SPEAKER_02 0:00

We need a community. Like running a business is freaking lonely, man. It's it's so few people know what we're going through. And it they're really inaccessible at the times when you need them.

SPEAKER_01 0:17

All right, welcome to another episode of Connections That Matter, where I feature Northern Colorado's best networkers, and I find out about the connections that they've made that have made them be successful. And I bring a lot of successful people on the show, but maybe none like Tim Jordan, who I have here. Tim, uh, welcome. Thanks so much for coming on.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

Yeah, thanks for having me. That's uh nice, nice of you to see. You've got a lot of awesome people on here. I love the love the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:41

Absolutely. Well, a lot of people will know you, or maybe they're involved in the service catalyst community, but um share a little bit about your background and history and how you got here.

SPEAKER_02 0:51

Yeah, I'm a serial entrepreneur. I have bought six businesses and started three others. Um, then I've sold five of them now through through different transactions, um, mainly service companies. We did own Palmer Flowers for 12 years, and that sounds like a retail business, it's the largest flower shop in Colorado. Uh, but actually, where we experienced a lot of our growth was on the wedding and event side because of my service background. Um, yeah, but we have a window tuning company that I bought when I was 21 years old, which started a crazy run from 21 to 27, where we went from zero businesses, zero employees to five businesses, a hundred employees by 27. So it was a crazy time.

SPEAKER_01 1:34

And Tim, you you do not look like a like I don't not that I ask about people's age, but you do not look like a guy that's been around for very long, as far as uh um up there. A lot of people have worked their whole careers to have multiple businesses if they fordue. But how'd you get so much success at an early age?

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Yeah, really just unstoppable, like maybe fear of failing, what it would or desire to not fail, if if we want to put it in the positive light. But um, I married an an amazing uh business killer herself, Danielle. Um, she's a CPA and a tax accountant by trade. Um, but she was just encouraged me along the way. And um, you know, the one thing that's really core to our story is we have an amazing group of people around us, and some of that's friends, some of that's vendors, and just people that we built relationships with. A good example of that is is Chris Burns. I shout him out on a every time I kissed him. He's uh uh currently vice president of the Bank of Colorado, but I met him when I was 20 years old. Uh he was a commercial lender at Wells Fargo, and I sat Danielle and I sat across the desk from him and he believed in me. And he gave me our first SBA loan to buy SG window tint, uh, which that's actually the one of the original businesses we still own. Um, but yeah, he gave us that loan when we were 21 years old. And he's it so we have a lot of those types of people that have just lifted us up.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Well, I think that's one of your gifts, Tim, right? Like, is getting people to believe in you. Like, I know um when you were able to uh with this the guy who owned Palmer Flowers to sell to you and not somebody else, right? Like, um, from what I know of that story is he was trying to like maybe edge you out of the competition, and then in one conversation, he believed in you so much he pinned you as a potential buyer for that.

SPEAKER_02 3:29

So that that's a story that a lot of people don't know. That's when Spiro and I, Spiro Palmer and I met for the first time, he was gonna open a flower shop right next to the one I owned in Loveland at the time, and he was sizing me up for competition. But um, yeah, I I think I think I've I I try and show up helpful, authentic, and now insightful as I've grown experiences in in all of my conversations. And I think that's that's done well for me, basically.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Yeah, well, I I think it's like you're you're you have a knack of getting what you want. Um by partnering with really amazing people that can give you access, like being a 21 and getting a banker to believe in you, um, to get the cell to come to you or uh find a buyer for your business. Um a lot of people might be like envious of that. Any tips though, how to create goodwill or buy-in or get win people over?

