Midnight Musings of a Relational Marketing Mom: Finding Balance and Purpose in Business with Leah Bumphrey

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Hi Leah.

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If you've been listening to the podcast and we hope you have, you may feel that you already know this guest. In fact, if producer Paul will hit the magic button. Let me expose this guest right now. Okay. Our special guest today is none other than my business partner and my podcast partner, Leah Bumphrey. Okay.

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Leah, there are plenty available at wherever you shop for your books. Am I right?

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And I've been working in that business for over 30 years. It's been 35 years between specifically print and radio and storytelling with a whole mix of, of things in there. And, uh. Sometimes you just gotta sit down. You got a bunch of stuff in your head, and, and away you go.

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ay through the book. It kept [: 00:04:00

Uh, I was, we we already knew a couple things about you with three things. You're a Canadian and sus Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I love to say this. That's me. Uh, you're also a, a very successful radio. Uh, salesperson and have been for many years. You have many satisfied and, and, and successful clients, and you're also a gifted writer.

Those are things we already knew about you, but maybe just maybe you would feel comfortable in telling us a little bit more about your backstory. I also am very interested when I ever talk to an author, I wanna know where did they get the inspiration. I mean, that to me is, is always an interesting story.

ay's the day to give us some [: 00:05:00

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You look at the science behind stuff, why, why, why, why? I like the story of things. Yeah. I like to pull people in and make them think, think, think. And then we have all that keeps us apart when we, when we are not seeing how those things come together. And with, with this book at the beginnings of it, that's really, you know, kind of encapsulates what happened when I had some ideas and I was pondering things.

se I'm up. I love my clients [: 00:06:00

And I, I just sat down over a, a series of nights when I, I was not sleeping, of course, it was the nights the kids were sleeping, but I wasn't. And I've been there, hit my keyboard and, you know, and I went, you know what, this is, this is not just interesting to me. This is the story of small businesses and how it works and how, how, what people consider important in what they do and why they do it.

And so I had a, an outline and I've done writing in the past and I reached out to someone I, I knew in publishing and they said to me, this is. Terrible. It's just kind of,

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s a new parent, or you know, [: 00:07:00

But this just kept percolating.

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Not just their business, but their family, their community, their industry in an area. And we've also seen what happens when people come just this close and. We can't help them. And sometimes it's financial, sometimes it's need. Sometimes, you know, when you think of those times and it's like, man, if I could have just inspired you, if I could have just explained that story correctly to you.

lients. But I'll use that to [: 00:09:00

It's not gonna shock you, Dennis, but it's gonna shock Paul. I am not always as organized as I seem. Really? Is this a true I know, true. This is true. This is true. I am not always, you know, that that woman that you guys see at meetings, it just has it all, all together. Uh. Who would not be surprised by that is my husband and my three kids.

But I, but I have a zest and an energy and a desire. And so when I get to a point that, okay, this is not working well. I have professionals, professional organizers, professional accountants, people that will help me go, okay, this is where you went wrong. I have Paul to go, Paul, where is the Zoom link? I don't know where I'm supposed to put it.

an advertising person that's [: 00:10:00

Make it easy to find. And she's made a huge difference in my life over the past 10 years. And she saw this and like, what is this? She started to read, can I read this? Yeah. She said, this is really interesting. This is, I would read this. I don't even like business books and I would read this. So I get into that a little bit and it just sparked again because I had a great love for the concept behind this.

things that influence them, [: 00:11:00

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And it really was the exact opposite of what I was initially told by someone supposedly in the business. And you gotta stop and think about that sometime. 'cause something Paul said resonated with me, and I quoted this to a lot of people. It was, when you read it, he realized that there was a core bunch of people that were gonna get it.

And then we were a core bunch of people that aren't gonna get it. Which kind of bugged him. What? That's okay. Isn't that Dennis what you and I talk to businesses about all the time?

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I never told you I was selling golf balls. So if someone is hiring me, me, I like that. Well, and and that's the thing, people could be urge, but they heard the ad wrong. They, they, they misunderstood when someone was telling them about it. So with, with this, if you are surprised that there's some stories about the cutest, most adorable kids out there, I'm talking of course about my three.

with something that you care [: 00:13:00

So if you're not willing to integrate that man, you are missing on an opportunity for, or for growing and sharing with your kids, for being connected with your spouse, and for really making a difference with the businesses that you're working with.

