Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: If you line up 10 consultants and they're all basically looking and doing the same, then you're not standing out. You should always think of, what can I separate myself? Right? How can I provide extra value, extra Service? So the Mr. Energy name did not come from me. People think I just gave it to myself because I'm Tony and I can talk to a wall for five hours with no problem. But that was a name that came out of two sources. One client delivery over the years, clients, end of the project. How did it go? Hey, best practices, lessons learned from me. What stands out, Tony? Your energy.
[00:00:33] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, I love that.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Then through consulting, success, coaching program. On one of the calls, somebody gets on, starts talking and says, wow, you know what I need today? I need some of these energy to get blah, blah, blah done. And it's not just about being extroverted or introverted. It's more about being. Bringing something to the table that nobody else is bringing to the table. Take a step back and think, what. What else can I bring of value? And focus on back to the people and the. And the culture and the. And the client first mentality.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: Other people told you what your different differentiator was and you leaned into it. That is huge.
What are people actually remembering about you after they work with you? Not your titles, not your certs, not the modules you're responsible for.
Better yet, what would they say about you when you're not in the room?
Today's conversation is with Tony Velazquez, founder of Angelus Advisors and someone many of us in the ecosystem know as Mr. Energy.
And yes, this episode has plenty of energy. There are laughs, there are stories, and at one point, Nikki said she was ready to run through a wall after listening to it. But this episode is really not about having a big personality. It's about standing out in a market where a lot of people are starting to sound the same.
Tony talks about personal, brand and AI, what drives you and finding out the power of that and why a reset matters when you're moving, whether from a project to a client or just one season of work. And honestly, this is where a lot of people are right now, trying to stay visible, stay useful, and still show it like themselves when everything around our ecosystem keeps changing.
We're so excited to have Tony Velazquez with us today. Tony is someone we have been connected for years, and actually, there's several reasons that we wanted to have Tony on Wavemakers. Tony's been in the ecosystem probably since 2012.
[00:02:32] Speaker C: 2012.
[00:02:35] Speaker B: He has seen a lot of what's happened over the, over all the years. And he's been with a firm, he's been independent, he started his own company and he's actually been part of a program that's called Coaching Success where he was coached on building a successful practice and now he actually coaches and mentors others. And his. He was just telling us before the podcast, he actually incorporates that in some of his services.
So, Tony, we are so glad to have you with us.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: Yes, thank you, thank you for having me.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: So let's just talk about it. So you started out, all right, 2012 and you were saying, and a lot of people won't remember Omni, OmniPoint OmniPoint
[00:03:12] Speaker A: Omni to Aon was a workday implementation partner boutique firm solely focused on workday. And then we got acquired by Aon Aon hewitt closely after 2012. And then Aon Hewitt then spun off and became Alite and then today ALITE spun off and became Strata.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: Right?
[00:03:33] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: It is happening with everything.
So we know that there's, there's been tons of change. The ecosystem's completely different than what it was in 2012. What's your overall feel with the market right now and you know, kind of what are you seeing or hearing on the streets or anything like that?
[00:03:48] Speaker A: Sure, sure. A lot of things have changed as far as clients, as far as partners, as far as people in the ecosystem. Some people have moved around, some people have left the ecosystem. When I started, I didn't have this in mind that I do today per se. I started because I knew several people who were in the ecosystem. I got recruited into it, personal friends. I, I love the vibe of starting something, of being in a close knit team, you know, people in jeans, on laptops, on a couch, just trying to accomplish something, really implementing a change for organizations. I learned a lot. One of the biggest implementations that, that I was on was bank of America, globally, that's where I earned my stripes. It was great. I loved it. I really learned a lot of the ecosystem and the market and I have a lot of contacts to today either within the workday space or in other type of ERP H R S systems. And then I value that a lot. So I do leverage that a lot when I can. And I go to multiple conferences. I can see all, all different types of, of technology, not just one specific system.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: What do you, I mean, are you hearing from clients that, or even just people that are in any kind of HR tech, you know, are they struggling with keeping. It's just so much being thrown at you Right now, you know, are you hearing success stories of how people are dealing with it or anything like that?
