The Art of Building Meaningful Connections: A Conversation with Networking Braith Bamkin

Embrace the simplicity and wisdom of mastery through repetition with our esteemed guest, Braith Bamkin, a marketing virtuoso who has turned business complexity into an art form. He shares not only his father's legacy of steadfast guidance but also the unexpected joy of connecting across continents with the power of podcasting. As we unravel Brath's insights, my own story of seizing a redundancy, venturing into the franchise world in Melbourne, and ultimately finding my voice in public speaking and writing unfolds, underscoring the transformative journey from uncertainty to discovery.

Prepare to be inspired as we discuss the sheer force of setting audacious goals and the personal touch that makes marketing resonate in a digital world. Witness how Braith and I dissect the trend towards personalized engagement while considering how the red pill moment of recognizing one's true calling can forever shift the business landscape. With technology driving the way we connect, we ponder over the balance of automating customer interactions and preserving the irreplaceable human element that seals the deal in brand loyalty and success.

Laughter and life lessons go hand-in-hand as we wrap up with a comical case of mistaken identity involving Braith, a rugby league star, and the intriguing rise in popularity of the name 'Brath.' This light-hearted anecdote leads us to a deeper reflection on the influence of names and the stories they carry. From parental wisdom to branding powerhouses, we cover it all, leaving you with a blend of motivation and mirth that will linger long after the episode ends. Join us for a conversation that's as enriching as it is entertaining, with a side of heartfelt appreciation for the paths we pave in business and beyond.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:00

My guest today is Brath Bamken. Brath is an accomplished keynote speaker, a stewed business owner and certified marketing professional known for his giving nature and unwavering commitment to helping others. With a rich background spanning both the corporate world and entrepreneurship, brath offers a unique perspective on what it takes to thrive in the business landscape. Brath brings support over 2,500 businesses, business owners across a plethora of industries, including trades, finance, IT and property. He has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses of all sizes. His approach to success is simple yet profound, effective, emphasizing purpose, intention and connection, with the focus on people-centric strategies.

Speaker 1: 1:53

As the speaker, he is renowned for his engaging demeanor and his ability to get straight to the point. His presentations are not only informative but also packed with practical, actionable advice. He draws on his extensive experience, particularly in leadership, marketing and business development, to provide audiences with the tools and knowledge needed to make a tangible difference in their ventures. He genuinely desires to make a positive impact on individuals and organizations to set him apart, whether addressing budding entrepreneurs or seasoned professionals, his insights, fueled by compassion and expertise, make Brath an invaluable addition to any podcast. We welcome him to the show. Well, it's so good to have you on the day. Brath how you doing, keith, I am doing exceptionally well.

Speaker 2: 2:45

It's morning for me, it's evening for you, so we're spanning the globe.

Speaker 1: 2:49

That's right. We are spanning the globe. That's a good answer.

Speaker 2: 2:54

You are an international podcast star, right.

Speaker 1: 2:57

You know I've heard that before I had a couple. You're my third guest from Australia.

Speaker 2: 3:02

Well, I'll share it with my people, so you're going to get more followers in Australia.

Speaker 1: 3:08

Yeah, I'm even getting a few in Bangladesh. That's random. So I'm training in India, that's amazing, that's amazing.

Speaker 2: 3:18

Well, that's really good for you. You really are an international star.

Speaker 1: 3:23

I think that's where all the podcast promoters are coming from, so oh, right, okay, but still, legitimately, you are an international podcast. That's right, a national podcast. So I love to ask my guest this question what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Speaker 2: 3:42

The best piece of advice that I have ever received is the simplest piece of advice that I've ever received. I wish I could honestly say I've always followed it, but I haven't always followed it, but it's the best I've ever received and when I go back to it it always works. Keep it simple and do one thing a thousand times, rather than a thousand things one time.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Okay.

