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A
If you haven't heard, the LCR summit's back this October in Louisville, Kentucky. October 19th and 20th. And for the month of July, use promo code July and get 50% off your single ticket. That's right. It's called First Movers Advantage. Just click the link or go to my bio or lcr summit.com See you there.
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B
Here we go.
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A
One of the ways that I have grown my business over the last decade was attending the Equip Expo. One of the things I was able to do was when I needed to upgrade my equipment, I could test all of the mowers. Specifically upgrading my mowers. I could test all of my mowers in a fraction of the time compared to if I were to go to each individual dealer in my area and demo the different mowers. And then once I was able to identify the mower brands and type that I wanted for my business, then I went to my equipment dealer and I was able to demo the specific mower type and brand on my properties to see how that, how it would work for my properties. So it really collapsed time and made the process so much more efficient, which added to my growth being faster as well as the networking that I, I argue that that is as important, if not more important is the networking when you're surrounded by thousands and thousands. I mean last year there was 30,000 attendees. There's a lot of like minded individuals that are at the Quip Expo that you can bu into intentionally or unintentionally. Sometimes you could just be waiting in line, grabbing a bite to eat and strike up a conversation with someone. You see the name tag, oh, you're from Virginia too and you know wherever you're from and you have that conversation and that could lead to all kinds of new realizations that you didn't under because you are in your little bubble. We're all on our bubbles and if we're not networking with other like minded individuals in our industry or just entrepreneurs in general, we feel alone and we don't. We might not see past our own bubble and not understand where we can improve or where we can change, where we can add or remove from our current business structure. So I've gotten a lot out of the Equip Expo over the last decade and the show is growing and it's evolving with the industry. So it's, it's the place to be. And I invited back on the show Chris Kaiser, the president and CEO of the OPEI Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, who oversees the Equip Expo as well as other great organizations like the Turf Mutt foundation and so on. And we'll, we'll get into that a little bit more too. But Chris, welcome back to the show.
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C
Thanks. Naylor.
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B
Good morning.
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C
Good, good to be with you.
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A
Likewise. Likewise. I look forward to these recaps every year or check ins every year before the show so we can get everybody hyped up. I'm always excited and, and I know you, you live and breathe this every day. Now it seems like it's like a full, full year of planning. That's how big and important the show is.
- [03:29]
C
It's exactly right. And thank you for that. That intro, it's a terrific testament to what it is we aspire to be. What Equip wants to be is we want to help folks grow their business. We want to be a valuable resource to landscapers and hardscapers and irrigation professionals, tree care folks, whoever's in the business. Right. So if your business is the outdoors, we want to be the place to be.
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A
Yes, 100%. So with that being said, what I guess we can actually really start. For anyone new listening, what is the Equip Expo?
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C
You bet. It's the trade show to showcase outdoor power equipment. But importantly, as you know, it's grown and evolved way beyond that. So it's an education resource, it's a conference, it's speakers, it's a place to educate yourself on the latest and greatest. We have a lot of speakers, a lot of classroom experience, hands on experience, tree climbing experience, demo area experience, and as you mentioned, importantly, peer to peer. We know that's where learning, true learning takes place is by talking to like minded folks or folks who are similarly situated in business. How did you deal with this problem or that problem? How did you survive this issue or this drought or what have you? And that's where learning takes place. And so what we do at Equip is try to create opportunities for that peer to peer interaction. And so I know you participate in a lot of that morning show, Energize. But we have an opening reception and a closing and social opportunities where people can have a beer in abroad or have a few minutes together, have some fun. We want you to have some fun. It's a big show, right? It's a very large physical show. Now we sell out now on our fourth year. This is my 20th show. We're 43 years young, so we're doing something right. But importantly, we want to listen to you. All is about give us what we need to make this an important B2B experience, we've got to come away from this show with some value proposition for the business.
- [05:40]
A
Absolutely. And I've learned that and experienced that firsthand. And even though my business is always going through different levels of growth. Right. Growth can be adding more onto your business. Growth could be becoming more efficient within your business with what you already have. But no matter what point my business is at, when I attend Equip Expo, there's always something new to learn and something to add to that type of and level of growth in my business. So with that being said, what, what's new? Speaking of new, what's new to expect this year at Equip Expo?
