#1 Gary Vee: The Unvalley “Golden Era” | Business Opportunity Beyond Silicon Valley

The cats out of the bag. I mean, I mean, this is

This is this is it Beyond Valley. Doesn't capitalize in this decade, then then they need to temper their expectations.

That's Gary vaynerchuk but you may know him as garyvee. He's considered one of the leading Global mind on what's next in culture in Tech in and relevance and just generally the internet. He's today's guess for episode 1 of on Valley which is the show for leaders who want to unlock the full potential and plug into the biggest opportunities in Tech and start-up fee on Silicon Valley. I'm your host. Matt hunckler, CEO and I'm excited to share that today. You're going to you're not only from Gary vaynerchuk but also Mickey Cloud, the executive director at the Sasha group Avenger X company based in Chattanooga that the chairman of interacts and is also the CEO of vaynermedia. But he's also the Creator and CEO of V friend, which is a really cool and f t project. That is just growing like crazy. Wrigley described, as one of the most forward thinkers in business, and actually recognizes Trends and patterns early to help others understand how these shifts kind of impact the markets. But also consumer Behavior.

Whether its emerging artists, Esports 10ft investing or digital Communications Gary, definitely understand how to bring brand relevant to the Forefront. He's also a prolific angel investor so you might know that, but he's an investor in Facebook Twitter, coinbase, Uber and was early in all of those companies. So he really has an eye on Tech and understands, where the puck is going a Mickey Mickey Cloud. The executive director to Sasa group also is very plugged into all, the latest trends works with hundreds of clients around the country and he does that from the Chattanooga office. But works with Brands around the world, Mickey's passion for business building in marketing stems from a Natural Curiosity. But also a whole new approach to problem-solving and the ability to translate business objective into actual marketing, plans and ideas.

We recorded this interview that you're about to hear during a virtual event hosted by Powder Keg. And we're sharing it here for the first time on the on daily podcast. Today's episode, you're going to learn about the advantage of having fun Valley, these companies and teammates strategies for growing company culture with multiple locations on Valley, cities are attracting talent and even Gary B's big predictions for the valley. Make sure you listen to the end. For key, differentiators between non-traditional Tech hubs. And the Bay Area. There is some interesting points that both Gary and Mickey kind of point out. But before we dive into on Valley, I want to let you know that I'm Valley is brought to you by Powder Keg, which is the only private member Network. Focus on supporting tech companies and leaders in fast-growing community on Silicon Valley. You can visit Powder Keg. Cam to begin connecting with tens of thousands of professionals peers, and partners in TextMe across the US and around the world.

If you're an executive or a no or a leader at a tech company, you can apply for Saturday premium membership consideration, today by going to Powder, Keg. Calm premium. Again, that's powerkit.com premium. I hope you'll join me there.

Now, without further Ado, I'm really excited to launch into the very first interview on the very first episode of the ungodly podcast. Let's hit it.

Virtual stage yet. How to take on Valley, Gary vaynerchuk, and Mickey Cloud. Thanks guys for being here. Absolutely, I'm super excited to have this conversation because I've heard a little bits and pieces of the story, but I wanted to make sure we got the whole thing here for everybody that's taking off on Valley bright and early for us. I love to hear how you guys met. You remember what that initial connection was like and how you knew there was a spark there. Yeah. So it was 2011, I was working in the advertising industry, in New York and one of the first one, the first people I've ever met in New York at an ad agency job. She moved away from New York and came back and are trying to help her find a job. She read her aunt may be read but thank you, me. And on the last page of thank you, kind of me. It says, if you're interested in doing this type of work,

So at least got hired pretty quickly in the summer of 2011. As the first employee that is come from an ad agency everyone else at the time was just basic AJ and Jerry Tom and folks that in turn has gotten into their world and then at least reach out to me and said you know I want to catch up at 8 a.m. on Thursday and that I realized today is

in 2011, it was

I love that Dare. You member your first impressions of that conversation with Mickey

Yeah, I do. You know, we we are with hiring a lease and kind of just had to, you know, a wicked, you know, exactly what month it was. We met in September 2011. It was right after Labor Day, so it's right after you kind of click in full-time, August 23rd of that year. I decided I was going to go full time being or media, cuz at that point, it was really one foot in Wine Library, 1 ft in, in the inner one, my third foot in the emergence of Gary V with the books in the speaking and and I and then I had this incredible opportunity to start of vodka brands with a very, very, very famous person. That I was actually leaning towards that way the whole way. And then in late, August, had some time off and it said, you know what, how is it possible that you?

