← In The Mix with Marvin Joles
In The Mix with Marvin Joles
Adapt or Fall Behind: Why the Asphalt Industry Must Embrace Digital Branding Ep. #17
00:37:06
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- [00:01]
Marvin Jols
Every few years, the construction industry comes together in a big way and that event is conexpo Conag. Conexpo Conag takes over Las Vegas this March, bringing contractors, manufacturers and innovators from all around the world together. This is where you see the equipment, technology and ideas that shape the future of construction. We're excited to be partnering with ConExpo ConAg to be part of that conversation. You can use code MARVIN20 to save 20% on your registration and to learn more, you can head over to CONEX
- [00:32]
Rachel Kennedy
expoconag.com Today's episode of in the Mix is powered by Jobber.
- [00:41]
Podcast Narrator
Welcome to in the Mix, paving the way to insight, education and entertainment in the asphalt industry. Your host, Marvin Joel's a Best of Web Pavement award winner, knows the blacktop community and what it takes to win in this industry. Each episode you'll hear real stories, expert insights and road tested strategies from the people who make up the asphalt world and beyond. Whether you're paving parking lots, ceiling driveways, striping lines, or innovating asphalt tech, this is the podcast for pros who keep the industry rolling. Now here's Marvin.
- [01:29]
Marvin Jols
Hey everybody, welcome back to another episode. Very excited about this one. I seen a post on LinkedIn a little while back from our one of our friends at OnStation and commented on there because the speaker was speaking specifically about LinkedIn and our friends at OnStation are like, dude, you should just reach out and see if she'd be on the podcast. So today we have Rachel Kennedy, LinkedIn branding coach for construction firms and their leaders. Rachel, thanks so much for joining us today.
- [01:58]
Rachel Kennedy
Super excited to be here. Marvin, thank you for having me.
- [02:02]
Marvin Jols
So when we first spoke, you were like, hey, I kind of got a little bit of a background in the construction industry. Do you want to dive into that a little bit?
- [02:08]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah. My first job was working for a general contractor back in Dallas, Texas. I knew nothing about construction. I think I brought up the fact that I didn't own a hammer in my interview, which is massively embarrassing. But a lot of my career was spent working for them and leading their recruitment department. So hiring project manager superintendents, going on job site tours. Embarrassing story. My boss said, you need to go on a job site and just we need to connect with the field. And I said, okay, what do I wear? He goes, just denim and boots. And I said, okay. So I got on my cutest white rhinestone cowgirl boots and my cutest denim skirt and I walked up to that job site looking like a rodeo queen. You know, that's that's not what you wear.
- [02:56]
Marvin Jols
Yeah, I'm here for business.
- [02:58]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, that's right. I learned pretty quickly what was not appropriate ppe. But really, I did fall in love with the construction industry. And so a majority of my clients now are contractors, electrical engineers, partners. You know, I love working in this industry and just helping these companies shine, helping them brand themselves and tell their own story so that they can attract talent and clients.
- [03:26]
Marvin Jols
Well, you know, that's the kind of thing that, you know, attracted me to having a conversation with you because I'm on LinkedIn. I was telling you I feel like it's my little gold mine. But also I feel like. Like I'm just, like, picking it everywhere on the earth and I'm getting nuggets. But I'm like, man, I feel like if I did this, a lot more efficiency, with some more efficiency, I'd really be turning out some gold. So I kind of want to jump into the conversation, and I kind of told you I have a set of questions, but I'm, of course, as always, I'm liable to divert from those a little bit as the conversation ensues. But the very first one, I think is great for setting the sound, the groundwork, and that's, what should we be trying to accomplish on LinkedIn?
- [04:07]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah. So LinkedIn is the professional networking platform. It's not Instagram, it's not Facebook. It's not the Uber personal. And I get a lot of, like, what. What should I say and what should I not say? And that's a majority of what I talk about. But because it's a professional networking platform, it's not the place to share pictures of your baby, your dog, your vacation. It's really tying back to you as a professional. And so it's a really great place to share that leadership, to position yourself as an expert, to talk about lessons learned and to connect and to stay connected with other professionals and kind of keep those conversations on that level. Not sharing pictures of your lunch. So I think it's a really awesome place to brand yourself, brand your business, tell your story, stay in touch, and then build relationships with literally 1 billion other people that are on the platform that can help you move forward in your business.