SPEAKER_02 4:26

I think you give authentic value, like in without expecting return, right? I I think that's how that's been my secret to people really kind of believing in me and becoming like champions uh of me and my story is when I first time I met him, I just authentically tried to help them in whatever way that I could. Maybe I couldn't, but they could read that I was going to provide value long, long, long before I ever asked for any value. And I may have never asked for value, but I think that it's like instant trust, right? If if I'm I'm just showing up to to just be a part of your story instead of how can you play a role in my story, then I think there's an implication that um I'm authentic, I'm true, I'm I'm there for you, not just to see how you can help me.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

How do you how do you make time for it all with five business? All this back, entrepreneurial life, like all how do you how do you make time? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

So um we bought Paul, we bought Spiral Palmer out of Palmer Flowers in uh January 1 of 2015. I went from we had three businesses, not even counting all the flower shops, counting them as one. Uh if you separate it out, we had six businesses at that time. We went from 20 employees to 100 employees overnight. Uh, I didn't know anything about systems, I didn't know anything about delegating. Um, most of the people that ran that business that I now owned had children older than me. Um they were all excellent. Spira was a great cultivator of talent. So I had to learn really quickly how to be a leader. And I was that microwaved my my uh experience or or the the the time for me to truly become a leader because I didn't I didn't have time, right? So what happened there is I went from doer to visionary or leader, and so I started focusing on building systems and um making ways everything in the business, everything that we do had a right way of doing it. And so we needed, we were documenting those right ways of doing things, we're improving upon them, and then creating a culture where we could empower a team to do that. So I had to do that at scale at Palmer Flowers because I couldn't answer the phone and make the flower arrangement and do 100 deliveries. And what was really cool about that is then that flowed down to my smaller service businesses, so they took on these or they received kind of this care of systems and uh that that were unreliant upon me. So um, and then just empowering a team. That's the other thing. I Palmer Flowers was partially employee owned. At that time, we had four employee owners. We at the time where we sold, we had nine. Um, I was super successful. Nothing about that was bad, it was all good. Yeah, yeah. Um, they before company culture was a was a buzzword, I know it's been a buzzword since 2021. They tasked me with basically my first job was culture in the company. It's because they worked in it. I mean, it made sense, right? And I worked for them, yeah. So I think it's those two things is I we created some system, we learned how to create systems and to really deploy them at efficient scale. And then we had a culture where our team thrived within those systems.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

So, but but I'm hearing it's kind of a sink or swim kind of deal. You got dropped in the deep end, and you and you're like, I gotta, I gotta win soon, or otherwise this this there's a lot of people depending on me.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

100%. I mean, a I've I've had some level of imposter syndrome or buyer's remorse or whatever, and every thing I bought, every every business I bought, every business I started. So that was real, and that was that was a big thing. Um, especially seceding somebody like Sparrow Palmer, a foundational member of our community, right? Um, but yeah, then I was 27, there's a little bit of assets, but we had I think $34,000 in monthly rent payments. Yeah, so it was very much a uh a you gotta get this done. And uh um one of the wonderful things about my wife is uh A, like I said, she's a business killer herself, but it's just high expectations for for our company. So I had to meet those expectations.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

That's so cool. And now you're with service catalysts and um advising and leading other business owners. But tell me a little bit about the community that you're building over there.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Yeah, so can I tell a quick story? Please, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Um, and this really has to do with uh my networking. I'm not a traditional networker. I'm um I use the formula I mentioned of uh showing up energetically helpful and insightful to the people that I meet, build a brand champion personal brand, even though I would have never called it that, you know, and let them kind of help me build my network. Well, um, I get three years ago, I met a guy by the name of Michael Wendt. Uh he owns No Copet Doors here in Fort Collins, um, or in northern Colorado. And um he posted on word of mouth for Collins that would any business owner sit down and have a beer with me. I have questions. So I don't know what inspired me to say yes to that, but whatever. It's actually I've done it a few times and had just the most amazing connection. So um I'd never coached anyone, I'd never helped anyone. I never even really saw my story as having that much benefit to someone else. So I went in open-minded and he had a list of questions and asked me all these questions about his his young dog door business.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

And so he did it literally as like, I'm gonna learn from people. I'm just and whoever answers the call, like right?

