Career coaching from rodeo clowns

Summary

Marketplace Morning Report: "Career Coaching from Rodeo Clowns" – March 21, 2025

In the March 21, 2025 episode of Marketplace Morning Report, host David Brancaccio delves into a unique exploration of career lessons drawn from the unexpected world of rodeo clowns. This episode offers listeners a blend of economic insights and unconventional career coaching, highlighting the parallels between rodeo safety professionals and broader workplace dynamics.

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Copper Prices: A Complex Indicator of Economic Health

The episode opens with an analysis of the recent surge in copper prices, which have reached their highest levels in approximately ten months. David Brancaccio introduces the topic by stating, “Copper has surged in the last few weeks to its highest price in about 10 months” (00:26). Traditionally viewed as a leading economic indicator due to its widespread use in various industries, the current rise in copper prices presents a more intricate situation.

Chris Barry from House Mountain Partners explains, “Copper is generally a good indicator because it's used all over the economy in factories, houses, electronics, street lights” (01:15). However, Ian Lang, a mineral economics professor at the Colorado School of Mines, counters this by attributing the price surge to external factors. He remarks, “What's mostly driving copper prices now is the threat of tariffs” (01:37), suggesting that companies are stockpiling copper in anticipation of potential import tax changes.

Despite these complexities, Chris Barry maintains a long-term optimistic view, stating, “Demand from those industries could keep copper prices higher for years to come” (02:26), especially with ongoing electrification and the expansion of data centers. This discourse underscores the multifaceted nature of economic indicators and the influence of geopolitical policies on commodity markets.

Heathrow Airport Fire: Disruptions in Global Air Travel

Transitioning from economic indicators, the report briefly covers a significant event affecting global air travel. David Brancaccio informs listeners, “London's Heathrow Airport... will remain closed to flights for at least the next 10 hours after a fire at an electrical substation” (02:33). The incident has led to widespread disruptions, with flights being delayed or forced to turn back mid-flight, impacting travelers and airlines worldwide.

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Career Coaching from Rodeo Clowns: Lessons in Safety and Resilience

The centerpiece of this episode is an engaging segment on career lessons gleaned from the profession of rodeo clowns, also known as Barrelmen. David Brancaccio provides an introduction to this unique occupation, emphasizing its critical role in ensuring the safety of bull riders.

John Harrison, a top Barrelman, shares his insights: “If you can keep them safe so they can go ride tomorrow, that's our job” (04:35). This responsibility highlights the importance of protecting employees to maintain their productivity and well-being—a principle applicable across various industries.

The segment delves into the culture and dedication required in this role. John Harrison recounts his journey, humorously noting, “I was that person that went to college for six years and never finished... the best way to become a rodeo clown. Spend six years at a junior college, and your parents won't care what you're gonna do” (06:28). This anecdote underscores themes of perseverance and finding one's path despite unconventional beginnings.

A pivotal moment in the discussion is the mentorship passed from the legendary Barrelman, Leon Coffey, to John Harrison. Leon Coffey reflects on his career longevity, stating, “Anybody can get a job. Not everybody can keep one” (05:51), emphasizing the value of resilience and adaptability. His philosophy centers on caring for others and delivering top-notch entertainment, which translates into a commitment to excellence and teamwork in any professional setting.

John Harrison also shares practical advice for aspiring rodeo clowns: “You study great comedians on TV... try to adapt to be your own person” (06:54). This blend of humor and authenticity is presented as a key strategy for success, encouraging individuals to learn from others while maintaining their unique identity.

Additionally, the discussion touches on the technical aspects of the job, such as understanding bull behavior. John Harrison dispels a common misconception: “Everybody thinks they're attracted to red. That's completely fake. No, they're color blind. They're attracted to movement” (07:23). This insight illustrates the importance of accurate knowledge and adaptability—skills essential in any career.

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Closing Thoughts: Human Interaction in a Digital World

As the episode concludes, David Brancaccio reflects on the enduring value of human interaction and tangible skills in an increasingly digital and remote marketplace. He states, “In a world where so many markets are remote digital zeros and ones, I like to find teachable moments in places where humans interact face to face” (07:31). The stories from the rodeo offer valuable lessons in safety, resilience, mentorship, and authentic engagement—principles that are universally applicable beyond the arena.