- [05:05]
Marvin Jols
Well, I think you touch on a great point. Right. I was. Like you said, it's not a place to, like, say what you had for lunch. Right. Unless somehow this lunch ties into enhancing your cognitive function, which creates a better leader for you and your crew. Right. On your major project. And here's the picture of the project. It's so fun to see that because you see like some if somebody posts a tick tock dance on there much gonna happen but you could literally post a still picture with a great content written piece of content. And that thing catches like wildfire. And I'm like, this is such a unique spin on the algorithms that we see in social media platforms. And I feel weird kind of talking about LinkedIn as social media but I mean it is and it kind of isn't. But to hear you say we should be trying to accomplish connecting and building relationships for business, it's an amazing thing because you build, it's a, it's a weird dynamic because in the old days I feel like you built friendships and then that kind of went into business or you built relationships and then it went into business. But now you build relationship businesses or relationships in business and then they might turn into friendships. Right? Some of the, the people that you meet on there.
- [06:17]
Rachel Kennedy
So yeah, yeah. And it's changed a lot. I think used to be that LinkedIn is the place you go to look for a job. So a lot of the pushback I get is like I'm not looking for a job, I'm going to go on LinkedIn. Well, the truth is it's your website for you as a person and a professional. And I'll tell you, you know, I worked most of my career in house, got furloughed in the pandemic and then I needed to start a business and so posted on LinkedIn because in the middle of COVID nobody was out shaking hands and connecting with people, but it was a place where I posted in six hours later a superintendent I worked with 12 years prior reached out and said we'd love to hire you. So you know, to me this is a really amazing platform for connecting, building and maintaining relationships. I was like, I got my first client because we met in real life, but also because we stayed in touch for the next decade and he saw my post and he connected and hired me. So I just think it's a really powerful tool to build, connect and maintain relationships.
- [07:20]
Marvin Jols
When you're investing in asphalt equipment, trust matters. Kaim International designs and builds sealcoat units, infrared heaters, asphalt hot boxes and other asphalt maintenance equipment for contractors, municipalities and professionals across the industry. We run KM Sealcoat units because they're built tough, they perform in the field and we trust the people behind the brand. Another big reason we stand behind KM their equipment is made with right here in the usa. Their mission says it best innovative asphalt maintenance solutions. To learn more, visit kminternational.com call 810-688-1234 or email sales m international.com when you're in business. Right. I'm an asphalt contractor. I'm actually in the office here at WISCO today in our studio. And you come to find out, like, getting a lead is great, and going out and quoting and getting the project is great, but as soon as you get done with all those projects, now you have a relationship built. You have a working relationship. And I feel like people don't always understand that sometimes that's it works in reverse and you build the relationship and then it becomes a working relationship. Right. With business. So the importance of it, as far as, like, building these relationships that essentially turn into revenue is unbelievable. The sad fact of it is, as I said, I'm a contractor. I've built this on callous hands because I'm not so sharp. I was telling somebody, like, I feel like I have, like, the most curious Neanderthal brain that you could have when it comes to this stuff. But it makes me question, like, I'm on there and I think, yeah, I think. I think I'm doing okay. And then I'll see somebody else's post. Like, dang, that one did really, really well. What am I. Am I doing something wrong? Or what am I overlooking when it comes to LinkedIn as a contractor, as a contracting firm? What are we overlooking when we're posting on LinkedIn or creating LinkedIn profiles?
- [09:23]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, you know, I think it all starts with strategy. And I've got kind of a formula for helping companies and individuals develop that. But it really starts with, what is my goal in the platform? Like, am I here to. Am I here to build or maintain relationships? Am I here to get podcast speaking opportunities or connect with guests? Like, what's my goal? And then thinking, well, who's my client? Who am I trying to reach? When I started posting, it was random acts of content. It was, I'm a mom, I'm a working woman, I live in Dallas, I'm in construction. I mean, it was all over the place. And frankly, most of those messages didn't resonate with my target client. And so over time, I've kind of honed, like, what do my clients care about? That's what I'm going to share. That's what I'm going to talk about. And those are the posts that do really well. And then I think there's always this element of, like, people, like, stories, and people want to come to social media to be entertained. And so if you think about, well, how can I make this lunch a story? How can I tell the story of this project? How can I tell the story of this people, our processes, our partners and our projects. Like Those are the four Ps that people want to come back for over and over. And so if we can create interesting stories that will help you perform better on the platform.