Nearest. Plus we've been doing this painter thing and yet none of these agencies are still doing what we're doing knowing how important was. And so, it became very obvious to me that that was the right move and so I decided to plug it in and

And, you know, I've been went on the offensive, you know, wanting to meet people from the actual and Industry. Not just a destructive DNA that we had a pie and and Mickey was one of those first meetings and I was, you know, I'm quite intuitive into the stable and comfortable and going with my intuition and saying hey let's go deeper, let's go bigger and you know, I mean Mickey I almost feel like I don't know if it was the second meeting or that first meeting but like very quickly. I was like Mickey

You know, what do you want like like what about life and like it was 20 minutes into the first meeting that? You asked a question and I was, and I want to be back in the Southeast. Like I want to leverage my experience and you work in advertising and bring Branson startups. And once I said that, Terry was like well, then what do you think? Why you thinking about interviewing anywhere else? Like, that's my world and at the time, I didn't realize I'd watch movie one video Jerry before I met him. I didn't know who it was and so, you know, we've been talkin and nnn by the end of that conversation.

He said, you know, me for years here and do the things I think you can do and I do the things. I think I can do, like in four years will get you back for this. Bees and and I remember thinking like a, who is this guy that would like offer that? And then be like, why do I believe it was in that moment? We had, like, I really believe them.

You know, that's kind of like, you know, so much of what I think I'm about and what feels real to me are narratives that I do understand that a modern cynical, you know, practical. I don't want to use it as a negative Ito Society struggles with but for me, you know, when you're a purebred entrepreneur and I need to look up your bread, like, you know, it feels the reason to keep believe me was cuz I was 100% in belief and was articulating my true that I think.

You know, I've gotten older especially last two or three years. It's really become very clear to me that life is uncomfortable about perspective.

And and if you have good intent and you're capable, you're going to execute on a lot of things that don't make sense. You know, I do with these pointed Friendly's watching right now, like it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to meet somebody 20 minutes in and start talking about opening up offices, you know? But it genuinely felt right. And I think, you know, to sit here all these years later and talk about not becoming a reality

Those are kind of stories that I hope, inspire people who were listening, not to be delusional and full of crap. And think this is let you know. I was worried about people thinking, like it's the secret. Are you just staying in that happens. There's a lot more that goes into it than that. What it it seems like it in a lot of ways you had a secret or at least you were in inside, or in some ways Gary because I need you, and I met in Omaha Nebraska, where you were speaking on a stage in front of, I want to say it was 300 of certainly less than 500 people and just Lebowski I found her silicon Prairie News is the reason I was there. He's also the reason I think you were there and the fact that you would fly to the middle of the country when you live in, in the New York City area, you probably flying to the West Coast quite a bit with your, your wine business to come and throw a wine party. You have to pour wine at a wine party at Big Omaha and just shut it down.

Like you already knew there was a big opportunity in the middle of the country. And then Here Comes Mickey saying hey I want to I want to ignite things and bring things to the southeast. It seems like what was it about the middle of the country that clicked for you instead of the opportunity Beyond traditional Tech hubs like New York or San Francisco or even places like Austin,

Common sense, you know it, you know why? I think humility and Common Sense.

A lack of audacity. A belief in curiosity.

and understanding of humanity, all those things play out right like

Why am I mean? I'm from hundred, you know, my high school years were I thought we were find my business skills were from I live in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. And for those that don't know, any Hunterdon County New Jersey makes Chattanooga and Omaha look up New York City. So you know, so

I thought technology was omnipresent.

you know, and

I understood that Talent might be in the colleges or the neighborhoods of Middle America or South America on New York. So I just I didn't think that people are calibrated yet, the tech was oxygen.

Accessible. And that.