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Yes, yes, that's exactly I think the vulnerability of that drew me, yeah, drew me into that, right? So I realized every every single one of his questions I've experienced. Most of them I've overcame or had an answer to, or at least had some insight on, right? And by the end of it, he's just giddy with all of this information, right? Whatever we we go our separate ways. Month later, he comes back and says, I did all that stuff. Like I have more questions, right? I need to buy you another beer. That's exactly because I but I always buy the the the first time just like I'm buying the beer this time. Um, yeah. So I went a little bit deeper with him in that conversation and realized he was really intelligent, ex-marine, uh, young family, uh young kiddo, um, hand of mouth in his business. And I think that really drew me in, right? There's a lot at stake, and we've all been there. I was there, you know. So fast forward three years, he has this budding successful business that he has systematized himself out of. He has a full-time installer, full-time sales team, administrative team for pet in glass pet doors is what they do. And that experience launched me into wanting to find a way to help early cycle service business entrepreneurs. Um, would have never said coaching. I do do some coaching now, but really coaching is a thousand a month or five thousand a month or whatever. You can pay as much as you want. I didn't have that as an early service business entrepreneur. So, how can we the idea became how can I create something that's accessible for newer service business owners that will give them resources, education in a community, a place to bounce ideas off of, to get answers from, to shift mindsets in certain areas. And I landed on an online peer mentorship community. It's hosted on an amazing platform called Mighty Networks. Um, it's it the the focus is how do we build a foundation of systems to where as your business grows, you can achieve the freedom that I believe everyone wanted when they started the entrepreneurial journey. I know I did. Um, but how do we you need a base of systems, you need a foundation of systems. You also need an ownership mindset. A lot of business owners don't have an ownership mindset, so we focus a lot on that. And we have to grow our companies, right? So um it consists of resources. There's tons of resources, a lot mostly built by by me and the other facilitators. Um, there's an ongoing discussion forum, if you will, and then weekly live events where we just sit down and um yeah, tackle a topic together. Just last thing is last week's, for example, was on cross-selling, upselling. We again, these are early cycle service business owners. They came with the idea of I don't have upsells, I can't cross-sell in my business. I just, you know, if they all had a different excuse. And in about 20 minutes, we could shift that mindset of every one of us has cross-sell and upsell opportunities. It's just something you don't know until you've gained a little bit of experience and we're trying to shortcut that mindset. So super cool to watch happen on screen.

SPEAKER_01 13:37

It was, it was fantastic. And why uh I mean, I some other people maybe make a course and it just runs in the back, but you've created a community, and uh, like we just had Robin Baker on the show, I know she's a part of your community too. And um she gets a lot about the other classmates, the other people that are going through it and learning from there and that accountability. So, was it a conscious decision to make it more community focused?

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Yes, for for a few reasons. Um, one, it could scale, so it could be at $70 a month, oh at most. Um so we could we could offer it at an accessible rate at in and and scale it a little bit and get more voices in there. Um, but on top of that, it we need a community. Yeah, like running a business is freaking lonely, man. It's it's so few people know what we're going through. And and it they're really inaccessible at the times when you need them. Um you and that's not just for like there's a mental health component, there's a resource component of that, and there's also just I know me, I get stuck in my own echo chamber, in my own brain of ideas and solutions, and just getting that out to somebody else oftentimes solves the problem. So it was intentional to be a community. Um in that that's the primary concept. We have courses that are included in the community. Um, we have some opportunities for coaching. I six months ago, I would have just thrown up in my mouth if I said I was coaching people with that title, you know. But that's what people wanted. So we did we did do that. But the main offering is getting people and every person who consumes it has to be a part of the community. It's getting people in there, providing resources for other members and being a resource. That that's what I learned. So part of that story I didn't tell about Michael Went is I learned so much about my business by helping him. I helped him implement a software and we were done with it. I'm like, shoot, I need this software in one of my companies, you know? And so you if if you show up to our office hours and you answer the question for yourself, but then you help give some feedback to other people, you're probably honestly gonna give more by giving that feedback to other people than you are answering the question yourself.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

It's like that learn, do teach. When you start teaching, now you're accountable to yourself. Like, I don't wanna be and you led with authenticity is something that's super important to you. So um, if you're doing the things that you're recommending others to do, and then showcasing its success really creates the pathway uh for others to follow.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