- [10:42]
Marvin Jols
Yeah, those are my favorite ones. I'm going to be honest with you. I enjoy like, I enjoy like the videos. I'm, I'm tied to a lot of the guys in the heavy civil world now through LinkedIn, which is preposterous. And I love seeing like their killer photos the photographers will host on there. I love seeing those. And the video montages that they create for some iconic companies I really enjoy as well. But at the same time it could be a simple picture, like I said, with something written really well. And I'm also delved in there. So when it comes to, as far as like a construction firm, I have my own profile on there and then I have my business pages on there. I don't know if I'm doing that right or wrong or if it's like that's the normal way to do it or people think that that's enough or whatever. So I kind to ask you a little bit like what, what can we do as a construction company to improve our LinkedIn? And then as a leader in there, I have my own personal page. What can I do on that page to help improve and accomplish whatever my goals are? Right. I know like you said, it's around strategy and whatnot. But if, if I'm like just getting in there and I have no idea what I'm doing, what should I do to improve versus put a picture up, Say I'm the owner of wiscoat and then start posting pictures of sealcoat projects.
- [12:01]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, yeah, you're right. You know, people trust people, not brands. And people work with people they know like and trust. And so the more you are out there as Marvin Joel's, the more people know you know and like you and also will be more likely to hire wiscoat. And so you're right, having a personal photo on your personal page and just having a LinkedIn profile, that's basic. It's got your photo, it's got a headline, it's got your contact information. Those are the three basic things you need on your personal profile. And then similarly for wisco, for your company, making sure your contact information's up to date, making sure you've got a Logo in that header photo. That's that long banner image. That's prime real estate. That's the biggest graphic space you can have on LinkedIn. And so many people leave that blank. But that's a really powerful. I mean, you have a parking lot, you know, so that's showing that you've got. That's the kind of world that you're in. I think you could also add your logo on that picture, have a call to action, have your website. Because the truth is we, we represent both ourselves and our companies. And so, like, that's really the intersection of this, like, personal and employer branding that I'm so interested in.
- [13:16]
Marvin Jols
I like it. It's a soft sell, right? Like that.
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Rachel Kennedy
Yes, it is.
- [13:20]
Marvin Jols
Stuff on there's a soft seller.
- [13:22]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, it is. It's just putting those little touch points in people's brains that, like, this is who I am, this is what I do. Here's a little picture. I'm not explicitly banging down your door and telling you to buy from me, but you know what I do, and you've seen the picture. So I've left that little picture in your brain.
- [13:39]
Marvin Jols
You know what's off putting, Rachel, is when I go, when I see somebody post, but it's not their name. Like, it's like, I don't know, Apex. This is just random. I don't even know if this company exists. Like Apex Asphalt, you know, and it's like, so I see that and it should be somebody's name there, but it's not. It's Apex Asphalt. And I'm like, like, this is brutal. And then sometimes you will see a name there and you'll be like, they'll be like, this is a pro, A paving project we completed at so and so. Call us for a free estimate today. Here's our number, here's our website, here's our email. And I'm like, I just scroll right by those ones because I'm like, dude, I have zero interest. Which maybe I would, I guess, if I was around there locally looking for it. But the chances of me seeing you and us not being connected in the first place on LinkedIn is pretty slim, right? Unless sometimes you get content put in front of you or suggested content. But I find it hard to believe that the algorithm at LinkedIn is going to essentially send me something that somebody's quote unquote ad, Right? Am I correct?
- [14:41]
Rachel Kennedy
Right there? You're totally correct. And if you, Marvin, and wiscoat post the same thing at the same time, the algorithm will promote Marvin over your Company. And so, again, the algorithm really prefers real human posts as opposed to corporate speak, marketing speak. And that's because people trust people, not brands. It's like, Friday night, are you gonna go out to a restaurant that you just got an Instagram ad for? Are you gonna go where your neighbor told you? You trust the neighbor, you trust the people. And so that's why personal branding is so important, because someone has your cell phone number programmed in their phone. They don't necessarily have West Coats, you know, corporate number. And so you got to be out there promoting your business, but as a human that people want to do business with.
- [15:30]
Marvin Jols
So there are two different strategies on both those profiles then. Right? So your business page should have a different strategy than your personal business page. Right. Or your personal LinkedIn page.