You know, the reality would be that great companies would be built everywhere Into Me, Your Fate at the email that time. Facebook was a Boston company from with a kid from Connecticut, you know, Pinterest was, you know, what? Pennsylvania company did they happen to decide to move that stuff, because that's where they development talent. And the Venture Capital money at the time was? Yes. But, you know, I, I think Coastal audacity is a humongous business, vulnerability and was not something I was interested in being a part of our there are other advantages. You guys think that having a company headquartered or having a headquarters in the middle of the country gives a company or even to check professional who's looking to plug into Tech.

I think that I did was a million, I mean there's there's cost advantages now, you're going to start to see it go. The other way. Now I'm more interested in having employees in anywhere and everywhere that allows me to mitigate my cost. I mean, when I asked Nikki to live in New York and work, it's going to be a different Nicky or spaghetti or Sally or all going to think. The same thing, which is like, what's my cost of living against my salary, against what I want to do with money, whether that's to invest for, go on vacation and obviously your cost of living. I mean, Mickey not even have this conversation in the it was a lightweight cuz I think we were just both long-term with each other. That was an acknowledgement that I didn't ask him to take less money was more like this is epic much better quality of life in Chattanooga's cost compared to Manhattan's cost.

I think as we are now fully in an integrated zoom and room kind of world physical and virtual kind of world. The reality is is that, you know you're going to start to see a lot of disruption, you really see it with what's going on with humans and companies going to Puerto Rico, Miami Austin. I mean, this is a very big moment in time of change.

In Chattanooga specifically. So I'm on the billboard, the Executive Board of the Chamber of Commerce. I'm on hoverboards nonprofits that are about 10 of attracting talent and and leveraging, and building a ecosystem here and visit conversations that, you know, the minute everyone got out of the pandemic happened in and maybe probably by late April. You know, may last year we were having conversations about how to attract people to Chattanooga now because you know, PC Magazine called the number one place to work from home because we've got the fastest internet in the Western Hemisphere. Here we go hiking you got, you know it's a small it's still a small town, like you can connect with people and and people want you to generally succeed here. And so you know where we've been on the offense trying to recruit new talent and its individual little bit of a different economic development game where, you know, we're it's it's really easy to contract. Like, hey, this company is

Like an office here or moved its headquarters here and that created 8,000 jobs. Redevelopers moved from Atlanta to Chattanooga. That's the the dirt work that still needs to be done.

Is it in terms of starting an office? I know culture is Big to both of you. I would imagine. That's one potential risk of starting an office, but not in the same location. How did you mitigate that risk? As you branched out, started new hubs and make sure it still had that the saner DNA from our New York office. So I like Central be announced. So we got recruited by Chattanooga to and open the office here. It was essentially Groupon has reached out to Gary and said, I'll buy, you know, that Alan was it was the main guy. He bought twenty-five hundred copies of jab. Jab jab, Right Hook. When it's Gary sending third book and in exchange for 24 hours to visit Chattanooga. And I see me on that trip saying, you know what I love about going to other markets. Charlotte Richmond, Raleigh kind of places like that but

I was like, well, I'll go check it out. I haven't been there since the 90s, but I've grown up going to camp and do a little bit but about new.

But I didn't know if I could get Mickey to go there.

And like I remember that combo is, well, I was like Mickey Chattanooga and he's like, I want a baseball camp but that's right, that was a fun, and so, and so we kind of made the decision summer fall 2014 and then announced at the Holiday party in 2014. And that like, hey, open Office in Chattanooga that I'm heading to work and we had San Francisco to LA. So we were like alright open this office office in Chattanooga Tennessee bus to go from New York. Downtown. You guys at that point, you had people come out to me at the Holiday party saying hey, it's me to grab coffee. I want to talk to you about it and that's how do you spell bottom or just like, hey, this sounds like a great opportunity. A fun thing to do is going to be part of the founding team of an office and so, you know, we not bringing 10 people down and then kind of

I've hired local talent around that tend to control the office if that was a key strategy for a while. And so it was certainly a way to make sure we have the DNA transported from New York on the headquarters to this this office. And then it was about like, making sure that people knew that there could be a connection. So, Jerry comes down Chattanooga pre-pandemic. You know, a couple times a year and, and other people from New York office, that would come down and visit and, and, and, and, and make sure that they were still back in action.