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C
One of the things we've really seen is a little back to the future kind of thing is manufacturers. As the show has gotten bigger and more important manufacturers, you're seeing a lot more debut of new product. There was always new, new stuff at the show, right? But our members, our manufacturers, our exhibitors are in a lot of shows. Oftentimes in the golf show, the hardware show, con rental unit, concrete, you name it. Right? Because our, our products are in all these industries. But what we've seen is a growing importance on Expo where you're seeing the debut of new product, new technology, robotics, software, what have you, is this is the place where they'll roll it out. One of the things we've done this year, the dealer breakfast is back. It's an old, old thing that used to be around Expo years ago because they're now manufacturers are again bringing dealer bodies. So in addition to our landscape contractor friends, dealers, important dealers, large scale dealers, the ones manufacturers are bringing a lot of dealers back to the show, they want to showcase that there's also a cost consequence. And so one of the reasons, I know we'll get to rotation into Orlando, but because of the scope and scale and size of the show, of the spend of some of our major exhibitors, there's a very, very significant spend on their behalf. And so they're maximizing that. So they may want to have a dealer meeting or a product meeting or staffing meeting, engage with their biggest customers. And so we need more rooms, more venues for that. But the show's growing in importance. So the little things, the dealer breakfast is back, but importantly Equip Academy, the other thing that's happened is we've been, we've listened to our attendees about the kinds of classes, the kinds of speakers that they want to hear from and we've tailored that and we've partnered with folks we partner with Irrigation, we partner With Davey, we partner with landscape management. We don't create these education sessions. Folks in the business do lighting, you name it. And so it's become very valuable. There's so much of it you offered. You talk about it. If you go to our website, it's like, holy cow. Lots and lots of offerings, but there's only so many hours in the day. You've only got so much floor time, room time, class time. So Equip Academy lets you buy those in a package and access that stuff after the fact. Most everything is recorded now, so it's available to you. That's Equip Academy. That allows you to pick and choose to sit in and see, live what you need, but also take home or view at your leisure other classrooms, other presentations, other speakers, other professors, you name it. So the Equip Academy is a new one for us. Evan, you know, Evan Cox. Well, he's helped us put that together. And so that's a test. The other is the social side of things, you know, we're back at Churchill Downs, the iconic Churchill Downs for opening reception. Our folks like to get together. We're a social crowd. I call it a family reunion. Every year we get to see a lot of our friends, but meet some new friends, so we give them those opportunities. So our opening reception is at Churchill. This year, our closing is a place called Paristown Point. And as opposed to just a concert or a music, we. We did, we listened. So folks said, hey, we love the music, we love the concerts, but is there something, you know, I need a quiet space or. We, you know, there are four or five of us. We wanted to hang out. And so Parishtown Point is a music venue, but it's a food venue. It's a bourbon tasting venue set. You know, it's where Louisville Stoneware is. It's this little villagey thing just east of downtown. So we wanted to create a place where everybody can hang out. It's again, you know, it's a square block or two of different shops and things. So we. That's a new one for us. But importantly, always look to. We. We do have some new tree care stuff. We have a new fella in that space coming out from California. Always new classroom offerings, always new speaker offerings. Mike Holmes this year is our keynoter of HGTV fame. So we're keeping it fresh.
- [10:35]
A
Yeah. One of the things that I noticed over the years is how much there is to explore in Louisville. Like, it's not a huge town or city area, but there is a lot. There's A lot packed in there. And I think many of us go to Quip Expo and we're really focused and dialed into Quip Expo. But I applaud equip for changing up different venues, whether it be concert series and the welcome receptions and just kind of giving a variety of like, almost like a tour of Louisville so that we can discover like new aspects. And I myself have discovered new aspects for other events and experiences that I've done over the last decade as well. But there's just. There's just so much there. So I definitely applaud equipped for. For helping with that because so many guys, it's overwhelming, right? And like you say, just, just get here and we'll take care of the rest. And I think you, you're. You are always adding to that from public transportation, you know, like transportation from the show downtown and, and vice versa and just helping to get around and explore Louisville and, and really opening everyone's eyes to, hey, there's more than just the show. Like, obviously there's the show times, but explore the rest of the of Louisville while you're here.