Speaker 2: 4:05

I like that. Yeah Well, you know I don't know about you, mate, but I'm. I like exciting new things. You know, if something interesting comes, I'll grab it and I'll run with it. And then the other thing comes, I'll grab it and I'll run with it, but it doesn't ultimately serve you when you're doing that. So yeah, keeping it simple, that's very true. Doing simple things and doing it really well. That's just the key, and then you can go and do something else.

Speaker 1: 4:28

Right, once you finish that one thing, go pick up something new Exactly. Otherwise, you just have potential. You never actually accomplish anything. You're just a person of potential.

Speaker 2: 4:36

Well, you know, it's like. I don't know if you know Andy Porterfield, but I'm a big fan. I love Andy Porterfield. She's a course creator, digital person, but she talks a lot about. You know, if you're, if you're not in the games, you're on the sidelines and you just sort of like tossing the ball on the sidelines. You're not really playing the game and you'll never win a game. But you know, the only way you get to play a game and this is a sports metaphor that I believe you guys in America would understand is you know you've got to get on the field, you got to play the game and then finally you can win. But tossing the ball on the side and all those warm-ups, you're not going to win nothing.

Speaker 1: 5:10

Yeah, those, those points, those touchdowns on the sideline don't count Exactly. I love that. I'm always curious to my guests because we never get where we are by ourselves. But who were some people in your life who served to inspire you?

Speaker 2: 5:29

Look, I would be remiss to say that my, my father wasn't somebody who really inspired me. My father and I I can play opposites, like we are total opposites. He is a chemical engineer by profession. He's a scientist. He's a very critical thinker. He's the kind of guy that at Christmas you get a new gadget or a toy and he opens up the box and he reads the instructions from cover to cover. I'm the guy that rips the paper off, pulls the thing out, shoves the batteries in and figures it out on that side.

Speaker 2: 6:05

And so we were always at this kind of like clashing thing for many, many years. And then I really realized that you know, he had wisdom for me and my father was always somebody that did write by other people. I didn't always agree with what he was doing as a course, as a teenager I certainly didn't agree with what he was saying and doing, but you know, my father was a very solid, dependable person. I've always looked to him as a model for somebody who can really steam through things, and the word I use for my dad is equanimity. So the good stuff or the bad stuff never knocked him over. He was just always a steady course forward and he knew where he wanted to go and even though we're complete opposites, I learned so much from him. So you know, you have to say I'd have to start with my dad. A lot of you, a lot of you guessed what side they're parents, surely?

Speaker 1: 6:58

Yeah, almost everybody has someone, something start with their parents and they meet yet other people. But you know, I don't think we tell our parents enough how much they mean to us. Yeah so it's too late.

Speaker 2: 7:09

Well, my dad is 92, my mom's 89. They're still living independently in their own home and you know I visit. They live in Sydney, I don't live in Sydney, so I go and visit them. I commit to at least once a month to go and see them and you know I try and I try and tell them as often as I can now and you know I know that they appreciate it. They certainly. My dad certainly has chewed up when I've said it occasionally. So you know my dad's a very solid guy, doesn't get emotional. So for him to to get emotional was is quite interesting for me to see. But I know he appreciates it. So so that's good.

Speaker 1: 7:46

So you want me to go to another person that's impacted me?

Speaker 2: 7:48

Sure, because you know I have a list. I knew you're gonna ask this question, of course. So Research. So when I was in I've got the gray hair so I can happily admit to this I was around in the 1980s and my first job, and my very first serious job I worked for a company that sold commercial textiles to interior designers and architects and I was fresh out of university.

Speaker 2: 8:15

I knew everything, but of course, I knew nothing. And but my first boss and one on this company was taking me to visit Customers in town and it was our first trip doing that and we were driving across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, which is where I lived at the time, and she said to me right, if you're going to succeed in this business, you need to learn how to network. And it was the 80s. That was a word that no one even knew. It wasn't a thing back then.