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Notable Quotes

• David Brancaccio: “Copper has surged in the last few weeks to its highest price in about 10 months.” (00:26)
• Chris Barry: “Copper is generally a good indicator because it's used all over the economy in factories, houses, electronics, street lights.” (01:15)
• Ian Lang: “What's mostly driving copper prices now is the threat of tariffs.” (01:37)
• John Harrison: “If you can keep them safe so they can go ride tomorrow, that's our job.” (04:35)
• Leon Coffey: “Anybody can get a job. Not everybody can keep one.” (05:51)
• John Harrison: “You study great comedians on TV... try to adapt to be your own person.” (06:54)
• John Harrison: “Everybody thinks they're attracted to red. That's completely fake. No, they're color blind. They're attracted to movement.” (07:23)
• David Brancaccio: “In a world where so many markets are remote digital zeros and ones, I like to find teachable moments in places where humans interact face to face.” (07:31)

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This episode of Marketplace Morning Report seamlessly blends economic analysis with human interest stories, offering listeners both macroeconomic perspectives and micro-level career insights. The exploration of rodeo clowns as a metaphor for workplace safety and resilience provides a refreshing and memorable framework for understanding essential career skills in today’s ever-evolving economic landscape.

Transcript

[Leesa]

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[David Brancaccio]

Morning Report host David Brancaccio. When things change quickly and Dr. Marketplace is here to help you stay grounded and informed. No sensationalism, just facts and context. It's our March fundraiser, though, and you can be part of our mission to raise the country's economic intelligence when you donate to our nonprofit newsroom today. Every single donation makes a difference. We need you. Go to marketplace.org donate copper it's not just for drinking mint cocktails and a copper economic indicator is now muddled. I'm David Brancaccio. Copper has surged in the last few weeks to its highest price in about 10 months. Some see high copper as a leading indicator signaling growth, but this time it's complicated. Here's Marketplace's Henry Epp.

[Chris Barry]

Copper is generally a good indicator because it's used all over the economy in factories, houses, electronics, street lights, says Chris Barry at House Mountain Partners.

[Ian Lang]

The next time you're on an airplane at night and you're coming in for a landing and you see any lights or anything like that, every single one of those lights is working because of the electrical conductivity of copper.

[Chris Barry]

So if the economy is growing and we're building more, we'll need more copper. Except something else is going on right now. In this specific case, I don't believe that copper is acting as a leading indicator. Ian Lang teaches mineral economics at the Colorado School of Mines. What's mostly driving copper prices now is the threat of tariffs, he says. As companies try to navigate changing import taxes policy, they're stocking up on copper. It's just more because we don't really know what's going to happen. Let me maybe try to buy some and hold it just in case. In the longer term, copper prices could keep rising regardless of whether the Trump administration raises tariffs on the metal, says Chris Berry. Because more of the economy is electrifying.

[Ian Lang]

You need a lot of copper to affect the energy transition, right? You need a lot of copper for data centers.

[Chris Barry]

Demand from those industries, he says, could keep copper prices higher for years to come. I'm Henry Epp for Marketplace.

[David Brancaccio]

We're also covering London's Heathrow Airport, which will remain closed to flights for at least the next 10 hours after a fire at an electrical substation there. Air travel Worldwide's affected, with some planes forced to turn back mid flight.

[Marketplace Newsletter]

If you want to be savvy about the economy, the Marketplace newsletter is just what you need. Every Friday, you'll get explainers and analysis that make sense of everything from the moving markets to grocery prices. No jargon, no hype, just smart takes delivered to your inbox. Sign up [e-mail] subscribe.

[David Brancaccio]

Something like two and a half million people will go through the entry lanes of the vast livestock show and rodeo that wraps up in Houston on Sunday. My assignment was to find business stories there, including a legendary Houston rappers restaurant chain learning lessons in labor supply to the volunteer shills who drive up prices at a charity livestock auction. All of that streamable from Marketplace Online. Here today, some tricks of the trade. Career lessons from a rodeo occupation called Barrelman Houston One question who's ready to ride some bulls? This is not the fellow set to get on a bucking bull. It's the person with the job of protecting the bull riders when they fall and things go haywire. The protective barrier used to keep rodeo rider and fierce bull apart is an aluminum barrel like a good sized beer keg, and the protector is called a barrel man. At work here is one of the top barrel men in the business. His name is John Harrison.