[00:05:15] Speaker A: So in my role, I think I hear more of what's on fire and what's in red. I jokingly tell this to people that are close to me and consultants. Usually the clients that are, everything's green and everything's perfect, they're not going to call me. Usually are the clients that are red and yellow and amber and. Or just don't know what they don't know, they don't know what they're getting into. Those are the type of calls that I receive. I think there is a lot, right. So let's just say client a organization A has been on a legacy system for decades. For you to ask that organization to make a change into a new platform, a new system, new processes, ask the people to basically forget what you've already known, learn something new as far as this system and how it works and the processes, integrations, change management, testing, it's a lot that gets thrown on and frankly, sometimes the decisions are made at the C level and come down and that project team that inherits that needs help. They need help. So one of the reasons why I started Angelus Advisors and I do what I do is I want to focus on client success, client first, client side, but really people first and the people that it impacts. So if you just got handed this project and you're like, hey, I think, you know, workday, why don't you become the workday lead? Why don't you run hcm, benefits, payroll, financials, whatever it is, right? That's on top of your day job, that's on top of your personal life. It is a big endeavor and you do need help, you do need guidance. And if I can be a small piece of that success and that guidance, I. That's what I live for. And I love getting that call three, five, ten years later and saying, tony, you made a difference. Thank you very much. That is what fuels me and gets me going from a client side perspective. So that's what I love to do and I love to focus on.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: And honestly, that's what, as I told you when I reached out to you, that was one of the triggers or one of the things that I'd seen in LinkedIn was someone that now you told me had been a previous client, that you had helped even after the fact as they were transitioning into a different role. And I just think that's awesome. It's so much more than the system. And you can tell your approach Is that. And that just, that's what it's about?
[00:07:36] Speaker A: Yes. When people ask me, what do you do? Obviously ERP H R I S transformation, project management, program management, help people select implement and support systems. But at the core I focus on people. I help people, I help people during that transformation. Change management for me is huge to me it's just like important. Just like any other module in, in workday I can have the best project plan and we're on time and we're on budget and everything's perfect and all the workbooks are done and, and testing's done and we deployed on time and we didn't miss the go live which some of that doesn't happen that way. But if nobody uses a system or they say that the system stinks or they have problems with the system later, that's really where, where the focus should be. Right. Is how successful are the people using the system.
[00:08:24] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:08:25] Speaker A: It's not necessarily just the technology around it.
[00:08:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:08:28] Speaker C: And I'm just going to chime in because you do work with so many people from leadership, you know and down. What is a non technical advice that you can give? You know, whether you are making those C level decisions or just kind of getting started with hands on keys that could help, you know, with the changes, with the shift, with the unexpected non technical advice.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: Great question, great question. So what I would say is be humble in the sense of your pursuit of knowledge and your pursuit of information and now because of so much technology and AI out there, really everything's at your fingertips for you to learn. Right. So what I would say for someone going through that journey is that expose yourself to that knowledge. Don't just say well that that's not my area so I'm not going to learn it. No, just the opposite. It's not. So I will learn it so I can know why we're doing. Why do I have to run this benefit integrations? Why do, why do I have to create this workbook? Why do we have to test the system? Why does deployment work this way? I'm not a pm, but let me talk to a pm. I'm not a benefits lead, but let me talk to a benefits lead like you should be exposed to all that so you can understand the big picture and the why you're going to be asked to do certain things. You need to be open to learning new areas so that way you can go ahead and educate people along the way. Right. So do I know it all? Like when I get on a project they're like, oh Tony, it's the workday expert. I'm like, look, I'm not a workday expert. There's two releases a year. So by the time the next release comes up, everybody's on the same playing field. There's something new that we all have to learn. So I'm very humble at that. I'm always learning. Now I am here to serve. If I don't know the answer, I'm going to find out the answer. I'm going to help you get there, you know, so am I the one that knows all the answers? I don't need to, but I want to make sure you get there. And if I walk away from this engagement and let's say you're live on workday now, I want to make sure I can give you all the tools in your tool belt so you can be successful moving forward. And that way, you know it all. And it's not like, yes, I'm live on workday, but I don't know how this works because no one ever explained it to me or I never asked the right questions. Just the opposite. Yes, on Live on Workday, I focus on this domain, but I really know the entire picture. And that makes someone, you know, more comfortable with the, the process and the journey rather than just focusing on one particular.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: And honestly, you're going to have to. I think we. So many people have said this is that you've got to expand because AI is going to take away some aspect of what people have been doing. So, you know, you, you need to get broader and, and it allows you, especially as a contractor, to serve your client in a better way. But one of the things that you said and I did my hands like this, it was, you know, you're like, if I don't know the answer, I'll find it. And that reminded me when I left industry and joined Grant Thornton, I can remember when the final interview was with partner the practice, and I said, you know, you're going to be billing me out at crazy amount of dollars. What if someone asked me something, I don't know if. And he said exactly what you just said. He said, as long as you provide value. And that could be finding the answer. Even if you don't know it, you're providing value. And that's all that people want. And we've, we literally. That stayed with me all these years. And we use that as we're even prepping people for conversations. You know, whether it's contractors or for direct hire roles, is you don't have to know everything. Don't try to figure your way through it and say, here's the way that I would go about finding a solution.
[00:12:03] Speaker C: Solution.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: Because it still provides value.
I love that.
[00:12:07] Speaker C: That. And that also kind of segues into another just differentiating yourself. Right. The differentiators out there. What have you seen, Tony, that maybe separates someone, that. That's super successful and the clients are always knocking on their door and others, it's just not getting as much traction as they'd want.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: So this can happen to anyone, right. At any moment. Something can impact you on what you're delivering as a consultant, on your business, on your small business, on your service. Right. Apart from that, I think there are definitely ways that you can separate yourself from the herd. If you line up 10 consultants and they're all basically looking and doing the same, then you're not standing out. You should always think of what, can I separate myself? Right. How can I separate myself? How can I provide extra value, extra Service?