- [15:42]
Rachel Kennedy
I mean, yeah, yeah, I would say there is different content, but there's definitely an overlap. Like, I could see you promoting Wisco. You know, you share the pages, and that's, you know, a strategy I talk to a lot of companies about in terms of. I call it employee advocacy. So it's like your people should be out there kind of waving the banner for your company because they've bought in. You know, if you're recruiting, like, have your people share the company post, have your people share the job ad, talk about the company culture. Those are really compelling posts. Not the 999 special kind of thing, but the corporate page is really a great jumping off point for employees to then share that through their own voices and using their own words.
- [16:29]
Marvin Jols
Okay, now I got a. I got a different question off of what we had beforehand, before what I briefed you on. So there's some prime examples of companies that I think their leaders within that company do a fantastic job of mixing in. Like, it's. It's not like I'm going to give the example because they're. They're friends of mine and partners in the podcast and of me previously, and that's Dynapack. They do a great job of the leaders in their company sharing Dynapacks, sharing page. Right. Of stuff from time to time. But also each individual will take pictures from an event, post about their experiences from it. Maybe they're on site that day. My guy, Eric Booth over there has come on strong on LinkedIn from Dynapac and Jamie Roush, the CEO or the president, I'm sorry, has been fantastic over there. Jen Bishop Dormy, like this, their whole team. But I get a completely different look at Dynapacity through each leader's personal page. And then in the midst of it, there won't even be Dynapack. It'll be. Somebody will be out hunting or Tito from their team loves doing, like, off road truck racing. And I'll get some of that sprinkled in there. I'm like, oh, yeah, Tito's a human. And he's a very cool human as well. So when I approached dynapac, I'm like, hey, Tito, I seen that you were racing them trucks or whatever. Well, show me about this Dyna Pack material mover right here. And I just. They do such a great job. How do we get. Maybe that's. This is part of your strategy. Strategy too and stuff you say, like, is that a goal that we should aspire to for our team is to have that type of thing where like, I love Dynapack. I have one plate compactor. If I had the money, I probably would buy whatever they were selling just because I'm like, I. This team loves what they do. They talk about stories of people who have bought the product and the positive results. Like they went out in the field and helped them or great customer service stories. But then also, hey, we just showed up and brought them water and lunch. Or they came here to the headquarters and we took them on tour. I love that dang brand. And I would aspire, I would think, like, that's the goal, is it not, at LinkedIn? As this industry grows, the logistics behind it are getting more complicated, not less. Bulksource is a software platform built to simplify how producers, haulers and buyers work together, all through one integrated system. From quoting and dispatch to ticketing and payment, bulksource takes the moving parts that slow jobs down and brings them into one streamlined workflow. What matters to me is this. I personally know the owner, and I've watched him build bulksource over the years, specifically for the asphalt, aggregate and concrete industries. Not generic software trying to fit into construction later. If you want to see how it works, you can request a demo@Bulksource.com or reach out directly@infoulksource.com via email.
- [19:36]
Rachel Kennedy
That's the goal. You want people to say, I love that dang brand. Yes, absolutely. That's a great example. It sounds like Dynapack's doing it well. And it things I heard you say was, the leaders are using their voice. The leaders are sharing life outside of the office walls. So you know them as a person. You know they're off road racing and you get to know them, you know them, you like them, and you trusted Them and that over and over and over again through all of their people, you have this very, very positive impression. And that's their brand. That's their brand impression is what you think it's like to work with them. And so that's a super positive impression. It sounds like was intentionally crafted through their leader voices. And that's a huge opportunity. I think CEOs leaders, at any company, it's so busy, there's so much going on, but so many of them miss the opportunity to open their mouth and share their voice and share their story outside the company walls. And that is the most powerful story and message that can be heard by your clients and your candidates. I'm really passionate about talent acquisition and bringing in good talent. And if you see a leader who's never spoken, you don't know who they are, you have no connection with them. Like, you're not very likely to apply. But if you know people who work there, you know they have a good reputation, a good brand, you've heard the leader speak that is really convincing and much more of a digital presence for someone to want to join the company. And so I would just encourage leaders to think about their presence and recognize that it's incredibly important to open their mouth and share a little bit, particularly on LinkedIn, because it does impact the brand, it impacts recruitment and it impacts the way that clients interact with your brand too.
