just 100th? Hundreds, right? Hundreds, though you consume, but But see, here's the thing you consume to create. Oh, you're gonna get that one on the way out. When you add it to this? Are you gonna get it on the web you consume to create. And so we've got to be many creators. I'm talking to somebody right now, right now. But I said all that to say, Man, that that's where I am right now. It's like, How can I create more of these opportunities, like every word is to see every book is to see every program is to see. And it's like, if I get all those seeds out there, all of them won't come up and produce a harvest. But add a tin maybe three will. So that's success for me. Yeah. That's a church. Same.

James Robilotta: 00:47:52

You consume, to create you consume

Unknown: 00:47:55

to create, See, most people just consume just to consume for themselves you consume so you can create more and give more people the opportunity to

James Robilotta: 00:48:05

create. Yes, yeah. Open the doors for others, who don't recognize that they have the power to open the door themselves sometimes. That's, that's first of all, that's beautiful. Second, thanks for taking me to church. Third. You know, you mentioned Namkha, if you could just really quick, flush out that acronym for us. And tell us a little bit of what you and Sam are planting. Nailed it.

Unknown: 00:48:31

Yeah, Stan, I know what you meant to say. I know what you meant to say, Stan.

James Robilotta: 00:48:36

I said, Stan,

Odell Bizzell: 00:48:37

is it Sam?

James Robilotta: 00:48:38

Sam? Sam is Dan Pearson. I'm sorry.

Unknown: 00:48:42

I know, you know, who knows? For sure. So Namkha because because in higher ed, we love acronyms. Right, we got to have them as the National Association of masterminds and co curricular advancement. And the whole idea of Namco has to produce and create unique professional development opportunities for those that work in higher education. Because most people that work in higher education are overworked, underpaid, and they they really, they're either disgruntled and don't want to say anything because they don't want to cut their, their, you know, their job off and they don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. Or they're very enterprising, and they can kind of work around the system. And we just help bring those opportunities to hire people. We help kind of reframe their minds around higher education and what it means to serve students and different things like that. So that's like the front end of Namco. Right? That's what we do on the front end. On the back end. With our associates, what we do and in our partners, is we basically say hey, we've got this group of enterprising intrapreneurial higher ed people that plan co curricular events, and they're looking for speakers they're looking for talent they're looking for X and let's let's get together and where we kind of separate from the you know, the the knackers The app because the NAS was where we separate is really in two areas where we focus more on building up the hire professional as an individual, we focus more on that. But then we also focus on bridging that gap between those that want to work with college students and at colleges. And we give you warm introductions, and we transfer trust. Um, we met at a, I think we met for the first time at NCSL. When I snuck in, by the way, that's FYI, I didn't, wasn't even supposed to be there. But like three people dropped out, I've had like three people dropped out or something. And then they call me like three weeks before the event. And we're like, can you still do this one that we rejected two months ago? And I'm like, Of course I can. So I got in. And NCSA was really cool. A lot of those, you know, LEED 365 Like those groups, but they do it. Like everybody else does. They don't, they don't for whatever reason, logistically or whatnot. They don't go from Hey, James, how are you? This is Stan. Stan works at this school in Missouri. They hire keynote speakers for their conference every year. Stan, do I have a speaker? Now we're actually still Well, James is a great speaker, boom, that like they don't go the extra step. And like I said at the beginning, like we always want to go the extra step like what would I have wanted somebody to do for me when I first started and that was it. So that's what Namco is all about. And that's why we're really excited to be launching Namco Namco live coming in 2022

James Robilotta: 00:51:45

Let's go Let's go. That's incredible. You are right, higher ed is indeed indeed soup and the LEED 365 NCSL, as are all college student leadership conferences, NASA as well for higher ed, higher education professionals. Now for those of you not in the higher ed soup world. But you set a really powerful phrase, which, you know, we're seeing it is our job to transfer trust. That's a big, that's a big phrase. It's a cool phrase. And it is a no easy task. But when you have quality on both sides, it becomes easier. Especially, especially when the conduit looks as good as Nam good does. And so. But transferring trust is I don't know, that's to say, it's got me reeling a little bit, like what do I do as a speaker? And how do I transfer trust to the audience so that they listened to the rest of my talk? Right, like Jay Z, once said, famously, first to have their ear now have their hearts and right it's that similar, that similar thing, and it's just, I don't know that that phrase is going to stick with me for a little while, because it's, it's the power of sales. Really, now, and why do we buy the things we buy? Not just because they're shiny, but because they made us feel something? And so yeah, I don't know. That was that was Well said, sir. I appreciate that phrasing.