So the Mr. Energy name did not come from me. People think I just gave it to myself because I'm Tony and I can talk to a wall for five hours with no problem. But that was a name that came out of two sources. One client delivery. So I was on project teams for workday, implementing workday global organizations. You might have project teams from 10 people to 60 people. And you as the project manager, were coming on board. People don't know you. You need to create instant rapport, and you need to build that relationship in order for you to get to the final destination of implementing a new change, a new system of building a transformation. Not an easy task. But most project managers, and I am part of pmi, so in case I upset any of my project managers, upset most project managers, don't come with a lot of flavor when it comes to delivering all this.
[00:13:50] Speaker C: Right?
[00:13:51] Speaker A: Right. It's pretty standard, pretty this. Pretty mundane. Let me talk like this.
So you lose. You. You're gonna. You're gonna lose people. Right? I mean, if I'm managing a global implementation of 60 people and various languages, I can't talk like that. I can't communicate like that. I need to bring the energy each and every day. Even when I'm tired, I have to bring that to the table. So people get motivated to get done whatever they need to do. So over the years, clients, end of the project. How did it go? Hey, best practices, lessons learned for me. What stands out, Tony? Your energy.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, I love that.
[00:14:27] Speaker A: I've never had a PM like you. I wish every PM was Like you, I didn't know what I didn't know. But by because you were leading us, I was more comfortable in the process. Tony, there was times I didn't want to go on this meeting, I didn't want to go to this discovery meeting. But you were there and you motivated us and you got us there. That meant a lot. That's why I was on that call. Wow. Okay. Then through consulting success, which you mentioned earlier, it's a coaching program for consultants all walks of life. Was a client for three years. Now I'm a coach. On one of the calls somebody gets on, starts talking and says, wow, you know what I need today? I need Tony energy. That's what I need. I need Tony's energy to get blah, blah, blah done. And it's not just about being extroverted or introverted. It's more about bringing something to the table that nobody else is bringing to the table. So back to the analogy of the 10 consultants lined up. Think, take a step back and think what, what can I bring to the table? What else can I bring of value? And focus on back to the people and the, and the culture and the, and the client first mentality. It's not just how quickly can you implement, it's more of a how can you adapt to this change as a team and how can you motivate people to get there? So I love doing that and it's genuine. People say it's there. And that's why I love saying I'm, you know, Mr. Energy. And now the problem is, at least for my wife, is that my, I have two kids and I have a five year old daughter and a nine year old son. And my son is Mr. Energy Jr. And he has, he has maybe 10x 10x on me.
So there's days that it's just like this is too much. My wife, who's an introvert, looks at me and says it's your fault.
[00:16:16] Speaker B: And.
[00:16:21] Speaker C: You know, and why do you, I mean it obviously is just other people picked it up, gave you the nickname. It's just natural. But why do you think even those that have been in the industry a long time, you know, why do you think they struggle, makes them maybe less memorable, but yet they have the same amount of years of experience, the same amount of projects, you know, why do you think some of those people maybe struggle a little bit of bringing that out?
[00:16:42] Speaker A: That's a good question. So let's start with being a consultant. Being a consultant is not easy. I have had over the years, people approach me in all walks of life, in all companies, in all, you know, companies that we work with. And they're like, Tony, I can't do what you do. How come? I just can't. I don't know when the next project, I don't know when the next paycheck. It's also that mindset at the very beginning. Some people are consultants that really maybe shouldn't be consultants, right? So if that's your mindset from the very beginning, it's really hard to bring out that extra energy that you need because you're already defeated in your mind, right? You're like, yeah, I'm doing this, but at any time someone's going to pull the plug or I'm doing this, but I'm just doing it to do it. It's not really my passion. So there's different layers to that that I think add to why someone could be successful, at least for me. My why is my family. It is not me my experience with workday or my experience implementing or anything like that. My why is my family. The reason why I made the decision is because I want the flexibility to be at home to wake up my kids and argue with them every morning so they can get out of the house and go to school. Sometimes I'm able to drop them off at school. Sometimes I can do school activities after school. I can sit down and do homework. I could do Disney trips. I've taken many calls from Disney. Right.
I can go on vacations and be more flexible. I want to be the hands on dad that my dad couldn't be because my dad was always working. So I was. I'm always working, but I'm always, I'm in, I'm incorporating that time with my family. So that's what motivates me. That's my fuel. So that's my why. So when I get to the table to answer your question, hey, what do you think? People aren't as successful. Why don't they bring that? That's what fuels me. So does Mr. Energy get tired? Yes. Are they days I get lazy? Sure are. These days I'd rather do something else. Yes. But my fuel is my family. Second to that would be my clients. Because I really am invested. It's a, it's a relationship to me. It's. If I say yes to this, it's going to happen. I even tell clients if I hit the lottery along the way, even though I don't play, I'm not going anywhere. Like I want to make sure this is successful, then I can Go stage left and then I can go and say I did everything I could, I took everything out of my tool belt to make sure this is successful. Now I can move on and do something.