Were there any uncertainties? Or did you have any sort of fear about starting his office in the middle of the country? That wasn't, that wasn't one of the traditional your top three lasoff New York, City's 44, agent for an agency like zehner or Miami. Even with that was from you or your leadership team. I'm just curious if there was some really push back before you saw all this momentum, attraction gay

You know, that's the beauty of not having a board or being publicly traded. I'm I live and die in my decisions, right? So

no, I I I I

I believe in it, I believe in it and I'm sure it was Whispers behind my back but that's kind of no par for the course. I don't recall anything being too extraordinary pushback about starting. A Chattanooga office that you didn't expect.

I don't go in with expectations, but in general isn't one of my great strength, you know, I think a lot of things clean out the way I thought, you know, I thought Nikki would be incredible candidate for mayor of the town. I knew his personality. I knew his disposition. I felt he was the right man for the job. That played out the way I thought.

Joystick gum.

I think I'm trying to think if there's anything not necessarily, you know, not not anything that I can really, really think of, you know, I may be the fact that I wanted a direct flight situation easier, but

No, it's it's it's an incredible Community. I would probably say I'm surprised we don't have more that if you I would have lost that bet. You know, I've always thought about like Wichita and like, you know, do you know? I take it. I think so much. Just started happening in a million different ways that we didn't end up having Louisville. I think Vicky, we had a quick, one at one point but it really get two more satellites yet and now what does that even mean? But other than that, not really in the past five years is 6 years has been near the fact that when we open you were, you know, a full-service advertising agency. Where were some of the biggest brands in the world and

Tammy was definitely not like like you're going there for a client, right? Like we were going there because this community attracted us because we believed in and and we felt like we could have an impact on the we weren't going here for a specific client. We had to climb from the area 2-hour drive, you know, to let you know Knoxville Atlanta. So we had some clients, you know, and then we were able to build from there blue targeting larger companies in the southeast Dallas, Florida places like that, but we were trying to work with you. Nobody a year 2 years in of people. Coming up a coffee meeting with someone and they said, it's $50,000 from me and I said nothing like I don't know, haven't offering at that level. And after about a year of that, two years of that, you know, me and Jessie and a few other people here.

You know do training or we would go and meet with do some auditing and holding and things like that. And the baby are very media CEO. James are seeing it but I'm kind of notice some of those things and help time guide us on as he was thinking about pulling together, an offering with with Gary for entrepreneurs Grosse, tete companies Challenger Brands, you know, the true kind of Middle Market and below it made sense for going to Chattanooga to, to be a part of that. Because we are so many conversations here locally, regionally, where we were leaving money on the table, because we don't have an offering to support a $200,000 budget in and out, and that was the starting place. We need to be able to support your this size of company and it doesn't fit in the intermediate size and scale that Boehner media was at night time.

Bachelorette. Where did the name Sasha group come from? Why is it important to you?

I think that's my dad. You know what his name is Sasha in Russian name, you know,

You didn't name, you like my small business, you know, Mickey can tell you like I'm up I'm a businessman and so that makes me different in meetings and Mickey has seen me with the biggest brands of the world in the biggest Titans in business and with the smallest of small businesses and I'd like to think I do want to speak to, I want to leave the witness, but like my flexibility is high because it's how I built my career. I can really chameleon every room. I'm just as comfortable talking to Sal about his one piece of shop in the suburbs of Detroit. As I Am with, You Know, Marc benioff about Salesforce, right? I just really do believe I have that range and I'm humbled and flatter than excited too. I do think that the SMB part has a little even extra pointer for me because the impact is so extraordinary. You know, one meeting with an SMB in

Giving them one, good idea to killing, you know, a lot of them. And so, you know, I learned my SMB chops in my dad's liquor store, right? When I did have a great impact and I know, I lived the hyperbole, I lived a business that was doing less than four million dollars a year in Revenue, which is a big small business. But without any BC, money and even without the benefit of having a credit line, I was able to explode that business in a very short period of time, based on my macro hypothesis, which is, if you knew the best behavior of the second, if you're the best of the thing of this second, you get disproportionate Returns on those investments from a marketing operation or product offering standpoint.

And so am I named it after my dad? And the best part of that story is when I told my dad.