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Is this book universally geared to, Hey, you can do it, you can do it. I did it. And so can you, or is it?

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changed. It morphed from my [: 00:14:00

What is it that you're trying to share here? What is it that you're trying to share here? So you gotta be open to information, but don't give up on something important, because now I'm being asked, and by people who have read the book, and not just moms, but people in business who care about how they're presenting their advertising, who care how they're treating their staff.

how businesses all over the [: 00:15:00

So even when you're talking this, there's also this, well, as a marketing mom, what are the other things? Over in over 30 years of very, very specific wizard style advertising that I've learned. Well, there's a lot of lessons that you get talking to other business owners and other, other, other people that are out and about There.

And as I'm making notes and I'm jotting and people are asking me questions, I'm realizing that it's, I'm not just a relational marketing mom, I'm also a, life is full marketing mom. I'm also a, what's next? Marketing mom or a don't believe you can't do it. Marketing mom.

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g message. And, and I have a [: 00:16:00

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Still be proud of the income that you're making because let's face it, you and I both know a lot of people that never had the advantage of maybe going to university to pursue law or engineering or becoming a doctor or professional in some, in some way, but they still are smart and driven and what, what can they do?

an above average income. If [: 00:17:00

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Yeah, because they were, they were actually compensated. By straight commission.

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Guess where it gets shifted? It might get shifted to midnight.

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What is it that caused you to choose that style and, uh, what, uh, was the most difficult thing to write and keep in your final version?

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It informs the next question. It's a conversation. And this book is very much a conversation. So I was tapping into thousands of people that I've talked to with the questions thinking, okay, what, what? Where will this go? Because this is a workbook of sorts where people can go through and, you know, analyze.

And I encourage you, don't just scan it, like get into it because it's not a, it's not, this is not a to link. If this book takes you a couple months to read, it's because you're not picking it up. Right. But that I found really hard because I want those questions to have impact and I want people to be, to be thinking about it.

o a lot of, of radio. I like [: 00:20:00

Can get bored. Bored. We get so bored with stuff. We get so bored with what's going on with how things are presented and how many books on your bookshelf back there are all business ones. And it's very easy. I mean, a business book and it's this, to this, to this. It's boring. It's a lot. I don't, I don't want, I don't do boring in ads and I don't wanna do boring in, in any kind of writing I do.

And the price of not being boring is somebody's gonna be reading this and go, this is the stupidest thing I've ever read. Why is she, what? Why? Why is she talking about fairytales? But for me, as a mom, as a grandpa, as a dad, how many books did you read? Not all fairytales, not all the classics, but there's stories.

And a story within a story is about every one of us.

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And you took that and, uh, you shined it up, you freshened it up, and you made it interesting. Remember that, uh, you took a whole different approach than I would've ever taken, and that's what this book does. Okay?

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They might not like you because we all meet people every day that don't like you or don't like the way, the way you write, but it's possible.

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And when they're beautiful and they're this small and we're holding them, we think, oh, I'm gonna write down every precious little moment. And we don't, you, you end up with those couple of stories that you, oh yeah, that, that one encapsulates Jonah. This one is totally Peter. This one is Fletcher. So there there's some, there's some of that kind of fun.

And then there's also that kind of, okay, wait a minute. I've experienced that. I have felt that, I have wondered, is it possible to run a business where I can feel good about it and I can feel good about what I'm presenting and that I'm not just trying to take everybody's gold coins away?

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Not by name, but by reference?

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They, they knew what was going on. They would sit in the chair with the microphone. They were, you know, they knew, they knew that I worked for a guy named Mr. Cliff, which is how we referred to him. 'cause he wasn't an Uncle Cliff. That'd be kind of creepy. And he wasn't Mr. Lasko, but he was Mr. Cliff because that's, that's who mom works and isn't that fantastic that, and they will still call him that and they, they still have, will see him.

And now they're just as likely to see him in a restaurant as anywhere. But there's still a connection. So that's, that's an important part of everything that they do too, is I don't know. That's part of family, that's part of how I run my business.