Speaker 2: 8:46

And I remember we did the day as business and we were coming back across the Harbor Bridge and I said to a Judith, what did you mean by networking? And she said I'm really glad you asked me. And she spent the next two years teaching me how, developing relationships and helping other people and really building trust with people could Supercharge your business. She had built an amazing business out of doing that and after two years I invited me to take their business to New Zealand and I set up their office in New Zealand and I use that Knowledge and skill to build my network and I've been networking and building Relationships and referrals ever since and I tell you, what I sold time share was when I was at university, so I know how to do hardcore sales, but relationships are much better way to navigate life and business in my experience, so she was my biggest business mentor.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Yeah, those times, sure things I've heard about them.

Speaker 2: 9:43

Yeah, there was a great experience. I learned a lot. I think I was probably 20 at the time. It was summer, it was a summer job, you know. I learned how to sell. I learned how to do closing it was really cool to do that, so but what that taught me was that's not the way I want to play the game of life, and I think it was a really good experience for me and Keith. Once you've learned what you don't want to do, it really helps you to work out what you do want to do, right.

Speaker 1: 10:13

Yeah, that's me my first job outside of before I go. I do now. I was working behind the desk in office. I was like it was the most confining job in the world and I got fired because I couldn't just sit behind the desk and do paperwork all day and type things and stuff envelopes like I can't do. I got to be out talking to people and so I Would go do a error. To take five minutes took me 20 minutes because I talked to six, ten people along the way.

Speaker 2: 10:40

So, yes, you're like me. When I why don't finish school in? I was in our part of the world. You finish school in there's sort of about August, so university didn't start till the following March. We had all this time. I thought, well, I'll go and get a job. And I got a job in a bank and it really again talk about Learning what not to do. You know all I wanted to do. I wanted to be out the front talking to the customers, but they had me out the back counting, so it was called batching. You had to I can't even explain it, but it was all batching, all the checks and all that, and I was confined in this room and it was so not me. I used to use all the excuses in the world to go out the front and chat with customers and you know, I think they were happy when I said I'm going back to, I'm going to university now. See you later. That's it great, see you.

Speaker 1: 11:24

Yeah, that's so funny. Yeah, I love to ask my guest this question too. Can I give me your personal story? Because everybody's journey is unique, tell me about your journey.

Speaker 2: 11:37

Yeah, well, where did you start? So I left school and went to university and really I did not like what I was doing. I was doing my favorite subject at school was geography. So I went and did an arts degree in geography and then I was into YouTube and I'm thinking what am I going to do with this? I'm going to work for Stats Australia. This was not going to work, so I dropped out and I went and worked casual and did some stuff for a couple of years and I went back to university and I did an organizational psychology degree and it was the best thing I ever did. Taking that. Two years off, I worked in hotels and hospitality, like young people do. Great time, had a really good time. But I came back and I was really purposeful and really intentional, and so that's how I got into. Really. Marketing was my area and the textile job sort of fell into that through circumstance and I went and did a masters in marketing many, many, many years later and I thought I would go back into the architectural supply industry.

Speaker 2: 12:44

But something random happened, as is apt to happen on our planet, and I got asked to go and work for Nokia At the time when Nokia was really cool. I remember those really tiny three series phones. So I was there and that stuff came out and it was groundbreaking. Today we can't comprehend what that's like, but back then those phones blew people away. They had no idea that we could do that stuff and there was a game on it called Snake. I don't know if you remember it was a very basic game. We had an entire afternoon training session and the kids today would just not believe that. And then what they wanted us to do was to go out into cafes and be out in public and play Snake. This was my job. I got paid to play Snake in cafes with the sound up really, really loud, so people would come and ask what we were doing because no one knew this stuff. And we showed the phone. It was like being a brand ambassador. It was so cool. But anyway, I digress in there. So that was my techno world.

Speaker 2: 13:54

So I worked in Telco for quite a number of years and then I got an opportunity to take a redundancy. I'd been at this company for three years. They offered me a ridiculous amount of money. They said you've only just moved into your new role. I'm sure you don't want to take this, but we're offering everyone redundancy because they'd merge two brands. This is the number you get, but I'm sure you don't want to. I said, when am I signed? And they were shocked. But I took it. I was state manager at the time. I took it and I ran. It was fantastic. But it got me back to Australia. I had a holiday first, actually to do with that sort of money.