- [11:56]
C
You know, it's my home, it's my town. I live here now. And so when we brought the show in house in Tutu, I came out here, we opened the office, and the show is, you know, it's part of who I am. It's. But it's part of. It's in. It's in OPI's blood, right? OPI organized the show, created the show 43 years ago, and it's been a successful enterprise ever since. Louisville is a Goldilocks town, right? It's big enough, it's small enough, you can drive here, you can fly here. But we do pack it up. So we're now the number three event money maker for the city of Louisville. That includes the derby. So our guys come here, we do a lot of business here. We spend a lot of money here. So we're pretty well known here in the Louisville community. But importantly as it relates to the show. So a lot of the big hotels are downtown. We're not downtown. The KEC is a whole different complex, as you know, out by the airport. It's also under renovation. There's a new building going up. Another building's coming down next year, and another building's going up. So it is in a process of change, a period of change that we're excited about, but it will mean some change. And so get a plan. You and I have talked about this a lot because the first timers are like, oh, this is big. I always joke, wear comfortable shoes, check the weather. It's one of those shows and so it really is. It's a tough to be a one day show, to experience, equip, enjoy, equip to have the time you need. You need more than a day. But if you're a drive in and you only have a day, that's great. We'd love to have you. But the other thing this year, because we're, we've moved people around, right? So we're spread out. We do have a shuttle system that's expanded and now we have a, you know, moving a lot of people around and so we want to encourage folks to find that shuttle route to get to Parish Town Point, right? Find that shuttle route for the show, find that shuttle route for Churchill Downs. We'll try to get you around and we'll likely keep you fed.
- [14:00]
A
Are you overspending on equipment? If you aren't part of the Toro Fleet program, there's a solid chance LCR Media Podcast sponsor Toro has has an unbeatable fleet discount program that saves you up to 24% on mowers, accessories and snow products. Plus it gives you free access to Horizon360 business management software. Qualify for the program by purchasing as few as two units, click the link in the episode description or visit your local Toro dealer to sign up and
- [14:30]
B
start saving lawn care and landscaping pros. Listen up. If you're tired of guessing your way through pricing, marketing, hiring and sales, this is your wake up call. The LCR Summit hits Downtown Louisville October 19th and 20th at the Galt House the same week as Equip, and it's gonna change the way you run your business forever. This is not another sit and listen event. It's two full days of hands on workshops from leaders who've actually built what you're trying to build. Neylor Taliaferro shows you how to generate better leads through smarter marketing. Paul Jamison teaches content that converts. John Pajak breaks down your numbers so you'll stop working for cheap Eric Triplett, the pond digger, reveals how he built a multimillion dollar business making more money with less work. Plus, you'll have a surprise guest speaker. Add in live Q and A panels, powerful networking and an exclusive VIP dinner with all the speakers. When you purchase at the Platinum level, grab tickets and info@LC lcr summit.com or just tap the link in the podcast description. That's LCR summit.com stop guessing. Start growing. Build the business you've always imagined at The LCR Summit.
- [15:46]
C
It's a show you want to plan for. So just go, get registered, do it early. Look, we fill up, so the hotel rooms fill up. Get, figure out where you want to stay, get that hotel reservation now. And if you're flying in, get that plane reservation now. Because prices simply go up as you get closer in and options diminish, we want you out of a terrific experience. So plan ahead, get online, look at the offerings, look at the maps, figure out how you're going to get here. It's a big physical show.