[00:19:06] Speaker C: Oh, that's, I mean, to have that. Why? I think you nailed it, right? There's got to be a reason. We talked to contractors, consultants, or those that want to move, go independent, start their own business, you know, where do you think that that may not be the right path for them? Not even the technical piece. Right. Because they're going to have that technical side of it. What have you seen out there that even folks that have done it didn't quite have what it takes and they had to go back, you know, what's your advice?
[00:19:34] Speaker A: I would say take personal stock on your abilities, on what you do well, what you need to improve on, and what you clearly do not do well. Don't try to convince yourself if that doesn't happen. So for example, if I need to work on my communication skills, my public speaking skills, my presentation skills, frankly, you have so many resources around you to improve that very easily. You can ask a spouse, a friend, a neighbor, a cousin, hey, record me. I'm going to give you a 30 minute presentation. Just record me, tell me what you think. You have your own perception, but others have as well, and listen and adapt. So that is, I think, something that people don't do. One other thing, another thing that I like to do is reset.
[00:20:24] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:20:25] Speaker A: So for example, I've done multiple workday implementations. The workday implementations now could be six months, nine months, a year. It's tough. And when I finish one to get into another one, I need to reset. Why? Because now I have a new set of stakeholders, a new set of project teams. They don't know what they're getting into. I can't come to that second engagement already defeated because of the first one. I can't already be like, yeah, I'm tired. Yeah, I, I can't. I need to reset and bring that spirit up again because it's brand new for them and I, I need to communicate that. I, I think if you are working on your own, you need to be conscious of what you do well, what you need to improve on. And if you need to improve on, dedicate the time to improve on it. And if you're not well, and this is not your area of space, guess what? Don't do it. You can get, you can partner up with somebody else. You can be, you can communicate directly to the client. I do A, B and C, I do not do D. I'm not.
[00:21:22] Speaker B: Can't be everything.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: I just don't do that. It can't be everything. And people will appreciate that more than you walking in with a cape saying that you do it all and then you don't deliver. Then people have a bad taste in their mouth. Then someone talks to someone. I know you. You're the one who dropped the ball on this other project.
[00:21:42] Speaker B: Wow. Yeah.
[00:21:43] Speaker A: I never want that to happen to me. So even though I'm Tony, I'm Mr. Energy, I have 14 years of experience, I have to always reset. And I'm like, I'm going to hit this out of the park. I'm going to show them that I have this experience. I'm going to prove to them that I can work with their team. I'm going to add that extra value. That is what fuels me now.
Behind that, I said family. For that, I feel myself because of family. Who's my family? My mom and dad, they came to the US as immigrants. My dad, lucky enough, had a white collar job. And I saw his diligence when it comes to work and his work ethic and providing value. So each time I need to fuel myself, I think of my, my dad. My dad's birthday is this weekend. He's turning 83.
[00:22:28] Speaker B: Oh, I could.
[00:22:28] Speaker A: So, you know, that s on his chest might be a little faded now and he's a little older in years. But I value what he taught me and that work ethic and that what fuels me each time I have to present, I am representing my dad and that's what fuels me. That's why I get choked up. So when you say Tony, now it's clear why you bring something to the table. Why doesn't somebody else? That's what they're missing. And that's what I think people have to work on. And we're talking about consultants, but frankly, anybody, anybody who has a role in a major organization should reset and say, what am I bringing to the table? Am I getting too comfortable? What have I done recently? What have I done? So those are the things that I think go a long way and really separate yourself from everybody else.
[00:23:17] Speaker C: No, that's being authentic. Right? That's. That's what's loud and clear is coming from you.
[00:23:23] Speaker B: So Tony, you were just talking all of this and honestly, if you think about our ecosystem, I mean, everybody's tech forward. I think what's happening though is people are learning AI but they, they're learning the technical aspect of it. They're leaving out the branding the personal aspect of it, it's not taking something that AI the first thing that it generates and turning around and then publishing that. And AI slop is obviously what everybody's calling it. And I like to joke, I could sit there and write a newsletter tomorrow on how to do brain surgery by prompting AI now, would anybody think that I could do it? No. You know, and you, you see some of that and it backfires. What you just talked about. You're Mr. Energy and you found the thing that is your differentiator, and that is where. Lean back into that, to me, is what, again, whether it's. You have your own business or whether you're an employee or a leader, that's where it all is. I think you still. It's. It's no different, honestly, than going to class, learning workday, sitting down and configuring benefits. And it absolutely have nothing to do with the business. I mean, is that making sense or I off on that or.