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checklist. You know, so many [: 00:24:00

Um, what was your thought behind that? You could have written a traditional book. You have the ability, the knowledge, you have everything it takes to do a traditional business book. Why this,

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And you, there's that, that [: 00:25:00

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So my youngest would've been in preschool at the time and I love taking my dog for a walk. So I went into Southern Saskatoon fields and just picture, you know, it's fall and it's stunning. And he's chasing garlic, that's the name of my dog, is chasing ducks all over and my phone rings. Well, you pick up the phone whether you're working or not.

ow what? I ended up being by [: 00:26:00

And I'm excited. 'cause she had to be Which hospital are you in? How you know? What did she weigh? Oh, in her hair. She's, oh, will you come see me? Of course. I'll come see you. Of course. I'll come see you. You're, you're at RUH. I'm, I am there. I am so excited. Oh, now I knew you would, I knew you would come if you phone.

Okay. Okay. I'm gonna be there. I will be there later in the morning. I get off the phone. I have no idea who, I was just talking to Dennis. Oh my gosh. You're kidding. I phone, I phone my sister, my, my friend, my, my job share partner. Who do we know? Who do we know that is expecting and without a baby? Right? Why?

ve been a wrong number. And, [: 00:27:00

So anyways, I get the dog in. I go home, I, I go to the hospital. I go up to admitting I need some help. There's a little girl born. I need to know what room. I explain the situation. They give me the room number. Okay? When I see this woman, I'm gonna know who it is, right? So I go to the gift store and I get a pink blanket and a little pink teddy bear.

And I go walking up there and I walk into the room and there's the exhausted mom. Sleeping on the bed, and there's this beautiful little baby in the bassinet, and I've never seen this mom before in my life. I have no idea who she is. No idea Dennis. No idea. So I walk out of the room and I'm going, oh, oh my goodness, what do I do?

and see me. Come and see me. [: 00:28:00

What? Well, fast forward through the day I got to hold her baby. Oh my gosh. We, I, I was helping her out with a few things here. Her, her spouse wasn't around. We had never met before. She dialed the wrong number.

Did she dial the wrong number? Did she dial the wrong number?

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Then when I say the boys, I include the three boys and Sean, and I'm, I'm chopping onions for supper, right. And I, I get a phone call and it's this mom who now has her, her husband with her, and they're cuddling up this beautiful little baby. She says, I have to ask a question. Absolutely. I said, I'm making supper, but what do you need?

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But you know what? Every Christmas I have a little, little bunch of, uh, ornaments from her and, and, and you know what? This is what is the story? This is a story of what if this is a story of doing things a little bit differently. This is a story of, you know what, you don't know where something's gonna lead, so why don't you grab it and, and shake it out and be there for someone.

ten as a story and I believe [: 00:30:00

So that's why you sometimes have to do things differently. You just have to because you don't know what might happen.

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How, first of all, how many people, uh, would've gone and checked out the hospital. You are probably one of a very few. Most people would just say, oh, well, it was wrong number, no big deal, and move on. Yeah. And then you walked us through this whole thing. I was on the edge of my chair here. How did this resolve, how did this turn out?

I mean.

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You will. Right. You will. Because otherwise it's gonna haunt you the rest of your life. Just like the gal help me organize and pulled out the envelope and was. Encouraging me. 'cause I was, I was not gonna do this again. I was not gonna let somebody tell me that, you know, I was just basically a amusing mom that was going through postpartum.

I would, I wouldn't have done that.

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Yes. We always have the opportunity to choose to say no, but we can also choose to say yes. And in fact, there's a whole book written about that. I forget what the title is. It's, it's about how I learned to say yes or something like that. And it, it, it's all about the change in this woman's life who wrote it when she started saying yes.

Yes. And, and so all of a sudden, uh, you know, this book is more than just a marketing book. It's more than just musings from a, uh, relational marketing mom. It is inspiration about follow these leads, follow these things that appear to be, um, you know, coincidences. They're not, there's a reason that this happened and that's, that's

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rilled. I was at home early, [: 00:33:00

I in a trillion years would never have asked him. Understood forward, because first of all, I can't afford him. Secondly, I can't afford him. And thirdly, like who asks, you can't ask for something like that from somebody with, uh, where obviously it's that there, there's a self-interest there that there, there would've been.

But he read it and he decided to do it. So here's an example of a guy. He said yes, right? And he looked at some of the people that had also helped me and went, Hmm, there's merit here. And he, so you see how everything just comes together? That's business.