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A
Absolutely. I know that firsthand. And, and the, the show itself has filled up the majority of the week. So that's why, to piggyback on what I, and we were saying about Louisville, like there's so much more to explore beyond Equip Expo. And Equip has helped facilitate that exploration as well. And so my point is, make it more than just a day or two. Make it more than just the show, make it an experience. Make it, you know, a trip that you get the most out of. So to Chris's point, planning ahead, making sure that you're prepared and, and have, you know, from the right shoes, hydration, nutrition, sleep, like, you know, to get the most out of it, you want to, you want to be prepared. Right? And, and, and I've said a lot, you know, when I talk about like summertime and vacations and some guys like, what's that? You know, I'll take a vacation in the winter, you know, and I get all that. But whether it's just like taking a couple of extra days off over the weekend to spend time with family and friends or whatever it is, it's, it's important to get a little bit of rest and recovery, take a break to have your breakthrough. So even if you're, you know, if this is your only time other than the winter, and maybe they don't even have that because you do a lot of snow, maybe this is your time, you know, to get a little extra out of the trip, you know, so just blowing in and blowing out one or two days, get a little bit more out of it. There's so much more in Louisville. There's so much more that Equip is offering. And you know, so when you plan and you extend your stay a little bit, then you can just kind of relax and recover and not think about the day to day operations of your business and you can focus more on the networking and the experiences that are going to help you recover actively. I should say active recovery, where you're still doing stuff but you know, you're not laying by the beach. You know, you're still actively working on your business but from a different perspective. And things in your subconscious start to come together and bubble up to the surface and you start putting things in place at a quip because you're surrounded by that kind of energy and environment. But make the most out of it and being, you know, exploring Louisville and planning ahead is all, is all part of that. But you were starting to talk about some things that, that are, that are, that are changing and what's, what's changed this year that we can expect and then I guess evolving into what's changing.
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C
When I echo one thing you said come in if you're able, come in a day or two early, stay a day or two late. Again that, that keeps you relaxed because as you described, there's a lot going on here. It's a very busy three or four days. And if you can come in, Louisville's an old town. It's great history, great architecture, great, you know, great park system. There are things to do here. So enjoy yourself. Go to the urban Bourbon Trail. Interesting, interesting state. I think one of the big ones is the introduction nailer of the rotation. So again, at 43 years young, I've already a lot of folks have talked to me like okay, gosh, that you guys have taken ownership and management. You've sold out every year. You've gotten all these accolades, you've gotten all these awards and nominations. Greatest show ever. 24 say what are you doing? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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A
Right?
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C
And one of the things is
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A
because
- [19:44]
C
of its growth, because of its importance to the business, a lot of interest from our manufacturing community and like minded folks in the business globally, you know, our manufacturers are global nature. The world got flat on us. A lot of folks in western, you know, Sweden and Germany and Japan and China, we're all interrelated. These products and parts are coming from everywhere. A lot of issues facing landscapers and technology opportunities and use of product. It's the same, right and or different relative to the world. And so we've got a lot of folks wanting to come here and that becomes it's just one more difficult challenge in getting to Louisville if you're international, right? And so the one venue, remember we're so big, a million three square feet. There's like six venues in the country that can handle us very. A couple of those have outdoors and a couple of those are challenged because they've NFL obligations and so, you know, Atlanta, they have a lot of their outdoor space you can't use if they get an NFL game. So lots and lots of restrictions. Couple folks can handle this. But Orlando gives us that opportunity as you described earlier. Come in early, stay late. There are a lot of folks that look to make if they're going to take the time away from their business, spend a few days somewhere. Give them, you know, an opportunity to bring the family to spend a few days to do a holiday effort. And Orlando lets us do that. So global airport, huge airport. Lots and lots of international nonstops all over the globe. As you know, there's lots going on in Orlando. Lots of places for family and kids, lots of places to have a vacation. And so we're tying into that. So. And it will change. So it's also a very, very large venue. So the, the nature of the exhibits will modify, allows our exhibitors to undertake a different kind of exhibit. A couple of things are coming to mind, but I want to save that for you. So we're, we're looking forward to the kinds of exhibits we want outdoor space. We've got 20, 30 acres down there, but it's on asphalt. And we're working very closely with Louisville. We're a demo show. We're known for that. Test before you invest. Get out there, get dirty, get wet. That we're real world, right? We provide you real world opportunities to experience the product. We're working with Louisville now and the KEC to help us evolve and modify that outdoor space. We want to make it bigger, better, cooler, you name it, and so we're doing that. And so once we get some of this construction behind us, that's kind of why our timeline is the way it is. Because the KEC is under very significant redevelopment, right? So they're, they're in play. So we're going to rotate that. We're not leaving Louisville. Louisville's home. They helped us start this show. We love the town. It will always be our place for a family reunion. But we are going to rotate the show. So in 2, 9, the show goes to Orlando and then comes back 30 back to Orlando, 31 back here, 32 back to Orlando in 33. Because of the scope and scale, the business, the enterprise, we're already booked out. We're through 20, 33, because you have to do that where that scope and scale. So that's the big change is getting our heads wrapped around that. And the other thing we already know is we're going to pull an audience, global audience to Orlando because It's going to be easy to get to and there are other kinds of things that will draw you there. And then we want to pull those folks up to Louisville the following year. So that's, that's in my head, that's my task is to make that happen.