His reaction was negative because my dad is very cynical old Russian dude. And I think for the first couple hours, he was trying to figure out what the angle was and what was a few weeks later. He was proud. I think he's happy now. But yeah, that's why we needed that way. And it's been a really, really truthful Endeavor. It feels pain. That's extraordinary. I think about some of the stuff we worked on. It's just when you're changing people's lives and I love that. Your fingerprints are all over that. Right? Gary and the the fact that you bring the positivity, while maybe your dad is naturally pessimistic. It seems like you're naturally optimistic not unaware of potential downside, but overall, optimistic about the opportunity, I'm curious before you go here. What do you think is a big opportunity for the on Valley? What kind of predictions would you make? Over the next five, ten years for non-traditional Tech?

Why did I think we're going into the Golden Era? You know, if your neon Valley right now you need to go ham and explain to people like why not live here. Here's a better tax situation. Here's more. Look at all the yard you get for this Price. Look how much the restaurants cost here. Look how epic the people are. And oh by the way, I mean I've been running. I've had the best business year of my life professionally. I could have been anywhere in the world that have left my home.

Now things will go back to say, no, but I can be a global pandemic forever. Thank God but my behavior has changed. Like I don't I don't need to get on a plane for 1 meeting in Chicago. Get that crappy 6 a.m. Chicago flight that I have to wake up at 4:34. Have a meeting, and then fly back and get her. Like that's a one-hour meeting on Zoom. Now, that even a 63 year old Corporate America executive is signed up for the cats out of the bag. I mean, I mean this is

This is this is it Beyond Valley. Doesn't capitalize in this decade, then then they need to temper their expectations.

I love that prediction and I'm with you, one hundred percent. I think we're just at the beginning of the inflection point and I know you've been predicting this for years. He predicted the exact target exit to Salesforce. I remember seeing that back in the day before that even happened in 2013. I know I Met You in Omaha, Nebraska of all places and I know you took time out of your day, first thing in the morning this morning, I have to be here with us so gay. I want to thank you for being here and sharing some of the banner story with us. I'm happy to be a part of it. I love Nikki with all my heart. I let him take over the rest, we can see everybody paid so much on Valley is brought to you by Powder Keg the locally driven nationally connected Tech Community the only private Network focus on supporting tech companies and leaders and community be on Silicon Valley cam to be in connecting with tens of thousands of professionals peers and partners in Tech communities across the US and around the world.

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And maybe I'm excited to go even deeper with you because I was biting my tongue because I knew we only had 30 minutes with Jerry, but I'm eager to hear what it was, like, starting up a new office in Chattanooga. So many companies, how many people are looking at moving outside of to Gary's Point? More expensive locations that are more competitive for talent and just really don't provide the same quality of life and quality of business operation. What was it? Like coming into Chattanooga and setting up shop for the first time we've Chattanooga specifically because I was kind of the community and the entrepreneurial kind of ecosystem that was here and in the end the people that that make up that kind of culture and so you know for us we had we gone to some other mid-sized markets and you know that that work as like excited about us coming. I think it might

In a little bit. And now obviously like Gary's profile has raised tremendously in the past six years so that probably would have changed a little bit but still relatively cuz I wasn't a tie back then is it was as it is now. And so for me it was going out and in in a week like we were all like our office was free for the first year because you know that that was they wanted us here. And so for us it was it was about like and how can I making connections and showing people that like we're not here for any other reason than to try to bring value to this community and and grow it. And in no end until the things that we are the challenges that we kind of

Thought about with me a ton of pre-plan for, right? So, in terms of a huge advertising marketing Market, there are some great agencies here. National work, local worker to work. There's a difference, good out here cuz I'm the biggest. And so that was part of the reason why we brought and people down your friend, I'll just start and I am in. So the deal we made it to Lewisburg hire more at the junior level. Supposed that was kind of starting out in their careers for years of experience and images and then over time you notes. Like if we had to hire a senior level person hear you, it may be takes us a little bit more time and so we can have a factor into that. And and now I mean what's changed over the past

Is that now we're more open to their being, you know, people being remote kind of connected to the Chattanooga office. So we now have two or three employees that are connected to the Chattanooga office of South, but that lives in North Carolina that lives in Colorado, that lives in Illinois, things like that. And so at least, you know, be closer to here and it and things like that, but we're going to remain flexible on open, on, on that front like we had to consider and business development and obviously a little bit different, right? Because of the profiles he's got and so it was a lot about like if there was someone in Gary's is there was a business development opportunities that came to Gary and it was in somewhere around the Midwest of the southeast like he loves me in.