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So he has something to add.

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But when she's telling these stories, she's leaning into the computer, leaning into it, and her passion is bubbling and boiling over, which is wonderful. And I have a question for you, Leah, regarding that. Is your approach to this book is embraces a blend of practicality and a ton of heart. And as Dennis just said, it's, this isn't just about a marketing book, it, it's more than that.

I wanna know how can business leaders maintain that balance of practicality and the heart that you have when making tough decisions?

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You can't just hire people off the street who are an obvious, not fit for your business. But I think that it is really important to, I I, I heard today, uh, uh, actually I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about the three tenets of, of moving forward positively in life. And they talked about being healthy and fitness and also taking time, um, to do things for other people.

Right? So those are three pretty powerful things.

ber that there's a spiritual [: 00:36:00

And I think that we get embarrassed. I get, I, I, you know, we don't, nobody likes mentioning the G word. Nobody likes mentioning that. You know what, there is a spiritual aspect to our lives, but there is. And if you don't take three minutes in the day to just at the beginning of your day, have some gratitude to something greater than yourself.

Wow. You're gonna have a hard time being open to those opportunities that are gonna present themselves. 'cause you're not being open in that. With the four stools and a three stool, I don't know if you guys ever have milked a cow, but when you're milking a cow and you have, I mean they actually have stools that have one leg so that you can be bouncing around with a cow and you know, be, be moving around.

that has four legs, you are [: 00:37:00

But recognize that and be open and, and be thankful for the fact that you have an opportunity to do something and, and things pre present things will present.

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Right. Her, her, [: 00:38:00

Please go on Amazon and buy it. That never ever came up. I'm gonna send her a copy of the book just because this is a woman that I, I feel an affinity with and I can see that she's really wanting to make a difference, um, in her business and for her kids and for her spouse. But these questions brought her to a crossroads and we know the, the poem by Robert Frost.

ourself the option. At least [: 00:39:00

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And that's, uh, very inspirational as well. Has, has writing this book. Changed you in any way. I mean, you know, this has been a long time coming, it's a manuscript that you started probably 20 some years ago and just recently brought it to completion. How has it changed you, Leah? How, how has it changed your marketing, your outlook on marketing?

Uh,

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o see that I know stuff. And [: 00:40:00

I, I know stuff and I am someone who is, I'm pretty easy to talk to. Not, not for everyone. It also helps me because, well sometimes people that, yeah, there's here and there, but, um, I think it's just an opportunity to make that difference to. Help people give their head a shake and realize, Hey, you can go here or you can go here.

One of the best pieces of [: 00:41:00

And went, no, no, no, no. I cannot say that Maureen like that. That's not possible 'cause this, this, this, this has to be done. Okay. But you were just asked to do this. Just say it doesn't work for you. Okay, but I I can make it work. No, you don't owe people an explanation. You don't have to say, it doesn't work for me.

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do you give business owners [: 00:43:00

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hours a [: 00:44:00

They were, it was fully integrated. Those. Families thrived in our Canadian environment because they couldn't believe how easy it was to integrate. Now, not all of us have that type of business, but that same, that same premise can be there. The other thing is not to make yourself feel bad about the things that you're not able to do.

We had a rule at our house, uh, during the school year, and I kept life easy by the boys coming, uh, or going to a, a community school so they could walk home from school every day. And there were really good reasons for that. I can look back and go, oh, if I would've known this, this, and this, I might've done that differently.

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And if they're busy and they're embol in a whole bunch of activities, whether you're taking them, there's your spouse is taking them, grandma and grandpa are taking them. An aunt and uncle doesn't matter. They're gonna be hungry. And you wanna feel good about the fact that they're eating some carrots and some beef and some onions that have been bubbling all day.

So what did that require? That required throwing that in in the morning at five in the morning.

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So nobody is surprised when I'm saying, oh, I gotta run because this is happening.

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They were not alone, and they had to juggle all this and they did it. And, you know, a, a a man, we generally don't understand what that means. You know, we are the recipient of that service, if you will. We are not the deliverer of that service. That's the way it works out most of the time, right or wrong. So, uh, just, just one last question on, on relational marketing.

ay. There are other forms of [: 00:47:00

What, as a small business owner, what should I know that will make a difference?