- [23:27]
A
It makes complete sense. And thank you for, for clarifying that because there's definitely been a lot of speculation and conversation and you know, we're hearing it here, you know, from, from Chris himself, so that we can, we can also wrap our minds around that and think of it as, you know, change. Change is hard, right? Change is challenging. It is what it is. You know, as humans, I don't think we're designed to be full of change and embrace it like it's the best thing in the world. Because back in the caveman days, as a lot of people like to say, change was kind of bad. You want to stay safe, you want to stay secure, you want to just stay in your little bubble and not explore and get eate who knows what, you know, back in those crazy days. So it's kind of like ingrained in our DNA. So change is definitely challenging, but we have to realize we just have to convince ourselves and, and, and, and, and change our mind. Focus on the fact that, you know, not all change is bad. Yes, it is challenging. But think about, in order to grow, change has to happen, right? You think about nature, growth, it from the start to finish looks completely different, right? So there's changes along the way for whether it's any kind of plan, life, all of us, we all look different, act different, think different as we grow because we are changing. So growth, change is a part of growth. You can't have one without the other. So if we want to keep enjoying the show, we have to embrace some change during the growth.
- [25:00]
C
Part of it is taking the show to the business and to where our folks are. And so we've been here a long time and it's a good, we have a big, as you know, we have a big drive in audience, right? Lots and lots of folks. You know, six, 700 miles out, drive in a lot of folks. That's why we buy out our parking. So it makes it easier folks get in and out of the kc. But if you. Florida is the number two landscape contractor state in the nation, second only to California. Lots and lots and lots of landscape contractors in Florida and that circle, right? So Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee all, I mean the Carolinas, big damn near year round partner. Damn darn near year round weather. So very, very Significant landscaping operations. So we're kind of going to where the people are as well. So a lot of folks want to be able to drive to the show. And by going to Orlando, we make that now available for big folks, big bunch of folks just outside that 600, 700 mile limit. We're going to take the show where the folks are nice.
- [26:06]
A
So for all of the business owners that come every year, that attend every year, what. What's the same? What can they expect to. To still enjoy all the good stuff?
- [26:19]
C
It is, as you described, the place to see the latest equipment, but importantly, being able to interface with the exhibitors, with the manufacturers, as you and I have described. So you go to the Toro booth, right? You'll oftentimes see because he's here for the board meeting. There's the CEO, there's the president, there's the chief marketing officer. And then you got all these folks. It's just not salespeople, right? So it's the folks that designed it, it's the safety engineers. And why did you move the chute? And why. Why is the ROP system changed? And, well, they're there to tell you. They're there to tell you why. They're also to help you with your business. I've witnessed it. I've seen it firsthand. I've met folks who've come in. It's my first show. I'm here to buy my first set of zero turns, my first set of stand ons or whatever. On my first. We're going to buy some equipment. I'm here to look at it. And what happens is they. They end up in a booth. They end up talking to professionals. Tell me about your business. Tell me about your clients. Tell me about the topography and the demographics and your weather patterns. And they end up with a different product that better suits their business. They come into the mindset, but then they deal with the. And they'll say, let's go outside, you know, and get on the product. We'll show you what we mean. We'll show you what we're talking about. I've seen that. I've witnessed that. And they come away happier. That's the kind of experience we have. And the interrelatedness, you know, you. You've described it. There's the turf mutt. Too many people outside, to be honest. Kids, deer.
- [27:51]
A
So, speaking of turf mutt, you hear him in the background there. What, what's. Is there going to be mutt madness again? Are we going to be able to adopt some puppies?