100%. It is so true. Like the resources I reference, those are just SOPs from my company. Right? They're they're literally just the stuff we're using to have success. And I I'm I've been very fortunate in my career. Uh this there is a cost to this, but this is about helping people. Service catalyst as a first foremost, even probably second and third, is about helping other service business owners. So cool. So what's the vision? Where's it going? Where's um yeah, that that's a good question. Uh we um just being vulnerable, right? I'm about authenticity. I've been running established businesses for a long time, right? Right for the last 15 years. This is not that, this is a startup, so we are um in pivoting and seeing what's what's works, even so much so of times of events. So so right now the vision is is absolutely community first. Um, we're finding we that the people that we want in the community also want some either group coaching or one-on-one coaching or masterminds. So we're figuring out how to how to offer that as a like in fact, we just rolled out our first offering, which is just kind of like a one-on-one coaching with me regularly. Okay. But you gotta be a part of the community and you gotta be active and you gotta show up to office hours at least from time to time. You gotta do the score accountability scorecard event, whatever it is. You gotta be present in the community because I can help you with your business. My experiences can shortcut some pain for you, right? That that's basically what being insightful is, if you will. I can't do it for you. And um also it's probably better if there's more, if there's a bunch of voices speaking into that. So the the vision is to go what to answer your question in a very long way. The vision is to go where the members are demanding us and where they see the most value and they see their businesses growing and succeeding in.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Very cool. And I think there's some, you know, you feel safe if you're around other people who are that early stage entrepreneur where you're like, oh my gosh, I am not the only one with this problem. And uh being able to like, I think a lot of entrepreneurs know that there's solutions out there, but nobody's shown them the solutions or where to find them. So to be able to be in a a collective where there's open sharing and it's really more about the team is huge.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

We found very transparent, a very high level of transparency from our members, um, which is I'm glad, right? That that's really important to me. The the coaching that I've done, that's it, that's another thing that I've found is people are just really honest with me, and I love that.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

So, with your people though, you talk about like execution and like implementation, because it with there's there's so many good ideas out there, but uh some people take action, some people will get their teeth kicked in and keep going. Um others are just naturals, uh, whereas others feel like they gotta work for it. But um what do you see for the people that really make it, really scale, get out of the early stage, are you able to sell for top dollar? Any core um behaviors or habits that separate them from the pack?

SPEAKER_02 19:47

When talking about doing, right? The executing, because that that that's crucial to me, right? You you can again, there's so many coaches out there that want to talk to you in theoretic in theory, which that that is not what we're doing. We're tactics, right? Um, no, you have to be in the right mindset, but tactics. I think the answer to that question is they have a goal and they break that goal into steps, right? I think too many people either operate without a goal because it's scary. What if I don't achieve it? Or the other way, they kind of push this goal out. There's this like thing up in the clouds that that that may or may not happen, and and they never break it down into steps, right? There's tons of books out there about this, but that's what it's about. In our coaching sessions, we start with, okay, what's the goal?

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Right. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:40

What is the next step to achieve that goal? I I think that's that's really what it comes down to. We even go to the I coach on weekly scorecarding. So uh three to five KPIs in your business. I hate the word KPIs, but that's what they are. Um, and you look at them every single week to understand the trajectory of your business on a granular level, and then to also uh identify opportunities and challenges uh quicker. And um yeah, so scorecarding becomes so crucial in that in in because it's breaking your goal down. All a scorecard is is okay, I have an annual goal. Great, divide that by 12. Great. What has to be true each week to get to that annual goal? I think that's the difference. I think that mentality, because if you just entrepreneurs, we have so much stuff thrown at us, so many marketing. I get on TikTok all the time. Double your business in 90 days. That's my favorite one. I'll teach you how to double your business in 90 days. Great.

unknown 21:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

How do we filter through all that? How what CRM do you pick? You know, there's just so many questions, and it's just breaking it down into what's the next step? How do I put my foot forward the next time?

unknown 21:56

Cool.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Well, Tim, uh, let's let's go back to the networking because I see Your approach to networking is maybe a little bit more outside the box from what I think than 90% of people do, which is they look for an event, they attend an event, or maybe they even join a group and they engage in the group. The way I see you networking is you're gonna go after a specific appointment or a specific relationship. Um, but it seems more focused and it seems really intentional to help you get to where you need to go. So talk to me about your approach and what what have you done to refine it to make it successful for you?