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Okay, go on.

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I like calling it relational much better because I want to form a relationship with the people that we're talking to right now. Anybody who has listened to any number of our podcasts, no. You're the science nerd. I'm the one that brings it back to the heart and to the, and to the story. I'm from Canada.

I can tell by your tan that [: 00:48:00

Oh yeah, those guys. I was thinking the other day of, one of the first times I saw Roy Williams and he was in an auditorium. There was well over a thousand local Saskatchewan businesses. Roco had brought him in and he said, okay, so this morning when you went through the paper and you looked at the. The ad for the fridge and that's back in the day when the newspaper was to deliver to every home.

t? Well I noticed the fridge [: 00:49:00

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Do I remember who that ad was for? I haven't a clue. Whoever it is, I know they're not in business anymore.

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And, and I'm following this whole, I'm not looking for a fridge, but I'm following it. And one day when I'm looking for a fridge mm-hmm. That's just gonna pop into my mind. 'cause he's taken the time to form a relationship with me.

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You have a road, you got a highway, it's nice and straight and people are gonna wave you over.

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Um, and, and, and this is a challenge question, Leah. Uh, so in your book, you, you don't necessarily criticize businesses who prioritize profit over people, but you certainly push on it and mm-hmm. You, you emphasize, uh, business growth and success. Is there a risk that relational marketing is just another tactic to make money while appearing more authentic?

How do you respond to those cynics?

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to have a hamburger is a big [: 00:52:00

So they, they've tried to do this, but what has ended up rearing its head over the past 40 years is if you really care about families. There's the health aspect of it, right? Like the actual health aspect. You can't fake that. You can't fake that, except some people who really don't care. So business is, it never ends the quest for for dollars that that will never end.

The quest for making money. The quest for making a relationship that the people are hearing your at. What I'm posing is you make, you wanna make a difference. You wanna make a name for yourself, you wanna make cash, you pick one of the three that is the most important. And none of them are bad, but they all have to inform the other.

They all have to be part of the other.

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Or is it, how can I help you today? Okay. Even a small thing like that, which sounds small, that's huge. The attitude of whoever is doing the selling and one of them is what we would call a transactional question, right? The other is a relational question. How can I help you today? And I may not be able to help you today, and I understand that, but I'm gonna try.

And the best way for me to figure that out is to listen carefully to what you need. And if I can't help you, I'll tell you if I can. I'll tell you how that sounds. A lot like science.

there is science behind it. [: 00:54:00

But, you know, I try to be relational in parts of my life.

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minutes. [: 00:55:00

And I have five copies of my book that have or have postage paid to anyone who will share that with us, with their actual mailing address. And we'll get it sent off to you because what a nice talk. There's five people out there listening who are going, oh, and by all means, you'll get it quicker if you go through Amazon, but I've got five for you.

Do not let the fact that, uh, that you have to go on and, and order it stop you because whether you've started your business or you're gonna start it, I want you to read this book.

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So, so you, that is more valuable than anything we can get from Amazon, right? I mean, absolutely. Perfect.

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And uh, when your kids hands you the keys to their vehicle, you know, you know things are going well.

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you ever seen someone who's [: 00:57:00

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Let's have some fun. Let's make a difference. We, we have probably a thousand people that should be listening to every one of our episodes and that's the plan. And we're gonna go there.

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an we get in touch with Leah [: 00:58:00

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I mean, that, that's to me, I love feedback. I think feedback is the Breakfast of Champions, and I think you do too. And I'd love to hear some feedback. Uh, send Leah an email. Get the book. It won't take you long to read it because you won't put it down. I'll tell you that right now. You will not put it down once you begin and send her a note, tell her what you think of the book.

Right. And maybe we'll talk about that on a future podcast. Would that be fun?

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Uh, I know I have something to say. Thank you for inspiring not just moms, but people in general who, who are balancing, who are, are trying to survive, right? With all the things coming at them. Uh, thank you for giving us the inspiration. Thanks for talking about marketing. I mean, to our small business owners.

some new people and to tell [: 01:00:00

Okay, Leah, is there anything else you'd like to say that hasn't been said?

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Or that this guy over here who looks a little bit confused, are you looking?

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Leah and Paul. See you next [: 01:02:00