- [21:31]
Marvin Jols
That's the thing that, that I didn't touch on and I think super important is like on LinkedIn, if, let's just say our guy Eric Booth post something. If I comment, Eric comments back. Like, I'm in touch with Dynapack and if Eric don't comment back. But I see a post by Jen Bishop and I comment on Jen's. Jen would be like, hey, I can't wait to see you at World of Asphalt. You're right, you know, and I'm like, dude, we can talk to this, this company at large through LinkedIn, through its leaders. And I feel like through their content. I think their, their motto is Dynapack, your partner on the road ahead. It should be like, Dynapack, it's our way of life. Because like, they literally like, it makes me feel like they have these lives and Dynapac is part of their life and it's wound in there. And I just think they do such a great job there. But as a prime example of them doing the corporate thing and doing it very well on LinkedIn, there are also people on there who may be a one man band or it's a small business, right. And they don't have maybe they got three people. Right. They're a small asphalt maintenance business trying to get work in the local area from general contractors or property managers or whatever. And they don't have the ability to build that brand through multiple leaders throughout the industry. And it's just them, what should, what should their content, how do they determine what they put out and what their stuff should look like on LinkedIn?
- [22:52]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, yeah. And you're right, it doesn't have to be. It sounds like your example with Dynavi. If they have a large team, they're a large company with probably a decent budget. You know, I think there's always opportunity to outsource, you know, or hire an intern or, you know, your, your cousin can support. But I think having a clear direction of like my dad always said, whatever you do, do it well. If you're going to be street sweeper, be the best street sweeper you can be. Like, that's my philosophy of like, do one platform well. And for me it's LinkedIn. I don't touch Instagram, I don't touch YouTube. I want to do one thing and do it really well. And so I'd say go where your customers are. And, and for most of us, our customers are on LinkedIn. And so if you have very little time, update your profile. Just make sure it's all relevant. You have a photo in your contact information and then whatever you do, do it well. Post if it's once a week or once a month, make it compelling. You know, it's, it's about your people, your projects, your processes and your partners. Pick one a week and, and just talk about that. Just having a little bit of a presence done well is far better than posting every day on every platform.
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Marvin Jols
That was my next question.
- [24:01]
Rachel Kennedy
Quality.
- [24:01]
Marvin Jols
Yeah, that was my next question is like, should I be so worried about posting every day or two times a day or three times a day? Or should I be worried about a really in depth post that grabs attention because there's this dichotomy, right. Of this post might come in front of you at this point, on this day, if you only post once a week and it's a really great post, but somebody is like, I don't watch, I don't go on LinkedIn on Monday. Does that bother that thing? If I'm only going to post once and it's going to be great, or should I be posting somewhat frequently? Is there a strategy at all behind any of that?
- [24:36]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, I'm always a Fan of quality over quantity. And, you know, the LinkedIn algorithm doesn't know what's good and what's bad until there's engagement. And engagement means there's a. Like, there's a comment, there's a share, someone has interacted with your post. And so. So in order to understand if it's good or not, if it's. In order to understand if we should promote it to a wider audience or not, LinkedIn has a little test balloon. So if you post 8am on Monday morning, it'll send out a little to a few of your followers. Is this a good post? If there is engagement in the first 60 minutes, then it'll share it with a wider audience. If there's engagement, it'll go wider and wider and wider. If you don't get engagement in the first 60 minutes, you'll get relegated to the garbage bin. So that's where it's really important to post when your people are online. Like, I don't post at midnight. Don't post, you know, Sunday night.
- [25:29]
Marvin Jols
Too late, too late. And it was a good post. Too. Too late.
- [25:34]
Rachel Kennedy
You could do it again.
- [25:35]
Marvin Jols
All right, I'm gonna have to. I'm probably gonna have to dial that back up, maybe differently, but really it does that. So when your people are online, that's really when you are hoping that they'll engage with this post out. Wow. Amazing. One of the biggest challenges in concrete work is control. Control over quality, control over timing, and control over cost. Cementech designs and delivers volumetric concrete mixers that are some of the most accurate and technologically advanced in the industry. Their equipment gives contractors real control over schedule, budget, and concrete quality, allowing crews to mix exactly what they need when they need it, without the waste and limitations of traditional barrel mixers. I've been in the same industry circles as cement tech for years, and I've interviewed contractors who run their equipment every day. It works, it delivers. If you want to learn more or to find a dealer near you, head to cementtech.com and I'll also say, like,
- [26:31]
Rachel Kennedy
you know, posting is important, but there's a lot of things holding people back from posting, and that's okay. It's time. It's strategy. It's not wanting to sound dumb. And so a really powerful way to connect, be visible, and get out there without posting is commenting. So you use the example of you're posting on, you know, Jen Bishop's post, she always comments back. You know, you're now visible to her, but also to her whole network. And so if you Want to be visible to the Dynatan network, comment on, you know, whatever that company's post, and then you'll be visible to more people. And so you kind of have built up this ecosystem, this network of your people, but in order to get into other ecosystems, you have to start commenting on their posts.