Speaker 2: 14:29

I came back to Australia and I got into a mattress business. They were franchising so they wanted somebody to run the sales and marketing and I ended up buying one of those franchises and I still was the national sales and marketing manager. But with that franchise I joined a B&I networking group and that changed my world. I had been networking for years but I never really had that framework around it. I don't know if you know B&I.

Speaker 2: 14:57

It's the world's largest networking organisation. That's been around for 38 years. It's an extraordinary organisation. It's from the States and I became a member and I was cutting it short. I was really successful. I loved it so much I decided to buy the Melbourne franchise and I've been doing that for the last 15 years and honestly, it changed my life. It brought me into the speaking world. It brought me into writing books, creating courses, meeting the most amazing people. And if you'd have said to me back in the 80s, when Judith said to me, networking will change your life, if you'd have said to me, I would own a business that is all about networking and referrals in my 50s it wouldn't have even been a thing I could have comprehended.

Speaker 2: 15:47

So isn't it funny how life kind of brings you around and how one statement or one person investing time when you can change your life, yeah, and you know one of the things and I love that you said that, because one of the things that I'm really cognisant of today as a successful business owner is that it's incumbent upon me to help other people to make their pathway forward a lot easier and a lot more simple. And one of my core values is freedom, and I just want everyone to have freedom in their life and their business, because so many people have helped me along the way, and you know that doesn't happen by accident and to give back to other people is really purposeful and Ben and I has helped me. Speaking has helped me. I do some mentoring on and that really amazes me how much I get out of that. So giving back is a very, very worthwhile endeavor.

Speaker 1: 16:45

That's great. One of the things I'm focusing on in 2024 in this podcast is kind of what you just talked about. How do you help other people, because so many people are on the sidelines throwing the ball, hoping those touchdowns count, as we talked about earlier. I love it, but they don't. So how do you help people get off the sideline and really get into the game, so that I guess my goal really is to help people who maybe have been dreaming, have been thinking, say, I really should do this, but never get off the sideline. What lessons did you learn that might be help for the person who's on the sidelines, afraid to get into the game.

Speaker 2: 17:25

So it's all about taking action, right, and I think that people on the sidelines who aren't in the game, they're just simply not taking action. But we all have evidence in our life. At some point in our life we're taking action. That got us a little bit uncomfortable, had a massive impact on our life. So I know that a lot of people say to me well, Brad, I don't know how to do this, and I'm saying I said and think of a time in your life where you took that really brave step and it was uncomfortable. It's going to be uncomfortable, right, Getting out of the field. It's uncomfortable. It's literally, if you're in America, what they call grid line is your football thing. Yeah, so that would be.

Speaker 1: 18:10

You guys call it soccer, we call it football.

Speaker 2: 18:13

Yeah Well, in Australia we have Australian rules football, which is a whole lot of things.

Speaker 1: 18:18

I've seen that that's a whole other story right there. That's just brutal.

Speaker 2: 18:22

And you should watch a game of that. But yeah, so grid line. I've never played it, but that doesn't look like it's a very comfortable game to play. I reckon it's uncomfortable, but I reckon that the discomfort of being all that get up and being bashed into and running on that field, the thrill of winning, would be intoxicating.

Speaker 2: 18:43

But we all have evidence in our life at some point of what we did to get uncomfortable. That got us a result. So we all know it's possible. So I think that's the first step is people don't believe that it's possible and they can't correlate things in their life that have happened previously that demonstrate to them that yes, I can do it. So once you get that in your head, yes, I can do it, I have evidence because at school or university or my first job or at that time that you asked that girl or boy out for that date, that you were freaking out, they'd say no and they said yes. They're like that is evidence that when you get out of your comfort zone, great stuff can happen. So we have the evidence.