Unknown: 00:53:13

Sugar, man. Yeah, well, you know, we're all professional communicators, and I gotta tell everybody, use what works for you, I anybody listening to this if, if you're in the business of words, like me and James, I find some good words, put them together and make them your own and use them to help somebody do something positive you know, if they're alliterative,

James Robilotta: 00:53:34

alliterative, even better. Sales,

Unknown: 00:53:39

alliteration and rhyming sales, and I'm just gonna let all the the the undertones of you questioning my, my rap prowess. So I'm gonna let all that pass and call it like, we're friends. So I'm not gonna say anything, but about that. And so in the beginning, I wasn't saying that I'm the greatest rapper, I was saying all of those things together. Like, Speaker rapper fault. Like, there's no combination. And I this is a standing challenge I've done for years. Anybody that can do all of them, at the level that I can do them, I am looking for that person that can rap. As good as me and speak as good as me and write as good as me and all and who is good as me. Like all of those things together like that. That's what I meant. I didn't mean I'm the best speaker. No, I don't think that not definitely not the best rapper at all. Um, but yeah, but you know that that's what I meant.

James Robilotta: 00:54:45

Sure. Yeah, I know what you meant. But it's funny if I break them apart and pick them apart. That's that's the funnier thing to do. Adele. So that's why I did that you understand? Right? And by the way, I think you and I need to get together because I may give you a run for money and money. These things I'm lethal in the post or Right, so let's go

James Robilotta: 00:55:06

for so I wasn't doing anything at that height in the post in the big leagues. But yeah.

Unknown: 00:55:12

Nice to have you back. Oh, oh, yeah, get those quick twitch muscles. Hope they work. Oh, yeah.

James Robilotta: 00:55:22

You know, I'm aware knee braces already know that I love it, Odell. Here's here's the last thing I wanted to touch on with you. Now, because you are a master marketer. And marketing is something that there are some humans that are really great at it. There are some humans who think they're great at it. So they do it a lot, and it's painful. And then they're more humans, I believe the most humans that don't think they deserve it. They don't think they have something to market that don't think they get in their own way. They're writing a story and I sometimes fall in this category where I think that marketing and selling is a How would I put it It fights my Accommodator that's inside of me. I feel like I'm burdening people by telling them, hey, you know, I think I got something that can be really good for you. Right? Like, so a lot of people write themselves, right, a lot of stories about themselves, when it comes to marketing and, and to kind of close our conversation. I'd love to hear your thoughts about that. Any of those three, but mainly the third one of like, how do you get out of your own way and realize, you got something that is worthy of telling other people that you got something?

Unknown: 00:56:39

For sure, man, I would say, whenever we're in the process of discovery, it helps to look around is like everything in your house. Okay, everything that you have that you bought, Somebody sold it to you. Like everything, no matter how you how you position it in your brain, Somebody sold it to you. And the thing about sales, a lot of people think that sales is something if I'm selling something, something I'm doing to somebody that they don't want done, when is actually the opposite, I want you to sell me something, I just want it to be really good for me. That's it, I want you like I want that thing. So just like when you somehow coerce Tina into marrying you like however you did, that, whatever that looked like, it wasn't something that you were doing to her as far as I'm gonna trick her. I'm gonna make sure that like, No, it was like, we're doing this thing together. And so I think a lot of people for, for a variety of reasons. In our minds, we think I'm selling something to somebody, they're not gonna like it or you know, they're not gonna like me, or we have those pushy salespeople, right? That email us 19 times a day, or that, you know, tried to, you know, call us cold call, from, from wherever, whatever country, whatever business is, like, trying to sell us a manufacturer warranty or something. But we get all those thoughts in our head, because we're like, those are bad experiences. But we just got to be the good guys. And never make anybody feel like they have to do anything. It's like, this is something that you want to do. And you do. And and one thing that I always do, and I believe of Seth Godin, who kind of coined the phrase permission marketing, it just get people's permission. It's like, Hey, can I and I tell the story all the time, and I know we're short on time, because like when I sorry, when I when I fell in love with hip hop. I got to thank Bethany Anderson, my high school crush, who actually never, we never dated anything. She was just like, really cool. But she was listening to music. And I was scared to talk to her. I asked her what she was listening to, she's telling me she was listening to ready to die. Now, I didn't grow up listening to rap music, very, very conservative household, all that stuff. So I knew it was rap music, but I didn't know like who it was or anything like that. She let me listen to it. And whenever I'm telling the story, and an to an audience, I say now she gave me her CD. All that means that if she wanted to talk to me, or she wanted to get the CD back, she had to come to me. So it was like, I got permission to continue the conversation by getting her CD, because I had something of hers. And so I that granted me permission, the best thing that we can do in marketing or whatever, is just get people's permission like cannot, can I reach out to you and then they'll they'll do this. They'll either tell you no. Tell you nothing. Or say yes. Like that's it. Though. They'll tell you notes or tell you Nothing, which is mostly what happens? Or they'll say yes. And so if you can kind of divided in those thoughts, and then you justify why they do whatever I mean, you can say, Oh, my copy wasn't right or whatever. But it's just a matter of, well, maybe the thing that I wanted to give them or sell them, they didn't want it at this time. You've had the experience tons of times, they're like, oh, they saw you at a conference. Oh, we loved you. We fill out all star all five stars for your thing. And then it's like, Hey, can we just hire someone, we hire somebody else. And that's like, for real? Yeah, we got our speakers for the next years. But hey, we'll get back to you. And it's like, sometimes they do. Sometimes they do. And then it's like, Oh, snap, like, I must be really good. It's like, it's just the timing of it. So if we can kind of divorce ourselves from selling stuff to people is bad. Because that's what we think. And then just connected to, well, if this good if I explain and communicate the good that I have for you, in the right context, then you'll buy when you're ready. Like that little shift will help everybody who was not

