On the heels of my mentor, Tony D, I've been digging deep into brand identity, mission statements and company culture & values lately. It's been the topic of many Clubhouse rooms that both myself and Joseph Massaro, of Connecticut-based Bruno Massaro & Sons, have participated in recently. This week, Joseph & I are going to venture down the rabbit hole to discuss ways these necessary components of you business inform each other and your outreach.
Tune in for this energetic conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.
Jeremiah introduces the message, “It is often difficult on how to accomplish your goals, if you know the why you want to accomplish your goals, it is easier to figure out the how”, and introduces his guest Joseph Massaro. The two discuss the necessity of the principle of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable, which is important both in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and in business. Jeremiah and Joseph both discuss their experiences in martial arts and their future goals in each of the martial arts they partake in. The two discuss entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and the similarities and differences between him and Jeremiah’s personal mentor, Tony D. Jeremiah explains his journey in the restaurant industry, and his experience in opening up restaurants through the New York boroughs. The two discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the restaurant industry, and Joseph brings up the point that many of the people who operate restaurants who have operated outside of the box throughout the pandemic have continued to be successful in the pandemic.
The two discuss the need to be cautious, and not to put all of your eggs into one basket, as the trends are continuously changing, and you do not know what the next trend in business will be. Jeremiah discusses the saying that his mentor had told him that, “It is better to own 20% of five things than to own 100% of one thing”, and how this mindset influences his business decisions. Joseph discusses his personal investments, and how he works to invest in stocks, precious metals, as well as some artwork, and how by spreading out his investments is the best way to invest his money. He also retells an anecdote about how he invested 25 dollars in sealed pokemon cards years ago, which he recently sold for 3750 dollars. The two discuss Joseph’s full time job in construction, and the changes he made due to the housing crisis in 2008. Joseph also explains how he believes that one’s own time is more important than any amount of money you can make, and that one will get more out of life by spending time with family and friends, rather than only working and earning money.
Jeremiah and Joseph discuss Joseph’s three pillars, which are the words that Joseph would want to be associated with his business, hardworking, loyalty and artistry. Joseph explains the difference between being a leader and a boss, and how he doesn’t believe in operating as a boss with his employees, but rather operating as a leader. The two also discuss the working environment at Bruno Massaro & Sons, and how because they treat their employees well, and pay them well even though their employees are not unionized, they are able to retain almost all of their employees. Jeremiah and Joseph discuss the differences between hardworking and experience, and how Joseph is able to marry the two through his business. The two discuss the saying of “selling to 98.2 degrees”, and that everyone is in the human business, and what matters more than your product is the customer.
The two discuss loyalty and honesty in running a business, both with each other and with the clients. Joseph explains how he builds loyalty with his clients, citing one anecdote about how one of his clients was not happy with the job done, and he redid the job so they were happy with the outcome, displaying his loyalty to the customer by redoing the job without charging them more. By showing loyalty to the customer, the customer in return is loyal to him, with both continued business and positive reviews of their business online. The two discuss marketing on social media, and how they focus on the story of themselves and their business rather than the work itself, allowing a relationship to build between them and potential clients.