- [27:59]
C
You Bet you know, that's near and dear to my heart. But it helps us talk about our message. It helps us talk about the business. We're trying to empower the next generation to become stewards of the outdoors and value the outdoors. You know, a lot of folks live outside is the extension of home. Nature starts at your back door. Some of the foundational messages of Turf Mutt, we've reached 70 million kids. It's growing. As you know, we've been on television, we've been a title sponsor, importantly. And so we, we do that at Equip, right? So Equip has become this extraordinarily valuable venue where we have here, my board is, God love them, tolerating me to have a national dog adoption event at Equip. We've gotten a bunch of dogs adopted, partner with the Kentucky Humane Society. And that's where Mulligan's from. That's where the Turf mud is from. She was literally adopted at Mutt Madness in 2019 at Equip Expo. So, you know, we, we believe in this and we talk. Our messaging, our education is told from a dog's point of view. As you know, no one knows your yard better than your dog. So Mutt Madness, of course, will be there. But importantly, this year, we're looking at ways and how we communicate to broader audiences and where, as you know, we've been on Lucky Dog, the television show on CBS. Good gosh, 13, 14 seasons. We're now looking at YouTube and YouTube series. And so at the last OPI board of directors meeting, they looked at a couple of things we put together for them. Pilots by the folks that. For YouTube, and we liked them. So we have two different. We have competitors, if you will. We have two folks, Chronicle Cinema and the Hearst Corporation that owns Lucky dog, doing a YouTube series for us. And that'll be shot. Some of those will be shot at Equip. We weave in our world, our business and the show into this, you know, and Turfmite is there. She comes to equipment. She's at Mulligan's Mutt Madness, and she's at Mulligan's 5K. That's. We do have 5K. Wednesday morning started early. So, yes, Turf Mud is back and it's evolving. We're very excited about using Equip and all that it is in the YouTube universe. And so we're developing some shorts. We're developing what we described as a full series by 15 minute things. So that's new for us. Very exciting. And that will start this year. Wow.
- [30:24]
A
That sounds fun. You heard it here first, folks. I can't wait to.
- [30:28]
C
Exactly, right? Yeah.
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A
Can't wait to watch that. And, and also make sure you all go, whether you want to adopt a puppy or not, go check them out, because they're just going to bring joy, you know, to, to. To your. To your day, for sure. I mean, just seeing everyone else holding the puppies and, and then, you know, there's faculty or staff walking around with puppies here.
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B
You want.
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A
You want to hold one. And of course, their goal is to get you to adopt them, but. Adopt them. But even just being there, it just, it lights you up. So I definitely recommend, highly recommend that every year I make sure I stop. Stop by there to get some extra joy in my life because I am a dog owner and have been for as long as I can remember, so I definitely live that every day here. But I always enjoy being around dogs and especially puppies because they're full of joy and happiness. So looking forward to that. Chris, is there anything else that, that we didn't touch base on before we wrap up here that you want to share?
- [31:23]
C
Always. Good. You always do a fantastic job. I just want to thank you and our. All our influencers in our podcast community because I know what you guys are doing is trying to improve your audience's business, right? You're trying to help them develop their business, grow their business, and by talking about us and exposing us and how to. How to deal, how to best use equip, I just am so very appreciative of that. You reach a lot of folks. We can't or don't you help us carry that message. But importantly, I know you're doing yeoman's work to help people in their business, and I just think it's fantastic. You've become a friend and I get to see every October. I look forward to seeing you, but again, I'm so appreciative of your effort.
- [32:09]
A
Well, thank you very much for that, Chris. And we enjoy following along the journey and being a part of the experience as well. So I look forward to seeing you in October. October. Thank you everyone for listening. Thank you to Toro company for sponsoring the LCR Media podcast for five years in a row. Love tutorial company. True Partners. True Partners. And they, they power my, my, my mowers. So they. I made a lot of money over the years, so definitely a proud user owner of tutorial company. So definitely check them out and thank them when you see them at Equip Expo. For, uh, for. For being a part of my journey. And until the next episode, this is Naylor and Chris signing off.
- [32:57]
B
This has been an lcr media and Mr. Producer production.