Speaker 2: 19:27

So that's the part that I think people on the sidelines who keep practicing forget that we actually have the evidence and what's the worst that can happen, keith. Somebody says no. Then the next person comes along. No one dies from being rejected from a date. No one dies from not being invited onto a football field. We've got to brain surgeon. Keep it in context Whatever you're afraid of, you're not going to die if it doesn't happen. But what would it be like if it does happen?

Speaker 1: 19:58

I remember going to a conference once where there was a speaker who was afraid to get told. No, so, they spent the entire year going around asking people for things they thought they would never get.

Speaker 2: 20:12

My mentor- knows that guy and he wrote the guy that wrote the book and this is the one where he did the donuts at the end and got the yeah, yeah. So she knows him and she told me to do it. I did it for a day and it works. I got free coffee, I got free lunch. It was amazing.

Speaker 1: 20:33

So the worst thing we get worried about, you just say, is being told no. But that reminded me that you don't know unless you ask, and the best way to get somewhere is to take the chance and ask. So he got used to being told no, to the point where it's like he was immune to being told no.

Speaker 2: 20:49

So he just. You know, the problem I got was I didn't get. No People said yes to me.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Yeah, you're the very first one was I went to my local coffee shop and I said hey look, can I get this coffee for free? That's exactly what they said. And she said yes. And I said, oh my god, I'm doing this experiment. Why did you say that?

Speaker 2: 21:08

And she said because you're a really regular customer and you often forget to get your cards. You know they're loyalty card. You often get to get your own. I know you're going to have way more than one free coffee. So you know, there you go. The very first one I asked. She said yes, I'm like, oh my goodness, now I'm in for it. I have to go back to my mentor at the end of this day and tell her I got all these no's but I'm getting yeses. And I mean I got some. Mostly I got yeses and they really freaked me out when she did it. She had a contractor coming to her house doing renovation and she had a quote for Windows and I think it was something like 80 or $90,000. And she said I want that for $45,000. And she thought you'd never say yes, it was 50% off what he said. So you never know what the issue is there you go.

Speaker 1: 21:56

So that's the lesson for my audience. Just ask the question.

Speaker 2: 21:59

That's how let's turn.

Speaker 1: 22:01

You know, for those people who, OK, get off the couch and decide, OK, I'm going to do this. It seems to me that one of the things you just said is also really key If you're going to do something, you need a group of people around you, a network of people, to help make you successful. So I think it's important for those who are doing it to figure out who is your network. Who are the people that you know? How can they come alongside? How can they help? Tell me what you think about how you develop a network.

Speaker 2: 22:26

Yeah Well, the first thing I would say to your audience is that the general default position of human beings is I want you to succeed. So if you've ever done public speaking and you're afraid of it, one of the things that they will teach you is when you get up on a stage, no one in the audience wants to see you fail, because we all think they're waiting for us to fail, right. But of course they don't want to see you fail. They don't want to sit through an eggy presentation. They want to see you succeed. They want to get some value. So if you extrapolate that out the world, people want to see you do well. If we can establish that as the baseline because I think a lot of people don't get that but if you can establish that as your baseline belief that people around you want to see you do well, you will get some people that don't. They will want to pull you down. Just ignore those people. Then their noise isn't worth listening to. But the general population wants to see you do well. Get that right. You're on the good start. Then find a bunch of people that want to help you do well. So there are people that want to contribute and if you invite them to be part of your success, they will want to support you. And even if it's just simply a coffee with somebody on a regular basis, bouncing ideas off somebody, that's somebody giving you their time, their knowledge and their energy, that's really powerful. But, keith, you're absolutely right If you don't ask, you are never going to get. So establish that people really want to help you. Then bring the people around you that you need support from.

Speaker 2: 24:04

And here's the really big one. This is the one that I think is scary. This is a secret, keith, so don't share it with anyone. I'm not telling you about it. You've got to have a really big, scary goal and then you've got to tell someone, because if you don't tell someone, it ain't real. That's a secret, so don't share it with anyone.