Look me in on this immediately and we would be having conversation Jerry would take it off and then will be on me and the team and pull it through. And I'm reading it was on the back of our office and get it up and running now, you know, my some of my favorite parts of tired of being in Chattanooga and being in a market that maybe didn't know Gary as much and that we had to go and earn your business on a run to let you know there, I don't think they're in when I was in New York and if there wasn't one piece of business that we want that Jerry didn't leave, that Jerry didn't have some sort of snacks do, maybe I can't think of one really in those earlier than she has 11:00 to 2:15 when I was in the New York office. But I can, you know, clients here, that even in our vaynermedia Chattanooga days we were and we brought in on her own and now isn't such a group. We do that all the time. Now what the great part about this. We have offerings that include Gary's time in them and so people come and go as they can still get access.

You know, it as well as, you know, the answers to what, we bring it back when I want to talk about one of those opportunities here before we end, but I'd like to pull on that thread about you a little bit more. Because I'm busy right now to Gary's Point like this is the end, valleys moment that right in the lot of ways people are seeing it, organically people are making that move venture-capital is making that move, which of course, 80% of every event around goes to hiring attracting Talent. So it is a big opportunity and all the cities right now or trying to figure out what, how do we be the place that this remote Worker Works? Or how do we be the place where this company relocate, their headquarters like jobvite did here to Indianapolis recently, how can cities

Attract the right now and it's not the right companies at and maybe maybe even include some examples about Chattanooga. Did ya track you? Yeah, so and I can't go to sleep. I think about it in my role is on the chamber board and Co-op board, and Enterprise Center and things like that is less identify our assets and and double down on those drinks. So our assets here in Chattanooga are these the best internet in the Western Hemisphere? Like that's not hyperbole. It is literally a weak-kneed local. You say over 10 years ago that provides power to, you know, everyone here is an utility, put it in a 600 square miles of a, of a fiber optic Network to create a smart grids that have power went off at your house. If we got you from my house to yours on the smart bread and get you a backup.

Quickly. Now as they were building that they realized what we on this fiber, we can also provide internet and internet services in Fiber Optic, internet services. And so, you know, now that's we have 10 gigs speed offering that you can have you known residence anywhere in in kind of the footprint. So let's be honest with me and Stephanie, rallied around. Like this is a flag that we can carry. So if we have a long history in Chattanooga in the logistics space, so you're two of the largest trucking companies are based in Chinese and US Express in Covenant Transport and that that industry specifically, the kind of Freight Logistics. Transportation Supply Chain industry. We've had a ton of growth over the past 10 years or an entrepreneur, building around that talent and building around the tech opportunities. That that brings some of our

Selling my mentioned earlier. He was like, if there's one person who's responsible for recruiting, is down instead, and his team doing Freight brokerage and, and, and then sold that to Coyote, who then sold to UPS and a transaction, and has been Touring that money back into the Community Partners in in the team there. And so now, there's only 10 companies that have come out of that through Venture Capital Investments that he's dead, or to the talent that was part of that team, that has now started, team Logistics, and Reliance partners with his kind of insurance for a little things like that. And so are now $1,590 Revenue companies, and so we've kind of sound right Freight.

Started a kind of the Bloomberg of of Freight in the freight industry, Freight waves, which covers the the freight industry in a very editorial way. But they also provide data to, you know, anyone that needs a look at the freight industry and Credit Clause as twitch. This is reality and in in it in it, it's early and then we're not going to be any problem. In Nashville, we're not going to be Austin, we're not going to be Miami. I believe that we are and so that means I'm dressing the things that are still challenges here. That means addressing kind of equality and inclusion and diversity issues and it means addressing education in public schools in early childhood education. It means addressing, you know,

It's identify your strings, double down on them and then and then have a plan for how you're going to address the things. But yeah, when people come in and Gary mention the flight, the real thing, you know, I had died, I've connected through Charlotte and it went so many times and we do it because we kind of knew that was going to be a cost of doing business if we're going to come here is that and but other things like that that are going to put you at a disadvantage to other markets. And so it's how do you have a kind of plan? And it shows it with the pros outweigh the cons