[00:24:33] Speaker A: No, no, you're absolutely right. I. It's. It's also perception of AI. I think that's something that maybe people don't talk about too much. You know, I equate this to a new iPhone, right? So when you get a new iPhone and you rush to the store and stand in line if you need to, and you buy the new iPhone, you don't then wait and say, call an associate over and say, hey, excuse me, when's the training class start? Where's the training manual? Where's that? Where's that at? I can't. I can't touch this before I learn it, you know, so no, what do you do? Take the phone and you start hitting buttons and you're like, oh, yeah, this app. I like it. I'm going to use it. This app, garbage, delete. And then you just do this and your contacts and this and that. And it's. And to your point, Carla, in my case, how can I use AI to bring out more of Mr. Energy? How can I bring out more? Because I'm leveraging AI and post and searches and things like that so that way people can know what I do and how I can serve and how me and the team can serve them in the future when they take on their next ERP H R E S implementation.
[00:25:39] Speaker B: That's so true. And that's the thing we have what Tony described. Everybody's getting the stuff and they're hitting all the buttons and doing whatever. You know, I mean, that's going to be our industry. The thing is, is, is this making sense or am I just creating more junk out there?
And there is. That's what's kind of causing this whole layer of distrust. But the, I guess the sameness everywhere. It's kind of what you were saying, Tony, is if the data below is not good, then whatever you put on top of it is also not going to be good, you know, and. And that's where I think what kind of what we're saying.
[00:26:16] Speaker A: The objective there, again, going back to what I said earlier, is to stand out, not to fit in. So if I know that everybody who's applying for this job is going through ChatGPT and generating something and putting there, you would think that I would take the 10 minutes required to. To write something authentic and then put that into the process. Right. That is how you separate yourself.
[00:26:38] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:26:39] Speaker A: So, for example, there are plenty of platforms out there that I can use to post stuff on LinkedIn and I can ping people every day. I don't do that. I want the personal touch. So it's either me or somebody on my team who's actually reaching out to our clients, our prospects, our people. Like a person is on the other end. Can it be easier for me if I use AI? Maybe. Can it be cheaper? Yes. But then back to what was already mentioned. That's going to bite me, you know, where later, because people are going to say, Mr. Energy. He's not Mr. Energy. That's. That's an AI agent floating around. He's. No, he's not real. Look, look, here's his post. It's. It's generated through AI. That's not a real person. I want to deal with a real person. So I know for me and my brand, it's super important that it's me, that I show up, that I hit the keyboards, that I'm presenting, that I'm talking. That is what I think is the core on all that. It's just the way you approach it. And then the last part, which I say this to everybody, I said this this week on another meeting. It's execution. This podcast. Someone's hearing this. Hey. Oh, this is great. This is. I love it. It's like a warm shower. And then they don't. Then they don't do anything.
[00:27:47] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:27:48] Speaker A: That's the problem. And it's not AI. Did you execute and actually do something about it? Most people don't. And they stay where they are, the way you should.
[00:27:56] Speaker B: Yeah, well, sometimes it's a. Analysis paralysis. I know. I've had it. I mean, I think about WD Beacon. That thought has Been in my head for. I can't even tell you how many years I overanalyzed it. It is a. That's a hesitation, is a fear, and I do think there's that. But execution is huge. And honestly, Tony, again with your personality, and I love the, the things that you said because, you know, we all worry about keeping up with AI and all this stuff. And honestly, the way to stand out is the easiest thing. It's being yourself. Easy relative, but easy, you know, and it's like in a world of sameness, AI can't replace you. And that's where I think we just gotta keep reminding people of that.
[00:28:42] Speaker A: Yes, yes. And that you, you should always feed. Like you always have to grow. You can never be replaced. You can never be replaced. And something that I like to tell people is when you are focused on, on the fear, you've already failed.
So, for example, I don't know anything about AI. I can't even spell it. That's a fear. What are you going to do about it? Well, I don't want to learn because I don't learn. And then it's going to take too much time and just make up. All, all the fear blocked you from opening yourself up and saying, hey, I can take a course. I can learn. I can try. And even if I fail, you're in the same spot that you started when you be. When you started. No big deal. That is the mindset that people need to change when it comes to new technology, new processes.
[00:29:30] Speaker C: That's great advice. And you can see, Tony, why you've also naturally become that coach too. Right? Like, I'm ready to run through the wall, you know, with you just speaking, it's, it's, it's fantastic. And you also take that to your clients and, you know, and that's, that's a gift.
[00:29:45] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:29:45] Speaker C: And again, AI cannot replace that. This is you. And also what we tell people is just be. Just be yourself. You're the brand.
[00:29:53] Speaker A: And I will say this, you mentioned it's a gift. However, that gift, I keep on feeding that gift through the work that I do with clients, through the work that I do with consultants, through my coaching. I'm only better because I keep on focusing on that and I take what I'm receiving from each of those experiences and engagements. If I would say to myself, I know it all, I'm going to keep doing what I do and not change, I would not be able to provide that gift over and over again. Right. So I think it's definitely being humble But I really appreciate those words. That fuels me and that's why I do what I do and I try to put a smile on people's faces. Yes, it's tough. Yes, it's changed. Yes, it's technology, yes, it's AI, whatever it is. But we'll, we'll get through it together. This is not something that is impossible to achieve.