SPEAKER_02 22:34

Yeah, uh super great question. I I'm not against uh going to groups or anything like that. Honestly, I think they're great. The reason is my career path just didn't take me in that in that direction. So I've had to find a different way to to make that impact and to grow my network. And for me, it's it started super unintentional. I was just I'm a helpful person by nature. Yeah. So um I realized and was taught how to get people to trust me in a qu in a you know, a fairly quick uh manner. So I would just meet with people like that, and my network naturally grew because I would have champions or have people just talking about me, right? And and how authentic I was. So that I then did begin to refine it. Okay, yeah, that that that makes sense. What do I want to be? How do I want to show up? And that's how I came up with I want to be helpful because that's who I am as a person. I want to be energetic because I'm passionate about business. I love it. And I found that people are drawn to that, right? That they're drawn to that passion and that energy. And then I just I want to be insightful. I have these, I have the benefit that I started as an entrepreneur when I was 21 and scaled so quickly, right? Just grew so fast that I want to share those experiences and shortcut the pain for other people. So, what that caused is that Michael Wentz story, yeah, where I ended up going deep, right, with one person or a smaller group of people. And Mike said some of the in the last year, some of the nicest things that anyone's ever said about me. I it sounds like I'd pay him to say, you know. And so that that's how that's how I refined it. And the this the exit at Palmer Flowers, and another exit we had as well, separate of that, um, made me available. So then I became as accessible. I'm intentionally became accessible to people that I thought could benefit from from me and from my experiences. And I don't expect anything in return. Sometimes I'm trying to learn something from them, right? But but I mean I am authentically every time that I sit down with with somebody across the table, I'm not trying to get something in return. And and that that's worked well for me.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

I love it. Intentional accessibility. I don't know if that's that's I don't know if I've ever heard somebody like talk about it that way, but I think that's brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

I think as as you experience success, um, it's really easy to draw back into your comfortable life. Yeah. Right. And I was just sharing this with somebody recently. The the idea that I've ran established businesses for a long time um has this experience of growing something from from zero in an industry that I never even wanted to be in, right? So uncomfortable, right? Just so intensely uncomfortable. Um, getting on on the front of the camera and telling what my story, like just not fun. So good. Like it's so good for me. And in and it's it's caused me to fully realize like I don't want to draw back into the comforts of my life. I want to push out and and do everything I can to help the people around me that need it.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

Yeah. Well, that's good. I I I think people watching this are you know, they're learning how to network. Uh, and but a lot of people when they they go to these groups, they just or these events, it's it's random. They hope they meet somebody or they they're bumping into random people. Um, but there's some intuition with what you do. It's like Michael, this rando on a on a on a Facebook group, yeah, but it was his authenticity or his vulnerability that says, hey, there might be something that's worth taking that appointment. And even like with me, Tim, like uh you and I didn't know each other, but you watched a podcast and then you directly message me as like you didn't leave it to chance for us to meet. It's like, hey, this is an appointment I'm looking to take. Um, but that takes a level of like boldness, uh, even um, just to put yourself out there, ask for appointments. Um any any tips for somebody looking to increase their boldness uh to make those specific connections?

SPEAKER_02 26:52

Yeah, I think um it's oh a it's always scary, right? I I had nerves when I click send to the DMTU. I just what if I'm annoying it, right? What if you what if my story isn't enough or isn't the imposter syndrome all over the place there, right? Um but I mean the old adage, uh miss 100% of the swings you don't take, right? And also if if you are able to do it authenticity and value forward, people love that, and they they really just are they can read that in your message. So I really shy away from especially initial messages, writing them through chat GPT or AI. Um just and I don't don't get me wrong, big AI user, but but that and when I'm trying to make an intentional connection, um, they need to hear from my voice, not someone else's voice. I um I I the best thing you can do, I in my opinion, networking is find a way to give value to the person that you're trying to connect with. Um, yeah, there's self-serving nature in that, right? But but we're out networking for a reason. We all have the goals to achieve. But if you can start the relationship with here's something that you want that I can help you get, and I'm just gonna do it for you, and I'm not gonna ask anything in return. Like that, that's the kind of person that I want to connect with, right? And just because then they value my time and and sure and what's going on with me.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Well, Timmy, you've been uh in Colorado, what, your whole life or a long time?