You, you had so many actionable nuggets there and I'm glad you recap some of them done their. One of the things that stood out to me was you said, we're not trying to be Silicon Valley or New York City. And I, I love that you say that, because that's literally where the term on Valley came from it, it's not anti Valley, right? We we love Silicon Valley, we got investors in Silicon Valley, We Got Talent and Silicon Valley that work for the tech companies. In the middle of the country. On Valley is actually stole it from the uncool out. Just how 7 upgrade of yourself. You know what? I'm trying to be another Coke. We're a different thing where it where the on Valley and I think the cities that are doing that and your point playing off the strength while also thinking about, okay, what are the drawbacks and how do we have a plan? A realistic plan to to address some of those

There is a like it's a small I like it's in the big small town. So there's you know if you're not going to come here like you meet with one person, you're going to meet with six people coming out of that meeting because they're going to say, oh, you're doing this, you're doing this. You should meet. This is something that like there's there's there's a bit of mentality of rising tide lifts all boats, hear that. And and that everyone is genuinely rooting for everyone else is the best. And so, how do we make sure that we are connecting people and connecting resources because the faster that likes all the time? The more we're going to all benefit from that is such a key part of the DNA of the people in Chattanooga. But it's something that like we have to continue to cultivate and make sure and I think other cities could and as well. And so if you don't look at it as like, hey pudding thing, so close to your to the vest in and looking at his competition, instead of looking at it, as

Your head doesn't let those are to be an awesome company that can come here. I'm in multiple times per year, I got asked to go meet with companies that are evaluating Chattanooga, central place to come and tell the story about why we're here. And I'm having to do that because that means more Talent going to come to this town. And he's one of us with me coming to town and and that is to be more opportunities and and tell him that why we believe in sending them and what we're doing here. And what the talent is he, or she is part of what made Silicon, Valley, Silicon Valley. You know, when we were limited by geography and you didn't have zoom and we couldn't get on a plane or a direct flight to somewhere and the fact that you're doing that in Chattanooga, all these cities are getting better and better at that. We can also do that collect. That's what we're doing today. I see all them from Kansas City.

. I saw someone from Cincinnati and I saw some folks from Charlotte in Westfield, Indiana. So I love, I love that note to the kind of wrap up on early transition because I do want to talk about a couple of opportunities with Sasha Sasha group but that hyper-connectivity I just want to I want to emphasize that for everyone who's kicking off on Valley with us here today. Because there's so much opportunity to help be the connective tissue and Hyper connectivity. Over the next two days. You know, hopping into the booths jumping into some of the speed networking where you just it's like Chatroulette. It's a new person every time except it's everyone's working in Tech from around the world or even scheduling meetings with people. There there's so many opportunities to do that and I'm so glad you all that out. Nikki.

Yeah man, I got to beat we got we got all collectively kind of 100% together. We will, will definitely continue to rise you and your team at Sasha group put together some amazing packages that I think are really relevant to Powder Keg. In the fact that you, you put suction to get her specifically for the on Valley folks here today. And tomorrow is pretty awesome. We talked a little bit about the 4d's. I, I know Gary brush toothbrush over it briefly, but I mean, the fact that Gary spends, ninety minutes and each one of these sessions, I would think n e, c, e o, n e marketing leader. Anyone really looking to you, take your business to the next level benefit from it. I'm certainly going to participate in one of them out of this hole for. Do you think I'm about 40?

Intermedia, we knew I had to have an offering that to add value to entrepreneurs, Grosse, tete companies in Challenger brand that we can do more than just marketing ends. And so we launch. I'm consulting services and we are some Educational Services as well, and 40s, the flagship of those Educational Services. It was originally, you know, when we started in 2017, it was originally a full one day in person, you come to be in a media office and you can, I get a look under the hood for a day where it's a small groups of eight to 12 people in that room, visit with different departments, you have leaders come in and talk about how the sausage is made from being a media perspective and launched a virtual version of it, which is 4 hours instead of 10:00. It's not kind of what are the four really key sessions? We've got out of one on platform strategy.