[00:30:43] Speaker B: Absolutely. Nice. Well, I've got a couple of questions before we get to the barrel rush around. So I saw that you did a post one time, Tony, that said go lives, not success, you know, so let's talk leadership for a second. Go lives, not success. So what is.
[00:30:58] Speaker A: So if, if a leader is focused on a digital transformation, implementing a new system, new erp, et cetera, the definition of success first gets defined before you get the success. So at the very beginning, pre planning way back when, that leader should have had multiple conversations with the stakeholders, with the project teams at all levels, not just direct reports at all levels. Hey, future state, what success would mean to you Today you're working, I don't know, X number of hours that are inefficient. How, how do you see that being efficient in the future? Those conversations is what defines the success and those guiding principles is what you have to say day one of the project.
Once you get to the end, it's easy to then celebrate the success because it's everybody's success. I think where C level misses that is when they define the level of success, they don't talk to anybody else. For example, my level of success is my old system cost me 5 million, this new system cost me 3 million. I'm saving $2 million success.
And then they get to go live maybe or pass go live maybe they did save that money, probably didn't, because change orders ate them up because they didn't have a clear vision of what true success is. But they got there. But now that people hate the system, that people don't use the system, that people are complaining, that people are leaving retention, that is the big picture, right? So it's more, more detailed than that. Yes, you might be saving money, but you also want to retain 90% of the folks that are involved. You want to be, provide them a bonus, you want to provide them with knowledge transfer, you want to provide them with a stability of hey, your, your job isn't going to get replaced by this system. If you communicate all that and bundle that up, man, how can that not be successful Right now? It's like Nikki said it earlier, now I'm running through a Wall for this project. Right. Because now I know what is at the end of this rainbow, and it's success that's defined by me, not just by a C level pushing it down.
[00:33:01] Speaker B: No, that's so true. I mean, being a leader today, I really, really feel sorry for that. There is so much going on. There is always a fear of when you hire a vendor or when you bring in a employee. Am I going to be dealing with this six months down the road? Am I going to be dealing with this all over again? Then you've got, is this really news or is this really. Is this really reality or is this just vendor pitches that I'm seeing everywhere trying to create a market? And then you've got, as you said, the C level going. We need to save $2 million, and you've got to go figure it out, and you've got to manage and motivate your team.
So, I mean, what advice do you have for leadership right now? Because this is literally what they're dealing
[00:33:45] Speaker A: with all the time, I would say, at leadership. And by the way, leadership is defined at all different levels. I don't think the C level is just the only leaders. And my belief is you have leaders in all levels. I think you can empower people. I have a very small team, but I tell my team, I'm not the boss. We're all bosses. We all can have an initiative that. To say, this is what I want to accomplish, this is when I want to accomplish it and go ahead and execute. So I think it starts that. That culture. So that is. I think the big part of being a leader is to make sure it's embedded in all the different levels in your organization, not just the top. And by fostering that, you empower that role, that person to do a little bit more than what they're accustomed to right now. As far as top leadership, you know, there's so much going on. It goes back to being a really good at delegating and really gooding and incorporating other people. I would encourage leaders to say, let's dissect everything. This is everything in my plate. What are things that I. I can give this, Nikki and this, the Tony and this, Carla and this, this and that. Sure, I'm involved. I'm aware of what's going on, but I can't be the one doing all the heavy lifting.
[00:35:00] Speaker B: Right?
[00:35:00] Speaker A: And by doing that, you can realize, hey, you know what? Tony might need a little bit extra coaching. They see that leader in a different light because they took the time, five minutes to say, Something that encourages me that, you know what? I can do this. And that's how you fuel leaders and future leaders, right? Because really, I think a great leader says to himself or herself, I'm going to encourage people to take my job one day. That's really what a true leader should do. Because that way you're fostering a bunch of leaders around you and you should celebrate when someone leaves the company because it's a promotion and they're going to do something bigger and better. You should promote that. You know why? Because I was the one encouraged that. I fostered that. I provided that too many C levels or even organizations do the exact opposite.
[00:35:44] Speaker C: Yep.
[00:35:45] Speaker A: Nikki's leaving. I got to escort her out the building. Nikki, why are you leaving? Oh, I'm going to go and do this. I'm going to run my own business. I'm going to get a PhD. I. Hey, guys, you could be Nikki, you can do what you're doing now that. How powerful is that? First of all, if someone, if an ex employer would have told me that, I would have stayed, I would have never left, right? Because that community, I'm like, wow, you know, and back to what we said earlier in the podcast. If I line up 10C level roles and they all do the same and they're all talking the same, how can I separate myself? How can I be different?