SPEAKER_02 28:31

No, Danielle and I moved here, we were high school sweethearts. People say, Well, you're real smart as a sort uh uh as an entrepreneur marrying a CPA. I was not an entrepreneur, she was not a CPA. Okay, right. Uh but uh 2006 we came to to CSU.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Well, I know in our one-to-one, uh, we we found out that like you were selling sweet corn or seed corn to my my dad or whatever on the farm. But you've been in Colorado a long time. You've been a northern Colorado CSU grad. Yep. Um and there's development of relationships and your prestige and being around there that builds over the course of a year or the course of a decade. Um how have you seen Northern Colorado change or update? Uh, and is there anything specific that you do in Northern Colorado that has led to your success?

SPEAKER_02 29:19

Uh, I love being connected to the university. Um, love just everything that they do. Uh, in fact, just wrapped up a ag entrepreneurship mentorship program, which was so fun. Um, so I I love that. I also me, I personally utilized the SBDC a ton, the small business uh development center in Larimer County, a huge amount. Um we they have stuff like they come in and teach leadership courses at Palmer Flowers, and we bring all of our young managers in and require that they go through this leadership training program, just amazing resources. As far as how it's changed, I mean there's more traffic. There's a lot more traffic. Oh my goodness. CSU's a lot nicer facilities than than when we went there. But um I I believe that it's changed less than most people will say. I think that this is a big small town, and um it's it's one that really takes care of its own. Um and I I found a lot of the leaders of our community to be extremely successful. Spiro Palmer not or uh extremely accessible, spiral palmer not being withstanding there, of just they uh if they see something in you for the that you can bring to the community, they bring you right in. Uh Spiro instilled this um love for all of the amazing organizations like Hope Lives and Respite Care and all of these amazing organizations. He's founding member on all those boards and just gave so much back through that. Maybe a jaded view or not jaded, but a skewed view that just it is a kind of a small big town or big small town still.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

Well, I think that's beautifully said, uh, and getting the right connections, especially if it is a big, small town, makes all the difference. That one big break or that one connection um really will highlight what it takes to do business in northern Colorado. So, Tim, this is awesome. I really appreciate you sharing the wisdom. But uh, with your um your selective accessibility, you know, if somebody wants to schedule a one-to-one or reach out to you or get involved in your community, what's the best way for them to get in touch?

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Yeah, um, you can always text me. My cell phone's 970-567-1376. I that I love connecting and talking business, so you will not be bothering me. Um, the the community is is service catalyst is at the catalyst community.com. Um, we just are already a thriving. We're we're only, I think, six weeks into public launch here. We're already kind of a thriving uh community, but really are looking for other people who want to work on and grow their systems and share like-mindedness and have a space to. I mean, you can bring your personal stuff to it, like that the whatever you need, yeah. You bring it to the community as an entrepreneur. So that's how you get in touch with me. I am intentionally accessible, so do not be afraid to reach out.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Right on it, or it just go on the word of mouth uh Facebook page and say, Hey, I want to ask a business owner a question and I'll buy him a beer, and Tim might uh answer the call.

SPEAKER_02 32:42

Very likely, especially after I've I've done that now twice. Amazing experiences. I would I may go the opposite and say, hey, I'll buy any Eastern business owner who wants to chat a beer. So anyway, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:54

I love that. Well, Tim, thanks so much for coming on the show, and uh, we look forward to seeing you around Northern Colorado. Thanks for having me. This is great. Awesome. Hey y'all, thanks for watching. I love networking and building relationships with other Northern Colorado business leaders. So if you want to come meet some of these podcast guests, meet me, or meet some other amazing entrepreneurs in Northern Colorado, I'd love to have you attend one of our next events. Uh go in the podcast description. There's a way so you can see our upcoming schedule. And maybe uh you could be a future podcast guest as well. Thanks.