Turn on Creative strategy, one on content development, and then and then an hour to 90 minutes with Gary where Note 8, people say people in the room and you get to ask, you know usually 10 minutes worth of questions about your business to Gary. And and he talked about kind of his favorite thing to do is is being their sessions because he knows that one idea and properly can really change some of these businesses. And we've seen it happen where your people to come into the forties and they say, taken care of some of those learnings in the playlist from that from those sessions and an exponentially growing their company from it. And so, you know, we've the forties that we have with me. And we we got a booth setup later today. Show Quattro, and he's kind of our head of Education will be there with his team that runs the programs that for days. We are talking about like taking we put together a forties it's just for on Valley participants and things like that. We also in the past year launched another option which is another indication

Stork is kind of your, the best way to stay up on social, and digital marketing, and brand building. It's a private and email and and Facebook group will be delivered, weekly videos on the best of in the latest and greatest on certain digital marketing and brand building. So is a video that comes out on Wednesday related to it. And ask me anything on Friday with you, the person who developed that video and into its access to a group like that is well. And so, you know, there's at least we really seen a kind of unlocked a ton of value. And then now there's a, there's a network of a community of people that are, you know, he got that other rig parts store has gotten your point but numbers now that are $300 for the year and a half.

Do you know a library of marketing material? Some reason cuz he's got over fifty videos in the library. You know, and we'll be adding more every week and then you got a network that you're connected with commercial may be facing similar challenges and assemble a mystery or related industry. And that's part of what we did. We do is we connect people with in that kind of community and say, hey, here's your people that have us all for that to go talk to them. I'm so in between or forties alumni are stores members, we have a really nice network of folks that are the same places that a lot of entrepreneurs are an N are people that can be learning from one another and and and we're there to help facilitate that and bring volume to as many ways as we can.

I really appreciate you putting that together. I mean, the fact that you're even discounting at $300 a year program for powdered Egg Hunt, Valley is really generous because I mean, the value there is just like 100 x. I mean, I took a look at the program. I want to get one for my head of community and one for my head of marketing just because there's so much there and it's so much to be learned from the people in that Community to be put together. And we're we're definitely seeing the power of can you need today and I'm excited to bring some of those folks doing the 40s together for a session with you. And with Gary, just had a really help kind of take our businesses to the next level. As a huge opportunity in the valley is as you and Gary point out here over the last 45 minutes or so. So I want to thank you Mickey, for being here. Bringing the Thunder, bringing Gary and Sharon, some of that story of the move to the mighty middle.

Way before anyone was talking about it in the New York Times or its 6 wrenched. So, I knew that you'd be the right people kick. Kick off on Valley here with us this morning, so thank you. Yeah, thanks so much Madden and excited to going to connect with folks over the next two days.

That's it for today show. Thanks so much for listening. Also a huge thanks to Gary vaynerchuk and Nikki Cloud for being a part of on Valley episode 1, make sure you go check them out. You've of course, have Gary V on all the social media platforms and Gary vaynerchuk. Calm, where you can find all the things he's involved with, but then also check out the trash of, you're just an amazing organization. Working with difficult, clients around the world for Lisa to social profiles and other people. Companies and resources mentioned in this episode, head on over to Powder Keg, and check out the show notes that's powder powder. Kegl.com. You can find on Vale podcast at Powder Keg. Cam on Valley or how to kick.com podcast. Both of those things. Take you to the same place. I'll made it super simple for you. Thank you so much for sending it to undilate the show for leaders who want to unlock the full potential and plug into the biggest opportunities in Tech in startups, be on Silicon Valley.

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Calm podcast. If you're already subscribed, if you could just leave us a review that would be amazing Will shout you out on an upcoming episode, very excited to bring in some Community elements to what are doing in future episodes. Wanted to make sure you got this first episode again, this Powder Keg. Calm podcast. And we'll catch you next time on on Valley since you just put News podcast, you might be thinking about starting one for your company. Lucky for you are Partners over at Casa. Have you covered casted. Is the first and only podcast and video marketing platform. It made specifically for B2B Brands. The platform makes it possible to publish vindicate amplify and measure the value of your podcast and video content. In fact, we use it for our podcast right here at Powder Keg. Yes, on Valley is all hosted on Caston.

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