- [27:24]
Marvin Jols
Okay.
- [27:25]
Rachel Kennedy
And so that gives you wider visibility.
- [27:28]
Marvin Jols
Just engage. Just engage. Yeah. Is it okay if I. Let's just say. Let's just say my buddy Aaron Whit makes a post over at Build Wit, and I'm like, I've never posted before, but, you know, I enjoy his post. I'm just gonna kind of copy what he did to get. Get to get the ground rolling, put up a nice picture, talk about the type of stuff he talked about and see what happens. Is that, okay, well, that you mean kind of not word for word, not the same picture, but just like, you know, I'll post a picture from my business and I'll kind of talk about the same thing. Is that okay to get the ground rolling? Is that going to grab me some traction?
- [28:05]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, I mean, I think, think about what's interesting to your audience, to your people. Like, you're. You're deeply in the asphalt world. You're also geographically like in Wisconsin. And so the things that are interesting to people in Wisconsin, to people who are in the asphalt world, like, you know, thinking about that and you've done that just thinking what's relevant to my people here that I want to speak to, like, whether it's memes or gifts or jokes or pictures or videos or whatever, it's like, just think about what's interesting to your audience and start there.
- [28:40]
Marvin Jols
Typical marketing strategy, right? Put yourself in. You put it. Put it in your audience or who you hope to accomplish shoes and see what they would like. And I think, I think it works well in that regard because when I look at like other people's content on there, especially like in the Asphalt World, it the. The best post. There's another company, Jerry Sebi with Asphalt Authority, they post like the tastiest montages of some of their work with like the sickest beats. And I'm just like, but if I could make beautiful content like that, I would just love it. And I'm sure it gets hired out to the videographer or whatnot. But. Yeah, but it makes me just think like, I have to be a geek first of all, because they're out seal coating lots and it'll throw like a three different tier montage in and the beat will change and you'll See them striping lines and stuff. I'm like, oh, that's amazing. And then they dip back. And I think this is a great strategy. And, and maybe it, it should be. They'll dip back like a, a drone shot and you'll see the place. Right? So if you're local right there and you know them, you'll know that place and you know that they took care of that project. That's gotta be some form of strategy, I would imagine as well, correct?
- [29:56]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, yeah, they. I mean, and one, I would say video content does really well. It doesn't have to be super professional. It sounds like there's are, but, you know, just shot on your iPhone is fine. Photos perform well also. And then thinking about what's interesting to your audience. But also it sounds like it grabbed your attention, it was compelling, there was music, you know, all of that. Again, social media is a place to be entertained as well as educated and informed. And so, you know, if you leave with that, you know, edutainment, we've got a little bit of entertainment, a little education. That kind of is a really great way to grab attention.
- [30:32]
Marvin Jols
I love those words, edutainment. And then what was one of the random act of content, that was another fantastic thing that I love. So what. What have. If I could ask you to kind of wrap things up in general, if, If I've Never posted on LinkedIn before or. Yeah, I think that's what I'll. I think that's what I'll say if I've never posted on LinkedIn before. I know I need to. Let's say I. I come to that show and I hear you speak, I'm like, shoot, I'm running a business and we're not on LinkedIn. What would be a piece of advice? Because to some people, it's intimidating. Like you were saying, some people, there's a reason they post, right? Or you get to a certain point. I spoke at National Pavement Expo in 2018, I believe, on the importance of social media in the asphalt industry coming up, and I got looked at like I was a green alien when I spoke back then about how we should be using it, and we will be using it in the future. But, you know, let's say that I am that person. What would be a piece of advice in your experience, after working with a lot of companies who need the type of assistance that you and your company provide, what would be a great piece of advice for them?
- [31:36]
Rachel Kennedy
Yeah, just start small. If you're going to do anything, do it well. Just update Your profile, make sure you have a photo of your face looking at the camera. Make sure you have updated contact information and make sure your company information is up to date too. So I don't think you have to move the world, but all things start small.