Unknown: 01:01:14

I don't know if I should sell them stuff that I don't know. It's like, man have something to sell everybody. Students even so I have something to sell them. And again, you're not pushy about you just get them permission like, hey, is this something that you want? Cool, if not go forth with it. And I think it depends on your personality. I know you're a nice guy. You want to be a nice guy. And so just be a nice guy. And I say this because I want people to listen to the end. Because I say something crazy at the end. I want them to listen to that. But if I was a drug dealer, James, I would have been a real nice drug dealing like I would not, I will not be pushy. I will not be mean or anything like that. If if somebody owed me money, I would just say, hey, look, I don't want to have to get ROI on you was Roy's my Hitman ROI will kill you. I don't want to have to do that. Right? In this hypothetical scenario, I don't want to have to do that. So just give me my money. Because if you don't, I don't like blood. I'm just gonna I don't want to see it. So just get it done. But they'll be like, Oh, thanks, Mister drug dealer. I appreciate you you know having given me a net 15 on my drugs like you know so I'm not I'm not a hard sales guy at all like I don't I don't do that. So just just be you offer something good and see if they want it.

James Robilotta: 01:02:41

I love it brother. You know from going from biggies ready to die. The telling me you'll be a nice drug salesman. I mean, if I remember correctly, you know, I'm trying to go back through the tracklisting I believe that was one of the 10 Crack commandments if I'm you know.

Unknown: 01:03:02

See, yeah, so you got your quote and commandments. So you know where Biggie got 10 Crack commandments from the jail? Yes. From the 10 commandments. Bible. See James we're here man. Where are we are here. The altar is ready for you. Um, Cuba, Cuba, Oregon. The Oregon altar is always open, man whenever you're ready, bro.

James Robilotta: 01:03:25

Curia liaison. So brother, I, the first off great advice, you know, get the permission. And yeah, I think I think that makes sense. And I think everybody, anybody who's in the in the business of sales, whether you call it sales or not knows that a warm lead is better than a cold lead. And by getting that permission, it just, it just opens the door to conversations now, and it's it's also trusting that you have something that other people want. Right? And and other people are telling you that it's not like you just like came up with some random idea. No, I Well, I'll see if they want to hold them a Wotsits. Right. Like, it's no, like, you know, for the most part, if you're in the position, if you're listening to this, then you know, that you got something and, and so, it's my buddy Sam Davidson talks about this Venn diagram of where passion, talent and a need meets. And if you only have two of those, then you're always gonna feel a little unfulfilled or won't be as successful. Right. And so, so yeah, so that's, that's powerful brother. I really appreciate you man. I appreciate you coming in to the diner and kicking it with me. So special,

Unknown: 01:04:42

man, where's our food and our food has not gotten here yet. Worse diner ever. Waffle House man sometimes. It's worth the wait though,

James Robilotta: 01:04:51

huh? I still don't know how those short order cooks. Remember all those things? I have no idea.

Unknown: 01:04:58

Anything they just make up bunch of generic stuff and they're like, oh, yeah, I think we can. They wanted some waffles and some grits and some somebody is gonna eat it.

James Robilotta: 01:05:07

Yeah, someone ordered this in the store. Oh, no, I appreciate you coming through man. Oh yeah, let people know where can they find any of your 10 books? Ironically, as a marketing professional, they're not on your website. But let people know. I call it that at the end here, folks. But seriously, where can they find any of your awesome 10 books? Stay in touch about Namco stuff and just learn more about you.

Unknown: 01:05:34

Yeah, I will say the best way to get ahold of me is Instagram. At Odell bazille Not only Odell was on there or LinkedIn, Odell bazille. Any of my books, if you just go to Amazon, I mean, everything's got a search engine. Now you just go to Amazon, Odell Buzzell, the second, I promise, I'm the only one that's going to pop up. And there'll be a variety of books on there, the next book that's going to be coming out as public speaking profits. So if if you're interested in learning how to 10 extra revenue, build celebrity build authority, that book is going to be the book for you, but just go to Amazon. It'll be on there. Oh, Dale bazoo. Two Z's two L's

James Robilotta: 01:06:17

such a pleasure, brother. Thank you so much, man. Always great seeing you.

Odell Bizzell: 01:06:21

For sure, man. Same see.