Speaker 2: 24:23

But if you have your big, hairy, audacious goal and you tell your mentor, your friend, your colleague, and it's out in the universe, you can't take it back, so you can't take action and move forward. It's a very, very powerful way of moving forward, and then the people around you who know your goal can say to you how can I help you get there? What can I do to help you get there? Because the law of reciprocity is. At some point in time you will want to do something to help them as well. So if we help, all help each other, we all build each other up and move forward. But it's the simplest way to build our life and our business is to know that other people want to support you and ask for the help.

Speaker 1: 25:05

That is so cool Because when I work with I work a lot with churches and I usually go in when we start talking about vision and the future is I open up with a scene from the Matrix where you have the what's his name now?

Speaker 2: 25:20

Yeah, Neo.

Speaker 1: 25:22

Morpheus. Morpheus has the red pill in the blue pill.

Speaker 1: 25:25

The red pill and it says if you take this pill you go down the rabbit hole and you can't come back. And so I tell them, before we get into this vision thing, know that if you take this pill you can't go back to what you saw before, because you've seen, you pull back the veil and you see what could be. You're not going to want to stay in that stuck place anymore. So I always warn them that if you see the vision for the future, it's impossible to put it back in the model 100%, like you beautifully said, kate.

Speaker 1: 25:53

Yeah, so you're big into marketing and I love marketing because I think that was the one class I really love when I was taking my business courses. I didn't like management, but I loved marketing. But I'm curious what are, what are you seeing as the major trends in marketing today?

Speaker 2: 26:11

So this year, I just finished a little while ago judging the Australian National Marketing Institute Awards and I judged one particular category and it was really obvious that this trend has really started to kick in and it's personalization of your marketing. And if I go back to when I worked in the telco world, I worked for a company called 3Mobile in the early 2000s and it was when 3G was first starting. It was when technology was really getting very personalized. We talked then about personalized marketing and we didn't have the tools even back then as a big company to do it to the degree that we have today, that you can do for pennies as a small company. So the technology that is there today to help you to touch and engage with your audience blows my mind.

Speaker 2: 27:13

I use a really amazing CRM system called Techmatics and I love it. It's the easiest thing I've ever used in my life, but it enables me to segment my database and enables me to push to very tight and defined segments. It enables me, on social media, to speak to my raving fans in the way that they wish to be spoken to. And the reality is we're all getting this at the moment because if you've signed up for any retailer, you'll get offers pushed to you, and if you've got a kid, you'll get stuff that's relevant for kids. If you are a young person, you'll get stuff that's relevant for young persons.

Speaker 2: 27:55

Same store, different offers being sent out, and AI really means that you can take that to the next level, so you can craft your language. The language can be crafted directly to you. It's almost like they're speaking directly to you, and the reason why I see this is a massive trend is that even small businesses so the businesses that you help in your world, would be able to speak directly to that avatar, like as if it was you speaking in their head, solving their problems, because all of our businesses are simply solving somebody else's problems, right? That's what all we are doing, all we exist for, and so if you speak to me and I feel like you're in my head, you know what my problem is and you're telling me how you can help me, I like you, I want to play with you, I want to be part of your world. It's the way it works.

Speaker 1: 28:44

I love that. I'm curious, as you think about business going forward, how is business going to change in this century going ahead? It seems like to me everything is becoming very automated.

Speaker 2: 28:56

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 28:57

How do you not lose the personal touch for businesses? You just talked about automating your message, but how do you balance automating your message with staying close to your customers?

Speaker 2: 29:10

Well, first thing I would say to you is no matter how much you automate and digitize your business, humans want to hang out with humans and the reason I know this for sure is that during that pause that we had in 2020 and you know, in Australia we had a really long pause you guys were out and about. We were still locked up. We were locked up for two years. It was a really long, hard time.