- [31:56]
Marvin Jols
So do I need to fill all that stuff out, Rachel? Like when you look at a LinkedIn profile, like, like, do I need to fill in everywhere I've worked, all my pieces of education, all any types of content that we've been in, do I need to do all that? Or is that like icing on the cake?
- [32:11]
Rachel Kennedy
Or is that like bonus, there's icing on the cake. You know, I think about in search, when somebody types in Marvin J. What comes up is your name?
- [32:21]
Marvin Jols
Yeah.
- [32:21]
Rachel Kennedy
Your headline, which is those words right under your name. Often that'll default to your title, but it doesn't have to be. You could say, you know, you've got a whole lot more. You're an investor, you're an entrepreneur, it's not just your job title. And I'd say that's key real estate to use that headline because LinkedIn is searchable. It is a search engine just like Google. And so if you Google your name, you, your LinkedIn profile will probably pop up in the first five searches. And so really keyword, optimize that headline. Make sure you have a good photo and make sure your contact information's up to date.
- [32:59]
Marvin Jols
Am I doing it right?
- [33:01]
Rachel Kennedy
You're doing good.
- [33:02]
Marvin Jols
Okay, cool. All right, cool. That's a little bit of pressure relief. If you're serious about the pavement industry, you need to be at Pavex. Pavex, the pavement experience is coming to New Orleans this February, bringing together contractors, manufacturers, manufacturers and leaders from across the industry. This isn't just another trade show. It's about education, connection, and seeing what's next for the pavement industry. We're proud to be partnering with paybacks and be part of the experience. You can Register now@PaybackShow.com I really implore people to follow your content. I'm just fascinated by LinkedIn and what it is. It's a one of a kind thing. I believe in the business world and what the opportunities that it produces. Like you were talking about the one where you had somebody from 10 years ago that hired you. Those. I've heard so many stories about opportunities that come out of it that there's no way any other way they would have existed or came to fruition. And I just really appreciate the fact that you're hyper focused on it. Like your father intended you to be if you're gonna do something to it. Well, because it's a great resource for us. And speaking of a great resource, where can we find you do I'm gonna guess on LinkedIn is a great place.
- [34:14]
Rachel Kennedy
Nailed it. Yes. I'm Rachel Kennedy. K E N N E D Y like the president and my company is Southern Lighthouse. And so you can catch me at Southern Lighthouse as well. But I love the idea of that kind of ships in the night going through a rocky storm. A guide how you know, a lighthouse was guiding them to where they wanted to go. And so I named my company Southern Lighthouse just to help help construction leaders get to where they need to go to retain and attract talent and clients as well. So yeah, catch me Southern Lighthouse.
- [34:47]
Marvin Jols
Rachel Kennedy I really appreciate it and I love the analogy as we close out here. When I, when I spoke in Cleveland, as I mentioned, first of all, I spoke in Cleveland, which great Cleveland's fantastic. There were these companies that were very stable for a lot of years and then they kind of got set in their ways. And when the Internet came, it caused disruptors to come into the scene that understood what they were going to do. And I feel like we still have time and opportunities for people that created great companies to not fall behind or lose what they had worked on to grow. And it's through content like you create and education like you create. So once again, I really appreciate you joining us today. Hopefully we'll have you back at some point when I get some more specific questions about LinkedIn.
- [35:35]
Rachel Kennedy
Would love it. Thank you so much for having me, Marvin. It's great being here.
- [35:38]
Marvin Jols
Absolutely. All right, y'. All. So for myself and for Rachel, we really appreciate you joining us and as always, be sure to stay in the mix. Peace.
- [35:50]
Podcast Narrator
Thanks for hanging out with us on in the Mix. For more on the world of Blacktop, head over to marvinjols.com and don't forget to follow Marvin on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for extra content, behind the scenes looks and industry insights. Be sure to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you got value from today's show, leave us a well worded five star review. It really helps more asphalt pros find us. Catch you next time on in the Mix.
- [36:24]
Marvin Jols
Sometimes this industry gives us more than a paycheck. It gives us the chance to give back. Dream On 3 creates custom sports dreams for children living with life altering medical conditions. Moments that give families hope, joy and memories that last a lifetime. This isn't about attention or headlines. It's about showing up for kids and families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. We believe in the mission of Dream on 3, and we're proud to support and help raise awareness for the work they're doing. To learn more, visit dreamon3.org and follow them on Instagram @dream3.