[00:36:17] Speaker C: Well, I think that that comes down to it, right? Is, is trust and, and just, you know, you know, just, just allowing your employees, like you said from analysts all the way up, just, just believe in them, right? And let them do their thing. Let them work their magic. And then, you know what, if they, if they make a mistake, that's okay too, because we know you fail forward, but I think, you know, making people feel comfortable in their environment, knowing they're supportive, knowing they have that, that backing, I think that's important. And I think it allows people to excel and move and not necessarily move out the door, out the company, but move within and up and keeping that talent in house, retaining that talent.
[00:36:57] Speaker B: You know, one of the things I like, Tony, that you said around that, because it actually relates to being a consultant, being a contractor, being a individual contributor. If I work myself out of a job, then I've done it, right? If I've empowered enough people around, if I, if as a recruiter, we have placed people and you don't have to call us for years, we've done our job, right? As a consultant, if I've gone in and I've helped with user adoption, or you Know not only the system going live and you feel comfortable and you don't have to call me, then I've done my job. I mean, so all of that, it just relates. I was. As you were saying, I'm like. It relates on every level of service out there.
[00:37:40] Speaker A: Yes. And knowledge, you said of service. I think at the core that's. That if you have the mindset of service, how can I serve? How can I make people around me better as opposed to it's me. It's all about me. The of service is that mindset is so strong because if you put that first, you open up yourself to so many possibilities and people gravitate to that.
[00:38:01] Speaker B: And.
[00:38:02] Speaker A: And it depends on what it is. For consultants, that's super important because you need your. Your former clients, your current clients to talk to your prospects. So you're only as good. I'm only as good as my last project. I say that myself mentally, all the time. Yes. I got 14 years. Yeah, that's all great. But if my last project wasn't a success, how can I get my next project right? If my last project was me being bad Tony instead of good Tony, more people in that. That was involved with that will talk to other people and say, yeah, he might have been like that before, but lately he's been like this.
[00:38:37] Speaker B: There's no bad Tony.
[00:38:38] Speaker C: So because you didn't reset, you didn't reset. That's the apartment.
[00:38:42] Speaker B: He didn't reset.
[00:38:43] Speaker A: You guys have been paying attention. You guys passed.
[00:38:45] Speaker B: Yay.
All right, Nikki, we're going to make high Energy Tony go through the barrel rush.
[00:38:53] Speaker C: I think we're ready for. I know, I know Tony can handle it.
[00:38:56] Speaker A: Let's see, let's see, let's see.
[00:38:58] Speaker C: This is just really. Tony, just quick questions. What comes to mind? You know, like, you're in the wave. You got to get in, you got to get out.
All right, so we talk about branding. What's the fastest way someone can tell if they're positioning or is weak out in the. In the market? It's just not hitting out there.
[00:39:15] Speaker A: And people, if. If you. First of all, as consultants, we're all mosquitoes in the world, right? Globally. Do people know Mr. Energy? No, nobody knows me. So if I have the mindset of I'm a mosquito, but I want everybody to know me, that's going to drive me. If I have the mindset I'm a mosquito and nobody knows me, that's going to drive me. So to answer your question, they know you.
[00:39:36] Speaker B: I like that. That's good.
[00:39:37] Speaker C: I like it.
[00:39:37] Speaker B: All right, what do you think is the number one thing that hiring managers are misjudging workday talent on?
[00:39:45] Speaker A: Right now they want a jack of all trades, and they don't focus enough on expertise in niche areas.
So, hey, I have a role. I need an integrations lead who knows studio, who has experience with extend. By the way, can you do benefit integrations?
Hey, can you come into the office, you know, six days a week? And by the way. And can. Can you be super? Because I need somebody tomorrow and I need.
[00:40:16] Speaker B: I need this for like a third of the cost of the rest the market has.
[00:40:21] Speaker A: Exactly. That's not. Yeah, that's not where. Where I rather have someone. Hey, I'm. This is what I'm trying to do. I need expertise in four different areas. You, candidate, do you have any experience, Any of the four? I'd rather you be really, really good in one of the four. Hit it out of the park. We probably could do it cheaper and faster because you're so good, as opposed to someone who's going to say, oh, I do it all. And then I realize you don't do any. Right. So that's where I. That's what. Quick answer. That's what I was.
[00:40:50] Speaker B: Okay, I love that. That's good. All right, this. This hits where a lot of people are right now. If someone is feeling stuck, what's the first thing they do to. To just get some momentum?
[00:41:00] Speaker A: Tell someone they're stuck.
[00:41:01] Speaker B: That's good.
[00:41:02] Speaker A: So, for example, I'm stuck. I am a husband, I'm a dad, I'm a brother, I'm a son. I have family, I have friends. There is no excuse that I can't tell someone that I'm stuck.
[00:41:14] Speaker B: That's good, right?