[John Harrison]

Come on, let's ride some bulls.

[Ian Lang]

Thank you, John. We're going to start it off with Clayton Sellers.

[David Brancaccio]

It's about the personal safety and the economic security of the person riding the bull.

[John Harrison]

Professional other sports, they get hurt, they go sit on the sidelines and get a check. In rodeo, they get hurt, they go home and no money. So if you can keep them safe so they can go ride tomorrow, that's our job.

[David Brancaccio]

If you've never been to a rodeo, you may be picturing some kind of stern referee dressed with authority. Here's the thing. Barrel men dress funny, act funny and are also known as rodeo clowns. Harrison has been doing this work for decades, but has just this year reached the very top of his league as he received a torch passed to him from a barrel man who had become a Houston legend.

[Ian Lang]

The one and only Leon Coffey. At our hall of Famer, I was.

[Leon Coffey]

Like an island in the sea of sharks.

[David Brancaccio]

His mentor, Leon Coffey, will continue to entertain rodeo crowds, but with his 70th birthday in the rearview mirror, he's no longer gonna fold himself into that barrel with bulls barreling down at him. It's been a career where he showed early promise.

[Leon Coffey]

In high school, I had an American history teacher that told me, he said, son, you can't make a living being a clown. The first, first time I won rodeo clown of the year, I called him up and went, na, na na, na, na.

[David Brancaccio]

Leon's been goofing around yet being serious about safety here for 31 years.

[Leon Coffey]

Like I've always said, anybody can get a job. Not everybody can keep one. They changed presidents and directors of this rodeo many times, and I'm still here.

[David Brancaccio]

I asked Leon what he was looking for when he was searching for John the clown. He picked to take over in the barrel.

[Leon Coffey]

You've got to be a very caring person and caring about putting a smile on that face. And we are in the entertainment business. If you don't have the best show in town, you're not gonna get the entertainment dollar.

[David Brancaccio]

But if clown is your career destiny, what do you tell your parents?

[John Harrison]

Oh, my goodness. I was that person that went to college for six years and never finished. So whenever I told, I always joked the best way to become a rodeo clown. Spend six years at a junior college, and your parents won't care what you're gonna do.

[David Brancaccio]

The professional rodeo cowboys association requires evaluations and issues permits for barrelman clowns for the events it sanctions. But super pros like John Harrison also do a lot of outside homework.

[John Harrison]

Well, I mean, you study great comedians on TV, and you. You don't have to copy them, but you might pick one thing up by watching something, and you do. You just try to adapt to be your own person, and you start trying to work your way up the ladder.

[David Brancaccio]

You don't start at the bigs. You earn your barreling in the minors.

[John Harrison]

I've worked rodeos in Iowa, where they've tilled up a cornfield an hour and a half before it started and hauled bleachers in lawn chairs on the side of a hill.

[David Brancaccio]

As for other tricks of the trade from these pros, they hand us a useful piece of information from the world of bull.

[John Harrison]

Everybody thinks they're attracted to red. That's completely fake. No, they're color blind. They don't see color. They're attracted to movement.

[David Brancaccio]

In a world where so many markets are remote digital zeros and ones. I like to find teachable moments in places where humans interact face to face. All of our tricks of the trade stories from the rode beyond are at marketplace online. Special thanks to producer Alex schroeder and audio engineer Brian Allison. Our executive producer is Kelly silvera. Our Emily mccune shot and produced video Instagram, TikTok and YouTube using the handle marketplaceapm, where I share my move for deconstructing a brisket sausage and pulled pork sandwich. Not pretty, but you save 66%. David I'm David Brancaccio. It's the Marketplace Morning Report from APM, American Public Media.

[Janelia Espinal]

Consumer confidence had its sharpest monthly decline since 2021, which means we're all in our feels about money. And while uncertainty is the only constant these days, it's also a great reason to get serious about understanding personal finance. I'm Janelia Espinal, host of Financially Inclined, a podcast from Marketplace that makes learning about money simple. Learn about practical skills like negotiating job offers, dealing with money and friendship and love, entrepreneurship and student loans. Get serious about your money and build a life you've always dreamed of. Listen to Financially Inclined wherever you get your podcasts.