Speaker 2: 29:32

I don't think people in the States kind of realize what we went through. So we were very confined for a very long period of time and then, the minute we were allowed out, people just wanted to go and hang out with their friends. So we had restrictions, but we were allowed to go and hang out with groups of six people in parks and in my local park you'd see groups of six people everywhere. So the minute we were allowed out, we started connecting with human beings and as the restrictions started reducing, we got to bigger and bigger events, to the point where people were going out to restaurants and parties and pubs and that and that is how I know that human beings, no matter how much we live in the digital world, still want to play with other human beings, because there's nothing more powerful than being in the presence of another human being.

Speaker 1: 30:23

Thank you. I love that. So Brace, if you're talking to a young entrepreneur who is just getting started or young professional, what advice do you have for them?

Speaker 2: 30:35

Keep it simple, keep it really simple. So I start with that. So you know, start with something that's achievable, but be really clear about the problem that you are solving in your business. So this is where I think most businesses really fail. You hear the stats of small businesses failing I don't know what they are in America, but you know, I think in Australia it's two-thirds of businesses fail within their first you know three years. So it's a really high fail rate.

Speaker 2: 31:02

And I don't think it's because of lack of cash flow. I don't think it's because of lack of business acumen. I believe it's because people don't clearly understand the problem that they are solving and the ideal customer that wants to have that problem solved for them. Because if you know the problem you're solving and you can speak directly to the customers that want that problem solved in the way that you do it, and there is a person that is really, really, really wanting to have you be the person that solves their problem, it's a matter of you connecting with them.

Speaker 2: 31:35

But the clearer we are about that and this is Marketing 101, really clear about your target market, but narrow it down, niche it down smaller and smaller and smaller. Because unless you've got the budget of Apple. You can't market to everyone, you just can't. So keep it really small, keep it simple, keep your message really on-brand and really simple and your tribe will find you. And as you evolve your business, your tribe will come along with you for your journey, because if you've got your values really clearly stated and everything you do aligns with your values, it's job done.

Speaker 1: 32:13

I remember hearing a story about how Apple does its business and I found it fascinating because it was actually Simon Sinek told the story. He's like I was with Apple in the morning and they showed me their new iPad. And then I was with Microsoft Employee the next day and they showed me their new Surface Pro. And so I got back and I said you know, the Surface Pro is so much better than your iPad. And Apple guys said I'm sure it is. I was like we're not competing with Microsoft, we're doing our own thing Because they bring their own race right Because they know, exactly who wants to buy their product, because they know who to speak to.

Speaker 2: 32:53

I'm a really rusted on Apple person. My identity is all around Apple. Somebody wants to move me to a Google calendar at the moment and I'm like I can't do it. I just can't do it Because I'm really rusted on Apple. They could bring out a really substandard product and I'm sure Samsung products are really good, but I'm not even looking at them because I'm playing the Apple game.

Speaker 1: 33:15

Right, exactly.

Speaker 2: 33:17

It's crazy though.

Speaker 1: 33:18

I could talk to you all day. It's great. So I'm wondering what are you excited about this season of your life?

Speaker 2: 33:24

I'm absolutely wrapped about the fact that I've got to the point in my business where I'm a true business owner. I'm not an employee of my own business, so I'd love for people in your audience to understand the difference. So being an employee of your own business means you're basically working at the, I'd say nine to five, but we all know as a business owner that's more like seven to 12. Like 12 midnight, not 12 noon.

Speaker 1: 33:51

So it's a great 12-day break.

Speaker 2: 33:54

You start out that way, but I'm not playing that game anymore. I've moved and I have a lot of people on my team. I have amazing support people and this is a really cool tip for your particularly young entrepreneurs Get an organizational chart out now and write down all the roles, including cleaner, including delivery person and fill out the names of people in those roles. And guess what? At the beginning, your name will be in every single box and then Right, and you're doing everything. Trust me, you're doing everything. At the start and you're like, oh, my goodness, how will I ever change this?

Speaker 2: 34:29

But over time, when you start to cross off your name and put somebody else's name in those boxes, that's when you start to move to become a business owner. And when your name is the name that is on the side not in the chart that's doing, but that there's strategy and the drive, then you really become a business owner and you have freedom to do what it is that you want. And this is how I get to be on podcasts with you talking halfway across the world and hopefully sharing things that help other people in their businesses, because I've built that business for myself and I give myself the freedom to do stuff like this. That fills up my cup and, I hope, helps the world move forward in a positive and constructive way.