[00:41:15] Speaker A: So I can open up my mouth and say, you know what? I'm stuck here. That's it. Sometimes it's not just because the other person on the other side is going to give you the advice that is the silver bullet. No. Sometimes you just need to say it out loud to understand that you're stuck. Then start looking at the art of the possible, how to get unstuck. But first you have to realize it. Right? I coach and I tell people I love the exercise of being in front of a mirror because the mirror doesn't lie. So if you're in front of the mirror and you say, I'm stuck at fill in the blank and then let it set in, then you can add more to it. How do I feel being that stuck?
[00:41:51] Speaker C: Stuck?
[00:41:52] Speaker A: How does that impact my Family, my friends, my financial life, whatever. And then that'll motivate you. You know what? I gotta get unstuck. So I'm in front of the mirror, I'm stuck. Why are you stuck? That's the mindset that changes when you're in front of a mirror. And that could take you five minutes. But if you don't. If you don't do that, nothing gets in motion. And if nothing gets in motion, you don't execute. And if you don't deliver, nothing gets done.
[00:42:16] Speaker C: Well, I will conclude the barrel rush with my. My favorite question, Tony. So not that you probably need a. A go to song, but. But even Mr. Energy has probably a need to. To get pumped up every now and then. But what is your. Your favorite jam, your favorite song to just kind of keep you, you know, motivated? Or if you're having just not the best day, you hit it. You turn that one on. I think I lost my camera on that one. Got so excited.
[00:42:41] Speaker A: Let me see. I would say Celebration from Cool in the gang.
[00:42:45] Speaker B: That's fun.
[00:42:47] Speaker C: It's a cool.
[00:42:48] Speaker A: It's a cool song. It's a good party song. Like usually big parties, weddings, things like that have that. I like the band, but also, let's take a second to think deeper, right? Celebration.
[00:42:59] Speaker B: I see what you're doing there.
[00:43:00] Speaker A: Do you have anything. Do you have anything to celebrate? Right. Me, I am a dad. I am a husband, I am a brother, I'm a father. All these labels. There are celebrations in my world that I should take the time to celebrate. I'm breathing, I'm healthy. Later on, my kids are going to be running through the door. And let's celebrate. You know why? Because tomorrow that's never going to happen.
[00:43:25] Speaker B: Right? I love it. I love it.
[00:43:27] Speaker C: Beautiful.
[00:43:28] Speaker A: That's.
[00:43:28] Speaker C: That's wonderful.
[00:43:29] Speaker A: So Celebration.
[00:43:30] Speaker B: Celebration. That's it. I like it.
[00:43:32] Speaker C: And now when I hear it, I will. I'm going to have to think about you and. And Ms.
[00:43:37] Speaker B: Apparently.
[00:43:39] Speaker C: It's been a wonderful conversation.
[00:43:40] Speaker B: You made it through the barrel rise. We had no doubt that you would make it through the barrel rise.
This is what I thought this conversation would be like. And I even wore my red for energy. For Mr. Energy. Other people told you what your different differentiator was and you leaned into it. That is huge. What gives you that energy? Your why is so solid, that drives you. Everything. I mean, I've heard it just repeatedly all through that. And your outlook, your outlook to reinforce that is so strong. All those components together. The technology is such a small part of that. This is everything that drives your whole life. So thank you so much. I'm so happy for you and all your success.
[00:44:29] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you.
[00:44:31] Speaker C: You know, obviously you bring so much to the table. You want people to be successful, how can they get in touch with you?
[00:44:37] Speaker A: Sure, sure. So you can look me up Tony v Mr. Energy and you can look me up Google me Claude chatgpt. I'll come up. Most people reach out to me through LinkedIn. I do review all my LinkedIns. Also on LinkedIn you have my contact information so I have my email and things like that. Company name is Angelus Advisors. You can also find this there. And then I'm usually hitting the conference circuit, so HR Tech, workday related, other H R S platforms. So I, I am in Vegas a lot. Even though my wife thinks it's because it's the World Series of Poker there. But I do, I do go there a lot because of the conferences. So if you see me on the road, if you see me anywhere, feel free to stop me, say hi, I'd be more than happy to shake your hand, give you a hug and talk and see how it can help.
[00:45:26] Speaker B: We'll be at Rising with Tony in the corner dancing to Celebration. So there we go.
[00:45:31] Speaker A: I have to request that from the dj.
[00:45:33] Speaker B: Yes, we probably would have to.
[00:45:35] Speaker C: Well, we, we two of the three are South Florida, so we, we certainly know how to rock a dance.
[00:45:41] Speaker B: Florida, whatever.
[00:45:42] Speaker A: That's true.
[00:45:42] Speaker B: Whatever.
If people only knew what I had to live with on this podcast with you too.
[00:45:50] Speaker C: If this conversation made you think about what people actually remember after working with you, do something with that. Ask yourself what people already come to you for. Ask what they trust you to handle.
And ask about what they say about you when you're not in the room.
That may be closer to your real differentiator than anything on your resume.
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