Speaker 1: 35:14

That's great. With that in mind, what do you want your legacy to be?

Speaker 2: 35:20

Yeah, I often think about do I want big? When I was younger, I used to want to be famous. I wanted my name in lights and all that sort of stuff. Now, what I want my legacy to be is that people believe that I left them in a kinder, happier place. I think I truly believe. This is not a word people use in business very often, but I believe love is the point of everything. Love underpins everything on the planet and, without going outside of the business world, love is really what drives everything, and a guy called Steve Farber wrote a really good book about love is not a word you hear in business very often and, honestly, if you can make somebody else's life that little bit better and you can show compassion and kindness, that's all that I want to have my legacy to be that I've somehow touched other people and lifted them up and made their life easier and better because I was in their life.

Speaker 1: 36:24

I love that. Is there anything I haven't asked you that I should have asked you oh?

Speaker 2: 36:28

goodness, how much time do you have? No, I think you're a good interviewer, I think you've done a really good job and you've done your research and I love it, so yeah, no, I enjoy having you and I enjoy having on people who have achieved success, who are willing to share what they've learned to other people.

Speaker 1: 36:48

So often we you know you get to the top and you go. Well, I got here, you figured out on your own. But to have people who are willing to pour into other people is just to me inspiring and it says a lot about the person that's willing to do that, to pass down what they know to somebody else.

Speaker 2: 37:04

Yeah, well, yeah, here's the thing about human beings is, all of our thoughts are energy and that's a scientific factor. Every time we have a thought, there's a little electrical charge that goes off in a synapse in our brain. And we know that human beings are energy because you walk into a room and you can say this is a good vibe or a bad vibe. So we know, we have the evidence for this. So I know that when we are giving off good energy and good vibrations to the world around us, good stuff happens. So good stuff happens to good people. So you're a good person first.

Speaker 2: 37:37

Good stuff happens to me. You know, bad stuff doesn't really happen to me, because I really believe in the best in other people and I see the best in other people and I want other people to succeed and I think that's a really great place to be in life. And then it comes back to you, no matter how much I help other people, keith, since come back to me 10 fold. I'm like, oh, my goodness, I've done this, but this has happened. It's amazing. I need to give more and you know it doesn't have to be money. I mean, I give money because I think I can, I can, but it's really the hard stuff. That is really what matters.

Speaker 1: 38:12

Yeah, that's special. Where can people find your website and connect with you on social media?

Speaker 2: 38:16

Well, I have a really unique name, like Brath Banken. Meet that my website was available BrathBankencom, and Brath Banken is available on all the social medias. I'm super, super easy to find, so I'm very lucky. Thank you to my parents for that. I really appreciate that they didn't know it back in the 60s that I was going to be able to own all of my website social media and it was going to be really easy. So I'm super easy to find on social media and on the website. Just Google me. I come up with kilometers of stuff, so that's great.

Speaker 1: 38:50

But see, now that we've talked and my podcast is going, global Brath is going to become the new baby boy name in 2024.

Speaker 2: 38:57

You know, it's really funny that there are people. There's a in Australia, there's a game called rugby league and it's mainly a New South Wales type and Queensland type game. And there's a guy called Brath Anastor and he's like 40 and people and I'm like close to 60 and people say to me were you named?

Speaker 2: 39:11

after him. I'm like I think could be his dad. I reckon it might be the other way around. There you go. So you know. Now people know it's a rare name, but now people know it because there's a football dude in Australia.

Speaker 1: 39:24

There you go. Well, brath, thank you so much for taking the time and being on, and it is definitely an honor to talk to you, and blessings on the work that you do and how you pour into people is just to me, it's inspiring. So keep up the good work.

Speaker 2: 39:38

Thank you for being an amazing host. I really appreciate it.